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.

This was such a delight to read! The characters are dynamic and flawed and super real. It's a refreshing take on men's mental health and handles the topic with a lot of grace. We also get to see the struggles of Vanessa, a high-profile, successful woman of color, and how she handles the challenges that come along with her career. I loved Khalil's character and think the author did a wonderful job of illustrating the dynamics of depression. I would have loved to see him discussing his struggles with his brother and his best friend, Darius. I think that would add even more power to his storyline. Overall, I really enjoyed reading this!

Structurally, the e-book could use some symbols to illustrate time or perspective jumps, rather than just a few spaces. It was confusing in a few places where the cut-off was at the bottom of the screen.

I think that marketing this book as a romance is a bit disingenuous. And then comparing it to Get a Life, Chloe Brown? That's a really high bar for a romance book.

In my opinion, this book is not a romance - it is literary fiction. The two MCs meet and have insta-love. Number one way to ruin a romance book.

If you come into this book with the right expectations, it may work for you. But, it didn't work for me.

Vanessa is a successful app developer and Khalil owns several barbershops with his best friend. They meet when Vanessa needs a quick haircut before a trip and happens into Khalil's shop. Both Vanessa and Khalil feel immediately drawn to each other but Vanessa is weary of dating a white man after past experiences. Used to feeling confident around women, Khalil is thrown off by Vanessa. As the two build their relationship it's clear that Khalil is holding back but we don't know why.

I thought this was a cute romance and I appreciated mental illness was treated with respect and acceptance rather than a "red flag." I do feel like there were too many things going on the way the characters talked about interracial relationships was a little cringe-y. Overall, I enjoyed it but did feel like it was a little all over the place and the interracial relationship piece felt cliche.

I was pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed this book. Vanessa was so relatable and such a boss woman! I loved the chemistry between Khail and her. I also understood her complications when it comes to not wanting to open heart. Also this book does touch on mental health. It’s not a spoiler because it’s in the first couple of pages, but you can infer that Khail has either tried to… and as the story goes on you later find out more about his mental health. So be warned! I really wouldn’t mind seeing a sequel with this couple! I am definitely looking for more books from this author. Thanks netgalley for letting me review this book.

Loved it!! But, this is not a romance novel. It's a fantasy novel. Men like Khalil simply do not exist in real life. Looking forward to reading more from this author.

I'm DNFing at 53%.

[I'm not exactly sure who the audience for this book is; it was written by a Black woman with a Black heroine, and if that's the audience, that is certainly not me (which is great! I do not think all books should be written for me!) But with all the explanations around race and the fairly cliche things that happen throughout, it also felt like it was catering to a white audience. I'm not sure. I'm left pretty confused about the audience for this book, and I believe that as a white reviewer I have a responsibility to be cognizant of when a book isn't written for me and adjust my review accordingly. I'm just not sure if my opinion on this book is relevant or necessary. So please seek out reviews by Black women on this one, because their opinions are so much more relevant and important than mine.]

There was nothing particularly wrong with this book, it just didn't captivate me. I was bored most of the time while reading, and I think it was because there was almost no tension, no reason they couldn't be together. I picked it up and tried to read it, then put it down. I tried again, a few weeks later and was still not that interested in the characters or the story. Gia De Cadenet has crafted a really nice world with really nice people being really nice to each other, and that just isn't really my jam.

I wasn't 100% comfortable with the conversation around mental health in this book, and I'll be really interested to see what people who are smarter than me think about it.

In conclusion, I didn't love this book, and I'm not sure how qualified I am to speak about it, but I just didn't find it particularly interesting so I didn't finish it.

Thanks to NetGalley and Ballantine for the ARC.

This was a very cute hate to lovers type romance.
Premise:
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.
I love the dynamic of how two people who basically can’t stand each other find a way to connect and find love. It’s a great book if you love sports or sports themed romances. While it is a cute romance book character goes through great character development throughout the book which is also very interesting to read about as well!

Khalil Sarda, a local white business owner of the Fade. A barbershop Khalil owns with his best fired Darius. Khalil meets Vanessa Noble, also known as the app goddess. Khalil meets Vanessa when she walks into his shop looking for a quick cut before her next work appointment. Vanessa is a black woman dominating the tech industry. Khalil is the so called “perfect man”, but he is struggling to keep it all together and maintain his facade after a breakdown the year before that causes him to question himself constantly when it comes to Vanessa.

The two become client's of each other as Khalil cuts her hair and Vanessa designs an app for Khalil and Darius to assist with running a tighter schedule across their three locations. Eventually Vanessa and Khalil become friends then more.

Both characters were so likable, I found myself rooting for the two of them. The incorporation of the two's families and friends made this book even better. I did find the romance for sure a slow burn. This book has great representation. It features a black woman who works in stem and has short natural hair. Her group of friends is made of black women as well. There are also many male mental health issues represented, which is often not addressed in society today so I really appreciated the subject of a man is still a man even if he struggles with his emotions at times. It's ok to cry and be sensitive and share your feelings with those who love and care for you.

There are definitely some major triggers in this book dealing with heavy topics (depression, suicidal thoughts) I still found myself smiling and happy for most of the book. This was such a strong debut novel from Gia De Cadenet and I look forward to reading her other works!

I received an ARC of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I was shocked by how much I loved this book! As a Black woman, I loved how truthful this book was about interracial dating.

The two main characters , Kahlil and Vanessa, were easy to root for. Vanessa as a self sufficient coding entrepreneur refusing to settle for anything but the best. Kahlil as a generous man who owns multiple barber shops and is struggling with depression. I was not ready for how real and honest this book was about depression, anxiety, suicide, and the stigma around seeking help for them. This is a very heavy book, so I would definitely be aware of that going into this book. Vanessa does a amazing job at showing up for Kahlil when he is at his lowest and encouraging him to take care of his mental health.

Interracial dating is a huge part of this book and the realities of how hard that can be. The author does a exceptional job exploring how hard it can be for Black women to date outside of their race. How they have to deal with micro aggressions, being hyper sexualized, being a phase, and other problems they can run into.

I loved this book! I cannot wait for the next book in the series! This was easily a 4 out of 5 stars read for me!

**I received an ARC of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review**

Following App Goddess Vanessa and Barbershop Owner Khalil “Getting His Game Back” is a slow burn romance that will make you laugh and cry. Author, Gia, sensitively writes about depression, therapy, and not being afraid to ask for help from those who love you most. I appreciated the mutual respect Khalil and Vanessa displayed for one another and their friends and family. Getting His Game Back shows what a healthy relationship should look like and will have you cheering for the main characters to make it through every obstacle put in their path.

The storyline was good and the characters were wonderfully created! Kahlil and Vanessa was very likable, believable and so engaging that I had a very hard time putting this book down!

A fun debut novel by Gia De Cadenet about taking a change, mental health, and romance between a young Black career women and a non Black barbershop owner.

I want to fist say thank you to the author and for giving me the eARC. Este libro habla de mental health que es súper importante if you ask me. Me encanto la relación de los personajes principales, desde aquí podía sentir su atracción entre ellos y me gustaron mucho las escenas de ellos juntos haciendo lo que ustedes ya saben que😉. Me gusto mucho el final verdaderamente hizo la historia sentirse más real y bonita, fue un toque demasiado perfecto para esta historia. También el libro es slowburn que yo amo y adoro y que si el libro ya es así ya se que lo amaré desde el principio y así fue. Lean este libro!

Rating: 4/5 stars

In this book, we see Khalil Sarda, a local white business owner, meet Vanessa Noble, also known as the app goddess, a black woman dominating the tech industry. Khalil is the so called perfect man, but he is struggling to keep it all together and maintain his facade after a breakdown the year before. This book has great representation. It features a black woman who works in stem and has short natural hair. Her group of friends is made of black women as well. There are also many male mental health issues represented.

The two become coworkers in a sense then friends. Both characters were so likable, I found myself rooting for the two of them. The incorporation of the two's families and friends made this book even better. I did find the romance was a little flat at points, which is what kept this from getting a five stars. It is for sure a slow burn but there were points where it felt like no burn.

While some heavy topics are dealt with in the book (TW: depression, suicidal thoughts) I still found myself smiling and happy for most of the book. This was such a strong debut novel from Gia De Cadenet and I look forward to reading her other works!

*I received an ARC of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I loved it! The characters felt so real. I was crying toward the end. It gets deep and heavy about mental health. I think the author did a wonder job talking about it and how to help those that need us even will that person is pushing us away. Very well done debut novel. I look forward to reading her next book.

I was not anticipating such a range of emotions from this book. And as an African woman, I was glad to see a lovely interracial relationship.

The characters were endearing. Vanessa is a strong career woman who knows what she wants and goes for it; Kahlil is a kind, industrious man who suffers from depression. The chemistry between them was fantastic and reading about how much they appreciated each other was a breath of fresh air. They genuinely supported one another and set a noble example of a healthy relationship for us. The steam-to-sweetness ratio is excellent.

The author handled the mental health issues appropriately, causing no effect on anyone going through the same issues.

Great debut!

*4.5
I received a copy through netgalley.
I throughly enjoyed this book but I would caution people to look up trigger warnings before they read as it deals fairly heavily with depression. I really liked how we got to see Khalil's journey throughout the book and him learning to let other people help him. I think this book has a really good message about letting men be allowed to feel things and I really liked that. The romance was also super cute and I loved the end of the book.

Wow! I’m pleasantly surprised. I was not expecting such a depth of emotion that this story brought.

The characters were lovable. Vanessa is a powerful career women who knows what she wants; Kahlil is a kind-hearted, hardworking man who struggles with depression. The chemistry between them was great and the way they respected each other was so refreshing to read. They truly supported one another and gave us a wonderful example of a healthy relationship. The steam to sweetness ratio is great.

I loved how the author handled the topic of depression and mental health. I thought it was beautifully done and sensitive to anyone who may be suffering with depression.

A great debut by Gia de Cadenet. I will definitely be reading her next book.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Star rating