Head’s up: I received a free advanced reader copy of this book. Many thanks to Penguin Books.‍

Rating: 🤩

Holy fuck this book wrecked me.

I cried more while reading London Sperry’s Passion Project than I have any other book in a hot minute. But it was a healing cry? It was an “I feel seen” cry? Because damn if this book doesn’t have one of the most relatable representations of depression and grief I’ve ever read in contemporary romance.

Quick synopsis

Bennet (please excuse her name; her mom was a big Jane Austen fan) is drowning in grief and depression a few years after the death of her boyfriend. So when her roommate convinces her to go on a date with a guy she matched with in an app, she stands him up and gets drunk on wine she can’t afford at the Italian restaurant across the street. Which is… fine? She’s in New York. She’ll probably never see this guy in real life ever, right? Except she does: later that night, and again the next day. So she tells him why: She’s not over her dead ex-boyfriend, and she’s barely getting by in life. Henry (that’s his name), though, doesn’t just let her go on her (un)merry way. Instead, he takes it upon himself to help her find her joie de vivre and help her find her passion. And thus kicks off what ends up being a very heartfelt and lovely strangers-to-friends-to-lovers romance.

Ok, back to the review

Can I just say how absolutely refreshing it was to read—in a cishet romance, that is—about a woman being a goddamned mess while the man had his life together? Like I’m sure that’s not rare, but for whatever reason most of the contemporary romances I’ve read where one of the two is a mess it’s either the man hitting rock bottom or the woman is a mess, but not really that big of a mess.

Bennet, though, is a MESS. And it felt so relatable, especially since there are times when my depression (combined with chronic illness) doesn’t let me get out of bed, shower, eat, maintain relationships, or really take care of myself. While I think some readers may be turned off by Bennet at times and maybe read her as self-centered when she can’t remember key details about her friends’ lives, as someone who has also spent plenty of time simply trying to survive, it was so real and I loved this book for it.

It also made the payoff of her figuring out what her passion was (won’t spoil it) feel that much bigger. Because it felt seriously hard-won. And while I did love Henry (sweet, compassionate Henry), this book was definitely more Bennet’s story. (Like literally, because it’s in just her POV.)

All that said, I also think some readers will really struggle with Bennet’s behavior in the third-act conflict. My experience: I read the first 80% of this book in one sitting and had to work up the nerve over the next couple of days to make it through the next few chapters because I knew it was going to be rough. But without spoiling anything, I’ll just say that, for me, it did not feel contrived, and while frustrating as hell, Bennet’s behavior was realistic, and it felt necessary for her to move forward and grow.

So yeah, I loved this. Overall, I think if you liked the vibe of Emily Henry’s Happy Place, then you’ll probably like this one too. This gave “life can get better” hopeful sorts of vibes, but it took a lot of tears to get there. I would definitely recommend and read again. And also I cannot believe this is a debut?!! I very much look forward to future books by London Sperry.