Domenic, Patrick, and Kate are the leads in this delightful tale of friendships with all of their ups and downs. The Gay Best Friend is Domenic, and he does not always relish the role. He is the narrator, and its his story to tell as events cause him to examine the roles others play in his life. He spent 5 years with Ted, getting engaged but only breaking apart. Pro golfer Bucky is another of the interesting characters who has his own self to examine- when he's not obsessed with golf.
I enjoyed the characters and went out and ordered the author's previous novel.
Thanks NetGalley for the ARC.

Coming 6/6/23, this is an absolute must-read for anyone who love nothing more than some strong sexual tension and mutual pining. Absolutely fantastic chemistry between Dom & his crush! Their dynamic is a bit reminiscent of The Charm Offensive, which I really enjoyed and brought some light tears. Dom is a chaotic disaster, and we truly grow to love him for it along the way. The emotional growth in all the characters is the kind of thing you wish happened in real life, making it a perfect rom-com escape.

YES YES YES! This was a complete knockout of a book with so much heart and humor, while being impossible to put down. The plot/concept of this book could very well be the best I’ve ever read. It managed to be fabulously over-the-top while remaining entirely believable. I adored Dom as the main character and so much of his personal journey resonated with me. I’ve always said that there have been two parts to my coming out: 1) coming to terms with my queerness and 2) battling the preconceived expectations I placed on myself to fit in. I felt like this book really honed in on that second part, with the gay best friend cliche being explored beautifully.

Dom’s two best friends are marrying each other. Despite all the turmoil in his life (a recently failed engagement, a job he hates, etc.) he has a role to play at their respective pre-wedding parties: the gay best friend. On the one hand, he has to navigate the masculine world of Patrick’s former fraternity brothers, while experiencing a budding, forbidden fling with celebrity golfer, Bucky Graham. And on the other hand, he needs to assume the role of token gay at Kate’s bachelorette party. Not to mention most of the bridesmaids are significant others of the groomsmen, and Dom may have an extensive list of secrets. As one would expect, things get MESSY, and Dom finds himself in the center of it all.

To me, the strength of this book lies in Dom’s personal journey. Homeboy is going THROUGH it after his failed engagement, which only adds to the burden he carries by comparing his life to Patrick’s. The combination of alcohol, secrets, and a forbidden romance is a recipe for disaster, and the author did a fantastic job with these continuous conflicts while never losing sight of this deeply personal journey amidst the chaos. Not only that, but the humor in this book was top notch, and the entertainment value was through the roof. People may not understand this, but I genuinely felt the vibes were comparable to an iconic 2000s MTV/VH1 reality show. If Flavor of Love season 2 is my comfort reality TV show, “The Gay Best Friend” is now its book counterpart.

There’s literally everything in this book: messiness, pettiness, romance (with all the tropes), heartbreak, *gay* shenanigans, and SO. MUCH. DRAMA. This is a story about battling perceived societal expectations, embracing the chaos, and what it means to truly live for only yourself. It’s about relishing in the power of true friendships, tearing down emotional walls, and the ultimate strive for fulfillment. Reading this book was such a delight, and I know many people are going to love it just as much as I did.

The Gay Best Friend by Nicolas DiDomizio

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ / 5

“Son, worryin’ only gives small things big shadows.”

Woah - I picked up this ARC on NetGalley mainly because the cover was just too pretty not to request but it was truly impossible to put down.

Between the lighthearted comedy and steamy romance, there was so much scandal and truly meaningful lessons. I’m so glad the author included some book club questions at the end of the book so I could truly think through everything I read. It was nice to read from a perspective different to my own, and I feel like I learnt a lot about queer men and the damaging stereotypes and hardships they get put through.

I loved being able to read the scenarios Domenic was put through and have him overcome so many of them, especially learning to prioritise himself while still having respect for what the people around him are going through.

This book was overall incredible and I loved it so much. I think if you like Casey McQuistons queer romances but with a bit of an older demographic then The Gay Best Friend is for you!

I wanted to enjoy this but overall found the story, characters, and plot to be something not what I was longing for or one that I would pick back up.

The book started off breaking the fourth wall with weird (suggestions of things to look up) and I almost threw in the towel. BUT I liked the voice of the author so I stuck it out. I again almost quit when I became overly concerned that the author was some WASPY white woman writing about a gay man’s experience but after a quick google I realized this is a gay man and so I could proceed- probably could have been overcome if I had first paid attentikn to the authors name. Overall a lighthearted and fun read. 3.75 stars.


PS does this author not have a social media presence? Was going to tag him but didn’t find him