Reviewed by Valerie

TITLE:  Let’s Connect

AUTHOR:  Kelly Jensen

PUBLISHER:  Self-published

LENGTH:  110 pages

RELEASE DATE:  August 31, 2020

BLURB:

A year after his divorce, Daniel Stroman has decided that he’s too young to die—or fuse permanently with his couch. But when he downloads the dating app “Let’s Connect” and starts dating, his success/fail ratio isn’t encouraging until he gets a connection request from Robin.

Everything about Robin’s profile is different, from the bright little bird he’s using as an avatar to the long and thoughtful answers he’s written for the standard questions. He’s witty, funny, and easy to talk to. Robin could be his perfect match. But Robin is holding something back.

Then again, so is Dan—beginning with the seven-year crush he’s carried for his best friend, Trevor. Sadly, except for one brief moment, they’ve never been single at the same time.

Or have they?

REVIEW:

Let’s Connect is a cute book with so much depth packed into its 110 pages. It’s raw and real, humorous and bittersweet. It’s a tragic (in love) series of missteps. Dan has been pining for his best friend Trevor even during his own marriage and divorce. But Trevor’s not available so Dan resorts to the online dating app, Let’s Connect. The result is comedy gold when Dan has one hilarious dating disaster after another. I was already laughing out loud on page four. I won’t spoil it, but it could truly be classified as the worst date ever. Then Dan meets “Robin” online and they begin a text only relationship, and twists and turns and revelations ensue. All of the characters have faults; no one here is perfect, or even close to perfect. The two main characters are in their fifties, each with their unique foibles. 

One of my favorite features of the book is the cute and quirky prose: “…a suspiciously limp and lumpy granola bar – the almond butter had likely melted into a clump at the bottom, leaving the nuts to fend for themselves.” 

The novella is the ideal length; I didn’t feel like anything was left unsaid of edited out, and I wasn’t left feeling like it would be better as a full-length novel. It’s told from Dan’s third person perspective, except for the epilogue in Trevor’s POV. The epilogue, set six or so months in the future, provides perfect closure for the relationship and is in keeping with the whimsical tone of the book. 

This is my first book by Kelly Jensen. I love her writing style so I’m off to peruse her back list for more contemporary romances. As a bonus, Ms. Jensen promises a follow-up novella, which I can’t wait for, featuring the primary side character. In the meantime, I recommend Let’s Connect as a quick and charming read. 

RATING: 

BUY LINKS: 

Amazon