The Project

by Annie Lord

Modern dating’s a mess. Unfortunately, so are they.

Daisy and Maya bounce around the city like they own it, from all-night house parties to sticky-floored smoking areas, drinks in hand.

But after a particularly regrettable one-night stand with her annoying friend James, Daisy starts to look around and wonder why, in a sea of intelligent, gorgeous women, all their prospects seem so hopeless. It’s time for The Project, a radical reinvention of dating, and who better to start with than James?

James may be raw material, but he’s quite happy to go along with Daisy and Maya if it means a little more time alone with Daisy. But falling for James was never part of The Project - can she bring down her walls enough to let someone in? Because she might not find someone perfect, but she might find something real.

Genres: Romance, Fiction, Contemporary, Adult

375 pages, Kindle Edition

First published July 9, 2026

Reviews

[cinnamonbun ‎♡‧₊˚ · Rating 5 out of 5]

FAVE BOOK SO FAR THIS YEAR!! Love love love love

[Annie M.]

I ate this up with a spoon. It feels like a mixture of Dolly Alderton, Mhairi McFarlane, and Bridget Jones, but gen-z. I’m a sucker for a book about a British woman’s juicy crush and fabulous friend. Can you blame a girl?

The characters felt like real people I could meet. Daisy and Maya were fab, but James sparkled. It’s rare to see a fully realized male romantic interest, but here he is. That’s not to say that everyone in this book is perfect—they really, really aren’t—but that made it feel more believable. And the titular project felt breathable, more real-world, which was a relief. While there was a lot more TikTok-level discourse and lingo than I care for, I can’t fault it too much; I ripped through this at a rapid clip. The style was frictionless. And boy did I love that party scene (vision: standalone episode).

Thanks to Harper and NetGalley for the ARC. Writing the first review on here is bananas. I hope this gets buzz!

[Connie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thanks to Net Galley for the early copy! The Project felt like the perfect lit-fic romance, it’s very reminiscent of Dolly Alderton’s writing and had me laughing, feeling nostalgic, and deeply heartbroken all at once. I must say that I don’t think the concept of ‘the project’ in the novel is developed fully enough and could be fleshed out a lot more - perhaps it would help if it was more than just James who was undergoing the process. With that in mind, the title and the blurb are somewhat misleading and if that is the element that draws a reader in they may be a bit disappointed. However, for me it was enjoyable nonetheless and for the most part this was down to the pure relatability of the writing; Lord’s references to small things that felt so accurately specific for a woman in her 20s really elevated the novel for me. Daisy was somewhat unbearable in parts, but what 20-something female isn’t painfully frustrating from time to time!!

[Emily · Rating 3 out of 5]

✨3.5 stars✨


The Project by Annie Lord, was the first book that I have read by the author and the plot was interesting. I especially enjoyed the dynamic between the friendship group and the writing was for the most part entertaining.

I think some of the pacing was just a bit off which meant that the book lost my attention sometimes, especially in the middle portion as that’s when it felt particularly dense.

However, I can see why a lot of people would enjoy this book especially as the subjects covered are incredibly important and topical.

I received an ARC from the publishers via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you!

[Chloe Doherty · Rating 4 out of 5]

A well written story on love and complicated relationships. I really enjoyed this, it felt like i was on FaceTime to my best friend and she was filling me in on all the dating gossip. Lord’s writing is super contemporary and nuanced - I connected with all the characters and felt they developed well. The plot and “unlikely lovers” trope isn’t one I’d usually go for but it really surprised me!

[beks]

[DNF’d at 4%]

I had to DNF because I really couldn’t get on with the writing style and the chapters were way too long 🫣

[Lucy Skeet · Rating 4 out of 5]

Annie Lord I love you

Thanks so much to Harvill for my copy!!! Preorder this

[Charlotte · Rating 2 out of 5]

Thank you so much to Vintage for sending me an early copy of The Project! I thought that the idea of the book was interesting but, without mentioning spoilers, there were just too many aspects I felt I didn’t like. I couldn’t really feel the chemistry between the mmc & fmc and the ending between them felt quite rushed. Also the miscommunication trope was really frustrating.

[McKenna · Rating 3 out of 5]

I hardly ever read rom coms but this one was really sweet, a bit unbelievable and the writing was cliche at times but the ending made me tear up

an enjoyable read and one for the girlies who struggle finding a good man to date because it’s unfortunately harder than it should be !!!!

[Caro;) · Rating 1 out of 5]

I seriously don't know where to start with this one, and I am confused by a lot of other reviews saying how much they loved James. James does become "self-aware" of his issues, but that doesn't make what he did horrible. And Daisy would just be like oh well, I don't want to upset him by talking further about his horrible past. Things James did:

1. cheated on his ex-girlfriend throughout their entire relationship. "James cheated on her the whole time in a way that was so blatant. There would be a girl in the smoking area sitting on his knee, and twenty minutes later he'd be with Holly, and there was an arrogance in how assured he was that the girl wouldn't tell her, that none of us would either."
I'm sorry wtf. But she tells him he was actually a good boyfriend because he bought his ex nice clothes and drove her home so she didn't have to walk.
2. he speaks about women horribly. Daisy says that he constantly joked with his mates about all the women he slept with and criticized them in bed. She literally gets afraid he's doing that to her.
3. he says something that Daisy thinks is "rapey" and his solution is to let her hit him.
4. he later admits that he used to pressure women for sex, choke them without asking, and oh he sexually assaulted his ex to try and prove that he could still have her when he saw her with her new boyfriend.

But don't worry, guys, James is a changed man. And he wasn't actually a bad guy; he just had
his own problems, so he did these things. And Daisy is just like, Yup, he is SO great now.

Now Daisy had her own issues but I found this book to be so problematic with its portrayal of James. Men do not speak poorly about women, pressure them, and serially cheat and then suddenly change because they weren't bad all along they were just lost. The whole premise of this book is that you can "fix" a man, and this is not the reality. I am not saying people can't change, but he is literally grossly describing his conquests at the beginning of the book in front of Daisy after they got together. Maybe its because he was insecure but that is not an excuse. Some of the things just took it to far for me to like...

"There’s other stuff too. Where I should have been more careful in bed, like not – I mean, it’s bad, but I don’t mean – anyway, I just think I was a bit forceful, or I was persuading them, that whole “just the tip” thing. I used to be quite into choking girls, not hard or anything, but I dunno, I definitely wasn’t following the protocol or whatever you call it, and I didn’t think how they might feel coming back to some guy’s house who they don’t know and he’s putting his hand around their throat."

That is literally horrible, and isn't something you should just be like oh well at least he knows he did something wrong and I will forgive him. Or...

‘Like, there was this ex of mine and we were at a party together when I was seventeen. Anyway, she turns up with her new boyfriend and she’s all happy with him, and in front of everyone, her mates, him, everyone, I go over and slap her ass. Just to show that I could, you know. I wanted to prove I had this ownership over her, got there first or something. Makes me feel sick when I think about it."

Like, actually WTF! This is so so horrible. Someone who does stuff like this does not magically become a great boyfriend and person after you "fix" him and promoting that narrative is incredibly harmful. Overall, I don't think I could be more dissapointed in this book if I tried.

[Bb · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is very good if you don’t need a ton of romance in your Romances.

The premise felt unique to the genre in that it actually mirrored the Pygmalion set-up: Daisy and her bff Maya seek out a man in order to transform him into someone they deem dateable.

I was hoping they would make this Project into a thing to give it purpose. And they discuss making a podcast or video series. But those ideas were dropped fairly early on, so ultimately the purpose of the project was to transform the last person Daisy slept with into boyfriend material.

Which is fine, I guess. But there…wasn’t really a huge transformation? Sure, they got to know each other better after years of being friends-of-friends. But James started off as what the Brits would call a “lad”. And, while he explains that he was still acting out in front of their friends because he and Daisy weren’t communicating properly, we never really see him change his ways… And I’m not saying his ways were a dealbreaker (other than the whole “player who seems to be bad at sex” thing he had going on). I’m just saying, at no point was I swooning or sighing or kicking my feet in glee.

Speaking of which, this is one of those rare times where I wish there was an epilogue. Maybe if we had seen them in an actual, publicly acknowledged relationship, I could have been a little more convinced.

That being said:

Daisy, our main POV character, was relatable AF. And her realistically neurotic narration, along with the author’s observational humor, is why I would recommend this book. Her Venn diagrammatic social circle and regularly scheduled Monday hangovers capture that early- to mid-twenties happy chaos that sounds positively exhausting now that I’m in my thirties. But it was fun while it lasted (IIRC).

Even with such a large cast of secondary characters, the various friend groups all felt very lived in. And this, along with the Britishisms that I sometimes had to look up, felt very Skins (which always leaves me wanting to take a very hot shower and/or do a juice cleanse).

Anyway, the writing is great and the pacing will make you want to keep reading (if not from the edge of your seat). Do I think Daisy and James are going to get married, move to the burbs, and have a bunch of babies? Not really. But I can def see them moving into an East London one-bedroom and maybe dating for like six or seven years. Which–I mean, in this economy?– sounds good enough for me.

Huge shout-out to Harper, Annie Lord, and anyone else involved in getting this e-ARC into my hands Kindle. All thoughts are my own and were provided in exchange for said ARC.

[Kate Connell · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sometimes the main character of a novel is self-aware and it's refreshing. Other times a main character is self-aware, but it just makes them more unbearable, which is my experience with Daisy, the main character of this novel. She'll frequently make an observation about her behavior, such as why she has so many male friends from college, why she is hung up on the one guy she'll never get, why she views her body in a certain way, but the realization is as far as it goes, she does no introspection or changing based on the realization. Daisy seems more concerned with being a cool girl than being an actual fully realized person or individual. At some points the pick me aspects of her interior monologue rubbed me the wrong way to the moments where if it hadn't been an ARC, I may have stopped reading.

For a novel based around changing the male love interest into an ideal, the female love interest gets to keep all of her less-than-ideal qualities, which just makes it feel unbalanced. At the last minute she 'changes', but even that is more her saying she will change than any actual change being made.

Summary: On a night out with friends, Daisy feels disheartened when the guy she's pined after since college who was finally single shows up with his new girlfriend. A few poor decisions later and she's waking up next to James, the black sheep of their friend group, someone who once proudly stated he had never cried in his entire life. Daisy talks to her best friend Maya and decides this hookup is emblematic of the real problem, that all the good men are taken, even the average men are taken. There are no more decent single men to be found in all of London.

The two decide that they want to start what they deem "The Project", a series of educational and cultural activities and conversations to build the perfect man from any raw material. And of course, James, embarrassingly uncivilized but extremely handsome, is the perfect candidate. Daisy and Maya (but mostly Daisy as Maya is conspicuously absent from most of the outings) take James on the journey of self-discovery. As James becomes the ideal man, Daisy must deal with her own feelings and decide what she wants and how much she is willing to change to get it.

[Alex DS · Rating 5 out of 5]

After a regrettable one night stand with her friend James, Daisy starts wondering why when they are so many amazing women in the world, why are all the men shit?

Together with her best friend Maya, she decides to start The Project with the aim of transforming dating. The first test subject? James himself.

I instantly loved the writing style; it’s a fast paced stream of consciousness from Daisy’s perspective. This includes a lot of inside thoughts that I’m sure a lot of us have but never give breath; her various insecurities and observations are all too relatable. Seems like straight women’s experience of dating hasn’t changed massively over the years…

This in depth view of Daisy’s psyche makes it hard to *love* her right off the bat; sometimes she seems mean, very often to herself. She is so human (therefore flawed) which will be a tough pill for a lot of people to swallow.

Similarly, James’ is not your typical MMC - he starts as a walking red flag and says some deeply questionable things regarding women that had me thinking how the hell am I going to root for this relationship? However, he is a willing participant in the project and definitely shows a lot of growth and becomes a better man and a good fit for Daisy.

Our characters are in their mid/late 20s and spend a lot of their time going out and getting drunk/high at parties. But to me they read a bit young and it felt like they should be more fresh out of uni. It reminded me of watching the og Skins when I was 18 and thinking in awe “who lives like this?” Except this time I’m thinking the same thing, but in horror. But that could just be because I’m a millennial townie a decade older than them.

Overall a great fast paced read which went in a different direction than I was expecting. Messy and chaotic, it wont be for everyone but I really enjoyed it.

Thanks NetGalley and Random House UK Vintage for the ARC.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5 rounded up to 5

[Alexandra · Rating 3 out of 5]

Probably 3.5 stars. This is a difficult book for me to review because I have such conflicting feelings about it, and I am pretty sure all the things I didn’t like have nothing to do with the quality of the writing, plotting, etc. The author is definitely skilled. Everything in the book felt (painfully) real, including the protagonist’s infuriatingly self-sabotaging behaviour. The titular Project was just as much Daisy as it was James and it was satisfying to see her eventual character growth after becoming so frustrated with her choices for hundreds of pages.

But maybe I am too far removed age-wise to be able to connect with the characters’ lifestyle, because while I found many of Daisy’s insecurities relatable (sadly, they are probably timeless), I was also repelled by some of the uninterrogated lifestyle elements among her cohort: the fake tan and lip filler, the constant recreational Class A drug use, the complete absence of condoms or conversations about protection during casual sex, the expectation that casual sex encounters will mimic the choreography of pornography. It all just seemed so grim. Is this how people in their mid- and late-twenties live now? I too moved to London after my undergraduate degree, and never left, and the experiences of the characters in the book bear almost zero resemblance to my own at that life stage… but perhaps I just wasn’t hanging out in the same circles.

Overall, though, while the book horrified me in many respects, I found it compelling to the point where I read it voraciously over the course of two days. So objectively speaking, it’s probably quite a good book, albeit one that’s a strange blend of gritty realism most of the way through and romcom-style fluff toward the end.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the advance reader copy.

[Hannah · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have mixed feelings about The Project; I am a huge fan of Annie Lord and was pulled in by the author rather than the premise, and so the book did lose me a little in the middle. The pacing stalled where there were large sections weighed down by heavy info‑dumping, particularly around feminism. These themes are important, but they often didn’t feel organically woven into the dialogue; instead, they read more like essays dropped into conversations, which pulled me out of the story. Saying that I'd love to read a non-fiction book on feminism by Annie Lord.

There are frequent references to drugs and unprotected sex, which contributed to an overall “cool‑girly” tone that didn’t entirely work for me. It felt very intentional stylistically, but also a little performative at times, rather than emotionally grounded.

My biggest struggle, though, was with the characters. I didn’t find myself liking or connecting to any of them, largely because the plot leans heavily on miscommunication as a driving force. That’s a trope I find frustrating, and here it made many of the conflicts feel avoidable rather than compelling?

That said, I did enjoy the ending more than I expected. The final section pulled things together in a way that felt more focused and emotionally satisfying, and it left me with a more positive impression than the middle stretch suggested it would.

Overall, The Project is a book with clear intentions and moments of insight, but for me, it didn’t quite strike the balance between message and storytelling. I can see why it resonates with some readers, but it ultimately wasn’t one I fully clicked with.

Thanks to netgalley | Random House UK, Vintage | Harvill for having the opportunity to read an ARC!

[Abigail Davis-Fletcher · Rating 4 out of 5]

It’s official: I’ve never had an original thought.

It almost pains me to say it but The Project is one of the most relatable books I’ve ever read. Daisy’s inner dialogue is horribly reflective of my own, from her insecurities to her judgment. She’s an unreliable narrator, and yet she’s also incredibly real. She thinks an awful thought and then she owns it. She inflates her own ego and then she sticks a giant pin in it and basks in self-loathing. It’s miserable to hear what’s happening in her head because it is exactly what’s happening in mine! She’s only unlikeable because she is perfect proof of how unlikeable everybody would be if we could read their thoughts, because we’re all thinking the same awful things. What counts is the way that we recognise it, flip it on its head, and improve ourselves.

The Project is funny and raw. It’s a love letter to youth and figuring it out, while celebrating just how difficult that is. It’s a relatable commentary on society and the patriarchy and the ways in which women have, for years, morphed themselves into the people they think they should be for the attention of men while completely losing and becoming the worst versions of themselves in the process.

It’s a hard read in parts only because of how real it is. This book will make you feel seen, and it will also make you itch because you’ll see things about yourself that you would never admit.

I really loved this book. It’s the first book I’ve read from Annie Lord, but it won’t be the last.

Thank you to Penguin Random House for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

[Alieke · Rating 4 out of 5]

*3,5/5 rounded up*

I'll start with what I disliked because those are minor in comparison to what I liked and I want to end this review positive:

(1) Honestly this book was so frustrating at times. I didn't get Daisy (our FMC) more than half of the time and she frustrated me to no end. But that just made her also kinda real? Her relationships are 100% messy and chaotic, as are her thoughts, but I can appreciate how genuine she feels because of it.

(2) The story did feel a bit too long imho. There were more than a few trains of thoughts that just lost me and I had to reread them only to realise they added nothing to the story, my image of Daisy or my view on her relationship with James.

(3) Big tits, we get it.

Okay, moving on:

James was annoying and just.. such a BOY, but I loved him. There's more to his character than this, but I think that's a good summary.

95% of her thoughts and explanations were so well-written that I immediately could see what Ms Lord was trying to convey. No stopping while reading to try to picture the logistics of it all.

I also love that she wanted to She's All That him, only to in the end realise that maybe.. is it me? Am I the problem?

As always, I have difficulty putting into words what I actually liked because it was just the general feel and vibe of the story? It was honest and messy and chaotic and sweet and funny and .. just.. read it, will ya thankyewwww

[Alissa · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was amazing. I don’t typically read books that are primarily romance, and I think I am 25 years older than and an ocean away from this book’s intended demographic, but I loved it. The author wrote such a real, relatable, frustrating, and messy but amazing character in Daisy. This book sometimes read like a journal entry or a fever dream. There is so much talent here. Annie Lord really sees people.

I received this as an advance reader’s copy, so I can’t add direct quotes, but I wish I could because there was much in this book worth quoting. She writes incredibly well of the experience of being a young woman - which hasn’t changed much at all in the 20+ years since I was Daisy’s age. She also writes about what it is like for men, how the patriarchy stifles them too, and of being an older person, how you feel things less intensely. All of this is delivered first-person, through Daisy’s eyes.

In addition to the primary romance plot line, there is a lot in here about friendship. There’s an enviably solid friendship between Daisy and her best friend Maya, along with a lesson about whether you need to keep friendships you have outgrown. And this is ultimately, a story of growth. The criticism in other reviews about the love interest being an asshole is valid, but I think this is a story with flawed MCs who were intentionally written with room to grow.

Thanks to Annie Lord for writing this book, and to Harper and NetGalley for the ARC.

[Hana · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've been describing this book to everyone I know as a "a chick flick but nuanced", and after finishing it I still believe this to be true. The story is exactly as "girliepop" as you could possibly want from a book titled The Project, but it has so much more substance than your average, surface-level, 3-star rom-com and really makes you think about the state of modern dating, the patriarchy and the emotional labour of women. Annie Lord writes her fiction exactly as she writes her non-fiction - with her instantly recognisable voice, surprising humour and oodles and oodles of relatability. I have rarely read a fiction book that has made me reflect more deeply on myself and that has sparked so many conversations between myself and my own partner about our dynamic, and with my (female) friends about their relationships too.
Reading this also made me realise that I've never had an original thought and I feel comforted in the knowledge that all of the things I struggle with about myself and in my relationships are truly normal and that I am walking the same well-trodden path that many women navigating their 20s have walked before me. Thank you Annie, this was a genuine delight and I can't wait to read more wonderful books by you in the future!

[alex alderson · Rating 4 out of 5]

★★★★
#pr — gifted proof 💥

𝙢𝙖𝙮𝙗𝙚 𝙝𝙚 𝙬𝙤𝙪𝙡𝙙𝙣’𝙩 𝙗𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙗𝙖𝙙 𝙞𝙛 𝙝𝙚𝙟𝙪𝙨𝙩 𝙜𝙤𝙩 𝙨𝙤𝙢𝙚 𝙛𝙚𝙢𝙖𝙡𝙚 𝙛𝙧𝙞𝙚𝙣𝙙𝙨, 𝙬𝙚𝙣𝙩 𝙩𝙤 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙖𝙥𝙮, 𝙜𝙤𝙩 𝙖 𝙣𝙞𝙘𝙚-𝙛𝙞𝙩𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙬𝙝𝙞𝙩𝙚 𝙩-𝙨𝙝𝙞𝙧𝙩 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙙 𝙨𝙤𝙢𝙚 𝙗𝙤𝙤𝙠𝙨.

this was a very funny, very spicy book!! 😏🌶️🔥

𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗷𝗲𝗰𝘁 is delightfully wicked, with bold characters and a trio you absolutely adore <3

𝐩𝐥𝐨𝐭: daisy and maya are best friends working and living in london. tired of dating the same ‘man-child’ over and over, & looking for a fun new distraction, they start ‘the project’.

they come up with the idea to radicalise and reinvent their chosen man for gorgeous women all over, to finally instill some hope in modern dating (in a fun, kind of early 2000s twist on the classic ‘girl makeover’ trope)

and who is the perfect candidate? audacious, loud, happy-go-lucky james. but james has his own reasons for getting involved with the project, and as time goes on, daisy starts to think this might not be such a good idea after all, as emotions towards their test subject starts to cloud her judgement.

read if you enjoy:

🍭 cheeky books with lots of charm
🍭 books about modern dating (with a twist)
🍭 wonderfully strong & brazen female characters

thank you Penguin Vintage for the proof! 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗷𝗲𝗰𝘁 will be published in july 2026; a sizzling, sexy summer read you won’t want to miss ☀️

[Apgepps · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you're looking for a fun, addictive but frustrating romance, with some very real societal/gender role critique, this is the book for you. It feels like a guilty pleasure.

If you've been single for a while, so much of this book is very relatable, it makes you think about how men have been brought up and helps to regain some empathy. I also loved her female friendships, relationship with her mum, the love interest is very endearing, and it's a very easy read.

However, I struggled with just how selfish, shallow, oblivious and self-righteous the main character (Daisy) was, as well as her many frustrating decisions. It's clever how this shows the reader how dysfunctional thinking works, and highlights the reader's own flaws (if they have them), but the explanations/revelations of why Daisy acts this way were a bit too simple/on the nose. I also really didn't like how the issue of body-image and food was dealt with in this book. The whole plot was a bit too Hollywood for me, and the overall message a bit too fairytale-y.

Thanks to Netgalley and Penguin for the arc, I loved Notes on Heartbreak and was so excited to read this!

3.5/5

[Kimberley · Rating 4 out of 5]

4,25 stars⭐️

Wow. This book so raw, realistic and relatable!

I really liked the writing style. The dialogue was written in a way that people ACTUALLY talk, which made it lively and realistic. I liked the characters, they felt real and their struggles and insecurities were just so normal. The characters went through such interesting developments, and I liked how they dealt with mistakes. The communication was also just realistic. I was really feeling for the characters, and they kind of felt like my own friends.

Some passages were incredibly relatable. And what I loved most, is the way that Annie Lord put things into words. There are some things in life that I feel, or know, but I don't know how to say it or even make a coherent thought about it. But Annie put those things into words! Sometimes I felt like pointing at the book and screaming 'exactly! That's exactly how I feel about things!'

I've said 'realistic' too many times already, but it's true! The Project is so raw, realistic, and relatable. Annie Lord put some very specific feelings into words, which I would never be able to.

The only criticism I have is that the beginning didn't really pull me in immediately. It took a while for the story to get going.

[S A · Rating 3 out of 5]

We all know how these stories go, single girl doesn't understand why there are no good single men, one of their single friends becomes a project, sparks fly. There's a reason that this format works.

The main character Daisy reflects so many women, she people pleases men and doesn't understand why on earth she's never had a proper relationship. She's kept on the hook by one of the men in her friendship circle, Fin, that I think so many can relate to. If it hasn't happened to you personally, you know a friend that has been in that situation. The hard truth of it is that we know Fin is never going to be in a relationship with her.

I liked this book in that there are many aspects of it that really do reflect people in their twenties and allowed to demonstrate that men can have weaknesses. As a character, I think that many people know a James. Overcompensating with laddish behaviour and not having an outlet to express emotions is depicted so well.

The book explains 'ordinary people and their lives' really well. Its relatable and many of the characters feel like people I know.

[Harriet · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fair warning: The Project really got me. I went into it already knowing how much I absolutely loved Notes on Heartbreak. the flow, the honesty and the way it felt like Annie Lord had somehow crawled into my brain and this just confirmed it for me. All her books are painfully, beautifully relatable.

The high expectations I had.. it delivered. Reading it genuinely felt like I was scrolling through my own memories, my own thoughts, my own patterns, as if my life had been laid out on the page but written better that I ever could. That mix of vulnerability, self-awareness, longing, and reflection is just so her and it works every time.

There is something about the way Annie writes that feels intimate without trying too hard, you're not just reading a story, you're inside it. Inside her head, but also weirdly, inside your own. If you ever loved deeply, lost yourself a bit, questioned everything or just sat with your feelings for a little too long then this will resonate! Another Annie Lord book, another reminder of why her writing feels like being understood. Highly recommend.

[Bao Bao · Rating 3 out of 5]

A frustrating rom-com book.

Daisy, a twenty something year old, who seems unable to find a guy to settle down with her, and has an eye on a guy, Fin, who seems to just be using her for attention.
James, a twenty something year old, who is flirtatious, has had plenty of girlfriends but seems to not be able to settle with anyone special.

Daisy finds it frustrating that after a one-night stand with James that she must start a project with her best friend Maya to change James' ways to make him a better man and boyfriend for his future partner. (I couldn't even tell what job she actually does in this book - is she a producer or scriptwriter or something?).

Both Daisy and James knew each other from their uni days, both have unsettling backgrounds which stem back to their parents and childhood. The project they undergo doesn't feel like a project, but a lecture upon a lecture on dating and fashion.

Found this book a bit all of over the place, so I'm afraid it's 3.5 star plot and book for me.

Thanks to Netgalley and Random House UK, Vintage | Harvill for this ARC!

[Hannah · Rating 3 out of 5]

After a regrettable one night stand with her friend James, Daisy starts to wonder why all her prospects look so hopeless. So she starts ‘The Project’, a reinvention of dating and starts with James. Daisy’s plans were never to fall in love with James, but can she bring down her walls to let someone in? Because by doing that she might find something real.

This sounded like it would be a fun romcom so I thought I’d take my chance with it. I ended up with mixed feelings with this one. I liked that it was a well written story with an interesting premise and felt authentic. But on the other hand, I did not like the characters, finding the main character especially frustrating. I also found that the story dragged and felt predictable in places, so didn’t excite me enough to stay invested. Overall this wasn’t a bad read, just not fully for me. For those who enjoy modern romcoms, it would still be worth a go, as many fans of this have already given it high praise. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this for this copy in return for an honest review.

[Always Reading Between The Wines · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Project by Annie Lord
⭐️⭐️⭐️ . 5

After realising that, for such amazing women, she and her friend are bouncing from one mediocre man to another, Daisy decides to look into a radical reinvention of dating; starting with Daisy's most recent one night stand and friend, James. She and Maya embark on: The Project.

The book deals with important themes such as feminism; problems of modern dating; vulnerability and discovering yourself. Its definitely aimed more at an audience in their 20s, as Daisy and Maya are, but its still enjoyable for older readers like myself. Daisy is unlikeable at times but this is probably because she possesses qualities we all do such as selfishness and shallow behaviour and these are on display throughout the book. The characters are well written and believable, with qualities you can both recognise in yourself and that make you root for them. A great rom-com with vulnerability  and deep thought on modern concepts.

[Maggan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this. The main character is so relatable, her inner thoughts, her anxieties, her insecurities, and even her judgement. It is really raw and real and it isn't always pretty, but that's what makes it so real. One moment she's all that and the other she's full of self-loathing and misery. It's what makes the book almost painfully relatable. Also, don't expect a reliable narrator, because who actually knows what goes on in other people's head, especially when you're so wrapped up in your own. I think the concept of 'the Project' was great and I enjoyed reading James' journey and his character development. The book reflects on the patriarchy and how society has forced women to change themselves into a version that is acceptable for and wanted by men, but we also see how it affects men (in this case, James). The book is confronting in more ways than one, both on a personal and on a societal level.
All in all a great read!

Thank you Penguin UK export for the ARC!

[Han · Rating 5 out of 5]

Put this on your wish list!

This book is funny, sexy, and incredibly honest about how messy relationships can be in your twenties where a "regrettable one-night stand" can feel like a major crisis in an seemingly hopeless dating scene.The bond between Daisy and Maya is the heart of the book. I loved watching them pour all their energy into "The Project"—attempting to "renovate" their friend James—only to realise they were the ones who needed to grow. It was great to see the main character Daisy, find the courage to stop settling for people who just used her and watching her bring down her walls to find something real rather than "perfect" was truly moving.

Thank you to Netgallery for allowing me a copy before publication.

[Mitsy_Reads · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this fun yet insightful romance. It’s a friends to romance? Enemies to romance? Somewhere in between.

Through Daisy’s POV, the book offers sharp observations on modern dating, societal expectations on both men and women, and how our relationships with our parents can shape our adult lives.

I loved watching both Daisy and James work through their insecurities and learn to communicate better. They are both flawed but lovable characters with a big heart. Daisy’s friendship with Maya is so lovely to read as well. You can’t help but cheer for them.

It might not be the most exciting plot, but light-hearted yet emotional, this is a thoughtful contemporary romance that is delightful and perfect for summer.