Review: On and Off (Memories with The Breakfast Club) by Jenna Kendrick

On
For almost a year, Doc1984 and Wallflower have been battling it out online. There's no subject they can't disagree over, no end to their aggravation with each other.

Off
Mitchell Abend and Jackson Wallach are in perfect sync from the moment they're introduced. Mitchell's never quite gotten over being publicly humiliated by a former lover, but Jackson's quiet strength encourages him to trust once again. Jackson's isolated himself after a devastating accident, but Mitchell makes him want to live again.

On and Off
Wallflower and Doc's online battles take an unexpected turn from adversaries to friends. But when one of them discovers his online friend and offline lover are one and the same, revealing the dual connection may cost him both a friendship and a chance at love.

So…

I’ll start off by saying that for the longest time I wouldn’t read novellas because I didn’t think they could pack a full story in so few words/pages. I admit that was extremely naive and have since found some AMAZING novellas by very talented authors. However, this novella didn’t follow in the same vein. It was rushed, full of insta-love, and weaksauce “angst” to finish it off.

Doc1984 (Jackson) and Wallflower (Mitchell) have been chatting online for about a year. By chatting, I mean disagreeing and debating everything (totally foreplay). On a chance encounter, they meet at a club and hit it off. Neither man knows that they are sitting and dancing with their online crush. Things progress on and offline for these men. Mitchell has trust issues and Jackson has insecurities after an accident.

All fine right? I'm a fan of the meeting-online-and-in-person-but-not-knowing-it trope. I’m also a fan of novellas. What I’m not keen on is skipping the character and/or relationship development due to the length. Prior to the club, Mitchell makes a huge deal about how it isn’t his scene, no hook-ups, etc… Yet, literally minutes after meeting Jackson we get this gem-

“C’mon, sexy. Let’s go dance before I change my mind and lead you to the nearest bathroom stall, instead.”

The rest of the book is consistent with rushing, insta-love, lack of character development, and predictable/OTT angst. I refuse to blame the length for these issues and wish more depth was present. Neat trope and premise, missed the mark in execution.