What a fun and drama-filled story! I read this in one sitting and loved every minute of it. This reminded me of a rom-com where the main character makes all of the wrong choices and wonders why everything is going awry. I cringed. I laughed. I groaned. I think what works so well about this story is that fact that I could relate to this Domenic even though the choices he made weren’t the best. All of the characters in this story had such strong personalities. I need to read more from DiDomizio!

Everyone needs a GBF. But what expectations does that put on the GBF himself?
Thank you to HarperCollins Canada/Sourcebooks and Netgalley for my eARC for review!
The Gay Best Friend by Nicolas Didomizio is a fast-paced, humorous read.
Dominic is best friends with Patrick and Kate, and is best man for their upcoming wedding. Thus, he is participating in the time-honoured traditions of the Bachelor and Bachelorette weekends. In Mystic!
Dom's own engagement was recently called off, and at the guys event he is reacquainted with friend-of-a-friend, pro golf star Bucky Graham.
Seems Bucky's straight man persona is for show, and sparks between he and Dom become apparent.
Add in the inevitable drama among friends, spouses and partners, the heartache of self-acceptance and you have a bittersweet, slightly spicy and fun tale. It's perfect for June Pride reading, summer, and anytime. Recommended!
Released on June 6.

Domenic’s best friends are getting married. His long time friend from high school, Patrick, is marrying Kate who’s become his other best friend. Both fill different but important roles in Dom’s life. After his own engagement crashed two months earlier, Dom has to throw a bachelor party for some straight dudes and report back to the bride if the groom does anything scandalous. Dom slots into the stereotypical, tokenizing role of gay best friend, but he wants something more. Not to mention he has to deal with the hot, Southern pro golfer at the party.

I thought this book was delightful and a lot of fun. It kind of gave me anxiety to see Dom stuck in this role between his best friends. Even though this has a lot of humor and romcom vibes, it’s kind of sad in a lot of ways. I didn’t expect to be so moved by this but I was. I kind of hated all of the characters because they were all terrible to each other. But then I remember it’s all the fault of the institution of marriage and I felt sorry for them. Don’t fear though! The ending is good and very satisfying.

I really like the dynamics between Patrick and Dom in this book. They both had lives on parallel tracks, but both were very different, and Dom’s much harder in many ways. But I love this as a story of friendship and keeping long term friends. I also liked the way the spectrum of sexuality is handled in this book. It doesn’t present a polarization of gayness and straightness. Instead it looks at the messy nature of sexuality and how people can discover who they are (and who they aren’t) at any age.

If you’re looking for a snarky, saucy, pop-culture-ladened, wedding-disasters rom-com, pick up this book for the summer and Pride month. ▪️

This was certainly light hearted and interesting! It's always nice to see queer rep in books, and this was the perfect piece of fluff to get me through a few serious reads. The chracters by and large, I couldn't stand. Both Kate and Patrick were awful, and I have to wonder if Dom was written as an unreliable narrator on purpose or if it just shook out that way.

The Gay Best Friend by Nicolas DiDomizio

Well written, interesting look at expectations, love, and friendship that at times was painful and others heartwarming.

What I liked:
* Domenic: lawyer, musician, recently dis-engaged from Ted, best friends with Patrick and Patrick’s fiancé Kate, people pleaser, prefers peaceful friendships, somewhat self-absorbed, tries to live up to an image he has for himself, a magnet for trouble-controversy, grows some through the story
* Patrick: wealthy, Dom’s friend since childhood, stayed in touch with fraternity friends, in love with Kate, a bit clueless, communication skills need some work, a good person
* Kate: works for Vogue, engaged to Patrick, good friends with Domenic, makes request of Dom that is rather inappropriate and bound to cause problems, communication skills need some work, a good person
* Bucky: pro-golfer, in the closet, has a lot to process through the story and grows a great deal as her realizes truths about himself
* Ted: Domenic’s ex-fiancé, seemed more self-aware and better able to communicate than Dom, seemed a good guy though not the man for Domenic
* Mario: lobsterman, mature, kind, wise – wouldn’t mind seeing him in a future book
* Not sure I liked the drama, angst, conflicts, etc. but they were well done. I wanted to sit people down and make them talk to one another – so – well written as it did engage me
* The way more than one character dealt with personal issues and grew through the process

What I didn’t like:
* Who and what I was meant not to like
* That there was so much drama to deal with throughout the story…drama, angst, secrets, lies, hiding, and immaturity for people in their 30’s.

Did I enjoy this book? In the end
Would I read more by this author? Maybe

Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Casablanca for the ARC – This is my honest review.

3-4 Stars

A “token gay best friend” is stuck between a bride and groom in the lead-up to their wedding in this latest release from Nicolas DiDomizio.

Oh boy, I had anxiety while reading this book! I feel like there were just important relationships at stake, and it had me stressed, which made the reading experience a little unpleasant. The writing (esp. the humor) felt a bit forced at times, and the ending was a little abrupt and ultimately unsatisfying. It wasn’t my cup of tea, but I trust it finds its audience! Excited to see what DiDomizio writes next.

A thank you to Sourcebooks Casablanca and Netgalley for the e-ARC in exchange for my honest, unbiased review. THE GAY BEST FRIEND is out now!

The Gay Best Friend is a new release and a fun summer read! Our main character Dom is dealing with a break up, but also has the wedding of his two straight best friends coming up. I have to start off by saying that I loved seeing Dom being involved with his friend's wedding and really wanting them to both have a great time.

The bachelor and bachelorette parties were insane and included lots of drama. Some of the moments between Dom and people at these parties was really awkward, but there were a few laugh out loud moments. It was clear Dom really cared about his friends, but had a hard time finding out his place in this whole situation. If I'm honest Patrick and Kate bugged me, because they basically expected Dom to find out things and keep secrets from the other. I didn't really like either of them.

Dom's story was probably the best part of the book. It's clear at the beginning that he's still struggling with his engagement ending not too long before the wedding. He's very much a people pleaser and doesn't always believe in himself and how he should act. I loved his journey in The Gay Best Friend, because he starts thinking about who he is and what he wants. Dom has a love interest in this story, but this felt more like a side note that developed just a bit too quickly.

Even though this book had some things I didn't completely love, I did have a good time reading The Gay Best Friend. I would definitely read more by this author.

My review will be published on https://thebookdutchesses.com on June7th!

I so badly wanted to enjoy this one. When I started it, it sucked me right in and I was looking forward to breezing through it. Unfortunately, a breeze it was not.

Dom was whiny and insecure to the very end. He acknowledged the faults in his relationship with whatever the heck his name was and then allowed another man to treat him even SHITTIER! the absolute self-respect is what ruined it for me.

Queer men and women always seem to be the butt of the joke, always the characters being mistreated and walked all over. And the concept is tired. We don't want queer "joy" at the expense of a main character's morals or self respect. We want queer joy just plain and simple.

That is not to say, we don't want relatable books about the struggle of coming to terms with your sexuality and navigating coming out of the closet. Those are so important. But this book was so very far from that.

Thank you to Sourcebooks Casablanca & NetGalley for the gifted e-arc!

MY RATING: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This book was so light and quick! It reminded me a lot of THE CHARM OFFENSIVE and RED WHITE AND ROYAL BLUE. loved all of the characters. Dominic especially was relatable and witty and had many layers. The balance of plot and side plots were easy to follow. I tore through this book in a day! It would be a great summer read, or something to bring on a weekend trip or a bachelorette!!

I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley and am voluntarily posting a review. All opinions are my own.
Nicolas DiDimozio is a new-to-me author, and I snapped up The Gay Best Friend when it was available to “Read Now” on NetGalley on a whim. While it was a bit more than I initially expected, I did mostly enjoy it.
I really like how the story explores the trope of the “gay best friend” in a sort of meta way, with DiDomozio actively interrogating some of the tropes associated with this stereotype. The portrayal of what it’s like to be the token gay friend to two straight people (and having those people be in a relationship) felt realistic, and I liked how there were nuances to Dom being fairly confident when pursuing romantic relationships, but more reluctant to rock the boat with his friendships.
This book is quite messy in some of the dynamics, especially with Dom’s friends and the myriad bad decisions everyone makes. However, the story does do its job at putting Dom (and the reader) in an uncomfortable position with these other people, and while there are some intense moments, it’s a case where the end mostly justifies the means.
The romance is also pretty well fleshed out, and I liked how it highlighted Bucky’s struggle as a closeted queer man in sports, while also navigating his relationship with Dom.
While the book was a bit more intense than I expected initially, I enjoyed it for the most part. I would recommend it to anyone looking for queer fiction with a messy cast of characters.

This book was fun and heartwarming at times. Many of the characters frustrated me quite a bit in regards to how they treated one another. Overall, I enjoyed the book and recommend it as a fun beach read.

The Gay Best Friend by Nicolas DiDomizio
Rating: 3 stars
Steam: 1 chili
Pub Date: 5/30

This book had such great potential! I was drawn in immediately by the fun premise, the lgbtqia+ representation, the fast pace, and Domenic, the relatable and likable MC. The writing style was fresh, with just enough sass and snark to have me laughing out loud. The book takes place in Mystic, CT, only twenty minutes from where I live, so I could feel the summer vibes and envision the scene perfectly.

But what started off promising was pretty disappointing overall. There was so much lying, cheating, and general bitchiness with these characters that I started to cringe. The romance was rushed and never fully developed, and it wasn't easy to relate to any of the characters.

I was expecting more substance or to see some personal growth, but sadly that wasn’t the case. Dom needed to explore his feelings a little more and in a healthier manner. If anything, he gets worse as the book goes on, and all the brooding, sulking, and terrible decision-making were tiresome after a while. I DNF’d at 80% because I honestly didn’t care what happened at the end.

I’ve seen some great reviews for this one, so don’t let my opinion keep you from checking it out! There’s an audience for this, but sadly, it’s not me. Thank you NetGalley and Sourcebooks Casa for my ARC to read and review.

This was such a good book. Dom's two best friends, Kate and Patrick, are getting married and he's the best man. When Kate asks him to report back to her about what goes on during the bachelor party, craziness breaks loose. Friendships are strained, relationships are imploding...and Dom still has to attend the bachelorette party. This was cute and funny, but also with some life lessons thrown in. Loved it!

Thank you NetGalley, Sourcebooks Casablanca, and Nicolas DiDomizio for the advanced copy of The Gay Best Friend in exchange for my honest review.

I am sooo glad I was able to snag a copy of this book while it was available as "Read Now" on NetGalley! It is equal parts funny, heartbreaking, and heartwarming. I absolutely loved Dom's journey throughout the book.

I think a lot of important conversations also happened between the different characters and I personally learned a lot from these too.

This is a perfect summer beach read, I read it almost all in one sitting!

Thanks to NetGalley and SOURCEBOOKS Casablanca. I do not know why I choose this book. I think it was due to the cover and not the synopsis. This book was way too much for me. The characters do not keep you in any comfort in this book. It was so high strung. The cover does not represent the book.

I don't even have enough words to accurately describe this book. I laughed. I cried. I laughed while I cried. I have never wanted to be friends with a character more than I have with Dom. He was everyone's best friend and confidant. The author brought these characters and scene to life within the first chapter. I found myself engrossed and couldn't put the book down. The lap dance scene was sheer brilliance and I still can't stop thinking about how hysterical it was. The anticipation, the steam, and the feuds made this an unforgettable and laugh out loud read. I can't recommend this book enough!

This book was well written and the characters were well developed. For me, it was a little too anxiety-inducing for it to truly be a beach read. The characters are messy and the way the main character is in the middle stressed me out. But that's a me problem, not a problem with the book. If you enjoy messy characters, you will have a great time.

I§ HAPPY PUBLICATION DAY R
Book: The Gay Beat Friend
Author: Nicolas DiDomizio
Star Rating: 4.5
The Gay Best Friend by Nicolas DiDomizio was a breath of fresh air! It was honestly a laugh out loud read, with characters that are so extremely relatable!!
We follow Dom who is best friends with both the bride and groom of an upcoming wedding and we follow the antics of the bachelor and bachelorette party and everything that happens in between over the duration of the Summer!
It is a story that is so beautifully and cleverly developed and a plot line like i've never read before!! It is definitely worth picking up if you're in the mood for a fun and juicy story!!
Thank you so much to @netgalley, @nicdidomiziobooks and @sourcebookscasa for the opportunity to read this before publication in exchange for an honest review!

3.5/5 Stars
I went into this book really excited about the premise and the voice of the main character Dominic who for all intents and purposes gets into predicaments because he can't stand up for himself and who regularly seeks validation from the worst people.

Dominic's life was going great until his fiancee decides to pull the plug on their wedding. Reeling from his break-up Dominic still has to attend his straight best friend Patricks Bachelor party where he is the best man while being berated by the bride Kate-a woman who says she's one of his best friends but treats him like her accessory, to tell her everything that happens. Hijinks ensue and before you know it, Dominic has slept with the grooms "straight" friend and exposed their hook-up and caused a public outing and a break up from his girlfriend , spilled the tea on another one of the grooms friends (who ends up in divorce), Patrick and Kate threaten to call of their wedding and Dominic sputters nonsense half the time while coming off as needy and spineless. The entire cast of characters made me wonder how these people were friends to begin with- I was getting whiplash at how crazy they would react to situations and how just as quickly they would forgive and move on with their lives- it was a lot. They all need therapy and healthier friendships.

While I wanted to shake Dominic this story had some really nice moments, the setting and the plot of it was nice and it made for a quick read. I love to see LGBTQ characters (even messy ones like Dominic) Read this if you want something non-consequential poolside.
OUT 5/30

*I received a free ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*

This book felt so well balanced. There were deep emotions and a strong emotional journey, but it was balanced with a healthy dose of shenanigans. The side characters felt so rich, and I loved seeing our main character's journey from the beginning of his story to the end. While at times he wasn't a likeable character, it made him more real in many ways.

For any of my friends who don't like books with heavy drinking this book may not be for you. Alcohol and decisions fueled by it are used as the instigating factor for moving a lot of the plot forward. Just a warning for anyone who may find that type of content triggering.