This book surprised me. I appreciated the way the author handled mental illness and relationships in a realistic way. Getting His Game Back is a very character driven story involving Khalil and Vanessa. Khalil is a local business owner of several barber shops and Vanessa is an “App Goddess” successfully working in the tech industry. They meet when Vanessa walks into Khalil’s shop needing an haircut and they just clicked despite their nervousness. Their relationship gradually developed into something deep and meaningful with Khalil opening up to Vanessa, something he’s never done before. They definitely had their bumps in the road but the support they showed each other made it all worthwhile. Some parts of the book felt very repetitive and drugged out but overall it was an easy read.

Rating 3.5 stars


Thank you @netgalley for this eARC in exchange for my honest feedback.

Really liked the comradery the main characters shared. They had life and depth, no flat characters. Fairly accurate portrayal of dealing with mental health as well.

Tried to read the book twice but just couldn't connect with it. Felt very slow and a bit haphazard. I'm glad others enjoyed it, especially with the important issues it addressed, but it didn't draw me in like I had hoped it would.

I made it to about 30% and didn’t continue on. While it was refreshing to read about a male lead with mental health issues and and a mixed race relationship, the story was slow and didn’t keep me interested.

Content/TW: race, therapy, mental health, depression, mention of self harm

I had high hopes for this novel, and let me tell you…I was not disappointed at all! Thank you to Random House Publishing Group, the author, & NetGalley for allowing me to read and share my review. Like many other books, the male love interest Khalil, has set the bar high. Let’s get into the story a little bit. A slow burner with nice representation.

Khalil is an Algerian & French man who we see from the start has struggled with his mental health and has reservations about getting back into the dating scene; understandable. Vanessa is a Black woman who has reservations of her own: dating anyone who isn’t Black because of some negative experiences she talks about in the past; also understandable. I’m glad both characters were able to overcome these fears though. Overall I liked the pacing of the novel. Felt the first half was a little slower and then the second half a tad bit faster BUT, I was still able to continue and it didn’t impact my decision to continue reading. To be honest, I think I can say I liked most, if not all of the characters introduced in the book. I loved the inclusion of their friends and family into their storyline as well it really shaped their love story. The ending was *chefs kiss* even though I wish we could’ve gotten a look into Khalil following through with his plans at the end. Ultimately, I loved how the author introduced characters and relationships that were super realistic.

What a beautiful debut novel! I think Gia De Cadenet did a wonderful job presenting the topics of the book in a realistic and genuine way, and I look forward to more writings.

P.S. I think I used the word “realistic” in this review and while reading a good amount of times and honestly yeah it sums the novel up well.

I liked it!

When I first began reading the book, I was not a big fan. But, the more I started to progress, the more I enjoyed it. One thing I can say is I am glad they discussed the topics they did in this book. A lot of books brush over racial issues and more, but this book did not! I liked the writing and the diversity. To anyone interested in this book, I would say it is worth a read.

Thank you to Dell and NetGalley for the eARC to read and review!

My heart is so full of love for this story! Gia de Cadenet does a magnificent job weaving together the experiences of interracial relationships, men’s mental health, and women in STEM careers into a gripping, heartwarming story. "Getting His Game Back" is a must-read!

It took a while for me to get into the story. Lots of short scenes with huge time skips. I wasn’t sure if this story would be for me. But once things settled, I enjoyed every single page oh my goodness! A lot of that had to do with Khalil and Vanessa’s incredibly satisfying, slow burn romance.

Vanessa and Khalil are instantly drawn to each other when they first meet in Kahlil’s barber shop. They have such great chemistry and feel more at peace within each other’s company than in past relationships they’ve had. The past is an unshakable barrier that keeps them from taking chances on something that feels so right.

As a black woman in STEM, Vanessa faces adversity in her personal and professional life despite her many successes and equal capabilities (i.e., is CEO of her own business and known as the “App Goddess”). She’s reluctant to date white men because she and her grandma (adorable nicknamed Ma-Max, short for Maxine) have had bad experiences with interracial dating. Vanessa felt she’d been treated like an object, something to “try out” than as a real person because she was black. Dealing with the sting of backhanded, polite racism and sexism from colleagues and others who don’t take her seriously. Enter good-natured, big-hearted Khalil who she struggles to separate from those who’ve spurned her.

Khalil, who is half Algerian, has previously faced similar objectification but in a different way. Most notably during his college years. He attended an HBCU school (if I'm remembering correctly) where he was sometimes an outcast or other to experiment with because he was white. It took him a while to realize that and his mental health seeming to decline compounded those feelings of being less than a person and a man.

I appreciate the mental health rep in this book and how it deep dives into the stigma surrounding men’s mental health. The signs and symptoms of depression are depicted within raw, heartbreaking scenes where you can feel alongside Khalil his harsh self-loathing about not being good enough, not man enough. There’s no sugar-coating what Khalil is experiencing. And while some of these scenes may be to read (see content warning), it shines a bright light on the fact that mental health is nothing to be ashamed of and the importance of asking for help and having a support system.

There’s so much to love about Vanessa and Khalil as individuals and together. They are down-to-earth, hard-working, good people. Vanessa helps out with small businesses. Khalil’s barber shops operate in black communities. They support each other’s career and life goals in encouraging ways. They click in a way that’s so beautiful and inspiring, seeing each other for who they truly are as a person.

"Getting Back In the Game" was evocative, sweet, well-written, and relatable. I highly recommend adding this book to the top of your tbr list!

CW: depression, thoughts of suicide

What a fantastic debut! I really enjoyed Getting His Game Back. It was such a sweet and important story. I honestly couldn’t get enough of it. I’m looking forward to more from this author in the future!

I absolutely loved the main characters! Vanessa is a badass business woman. She works in tech developing apps and she’s great at her job. She is smart, hardworking and so determined. The other main character Khalil, he was a total gem! He’s so kind and supportive. He literally has a heart of gold. I loved how much he cared for his family, friends and community!

The slow burn romance was perfect! The chemistry between Vanessa and Khalil was there from the very beginning. They were so cute together! The way they treated and cared for one another was 10/10 precious. We got to see all the ups and downs that comes with navigating a new relationship which I really appreciated.

This book had wonderful mental health representation! Khalil deals with depression and his story felt very realistic. It definitely gets heavy at times so please be aware of that! I loved that
Vanessa was right by Khalil’s side through it all. When he was at his lowest, she made it known that he had someone in his corner. Vanessa took the time to understand and do research on how to help Khalil. It made my heart happy!

I cannot wait for this book to be out in the world and for everyone to fall in love with it as much as I did!

📖Summary: Khalil Sarda spent a lot of time dealing with his stuff while trying to build his chain of barbershops. But dealing with depression can make it difficult to succeed in the way he wants. Add in a beautiful woman to knock him off his game, and you get a disaster. Vanessa has been building her very successful tech business. She’s gotta keep up her image, and needs a barber to keep her fresh. What happens when these two meet and the chemistry is off the charts? Will their pasts keep them apart? Or will they fight for each other?
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✨Rating & Review✨: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Ooh y’all. I’m a BIG, HUGE fan of men (literally anyone) going to therapy in books. EVERYONE NEEDS TO GO TO THERAPY! Truly though, we love a person who is willing to work through their past and finding tools to help them in the future. I also love a good romance. Vanessa is a boss lady in tech who is killing the game AND her fresh hair cuts. She’s also an amazing girlfriend and this relationship is all that I’ve been waiting for in a romance novel. Especially when one partner has a mental health diagnosis. The way that Khalil treats Vanessa, and the way she stays by his side through his depression? CHEFS KISS 👩🏾‍🍳💋. Go ahead and pre-order this bad boy for Christmas. You won’t regret it. Thank you @netgalley and @gia_decad for giving me this opportunity to read and review this book. It was an absolute joy.
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#books #bookrecommendation #blackgirlsreadbookstoo #blackgirlsread #bookstagram #blackbookstagram #yabookstagrammer #booksareagirlsbestfriend #queerreadersofinatagram #readersofinstagram #booklover #bookworm #booklover #bookcommunity #readmorebooks #avidreader #bibliophile #bookishgirl #bookreview #NetGalley #GettingHisGameBack

This book was a beautiful love story with amazing mental health and interracial relationship representation told with just enough humorous banter to keep it light even when what the characters, specifically, Khalil, were going through was anything but. I really loved the slow and careful way the relationship between Khalil and Vanessa developed despite the immediate sexual chemistry. Vanessa was such a strong woman and I respected the heck out of her. And the patience and support she showed Khalil was so romantic and heartwarming. I look forward to what the author brings us next.

I enjoyed this novel. Lots of little touches that made it good. However, I was surprised when everyone sort of left the main character alone, even knowing he was in a mental crisis. Seemed like at least someone would have been aware enough to realize he was in a really bad place and needed intervention. Everyone seemed to let it go longer than I hoped, at least, that they would.

This book was fine, I liked the characters and romance. However, it just didn’t give me the joy I’ve gotten from other romances. I still thought it was super sweet and a good romance!

Unfortunately this wasn't my favorite. I stopped at around 20% because it was just very slow and the romance (or pre-romance I guess) just wasn't there for me. That doesn't mean it wouldn't work for others though!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC. I was pleasantly surprised by this book and really appreciated the way the author handled mental health and relationships in the story. I found myself rooting for Khalil and all of his relationships, but especially the one with Vanessa. It was refreshing to read a novel that got to the heart of what it means for Black women to attempt interracial relationships and how that isn’t always the most pleasant experience when trying to do so. A great read all around.

What caught my eye about this book was that it not only dealt with mental health but dealt with it from a man's point of view. With the big mental health movement going on, much of it has been focused on women since men are taught to suppress their feelings. It was so interesting reading a book about a seemingly perfect man navigating dating while trying to come to terms with his depression. I adored Vanessa and Khalil's relationship. It gave all the proper heart feels of a chick-lit book, but it also showed how when you're in a relationship it is so important to be there for people, even when they don't straight out ask. My only reason for not giving 5 stars is that some of the dialogue read weird. The way it was written didn't sound like the way that people actually talk. I have already recommended this book to my friends and can't wait to read more from Gia!

Vanessa Noble is professionally driven and successful in her field. She's still feeling burned by some awful behavior in previous interracial relationships when she ends up in a Black barbershop getting her fade trimmed by Khalil Sarda: a French-Algerian guy who, in spite of being white, pushes all her buttons.

What I liked: Vanessa and Khalil's story has fantastic depiction of mental health struggles and the damaging intersection of depression and our society's insistence on a toxic brand of masculinity. I appreciated the strong secondary characters, the setting, the sensitivity and nuance given to the hurdles facing people in interracial relationships, and the sense that it wasn't written primarily for the white gaze.

That said, while I liked the writing and for the most part liked both main characters, their relationship felt undergirded by an infatuation with traditional gender roles that I didn't jive with. In some ways the author is doing the work of subverting those roles, with a deeply caring main dude who has to learn to ask for help and career-focused main lady who has her shit handled. But there was also this intense focus on man as provider, and on Vanessa's diminutive stature and how protective and manly that made Khalil feel, and her as his "babygirl" (aaaack). Pet names are a personal pet peeve that I can overlook if I like a book enough . . . but by the end of Ness and Khalil's story, it was clear to me that the author's values and desires when it comes to relationships aren't quite aligned with mine. The snippet of the next book (about Khalil's twin brother, Karim, who is a great character in this book!) that was provided at the end confirmed that for me. And that's fine! Even though not precisely to my tastes, I think this book is good and that a lot of people are going to love and feel served by it.

POC romance, steamy and sincere? Yes please, mental health and family ties set this love story apart from the rest. Stand out romantic effort!

This was a great romance with awesome characters. I was rooting for both Khalil and Vanessa. I loved the mental health aspects and it was handled wonderfully. Can Vanessa and Khalil get past their issues and see love is right in front of them if they just take a chance? I received an advanced readers copy and all opinions are my own.

DNF 25%

Love the diversity & that the author touched on the stigmas of mental health, but I didn’t find myself being drawn in to Vanessa or Khalil’s characters… It was just missing that spark, ya know?

Amazing!! At first this seems like a pretty typical romance novel. Boy meets girl, they fall in love, and live happily ever after. What makes this novel so compelling was the way in which the author depicted the experience of the struggle that so many people go through when dealing with depression. I thought it was brilliant that she told this story through the point of view of the person with depression and those surrounding them. A beautifully written love story. Everyone should read this book!