A real sharp cut.

Vanessa meets Khalil when her regular hairdresser has a fire and she needs an urgent haircut for an important business event. Luckily Khalil's shop has an open chair, and it just so happens to be his. Khalil and his business partner need an app to take their business to the next level. Luckily Vanessa is the app goddess. Both don't want to mix business with flirtation so there is long slow build to relationship, but eventually the sparks fly.

Vanessa and Khalil's story is one that will resonant with a lot of people. It is romance, but everything is not perfection. Vanessa has been stung before by men especially white men who treat her like less of person. Khalil is struggling with the some heavy things but is all brightness on the outside so not even his twin or closest friends know. Both are successful people who are growing their businesses. They gel together, but this book shows that relationships are work not just rainbows and sunshine.

Warning: if you are prone to depression, this book may be triggering as there are suicidal ideations discussed.

I am really looking forward to book 2 in this series. It would be nice to see Vanessa get some additional business success since that kind of flatlines in this book.

Please note I received a review copy from Netgalley.

DNF 30%

Thank you netgalley for the advance copy.

I love a slow burn romance, and this is definitely one, but honestly I’m having trouble finding the spark at this point in the story. Not to mention, the blurb really doesn’t match the story thus far. It’s sold as a man coming back from a lull and so far he’s not giving us anything to show his struggle with it. It’s really about Vanessa so far and her career and struggles.

I feel like a lot of people would really enjoy this story, and while I don’t dislike it, I’m not being drawn to it either. I think it’s the lack of push and pull on the romance side.

Well, it was a much richer story than I anticipated when I requested it from NetGalley. There were some layers to both the characters and the plot that kept me interested and reading later than I would have expected. It was fun and flirty and also filled with some good messages. 💜📚

A very fantastic read be Gia de Cadenet! I fell in love with Vanessa (Ness) and Khalil, but more importantly, I loved the discussion of mental health, socio and racial stereotypes, and overall social issues. This was refreshing in a book, and I read it entirely in one and a half sittings! Definitely will recommend!

A romance with an excellent happily-ever-after about two individuals attempting to navigate their attraction, inter-racial relationships, and mental health all made for an excellent debut by De Cadenet. A story can easily be weighed down by even just one of these heavy topics, and can quickly become didactic and just, well, too much. Instead, the reader is treated to a delightful contemporary romance that slow-burns to full on steamy as Vanessa navigates her profession in the world of apps and technology, facing racial barriers all along the way, and Khalil, who is trying to grow his own business while trying to navigate his mental health amidst cultural stigmas.

Desperate for a haircut before a business trip, Vanessa ends up in Khalil’s local barbershop, only hoping for a decent fade before she has to present at a conference. Instead, she meets a handsome (white) man running a barbershop in a Black part of Detroit who seems just as interested in her as she is him. They meet a few more times, dancing around the possibility of attraction, even as their friends all insist there most certainly is heat. Vanessa has had inter-racial relationships end badly and Khalil isn’t managing his depression well. In the midst of their mutual attraction, they begin to navigate the very real-world problems of mental health and well-being, racial politics, small business ownership, and meeting the families.

It is a debut; there were a couple of clunky pieces about the story that didn’t quite fit or weren’t fully answered. There was a secondary storyline that isn’t fully resolved, but it made me think that was intentional, where De Cadenet wanted to save that resolution for a second story to follow. The title also made me think this story was about a basketball player; that is a minor character attribute of Khalil, at best.

That said, it is an excellent story that I devoured in a day or two. I loved how the two characters interacted with their families and themselves as a couple, and the way they encouraged each other professionally and emotionally. I would highly recommend it!

✦ ✦ ✧ ✧ ✧
2/5 stars

I could not finish this book. It was super slow and boring in my opinion. It went from scene to scene without any transitions whatsoever. There wasn’t even an space between scenes. It left me so confused as to what was happening. I was about 20% done with this book when I decided to stop reading, it took a long time to even read that much. I could not see where this was going to go and had no real plot so far.

I'm a sucker for a good romance lately, and even though I've been firmly embedded in Spooky Season, I was in the mood for a light-hearted adventure and was thrilled to receive an ARC for Getting His Game Back. That cover is adorable and endearing, and I couldn't wait to dive in.

Vanessa is the App Goddess, a hard-working, determined business woman with zero tolerance for bullshit (I relate, TBH). When she meets Khalil, a charismatic, sweet entrepreneur with a conflicted past, all bets are off. As the two grow closer, they explore their feelings and reservations within larger-context issues and a healthy dose of adorable.

I really enjoyed this book.

For a romance to be successful, both tension and character development need to be on point, and De Cadenet did a wonderful job with both. Ness and Khalil's interactions were my favorite part of the book. Between the flirting and the unrequited to the next steps, I was invested. I wanted them to get together. But this was more than two objectively attractive characters getting it on (although those moments were also cute). De Cadenet's characters explore relevant social issues, picking apart racial tension, stereotypes, othering, gender discrimination, and mental health. I loved the way these issues were addressed, highlighting the arcs and the real-life obstacles I think many readers will relate to.

Sweet, fluffy, and fundamentally rich, Getting His Game Back is a winner. Add this to your TBR and thank me later.

Thank you to Ballantine and NetGalley for providing an eARC in exchange for honest review consideration.

Getting His Game Back was a lovely surprise for me. I am an anxious reader - when I don’t feel “right,” I read anything I can get my hands on with a voracious appetite. Which means I’ve read a lot of disappointing romance lately as they are abundant on Kindle Unlimited. This book was a wonderful breath of fresh air. The main couple are realistic, with problems and insecurities I could relate to. The pacing was great and I finished it very quickly. I really enjoyed the story and would read it again.

Thank you Netgalley and publishers for a free ARC of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

It's not that I didn't love this book, ironically I felt it needed to be longer. In categorizing this as a romance, I don't feel the ending brought this full circle as a romance. There was the extensive side plot based on the love interest's mental health. While that was thorough and you can obviously tell the author did her research on improving one's mental health, I was waiting for the moment that the romance was brought back front and center. It was never brought back front and center, at least not in the way I hoped. I'm all for mental health representation and I loved how the love for one another was demonstrated in this novel. It was just missing a little more romance.

Honestly, I think if we shifted the timeline where the mental health subplot was portrayed a little earlier, it might have left room for us to see the lovely duo after that. For instance, the final chapter was adorable but if we actually got to see the proposal happen or seen maybe another fun moment between the two. The first half of the book was so fun to read but then it took a dark turn. After those heavy moments, I was expecting at least a couple of more light-hearted romantic scenes before the epilogue (Ch.31)

Content Warnings: tertiary character with Alzheimer's Disease and elopement issues, main character with seasonal affected disorder, depression, disordered eating, depressive episodes/behaviors, suicidal ideation, discussion of possible self-harm, troublesome workplace environment, and there may be a few things I overlooked while reading this ARC but PLEASE don't be fooled by the cover. It does cover (quite extensively) a lot of topics that may be triggering to some readers.

Getting HIs Game Back is Gia De Cadenet's debut novel, and one of the best books I've read this year. It's been a few months since I don't give five stars to a book, but I knew this one deserved them the day I started reading it.

To begin with the review, I have to say that, as a romance, the book has everything I love in the genre: a beautiful connection between two amazingly written characters, the strangers to lovers trope I adore so much, an exquisite slowburn that gave me enough romantic material not to feel bored but always got me begging them to kiss, great steamy scenes and real feelings. Seriously, there was not a thing I didn't like. Both Khalil and Vanessa had strong, powerful personalities that made me fell in love with them very easily, and together they were the perfect mix.

This book also taught me a lot of things about interracial relationships. I never thought I needed to be educated on this because dating someone from a different race feels natural to me, but Vanessa's experiences dating white men were awful to read, and sadly, those situations happen in real life. I totally understood why she wasn't up for it again. Khalil wasn't white, being half algerian, but I completely understood her point of view. Also, please, big reminder that reverse racism does not exist! I already know I am going to be recommending this book for a loooong time.

But it doesn't stop there. What else can you find in this book? Amazing. Mental. Health. Representation. Khalil suffers from depression, and at some point, it gets a bit hard to read, but only because of how real it feels. So please, read this book when you're in a good mental space for it. It gets real and raw, but it's necessary to read about it, to learn and to erase the stigma. I loved how Vanessa dealt with the situation and even though it was hard to her, she never forgot that it was harder for Khalil, so she stuck with him. This was probably the best book I've read so far that deals with mental illness in such a great way.

Also, um, do men like Khalil exist? Because I want one. He's so swoony and perfect. Once again, my expectations went through the roof. Reading romance is both the best and worst thing ever! And I just know it's going to happen again with Karim's book.

Rating: 5 stars.
Steam: 2.5/5.

Oh Khalil...you sweet, sweet guy. What a serious heartbreaker. Although I am truly not sure guys like Khalil really exist - I sure hope they do - and if they do, I hope they get the love and support they need from people like Vanessa.

Khalil is a small business owner and entrepreneur. You can see that he has a ton of charisma and skills - he also has crippling depression, that he hasn't shared with anyone in his life. When Vanessa walks in to his shop as a walk-in he is just starting to recover from a bad period in his life - marked by severe depression. Depression he hasn't told anyone in his close-knit family or group of friends about. Vanessa is a serious force of nature. She is confident, determined, and doesn't settle for less than she deserves. I basically want to be Vanessa when I grow up.

This book tackles a lot of thorny issues - interracial dating, the challenges of being a woman in business, the challenges of being a black woman in business, depression, toxic masculinity, suicide, and suicidal ideation. But even with that heavy load - the book doesn't feel weighted down - it felt uplifting and filled with hope.

I adored Khalil - I would be shocked to find someone who wouldn't - but Vanessa really is the start of this book. She is just so strong and really shows her depth of feelings for Khalil even after he is at his lowest point. We don't just hear her say it - she really really shows it. And I think that is what makes some books shine way above others - when we can see the characters putting in the work and digging in to support each other in good times and bad.

Overall - I highly recommend - but definitely be aware of the topics that this book tackles going in.

I received this as an ARC from NetGalley, but these opinions are all my own.

3.75 stars. Great Debut Novel that is a pretty light and funny read. This book has two great main characters Vanessa and Khalil who have amazing chemistry. Like could Kahlil be any more perfect? (this is a rhetorical question because no, he could not be any more perfect.

I really like that the author dove into issues surrounding mental health and race. These topics weren't just put into the book randomly, they were actually explored.

My one complaint would be that it was almost too much slow-burn! I spent so much time wishing the main characters would get together. It was not quite a 4 star read for me but I would definitely read another book by this author and I hope to see more of her writing in the future!


Thank you to the publisher, Netgalley, and the author for the ebook to review*

While I enjoyed the character diversity, it quickly became repetitive. There are only so many times someone can be hot or gorgeous, and if I can't connect to the character, my attention wanes rapidly. I slogged through it, and while the second half was better, I'm not sure it was worth the mire.

I received a copy of this book via NetGalley and I’m reviewing it voluntarily.

I enjoyed the diversity of characters in this book, and I think it makes it set apart from other romantic YA books in the same genre. I love the high school-esque he said/she said vibes of the plot, and I think this would make a good movie. Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine for a copy of this book for an honest review.

the first half was the same thing
see cute guy/girl. go back to your people and say you like them, but not tell guy/girl. it got repetitive and boring. I didn't care, to finish, but kept going.

And then second half was so good. it handled mental health and relationships so well. It elevated the chemistry and relationship, but this still wasn't the standout I wanted to be.

I am only but one opinion, so I do think this is worth a chance to see if it's for you!

I really enjoyed this book! I loved how the character’s personalities made them feel like fully formed individuals. I loved how they grew to love and understand each other. I also appreciated the amount of representation the book had whether it be related to race or mental health. I really don’t have anything negative to say about it! I would love if maybe Darius got a story or maybe one of Vanessa’s friends?

I ADORED this romance! What a great read that was cute and culturally relevant! I really enjoyed the plot and it handled anxiety and mental health in a really great way! Both of our main characters were fabulous and complex and I will be reading this book again whenever I want a comforting and beautiful romance! I loved it and I cannot wait to read this author's next book!

Getting His Game Back is Gia de Cadenet's debut & if her books to come are anything like this, she has a new fan in me!

Khalil is trying to get back to feeling like his old self and get back in the dating field while balancing his friendships, his chain of barbershops and appointments with his therapist. As a Black woman working in the tech field, Vanessa has dedicated her life to her career and if she's going to find a man, he has to check off all the boxes on her list of requirements. When she strolls into Khalil's barbershop one day, she discovers that he's nearly her perfect man.. except for the fact that Khalil is white. Could a relationship work between them despite this difference and despite Khalil's 'secret' life?

Something featured here, which I haven't seen in many romance novels that I've personally read, that I thought was handled well was our male main character's journey with his mental health struggles. Rarely do we see the men in romance novels being super emotionally vulnerable and/or working through their 'stuff'. When we see things start to fall apart for Khalil, my heart hurt - but later on when the others realize he is at rock bottom and help draw him back up, oh man the tears! Grab some tissues because this one gets emotional.

Vanessa and her girl friends quite aptly nickname Khalil 'spicy white' and let me tell you, with the cover on this book I was not expecting the heat that we get inside! No fade to black here (whew) - the build up that these two have in person, over text and over the phone just really lets them hit the ground running once they're finally alone. I was very pleasantly surprised & so enjoyed it!

Overall this was a really good read - it's funny, it's got steam & spice and it tackles some serious issues in a very well written manner. It drops on January 25, 2022 so go get your copy then!

*I received an early digital copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*

What I appreciated about this book was the strand of race, love, and our common humanity beautifully woven in to the main narrative. Characters in the story have been on both sides of the fence; they have been called racist, are racist, and have been judged because of their race. This admission of human fragility, I appreciated.

Unfortunately, the other traditional story elements were lacking. I didn't feel emotionally connected to the characters and had a hard time seeing the girl as anything beyond "gorgeous" and the man as anything but "hot". Ironically, where the book was trying to be nuanced, it failed because of its superficial descriptions of other elements of human experience. I love the premise of this story, and I do hope that one day, there will be a story that can give it the emotional and psychological depth that such a topic deserves.

After the first two chapters, I wanted to give up on this story. But I decided to push ahead and the story slowly started to come together. The story went from Vanessa to Khalil to Vanessa and Khalil. As I read each chapter, I enjoyed reading more about Khalil's battle with mental illness and Vanessa's problems with dealing with the fallout from disastrous interracial relationships. The problem was that once the issue of Khalil's mental issues was explained, it became the total focus of the story. By chapter 28, I just wanted it to end. Not a bad read but the author seemed not to know when or how to end what could have been a very good read.