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Not Quite Out
by
William Anson is done with relationships, thanks. He’s starting the second year of his medicine degree single, focused, and ready to mingle with purely platonic intentions.
Meeting Daniel, a barely recovered drug addict ready to start living life on his own terms, might just change that.
There are two problems.
One: William isn’t out.
What’s the point in telling your friends y ...more
Meeting Daniel, a barely recovered drug addict ready to start living life on his own terms, might just change that.
There are two problems.
One: William isn’t out.
What’s the point in telling your friends y ...more
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Paperback, 338 pages
Published
February 9th 2021
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Start your review of Not Quite Out

I'm starting my review by saying: if you're the author reading this, this is my brutally honest opinion and I'd prefer if you didn't use it against me. It's at your discretion to read a review of your book with an intentional lack of star rating. Please note, I'm trans gay man reading this book. My view is from the perspective of someone who's gone through a coming out journey.
I read NOT QUITE OUT aloud, to my boyfriend, in a mock-audiobook form. From the summary, cover, and tweets I'd read, I w ...more
I read NOT QUITE OUT aloud, to my boyfriend, in a mock-audiobook form. From the summary, cover, and tweets I'd read, I w ...more

Apparently the author, a queer online book store and their “publisher” are disregarding negative reviews as “rants” rather than reviews. Want a review? Here’s a review.
Why this book is bad, in basic words, cause apparently we can’t grasp big ones.
Firstly, the quality of the writing, overall, is poor. Not only is the writing (first person present) extremely clunky and taxing to read, there appears to be very little editing, developmental or otherwise, and the internal book formatting is poor. T ...more
Why this book is bad, in basic words, cause apparently we can’t grasp big ones.
Firstly, the quality of the writing, overall, is poor. Not only is the writing (first person present) extremely clunky and taxing to read, there appears to be very little editing, developmental or otherwise, and the internal book formatting is poor. T ...more

I would first like to press that this is my opinion and is not based on the writer and it is a look into my reading experience only.
IMPORTANT SECOND NOTE: SRL publishing, on twitter and instagram has been bashing reviewers, mocking their reviews and saying they are rants because they point out parts of the book they don’t like.
As of just a few minutes ago, the publisher commented a few nasty things that boiled my blood. First, because of both me and my partner’s review, they assumed our sexual ...more
IMPORTANT SECOND NOTE: SRL publishing, on twitter and instagram has been bashing reviewers, mocking their reviews and saying they are rants because they point out parts of the book they don’t like.
As of just a few minutes ago, the publisher commented a few nasty things that boiled my blood. First, because of both me and my partner’s review, they assumed our sexual ...more

Buckle in, because I have a lot of rambles and thoughts...or what the author/publisher is considering “rants” cause apparently not having high praise for a book means it’s not a valid review.
I have no problem admitting that I’m angry at this book. I’m angry due to the romanticisation of the saviour complex and drug addiction/withdrawal.
Will was a huge issue in the book for me. His weird “I need to save him” when it comes to Dan was so unhealthy and weirdly creepy from the first few pages. The ...more
I have no problem admitting that I’m angry at this book. I’m angry due to the romanticisation of the saviour complex and drug addiction/withdrawal.
Will was a huge issue in the book for me. His weird “I need to save him” when it comes to Dan was so unhealthy and weirdly creepy from the first few pages. The ...more

It is very clear that little to no research went into this book. From the depiction of addiction, the glorification of stalking and the main character's toxic behaviour; down to the way all the "heavy content" was used as shock value and never properly explored. This is not to say that you can't write an unlikeable/stupid/awful character, because you absolutely can. But when you reward the MC with a happy ending and zero growth, that's when a story becomes problematic.
...more
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ARC reader - honest review
On reflection I believe this book deserves a more detailed review so have edited my original one.
Normally I don’t enjoy slow burns but I was hooked and invested from Will and Dan’s first chance meeting right to the last page. I can’t think about jacket potatoes without thinking about these two. This is a great testament to the writing style.
I absolutely adore everything about Dan. He is a unique and complicated character and I really felt for him throughout. He’s had ...more
On reflection I believe this book deserves a more detailed review so have edited my original one.
Normally I don’t enjoy slow burns but I was hooked and invested from Will and Dan’s first chance meeting right to the last page. I can’t think about jacket potatoes without thinking about these two. This is a great testament to the writing style.
I absolutely adore everything about Dan. He is a unique and complicated character and I really felt for him throughout. He’s had ...more

So this review has been difficult for me to figure out. What this book does right? The basic concept. The plot of this story, falling in love with someone who is battling an addiction, and also being afraid to come out in even what seems like a supportive situation. I think both of these situations make for a great storylines and had me incredibly excited for this release. Also, New Adult is totally a genre that needs exploring and I looked forward to the fact that there would be more adult topi
...more

I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review and am updating my review now I have taken part in the blog tour.
One of the things that I liked most about this book was the writing. You can clearly see how much time and care was spent on writing and editing this book because the end result was beautiful. Though some moments felt a little rushed, such as the first meeting, I liked how it was able to really slow down and make you live in the present with these characters. It is the very definit ...more
One of the things that I liked most about this book was the writing. You can clearly see how much time and care was spent on writing and editing this book because the end result was beautiful. Though some moments felt a little rushed, such as the first meeting, I liked how it was able to really slow down and make you live in the present with these characters. It is the very definit ...more

This is not a book for the faint of heart. It’s an inherently human story, so the characters are flawed and things get messy. There’s drug addiction, abortion, and failed and abusive relationships.
Our main character is a young and naïve 19 year old med student named Will whose main drive in life is a desire to help people. He’s also coming to terms with the fact that he’s bi, and facing the dreaded issue of coming out.
The love interest is a guy in his mid-twenties named Daniel. He’s an addict, a ...more
Our main character is a young and naïve 19 year old med student named Will whose main drive in life is a desire to help people. He’s also coming to terms with the fact that he’s bi, and facing the dreaded issue of coming out.
The love interest is a guy in his mid-twenties named Daniel. He’s an addict, a ...more

I will be very honest. I am extremely disappointed to have to write this review. I was so excited for this book. Queer AND New Adult Romance everything I love. However the moment I received my ARC and started reading it I was extremely uncomfortable.
I will say I have never personally experienced any of the struggles faced by the characters within this story. So while reading the book I thought maybe I just felt uncomfortable because it was new to me. However the farther in I got the more I coul ...more
I will say I have never personally experienced any of the struggles faced by the characters within this story. So while reading the book I thought maybe I just felt uncomfortable because it was new to me. However the farther in I got the more I coul ...more

Worst book of 2021.
I've seen so much interest about this book on Twitter and although it's not a genre I've read in a while, I used to love reading romance and this was so disappointing.
We are promised slow burn and all we actually get is a main character who acts like a complete stalker and is completely insensitive towards the love interests, Dan, addiction - why does he keep offering him painkillers when he knows that he struggles with addiction?!?!
Would not recommend you read this. ...more
I've seen so much interest about this book on Twitter and although it's not a genre I've read in a while, I used to love reading romance and this was so disappointing.
We are promised slow burn and all we actually get is a main character who acts like a complete stalker and is completely insensitive towards the love interests, Dan, addiction - why does he keep offering him painkillers when he knows that he struggles with addiction?!?!
Would not recommend you read this. ...more

Thank you so much to SLR Publishing for the ARC of this book!
William is a med student at Keele University. He's fresh into a new semester when he meets Daniel, a mysterious stranger that Will is immediately drawn to, and concerned about. Dan is fresh out of an abusive relationship and struggling with drug addiction. Will can't help but want to try to help Dan, his growing feelings aside. He's not quite out to anyone yet, so what's the point in being out to Dan?
This book is the ultimate slow burn ...more
William is a med student at Keele University. He's fresh into a new semester when he meets Daniel, a mysterious stranger that Will is immediately drawn to, and concerned about. Dan is fresh out of an abusive relationship and struggling with drug addiction. Will can't help but want to try to help Dan, his growing feelings aside. He's not quite out to anyone yet, so what's the point in being out to Dan?
This book is the ultimate slow burn ...more

If you’re looking for an intense, quiet, slow-burn, messy love story that’s also a coming-out story and a coming-of-age story, look no further. NOT QUITE OUT is an important look at aspects of queerness and queer love that often get brushed over by publishing, but which should leave a lot of readers feeling seen.
This is the story of William, a second-year medical student in the UK, and Daniel, a political science major from Russia who works in the student union. Note that this is NOT YA. Both of ...more
This is the story of William, a second-year medical student in the UK, and Daniel, a political science major from Russia who works in the student union. Note that this is NOT YA. Both of ...more

I'll update once I've read the whole thing but oh my gosh. Gay trans dude here. Not usually a fan of romance in real life or literature but this may just be the book that changes my mind.
Character introduction is adorable. Writing is easy to follow without too much bulk dragging the story down.
Lush!
Also giving me cravings for a jacket potato..? ...more
Character introduction is adorable. Writing is easy to follow without too much bulk dragging the story down.
Lush!
Also giving me cravings for a jacket potato..? ...more

You may have noticed Not Quite Out has been causing a sandstorm of interest via Twitter and Instagram. Because I’ve kept a close eye on Willingham's posts over the last couple of months, I’ve had a reasonable idea of the plot, the boys and what might be happening in this novel.
There isn’t a chance I’d spoil your experience of this book by giving too much away but I will discuss the outline of the story, my thoughts of the two boys and my own experienced with regards to the topics within the book ...more
There isn’t a chance I’d spoil your experience of this book by giving too much away but I will discuss the outline of the story, my thoughts of the two boys and my own experienced with regards to the topics within the book ...more

Will is bi, but no one knows. Or he thinks no one knows. He doesn’t understand his own reluctance to come out, given his supportive uni friends, tolerant parents and a sister who’s got his back the whole way. He’s recently broken up with his girlfriend, Lilly, and has sworn off relationships, at least while he’s working hard on his medical degree. Then he meets Dan - exotic, troubled Dan - and that’s it. Dan’s gay, which should make life a lot easier, except it doesn’t. Willingham has a good tou
...more

Trigger Warning: The book contains descriptions of trauma, domestic abuse, and drug addiction.
I think this is the first romance novel that I've read with a bisexual character as a protagonist - the way the author approached questions around sexuality, around coming out, and around domestic abuse were a mix of good and questionable. Of course, there were some things that we aren't privy to as the book is told from William's (the protagonist) perspective, so there are some details that we simply ...more
I think this is the first romance novel that I've read with a bisexual character as a protagonist - the way the author approached questions around sexuality, around coming out, and around domestic abuse were a mix of good and questionable. Of course, there were some things that we aren't privy to as the book is told from William's (the protagonist) perspective, so there are some details that we simply ...more

A slow-burn contemporary romance with tangible, idiosyncratic characters and messy, complex relationships that tackles real-world issues and questions the norms we have established around our culture of coming out. It’s a sophisticated and complicated novel with characters that are not always likeable and situations that have an uncomfortable resonance, but speaks to our potential to form relationships that traverse the chasms that split between us.
If you’re looking for an easy, fluffy, feel-goo ...more
If you’re looking for an easy, fluffy, feel-goo ...more

Trigger Warning: the novel represents things that sometimes happen in the real world and contains scenes of self-harm, drug addiction, domestic abuse, and trauma. This review only makes some mentions of them.
Finding a good slow-burn romance novel isn’t too hard – it’s a pretty common trope that’s used in romance literature. Finding a slow-burn with a bisexual protagonist? That’s a little harder to find. If you’re looking for a great Valentine’s Day read, look no further.
The struggle for young ...more

Must Read!
I stayed up the very night this was released! So many emotions I felt though the whole thing! It is amazing! Dan's and Will's story resigned so much with me. This is pretty much how that worked for me. It made me feel so connected with Will in those moments and just begging someone to say it for me or understanding me. I wanted to hug Dan so much! This was an amazing read. ...more
I stayed up the very night this was released! So many emotions I felt though the whole thing! It is amazing! Dan's and Will's story resigned so much with me. This is pretty much how that worked for me. It made me feel so connected with Will in those moments and just begging someone to say it for me or understanding me. I wanted to hug Dan so much! This was an amazing read. ...more

TW: Addiction, Abortion, Abuse, Mental Health Issues, PTSD, Self-Harm.
There’s a lot to say about this debut, and I’ve really struggled to corral my thoughts into something resembling logic.
As someone who has issues with anxiety, and a nasty habit of obsessively thinking about anything from what paper to use for an art project to the stranger at the fireworks show that I can’t stop staring at, I could relate to Will in a very definite way. His nervousness and rambling thought patterns meant that ...more
There’s a lot to say about this debut, and I’ve really struggled to corral my thoughts into something resembling logic.
As someone who has issues with anxiety, and a nasty habit of obsessively thinking about anything from what paper to use for an art project to the stranger at the fireworks show that I can’t stop staring at, I could relate to Will in a very definite way. His nervousness and rambling thought patterns meant that ...more

Jan 08, 2021
talia ♡
marked it as to-read
okay, im super excited for this book bc bi!rights! but i am CRYING over the cover 😭😭 WHY does this look exactly like gansey and adam parrish in that meme format?!...this literally sums up their relationship too 😭

"Time flies with Daniel."
And time also flies when reading Not Quite Out! Seriously, this story is such a slow burner, yet at the same time, it's all too sudden when it ends!
Not Quite Out is the coming-out story I wished I'd read years ago. For me, this was realism. Yes, everyone's coming-out story is vastly different, but I think everyone has this messy period, this no-man's-land era when coming to terms with their sexuality. And Not Quite Out focuses on just that. This story really could help s ...more
And time also flies when reading Not Quite Out! Seriously, this story is such a slow burner, yet at the same time, it's all too sudden when it ends!
Not Quite Out is the coming-out story I wished I'd read years ago. For me, this was realism. Yes, everyone's coming-out story is vastly different, but I think everyone has this messy period, this no-man's-land era when coming to terms with their sexuality. And Not Quite Out focuses on just that. This story really could help s ...more

This book jut dragged. I felt like the MC's were stuck in an oblivious loop for 2/3 of the book without any really development then BAM, they were completely fine in the last few pages.
...more

Not Quite Out was a beautiful roller coaster from start to finish. I absolutely adored every minute of Will and Dan's love story. It's messy and hard and complicated, but it's also beautiful and tender and so perfectly sweet. Amazing bisexual rep, characters you really become invested in, and a voice that was so sweet and sad, I hated putting it down. This book honestly helped me see that, it doesn't matter how bad my past was. I deserve love and happiness, no matter what - just like Dan. And ju
...more

This book has been causing all kinds of commotion, largely because of its controversial subject matter and the fact that the publisher has (allegedly) taken to harassing reviewers for daring to post less-than-complimentary opinions. Guess I’m about to add fuel to the flames.
The first 5-10% of this book is, to be completely honest, awful. We meet William, whose initial introduction is not a positive one. He walks into a coffee shop, meets the hot Russian barista, and becomes obsessed with him. I’ ...more
The first 5-10% of this book is, to be completely honest, awful. We meet William, whose initial introduction is not a positive one. He walks into a coffee shop, meets the hot Russian barista, and becomes obsessed with him. I’ ...more
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Louise Willingham is an environmental scientist and writer whose interests vary from Pre-Raphaelite art to going to rock and metal concerts. While studying for her BSc at Keele University, she was a regular at the village pub quiz and a vocal member of the LGBT+ society committee. Not Quite Out is their debut novel.
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