At first, I couldn’t stand the main character.. I really don’t typically enjoy stories where I can’t get behind them. I was convinced I was going to hate the book. However, Bennet’s grief was just such a huge part of her personality that it lent her to treating everyone around her like garbage.
Thankfully, this turned around.. and I ended up understanding her and appreciating the growth.
Henry, Sonya. Andy.. Jamie. Loved them all! Especially Sal, what a lovely individual.

I saw other reviews where they loved the story up until a bigger conflict towards the end- but I felt the opposite. I didn’t like the conflict either but it helped bring the rating up for me. I was satisfied with the ending, and happy with the storyline. Great debut from this author!

Thanks to Net Galley for the ARC

Things I liked about this: the setting. I loved NYC, all the unique dating spots, neighborhoods. Henry is practically perfect. At times, I felt the main character Bennet could do a better job describing her grief - but then I realized grief is hard to verbalize. The scene where she’s pretty much stuck in her room helped me understand her mental state more.

Supporting characters were decently drawn and explained.

Some of the language felt a little elementary … again, it’s hard to convey a narrator who’s so down on herself, but I thought some other ways other than “I’m a mess” would be useful.

Great cover.
3.5 stars.

A wonderful, cozy story about finding your way back to yourself after loss. I loved Bennet and Henry’s story, and found the descriptions around Bennet’s anxiety to be very accurate from my own experiences as an anxiety girlie.

Heartbreak, grief, love- it’s all part of the same coin. The raw, gritty emotions shown in this book was wonderful. For anyone who’s experienced it, it created a feeling of being seen and heard. Love is the answer, the passion, the fix. It’s perfect.

Passion Project is a fun romance with the underlying serious themes of self-discovery and grief. It was the perfect balance of funny and deep. I loved the adventures that Bennet and Henry go on. While at times Bennet was immature, I found her amount of growth and self-discovery inspiring. The chemistry between Bennet and Henry was natural and developed without force or rush. I enjoyed the setting of New York City and could see myself wandering down the streets with our main characters. This is a fabulous debut and I look forward to more from London Sperry in the future.

Thanks to NetGalley and PENGUIN GROUP Viking | Penguin Books for a digital copy in exchange for my honest review.

I loved this! The story was so beautifully done. I cried, I smiled I just adored them so much. Henry is the best. And The FMC is so relatable. I just want to give her a hug. The best kind of stories are the ones that burrow into your heart and make you wonder why these people don’t really exist. I fell in love with these characters and I will be re-reading

Thank you NetGalley for this ARC!


First off, I wanna say this was such a ride! I laughed and teared up. Some parts really hit home and made me tear up.
At times, I found myself so frustrated with Bennet that I wanted to shake her and tell her to wake up! I also realized how much of me I saw in her at certain points. I love Henry and he deserves the world . *cue tears* He is giving golden retriever energy and I love it. Just what Bennett needed before she even realized. I wasn’t sure what to expect when I picked this book up and I’m so glad I did.

4.5 stars!
I absolutely loved this book and can not believe this is a debut author. It was so well written and felt like therapy in book form. I've read several other books that center around grief/depression recently and some felt extreme in their portrayal. The grief portrayed in this book is deep but resonnated with me. The ending felt a tiny bit rushed, which is why it isn't a perfect 5 stars but that's just personal preference. I will definitely be recommending this book to others.
I loved the setting of NYC and loved being able to explore the city with the main characters! It made me want to plan my next trip there :)

Thank you Netgalley for the ARC!

I really enjoyed this book! The main character at times irritated me, but the story was written about someone with issues unresolved from grief, so I guess it was written, realistically being that I felt the way I did about her. But the story was beautiful and Henry was a perfect book boyfriend! A nice story that flowed easily and was a joy to read. Thank you for the ARC.!

The Passion Project was such an amazing book that focused so masterfully on the tough subject of grief that it resonated with me. Bennet is barely surviving her life. She’s pushed everyone away, she has a job she barely can stand, and hasn’t seen her family in forever. When her best friend encourages her to go on a blind date she decides to bail on the date last minute only to meet the man she stood up later. The two of them form an unlikely friendship and Henry decides he’s going to help Bennet find her passion again.
The book is filled with themes of forgiveness, friendship, and love in truly the best way possible. The characters are all incredibly written and this story really touched my heart: thank you to Netgalley and to the publishers for allowing me read this advanced copy.

"Passion Project" really tugs at the heartstrings in such an amazing way.

I found the dynamic between Bennet and Henry to feel very compelling. Also, Bennet felt very relatable regarding what a mess she felt she was and having to navigate picking herself back up.

This was a stunning debut and I am looking forward to reading more from London Sperry someday.

Thank you to Penguin Books for selecting me for this ARC.

I enjoyed this overall. I had a hard time connecting to the main character for a good portion of the book and I do feel like it took awhile for her to get through a lot of her issues! This book is a great display that grief is not linear and everyone’s journey to healing is different

PASSION PROJECT was an absolute joy of a novel. It charmed the heck out of me. The chemistry between Bennet and Henry was undeniable, and the descriptions of grief, love, and longing were absolute perfection. I'll be keeping an eye on this author.

5 Stars!

Such an impressive debut! In Passion Project, we meet Bennet, a twenty-something temp worker in New York City who’s drifting- floundering, really - through life in the fog of unresolved grief. Bennet is a character many readers will recognize in themselves - a little lost, a little broken, and unsure of how to begin again.

Enter Henry, a near-stranger who proposes something unexpected: every Saturday, they’ll try something new to help Bennet find her passion again. One of my (many) favorite things about Henry is that he supports Bennet without ever trying to "fix" her. Instead, his friendship and their "Passion Project" offers a safe space for her heal, try, and grow.

London Sperry blends witty banter with emotional depth, somehow making Passion Project feel lighthearted and heartbreaking in equal measure. It’s thoughtful, tender, and so *real* - a story for anyone who’s ever felt stuck and needed a gentle nudge back toward joy.

Thank you to Penguin Books & NetGalley for the ARC!

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC of the book from this fantastic new author! I was very surprised to see this was the authors debut novel as it was quite entertaining. I love LOVED the beginning of the book. The side comments and banter were quite witty and made me laugh out loud. I loved how the author incorporated different activities to enhance the characters growing affection. The end drama lost me a little bit as I found Bennett's logic to be quite frustrating at times and painful to read. That aside, I really enjoyed the book. I will definitely look to read more by this author in the future!

Rom Com set in heart of New York? Yes please! London Sperry's debut novel "Passion Project" is a heartfelt read with deep and charismatic characters who will pull on your heart strings. The MMC is just adorable, and patient and kind and honest with our FMC. I highly recommend this book to those who are looking for a little sunshine in their lives. Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC.

Listen…I found this book on a whim and then I saw it was in BOTM so I got it (duh). I also got it on audio because Alex Finke is slowly becoming one of my favorite narrators. It was giving “Promise Me Sunshine” vibes all the way around. I did tear through this book but at some points I was seriously annoyed by the female main character. She really victimized herself and kind of just left herself out to dry. Now I know that grief is a multifaceted emotion that can literally ruin your life but girl!!!! GET HELP!!!! Like over and over she just ruined all of her relationships and it’s like can you please take responsibility for you? Overall I enjoyed this book and I would read another by this author. Thank you NetGalley and Penguin Viking Books for this ARC.

Yeah, I loved this

rom dram/com set in NYC filled with banter and a great slow burn with a grand gesture ending? yes please

I love it when romance novels explore themes beyond romance, and Passion Project does this incredibly well. The main character, Bennett, experiences massive grief and learns to love amid it, which is a beautiful story I think a lot of people can relate to in different ways.

This is a debut novel, but if I didn't know that prior to reading it, I would've assumed the author had been writing for decades; it's so well written that it was easy to visualize what a movie version of this story would be like. The plot and chemistry came to life and made this such a great reading experience.

I just really really loved this. It felt different than a lot of romance novels being put out today. So many just use TikTok and social media language to appeal to readings and then come off cheap and poorly written. I could tell London Sperry took her time writing this story and really making it the strongest she could. LOVE!

3 stars

Passion Project follows Henry and Bennet as they fall in love with each other and also, for Bennet, NYC.

Bennet has experienced the loss of a boyfriend, and she is still in the trenches of her grief. I would like to say that while her grief has some good representation, I find it kind of annoying that she blames that for all of her poor behavior towards the people in her life. I just wish she would take some accountability.

Henry is fantastic and the only thing I would change is that I want more. I would have loved to meet his family and go more into depth about his father.

Now, with them together, I did root for them. They had good chemistry once Bennet stopped denying his friendship and their adventures felt authentic and cute. I loved how Henry was attentive and listened to her.

Towards the end of the book, I was absolutely pissed because Bennet is upset at him for something (don’t want to give spoilers), and she overreacts, in my opinion. She was looking for a reason for it not to work, and that was it.

Overall, it was pretty decent. The passion project dates were the best part.

Thank you #NetGalley for this ARC of #ThePassionProject

The Passion Project is a beautiful story about grief, mental health, healing, and finding joy again. Of course, it's made even better with a green flag guy, witty banter, and a slow-burn friends-to-lovers romance.

Bennet Taylor is 25 years old — stuck, grieving, and feeling like her life is passing her by. Then she runs into Henry Adams, the guy she just ghosted on a date. Instead of walking away (for the second time), Henry suggests something unexpected: every Saturday, they'll try something new to help her find her passion. Just as friends, of course. What follows is an emotional journey full of surprises—from demonic melon tattoos, to a lecture in economics, to hanging off the side of skyscrapers. But beneath all the fun is a deeper, more honest look at what it means to be lost, and how hard it can be to let go and start again.

London Sperry writes with so much heart. The way she writes about grief and mental health feels incredibly REAL, yet thoughtful, and the story still has plenty of humor and lightness. I laughed, teared up, and finished the whole thing in a day.

[This book NEEDS to be made into a movie. It actually read like a script.]