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Passion Project
If your twenties are supposed to be the best years of your life, Bennet Taylor is failing miserably…with a big emphasis on the miserable. Where’s that zest she keeps hearing about? She’s a temp worker in New York City with no direction, no future, and no social life. And at the painful center of this listlessness is grief over the death of her first love.
When Bennet runs into Henry Adams just hours after standing him up for a first date, she makes an alcohol-fueled confession: She’s not ready to date. In fact, it’s been years since she felt passion for something. Not even pottery, or organized sports—not anything. Rather than leaving her to ruminate, Henry jumps at the opportunity for adventure: Bennet needs to find a passion for life, and Henry will help her find it. Every Saturday, they’ll try something new in New York City. As friends, of course.
As their “passion project” continues, the pair tackle everything from carpentry to tattooing to rappelling off skyscrapers, and Bennet feels her guarded exterior ebbing away. But as secrets surface, Bennet has to decide what she wants, and if she’s truly ready to move on.
When Bennet runs into Henry Adams just hours after standing him up for a first date, she makes an alcohol-fueled confession: She’s not ready to date. In fact, it’s been years since she felt passion for something. Not even pottery, or organized sports—not anything. Rather than leaving her to ruminate, Henry jumps at the opportunity for adventure: Bennet needs to find a passion for life, and Henry will help her find it. Every Saturday, they’ll try something new in New York City. As friends, of course.
As their “passion project” continues, the pair tackle everything from carpentry to tattooing to rappelling off skyscrapers, and Bennet feels her guarded exterior ebbing away. But as secrets surface, Bennet has to decide what she wants, and if she’s truly ready to move on.
357 pages, Hardcover
First published April 8, 2025
About the author
London Sperry
1 book776 followersLondon Sperry is a New York based author of sad-girl romances with happy endings, including her debut novel, Passion Project. When not writing, London can be found exploring areas of New York, reading on park benches, and discovering passion in everyday life. Her second novel, City People, will release in 2027.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 7,470 reviews
April 26, 2025
3.75 ⭐️
The perfect NYC setting rom-com vibes!!!! Henry is also ✨ perfect ✨ (very good with communication & a very wonderful listener)
I also loved the depiction of mental health & grief through our FMC, her personality was relatable but also fun! I didn’t completely feel the romance, but I’m glad they found each other when and how they did!!! This was almost a sold 4 ⭐️, but the veryyyyy ending scene(s) knocked it down just a tad
The perfect NYC setting rom-com vibes!!!! Henry is also ✨ perfect ✨ (very good with communication & a very wonderful listener)
I also loved the depiction of mental health & grief through our FMC, her personality was relatable but also fun! I didn’t completely feel the romance, but I’m glad they found each other when and how they did!!! This was almost a sold 4 ⭐️, but the veryyyyy ending scene(s) knocked it down just a tad
July 1, 2025
➳
4.75/5 stars
Did I just find my comfort read? Oh, absolutely yes. This book felt like a warm hug on a slow summer day—the kind of story that makes life feel just a little more magical. I swear, it’s one of those books... the ones that come into your life and make you feel like everything’s just a little brighter, a little lighter, and honestly? A little more worth living.
The concept? So refreshingly unique. It didn’t feel like something I’ve read a hundred times before, and that alone made it such a joy to dive into.
And the characters, don’t even get me started! They were just so easy to fall in love with. The kind you root for without even realizing it, and by the time you're halfway through, you’re completely obsessed.
Their chemistry? Off. The. Charts. I’m talking kicking my feet, giggling like a teenager, swooning into my pillow kind of chemistry. I genuinely had to pause multiple times just to grin at the ceiling like a lovesick fool.
So trust me when I say: pick this one up. You won’t be disappointed.
➳ ABOUT THE BOOK
This book truly surprised me in the best way, it’s the kind of story that slowly pulls you in and doesn’t let go. At its heart, it’s about a girl who’s lost all her will to live after her ex passes away in a tragic accident. She’s stuck in a loop of grief, so wrapped up in her pain that she starts pushing everyone away, her friends, her family, anyone who tries to reach her. It’s not that she doesn’t want to be saved… she just doesn’t think she deserves it.
And then he shows up.
The same guy she ghosted on their first date, might I add, the audacity! And yet, instead of holding it against her, he finds his way back into her life with a proposal that’s both sweet and incredibly sincere: he wants to help her find her passion again. Every weekend, they go out and try something new, something that might just bring a spark back into her life, hence the perfect name, Passion Project.
As their weekends unfold, what starts off as a slow and hesitant friendship begins to shift. The line between "just friends" and something more starts to blur, and the slow burn between them? Whew. It was so, so good. The kind of build-up that makes you grin at your book and silently scream into your pillow. You feel every glance, every touch, every unspoken word. It’s deliciously drawn out in the best way possible.
Now, yes—it has a sprinkle of miscommunication (because what’s a slow burn without a little bit of emotional chaos?), but let me assure you, it’s not the frustrating kind that makes you want to throw the book across the room. It’s handled with just the right amount of tension and resolution, so you don’t feel like you’re drowning in unnecessary drama.
➳ ABOUT THE CHARACTERS
╰┈➤ HENRY ADAMS
This guy right here? He’s my new fictional love, and I say that with my entire heart. From the very first moment he walked onto the page, I knew I was in trouble. Even after being ghosted on their first date (which, let’s be honest, most people would never recover from), he didn’t give up on her. And no, not because he lacked self-respect or didn’t have anything better to do, but because he saw her. He understood her grief, her silence, her fear, and he made the conscious choice to stay. He knew she was worth fighting for.
He came back into her life not with demands or anger, but with a gentle proposal: their own little passion project. And oh my god, the dates he planned? I melted with every single one. Thoughtful, quiet, creative moments designed just for her,so she never felt out of place or pressured. The amount of care he put into each one was unreal. Like… are we sure this man isn’t real? Because I’m convinced he’s walking the Earth somewhere being the greenest of all green flags.
But what really got me, what truly made me fall harder with every chapter, was how emotionally mature he was. Every time she spiraled, panicked, or broke down, he held her. Not just physically, but emotionally. He reminded her—gently, sweetly, and often—that she was worthy of love, of healing, of happiness. That she didn’t have to carry the weight of the world alone. He didn’t try to fix her. He simply stood by her while she found her way.
And here’s the best part, he wasn’t perfect. He had his own flaws, his own quiet insecurities, his own emotional baggage. But instead of being brushed over, those flaws were written in with so much depth. They made him feel real. They added to his warmth, his quiet strength, his relatability.
╰┈➤ BENNETT TAYLOR
This girl right here? She’s the epitome of strength and resilience, and I’m not even being dramatic,.okay maybe a little, but only because she deserves it. The journey she went through? Heartbreaking. The way she lost herself in grief, pushed everyone away, and chose solitude over support, it wasn’t always easy to watch, but it felt real, raw and honest. She made mistakes, sure, but don’t we all when we’re hurting that deeply?
What truly hit me is how personal her pain felt. I know she’s fictional, but the way the author wrote her made it seem like I could reach through the pages and hold her hand. Her thoughts, her breakdowns, her quiet moments of reflection, they weren’t just lines in a book, they were experiences. And the way she coped? Messy. Isolated. At times, frustrating. But grief has a way of turning us into versions of ourselves even we don’t recognize. So while I didn’t always agree with her decisions, I understood them, and that made all the difference.
She was grieving the love of her life, and that kind of loss? It doesn’t just break you, it shatters you in a million invisible pieces. So yes, she pushed people away. Yes, she hid from the world. But deep down, all she was trying to do was survive in the only way she knew how.
And then… slowly, gently, she found her way back. Not just back to Henry (ugh, my heart), but back to herself. The girl she used to be, the one she lost somewhere between sorrow and silence, she met her again. And in doing that, she began to mend the relationships she’d shut out, one by one. That healing? That growth? That took real strength.
I cherished every part of her journey, the messy, the painful, the brave, and the beautiful. She made me cry, she made me root for her, and by the end, she made me proud. I truly, wholeheartedly adore her.
➳ FINAL THOUGHTS
I hadn’t picked up a romcom in months, and maybe that’s what made this one hit a little harder… or maybe—just maybe—it’s because this book was so different from every other romcom I’ve ever read. Whatever the reason, it felt incredibly special. There was just something about it, the charm, the banter, the warmth that made me fall head over heels.
The characters? Absolutely adorable. So easy to love, so full of quirks and heart. And the chemistry between them? Off-the-charts good. Like grinning-like-a-fool-while-reading good.
I’m usually not the biggest fan of the friends-to-lovers trope, but this book… oh, this book made me question everything I thought I knew. Honestly, the entire time I was reading, it felt like I had been transported into my favorite 90s romcom. You know the kind, the cozy, feel-good, heart-bursting kind that you want to rewatch a hundred times? That’s the vibe. And I’m obsessed.
°˖➴ "Overall, if you’re in the mood for something light yet meaningful, sweet yet swoony, something that’ll make your heart swell with joy and maybe even restore a little bit of your belief in love, this book might just be your perfect catch." 💌
— Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
➳ QUOTES
⚘ "It feels like I’m returning to him after a long journey, like I’ve met him in a past life, rather than mere months ago. It’s a kind of familiarity that lives below my skin, warming me from the inside out"
⚘ "I spent so much energy worrying that I was behind, or that the world was moving on without me, or that having a passion would fix me, but I realized that I'm the only one who can fix me. No one else. Not a fancy job, not a passion, not you, and not even a therapist. Me. So I'm not waiting for some magical key to unlock my life anymore. I'm doing it myself"
⚘ "Having your shit together is not a prerequisite for love."
⚘ ”In his arms I’m reminded that happiness doesn’t need to be bathed in guilt. Love doesn’t need to be shrouded in disbelief. Sometimes it just is."
⚘ “I’m always letting people down.”
“It’s what people do. We’re imperfect. We hurt each other, but I don’t have any doubt in my mind you will make it right.”
-ˋˏ✄┈┈┈┈
୨ৎ pre-read:
⤿ started - April 26, 2025
I've heard so much about this book like, literally everyone who read it loved it!!! sooo my hopes are pretty high, Fingers crossed!🤞🏻🩷
— Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
₊⊹⁀➴“Love doesn’t care about whether or not you have your shit together, or if you’re a grieving mess. Love doesn’t care if you’re anxious or depressed or drowning in everyday life. Love just loves"
Did I just find my comfort read? Oh, absolutely yes. This book felt like a warm hug on a slow summer day—the kind of story that makes life feel just a little more magical. I swear, it’s one of those books... the ones that come into your life and make you feel like everything’s just a little brighter, a little lighter, and honestly? A little more worth living.
The concept? So refreshingly unique. It didn’t feel like something I’ve read a hundred times before, and that alone made it such a joy to dive into.
And the characters, don’t even get me started! They were just so easy to fall in love with. The kind you root for without even realizing it, and by the time you're halfway through, you’re completely obsessed.
Their chemistry? Off. The. Charts. I’m talking kicking my feet, giggling like a teenager, swooning into my pillow kind of chemistry. I genuinely had to pause multiple times just to grin at the ceiling like a lovesick fool.
So trust me when I say: pick this one up. You won’t be disappointed.
➳ ABOUT THE BOOK
This book truly surprised me in the best way, it’s the kind of story that slowly pulls you in and doesn’t let go. At its heart, it’s about a girl who’s lost all her will to live after her ex passes away in a tragic accident. She’s stuck in a loop of grief, so wrapped up in her pain that she starts pushing everyone away, her friends, her family, anyone who tries to reach her. It’s not that she doesn’t want to be saved… she just doesn’t think she deserves it.
And then he shows up.
The same guy she ghosted on their first date, might I add, the audacity! And yet, instead of holding it against her, he finds his way back into her life with a proposal that’s both sweet and incredibly sincere: he wants to help her find her passion again. Every weekend, they go out and try something new, something that might just bring a spark back into her life, hence the perfect name, Passion Project.
As their weekends unfold, what starts off as a slow and hesitant friendship begins to shift. The line between "just friends" and something more starts to blur, and the slow burn between them? Whew. It was so, so good. The kind of build-up that makes you grin at your book and silently scream into your pillow. You feel every glance, every touch, every unspoken word. It’s deliciously drawn out in the best way possible.
Now, yes—it has a sprinkle of miscommunication (because what’s a slow burn without a little bit of emotional chaos?), but let me assure you, it’s not the frustrating kind that makes you want to throw the book across the room. It’s handled with just the right amount of tension and resolution, so you don’t feel like you’re drowning in unnecessary drama.
➳ ABOUT THE CHARACTERS
╰┈➤ HENRY ADAMS
“I’d wait for you at that bar a million times if it meant I got to be here with you."
This guy right here? He’s my new fictional love, and I say that with my entire heart. From the very first moment he walked onto the page, I knew I was in trouble. Even after being ghosted on their first date (which, let’s be honest, most people would never recover from), he didn’t give up on her. And no, not because he lacked self-respect or didn’t have anything better to do, but because he saw her. He understood her grief, her silence, her fear, and he made the conscious choice to stay. He knew she was worth fighting for.
He came back into her life not with demands or anger, but with a gentle proposal: their own little passion project. And oh my god, the dates he planned? I melted with every single one. Thoughtful, quiet, creative moments designed just for her,so she never felt out of place or pressured. The amount of care he put into each one was unreal. Like… are we sure this man isn’t real? Because I’m convinced he’s walking the Earth somewhere being the greenest of all green flags.
But what really got me, what truly made me fall harder with every chapter, was how emotionally mature he was. Every time she spiraled, panicked, or broke down, he held her. Not just physically, but emotionally. He reminded her—gently, sweetly, and often—that she was worthy of love, of healing, of happiness. That she didn’t have to carry the weight of the world alone. He didn’t try to fix her. He simply stood by her while she found her way.
And here’s the best part, he wasn’t perfect. He had his own flaws, his own quiet insecurities, his own emotional baggage. But instead of being brushed over, those flaws were written in with so much depth. They made him feel real. They added to his warmth, his quiet strength, his relatability.
╰┈➤ BENNETT TAYLOR
“It’s like my grief has tethered me to myself, the walls of sadness like shrink-wrap surrounding all sides of me until I can barely breathe. Any movement I make, any step forward or back, is too painful. The smaller and smaller my world becomes, the more daunting it is to try to move out of the hurt."
This girl right here? She’s the epitome of strength and resilience, and I’m not even being dramatic,.okay maybe a little, but only because she deserves it. The journey she went through? Heartbreaking. The way she lost herself in grief, pushed everyone away, and chose solitude over support, it wasn’t always easy to watch, but it felt real, raw and honest. She made mistakes, sure, but don’t we all when we’re hurting that deeply?
What truly hit me is how personal her pain felt. I know she’s fictional, but the way the author wrote her made it seem like I could reach through the pages and hold her hand. Her thoughts, her breakdowns, her quiet moments of reflection, they weren’t just lines in a book, they were experiences. And the way she coped? Messy. Isolated. At times, frustrating. But grief has a way of turning us into versions of ourselves even we don’t recognize. So while I didn’t always agree with her decisions, I understood them, and that made all the difference.
She was grieving the love of her life, and that kind of loss? It doesn’t just break you, it shatters you in a million invisible pieces. So yes, she pushed people away. Yes, she hid from the world. But deep down, all she was trying to do was survive in the only way she knew how.
And then… slowly, gently, she found her way back. Not just back to Henry (ugh, my heart), but back to herself. The girl she used to be, the one she lost somewhere between sorrow and silence, she met her again. And in doing that, she began to mend the relationships she’d shut out, one by one. That healing? That growth? That took real strength.
I cherished every part of her journey, the messy, the painful, the brave, and the beautiful. She made me cry, she made me root for her, and by the end, she made me proud. I truly, wholeheartedly adore her.
➳ FINAL THOUGHTS
“because that was one of the worst nights of my life, but it led me to one of the best things in my life. You."
I hadn’t picked up a romcom in months, and maybe that’s what made this one hit a little harder… or maybe—just maybe—it’s because this book was so different from every other romcom I’ve ever read. Whatever the reason, it felt incredibly special. There was just something about it, the charm, the banter, the warmth that made me fall head over heels.
The characters? Absolutely adorable. So easy to love, so full of quirks and heart. And the chemistry between them? Off-the-charts good. Like grinning-like-a-fool-while-reading good.
I’m usually not the biggest fan of the friends-to-lovers trope, but this book… oh, this book made me question everything I thought I knew. Honestly, the entire time I was reading, it felt like I had been transported into my favorite 90s romcom. You know the kind, the cozy, feel-good, heart-bursting kind that you want to rewatch a hundred times? That’s the vibe. And I’m obsessed.
°˖➴ "Overall, if you’re in the mood for something light yet meaningful, sweet yet swoony, something that’ll make your heart swell with joy and maybe even restore a little bit of your belief in love, this book might just be your perfect catch." 💌
— Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
➳ QUOTES
⚘ "It feels like I’m returning to him after a long journey, like I’ve met him in a past life, rather than mere months ago. It’s a kind of familiarity that lives below my skin, warming me from the inside out"
⚘ "I spent so much energy worrying that I was behind, or that the world was moving on without me, or that having a passion would fix me, but I realized that I'm the only one who can fix me. No one else. Not a fancy job, not a passion, not you, and not even a therapist. Me. So I'm not waiting for some magical key to unlock my life anymore. I'm doing it myself"
⚘ "Having your shit together is not a prerequisite for love."
⚘ ”In his arms I’m reminded that happiness doesn’t need to be bathed in guilt. Love doesn’t need to be shrouded in disbelief. Sometimes it just is."
⚘ “I’m always letting people down.”
“It’s what people do. We’re imperfect. We hurt each other, but I don’t have any doubt in my mind you will make it right.”
-ˋˏ✄┈┈┈┈
୨ৎ pre-read:
⤿ started - April 26, 2025
I've heard so much about this book like, literally everyone who read it loved it!!! sooo my hopes are pretty high, Fingers crossed!🤞🏻🩷
— Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
May 27, 2025
˗ˏˋ ★ ˎˊ˗ 3.75 Stars . ˗ˏˋ ★ ˎˊ˗
So, I really loved this one and I'm sure tons of people will - it feels literally impossible to not fall in love with both Bennet and Henry and the New York City magic that was poured into these pages.
Bennet Taylor is stuck in grief after the death of her first love. Hoping to rediscover herself and honor Sam’s dreams, she moves to New York—but all it brings is a sense of rejection and lingering depression.
In an effort to improve her mental health, her friend encourages her to go on a date with a guy from a dating app. But the closer Bennet gets to the meeting place, the stronger the panic becomes. She runs into a restaurant across the street—unaware that she’ll run into him there later.
Right from the first page I was pulled into the story - Bennet just popped off the page for me and I could really relate to all the mishaps she had going on so early on it the story lol. I myself have lost a significant other and could totally relate to how she was feeling and how her life seemed so unmanageable and depressing.
Once Bennet and Henry start hanging out though to do their little Passion Project oh my god the chemistry and the banter just came to life. I found myself laughing so often and to the point where I was tearing up. I absolutely loved everything between these two.
The writing is beautiful and I thought the pace was great as well.. The author really brings the heart of NYC to you in these pages with such vivid detail. If you love the city and need a quick mental get away, London Sperry will get you there in this novel, lol I promise you that. I was truly transported into the concrete jungle of cement with this one.
After around the 60% mark there's a couple of conflicts that I didn't really like or think were necessary. This really would have been a 5-star book for me but I'm team Henry forever and I just didn't like the way he was treated.
I don't often round my ratings up, but for this one I will after chatting with my reading partner I've decided not to round. I was just too disappointed with Bennet's behavior in the last few chapters.
(cont from the edit) ...because I did love the majority of the book, but I loathed two scenarios. The last conflict didn't leave me with the warmest or fuzziest feeling and instead of loving Bennet as I did for the entire book up until this point, I started to see her in a less favorable light.
This is an absolutely beautiful exploration of love after loss and healing during the grieving process. The romance is sweet and fun, it's tender and heartwarming and I just know these two will steal many readers hearts.
If you loved Promise Me Sunshine - I think you'll love this one. Highly recommend.
💜Cinnamon Roll MMC
💜NYC Setting
💜Overcoming Grief
💜Love After Loss
💜Slow Burn
💜Grumpy x Sunshine
💜Friends to Lovers
💜Only One Bed
Expected Pub Date - 04/08/25
Buddy read with my girlie pop bestie Maria - Please be sure to check out her thoughts as well! 💛💐
⋆✴︎˚｡⋆ Connect with me on Instagram ˗ˏˋ★‿︵‧ ˚ ₊⊹
Many thanks to Penguin Group for the advanced digital copy. I’ll do my best to read this fast and give my honest thoughts and opinions which are my very own. 😅❤️
So, I really loved this one and I'm sure tons of people will - it feels literally impossible to not fall in love with both Bennet and Henry and the New York City magic that was poured into these pages.
Bennet Taylor is stuck in grief after the death of her first love. Hoping to rediscover herself and honor Sam’s dreams, she moves to New York—but all it brings is a sense of rejection and lingering depression.
In an effort to improve her mental health, her friend encourages her to go on a date with a guy from a dating app. But the closer Bennet gets to the meeting place, the stronger the panic becomes. She runs into a restaurant across the street—unaware that she’ll run into him there later.
Right from the first page I was pulled into the story - Bennet just popped off the page for me and I could really relate to all the mishaps she had going on so early on it the story lol. I myself have lost a significant other and could totally relate to how she was feeling and how her life seemed so unmanageable and depressing.
Once Bennet and Henry start hanging out though to do their little Passion Project oh my god the chemistry and the banter just came to life. I found myself laughing so often and to the point where I was tearing up. I absolutely loved everything between these two.
The writing is beautiful and I thought the pace was great as well.. The author really brings the heart of NYC to you in these pages with such vivid detail. If you love the city and need a quick mental get away, London Sperry will get you there in this novel, lol I promise you that. I was truly transported into the concrete jungle of cement with this one.
After around the 60% mark there's a couple of conflicts that I didn't really like or think were necessary. This really would have been a 5-star book for me but I'm team Henry forever and I just didn't like the way he was treated.
(cont from the edit) ...because I did love the majority of the book, but I loathed two scenarios. The last conflict didn't leave me with the warmest or fuzziest feeling and instead of loving Bennet as I did for the entire book up until this point, I started to see her in a less favorable light.
This is an absolutely beautiful exploration of love after loss and healing during the grieving process. The romance is sweet and fun, it's tender and heartwarming and I just know these two will steal many readers hearts.
If you loved Promise Me Sunshine - I think you'll love this one. Highly recommend.
💜Cinnamon Roll MMC
💜NYC Setting
💜Overcoming Grief
💜Love After Loss
💜Slow Burn
💜Grumpy x Sunshine
💜Friends to Lovers
💜Only One Bed
Expected Pub Date - 04/08/25
Buddy read with my girlie pop bestie Maria - Please be sure to check out her thoughts as well! 💛💐
⋆✴︎˚｡⋆ Connect with me on Instagram ˗ˏˋ★‿︵‧ ˚ ₊⊹
Many thanks to Penguin Group for the advanced digital copy. I’ll do my best to read this fast and give my honest thoughts and opinions which are my very own. 😅❤️
May 5, 2025
જ⁀➴ 2.60 ✰
edit: I can’t stop thinking about how much I hated the last chapters and that Bennet was a horrible fmc and her behavior was hideous. So I had to lower my rating😌
Passion Project follows Bennet Taylor, a temp worker in New York City who’s stuck in a rut—grieving the loss of her first love and feeling disconnected from everything, including herself. After a chance encounter with Henry Adams, whom she had recently stood up for a date, Bennet makes a tipsy confession: she hasn’t felt passionate about anything in years. Instead of walking away, Henry proposes a plan to help her rediscover excitement in life by trying something new together every Saturday. As their “passion project” unfolds, so does their connection, forcing Bennet to confront her grief, her fears, and the question of whether she’s ready to truly move on.
➳ my thoughts:
This book was going really well, it was 5 stars material until the last 20%. Nonetheless I think this was a really stable debut.
To start, the writing in this book was beautiful. It was effortlessly readable, with the words flowing so smoothly that it felt like I was being carried through the story without even trying. This is the kind of book that doesn’t feel like a chore to read, not until around the 80% mark lol. Up until then, I was completely absorbed.
I loved how vivid the nyc setting is, the mentions of the places, how it describes the city. it was just very pleasant to read about. It made me want to hop on the train and go to where the characters went. The author describes this book as a love letter to the city and it really feels like that.
The dynamic between the characters was enjoyable and entertaining for the most part.
・❥・ Bennet’s character development was really well done—at least during the phase when she and Henry were still building their friendship. It felt genuine and promising, like she was slowly healing and learning how to open up. But once they started dating, it was as if all of that growth just vanished. It almost felt like everything she had worked through was undone, and she reverted back to square one. Honestly, she clearly wasn’t in a place where she could truly commit to a relationship, and it showed.
At this point, I kind of have personal beef with her—seriously, lmao. There were moments when her actions felt manipulative, especially toward Henry. If he got upset or even just slightly hurt by something she said or did, she would immediately bring up her grief and the difficult years she’s been through. And look, I totally understand that depression and grief are incredibly hard to navigate, and they don’t just disappear—but I didn’t like how she weaponized her pain to make Henry feel guilty. It was like he always ended up being the one to apologize, even when he hadn’t done anything wrong. It just didn’t sit right with me. This girl needed to go to a therapist asap, she should have cared more about it than getting a new boyfriend.
This book is obviously more about Bennet than Henry so we don’t see too much about his character imo, which is sad because he is a really good mmc.
・❥・ Another major complaint I have about this book is that Henry genuinely deserved so much better than Bennet, and the conflict at the end only solidified that for me. There was this one situation where Bennet basically showed that she had never truly moved on from her late ex. In doing so, she hurt Henry, who had been nothing but patient and supportive throughout their relationship. What frustrated me the most, though, wasn’t just the conflict itself—it was how the entire situation was resolved.
The resolution felt incredibly rushed. Bennet suddenly seemed to “get over” her dead ex overnight, without any real emotional unpacking or growth shown on the page. And the worst part? She didn’t even grovel!!!!😭 Like, not even a proper apology or genuine moment of accountability for the pain she caused Henry—just a quick emotional turnaround in the last chapter, and we’re supposed to believe everything’s fine? I really wish the author had taken more time to explore the aftermath of that moment and given us a resolution that felt more earned and meaningful. Because the way it ended, I couldn’t shake the feeling that Bennet was never going to love Henry the way he deserved to be loved.
・❥・ The ending was honestly very underwhelming and left me feeling nothing. I wanted to be moved, to feel some sort of emotional payoff but instead, it just fell flat. Bennet’s love confession didn’t hit the way it was probably meant to—it was completely overshadowed by the weight of the previous conflict. By the time she gave her big speech about love, I just couldn’t bring myself to care.
Instead of feeling touched or happy for them, I was still stuck on how poorly she treated Henry. Her words felt empty because they lacked the emotional groundwork needed to make them believable. I was just sulking through that whole final scene, thinking about how Henry deserved so much more than half-hearted apologies and rushed declarations. It was supposed to be a romantic and satisfying conclusion, but for me, it just didn’t deliver.
overall: I know it sounds like I hated the book but I was really into it and loving it until the third act breakup. I’m sure that a lot of people are going to absolutely love it, and my problems with the book were personal so everyone should give it a shot and read it.
This is very similar to promise me sunshine by Cara bastone which was a plus for me because that is one of my favorites book but the execution at the end in this one failed me.
Buddy reading this with bestie heather 💘💘 go check her review for her thoughts!!!
💌 tropes:
ꨄ︎ slow burn
ꨄ︎ nyc setting
ꨄ︎ friends to lovers
ꨄ︎ grief
ꨄ︎ grumpy x sunshine
ꨄ︎ love after loss
⋆𐙚₊˚⊹“It feels like I’m returning to him after a long journey, like I’ve met him in a past life, rather than mere months ago. It’s a kind of familiarity that lives below my skin, warming me from the inside out.”⋆𐙚₊˚⊹
edit: I can’t stop thinking about how much I hated the last chapters and that Bennet was a horrible fmc and her behavior was hideous. So I had to lower my rating😌
Passion Project follows Bennet Taylor, a temp worker in New York City who’s stuck in a rut—grieving the loss of her first love and feeling disconnected from everything, including herself. After a chance encounter with Henry Adams, whom she had recently stood up for a date, Bennet makes a tipsy confession: she hasn’t felt passionate about anything in years. Instead of walking away, Henry proposes a plan to help her rediscover excitement in life by trying something new together every Saturday. As their “passion project” unfolds, so does their connection, forcing Bennet to confront her grief, her fears, and the question of whether she’s ready to truly move on.
➳ my thoughts:
This book was going really well, it was 5 stars material until the last 20%. Nonetheless I think this was a really stable debut.
To start, the writing in this book was beautiful. It was effortlessly readable, with the words flowing so smoothly that it felt like I was being carried through the story without even trying. This is the kind of book that doesn’t feel like a chore to read, not until around the 80% mark lol. Up until then, I was completely absorbed.
I loved how vivid the nyc setting is, the mentions of the places, how it describes the city. it was just very pleasant to read about. It made me want to hop on the train and go to where the characters went. The author describes this book as a love letter to the city and it really feels like that.
The dynamic between the characters was enjoyable and entertaining for the most part.
・❥・ Bennet’s character development was really well done—at least during the phase when she and Henry were still building their friendship. It felt genuine and promising, like she was slowly healing and learning how to open up. But once they started dating, it was as if all of that growth just vanished. It almost felt like everything she had worked through was undone, and she reverted back to square one. Honestly, she clearly wasn’t in a place where she could truly commit to a relationship, and it showed.
At this point, I kind of have personal beef with her—seriously, lmao. There were moments when her actions felt manipulative, especially toward Henry. If he got upset or even just slightly hurt by something she said or did, she would immediately bring up her grief and the difficult years she’s been through. And look, I totally understand that depression and grief are incredibly hard to navigate, and they don’t just disappear—but I didn’t like how she weaponized her pain to make Henry feel guilty. It was like he always ended up being the one to apologize, even when he hadn’t done anything wrong. It just didn’t sit right with me. This girl needed to go to a therapist asap, she should have cared more about it than getting a new boyfriend.
This book is obviously more about Bennet than Henry so we don’t see too much about his character imo, which is sad because he is a really good mmc.
・❥・ Another major complaint I have about this book is that Henry genuinely deserved so much better than Bennet, and the conflict at the end only solidified that for me. There was this one situation where Bennet basically showed that she had never truly moved on from her late ex. In doing so, she hurt Henry, who had been nothing but patient and supportive throughout their relationship. What frustrated me the most, though, wasn’t just the conflict itself—it was how the entire situation was resolved.
The resolution felt incredibly rushed. Bennet suddenly seemed to “get over” her dead ex overnight, without any real emotional unpacking or growth shown on the page. And the worst part? She didn’t even grovel!!!!😭 Like, not even a proper apology or genuine moment of accountability for the pain she caused Henry—just a quick emotional turnaround in the last chapter, and we’re supposed to believe everything’s fine? I really wish the author had taken more time to explore the aftermath of that moment and given us a resolution that felt more earned and meaningful. Because the way it ended, I couldn’t shake the feeling that Bennet was never going to love Henry the way he deserved to be loved.
・❥・ The ending was honestly very underwhelming and left me feeling nothing. I wanted to be moved, to feel some sort of emotional payoff but instead, it just fell flat. Bennet’s love confession didn’t hit the way it was probably meant to—it was completely overshadowed by the weight of the previous conflict. By the time she gave her big speech about love, I just couldn’t bring myself to care.
Instead of feeling touched or happy for them, I was still stuck on how poorly she treated Henry. Her words felt empty because they lacked the emotional groundwork needed to make them believable. I was just sulking through that whole final scene, thinking about how Henry deserved so much more than half-hearted apologies and rushed declarations. It was supposed to be a romantic and satisfying conclusion, but for me, it just didn’t deliver.
overall: I know it sounds like I hated the book but I was really into it and loving it until the third act breakup. I’m sure that a lot of people are going to absolutely love it, and my problems with the book were personal so everyone should give it a shot and read it.
This is very similar to promise me sunshine by Cara bastone which was a plus for me because that is one of my favorites book but the execution at the end in this one failed me.
Buddy reading this with bestie heather 💘💘 go check her review for her thoughts!!!
💌 tropes:
ꨄ︎ slow burn
ꨄ︎ nyc setting
ꨄ︎ friends to lovers
ꨄ︎ grief
ꨄ︎ grumpy x sunshine
ꨄ︎ love after loss
April 9, 2025
i tried... really really really hard to enjoy this one. conceptually very cool. the writing was nice and didn't read like a debut. but the heroine is absolutely insufferable and didn't just make mistakes but seemed to intentionally do things that would make the people around her hurt. was really hard to sympathize with her as the book continued :(
July 29, 2025
☆☆☆
“All stories are love stories.”
I found that book utterly delightful! Reading it felt like a continuous blessing, with my heart floating page after page. It comes highly recommended, especially as a summer read – the vibes were perfect from the very beginning. My only quibble is with the ending: the last fifty pages felt a bit rushed, as if the author was eager to finish. I actually wish it had been longer! I would have welcomed another hundred pages to soak in those cozy vibes, which were everything to me – just as Henry was everything to Bennet.
“He was never serious about being friends, and I was never serious about finding my passion.”
Bennet Marie Taylor, a New York City temp worker adrift in grief after losing her first love, Sam, finds an unexpected path forward through a fake dating arrangement with Henry Adams. This arrangement blossoms into a 'passion project' where, every Saturday, they try something new – a dedicated effort to help Bennet rediscover joy and reclaim her passion for life.
“Having your shit together is not a prerequisite for love.”
I have to admit, Bennet frustrated me sometimes. Her unresolved grief over Sam caused her to lash out or withdraw, hurting her friends and Henry – who genuinely cared for her. She wasn't cruel, just... profoundly lost and maybe a little blind to how her actions affected others. This inability to move forward poisoned her potential with Henry; how could it not when she was still living in the shadow of a lost love? I genuinely felt for Henry in those moments. That's why it was so satisfying when the story progressed, their dynamic deepened, and the romantic tension finally became real and palpable."
“Boys have it easy in life, born with all the beauty and none of the beauty standards.”
Henry was a natural social butterfly, making friends effortlessly – truly the sunshine character in this story. What a welcoming change from the usual grumpy MMCs I find in romance books! Seriously, don't get me started on my ever-growing list of book boyfriend obsessions... Henry himself was utterly charming: those beautiful green eyes, his genuinely understanding nature, and his passion for photography. He captured memories just as easily as he collected friends.
“Being up here makes me feel small, but being with you makes me feel significant.”
If you're craving a romance that truly delivers – one that wraps you in warmth while thoughtfully exploring healing – this is your next must-read. What makes it exceptional is the perfectly paced slow burn. I savored every single shared activity, every tentative step Bennet and Henry took together in their quest to rediscover passion and purpose. It wasn't just about filling time; it felt like watching them carefully rebuild broken pieces, brick by brick, moment by moment. And the culmination? Pure magic. Witnessing their journey of self-discovery gently, inevitably blossom into profound, heartfelt love was incredibly satisfying. 💞
The core dynamic is beautifully executed: the story centers deeply on a heroine actively navigating grief and healing, her vulnerability feeling raw and real. Henry, crucially, isn't some arrogant 'fixer.' Instead, he emerges as the steady, supportive presence she needs – a true partner offering understanding, patience, and unwavering kindness as she finds her way back to herself. His role feels authentic, never forced, making their eventual connection all the more rewarding.
Seriously, don't hesitate. Pick it up, settle in, and let yourself be swept away by their tender, transformative journey.
P.S.:For the trope enthusiasts – yes, the delicious tension of the 'one bed' scenariomakes a memorable appearance, and it's handled with just the right blend of awkwardness and simmering attraction!
ʚɞ__________________________________ʚɞ
“It’s a long story.”
“I want to hear it”
“Didn’t anyone ever tell you that you never tell a woman to relax?”
“But losing someone slowly must be like having the person and the memory of them alive at the same time.”
“Every time I feel like I’m a smidge closer to getting my life together, I take a million steps back, and I just don’t understand why it’s so easy for everyone else and not me.”
“Being human is terrible.”
“It’s realizing that you might be broken, but that doesn’t mean you can’t heal. That doesn’t mean you can’t be loved.”
“I love you so much I thought I didn’t deserve it. I love you so much that I found a therapist so I could love you right. So I could love the world right.”
“I’m reminded that happiness doesn’t need to be shrouded in guilt. Love doesn’t need to be shrouded in disbelief. Sometimes it just is.”
ʚɞ__________________________________ʚɞ
my new bookstagram
💌roryepistolary@gmail.com
ʚɞ______________ʚɞ
“All stories are love stories.”
I found that book utterly delightful! Reading it felt like a continuous blessing, with my heart floating page after page. It comes highly recommended, especially as a summer read – the vibes were perfect from the very beginning. My only quibble is with the ending: the last fifty pages felt a bit rushed, as if the author was eager to finish. I actually wish it had been longer! I would have welcomed another hundred pages to soak in those cozy vibes, which were everything to me – just as Henry was everything to Bennet.
“He was never serious about being friends, and I was never serious about finding my passion.”
Bennet Marie Taylor, a New York City temp worker adrift in grief after losing her first love, Sam, finds an unexpected path forward through a fake dating arrangement with Henry Adams. This arrangement blossoms into a 'passion project' where, every Saturday, they try something new – a dedicated effort to help Bennet rediscover joy and reclaim her passion for life.
“Having your shit together is not a prerequisite for love.”
I have to admit, Bennet frustrated me sometimes. Her unresolved grief over Sam caused her to lash out or withdraw, hurting her friends and Henry – who genuinely cared for her. She wasn't cruel, just... profoundly lost and maybe a little blind to how her actions affected others. This inability to move forward poisoned her potential with Henry; how could it not when she was still living in the shadow of a lost love? I genuinely felt for Henry in those moments. That's why it was so satisfying when the story progressed, their dynamic deepened, and the romantic tension finally became real and palpable."
“Boys have it easy in life, born with all the beauty and none of the beauty standards.”
Henry was a natural social butterfly, making friends effortlessly – truly the sunshine character in this story. What a welcoming change from the usual grumpy MMCs I find in romance books! Seriously, don't get me started on my ever-growing list of book boyfriend obsessions... Henry himself was utterly charming: those beautiful green eyes, his genuinely understanding nature, and his passion for photography. He captured memories just as easily as he collected friends.
“Being up here makes me feel small, but being with you makes me feel significant.”
If you're craving a romance that truly delivers – one that wraps you in warmth while thoughtfully exploring healing – this is your next must-read. What makes it exceptional is the perfectly paced slow burn. I savored every single shared activity, every tentative step Bennet and Henry took together in their quest to rediscover passion and purpose. It wasn't just about filling time; it felt like watching them carefully rebuild broken pieces, brick by brick, moment by moment. And the culmination? Pure magic. Witnessing their journey of self-discovery gently, inevitably blossom into profound, heartfelt love was incredibly satisfying. 💞
The core dynamic is beautifully executed: the story centers deeply on a heroine actively navigating grief and healing, her vulnerability feeling raw and real. Henry, crucially, isn't some arrogant 'fixer.' Instead, he emerges as the steady, supportive presence she needs – a true partner offering understanding, patience, and unwavering kindness as she finds her way back to herself. His role feels authentic, never forced, making their eventual connection all the more rewarding.
Seriously, don't hesitate. Pick it up, settle in, and let yourself be swept away by their tender, transformative journey.
P.S.:For the trope enthusiasts – yes, the delicious tension of the 'one bed' scenariomakes a memorable appearance, and it's handled with just the right blend of awkwardness and simmering attraction!
ʚɞ__________________________________ʚɞ
“It’s a long story.”
“I want to hear it”
“Didn’t anyone ever tell you that you never tell a woman to relax?”
“But losing someone slowly must be like having the person and the memory of them alive at the same time.”
“Every time I feel like I’m a smidge closer to getting my life together, I take a million steps back, and I just don’t understand why it’s so easy for everyone else and not me.”
“Being human is terrible.”
“It’s realizing that you might be broken, but that doesn’t mean you can’t heal. That doesn’t mean you can’t be loved.”
“I love you so much I thought I didn’t deserve it. I love you so much that I found a therapist so I could love you right. So I could love the world right.”
“I’m reminded that happiness doesn’t need to be shrouded in guilt. Love doesn’t need to be shrouded in disbelief. Sometimes it just is.”
ʚɞ__________________________________ʚɞ
my new bookstagram
💌roryepistolary@gmail.com
ʚɞ______________ʚɞ
April 8, 2025
જ⁀➴ 4.5 stars
Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Books for this eARC in exchange for an honest review!
Update (4/8/2025): Happy publishing day to Passion Project!
⋆𐙚₊˚⊹♡⋆𐙚₊˚⊹♡⋆𐙚₊˚⊹♡⋆𐙚₊˚⊹♡⋆𐙚₊˚⊹♡⋆𐙚₊˚⊹♡⋆𐙚₊˚⊹♡⋆𐙚₊˚⊹♡⋆𐙚₊˚⊹♡⋆𐙚₊˚⊹♡
I'm calling it right now on a rainy night on March 28th, 2025-this will be one of the top summer beach reads of 2025. Bookish socials will go feral over Passion Project and you bet I'll be recommending this to everyone and their mom. I can see London Sperry joining the ranks of Lynn Painter, Emily Henry, and Katherine Center in the "wholesome, sweet rom-com" subgenre of romance novels. The Emily Henry vibes throughout the book that I mentioned in my pre-read thoughts were indeed vibing! (It also helps that the cover is BEAUTIFUL and gives off all the spring and summer vibes. I literally requested to read it BECAUSE of the cover lol.)
Bennet Taylor, a 25-year-old woman, moves to New York City in search of a fresh start after her last boyfriend passes away. She feels as if she's stuck in a deep depression with no prospects, no goals, and no solid path in life as she temps at different jobs around the city. After she ghosts Henry Adams and continuously runs into him time after time after their failed first date, she confesses to him that she's not ready to date. Instead, Henry takes this as an opportunity to help her find out what makes her feel free, feel alive, and find the things she feels passionate about. The name of the project? The Passion Project.
First off, I want to emphasize that this is a debut novel. This is London Sperry's first-ever novel, and I think she knocked it out of the park. The writing flowed in a way that made it feel as if I was listening to--well, I guess reading, but you get the idea--Bennet talk about everything that was going on as if she was sitting right across from me at a restaurant telling me about it. It was easy to read, the dialogue was relatable, and her voice felt and sounded like a 25-year-old. Usually, I give debut authors a ton of grace when it comes to their first novel since they always have room to improve and grow as a writer (although ALL authors can improve), but my first thought reading this was, "Does London Sperry have any other books?" so I stopped reading, looked up her Goodreads author profile, and when I realized that this was the only novel she's written so far, my jaw dropped.
Going into the actual book itself, I love how Bennet and Henry are my age. I feel like a lot of the rom-coms I read these days are about people who aren't my age; they're either in college or they're in their thirties and there's not really an in-between. Reading about characters in a rom-com who are also part of Gen Z made me relate to them a little more because a lot of the people on the older side of Gen Z now are in my position where we're starting our careers and trying to become financially stable to afford a home, get married, etc. (although a lot of that is growing increasingly impossible in today's day and age, at least in the US) but also trying to navigate the real world now as an adult. I can't always relate to characters who are in their thirties as someone who's in their mid-twenties, and I'm no longer a college student so that feels like a lifetime ago. It was just nice to see a rom-com about two people my age. I think I saw someone say that London Sperry is "Gen Z's Emily Henry" and if she keeps writing and making amazing books like this, I'd have to say that I agree.
I feel like growing up, everyone told us that being in your twenties meant having your life together and knowing exactly what you want and what you need to do at any given time. No one ever tells you that being in your twenties is also a time of learning and growing from your mistakes, celebrating your successes, falling in love, getting your heart broken, sometimes struggling to make ends meet financially, creating new friendships, leaving friendships behind that you no longer align with, and everything else in between. But most importantly, it's the fact that you're on your own timeline and no one else can dictate that for you. I think Passion Project does an amazing job at perfectly encapsulating everything that comes with being in your twenties done with a backdrop of spring and summertime in New York City.
I loved watching Henry and Bennet exploring NYC and discovering and trying new things. I recognized a lot of the landmarks and places they went to and I loved watching Bennet find her passion in life and what makes her happy after a devastating loss. Like, I felt as if I WAS in NYC without actually being there! Every time a landmark or iconic location was mentioned I was like, "YUP I know what you're talking about!" Going into Henry and Bennet more, I think their friends-to-lovers story felt organic and didn't feel forced at any point. I think a huge part of why I loved Passion Project so much was because the ups and downs, the slow burn, and the buildup felt natural and realistic.
Speaking of loss, Bennet's struggle to move on from her first love was a great depiction of loss and handling the grief that comes with losing someone you've come to love and care for so much. I think London Sperry did a fantastic job in showing how her loss and grief affected her relationships with other people AND herself, but also in showing that grief and healing are in no way a linear process. The ending made me cry like a baby. I won't go into it further to avoid spoilers but the ending was probably my favorite part of the entire story.
The ONLY thing I took off half of a star for was because of a specific trope that happens in the book. I feel like saying what it is outright would be a spoiler so I won't say what it is, but it is a common trope found in a lot of romance books and this one happens multiple times throughout the story. All I'll say about it is that although I can see why it was beneficial for character development, I think the way it was brought about was entirely avoidable and I would've rated the book 5 stars if it wasn't present.
Overall, what a stunning debut novel. This was SO refreshing and enjoyable to read, and I can't wait to see what London Sperry has in store next. She just made it onto my auto-buy author list and although I usually don't buy physical copies of ARCs I've read, I think Passion Project will be the first one I get to put on my shelf.
P.S. The Book of the Month subscription box that's available in the US and Canada made Passion Project one of their five April 2025 picks and yes, I did end up picking it as my April pick for my box.
⋆𐙚₊˚⊹♡⋆𐙚₊˚⊹♡⋆𐙚₊˚⊹♡⋆𐙚₊˚⊹♡⋆𐙚₊˚⊹♡⋆𐙚₊˚⊹♡⋆𐙚₊˚⊹♡⋆𐙚₊˚⊹♡⋆𐙚₊˚⊹♡⋆𐙚₊˚⊹♡
Trigger/content warnings: recounted death of a loved one, sexual harassment, grief and loss depiction, depression, car accident, sexual content (not super graphic/descriptive)
⋆˙⟡ 𝒫𝓇𝑒-𝓇𝑒𝒶𝒹: This is giving Emily Henry vibes so let's hope this delivers!🤞🏼💗 I also love how colorful the cover art is; it's giving me all the spring vibes too!💐
Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Books for this eARC in exchange for an honest review!
Update (4/8/2025): Happy publishing day to Passion Project!
"I spent so much energy worrying that I was behind, or that the world was moving on without me, or that having a passion would fix me, but I realized that I'm the only one who can fix me. No one else. Not a fancy job, not a passion, not you, and not even a therapist. Me. So I'm not waiting for some magical key to unlock my life anymore. I'm doing it myself."
⋆𐙚₊˚⊹♡⋆𐙚₊˚⊹♡⋆𐙚₊˚⊹♡⋆𐙚₊˚⊹♡⋆𐙚₊˚⊹♡⋆𐙚₊˚⊹♡⋆𐙚₊˚⊹♡⋆𐙚₊˚⊹♡⋆𐙚₊˚⊹♡⋆𐙚₊˚⊹♡
I'm calling it right now on a rainy night on March 28th, 2025-this will be one of the top summer beach reads of 2025. Bookish socials will go feral over Passion Project and you bet I'll be recommending this to everyone and their mom. I can see London Sperry joining the ranks of Lynn Painter, Emily Henry, and Katherine Center in the "wholesome, sweet rom-com" subgenre of romance novels. The Emily Henry vibes throughout the book that I mentioned in my pre-read thoughts were indeed vibing! (It also helps that the cover is BEAUTIFUL and gives off all the spring and summer vibes. I literally requested to read it BECAUSE of the cover lol.)
Bennet Taylor, a 25-year-old woman, moves to New York City in search of a fresh start after her last boyfriend passes away. She feels as if she's stuck in a deep depression with no prospects, no goals, and no solid path in life as she temps at different jobs around the city. After she ghosts Henry Adams and continuously runs into him time after time after their failed first date, she confesses to him that she's not ready to date. Instead, Henry takes this as an opportunity to help her find out what makes her feel free, feel alive, and find the things she feels passionate about. The name of the project? The Passion Project.
First off, I want to emphasize that this is a debut novel. This is London Sperry's first-ever novel, and I think she knocked it out of the park. The writing flowed in a way that made it feel as if I was listening to--well, I guess reading, but you get the idea--Bennet talk about everything that was going on as if she was sitting right across from me at a restaurant telling me about it. It was easy to read, the dialogue was relatable, and her voice felt and sounded like a 25-year-old. Usually, I give debut authors a ton of grace when it comes to their first novel since they always have room to improve and grow as a writer (although ALL authors can improve), but my first thought reading this was, "Does London Sperry have any other books?" so I stopped reading, looked up her Goodreads author profile, and when I realized that this was the only novel she's written so far, my jaw dropped.
Going into the actual book itself, I love how Bennet and Henry are my age. I feel like a lot of the rom-coms I read these days are about people who aren't my age; they're either in college or they're in their thirties and there's not really an in-between. Reading about characters in a rom-com who are also part of Gen Z made me relate to them a little more because a lot of the people on the older side of Gen Z now are in my position where we're starting our careers and trying to become financially stable to afford a home, get married, etc. (although a lot of that is growing increasingly impossible in today's day and age, at least in the US) but also trying to navigate the real world now as an adult. I can't always relate to characters who are in their thirties as someone who's in their mid-twenties, and I'm no longer a college student so that feels like a lifetime ago. It was just nice to see a rom-com about two people my age. I think I saw someone say that London Sperry is "Gen Z's Emily Henry" and if she keeps writing and making amazing books like this, I'd have to say that I agree.
I feel like growing up, everyone told us that being in your twenties meant having your life together and knowing exactly what you want and what you need to do at any given time. No one ever tells you that being in your twenties is also a time of learning and growing from your mistakes, celebrating your successes, falling in love, getting your heart broken, sometimes struggling to make ends meet financially, creating new friendships, leaving friendships behind that you no longer align with, and everything else in between. But most importantly, it's the fact that you're on your own timeline and no one else can dictate that for you. I think Passion Project does an amazing job at perfectly encapsulating everything that comes with being in your twenties done with a backdrop of spring and summertime in New York City.
I loved watching Henry and Bennet exploring NYC and discovering and trying new things. I recognized a lot of the landmarks and places they went to and I loved watching Bennet find her passion in life and what makes her happy after a devastating loss. Like, I felt as if I WAS in NYC without actually being there! Every time a landmark or iconic location was mentioned I was like, "YUP I know what you're talking about!" Going into Henry and Bennet more, I think their friends-to-lovers story felt organic and didn't feel forced at any point. I think a huge part of why I loved Passion Project so much was because the ups and downs, the slow burn, and the buildup felt natural and realistic.
Speaking of loss, Bennet's struggle to move on from her first love was a great depiction of loss and handling the grief that comes with losing someone you've come to love and care for so much. I think London Sperry did a fantastic job in showing how her loss and grief affected her relationships with other people AND herself, but also in showing that grief and healing are in no way a linear process. The ending made me cry like a baby. I won't go into it further to avoid spoilers but the ending was probably my favorite part of the entire story.
The ONLY thing I took off half of a star for was because of a specific trope that happens in the book. I feel like saying what it is outright would be a spoiler so I won't say what it is, but it is a common trope found in a lot of romance books and this one happens multiple times throughout the story. All I'll say about it is that although I can see why it was beneficial for character development, I think the way it was brought about was entirely avoidable and I would've rated the book 5 stars if it wasn't present.
Overall, what a stunning debut novel. This was SO refreshing and enjoyable to read, and I can't wait to see what London Sperry has in store next. She just made it onto my auto-buy author list and although I usually don't buy physical copies of ARCs I've read, I think Passion Project will be the first one I get to put on my shelf.
P.S. The Book of the Month subscription box that's available in the US and Canada made Passion Project one of their five April 2025 picks and yes, I did end up picking it as my April pick for my box.
⋆𐙚₊˚⊹♡⋆𐙚₊˚⊹♡⋆𐙚₊˚⊹♡⋆𐙚₊˚⊹♡⋆𐙚₊˚⊹♡⋆𐙚₊˚⊹♡⋆𐙚₊˚⊹♡⋆𐙚₊˚⊹♡⋆𐙚₊˚⊹♡⋆𐙚₊˚⊹♡
Trigger/content warnings: recounted death of a loved one, sexual harassment, grief and loss depiction, depression, car accident, sexual content (not super graphic/descriptive)
⋆˙⟡ 𝒫𝓇𝑒-𝓇𝑒𝒶𝒹: This is giving Emily Henry vibes so let's hope this delivers!🤞🏼💗 I also love how colorful the cover art is; it's giving me all the spring vibes too!💐
![Profile Image for ivy [semi-ia].](https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/users/1776029644i/163591977._UY200_CR2,0,200,200_.jpg)
January 31, 2026
✶ passion project ౨ৎ 3.25 stars
⤿ mini review!
this was a super short and cute palette cleanser 💓 the topic of grief is handled so gently and with care, but this book does depict a few descriptions of panic attacks/breakdowns due to a loved one’s death! please make sure you’re in the right headspace to before picking this up <3
꩜｡⋆. my favorite part of this book was definitely the NYC vibes 🚕🌆 oh how i long to be in a bustling city with strangers all with different lives peering up at a shining skyscraper 😫 how i long to be trying pasta and pottery classes with a hot man that holds me while i cry !! this definitely was a vibes-based book for me, and sometimes we just need that 🧸💛 I would recommend going in with an open mind especially if you’ve never been in the situation that our fmc, Bennet, has gone through, because it will make it easier to sympathize for her. overall, i recommend! 💫
lastly, thank you to my fave girl ellie, for reading this with me 🫶🏻 our buddy reads are always so much fun and end much too soon :’) love you dearly and cannot wait for a bunch more! <3
⊹ ﹒ ⁺ ﹒ ⊹ ﹒ ⁺ ﹒ ⊹ ﹒ ⁺ ﹒ ⊹ ﹒ ⁺ ﹒ ⊹ ﹒ ⁺ ﹒ ⊹ ﹒ ⁺ ﹒ ⊹
ᝰ ⋆ ── preread ✶
the cover of the book is pulling me in 🚕💚🌷 i'm just hoping for a good book ✨🤞🏻 to make this experience a million times better, i'm reading it with my beautiful angel ellie 🌸 ilysm my girl 💐!
⤿ mini review!
this was a super short and cute palette cleanser 💓 the topic of grief is handled so gently and with care, but this book does depict a few descriptions of panic attacks/breakdowns due to a loved one’s death! please make sure you’re in the right headspace to before picking this up <3
꩜｡⋆. my favorite part of this book was definitely the NYC vibes 🚕🌆 oh how i long to be in a bustling city with strangers all with different lives peering up at a shining skyscraper 😫 how i long to be trying pasta and pottery classes with a hot man that holds me while i cry !! this definitely was a vibes-based book for me, and sometimes we just need that 🧸💛 I would recommend going in with an open mind especially if you’ve never been in the situation that our fmc, Bennet, has gone through, because it will make it easier to sympathize for her. overall, i recommend! 💫
lastly, thank you to my fave girl ellie, for reading this with me 🫶🏻 our buddy reads are always so much fun and end much too soon :’) love you dearly and cannot wait for a bunch more! <3
⊹ ﹒ ⁺ ﹒ ⊹ ﹒ ⁺ ﹒ ⊹ ﹒ ⁺ ﹒ ⊹ ﹒ ⁺ ﹒ ⊹ ﹒ ⁺ ﹒ ⊹ ﹒ ⁺ ﹒ ⊹
ᝰ ⋆ ── preread ✶
the cover of the book is pulling me in 🚕💚🌷 i'm just hoping for a good book ✨🤞🏻 to make this experience a million times better, i'm reading it with my beautiful angel ellie 🌸 ilysm my girl 💐!
April 9, 2026
╭₊˚๑ 4 ★﹕🗽₊˚੭ ❝ the passion project is the best thing i ever took a chance on but not because i found a passion. because it made me happy, you made me happy. ❞
◝✩ spoiler free review
ꔛ˚ 📰 ◟˚ what to expect .ᐟ ⊰⊹
⤿ friends to lovers
⤿ slowburn
⤿ witty banter
⤿ love after loss
⤿ mental health and grief representation
📌 location: new york
ꔛ˚🚕◝✩ ꒰ summary ꒱ 𓏭
bennet dealing with grief over the loss of her first love hasn’t move on, not matter how much time has passed she’s stayed emotionally where that loss happened. her friend tries to help her, an idea to set her up in a date and bennet agrees but she knows deep down she’s not ready to date again. she never made to the date just before it happened she had a panic attack and run away, what small world for hours later to find henry, the man she stood up. after a very heartfelt conversation she spills of what she’s struggling with, she has no passion that motivates her every day of her life, henry take this opportunity to help her. not to fix her or change her, just to show her there are more possibilities than drowning in her own sorrow. there’s always things worth living for. the ❛passion project❜ embraces them into adventures, trying new things in new york. more than just a project it becomes a beautiful healing journey.
ꔛ˚🍎◝✩ ꒰ thoughts ꒱ 𓏭
this book has given me everything i was looking for, not to be dramatic but i was really yearning for this trope. the build up from strangers to friends to lovers was incredibly well-crafted, it didn’t feel rushed but rather as though everything fell into place at just the perfect time. you can tell a friendship is that special when you’d have wished to see more of that side but the romance also worked beautifully. for a debut novel, i’m in awe of how the author made me feel so immersed in the story, as if i were going on those ❛passion project❜ dates myself, exploring new york city. those adventures were very fun and entertaining. or in other settings where the atmosphere was described in such detail that you felt as if you were right there, amongst the characters. i loved how mental health and grief were handled, they were portrayed very well and with great care. although these themes were explored, the story didn’t feel heavy. the emotional aspect was perfectly balanced with humour.
ꔛ˚🏙️◝✩ ꒰ characters ꒱ 𓏭
⊹ ࣪ ˖ ໒🏹⊹ bennet marie taylor
❛ for the first time in a very long time, in this exact place with this exact person, i feel like i’m right where i need to be. ❜
alright i really empathised with her. learning to live with grief and come to terms with it is something you learn over time. i understood her completely. mourning the loss of a loved one is a long healing process and i’m glad she’s accepted that and forgiven herself. although there was one situation where i don’t think she handled it well, i understand how anxiety and sadness can make us say and react in ways we don’t really mean to. i’m glad she recognised her mistake, she struck me as a genuine and honest character.
what i liked most about her healing journey was that she realised the only person who could save her was herself. she had an incredible group of people who supported and loved her but in the end it was her own efforts to get better, ask for help and become once again the version of herself she had stopped being years ago. i think it’s important to understand this, don’t wait for someone to come and rescue you when you’re going through a difficult time, you are the one who has the ability to make a change in your life.
⊹ ࣪ ˖ ໒📸⊹ henry adams
❛ all stories are love stories. ❜
it was so easy to fall in love with henry, his personality shone so brightly through the pages. a real golden boy, he was so caring, doing little things for bennet without her even having to ask. he was so thoughtful it melted my heart. he understood bennet's situation with her ex and handled it very maturely, giving her the time she needed to feel secure with him and never pressuring her. he waited until she was ready to let love back into her life. there’s nothing i love more than a nerd, sorry not sorry but the fact that he was a star wars nerd was absolutely hilarious. he was so effortlessly funny, the little inside jokes were everything to me.
also he was so emotionally mature, the way he offered bennet comfort and understanding was such a beautiful thing to read. whenever bennet had a breakdown or started to panic, he always found a way to make her feel better. i love when he was listening to her so attentively and reassuring her. all the dates he organised for the project were so thoughtful, i also loved how outgoing and extroverted he was. the way he cared so much, even for people he’d only just met. when bennet saw how he interacted with others and it melted her heart, i felt the same way. seeing a man wearing his heart on his sleeve it’s truly a precious thing.
ꔛ˚🥯◝✩ ꒰ overall ꒱ 𓏭
this was a gem, finding a book in which the couple actually communicate is very rare. there’s no room for miscommunication here, if an argument happened they’d find a way to sort it out. i adore the vulnerability it takes to be open about your feelings. the healing process bennet went through is so beautifully described, it’s about learning to live again despite what has happened to you, forgiving yourself and realising that it’s never too late to achieve your goals. there’s always time and something waiting for you.
ꔛ˚💌◝✩ ꒰ quotes ꒱ 𓏭
❛ i’m not waiting for some magical key to unlock my life anymore. i’m doing it myself. starting over. committing to waking up every morning and trying with my whole heart. ❜
❛ i’m ready. i’m so ready. i’m done being sad. i’m done being angry at the world and with myself. i’m done latching myself to the past because i’m afraid of the future. ❜
❛ these people are my age, yet they seem to be in on something that i don’t understand. how did they get that way? what am i missing? ❜
❛ i’m tired of being invisible. sometimes i come home from these shifts with the eerie feeling that i don’t actually exist at all, that i’m a figment of my own imagination, made to smile. ❜
❛ i was doing so well, talking to people, laughing, eating, smiling. how could i have found myself back here? nothing has to go wrong for me to feel this way. everything can be fine and i’ll still find myself here.❜
ꔛ˚🎧◝✩ ꒰ my playlist ꒱ 𓏭
⤿ every since new york & love of my life — harry styles
⤿ ghosting — ariana grande
⤿ unsteady & difficult— gracie abrams
⤿ all i want — kodaline
⤿ another love & heal — tom odell
⤿ empire state of mind — alicia keys
⤿ we are the people — empire of the sun
⤿ new york, new york — frank sinatra
⤿ look after you — the fray
⤿ everything has changed — taylor swift
🌷𓂅 to kris ⋮ i’m so happy we both enjoyed it. thank you so much twin, for reading it with me 🫂 i love all our references and we’ve added a new one to our collection!!! we’re each other’s lucky charm 🍀 i feel that all the books we read together are perfect for us, they’re things we both love deeply. the first one was about fairies and this one, being star wars nerds was so much fun. i can’t wait to see where our next brs will take us 🌟 i love you in every galaxy and may the force with you 🌌
⤿ her beautiful review ✿
i’m really happy with how this review has turned out, when i write i feel as though time stands still and i love analysing my thoughts and sharing them with all of you. i know they’re very long but as you can see, i just can’t stop talking. the point is, i’d like to take this opportunity to thank everyone who reads them. i don’t know if everyone reads them all the way through, because honestly sometimes i write too much but here i am, pouring my heart out. i’ve added a new section "this book in key words" is slightly different from my previous reviews and i hope you enjoy it as much as i’ve loved creating it. i’ll try to keep including that section in my future reviews. alright, that’s all, i’m so grateful for the friends i’ve made thanks to this app. you really are the sweetest people in the world and i appreciate every single one of you 😭💝
― all my love, vita ꪆৎ
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⊹ ࣪ ˖ ໒🗽𓂃⊹ 𝐩𝐫𝐞-𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝 ₊˚⋆⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
i'm sooo excited to read a book set in new york and best of all, to read it with my twin kris.ᐟ i've really missed reading with you, cheers to us 🌟
◝✩ spoiler free review
ꔛ˚ 📰 ◟˚ what to expect .ᐟ ⊰⊹
⤿ friends to lovers
⤿ slowburn
⤿ witty banter
⤿ love after loss
⤿ mental health and grief representation
📌 location: new york
ꔛ˚🚕◝✩ ꒰ summary ꒱ 𓏭
bennet dealing with grief over the loss of her first love hasn’t move on, not matter how much time has passed she’s stayed emotionally where that loss happened. her friend tries to help her, an idea to set her up in a date and bennet agrees but she knows deep down she’s not ready to date again. she never made to the date just before it happened she had a panic attack and run away, what small world for hours later to find henry, the man she stood up. after a very heartfelt conversation she spills of what she’s struggling with, she has no passion that motivates her every day of her life, henry take this opportunity to help her. not to fix her or change her, just to show her there are more possibilities than drowning in her own sorrow. there’s always things worth living for. the ❛passion project❜ embraces them into adventures, trying new things in new york. more than just a project it becomes a beautiful healing journey.
𐔌 📖 ⋮ this book in key words … ֹ ₊ ꒱
⌗ … media: star wars 🛸
⌗ ... love language: acts of service 🫂
⌗ … seasons: spring & summer 💐
⌗ … film genre: 2000s romcom 🎞
⌗ ... niche: man with glasses 💋
ꔛ˚🍎◝✩ ꒰ thoughts ꒱ 𓏭
this book has given me everything i was looking for, not to be dramatic but i was really yearning for this trope. the build up from strangers to friends to lovers was incredibly well-crafted, it didn’t feel rushed but rather as though everything fell into place at just the perfect time. you can tell a friendship is that special when you’d have wished to see more of that side but the romance also worked beautifully. for a debut novel, i’m in awe of how the author made me feel so immersed in the story, as if i were going on those ❛passion project❜ dates myself, exploring new york city. those adventures were very fun and entertaining. or in other settings where the atmosphere was described in such detail that you felt as if you were right there, amongst the characters. i loved how mental health and grief were handled, they were portrayed very well and with great care. although these themes were explored, the story didn’t feel heavy. the emotional aspect was perfectly balanced with humour.
ꔛ˚🏙️◝✩ ꒰ characters ꒱ 𓏭
⊹ ࣪ ˖ ໒🏹⊹ bennet marie taylor
❛ for the first time in a very long time, in this exact place with this exact person, i feel like i’m right where i need to be. ❜
alright i really empathised with her. learning to live with grief and come to terms with it is something you learn over time. i understood her completely. mourning the loss of a loved one is a long healing process and i’m glad she’s accepted that and forgiven herself. although there was one situation where i don’t think she handled it well, i understand how anxiety and sadness can make us say and react in ways we don’t really mean to. i’m glad she recognised her mistake, she struck me as a genuine and honest character.
what i liked most about her healing journey was that she realised the only person who could save her was herself. she had an incredible group of people who supported and loved her but in the end it was her own efforts to get better, ask for help and become once again the version of herself she had stopped being years ago. i think it’s important to understand this, don’t wait for someone to come and rescue you when you’re going through a difficult time, you are the one who has the ability to make a change in your life.
⊹ ࣪ ˖ ໒📸⊹ henry adams
❛ all stories are love stories. ❜
it was so easy to fall in love with henry, his personality shone so brightly through the pages. a real golden boy, he was so caring, doing little things for bennet without her even having to ask. he was so thoughtful it melted my heart. he understood bennet's situation with her ex and handled it very maturely, giving her the time she needed to feel secure with him and never pressuring her. he waited until she was ready to let love back into her life. there’s nothing i love more than a nerd, sorry not sorry but the fact that he was a star wars nerd was absolutely hilarious. he was so effortlessly funny, the little inside jokes were everything to me.
also he was so emotionally mature, the way he offered bennet comfort and understanding was such a beautiful thing to read. whenever bennet had a breakdown or started to panic, he always found a way to make her feel better. i love when he was listening to her so attentively and reassuring her. all the dates he organised for the project were so thoughtful, i also loved how outgoing and extroverted he was. the way he cared so much, even for people he’d only just met. when bennet saw how he interacted with others and it melted her heart, i felt the same way. seeing a man wearing his heart on his sleeve it’s truly a precious thing.
ꔛ˚🥯◝✩ ꒰ overall ꒱ 𓏭
this was a gem, finding a book in which the couple actually communicate is very rare. there’s no room for miscommunication here, if an argument happened they’d find a way to sort it out. i adore the vulnerability it takes to be open about your feelings. the healing process bennet went through is so beautifully described, it’s about learning to live again despite what has happened to you, forgiving yourself and realising that it’s never too late to achieve your goals. there’s always time and something waiting for you.
ꔛ˚💌◝✩ ꒰ quotes ꒱ 𓏭
❛ i’m not waiting for some magical key to unlock my life anymore. i’m doing it myself. starting over. committing to waking up every morning and trying with my whole heart. ❜
❛ i’m ready. i’m so ready. i’m done being sad. i’m done being angry at the world and with myself. i’m done latching myself to the past because i’m afraid of the future. ❜
❛ these people are my age, yet they seem to be in on something that i don’t understand. how did they get that way? what am i missing? ❜
❛ i’m tired of being invisible. sometimes i come home from these shifts with the eerie feeling that i don’t actually exist at all, that i’m a figment of my own imagination, made to smile. ❜
❛ i was doing so well, talking to people, laughing, eating, smiling. how could i have found myself back here? nothing has to go wrong for me to feel this way. everything can be fine and i’ll still find myself here.❜
ꔛ˚🎧◝✩ ꒰ my playlist ꒱ 𓏭
⤿ every since new york & love of my life — harry styles
⤿ ghosting — ariana grande
⤿ unsteady & difficult— gracie abrams
⤿ all i want — kodaline
⤿ another love & heal — tom odell
⤿ empire state of mind — alicia keys
⤿ we are the people — empire of the sun
⤿ new york, new york — frank sinatra
⤿ look after you — the fray
⤿ everything has changed — taylor swift
🌷𓂅 to kris ⋮ i’m so happy we both enjoyed it. thank you so much twin, for reading it with me 🫂 i love all our references and we’ve added a new one to our collection!!! we’re each other’s lucky charm 🍀 i feel that all the books we read together are perfect for us, they’re things we both love deeply. the first one was about fairies and this one, being star wars nerds was so much fun. i can’t wait to see where our next brs will take us 🌟 i love you in every galaxy and may the force with you 🌌
⤿ her beautiful review ✿
𐔌 📨 ⋮ a special message for anyone reading this .ᐟ ֹ ₊ ꒱
i’m really happy with how this review has turned out, when i write i feel as though time stands still and i love analysing my thoughts and sharing them with all of you. i know they’re very long but as you can see, i just can’t stop talking. the point is, i’d like to take this opportunity to thank everyone who reads them. i don’t know if everyone reads them all the way through, because honestly sometimes i write too much but here i am, pouring my heart out. i’ve added a new section "this book in key words" is slightly different from my previous reviews and i hope you enjoy it as much as i’ve loved creating it. i’ll try to keep including that section in my future reviews. alright, that’s all, i’m so grateful for the friends i’ve made thanks to this app. you really are the sweetest people in the world and i appreciate every single one of you 😭💝
― all my love, vita ꪆৎ
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⊹ ࣪ ˖ ໒🗽𓂃⊹ 𝐩𝐫𝐞-𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝 ₊˚⋆⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
i'm sooo excited to read a book set in new york and best of all, to read it with my twin kris.ᐟ i've really missed reading with you, cheers to us 🌟
April 1, 2025
4.5 STARS 🌟📖 Huge thanks to Penguin Books & NetGalley for this eARC! 💌 Passion Project is hitting shelves on April 8, 2025, and trust me—YOU WANT THIS BOOK.
📢 Calling it now: Bookish socials are gonna LOSE THEIR MINDS over this one. This is the kind of book that’s gonna be all over your feed, and you’ll see it in every beach bag this summer. London Sperry just entered the rom-com scene, and she did NOT come to play. She came to steal our hearts, make us laugh, and maybe even break us a little. 😭💖
THE STORY:
Meet Bennet Taylor. 25, lost, stuck in a temp job, and drowning in grief after losing her first love. She’s just trying to exist, but life? Yeah, life has other plans. Enter Henry Adams. Their first date doesn’t happen because… Bennet runs away (literally). But when they keep running into each other (fate?? 👀), she blurts out one very tipsy confession: she hasn’t felt passion for anything in years.
Henry, being the absolute GEM that he is, proposes a challenge. Every Saturday, they’ll try something new—pottery, rappelling, tattooing, who knows?! The mission? Help Bennet find what makes her feel alive again.
Oh, and obviously, it’s totally just friends. HAHAHA. Sure.
WHAT I LOVED:
🔥 The BANTER. The flirty, crackling, top-tier banter had me giggling like a fool. Henry and Bennet’s chemistry? 10/10. They had that natural, effortless vibe that made every conversation feel SO real.
🗽 NYC MAGIC. The city felt ALIVE. The way they explored different parts of New York, tried new things—it gave the whole book this cinematic, big rom-com energy. I need this adapted IMMEDIATELY.
💔 GRIEF & HEALING. The way London Sperry tackled loss was beautiful. It wasn’t just about moving on—it was about learning to live with your grief, instead of letting it consume you. Some scenes HIT HARD, and I absolutely teared up. 😭
👓 HENRY. ADAMS. PERIOD. Cinnamon roll king. Patient, supportive, funny, and he wears glasses. I repeat: HE WEARS GLASSES. And he collects cool rocks. I’m obsessed.
🚀 A DEBUT?? NO WAY. This book reads like it was written by a seasoned pro. The writing is fresh, smart, and emotional in all the right places. If this is what London Sperry is serving on her FIRST book, I am READY for whatever she writes next.
FINAL THOUGHTS:
If you love Emily Henry, or Lynn Painter, you NEED THIS. If you love slow burn, friends-to-lovers, NYC vibes, and a romance that makes you feel EVERYTHING, this is your book.
London Sperry—welcome to my auto-buy list. 🚀💖
TROPES:
✔️ Friends-to-lovers
✔️ Slow burn (SO WORTH IT)
✔️ Cinnamon roll MMC 🥹
✔️ NYC setting
✔️ Love after loss
✔️ "Just friends" (LIES)
✔️ He helps her find happiness again (MY HEART 😭)
TRIGGER WARNINGS: Loss of a loved one, grief, depression, sexual harassment, car accident.
Happy reading!! 📖💖
📢 Calling it now: Bookish socials are gonna LOSE THEIR MINDS over this one. This is the kind of book that’s gonna be all over your feed, and you’ll see it in every beach bag this summer. London Sperry just entered the rom-com scene, and she did NOT come to play. She came to steal our hearts, make us laugh, and maybe even break us a little. 😭💖
THE STORY:
Meet Bennet Taylor. 25, lost, stuck in a temp job, and drowning in grief after losing her first love. She’s just trying to exist, but life? Yeah, life has other plans. Enter Henry Adams. Their first date doesn’t happen because… Bennet runs away (literally). But when they keep running into each other (fate?? 👀), she blurts out one very tipsy confession: she hasn’t felt passion for anything in years.
Henry, being the absolute GEM that he is, proposes a challenge. Every Saturday, they’ll try something new—pottery, rappelling, tattooing, who knows?! The mission? Help Bennet find what makes her feel alive again.
Oh, and obviously, it’s totally just friends. HAHAHA. Sure.
WHAT I LOVED:
🔥 The BANTER. The flirty, crackling, top-tier banter had me giggling like a fool. Henry and Bennet’s chemistry? 10/10. They had that natural, effortless vibe that made every conversation feel SO real.
🗽 NYC MAGIC. The city felt ALIVE. The way they explored different parts of New York, tried new things—it gave the whole book this cinematic, big rom-com energy. I need this adapted IMMEDIATELY.
💔 GRIEF & HEALING. The way London Sperry tackled loss was beautiful. It wasn’t just about moving on—it was about learning to live with your grief, instead of letting it consume you. Some scenes HIT HARD, and I absolutely teared up. 😭
👓 HENRY. ADAMS. PERIOD. Cinnamon roll king. Patient, supportive, funny, and he wears glasses. I repeat: HE WEARS GLASSES. And he collects cool rocks. I’m obsessed.
🚀 A DEBUT?? NO WAY. This book reads like it was written by a seasoned pro. The writing is fresh, smart, and emotional in all the right places. If this is what London Sperry is serving on her FIRST book, I am READY for whatever she writes next.
FINAL THOUGHTS:
If you love Emily Henry, or Lynn Painter, you NEED THIS. If you love slow burn, friends-to-lovers, NYC vibes, and a romance that makes you feel EVERYTHING, this is your book.
London Sperry—welcome to my auto-buy list. 🚀💖
TROPES:
✔️ Friends-to-lovers
✔️ Slow burn (SO WORTH IT)
✔️ Cinnamon roll MMC 🥹
✔️ NYC setting
✔️ Love after loss
✔️ "Just friends" (LIES)
✔️ He helps her find happiness again (MY HEART 😭)
TRIGGER WARNINGS: Loss of a loved one, grief, depression, sexual harassment, car accident.
Happy reading!! 📖💖
June 7, 2025
✩ 3.75 stars ✩
What to Expect:
➼ Slow Burn
➼ Strangers-to-Friends-to-Lovers
➼ Only One Bed
➼ Witty Banter
➼ Black Cat x Golden Retriever
➼ Anxiety Rep
➼ Love After Loss
➼ Learning to Live Again
➼ 3rd Act Break Up
➼ Narrated by Alex Finke
➼ First Person POV
I said I wasn’t going to compare this to Promise Me Sunshine, but it was in fact very similar to Promise Me Sunshine. Not only are they both set in NYC, but there were also lots of coinciding themes of processing grief, learning to live and love again after loss, and finally stepping out of their grief bubble. This is maybe not important to most readers, but as a former New Yorker, this one didn’t quite encapsulate the way it feels to live in NYC the way Promise Me Sunshine did. The characters were also not quite as raw or real or lovable in my eyes, and I didn’t feel their connection quite as strongly. In Promise Me Sunshine, both characters had a bit of an edge to them and both had experienced similar losses that bonded them together and helped them understand what the other was going through. In this book the MMC has strong golden retriever energy, so when she inevitably hurt him, it felt a lot like kicking a puppy. He just kept coming back for more and it was hard to watch her continue to hurt him.
I hated what she did to the MMC at that wedding, but I could also see that she was driven by guilt and trauma. She clearly felt responsible for her fiancés death, especially because of the conversation they had prior to his passing. It logically wasn’t her fault, but it’s also logical to say that it likely wouldn’t have happened if she hadn’t told him her plans for the future. She was functioning from a mentality that told her she didn’t deserve to move on or be happy now that he was gone. Since his life was over, she believed hers should be too.
The FMC very clearly wasn’t ready to date yet, so I really didn’t understand why her friends felt the need to meddle in that way. I could see trying to get her out of the house, or trying to get her to spend time with them in general, or even trying to get her into therapy, but encouraging her to jump into a relationship just seems strange and ill advised. I think I would have liked this book a lot better if the MC’s had met organically instead.
This review probably sounds very critical but this actually was a very good book. It just had some areas I think could have been workshopped a little more to make it great. I would definitely still recommend this one! Just maybe read it before Promise Me Sunshine if you can. 🙃
✼ ҉ ✼ ҉ ✼ ҉ ✼ ҉ ✼ ҉ ✼ ҉ ✼
Pre-read: This one has been recommended to me by several people so I’m surprised the overall rating isn’t higher…
I’m going to try hard not to compare this to Promise Me Sunshine. 😅
≪ ◦ ❖ ◦ ≫
Connect with me on Instagram
What to Expect:
➼ Slow Burn
➼ Strangers-to-Friends-to-Lovers
➼ Only One Bed
➼ Witty Banter
➼ Black Cat x Golden Retriever
➼ Anxiety Rep
➼ Love After Loss
➼ Learning to Live Again
➼ 3rd Act Break Up
➼ Narrated by Alex Finke
➼ First Person POV
I said I wasn’t going to compare this to Promise Me Sunshine, but it was in fact very similar to Promise Me Sunshine. Not only are they both set in NYC, but there were also lots of coinciding themes of processing grief, learning to live and love again after loss, and finally stepping out of their grief bubble. This is maybe not important to most readers, but as a former New Yorker, this one didn’t quite encapsulate the way it feels to live in NYC the way Promise Me Sunshine did. The characters were also not quite as raw or real or lovable in my eyes, and I didn’t feel their connection quite as strongly. In Promise Me Sunshine, both characters had a bit of an edge to them and both had experienced similar losses that bonded them together and helped them understand what the other was going through. In this book the MMC has strong golden retriever energy, so when she inevitably hurt him, it felt a lot like kicking a puppy. He just kept coming back for more and it was hard to watch her continue to hurt him.
I hated what she did to the MMC at that wedding, but I could also see that she was driven by guilt and trauma. She clearly felt responsible for her fiancés death, especially because of the conversation they had prior to his passing. It logically wasn’t her fault, but it’s also logical to say that it likely wouldn’t have happened if she hadn’t told him her plans for the future. She was functioning from a mentality that told her she didn’t deserve to move on or be happy now that he was gone. Since his life was over, she believed hers should be too.
The FMC very clearly wasn’t ready to date yet, so I really didn’t understand why her friends felt the need to meddle in that way. I could see trying to get her out of the house, or trying to get her to spend time with them in general, or even trying to get her into therapy, but encouraging her to jump into a relationship just seems strange and ill advised. I think I would have liked this book a lot better if the MC’s had met organically instead.
This review probably sounds very critical but this actually was a very good book. It just had some areas I think could have been workshopped a little more to make it great. I would definitely still recommend this one! Just maybe read it before Promise Me Sunshine if you can. 🙃
✼ ҉ ✼ ҉ ✼ ҉ ✼ ҉ ✼ ҉ ✼ ҉ ✼
Pre-read: This one has been recommended to me by several people so I’m surprised the overall rating isn’t higher…
I’m going to try hard not to compare this to Promise Me Sunshine. 😅
≪ ◦ ❖ ◦ ≫
Connect with me on Instagram
April 16, 2025
Wow, a debut novel! 👀 It was pretty good!
A cute rom-com. 🌷🫶
I liked it overall; the beginning kept me hooked, and I was enjoying every moment between Bennet and Henry. However, the last 25% felt just okay. Yes, just O.K. But, I still found it to be a great and refreshing read. 🥹🫶
I really love Bennet's character, and the author describes everything beautifully. Henry's character is good too, and I love both of them! 🥹🫶
Will I recommend this book? Umm... maybe….???
Well, yeah, that's it! 🫶
_________________
Pre-Read
I’m having a major FOMO so let’s see… 👀
A cute rom-com. 🌷🫶
I liked it overall; the beginning kept me hooked, and I was enjoying every moment between Bennet and Henry. However, the last 25% felt just okay. Yes, just O.K. But, I still found it to be a great and refreshing read. 🥹🫶
I really love Bennet's character, and the author describes everything beautifully. Henry's character is good too, and I love both of them! 🥹🫶
Will I recommend this book? Umm... maybe….???
Well, yeah, that's it! 🫶
_________________
Pre-Read
I’m having a major FOMO so let’s see… 👀
April 8, 2025
"Having your shit together is not a prerequisite for love."
Every time I feel like I'm finding it impossible to find a brand new romance book that will sweep me off, the universe decides to put stories as loveliest as this one on my path. After finishing the last page, I immediately had to add London Sperry on my list of auto-buy authors because I will read anything she writes in the future. Her writing is refreshing, relatable and feels like a warm hug in the toughest of days.
Passion Project follows Bennet's healing journey, following the death of her significant other. While battling anxiety and depression, she meets Henry, the most charming of men, who is determined to help her put herself back together and find love and joy for life again. The instant chemistry made it impossible for me to put this book down and I ended up reading it one sitting. This was witty, angsty, very emotional (I cried so much, my face was hurting) and I love how the author portrayed grief in the most humane ways possible.
Bennett is my girl; I felt for her and I understood her completely in every step of the way. Her character development was without a doubt my favorite part of this story and what made me love her so much. There were other fun aspects, like exploring your city (New York to be specific, which is personally not my favorite place but it was impossible not to feel the charm of it solely based on Sperry's setting and descriptions) and finding new things to enjoy that made it so enjoyable. This will definitely be a new favorite recommendation of mine and all of you should read this.
Thank you so much to Penguin Books for the advance reader copy.
January 30, 2026
➳ 4 ☆! 🚕🍎 spoiler free + mini review
⤷ FINALLY A FOUR STAR!! so sweet 💗
⋆˚࿔ 13th review of the year
🎧 - nice to eachother
ᯓᡣ𐭩 and ill probably crash your stupid car
and make your life a misery
but we could be nice to each other...!
₊‧꒰my thoughts꒱ ‧₊ 🤍
⤷ first off, i cant believe this is my 10th book of the yr already! i neverrr get to double digits in books, espc for january! BUT THIS TIME I DID YAYYY! anyways, this book was so so sweet, i loved the portrayal of grief, love, passion. i can say that i wish our fmc bennet went into therapy sooner, but honestly shes such a cool person so im glad it worked out for her 💗 as for our MMC henry... OH I LOVED HIMM !! nothing like a charming man, ill def miss reading about their story. the cherry on top was nyc!! the vibes were immaculate and this is the perfect book for summer i swear ‼️‼️ i would def reread this again and i cant wait to see the next "passion" project the author does next xoxo. the hype was worth it 🫂 also very solid for a debut, bravo!!
👯 | lastly to my girl ivy THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BUDDYREADING THIS WITH ME 🥹 i swear every time we br it makes the experience 100% better, i alr can't wait for our next planned ones!! i also feel like this one brought us closer haha, espc for what we went thru this month 🫂 I LOVE YOU ALWAYS GIRLIE!! MWAH MWAH
-------
₊‧꒰1.19.26꒱ ‧₊
⤷ EEE IM SO EXCITED FOR THIS. after seeing it blow up a little last year it's been on my radar!! also the cover is just stunning i need more colorful colors exactly like this 💗 to make this anticapted read more perfect, i get to br with ivy!!! our first br of the year lets GO. i know we'll adore, ily so much 🥹 NYC HERE WE COMEEE
⤷ FINALLY A FOUR STAR!! so sweet 💗
⋆˚࿔ 13th review of the year
love doesn't care if you're anxious or depressed or drowning in everyday life. love just loves
🎧 - nice to eachother
ᯓᡣ𐭩 and ill probably crash your stupid car
and make your life a misery
but we could be nice to each other...!
₊‧꒰my thoughts꒱ ‧₊ 🤍
⤷ first off, i cant believe this is my 10th book of the yr already! i neverrr get to double digits in books, espc for january! BUT THIS TIME I DID YAYYY! anyways, this book was so so sweet, i loved the portrayal of grief, love, passion. i can say that i wish our fmc bennet went into therapy sooner, but honestly shes such a cool person so im glad it worked out for her 💗 as for our MMC henry... OH I LOVED HIMM !! nothing like a charming man, ill def miss reading about their story. the cherry on top was nyc!! the vibes were immaculate and this is the perfect book for summer i swear ‼️‼️ i would def reread this again and i cant wait to see the next "passion" project the author does next xoxo. the hype was worth it 🫂 also very solid for a debut, bravo!!
👯 | lastly to my girl ivy THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BUDDYREADING THIS WITH ME 🥹 i swear every time we br it makes the experience 100% better, i alr can't wait for our next planned ones!! i also feel like this one brought us closer haha, espc for what we went thru this month 🫂 I LOVE YOU ALWAYS GIRLIE!! MWAH MWAH
-------
₊‧꒰preview ᝰ.ᐟ꒱ ‧₊ 🚕🍎
₊‧꒰1.19.26꒱ ‧₊
⤷ EEE IM SO EXCITED FOR THIS. after seeing it blow up a little last year it's been on my radar!! also the cover is just stunning i need more colorful colors exactly like this 💗 to make this anticapted read more perfect, i get to br with ivy!!! our first br of the year lets GO. i know we'll adore, ily so much 🥹 NYC HERE WE COMEEE
March 18, 2026
⭐️ Third read March 2026: i just love this book so much. It’s so comforting for me and feels like I’m back with friends 🩵🩵 I feel so seen
⭐️ Second read on audio April 2025: I love this book and these characters so much I kinda feel sick 🩵
⭐️ First read March 2025: “I refuse to believe I’m not enough. I won’t do it anymore.”
I had a feeling I’d love this book when I saw people calling it a gen Z Emily Henry and I’d have to agree. This felt like the feel good, emotional vibes of an Emily Henry and Abby Jimenez book, and I’m still blown away that this is a debut. This book was emotional, heartbreaking, and healing all at once.
The writing was so good. Like I said, still surprised this is a debut. It was fast paced and engaging, and I was never bored with the story or plot. I thought the passion project plot was so fun and sweet and really helped me get to know our characters. I connected so strongly to them, especially Bennet, and just wanted to hug them. They were flawed but so realistic and relatable and that made me love them that much more. Henry was such a sweetheart mmc and I thought he was so fun. Literally exactly what Bennet needed and I loved who he was for her. Their strangers to friends to lovers story felt so realistic, like I was reading about 2 flawed humans learning to love and have fun alongside each other. The character development by the end of this book was unmatched. I already know people will be frustrated with Bennet but to me, her actions and choices were realistic and made sense for her situation and experiences.
The mental health and grief rep in this book was done so beautifully and I loved it so much. Bennet’s story made me teary eyed more than once. The NYC setting was so fun, the plot of the passion project was so entertaining, and the romance made my heart squeeze. I loved this book so ridiculously bad and I wouldn’t be surprised if it ends up in my top 10 of 2025. Please add this to your tbr and pick up a copy on release day, April 8, however you can!! I think this book deserves all the stars and all the love 🩵 I will be rereading on audio when it releases!! I think about this book constantly.
⭐️ Second read on audio April 2025: I love this book and these characters so much I kinda feel sick 🩵
⭐️ First read March 2025: “I refuse to believe I’m not enough. I won’t do it anymore.”
I had a feeling I’d love this book when I saw people calling it a gen Z Emily Henry and I’d have to agree. This felt like the feel good, emotional vibes of an Emily Henry and Abby Jimenez book, and I’m still blown away that this is a debut. This book was emotional, heartbreaking, and healing all at once.
The writing was so good. Like I said, still surprised this is a debut. It was fast paced and engaging, and I was never bored with the story or plot. I thought the passion project plot was so fun and sweet and really helped me get to know our characters. I connected so strongly to them, especially Bennet, and just wanted to hug them. They were flawed but so realistic and relatable and that made me love them that much more. Henry was such a sweetheart mmc and I thought he was so fun. Literally exactly what Bennet needed and I loved who he was for her. Their strangers to friends to lovers story felt so realistic, like I was reading about 2 flawed humans learning to love and have fun alongside each other. The character development by the end of this book was unmatched. I already know people will be frustrated with Bennet but to me, her actions and choices were realistic and made sense for her situation and experiences.
The mental health and grief rep in this book was done so beautifully and I loved it so much. Bennet’s story made me teary eyed more than once. The NYC setting was so fun, the plot of the passion project was so entertaining, and the romance made my heart squeeze. I loved this book so ridiculously bad and I wouldn’t be surprised if it ends up in my top 10 of 2025. Please add this to your tbr and pick up a copy on release day, April 8, however you can!! I think this book deserves all the stars and all the love 🩵 I will be rereading on audio when it releases!! I think about this book constantly.
May 3, 2025
4.25💫
“Love doesn’t care about whether or not you have your shit together, or if you’re a grieving mess. Love doesn’t care if you’re anxious or depressed or drowning in everyday life. Love just loves”
if you loved promise me sunshine, you will love this one too! it follows the same idea of helping someone find their way back to life by traveling through the city and going on fun adventures.
our fmc, bennet, is in the depths of her depression, trying to navigate life after her ex boyfriend passed away. she was set up to go on a date with our mmc, henry, and completely embarrassed herself infront of him, but he saw someone in need of happiness and his job was to bring it back to her. (a lot of filler actually happened in between but i cant spoil!) they started what they call their “passion project” to help bennet find her passion in nyc and regain that happiness she has before her ex passed.
henry was so golden retriever. he has such a bright personality and can make everyone feel loved and seen. he was so patient with bennet and it made me appreciate him so much more.
i was rooting for bennet the whole time. i just wanted the best for her and i wanted her to push herself to be uncomfortable. i loved reading her journey through healing and what that meant for her personally and socially. i also loved watching her relationship with henry develop, and see her come out of her shell around him. their banter was so fun!!! the only part i disliked was the wedding scene. i get why she acted the way she did and why she said what she did, like i understand what she was doing, but i was so sad for henry. it ached me to see how she treated him after all he did for her.
i loved this story though. i loved the concept of this book, and reading about the adventures they went on together. it always makes me so happy when i can follow along someones journey and watch them as they start to get color back into their life.
my april botm💓
“Love doesn’t care about whether or not you have your shit together, or if you’re a grieving mess. Love doesn’t care if you’re anxious or depressed or drowning in everyday life. Love just loves”
if you loved promise me sunshine, you will love this one too! it follows the same idea of helping someone find their way back to life by traveling through the city and going on fun adventures.
our fmc, bennet, is in the depths of her depression, trying to navigate life after her ex boyfriend passed away. she was set up to go on a date with our mmc, henry, and completely embarrassed herself infront of him, but he saw someone in need of happiness and his job was to bring it back to her. (a lot of filler actually happened in between but i cant spoil!) they started what they call their “passion project” to help bennet find her passion in nyc and regain that happiness she has before her ex passed.
henry was so golden retriever. he has such a bright personality and can make everyone feel loved and seen. he was so patient with bennet and it made me appreciate him so much more.
i was rooting for bennet the whole time. i just wanted the best for her and i wanted her to push herself to be uncomfortable. i loved reading her journey through healing and what that meant for her personally and socially. i also loved watching her relationship with henry develop, and see her come out of her shell around him. their banter was so fun!!! the only part i disliked was the wedding scene. i get why she acted the way she did and why she said what she did, like i understand what she was doing, but i was so sad for henry. it ached me to see how she treated him after all he did for her.
i loved this story though. i loved the concept of this book, and reading about the adventures they went on together. it always makes me so happy when i can follow along someones journey and watch them as they start to get color back into their life.
my april botm💓
July 31, 2025
3.75
It’s like if Emily Henry & Cara Bastone wrote a book together.
A beautiful story with a large emphasis on grief and how that can affect so many of your actions. Absolutely love the direction this book took.
I was honestly mixed on Henry for the first half of the book, he seemed TOO perfect - it was giving me weird uncanny vibes. BUT as we further developed his character, his motivations made a lot more sense.
Bennet on the other hand was frustrating to read, but in a way that also felt so realistic? So I’m a bit mixed on her character.
Overall loved this, excited to see what London Sperry writes next!
It’s like if Emily Henry & Cara Bastone wrote a book together.
A beautiful story with a large emphasis on grief and how that can affect so many of your actions. Absolutely love the direction this book took.
I was honestly mixed on Henry for the first half of the book, he seemed TOO perfect - it was giving me weird uncanny vibes. BUT as we further developed his character, his motivations made a lot more sense.
Bennet on the other hand was frustrating to read, but in a way that also felt so realistic? So I’m a bit mixed on her character.
Overall loved this, excited to see what London Sperry writes next!
July 14, 2025
4/8/25 happy release day to this GORGEOUS book 🥹 everyone add it to your tbr’s asap rocky!!
4.5 ⭐️
already coined gen z’s emily henry, i was so curious going into this book but WOW am i astounded by this (debut!!!!) author!! this women’s fiction leaning story conveys one of the most raw depictions of grief i’ve read and it was done flawlessly. this book hurts, heals, and encourages the readers at every corner to live and LOVE 🥹 too much of this feels cliche to say, but i truly implore each and every one of you to PLEASE give this book your time, particularly if you enjoyed “promise me sunshine” by cara bastone
thank you to netgalley & penguin books for the arc!!
4.5 ⭐️
already coined gen z’s emily henry, i was so curious going into this book but WOW am i astounded by this (debut!!!!) author!! this women’s fiction leaning story conveys one of the most raw depictions of grief i’ve read and it was done flawlessly. this book hurts, heals, and encourages the readers at every corner to live and LOVE 🥹 too much of this feels cliche to say, but i truly implore each and every one of you to PLEASE give this book your time, particularly if you enjoyed “promise me sunshine” by cara bastone
thank you to netgalley & penguin books for the arc!!
February 26, 2026
This is the PERFECT emotional summer NYC rom-com! If you love friends to lovers, strong character development, and relatable writing, read this right now.
25-year-old Bennet is directionless. Stuck in her career. Lacking a social life. Unsure of her future. And still trying to overcome tragedy. That is until she meets Henry. Well, at first she stands him up for a date. Yet they reconcile, and he agrees to help her find her spark, spending each weekend trying a new passion. But just as friends...until adventure after adventure leads them both wanting more.
This reminded me so much of Promise Me Sunshine by Cara Bastone. I loved the emotion, and the author did an excellent job writing Bennet's grief journey. She showed that healing isn't linear, as Bennet slowly progressed, with some stumbles here and there. I loved the portrayal of the various emotions of a person who's both grieving and also stuck in a quarter life crisis. As someone who's around the same age, the writing and feelings of the characters felt extremely relatable.
And Henry was the absolute sweetest. He was so patient and kind to Bennet, but still had his breaking points. I loved his radiance and how he lit up a room. Both characters were incredibly well-rounded. I also loved the theme of friendship and the trials and tribulations of interpersonal relationships when things get rocky. And Sal stole the show. He was so wholesome.
Plus the descriptions of NYC were perfect. This is also a love letter to the city, and it makes me immediately want to move back to New York. I also need this to be the next summer rom-com movie. It would translate so well to film. An incredible read, and I was most definitely tearing up multiple times.
25-year-old Bennet is directionless. Stuck in her career. Lacking a social life. Unsure of her future. And still trying to overcome tragedy. That is until she meets Henry. Well, at first she stands him up for a date. Yet they reconcile, and he agrees to help her find her spark, spending each weekend trying a new passion. But just as friends...until adventure after adventure leads them both wanting more.
This reminded me so much of Promise Me Sunshine by Cara Bastone. I loved the emotion, and the author did an excellent job writing Bennet's grief journey. She showed that healing isn't linear, as Bennet slowly progressed, with some stumbles here and there. I loved the portrayal of the various emotions of a person who's both grieving and also stuck in a quarter life crisis. As someone who's around the same age, the writing and feelings of the characters felt extremely relatable.
And Henry was the absolute sweetest. He was so patient and kind to Bennet, but still had his breaking points. I loved his radiance and how he lit up a room. Both characters were incredibly well-rounded. I also loved the theme of friendship and the trials and tribulations of interpersonal relationships when things get rocky. And Sal stole the show. He was so wholesome.
Plus the descriptions of NYC were perfect. This is also a love letter to the city, and it makes me immediately want to move back to New York. I also need this to be the next summer rom-com movie. It would translate so well to film. An incredible read, and I was most definitely tearing up multiple times.
August 25, 2025
This was such a one dimensional story with flat, toxic, underdeveloped characters and a very fabricated, unrealistic scenario between the two MC’s. (I understand it’s fiction and isn’t meant to be “realistic” but damn could you have at least tried?) As a debut, I will say the author’s writing shows promise and I would be open to reading future works by her if she figures out how to balance central elements of a story. And let me be clear: No, I didn't "hate" this. It was just disappointing considering the hype, but was fine as a book. It just isn't anything special TO ME. I guess the story I thought I'd receive was not the one that I actually read.
I struggled to connect with any of the characters because there was more emphasis on what was happening rather than how the character felt or anything about their life. This is single POV, so you’d assume you would know your heroine quite intimately, but unfortunately (or fortunately, considering she is insufferable sometimes), that never happens. Sperry focused more on telling us the ins and outs of her life—stupid things like a French press—instead of emotional pieces of Bennet’s life. The death and grief of her ex boyfriend is present throughout the book, but only because she told us, not because it actually shows up. A few things will remind her of him, and we’ll see her retreat, yes, but it’s not nearly as deep as I was hoping. Even with the plot of grief, everything was extremely surface level. She was also extremely toxic and it was ridiculous. I saw this book in so many "mental health awareness" photos and just couldn't understand why? I know depression paints people differently but I feel like this book truly colors us in a bad way. The way she acted was childish, immature, and horrible and I didn't even feel like Sperry/Bennet cared to fix herself before spreading her toxicity everywhere.
Furthermore, certain scenes just jump from one thing to the next, and without flow. It’s like Bennet didn’t know who to be. I felt like some dialogue and conversations from and with her were like prying teeth out, but then randomly she’s totally fine with telling Henry about how her boyfriend died, which he asked completely random and out of left field after the dumbest one-bed arrangement I’ve ever read in my life. I’ve never seen a trope forced so badly, ever, in my life. It seriously made no sense and had no place.
Character development was nonexistent. Bennet genuinely had the personality of a potato chip that rotted under the wet subway tracks. She was an extremely insufferable character. She way she reacted and behaved in some scenes were really ridiculous and unjustified. I understand trauma but girliepop… you need THERAPY. Stop going on dates, you are severely mentally ill. I don’t think Sperry explored her past nearly good enough for me to be convinced of any of her issues. With her friend, Sonya—whom she treated HORRIBLY—and Andy, who was her dead-ex boyfriend’s sister and Bennet's best friend of all time. Like why were they all so mean? Again, there was a lot of telling and not showing, and that is a death sentence in a book for me. If Sperry had spent more time having Bennet reflect on meaningful interactions and memories she had with Andy, Sam, or even Sonya, it would have been more worthwhile than to read about Bennet vomiting in a men’s bathroom, using her French press because she’s “such a New Yorker”, or any of the dumb work interactions this book was riddled with.
The relationship was a really hard thing for me to be sold on. All of a sudden I’m on page 215, and he’s telling her that she’s one of his favorite people and all I had to ask was, why? I had no idea what these two shared that made them so special to each other. I felt like they barely talked about anything, and if they did, it never felt significant enough to garner this sort of emotional connection so quickly. I didn’t believe their “passion project” charade and it just felt stupid and forced. It reminded me toooo much of Promise Me Sunshine which I did not like and dnf’ed. I did not feel a single spark or any of the angst that Bennet was supposedly feeling. It felt rushed and super underdeveloped. The friendships were also undercooked. I didn’t believe her and Sonya’s “lifelong” friendship (and with how mean Sonya was) and the fact that Jamie basically conspired to get Henry to hang out with her… ridiculous. Such a stupid addition to this already dumb book. It’s a short one, and I really did fly through the book because the writing was so simple and the chapters relatively short, but there was hardly any intimate scenes between Henry and Bennet before he’s apparently “obsessed” with her (not in an Ali hazelwood way, but in a “im forcing this because I need to wrap up this third act and I need him to have this grand proclamation” way). I just didn’t believe Henry felt that way about Bennet since I genuinely saw no reason for him to. I had to skip the spice it was so cringe and it turned me off so badly, and by the last 40 pages, I’m skimming. There was NOTHING in this book that I cared about. Henry deserved soooo much better than Bennet. He was genuinely an interesting MMC and we barely got any time with him.
Also, this is so particular, but as a native New Yorker, I hate reading books written by transplant people. It’s beyond obvious and idk it just screams desperate to me 😭 and I dont even mean it to be that way like they dont deserve to write it but it was very obvious from the very first chapter the author was not from New York and idk reading all of these things like “I knew when I moved to New York I’d be the kind of person who used a French press” what is the correlation?!?!?!? I dont understand 💀 it just kinda bugged me LOL
Bottom line
Again, this book was not horrible, I just found it focused on things that didn't drive the story and I was left wondering what the hell I even read in 320 pages. The character development needed severe work, but I did like how quickly I read this book because the writing style was just so ~detached~ that there was nothing to get hung up on. The 2 stars on goodreads says "it was ok" and I mean I think this was a little worse than ok but it wasn't necessarily bad.
I struggled to connect with any of the characters because there was more emphasis on what was happening rather than how the character felt or anything about their life. This is single POV, so you’d assume you would know your heroine quite intimately, but unfortunately (or fortunately, considering she is insufferable sometimes), that never happens. Sperry focused more on telling us the ins and outs of her life—stupid things like a French press—instead of emotional pieces of Bennet’s life. The death and grief of her ex boyfriend is present throughout the book, but only because she told us, not because it actually shows up. A few things will remind her of him, and we’ll see her retreat, yes, but it’s not nearly as deep as I was hoping. Even with the plot of grief, everything was extremely surface level. She was also extremely toxic and it was ridiculous. I saw this book in so many "mental health awareness" photos and just couldn't understand why? I know depression paints people differently but I feel like this book truly colors us in a bad way. The way she acted was childish, immature, and horrible and I didn't even feel like Sperry/Bennet cared to fix herself before spreading her toxicity everywhere.
Furthermore, certain scenes just jump from one thing to the next, and without flow. It’s like Bennet didn’t know who to be. I felt like some dialogue and conversations from and with her were like prying teeth out, but then randomly she’s totally fine with telling Henry about how her boyfriend died, which he asked completely random and out of left field after the dumbest one-bed arrangement I’ve ever read in my life. I’ve never seen a trope forced so badly, ever, in my life. It seriously made no sense and had no place.
Character development was nonexistent. Bennet genuinely had the personality of a potato chip that rotted under the wet subway tracks. She was an extremely insufferable character. She way she reacted and behaved in some scenes were really ridiculous and unjustified. I understand trauma but girliepop… you need THERAPY. Stop going on dates, you are severely mentally ill. I don’t think Sperry explored her past nearly good enough for me to be convinced of any of her issues. With her friend, Sonya—whom she treated HORRIBLY—and Andy, who was her dead-ex boyfriend’s sister and Bennet's best friend of all time. Like why were they all so mean? Again, there was a lot of telling and not showing, and that is a death sentence in a book for me. If Sperry had spent more time having Bennet reflect on meaningful interactions and memories she had with Andy, Sam, or even Sonya, it would have been more worthwhile than to read about Bennet vomiting in a men’s bathroom, using her French press because she’s “such a New Yorker”, or any of the dumb work interactions this book was riddled with.
The relationship was a really hard thing for me to be sold on. All of a sudden I’m on page 215, and he’s telling her that she’s one of his favorite people and all I had to ask was, why? I had no idea what these two shared that made them so special to each other. I felt like they barely talked about anything, and if they did, it never felt significant enough to garner this sort of emotional connection so quickly. I didn’t believe their “passion project” charade and it just felt stupid and forced. It reminded me toooo much of Promise Me Sunshine which I did not like and dnf’ed. I did not feel a single spark or any of the angst that Bennet was supposedly feeling. It felt rushed and super underdeveloped. The friendships were also undercooked. I didn’t believe her and Sonya’s “lifelong” friendship (and with how mean Sonya was) and the fact that Jamie basically conspired to get Henry to hang out with her… ridiculous. Such a stupid addition to this already dumb book. It’s a short one, and I really did fly through the book because the writing was so simple and the chapters relatively short, but there was hardly any intimate scenes between Henry and Bennet before he’s apparently “obsessed” with her (not in an Ali hazelwood way, but in a “im forcing this because I need to wrap up this third act and I need him to have this grand proclamation” way). I just didn’t believe Henry felt that way about Bennet since I genuinely saw no reason for him to. I had to skip the spice it was so cringe and it turned me off so badly, and by the last 40 pages, I’m skimming. There was NOTHING in this book that I cared about. Henry deserved soooo much better than Bennet. He was genuinely an interesting MMC and we barely got any time with him.
Also, this is so particular, but as a native New Yorker, I hate reading books written by transplant people. It’s beyond obvious and idk it just screams desperate to me 😭 and I dont even mean it to be that way like they dont deserve to write it but it was very obvious from the very first chapter the author was not from New York and idk reading all of these things like “I knew when I moved to New York I’d be the kind of person who used a French press” what is the correlation?!?!?!? I dont understand 💀 it just kinda bugged me LOL
Bottom line
Again, this book was not horrible, I just found it focused on things that didn't drive the story and I was left wondering what the hell I even read in 320 pages. The character development needed severe work, but I did like how quickly I read this book because the writing style was just so ~detached~ that there was nothing to get hung up on. The 2 stars on goodreads says "it was ok" and I mean I think this was a little worse than ok but it wasn't necessarily bad.
April 18, 2026
thank you so much to netgalley for providing this arc!
i’ll be honest - this book did a very good job at frustrating me. the writing was lovely and easily bingeable, and the mmc was a sweetie pie, but the fmc and her decisions and actions really infuriated me. it felt as though she acted without any care for how her actions may hurt others, and even came across as mean-spirited at the end. i had multiple moments where my jaw actually dropped at some of the things she said. i was almost rooting for this couple not to end up together, because i believed the mmc deserved better (or at least they needed time to work on themselves first). i really don’t believe this was a poorly written book whatsoever, i just feel like the personality of our female lead, and especially how she conducted herself at the end of this story, frustrated me. i would definitely be interested in picking up future works by this author, but sadly this one particularly was a miss for me.
i’ll be honest - this book did a very good job at frustrating me. the writing was lovely and easily bingeable, and the mmc was a sweetie pie, but the fmc and her decisions and actions really infuriated me. it felt as though she acted without any care for how her actions may hurt others, and even came across as mean-spirited at the end. i had multiple moments where my jaw actually dropped at some of the things she said. i was almost rooting for this couple not to end up together, because i believed the mmc deserved better (or at least they needed time to work on themselves first). i really don’t believe this was a poorly written book whatsoever, i just feel like the personality of our female lead, and especially how she conducted herself at the end of this story, frustrated me. i would definitely be interested in picking up future works by this author, but sadly this one particularly was a miss for me.
July 7, 2025
✨ Rating: 5 ⭐️
🫧 Vibes: warm, quirky, adventurous
🎶 Song: the bolter - taylor Swift
📖 Favourite Quote: "Being up here makes me fall small, but being with you makes me feel significant."
📚 Would I recommend? 10000% YES.
💬 Final thoughts: if you're a fan of Emily Henry and Abby Jimenez, then this book is for you!
In the package:
📦 slow-burn
📦 grief and light humour
📦 the most selfless MMC
📦 friends to lovers
The story follows Bennet, who's grieving the loss of her ex-boyfriend. With the help of Henry, her date that she ends up ghosting, they both embark on a series of adventurous Saturdays in New York City, as friends, to rediscover her passion.
This is the kind of book that you can't bear to put down and think about it every waking moment of the day. You'll laugh, you'll cry and you'll want to scream into the book.
This book portrayed depression, grief and anxiety in a very realistic way. It was so emotionally vivid that I was crying every other chapter. We follow Bennet through her grief while she slowly rediscovers her joy for life, but not without her challenges. This book was so raw and real and I appreciate the fact that it didn't gloss over how depression just suddenly goes away. It's a constant struggle and you see that through Bennet's actions and internal monologue.
Now Henry.. where do I start 🥹 I think he may be in the top 5 book boyfriends. He was sweet, patient, caring, selfless and VERY understanding. Oh and he wears glasses 😏 Their chemistry and banter was off the charts.
I loved the NYC vibes throughout the entire book, it shapes the journey the characters are going through.
11/10, would read again.
✩⁺₊✩☽⋆ follow me on tiktok ⋆☾✩⁺₊✩
🫧 Vibes: warm, quirky, adventurous
🎶 Song: the bolter - taylor Swift
📖 Favourite Quote: "Being up here makes me fall small, but being with you makes me feel significant."
📚 Would I recommend? 10000% YES.
💬 Final thoughts: if you're a fan of Emily Henry and Abby Jimenez, then this book is for you!
In the package:
📦 slow-burn
📦 grief and light humour
📦 the most selfless MMC
📦 friends to lovers
The story follows Bennet, who's grieving the loss of her ex-boyfriend. With the help of Henry, her date that she ends up ghosting, they both embark on a series of adventurous Saturdays in New York City, as friends, to rediscover her passion.
This is the kind of book that you can't bear to put down and think about it every waking moment of the day. You'll laugh, you'll cry and you'll want to scream into the book.
This book portrayed depression, grief and anxiety in a very realistic way. It was so emotionally vivid that I was crying every other chapter. We follow Bennet through her grief while she slowly rediscovers her joy for life, but not without her challenges. This book was so raw and real and I appreciate the fact that it didn't gloss over how depression just suddenly goes away. It's a constant struggle and you see that through Bennet's actions and internal monologue.
Now Henry.. where do I start 🥹 I think he may be in the top 5 book boyfriends. He was sweet, patient, caring, selfless and VERY understanding. Oh and he wears glasses 😏 Their chemistry and banter was off the charts.
I loved the NYC vibes throughout the entire book, it shapes the journey the characters are going through.
11/10, would read again.
✩⁺₊✩☽⋆ follow me on tiktok ⋆☾✩⁺₊✩
April 11, 2025
this book means sm to me 😭🫂
♾️🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
when I say this book CHANGED ME…. Bennett is my girlie forever and ever. I just want to hug her and reassure her!!! A beautifully paced story that keeps you yearning for more. A story about grief and the tolls it takes on a person, how it physically and mentally changes you into a person you don’t even recognize. I felt so seen with Bennett. & HENRY? Probably one of my all TIME FAV MMCS?!!!! Pls he was everything and more!!! A beautiful soft and kind man. My fav thing about him was regardless of the unfair circumstances he faced he always remained kind hearted. 😭🫂 & I think that’s an incredibly difficult thing to do when you feel like life is swallowing you whole.
A million forehead kisses to London Sperry!! You beautiful genius woman!!! Cheers to you on a beautiful debut novel!
♾️🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
when I say this book CHANGED ME…. Bennett is my girlie forever and ever. I just want to hug her and reassure her!!! A beautifully paced story that keeps you yearning for more. A story about grief and the tolls it takes on a person, how it physically and mentally changes you into a person you don’t even recognize. I felt so seen with Bennett. & HENRY? Probably one of my all TIME FAV MMCS?!!!! Pls he was everything and more!!! A beautiful soft and kind man. My fav thing about him was regardless of the unfair circumstances he faced he always remained kind hearted. 😭🫂 & I think that’s an incredibly difficult thing to do when you feel like life is swallowing you whole.
A million forehead kisses to London Sperry!! You beautiful genius woman!!! Cheers to you on a beautiful debut novel!
April 8, 2026
── 🚕 ⤿ 4 stars ★ ໒꒱ ‧₊˚
↻ | :: ꒰ ghostin by Ariana Grande ꒱
╰┈➤ Bennet Taylor has been living in New York for some time but still doesn’t feel completely at home. She is drowning in grief and guilt after the loss of her first love, Sam. So she is definitely not ready to date yet, but does she still accept to go on a date arranged by her best friend? yes. Does she actually go on the date? no…she has a panic attack and kinda gets drunk in a restaurant on the opposite street of where the guy is waiting. Henry, the guy, is determined to be her friend though and when Bennet confesses that she doesn’t have a passion he jumps at the opportunity to help her find one. They start to try out new things together, make new friends and explore the city. New York finally feels like it’s where Bennet belongs, with Henry. But it’s hard to admit because moving on from Sam is not something she is ready to do just yet.
╰┈➤ Overall this is such a cute, fast paced romance book. I adored the main couple. Henry and Bennet have the best banter and they are so funny together. Watching them go from stranger to friends and then lovers felt like the most natural thing. and THEY COMMUNICATE. That’s right, almost no miscommunication happening in this book baby, and we love that. They have the best inside jokes and references like we got star wars nerds, pride and prejudice appreciation, dogs named fred and ginger, the mmc dancing to Dolly Parton. I mean COME ON. The ‘passion project’ meetings were so entertaining, it felt like I was exploring nyc with them and had Alicia Keys sing ‘Empire State of mind’ directly in my ear. As I said it’s really cute and honestly I wasn’t bored for even one chapter. This story also deals with grief and depression and I mean they’re a big big part of it. I liked how these themes were written about because it felt realistic and also how Bennet came to realize things little by little, she didn’t simply have a fairy-tale-like illumination at the end.
⊹ | 𐐪 Bennet 𐑂 : ❝ Having your shit together is not a requisite for love. ❞
⤿ I have to admit I struggled to relate to her and maybe that’s why I got mad at her sometimes… but listen, my girl did her best and I recognize that. She really made so much progress throughout the book, we see her go from living like a ghost to finding her will to live again and I'm proud of her for that. She also recognized she can’t let her happiness depend from Henry so she tried things alone and boy was I proud. Moving on from Sam was painful for her, for Henry and for me to read, I even got a little emotional at the end.
⊹ | 𐐪 Henry 𐑂 : ❝ I give off Bingley energy. ❞
⤿ Henry is the greenest flag ever. I love how he approached Bennet after she ghosted him on their date. Love how he can always make her feel better and make her laugh about the embarrassing things. He’s so patient and thoughtful. He knew Bennet wasn’t ready to date and he respected that. He also has a rock collection and each rock is named after a Star Wars character. Just thought I'd put that out there. sigh new book boyfriend unlocked for sure
╰┈➤ I really liked this book. Loved almost every second of it (ehm ehm the wedding scene ehm ehm). I don’t think I will be going back to these characters very often but still I had a great time with this. Also this book made me feel sad about being single, you know a romance book is good when it makes you feel like you need romance in your life. Would totally recommend xx
٠࣪⭑ ✉️ note to vita: thank you so much twin for reading this with me 🥹 I love how we always end up loving the books we read together, as you said we are each other’s lucky charms. Hope we find many other favorite books together I love you in every galaxy mwah 🫂 (don’t mind my third Star Wars mention, I just really need to rewatch it right now)
⤿ her STUNNING review, go read it 🫵
────────────────────────
˚₊‧ ꒰ა 🚕 ˗ pre-read ˖⋆.
buddy reading with my twin vita because we missed reading together like desperate exes, also this book looks perfect for spring, i’m so excited to read this 🗣️
❝The passion project is the best thing I ever took a chance on, but not because I found a passion. But because it made me happy. You made me happy.❞
↻ | :: ꒰ ghostin by Ariana Grande ꒱
⊹ ࣪ ˖ ໒🗽⋮ plot .ᐟ ✦
╰┈➤ Bennet Taylor has been living in New York for some time but still doesn’t feel completely at home. She is drowning in grief and guilt after the loss of her first love, Sam. So she is definitely not ready to date yet, but does she still accept to go on a date arranged by her best friend? yes. Does she actually go on the date? no…she has a panic attack and kinda gets drunk in a restaurant on the opposite street of where the guy is waiting. Henry, the guy, is determined to be her friend though and when Bennet confesses that she doesn’t have a passion he jumps at the opportunity to help her find one. They start to try out new things together, make new friends and explore the city. New York finally feels like it’s where Bennet belongs, with Henry. But it’s hard to admit because moving on from Sam is not something she is ready to do just yet.
⊹ ࣪ ˖ ໒ 🏙️ ⋮ thoughts .ᐟ ✦
╰┈➤ Overall this is such a cute, fast paced romance book. I adored the main couple. Henry and Bennet have the best banter and they are so funny together. Watching them go from stranger to friends and then lovers felt like the most natural thing. and THEY COMMUNICATE. That’s right, almost no miscommunication happening in this book baby, and we love that. They have the best inside jokes and references like we got star wars nerds, pride and prejudice appreciation, dogs named fred and ginger, the mmc dancing to Dolly Parton. I mean COME ON. The ‘passion project’ meetings were so entertaining, it felt like I was exploring nyc with them and had Alicia Keys sing ‘Empire State of mind’ directly in my ear. As I said it’s really cute and honestly I wasn’t bored for even one chapter. This story also deals with grief and depression and I mean they’re a big big part of it. I liked how these themes were written about because it felt realistic and also how Bennet came to realize things little by little, she didn’t simply have a fairy-tale-like illumination at the end.
꒰ ♬ ꒱ ❝ ‘stead of ghostin’ him, we’ll get through this, we’ll get past this ❞
⊹ ࣪ ˖ ໒ 💐 ⋮ characters .ᐟ ✦
⊹ | 𐐪 Bennet 𐑂 : ❝ Having your shit together is not a requisite for love. ❞
⤿ I have to admit I struggled to relate to her and maybe that’s why I got mad at her sometimes… but listen, my girl did her best and I recognize that. She really made so much progress throughout the book, we see her go from living like a ghost to finding her will to live again and I'm proud of her for that. She also recognized she can’t let her happiness depend from Henry so she tried things alone and boy was I proud. Moving on from Sam was painful for her, for Henry and for me to read, I even got a little emotional at the end.
⊹ | 𐐪 Henry 𐑂 : ❝ I give off Bingley energy. ❞
⤿ Henry is the greenest flag ever. I love how he approached Bennet after she ghosted him on their date. Love how he can always make her feel better and make her laugh about the embarrassing things. He’s so patient and thoughtful. He knew Bennet wasn’t ready to date and he respected that. He also has a rock collection and each rock is named after a Star Wars character. Just thought I'd put that out there. sigh new book boyfriend unlocked for sure
꒰ ♬ ꒱ ❝ I’m a girl with a lot of baggage but I love you, we’ll get past this ❞
🚕 𖧧 ⋮ overall ٠࣪⭑
╰┈➤ I really liked this book. Loved almost every second of it (ehm ehm the wedding scene ehm ehm). I don’t think I will be going back to these characters very often but still I had a great time with this. Also this book made me feel sad about being single, you know a romance book is good when it makes you feel like you need romance in your life. Would totally recommend xx
٠࣪⭑ ✉️ note to vita: thank you so much twin for reading this with me 🥹 I love how we always end up loving the books we read together, as you said we are each other’s lucky charms. Hope we find many other favorite books together I love you in every galaxy mwah 🫂 (don’t mind my third Star Wars mention, I just really need to rewatch it right now)
⤿ her STUNNING review, go read it 🫵
❝ You’re Mr. Darcy❞
❝ So, what, that makes you Lizzy?❞
He shakes his head. ❝ I give off Bingley energy.❞
❝ So in our version, Bingley and Darcy get together?❞
He shrugs. ❝ I think that would make a lot of fan-fiction writers very happy.❞ ୭ ˚.
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˚₊‧ ꒰ა 🚕 ˗ pre-read ˖⋆.
buddy reading with my twin vita because we missed reading together like desperate exes, also this book looks perfect for spring, i’m so excited to read this 🗣️
June 3, 2025
4 stars!!!! ⭐️ I went into this expecting something tender & lighthearted, and it ended up being way more layered. it’s really a story about grief and healing, and if you’re a fan of emily henry, the writing definitely scratches that itch!! (I can’t believe it’s a debut!) the pacing worked really well, and it hooked me from the first few chapters.
i’ll be honest, I didn’t always love bennet as a main character. she frustrated me a lot, but in a way that felt very human. she’s hurting, she’s stuck, and she pushes people away. even though that made her hard to root for sometimes, it also made sense. I just wish therapy had come into the picture sooner. I think stories like this could be even more powerful if healing wasn’t saved for the final chapters. henry (the love interest) on the other hand... perfect. maybe too perfect?? the side characters were also such a bright spot, and the new york setting was absolute MAGIC! it felt vivid and alive, almost like its own character.
i’d absolutely read more from london sperry!
thanks to penguin books and netgalley for the e-arc in exchange for my honest thoughts!
i’ll be honest, I didn’t always love bennet as a main character. she frustrated me a lot, but in a way that felt very human. she’s hurting, she’s stuck, and she pushes people away. even though that made her hard to root for sometimes, it also made sense. I just wish therapy had come into the picture sooner. I think stories like this could be even more powerful if healing wasn’t saved for the final chapters. henry (the love interest) on the other hand... perfect. maybe too perfect?? the side characters were also such a bright spot, and the new york setting was absolute MAGIC! it felt vivid and alive, almost like its own character.
i’d absolutely read more from london sperry!
thanks to penguin books and netgalley for the e-arc in exchange for my honest thoughts!
Currently Reading
April 17, 2026౨ৎꨄ︎ pre-read: i have high expectations for this book! pleaseee pleaseee be good i’m in a desperate need to finally rate something five full stars! 😭
August 13, 2025
An interesting take on the friends to lovers trope. Bennet is a mess. She is depressed and closed off. This is reflected in the physical mess of her bedroom. She is hopping from temp job to temp job. Reluctantly she goes in a date after MUCH support and encouragement from her roommate, Sonya.
Bennet is still grieving and is filled with negative self talk. The evening was awkward, unnerving, and embarrassing. It was tough to read. There were many scenes that were like that. She can’t get out of her own way. This is truly a story about realizing you’re at rock bottom, dealing with grief, addressing your issues, and honestly communicating the hell that is roiling inside to those who care about you.
Here are my power rankings of the secondary characters:
LOVE Henry and Sal.
Love Sonya, Jamie, and Andy
Really like Mike
Came around to like Sarah
Hated Kirk
Dogs don’t go in the power rankings. Dog lover here. Loved the dogs in this book.
Passion Project was a great read, but tackled a heavy issue. It may not be for all, but I think I would recommend to most.
Bennet is still grieving and is filled with negative self talk. The evening was awkward, unnerving, and embarrassing. It was tough to read. There were many scenes that were like that. She can’t get out of her own way. This is truly a story about realizing you’re at rock bottom, dealing with grief, addressing your issues, and honestly communicating the hell that is roiling inside to those who care about you.
Here are my power rankings of the secondary characters:
LOVE Henry and Sal.
Love Sonya, Jamie, and Andy
Really like Mike
Came around to like Sarah
Hated Kirk
Dogs don’t go in the power rankings. Dog lover here. Loved the dogs in this book.
Passion Project was a great read, but tackled a heavy issue. It may not be for all, but I think I would recommend to most.
April 3, 2025
Wow, I can't believe this is a debut novel!
Bennett lost her boyfriend two years ago and has been struggling with depression ever since. She moved to New York because that's where he wanted to live, but she still hasn't found her place there. She doesn't have a steady job or a social life yet.
Her friend encourages her to go on a date with a guy from a dating app, but she realizes she’s not ready and runs away, only to later meet him in a restaurant across the street. Henry decides to help her find a passion, and they start meeting every Saturday.
Henry is just amazing! I adore him! He’s patient, kind, and funny, and the way he supported the heroine was just heartwarming! Also, he wears glasses (my weakness) and has a collection of rocks.
This book is about dealing with loss and finding yourself in this world. Even though it touches on heavy topics, the story gives such warm feelings, and there’s a lot of humor in it as well. New York is described so vividly that I felt like I was experiencing all the highs and lows with the characters!
I highly recommend this book. If you like Promise Me Sunshine by Cara Bastone, you’ll definitely love this one too!
Now I’ll be reading everything London Sperry writes!❤️
𝐓𝐫𝐨𝐩𝐞𝐬:
✓love after loss
✓cinnamon roll MMC
✓slow burn
✓grumpy / sunshine
✓friends to lovers
✓only one bed
✓NYC setting
Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Books for the ARC in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.
Bennett lost her boyfriend two years ago and has been struggling with depression ever since. She moved to New York because that's where he wanted to live, but she still hasn't found her place there. She doesn't have a steady job or a social life yet.
Her friend encourages her to go on a date with a guy from a dating app, but she realizes she’s not ready and runs away, only to later meet him in a restaurant across the street. Henry decides to help her find a passion, and they start meeting every Saturday.
Henry is just amazing! I adore him! He’s patient, kind, and funny, and the way he supported the heroine was just heartwarming! Also, he wears glasses (my weakness) and has a collection of rocks.
This book is about dealing with loss and finding yourself in this world. Even though it touches on heavy topics, the story gives such warm feelings, and there’s a lot of humor in it as well. New York is described so vividly that I felt like I was experiencing all the highs and lows with the characters!
I highly recommend this book. If you like Promise Me Sunshine by Cara Bastone, you’ll definitely love this one too!
Now I’ll be reading everything London Sperry writes!❤️
𝐓𝐫𝐨𝐩𝐞𝐬:
✓love after loss
✓cinnamon roll MMC
✓slow burn
✓grumpy / sunshine
✓friends to lovers
✓only one bed
✓NYC setting
Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Books for the ARC in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.
April 3, 2025
4.5 ⭐
Blurb: “If your twenties are supposed to be the best years of your life, Bennet Taylor is failing miserably . . . with a big emphasis on the miserable. Where’s that zest she keeps hearing about? She’s a temp worker in New York City with no direction, no future, and no social life. And at the painful center of this listlessness is grief over the death of her first love.
When Bennet runs into Henry Adams just hours after standing him up for a first date, she makes an alcohol-fueled confession: She’s not ready to date. In fact, it’s been years since she felt passion for something. Not even pottery, or organized sports—not anything. Rather than leaving her to ruminate, Henry jumps at the opportunity for adventure: Bennet needs to find a passion for life, and Henry will help her find it. Every Saturday, they’ll try something new in New York City. As friends, of course.
As their “passion project” continues, the pair tackle everything from carpentry to tattooing to rappelling off skyscrapers, and Bennet feels her guarded exterior ebbing away. But as secrets surface, Bennet has to decide what she wants, and if she’s truly ready to move on. With emotional resonance and sparkling banter, Passion Project is a fun, flirty, thoughtful story of finding a spark—and igniting happiness.”
I need to take a quick moment to admire the beautiful cover. 😍 I mean, I can’t get over it! Every time I look at it, I get giddy and want to read the book again.
Okay, the moment’s over. 😆 Now, back to the book…
The Plot: Four words: This book is great. I am a sucker for stories where a character helps the main character learn to live again, so this book was right up my alley. I feel like using this theme can be overdone, but London Sperry did a fantastic job at making the story unique and engaging. Gosh, I felt so bad for Bennet. I wanted to hug her and tell her that it’s okay to feel, it’s okay to be broken, and it’s okay not to be broken. Losing a loved one is one of the hardest things in the world, and living with guilt and depression because of it is painful. ❤️🩹 But, lo and behold, Henry enters the scene and Bennet is definitely not ready for the ride he takes her on. Their “Passion Project” was so fun and I felt like I was right alongside them as they navigated life together. The storyline is so movie-worthy, especially with the bustling streets of New York as the backdrop, it’s absolutely incredible that this is Sperry’s debut novel.
The Characters: Bennet Taylor made me laugh, cringe, and angry all at the same time. That’s probably because I’m so similar to her. 😂 Sarcastic, melancholic, and with a caring heart, Bennet was a great FMC. It did bother me how she would dwell on the past and dwell so heavily on her faults and weaknesses, but that’s because I literally do the same thing. So it’s just a me problem at this point. 😉 And Henry? Let me put it this way. Henry is the type of character that you wonder if there are people like him in this world (spoiler alert: there are!) and you wish you had someone like him in your life. He was the yang to Bennet’s yin. That is the best way I can describe Henry and I think he’s also great. The side characters in this book were also amazing and I loved the sense of community Bennet and Henry had with their friends and family.
The Writing: Fantastic. Wonderful. Readable. Engaging. Funny. Relatable. The list of words could go on! London Sperry is talented and I am so, so glad she has shared her work with the world so I can keep an eye out for more of her books. It was so fun to read this book and I enjoyed every minute. ♥️
Overall Thoughts: What more can I say? I’m not going to lie, I was a bit wary to read this since contemporary romance books and I have a complicated relationship. But I’m glad I got over myself and read it anyway. I did skip the bits with spice, but that’s just because I prefer not to read it. Other than that, I highly recommend this book if you love friends-to-lovers romances, funny and cute banter that brings a smile to your face, and a series of ups and downs that are realistic and, in some cases, relatable.
Content warnings: death, grief, sexual assault
I received a free digital arc from Penguin Group Viking via NetGalley. All opinions and statements are my own.
#PassionProject #NetGalley
Blurb: “If your twenties are supposed to be the best years of your life, Bennet Taylor is failing miserably . . . with a big emphasis on the miserable. Where’s that zest she keeps hearing about? She’s a temp worker in New York City with no direction, no future, and no social life. And at the painful center of this listlessness is grief over the death of her first love.
When Bennet runs into Henry Adams just hours after standing him up for a first date, she makes an alcohol-fueled confession: She’s not ready to date. In fact, it’s been years since she felt passion for something. Not even pottery, or organized sports—not anything. Rather than leaving her to ruminate, Henry jumps at the opportunity for adventure: Bennet needs to find a passion for life, and Henry will help her find it. Every Saturday, they’ll try something new in New York City. As friends, of course.
As their “passion project” continues, the pair tackle everything from carpentry to tattooing to rappelling off skyscrapers, and Bennet feels her guarded exterior ebbing away. But as secrets surface, Bennet has to decide what she wants, and if she’s truly ready to move on. With emotional resonance and sparkling banter, Passion Project is a fun, flirty, thoughtful story of finding a spark—and igniting happiness.”
I need to take a quick moment to admire the beautiful cover. 😍 I mean, I can’t get over it! Every time I look at it, I get giddy and want to read the book again.
Okay, the moment’s over. 😆 Now, back to the book…
The Plot: Four words: This book is great. I am a sucker for stories where a character helps the main character learn to live again, so this book was right up my alley. I feel like using this theme can be overdone, but London Sperry did a fantastic job at making the story unique and engaging. Gosh, I felt so bad for Bennet. I wanted to hug her and tell her that it’s okay to feel, it’s okay to be broken, and it’s okay not to be broken. Losing a loved one is one of the hardest things in the world, and living with guilt and depression because of it is painful. ❤️🩹 But, lo and behold, Henry enters the scene and Bennet is definitely not ready for the ride he takes her on. Their “Passion Project” was so fun and I felt like I was right alongside them as they navigated life together. The storyline is so movie-worthy, especially with the bustling streets of New York as the backdrop, it’s absolutely incredible that this is Sperry’s debut novel.
The Characters: Bennet Taylor made me laugh, cringe, and angry all at the same time. That’s probably because I’m so similar to her. 😂 Sarcastic, melancholic, and with a caring heart, Bennet was a great FMC. It did bother me how she would dwell on the past and dwell so heavily on her faults and weaknesses, but that’s because I literally do the same thing. So it’s just a me problem at this point. 😉 And Henry? Let me put it this way. Henry is the type of character that you wonder if there are people like him in this world (spoiler alert: there are!) and you wish you had someone like him in your life. He was the yang to Bennet’s yin. That is the best way I can describe Henry and I think he’s also great. The side characters in this book were also amazing and I loved the sense of community Bennet and Henry had with their friends and family.
The Writing: Fantastic. Wonderful. Readable. Engaging. Funny. Relatable. The list of words could go on! London Sperry is talented and I am so, so glad she has shared her work with the world so I can keep an eye out for more of her books. It was so fun to read this book and I enjoyed every minute. ♥️
Overall Thoughts: What more can I say? I’m not going to lie, I was a bit wary to read this since contemporary romance books and I have a complicated relationship. But I’m glad I got over myself and read it anyway. I did skip the bits with spice, but that’s just because I prefer not to read it. Other than that, I highly recommend this book if you love friends-to-lovers romances, funny and cute banter that brings a smile to your face, and a series of ups and downs that are realistic and, in some cases, relatable.
Content warnings: death, grief, sexual assault
I received a free digital arc from Penguin Group Viking via NetGalley. All opinions and statements are my own.
#PassionProject #NetGalley
April 27, 2025
i’m actually not okay, like this book ruined me and put me back together. sad romance with a happy ending indeed because good lord. i cried and smiled through tears reading this what a blessing it is to experience feelings
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