I absolutely love a feel-good read, and Passion Project delivered! An MMC (Henry) who’s a fantastic communicator? Sign me up!

Passion Project is a beautiful exploration of finding love and healing after loss, thoughtfully portraying the FMC, Bennet’s, emotional landscape.

The story kicks off when Bennet’s friend tries to set her up on a date. Bennet doesn’t show, but as fate would have it, she later runs into her would-be date, Henry, at his restaurant job across the street. He agrees to help her find her passion, and just like that, their unique friendship begins.

The witty banter between Henry and Bennet as they tackle their “Passion Project” is fantastic and truly makes this book! An incredible debut novel!

- first person pov
- strangers > friends > lovers
- slow burn
- love after loss
- NYC setting

I LOVED this book! It’s one of the best romcom type books I’ve read in a long time but it also felt like so much more than that. What Bennet was going through felt so real and frustrating to watch happen. Henry was a big teddy bear and I loved him a lot, which made how Bennet got in her own head even more frustrating. I will recommend this book to everyone, I’m obsessed!

No public review as this isn't a positive review.

On the plus side the character arc for the FMC was mostly good, and the MMC was enjoyable. The writing was easy and pulled me along.

Unfortunately the FMC just didn't feel worthy of the MMC in the end. The final conflict was hideous and made me feel as though the romance wasn't earnt or tennable which ruined the entire book for me.

Passion Project is a story about love, grief, and self discovery. I really enjoyed how the author handled these topics with care, and shed light onto the process of choosing to love through grief.

From the synopsis alone I thought I was going to love this book, but it ended up being just okay for me - Henry, the MMC, is the dreamiest book boyfriend and I loved everything about him. However, I really struggled with Bennet, the FMC. I wanted so badly to root for her, but her choices/actions made me incredibly frustrated, even while viewing her through the lens of someone in the thick of grief. So much so that I began questioning why Henry even liked her😅

I was happy to see Bennet grow by the end of the story, but would’ve liked smaller bits of that growth earlier in the book!

This book! WOW! I was so pleasantly surprised and read it so fast I even was astonished. It captivated me from the very beginning and had my heart tugged by strings all the way through. I almost could feel the emotions the characters were diving into and that is a beautiful thing when an author is able to evoque that in me. Highly recommend!

I felt like I read this book so fast, and I really enjoyed it! Henry was just my absolute favorite - a total golden retriever who does nothing wrong. He was so sweet and friendly and earnest and I loved him so much. And I really liked Bennett, too. I felt like I could relate to her in a lot of ways. After having just been to New York a couple months ago, I really loved the setting and feeling like I was back in the city. And I think the author did a good job handling how guilt and grief really impacts someone. I am very impressed by this debut, and I look forward to seeing what London Sperry writes next.🌆

Content Notes: Open door content in chapters 25, 26, and 28. Strong language. Trigger warning for death of a significant other and parent with dementia.

Thank you to NetGalley and Viking Penguin for sending me an eARC of this book! All thoughts and opinions above are my own.

I absolutely adored this rom com! We love a flawed MFC! Bennet and Henry reminded me a lot of my husband and myself. A good reminder that we bring our past relationship experiences and hurts into our present day and sometimes that helps and sometimes that causes unintended pain too. If you’re looking for a romance with a bit more emotional depth this one is for you. 💖

Passion Project was a sweet read with some lovely moments, and I really appreciated how it handled grief in a thoughtful way. That said, the romance had a bit of an insta-love vibe still, and the final conflict didn’t quite work for me and made me struggle with the FMC. Still, it had charm, humor, heart and was an enjoyable read overall

This is such a sweet, hopeful romance that deals with serious topics but doesn’t take itself too seriously. Bennet blames herself for her late boyfriend’s death, and now she’s bracing herself for his sister/her best friend’s wedding. Her friend sets her up on a date with Henry and while they agree neither wants a relationship, he takes it upon himself to pull her out of her depression by helping her find a new passion. Together they try tattooing, volunteering for a dog rescue, face their fear of heights, and, naturally, shift from friends to lovers.

Both Bennet and Henry feel like very fully characters, and depression and grief are addressed sensitively.

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Random House for the free eARC.

Cute NYC rom com. The book was just ok for me. I didn't love it, but didn't dislike it either. There were some laugh out loud funny moments and also some deeper topics. Bennet was a very well written character but unlikeable at times. I found her hard to relate to.

A solid three star read for me. I would recommend for people who also liked Promise Me Sunshine.

Thanks for NetGalley, the author, and Penguin Books for allowing me to read and review this ARC.

Been hearing buzz surrounding this book as I'm also a subscriber to another book subscription and it's been hinted that this could be a pick. Loved the story in how it's much more than just a sweet romance novel and that it included deeper themes of grief and loss. I know others have mentioned feeling removed from Bennett since she kept loved ones in her life at a distance and it translated to the reader, but maybe that was the point too!

I enjoyed Henry as the MMC, however I'm not a fan of the overtly perfect guy. At times, he felt unrealistic as we all have our faults as humans. Overall it was a great read, and would recommend to others!

Thank you to Penguin Books, London Sperry, and Netgalley for the e-ARC of this!

Unfortunately this book missed the mark for me. I loved the main male character, but the female bothered me. I felt like the author wanted her to be this complex character, but it didn't hit the mark for me.

How do you restart your life after the worse possible thing happens? That’s what Bennet needs to figure out after her boyfriend, Sam, dies. She moves to New York City, but what is she going to do there? How is she going to move on? Meet Henry, their newest Passion Project, and a little bit of companionship from others, and maybe Bennet will figure it out.

I really enjoyed this book! It dove deep into the feelings of the characters, their backgrounds and their stories. I appreciated the depth of every character, even the ancillary ones, that added to this emotional novel. Even with its quasi-third act break up, I didn’t mind the storyline of the characters. Highly suggested if you enjoy grief-related novels with a lot of romance!

Thank you to the publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

I think the cover is cute and colorful which contrasts with the story of this book. After reading the summary I knew to expect grief, pain, etc. but I understand why other readers felt it was too much. I think if you have never experienced the amount of never ending pain, depression, anxiety, loneliness and of course grief, then it’s hard to really relate to Bennet and connect with her character. Some moments were definitely uncomfortable to read through and there were some heartbreaking decisions but overall I liked the writing style. It was full of emotions, it was believable too because it felt so raw and real. I think not everyone will enjoy this book and I understand why but if you’re in the right headspace for it I would say to give it a chance and yes you’ll feel a bit down at times but the writing style was enjoyable.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with this ARC in exchange for my honest review and feedback.

Like a lot of Emily Henry's books, this one had a lot of depth and heart! I really enjoyed the romance, and the two main leads. Definitely keeping an eye out for London Sperry for now on, she seems like the successor to EmHen that we've been looking for!

This book was cute and had excellent banter between characters. The chemistry between Bennett and Henry was lacking for me and I would have liked a little more spice.

This book was everything I didn’t know I needed. The mental health representation while dealing with grief was spot on. The characters were likeable, no, they were loveable. Sperry had the perfect amount of love, humor, conflict, and growth. This book is like a giant bear hug after the perfect therapy session. My heart ached for Bennet but I absolutely adored how Henry cared for her and made her see the best in herself and her life. It was amazing to see how Sperry was able to make this such an enjoyable romcom while also putting the focus on the hardships in Bennets life. I will forever recommend this book and continue to read her work. Five stars from me!

A wonderful summer romance perfect for fans of Emily Henry or Casey Mcquiston. Highly recommended. Cant wait to see a film adaptation.

Passion Project was heartfelt and deeply raw, touching on themes like grief and guilt, friendship and loneliness, self-discovery and healing. I laughed, I cried, I fell in love with Bennet and Henry and I had so much fun reading. London Sperry does a wonderful job balancing heavy themes with romance and comedy. I can't believe this is her debut novel!
Even though I felt frustrated by her at times, I loved Bennet and I found myself relating to her. Her journey and her feelings were written really well, it shows you how ugly grief can be and how self-destructive it can make you act. Watching Bennet go from feeling lost and aimless to finding hope and falling in love with life again was beautiful and it touched me in so many ways.
Henry was charming from the start and the more I read the more I adored him. He was so sweet and he treated Bennet with such care and patience, I loved how they built their friendship first while slowly falling in love. I wish we could’ve learned more about him and about his relationship with his dad.
Some scenes in the end felt a bit rushed and like it wrapped up quickly but I really loved this book. I can’t wait to read more from London Sperry!
～Thank you to Penguin Group and NetGalley for the ARC!

First of all, thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an e-ARC of Passion Project.

Passion Project is sweet romance shot through with grief and sadness. Sadly, there was something about this book that just didn't fully gel for me. I appreciated the exploration of grief and deep loss but it felt in a way removed, at first I thought it was on purpose. To show how grief keeps you separate from your loved ones but it kept going throughout. Bennett kept everyone in her life at arm's length, from her roommate to her former best friend to her love interest Henry. And that translated to the reader as well, so I never really felt like I was in her head and didn't feel attached to her.

Henry was sweet but maybe too perfect. He had his own problems too, but they weren't really explored and it felt very superficial how he just immediately wanted to be there for Bennett.

The resolution was also too easy, after having Bennett show time and time again that she wasn't fully okay. I'd have liked her to go to therapy earlier on.

Overall it was a nice read but probably not one I will remember much in a few months.