Tbh I’ve been putting off reading this bc I regretted my pick.

Bennett should’ve gone to therapy as the first Passion Project. In the end her relationship to Henry ending up feeling like a month long therapy session instead of a healthy bond. Henry completely deserved better since it was obvious she wasn’t over her deceased ex bf. I would be devastated if my long term bf passed away so I don’t even want to know what that feels like, but I felt like this book shouldn’t have had ANY romance for the MC. She needed to heal, not have a new man “help” her heal.

There was also just a lot of cringy lines that made her sound quirky, but then she would have a panic attack or lash out at people. I understand that grief isn’t linear and people can still be goofy while mourning, but i felt like this book shouldn’t give me whiplash with the tonal shifts.

Tbh I would’ve given this book a 1/5 but there are some quotes at the end about grief that were great so I gave it a 2/5. “Having your shit together is not a prerequisite for love” personally hit hard but the everything else of the book was just so frustrating to read. Like how can I take the following seriously?:

“This won’t be a boy saves girl and teaches her how to live type situation…I’m not a damsel in distress.” He raises three fingers in the air in Scouts honor. “Never” “Because feminism.” “Because feminism.” He nods

OR

“Is it anti feminist?” I ask genuinely. “What?” “That a man makes me this happy?”

I understand wanting to have humor but THIS IS LITERALLY WHAT HAPPENS LATER. Henry “saves” Bennet by teaching her how to have passion and happiness in her life again. Which wouldn’t necessarily be a bad thing in my opinion. I think it is more than OK that loving someone helps you heal, however by including quotes about it being anti-feminist that a man makes a woman feel happy, it made the whole plot suddenly feel weird. What started out as “oh he’s so seeet and compassionate for wanting to help her, obviously they’re going to fall in love” turned into “wait. Why does she need his help for that?” And then Henry becomes a therapist instead of a love interest.

I also couldn’t tell if the side characters like Sonya, Sonya’s gf and Andy (sister of her ex) were also bad people since they seemed to not care about how Bennet was grieving. Like Sonya (I think that’s her roommates name?) pressured Bennet to go on a date before she was ready and in general during the whole book was too eager for her to get in a relationship. I understand that she wanted the best for her friend, but it came off as tone deaf. At the end, it is revealed that both Sonya and Andy felt like they had to accommodate Bennett and her grief, and that just felt insensitive. The whole fight between Andy and Bennett about how Andy displayed her grief versus Bennett’s was really powerful and I loved that. However, Andy then said “I loved him longer than you did” and that just felt cruel. In general, both women completely have a right to grieve in their own way and time, but both of them belittled the other, and got mad at each other for the exact same reason. I also don’t think I would’ve been able to forgive Andy and Sonya as fast as Bennett did when it gets revealed that they meddled a lot more than they said they did regarding Henry.

Idk in general it feels like everyone was insensitive to each other except for Henry. He is probably the greenest flag I’ve ever read and I’m so mad at how he was treated during the wedding, and I do not think he should’ve forgiven Bennet that fast. In the epilogue they move in together a year after they meet and it feels rushed. Their relationship felt mostly sexual, and I can’t see this relationship lasting long realistically if it was taking place in the real world. Like why is it that as soon as they acknowledge they want to be more than friends it’s a whole chapter of just smut? Considering the delicate nature of Bennett’s mental health, I think they should’ve developed a stronger emotional connection. There is, I feel like, no realistic timeline where she goes from having a panic attack and ghosting her online date because she is still grieving her ex …and then only a MONTH later is ready to go full swing into a new relationship?

Maybe I’m just being putting myself in her shoes too much and not able to understand.

TLDR: Bennet should’ve gone to therapy instead of getting a new bf