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"...the use of that 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!