I liked the premise of the book. A black woman in a male-oriented world where she has had to deal with loads of social oppression and feels a bit jaded by men, white men, in general. A white man who is dealing with traumatic depression. The problem is there was nothing at all atypical about this book. The writing was elementary at best. The slang seemed very outdated. It was beyond repetitive. The intimate scenes were cringy. I winced every time he called her "baby girl," or said things like, "I got you fam." ughewww. It has to be really great, make me feel all the feels romance for me to like it, and this one was just very far from the mark, which is disappointing because I like the fact that it tried to give a voice to a diverse cast of characters.

Thank you to @Netgalley for an honest review.

I liked this romance between Vanessa and Khalil. It isn’t often you see men portrayed with anxiety and I appreciated that. There was also good discussion of interracial romance which was interesting. The author shows a lot of promise and I think her writing will only get better!

Getting His Game Back by Gia De Cadenet is a debut novel. The author hit this one out of the park. I could not put it down. This romance novel was so different from the typical romance. Not only is the main couple an interracial couple, but this novel really tackles depression in a way that I have never read in a romance. I loved Vanessa and Khalil so much. There was focus on Khalil being white and Vanessa being African American in the beginning, but that’s pretty normal in an interracial relationship. I also really liked that the author focused on mental health. This novel is not a light rom-com at all, but I absolutely loved it and I cannot wait for the author’s next novel. Thank you to Netgalley and Random House Publishing Group- Ballantine for the copy. All opinions expressed are my own.

This book was not at all what I was expecting, but I ended up really loving it.

Vanessa is a boss lady in STEM, up and coming entrepreneur in the Detroit area. When her regular hair salon closes unexpectedly, she meets Khalil, owner of three local barber shops. The book opens with references to Khalil’s mental illness and his visits with his psychiatrist, but he seems to be doing well. Vanessa cannot deny her attraction to Khalil, but she’s been burned on interracial dating in the past and Khalil checks all her boxes except he’s white. As they slowly explore a relationship, navigating their busy work schedules, family issues, and serving their communities, Khalil finds himself slipping back into depression and struggling to open up to Vanessa.

I loved the mental health representation in this book, particularly that it was the male character who needed and sought help. Vanessa’s loving him and her commitment to see him through highs and lows was such a great depiction of loving someone with depression. The steamy parts are tender and beautiful and do such a great job moving the story forward. I wanted a little more backstory for both of these characters, but overall I really enjoyed this debut novel and look forward to future work from this author.

Content warnings: depression, seasonal affective disorder, attempted suicide, interracial dating, racist micro aggressions at work and in the dating world

Thanks to NetGalley and Dell for the gifted copy. All opinions are my own.

A romance with what feels like real people with real problems, actions, and reactions is my absolute jam. Getting His Game Back scores big in all of those categories!

Khalil went through a dark, lonely period last year, but he’s secretly been going to therapy and taking medication to get his mental health in a better place. He’s been growing his thriving chain of barbershops with his best friend and giving back to his Detroit community, until meeting Vanessa changes everything.

Vanessa is known as the “App Goddess” in the tech community. She’s worked twice as hard as a young Black woman in STEM to reach her goals, and she’s not ready to get thrown off course by a relationship. She’s been let down too many times to count, and now has a list so long it will be impossible for anyone to cross off all her requirements. When her usual hair place is unexpectedly closed, Vanessa is desperate to find somewhere for a shape-up. When she walks into Khalil’s shop, she never imagined how much it would affect her entire life.

The two agree to team up for a business venture, but their easy rapport and instant connection raises the stakes for them both. Khalil quickly ticks off nearly every box on Vanessa’s list, but he’s not Black. It’s a major sticking point for Vanessa, who’s been hurt too many times in the past, but Khalil is desperate to change her mind. Things are going so well for him, he thinks he can stop doing the things that have helped him over the past year, and things take another dark turn for Khalil. Vanessa’s already in too far to give up on Khalil now.

I feel like they were such a perfect fit for each other. They really did bring out the best in each other, and I love that they stuck it out through the low moments. It tackles not only depression, interracial relationships, and sexism in the workplace, but it does it with care. They built intimacy in so many ways, breaking down walls over months of getting to know each other. I love the conversation the author sparks here, giving us lots of food for thought on the push and pull of not only a “typical” romance or relationship, but also one with real life issues that many of us are all too familiar with.

If you liked books like The Heart Principle or The Charm Offensive or books with STEMinist rep, I think you’d enjoy this one too! Thanks to Dell and NetGalley for a digital ARC.

Going into this book, I did not realize there was strong mental health representation. Watching Khalil’s journey with his mental health and his acceptance that it IS okay to accept help from the ones you love is so much better than “toughing it out” alone. Witnessing him navigate his new normal while acknowledging his past was powerful and I greatly enjoyed the slow burn romance between Khalil and Ness.

This is my time reading a book from this author. I enjoyed it. Looking forward to reading more of her work. Khalil Sarda owns a chain of barbershops. Vanessa Noble has multimillion-dollar tech business. Khalil and Vanessa meet at one his barbershops when she walks in and he gives her haircut. Vanessa has been burned in the past and not ready to go down that road again. Her friends tell her that she will never find a man that checks all the boxes on her list. Khalil has been battling with depression and seeing a therapist. He feels that men are not depressed nor do they see therapist. I don’t understand why people feel embarrassed by seeing a therapist. It is a way to talk to someone that you don’t know and you don’t have to fear that what is discussed will get out; patient doctor confidentially. I think it always helps to talk to someone when you’re feeling down and depression. Glad that Khalil got help. Glad that Vanessa was there for him.

Awesome read about everyday events and issues that that men, women and children face. People just have admitted and get help. No judgement should be passed. It is helpful. I am glad that I was able to get a copy of “Getting His Game Back”, that provided valuable information .

Thank you NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group providing me with an ARC and I am leaving my review voluntarily.

“The first time I really got to touch you,” he said. “The first time I got to hold you and kiss you the way I wanted to, I felt like—“
She looked up at him, resting her chin against his chest. “I was home,” she said.”

Vanessa and Khalil are two strangers that have crossed paths after Vanessa visits Khalil’s shop for a haircut. The attraction between them is instant, but at the story goes on, they face challenges in their relationship. This story mainly focuses on Khalil’s depression and Vanessa’s point of view of being in an interracial relationship, where guys she used to date have “never been with a Black woman before and wanted to experience it”, which makes her hesitant to be with Khalil who is mixed (half white/half black).

Getting His Game Back has a lot of heavy topics discussed (check CW below), which made it harder for me to get into at first.

💈READ IF YOU LIKE💈:
- dual POV
- instant attraction
- strangers to lovers
- app developer x barbershop owner
- heroine in STEM
- basketball
- she takes care of him
- mental health x interracial romance rep

cw: depression, gender stereotypes, racism, toxic masculinity, micro-aggressions, dementia, emotional abuse, affair, mention of suicide

Thank you to @netgalley for the advanced copy! Getting His Game Back is now available!

Khalil Sarda is working through a lot of stuff, seeing a therapist and trying to get back to feeling more like himself. But he’s been hiding his mental health struggles from his friends and family, thinking it makes him ‘weak’. He certainly hasn’t been interested in dating, or relationships…until Vanessa Noble, tech queen, walks into one of his barber shops.

It may not have been love at first sight, but there was certainly plenty of sizzling tension crackling between them.

There’s a problem though…after attempting to date white boys in the past, with scaring results, Vanessa has vowed not to go down that road again.

The two of them form a friendship as they start to work together on an app for the barber shops, and it doesn’t take too long before it turns into more. But will they both end up hurt?

This book is super emotional, there is talk of racism, suicide, depression, and other heavy topics—but it’s also incredibly sweet and tender.

I really loved Vanessa’s character so much, she was a badass. I did have problems with Khalid’s actions on a few occasions which were setting off some alarm bells for me.

This one is also open door, and steamy. So a perfect read for #FlirtyFebruary 😉

Steamy
Sweet
Sports

Khalil and Vanessa are such an amazing couple to read about. Gia de Cadenet, a new author to me really did an amazing job on their back stories in this contemporary interracial romance.

I enjoyed this light hearted romance that packed a punch in addressing themes of multiracial couple and also issues on mental health. I loved their meet cute and the slow burn romance between these two unlikely pairing.

Their stories were so well told and their issues were written so well and addressed in a beautiful way. I really enjoyed this debut author and her writing.

I love romance novels. I truly adore them, however I’m a very impatient reader - to my own detriment. When I started this book, I had a hard time getting through the first three or four chapters. This is NOT the fault of the author. The author does a wonderful job, It’s well written. it’s just that this story involves a slow burn romance and I’m impatient. The author does a great job of building up the chemistry between Khalil and Vanessa. It’s wonderful and sexy.The anticipation - be still my heart. If you love the slow burn, this is for you. Also, the payoff is AMAZING!!! Let me say that again: AMAZING!!! That first kiss: OH MY GOD!!!! I highlighted it and reread it over and over again. Wonderful. Most of the novel seems to be told from Khalil’s perspective, although the novel does switch point of view so you can get both sides of the story. *Spoiler: Khalil suffers from a mood disorder that escalates as we go through the narrative. He knows it’s coming, but he feels powerless to stop it. He is going to therapy and taking medication to address his condition, but he’s also keeping his treatment from the people that love him. The author does a great job of detailing what it’s like to live with depression. She is great at showing the loneliness, the guilt, the challenges, and the impact of depression on the individual and those around him/her. As someone who studied psychology in college and worked in the mental health field for almost 20 years, this is a realistic portrayal. I loved that there were ups and downs because life isn’t always a fairytale. It’s a great novel and a great story. I highly recommend this book.

I almost DNFd this book because I couldn’t connect to the characters. Then I decided to give it one more day and I was hooked on the storyline. I like how this book handled the mental health issues that Khalil had, but I don’t have personal experience with seasonal affective disorder so I can’t speak specifically to that. I also liked that there are discussion questions in the back. As far as what could have been better. I’m not sure exactly what was missing, but I never really connected with Vanessa. I felt a little drag in different places throughout the book as well. Khalil was my favorite and I think it’s because we see so much of what he’s going through. 3.5 stars.

This one was fairly average for me. I definitely enjoyed it but the book itself didn't stand out. I'm wondering if I will need to read this another time when I'm in more of a mood to read something like this.

The main characters are strong and vivid. The author brings mental health into the relationship and dialogue about the impacts on friends, family and others. The book turns less gracefully on this dynamic when closing out the story.

I was really looking forward to this book, and it didn’t miss a beat. Such a great debut by Cadenet. The romance had everything including tackling some heavy subject such as mental health and discrimination against interracial relationships. It was much heavier than I expected to read for a romcom but it was interesting and educational, I guess is the word for it. We are always reading about relationships and how it starts but it doesn’t ever go into the deeper real life issues. . It was refreshing to read a novel that delves into the heart of what it means to attempt interracial relationships and how that isn’t always the most pleasant experience when trying to do so.

This was such a strong debut novel from Gia De Cadenet and I look forward to reading more from her.

Ok first, though the cover suggests otherwise, this is not a sports romance. Getting His Game Back is a slow burn romantic comedy dealing with issues of mental health and the intricacies of dating in an interracial relationship.

Khalil co-owns a local chain of barbershops and very is active in his community, he also struggles with depression. I was really impressed by how this was handled, it felt so realistic, not just in Khalil's responses but the helplessness of his friends and family to reach him.

A triumph in this story, is the explanation of microaggressions and stereotyping some BIPOC women face in interracial relationships. Because of her past relationship experiences, and the compounded effect of being a successful black woman in tech, Vanessa is leery of starting something with Khalil. Some of the best parts of the book are the multitude of ways Khalil proves he's the ultimate book boyfriend.

I did have some reservations while reading, the "sexy" scenes were not really by brand. Which is just a matter of personal taste. I also wished there was a little less plot wise surrounding the main characters.

Thank you so much to @netgalley and @randomhouse for this ARC, Getting His Game Back is out now, make sure to grab your copy!

Why you should read:
✨Mental health rep
✨BIPOC characters
✨Strangers to lovers
✨Interracial romances
✨Career focused women
✨Strong but sensitive men

#bookreview Getting His Game Back

☺️ the good ☺️
- Interracial romance.
- Super supportive friend groups for both Khalil and Vanessa.
- Realistic romance.


🤨 the bad 😒
- I think I would’ve liked another scene with his niece, just because they were so cute together.
- This book will make you cry, probably.


😍 the beautiful 😍
- This book will make you cry, probably.
- Khalil’s mental health issues and how Vanessa helps him not only handle them a little better and helps him through a rough patch, but helps him to reach out to his friends, too, while pointing out they’re already there for him.
- Depression and severe depression. This book did them so well. It helps to see it through another’s eyes sometimes. Helps for educating people about depression and how it isn’t just “being sad”.
- That first time scene we got 🔥🔥🔥
- Vanessa knowing what she deserves and not settling for less.
- Khalil being such a sweet gentleman at the block party and paying for her and her friends and walking her to her car. And all the times after that.
- Khalil’s “I need to know you’re safe” when he walks her to her car and to her door. ☺️

rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
steam:🔥🔥🔥
my face while reading: 🙂🤔☺️😍🤭🥺😩😮☺️🥺☺️

#bookstagram

his romance was about interracial dating and also mental health issues. I found both the characters Khalil and Vanessa to be truly vulnerable with one another. It was great to see a depiction of two successful adults that could function independently but yet be warm and soft for each other. There are definitely some steamy scenes but I found the story more enjoyable for the characters' development together.
Thank you to Random House and NetGalley for the ARC in return for my honest review.

This was a fun romance! I thoroughly enjoyed reading it but it wasn't anything special. I did like the characters though, and I think I'll check out more of the author's works.

Thank you to NetGalley for this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book was so much better than I expected! It dove into a lot of deep topics, but also managed to keep the fun and cute vibes that make romantic comedies fun. I quickly found myself falling in love with Khalil. He is such a lovely character. He has depth and layers and I just found him to be the cutest.
Later in the book, we dive into a discussion on seasonal depression. I personally think that the author did a great job of showing the different ways depression can affect someone. It doesn't necessarily make them sad and lonely. It can have an affect on all of their emotions and the person as a whole.
Overall, I really enjoyed this book and I definitely recommend it!