Way more than just a fluffy romance - the deeper messages regarding mental health and interracial dating were handled well, for the most part. Vanessa and Kahlil definitely had instant chemistry but they each brought a lot of baggage that they had to unpack together. This book wasn't perfect, but I really enjoyed it.

"Getting His Game Back" by Gia de Cadenet follows a high-profile app developer named Vanessa and barber and entrepreneur Khalil as they get together and fall in love. The story deals with important and difficult topics such as racism, misogyny, mental health, and depression.

First of all, I think the highlight of this is how it handles the subject of depression and anxiety. It provided a good depiction of depression and how it affects interpersonal relationships. I also enjoyed some of the side characters and liked that the reader is able to see more of the main characters lives outside of the development of the relationship bubble.

However, I thought that the cover was somewhat misleading. I was expecting a fun sports romance, and the book focused heavily on tough topics. In terms of the plot, it was a bit stop and go, and it tried to deal with so many topics at once that it felt as if it was rushing some scenes. I was not a fan of the dialogue since it seemed too forced and wordy at times as did the text messages.

Nevertheless, I give the book props for the themes it handled.

CW: depression, anxiety, suicidal ideation, self-harm, racism, misogyny, spousal abuse

When I started reading Getting His Game Back I immediately loved this book. I loved it because right off the bat you see the main characters dealing with big life issues that so many people deal with on a daily basis. And while I have never had to deal with depression like Khalil or people being racist towards me like Vanessa, reading this book was a way for me to see how other people live their lives and cope with these issues. So often I feel like I read books, in particular romance novels, with leads that are like me, so reading a book with characters who are different from me was just so refreshing and I'm sure for others they love that they can see themselves portrayed in what they're reading. I also appreciated that Khalil and Vanessa truly supported each other through everything that the other was going through. They never judged the other for their feelings and experiences, they just listened, maybe gave the other their input, but mostly were supportive of one another. And it wasn't just Vanessa and Khalil that were like that, the side characters were also similarly diverse and supportive of their friends. I just really loved reading Getting His Game Back, I could go on forever about how much I loved it and I would love to read more books like this. I 100% am looking forward to reading more books by Gia De Cadenet and truly hope that they are just as good as Getting His Game Back.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
This book is about what a relationship is about. Being there for each other through the bad and good times.
They met in his barber chair. Their love for each other grew slowly but steadily. She was their for him. He was there for her.
It was a sweet happy ever after.

A definite pleasant read.

Interesting book; definitely takes on some hard issues and tries to put it in a romance. Also want to note that this is not a sports romance, even though the cover would hint that it is.

Things I liked:

I loved Vanessa, seeing a BIPOC woman in STEM was awesome; she was so confident.
Khalil has a great profile for a hero - he's educated, cares about the community, is a doting boyfriend.

Things I didn't like:
The mental health aspect of this was really heavy. I've thought a lot about my feelings on how it was handled. On the one hand, it felt real. Almost too real, especially at the end when things for Khalil get really dark. This story shows how recovery isn't linear and how mental illness can effect everyone around the person. Overall it was so heavy and I wish this book had a trigger warning at the beginning.

Vanessa did a lot of emotional labor for Khalil. I love that for her, but I do wish she'd had more of her own character growth. This story seemed to be more about Khalil.

I was lead astray by the cover. I really wanted this to be more of a sports romance.

I loved how the author made this incredibly realistic and had honest discussions on interracial dating. For someone that has never experienced this, I really appreciated having the perspective of both these characters. I think because of some of these topics, the chemistry between the two fell flat at times. Despite the steam, it seemed a little more women's diction to me because of the broad topics. I would recommend this for someone who enjoyed the book Such a Fun Age.

I'm a total synopsis avoider and cover buyer, so I went into Getting His Game Back expecting a sports romance, which is not what this book was but I enjoyed it nonetheless.

CW: depression, sucidial ideation

Getting His Game Back is heavy as it focuses on mental health and interracial dating. I loved Khalil and Vanessa and was rooting for them to get together. I loved that Vanessa was a powerful Black woman in STEM and that she stood up for herself. I also loved how honest she was about her reservations with dating. Vanessa is someone I would love to have in my corner.

Khalil is someone struggling with depression and struggling with letting those around him know. I loved having a man that went to therapy and takes medication. I felt and understood his struggle with telling those around him how he was struggling and feeling.

I struggled with the abrupt changing of POVs at times as well as keeping track of what was going on in each of their busy lives.

This was a beautiful debut novel that I think many need to read.

This is a Romance. I enjoyed the beginning of this book, but after the beginning I found it to be just repetitive. I also found some of the steamy times was placed in weird places and not needed. I understand this book was all about a black women falling from a white man, but I felt this book just was beating over the head with that and not bring anything fun or new to the story. I wanted to cute and fun romance, and this romance was not cute or fun. I would say this was boring and weird. I was kindly provided an e-copy of this book by the publisher (Dell) or author (Gia de Cadenet) via NetGalley, so I can give an honest review about how I feel about this book. I want to send a big Thank you to them for that.

An emotional and sweet love story. I appreciated the vulnerability and tenderness the author explored heavy topics with: depression, suicide, racism, sexism, interracial dating. The love story was very sweet and I felt the chemistry between the main characters. The beginning felt a little slow and repetitive. I enjoyed the side characters as well.

Title: Getting His Game Back
Author: Gia De Cadenet
Genre: Romance
Rating: 4 out of 5


Khalil Sarda went through a rough patch last year, but now he's nearly back to his old self. All he has to do is keep his "stuff" in the past. Real men don't have depression and go to therapy--or, at least they don't admit it. He's ready to focus on his growing chain of barbershops, take care of his beloved Detroit community, and get back to being the ladies' man his family and friends tease him for being. It'll be easy . . . until Vanessa throws him completely off his game.

Vanessa Noble is too busy building a multimillion-dollar tech career as a Black woman before age thirty to be distracted by a relationship. Not to mention, she's been burned before, still dealing with the lingering hurt of a past breakup. Besides, as her friends often remind her, she'll never find a man who checks all the boxes on her famous List. Yet when she desperately needs a shape-up and happens upon one of Khalil's barbershops, the Fade, he makes her reconsider everything. Khalil is charming, intelligent, sexy, and definitely seems like he'd treat a woman right . . . but he's not Black.

Vanessa may be willing to take a chance on Khalil, but a part of him is frustratingly closed off, just out of her reach. Will old patterns emerge to keep them apart? Or have they both finally found a connection worth throwing away the playbook for?

I really enjoyed this read! The portrait of depression is sadly accurate (in my experience), and the author did a good job of drawing the reader into what Khalil was experiencing. I enjoyed his romance with Vanessa and how unsure they both were when they met and realized their attraction. The cover makes this look like it’s a romcom, but this story has depth.

Gia De Cadenet is from Florida but lives in France. Getting His Game Back is her newest novel.

(Galley courtesy of Random House/Ballantine in exchange for an honest review.)

This book was so good!! I fell in love with Vanessa and Khalil’s characters instantly. I love that it tackled real problems and didn’t just focus on the romance aspect of it. Fluff is fun, of course, but reading a black woman’s perspective on interracial dating was very education and informative. I simply loved it all, from beginning to end. Definitely can’t wait to read more of Gia de Cadenet’s work in the future!

This enjoyable romance thoughtfully explores serious issues, while still remaining a steamy romance with two charismatic leads.

Khalil, a white French-American meets Black app developer Vanessa when she comes into his barbershop needing a shape-up. The two hit it off and start spending extra time together when Vanessa is hired to help him with an app for his businesses. While romantic and steamy (except for the "babygirl" nonsense...that used as a term of endearment just seems needlessly infantilizing to me, especially for a character as strong as Vanessa), their romance is underscored by some strong real-life issues that enhance the overall story: Khalil battles depression and Vanessa has been burned by interracial relationships in the past when her white boyfriends have claimed to be "woke" but still ended up committing micro-aggressions against her.

Both Vanessa and Khalil work together to address these issues, with Khalil's depression getting the most narrative time. I thought the issue of his mental health was handled well and didn't deter from the main romance at all. Actually, it made Vanessa and Khalil's connection stronger since she was able to truly connect with him and help him through a bad time.

A great debut and an extra-special addition to the romance genre!

All in all, this story gives the romance genre a nice,

There were so many things about this book that I absolutely loved! Black main character! Dual POV! Amazing!

So we have Khalil who is the owner of the Fade, a barbershop. And we have Vanessa who owns her company that manages designing websites and apps.

So one day, when Vanessa goes into his shop to get a lineup. Khalil was the one who offered to give her, her line. And from then on they have started talking, and even started a project together (designing the Fade website).

The romance is *chefs kiss* amazing! Everything I look for in a book. It explored interracial dating and it went into depth about each parties backgrounds, and their experiences with interracial dating.

I loved Vanessa character so much! She’s a woman in STEM, intelligent, powerful, and confident. Reading about Vanessa inspires me to join the Tech Industry despite the odds against me being Black, a woman, and being queer.

The author went into depth about the experiences Vanessa went through in her line of work. With her being a Black woman in a mostly dominated Male field. And the author went into depth about Khalil. With him being white and growing up in a not-so-white area.

There was just one thing I disliked. Maxine and Arletta were very invasive and had no regard for Vanessa’s privacy. Sure, the majority of the book they’re just teasing. But in some parts it just became unbearable for me to read and I had to take a break from the book.

The writing was perfect! Easily understandable and easy to get into. I rate this book 5 out of 5 stars!

The book was a little heavier than I expected but still good with diverse characters and a realistic portrayal of depression and mental health issues. There’s steam and chemistry between the main characters. It was a good story that was very well written and I look forward to reading more from the author in the future.

If this wasn't the sweetest, most vulnerable love story!

Khalil and his best friend Darius own a trendy barbershop in a Detroit neighborhood and have opened a few more shops. They are very successful and good at what they do. Khalil is French and Algerian but presents white so even though he is a huge part of his neighborhood he had to find his place.

When gorgeous Vanessa Noble, a very famous Black woman with a multimillion-dollar tech career walks into his shop to get her hair done. She isn't too sure about having a white boy do her hair but, after a long discussion about stereotypes she just had with her female colleagues, she tries to have an open mind. Turns out he's not the horrible white dude that she gave an example of and if that is a constant occurrence of their behavior burn it all to the ground- wtf yuck and wtf. Like I knew they were skeeze but c'mon.

Khalil can not keep his cool around her, he is so smitten. He asks her the "App Goddess" to help build out an app for their business so that he can see more of her and to keep his business growing. The close proximity definitely helped their relationship grow and I just loved the way he treated her and his communication and care for her. Though there was something holding him back. He wasn't necessarily taking care of himself in a way. He was letting something that was not quite diagnosed go untreated and ugh 3rd act sucker punched me. We all need someone in our corner willing to sit with us and not let go and keep holding out their hand (as SJM says).

❤ We all have our own things that we keep to ourselves that we don't feel comfortable sharing or feel like we should be stronger than. Mental health issues are real, they can be managed but they don't go away and don't have a miracle cure. If you need someone to chat with about anything when you are having a good day or a bad day, I am always around.

✨PSA the "cartoon" covers which is just another form of art are not fluff pieces they are real life romance books with real people who struggle. So there are issues in them. This one has talk of race and mental health. Don't think you are opening a sweet closed door book. I have been seeing a lot of reviews and comments that these covers are deceiving. I can't for the life of me see why, cause there's no cleavage and bare chest? Clothed people need love too!

Thank you penguin and netgalley for the e-ARC for my honest and voluntary review.

Unfortunately, I just couldn't get into this one. I was excited by the prospect of the inclusion of some heavier, and very important, mental health and diversity issues, which is why I chose to try this novel but the start was too slow for me and the writing seemed quite choppy from the very beginning. I stopped after the first 50 pages, but may choose to revisit at another time.

A year after acquiring the skills to manage his depression, Khalil is GETTING HIS GAME BACK. His business is thriving and he's debating getting back in the dating field. One fateful day, Vanessa steps into his barbershop in need of an emergency cut. Instantly you can CUT the chemistry!!!

This slow-burn romance is endearing especially Khalil's thoughtfulness with Vanessa's needs. This couple is truly swoon worthy. Aside from the romance, this novel also tackles to major subjects in the storyline - mental health and interracial relationships. Their romance is an honest reflection of the emotions associated with each.

Gia de Cadenet's debut novel is full of heart, and I can't wait for future works under her pen. Thank you Random House Publishing Group / Ballantine for the complimentary copy.

Thanks to NetGalley for providing me an eARC of this book in return for a fair and honest review.

True rating: 3.5/5

Getting His Game Back is a romance between the barber recovering from a rough patch of his life Khalil Sarda and the app-goddess tech genius Vanessa Noble. This book was enjoyable and a quick read. Unlike most romances where the woman is the main character and the man is the love interest, I think Khalil is the main character of this story because he has the most dynamic character arc. I think this book did a great job at showing how good communication should work in relationships and the 3rd act conflict was not just due to poor communication skills. While I did enjoy this romance, it was a little more serious and less of a bright rom-com like the cover implies so that is something to be aware of when picking it up. Overall though it was an enjoyable experience to read.

Getting His Game Back is set to publish 25 January 2022.

CW: suicide (attempted, off-screen/in the past), depression

wanted to like this book a lot more than I did. The depression representation was so very important, but it wasn't quite enough to redeem some of the things that put me off.

Spoiler
Unfortunately this book lost me with some of the race conversations where Vanessa would treat Khalil the exact way she didn't like to be treated. It was very insensitive if her and she did it so many times.

I did like the chemistry between Vanessa and Khalil but in the end I only finished the book to see how his depression would be handled.

I received an advanced copy of this book through NetGalley. This is my honest review.

At first when I had received this ARC, there was a lot that I was excited about: a strong, hardworking, Black MC and a mixed love interest who shares his experience going to therapy for his depression. But as I read on, there were things that I wished were done differently, because how the way this book was written, ultimately I really had just left it not wanting more.
First of all, the chemistry leading up to the moment they get together is kind of lackluster. Sure, it seems like it's an insta-love story where Vanessa helps Khalil build his app and they kind of fall in love the more time they spend together, but I thought it was just kind of flat. I wish more feelings were spilled out on the page, something happened sooner than the 50% mark.
What I think left the worst taste in my mouth though was Vanessa dismissing Khalil because he was mixed-race. Because she didn't think he was going to give her what she wanted because he was a half Black person. And she kept like asking him why he decided to go to an HBCU given who he was, all this stuff about him getting in touch with his culture? I don't know how the author wanted to write Vanessa's journey with trust, but I didn't love that she had written Khalil's race in more of a negative light than a positive. It made me, a fellow mixed-race POC, feel what I felt growing up, like I never truly belonged in one place or the other.
So in all, I did like that this book handled dealing with depression well, but once I got through the flaws in the beginning it was hard to continue on. It was just a fine book for me.