I received the book as an e-ARC from net galley in return for an honest review.

I enjoyed this book. It's refreshingly millennial, and I found myself somewhat called out by certain sentences. The supporting characters were a little bit cliched in my opinion, but I could easily see myself getting along with them in real life. A couple of scenes felt a little bit like wish fulfilment, with the characters saying the sorts of thing you think of days after the fact, but that doesn't detract from the overall point of the book.

It's an easy read even with certain dramatic elements that made me roll my eyes a little; could certainly be a good poolside book this summer.

I just devoured Not Good Enough, and wow - what a gem! James Robert Moore delivers a dazzling debut that’s equal parts heart-wrenching and joyfully liberating. The premise is delightfully refreshing - we meet Charlie, whose nine-year relationship collapses, and he suddenly finds himself navigating the queer scene of London with zero guidebook and zero confidence.

What follows is a rollercoaster of tender or awkward dates, side-splitting mishaps, and soul-baring self-discovery. Moore’s portrayal of the LGBT+ community - found family, late-night chats, the thrill of new connections - is so vivid you can almost hear the laughter and feel the warmth. It’s more than just romance; it's a celebration of embracing your authentic self even when that inner voice whispers, “you’re not good enough.”

Emotional, funny, sexy - in the best possible way - this story had me cheering for Charlie from page one. The pacing is perfect, the characters leap off the page, and the honest, hopeful tone is utterly irresistible. Simply put, Not Good Enough is a triumphant, heartwarming journey of self-love and reinvention - proof that it’s never too late to start over and shine.

Five stars isn’t enough - this one truly stole my heart.

Charlie’s relationship with his long term boyfriend comes to a messy end the night before they are due to move to New York, what follows is Charlie’s rediscovery of himself and a journey of personal growth. Charlie is in his 30s and at a loss, he doesn’t know who he is or what he wants after basing his entire adult life around his ex, and he is incredibly lonely despite being surrounded by a fantastic group of friends. He attempts to lead the wild life he missed out on when he was younger due to his relationship and starts trying new and drastic things before eventually comes to the realisation that he needs to discover who he is alone before he can be with someone else. There is love, sex, embarrassing situations and I personally think Charlie can be pretty annoying in parts but it is honest and raw.

I ended up enjoying this book! I always love a good LQBTQ+ contemporary. It also has a big focus point in friendships and how they are honestly the superior relationship in my opinion. The found family is just amazing, how they are just a group of friends navigating the gay scene in London. I also enjoy that you can really relate to these characters and just feel how they are feeling.

I like how all the characters are also very enjoyable and lovable (except George). My favorites are probably Dylan and Zachary and I related mostly to Charlie. The way he struggles with low self esteem and how it ranges from feeling great and then slipping down into that dark head space. Also the loneliness he feels when he’s in a group of his friends it’s just very relatable even if you aren’t a 31 year old male.

I also thought that it was such an amazing idea for the characters to have a talk about LGBTQ+ with the students at Niamh’s school. I do feel like it is still not talked about in schools or even the thought about it, so kids grow up to think that there is something wrong with them or that they should hide themselves away which is not true. Bringing it to light and in such a calm and peaceful way is so important and i’m GLAD THEY DID IT! The diverse set of characters also really helped with the talk so they could show the kids the different parts of it.

Was kind of disappointed about how Charlie didn’t really “grow” in the book, he was still over drinking and still sleeping around a lot, but it also shows that it can take a while for those things and changes to happen but he is taking the steps to better himself and all of his friends are there to help him through it. It’s really inspiring that all you need to change is loving yourself and having a good support system to help you along the way.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this eArc in exchange for an honest review.

Absolutely loved this story. It was beautiful, funny, and heartbreaking all at once. The book has so many funny and embarrassing moments that make you laugh and cringe (in a good way), but it also dives into insecurities that I think most of us have felt at some point, in one way or another.

I adored Charlie and his friend group. They were such a great example of what true, ride-or-die friendships should look like. The family dynamic was genuinely heartbreaking. I felt so bad for him, but also so proud of how he handled everything as the story went on.

It was beautifully written. I especially loved that it included stories from Charlie’s childhood and past experiences, because it gave so much insight into why he felt the way he did about himself. The character development was spot-on and can't say enough good things about it. It felt real and unforced. No sudden epiphanies or dramatic changes, just a human being slowly figuring things out, feeling deeply, finding himself and learning how to heal. That’s what I loved most about this book.

Not Good Enough is an emotionally charged, razor-sharp debut that digs deep into the messy complexities of identity, family, and self-worth. Moore’s writing has that rare kind of intimacy that feels both literary and raw, in the vein of Sally Rooney or Coco Mellors.

The story follows Charlie. A character so vividly real, I found myself flinching at how closely his internal chaos mirrored mine. The emotional weight of the novel stayed with me long after I finished.

This is a debut that doesn’t play it safe. It’s honest, lyrical, and quietly powerful. Moore has something truly magical going on here. I’m obsessed. I already need his next book.

With a 9 year relationship hitting the rocks on the eve of moving to NYC, Charlie is left homeless, jobless and single once again as he struggles to find himself back in London. With his close knit group of uni friends to support him, Charlie has to navigate the world of dating, new flat shares and exploring the gay scene as a singleton while trying to wrestle with that inner voice that keeps telling he’s “Not Good Enough”.

When I first picked up this book I did so with a broad smile on my face thinking, finally a gay version of Bridget Jones. And to some degree, I was right. On the surface the similarities are all there: the quirky friendship group, navigating single life, awkwardly embarrassing sex, and a dash of self deprecation both the physical and mental. But then I thought, aren’t these just some of the common themes most single gay men deal with? In fact they are common themes for just about anyone, gay or straight. So with that in mind I took a leaf out of Charlie’s book, sat back and just slipped into someone else’s literary adventure. And I’m so glad I did.

From the perfectly described disastrous first night out, layered with melancholy reminisces, to the a dangerously risky BDSM anonymous hookup, Charles life goes from zero to a hundred in a few months. And it’s not long before he starts to see how much of himself he lost during those 9 years with his so-called “perfect boyfriend”.

At first I thought I might struggle with this book as the humour, the rapid one liners and comedic self flagellation hit you thick and fast at the start. But then the author slows down just enough to allow some of the deeper themes to take hold. He never sacrifices Charlie’s comedic voice but the author skilfully adds enough depth to create an emotional bond with his readers. You soon start to care for Charlie and understand why he is so down on himself and where these feelings of ‘not being enough’ come from. Themes of acceptance and self worth start to emerge from the main storyline. He includes expertly written comedic scenes that suddenly morph into moments of self reflection and observation. And there is an incredibly written classroom scene between Charlie and Niamh, that brilliantly shows how to address the issue of being LGBTQ to a group of 10 year olds. Something so simple but which will have a profound affect on the lives of young LGBTQ children.

Sure there are story threads that are introduced but don’t get fully resolved on the page. And Charlie’s journey isn’t one that follows the typical narrative path. There isn’t a resolution to his story most readers will be expecting from a book like this. Instead the author has written a book that shows us how someone struggles to rebuild a life lost in a relationship. He isn’t given a magic pill to fix his problems. There’s no “Pretty Women” montage that shows him suddenly turn things around. This is a difficult struggle with moments of success mixed up with moments of failure. Charlie makes mistakes but eventually starts to rebuild his life. But all this is done with whit, sparkling humour and brilliant observations. In fact I was so engaged with Charlie’s story that when the end came I just wanted more. So here’s hoping we hear more from James Robert Moore in the future.

4.5 Stars

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book was hard to get through. If you have an embarrassment squick, pick something else. I kept reading, hoping the MC would change/grow at some point and the ridiculous behavior would end, but no, it just kept going and going and going and GOING (so much overdrinking, so much vomiting, so much self-inflicted humiliation)... and then, all of a sudden, it was over. I think we're supposed to believe that the MC grew up in the last, what, two pages? But why would I believe that, after the however many hundred preceding pages of not-growing?

For me, this passage summed up the book: "This exact scene could be taking place in the first year of university. In ten years absolutely nothing has changed. Niamh and I are still in a messy kitchen making mistakes and changing our minds about who we like and what we like"—yes, that's exactly the problem, but then it ends—"and in this moment I'm so glad we're here. We are exactly where we're supposed to be." What? You haven't grown a bit in ten years and that's great? Count me out.

This book had a lot of interesting ideas, but for this reader, at least, the balance was waaaaaay off. I kept feeling as if it wanted to be <i>Boyfriend Material</i> but had been baked by someone with the cooking skills of Luc's mum. Okay, now I'm just getting mean, but... this had the potential to be so much better. It really did.

Also, I fervently hope the many homophone errors (peels/peals, Scarlett/scarlet [twice], naval/navel, rouse/ruse [okay, that's not even a homophone], Van Gough [wtf?], Ralf Lauren [ditto], hoards/hordes) are corrected before publication.

My thanks to the publisher/NetGalley for an advance copy of this book.

In "Not Good Enough" by James Robert Moore, readers follow Charlie's journey after his life is turned upside down when he discovers that his long-term boyfriend cheated on him the night before they were supposed to move to America.

This novel captures the essence of a coming-of-age story, reflecting the quarter-life crisis that many people in their late 20s and early 30s experience. It addresses the changes in peer groups, the realities of work life, and the feelings of stagnation/complacency that can pop up.

Moore effectively portrays the themes of self-doubt, comparison, indecision, and uncertainty. In the book, Charlie is compelled to examine his relationships with family, friends, and romantic or sexual partners. He must reflect on his aspirations, consider where he wants to go in life, and determine the kind of person he wants to be as well as who he wants to surround himself with.

This book is relatable and humorous. Thank you to Muswell Press and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.