Rating: ⭐⭐⭐.5
Published by: Muswell Press
Publication date: 25th June 2025
Content warnings: cheating partner, dementia, mental health, suicide

“This is my team, and no matter what people want to throw at us, or how loudly they try to hate us, I wouldn’t have it any other way.”

Yep, I so needed this! Sometimes I really do need a break from all the crime and thriller and murder that I consume in my books, and I love to pick up something light when that happens. This one had me laughing so much and was the perfect fix for my brain after a tough few weeks. It is the perfect book for your Pride Month TBR! Such a fun, easy read that cheered me up no end. So happy to be sharing my review of Not Good Enough by James Robert Moore!

About the book

After his boyfriend of nine years betrays him, Charlie’s carefully constructed world crumbles. At thirty-something, he’s never navigated London’s queer scene alone – and he’s terrified. No relationship experience, no dating app knowledge, and absolutely no idea if he’s an otter or a bear. Why isn’t there a gay manual for all this?

But sometimes devastating endings force beautiful beginnings. As Charlie stumbles through awkward first dates and a new flat share, he discovers there’s more to life than being someone’s other half. The queer community he never dared explore beckons, promising friendship, adventure, and maybe even love. If only he can silence the nagging voice telling him he’s Not Good Enough.

The beginning

Oh, Charlie. I just wanted to give him a hug, tell him everything would be okay. That his life wasn’t over. I wanted to wrap him up in cotton wool from that very first chapter and keep him safe from harm. When Charlie witnesses his boyfriend of nine years cheating on him, the night before they were meant to be making the life-changing move to New York, his life crumbles. He doesn’t know how to live without George. But he hates him for what he did. If you couldn’t tell, I felt for Charlie so much straight away and I knew this would be a moving journey of finding himself again. I loved the author’s witty writing and despite this being such a tough stage in Charlie’s life, the author keeps things entertaining, balancing the dark and light elements so well. I smiled so much reading this! I loved meeting Charlie’s quirky friends, seeing how they lived their lives, how they’re there for one another when they need it. Already, I knew these bonds would be a huge crutch for Charlie as he begins to navigate a whole new life. It’ll probably get worse before it gets better, mate.

“I look at him and see that there isn’t an inch of what I saw in the early hours of this morning going through his mind. It’s burned into my retinas but he’s already forgotten it. He’s found the narrative he’s been waiting for – that I’m a f*ck up. A mess. A directionless liability. He’s found his way out.”

Finding himself single and sleeping at his mates’ house (off you f*ck to NY, George 👋) Charlie dabbles in the dating apps and lets himself loose on wild nights out, meeting some interesting people, shall we say. I got a bit worried about his wellbeing, but I understood his need to let off some steam after the worst time of his life. But on the plus side, he lands himself a dreamy new job at Waterstones, and I could sense that being around books on his shifts would bring him some sense of calm. There was one particular encounter at work that had me belly laughing, and my god I couldn’t help but love Charlie’s awkwardness, his quirks. He was so loveable and I just wanted everyone else to see what a great guy he was. I desperately wanted him to find some happiness again, to have a little fun and see what a life without George could be like. I saw a bit of myself in Charlie sometimes. He has low confidence in himself and sees everyone as being higher than him, like he’s not good enough. I could definitely relate to overthinking messages to other people, assuming everyone hates you 😅

The middle

As time went on, I realised there wasn’t much of a plot aside from Charlie going about his day and experiencing new things since his breakup… and drinking a lot. Nothing else really happens. And even at the midway point, you kind of know what’s going to happen by the end. But saying that, the book is very character driven and the author explores every part of Charlie and his life so brilliantly. It was lovely following his confidence growth over time, letting new people into his life, new romances (no matter how short or awkward) but I was still waiting for that something that I didn’t think was going to come. Saying that, I was still enjoying my time with it, even though it wasn’t the kind of book that had me racing to the conclusion. The humour and the awkwardness just kept me reading and there was a part of it all that felt so charming and refreshing. I also grew to love Charlie’s friends even more the more we got to know them. Their experiences with Charlie and the advice they give when they’re not going out on the razz warmed my heart. They were good people to have by his side.

“Love is a very wonderful thing, and when you find it with somebody – whoever that is – it’s a cause for celebration and not for censorship. Each of you has feelings, and we could all do with being a little bit kinder towards each other.”

Many of the chapters in this book start with a relevant anecdote from Charlie’s life to set us up for what was to come, and some of these were so clever and absolutely bloody hilarious. Some of these stories seem completely random at first, and they kind of are if we’re being truthful, but there is always a small part of it that links to the chapter we were about to read. It made the start of each chapter fun and I just never knew what we were going to get. It always managed to catch me off guard and succeeded in getting me giggling! But there were some that highlighted Charlie’s difficulties in life, those awkward moments, moments that have scarred him, and behind some of the fun, there’s a serious layer, something to make us think. He doesn’t have the best relationship with his family, and whether that was because of his sexuality, I wasn’t sure. But the book certainly highlights the difficulties the LGBTQ+ community are still facing today for simply being who they are. Charlie learns to let someone new in, such a huge step, but then it all crumbles. Can something go right for him, please?!

The end

Charlie and his friend Dylan have a shared history, a friendship that had grown over the years. But there was also something that felt like a missed opportunity there. Did both of their feelings for one another go beyond friendship? Could this be their time or would they leave everything unsaid? But after telling himself he cannot admit the fact he is in love with his best friend, he continues dating, meeting other men that were clearly not the one for him. He meets Matthew through his job at the bookshop, someone who seemed to be great, but in the end, he couldn’t commit. Then Jack, who obviously wasn’t right, someone he met through a new dating app (7 days of conversation, 7 days to meet up. Pretty damn terrifying to me but each to their own. It all still fascinated me though!) But every time, it all came back to Dylan. Dylan, Dylan, Dylan. It was a very cute, wholesome direction and I wondered if they would pursue whatever it was. The build up was utterly lovely and I enjoyed seeing Charlie’s realisation. That Dylan was all he’d ever wanted in his life.

“It’s comforting to come to the realisation that everyone I know is constantly battling with something. We’re all just making it up as we go.”

It was really nice seeing Charlie’s growth from the start of the book when he’d just been cheated on, where he was a complete mess, to now, where he has accepted what’s happened and is looking ahead to a better future with all his people around him. I found those ending chapters to be very moving and something to inspire this book’s readers, to make them feel understood, to give them hope. His growing confidence within himself helps him to speak out to his family – his mother in particular – and question them about how they act towards him, about why they are the way they are. These conversations felt very overdue, but I found them to be incredibly realistic. I bet so many in the LGBTQ+ community have had the same conversations with their family who may not be entirely understanding, or have family members that have drifted somewhat over time. It’s a fun read yet a very important read, and I’m so glad I’ve spent time with Charlie over the last week or so. I wouldn’t hesitate to pick up anything else from this author!

Overall thoughts

Not Good Enough is an entertaining and heartwarming debut that shines a light on the strong sense of community and togetherness in London’s LGBTQ+ scene, as well as the struggle and hate that is unfortunately still present. There is so much positivity and love within these pages though that I had so much fun with it, and my god it cheered me up on some tough days! We follow Charlie, whose life crumbles when he walks in on his boyfriend of almost a decade cheating on him. Aside from being so angry with George and heartbroken from this loss, Charlie then has to navigate London’s queer scene alone, rebuild himself, his confidence and a whole new life, and of course, kiss a few frogs in the process.

I loved Charlie and his friends, their bonds, the love and support they gave one another, the banter they shared was all so bloody lovely. Their relationships were pure gold and they were all genuinely gorgeous humans. Charlie has many interesting hookups shall we say, but the humour was spot on. He learns so much about himself and it was quite moving seeing the difference in his character from the start of the book compared with the end. He also has some difficult relationships with family members that were explored brilliantly throughout the book. There wasn’t really a deep plot and even though I never felt the desire to race to the end, it was one of those books that just lifts you up when you need it, one I savoured over time rather than devoured. It’s an inspiring, refreshing and nostalgic book about friendship and love (featuring a lot of alcohol), one that encourages you to love yourself and others fiercely and to always be your full, authentic self. There is nothing more beautiful than that.

Huge thanks to the wonderful James Robert Moore and Muswell Press for my copy! You can grab your own copy of Not Good Enough right now on Amazon* or wherever you buy your books. Make sure you’re following James on Instagram for more updates!

* As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Thanks so much for your support!

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