Boys Come First follows Remy, Troy, and Dominick, three early 30s gay Black men living in Detroit, as they they navigate their relationships, careers, and families.
This was a very character driven novel, with not much plot - the story follows the three men over several months while they are out living their lives. I enjoyed these characters, and never felt bored following them around while they looked for love in Detroit. The boys had fun together, they fought one another, they defended each other, and I loved all three of them.
Thank you to NetGalley and Belt Publishing for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

I had no idea what to expect when I started reading "Boys Come First". But it didn't took much long for me to realize that this was the book I needed all along. It isp the perfect blend of humour and emotions. "Boys Come First" is how every debut novel should be like. I can't praise this book enough. Just please read it.

"Boys Come First" is an inspiring and hilarious debut novel written by Aaron Foley. The book follows three Black, gay millennial men searching for love, friendship and professional success in the Motor city - Detroit.

Aaron Foley is a talented writer. His writing is very accessible and easy to follow through. The prose is exquisite. I personally didn't come across to a single dull moment while reading this book. The story, the setting, the dialogues, the communications between the characters - everything felt very real. It's also hilarious and very funny. I loved the humour in this book.

Dominick, Troy and Remy are wonderful characters. They aren't perfect. They are faulty; even frustrating at times. But I still couldn't stop myself from loving them because their voices are so raw that I could actually feel their pain as my own.

The pacing of the story is steady and flows smoothly. The author takes time to get us accustomed to the situation and to know the characters well. I never liked too much of the back-stories of the characters. I always felt they make a story unnecessarily long. But Aaron Foley proved me wrong. I loved to get to know Dom, Troy and Remy. The author doesn't shy away from letting us see how imperfect the characters are. The men- all three of them - makes irritating and horrible mistakes. The mistakes are such that I wanted to slap them. But soon after, they realizes their misdeeds and come into their senses. The characterization is so perfect that I was in awe. It truly couldn't have been better.

The voices of the characters are raw and unfiltered. They are infuriated and angry all the times. And I could actually feel their angry through the amazing narration. Sometimes, the comments they make, seemed too harsh. They are e way too much judgemental at times. I was hesitant about what to make of those parts. It felt the characters were venting their frustration on every white poeple out there. But soon enough, I understood, that is exact the point. Dom, Troy and Remy are angry and they are showing their anger. They are venting. Yes, they are harsh and judgemental, but you are bound to be that way at times when you have been wronged for too long -of course unless you are a SAINT. I have personally been in their shoes. I have first hand experience of racism. I had been criticised for my dark skin in the past. I still do get such comments from now and then. I know how angry it makes you. So, it is understandable that the three men are angry to see their town being taken over by the White minority.

Another thing I noticed while reading this book is that the voices of our protagonists are not unique or distinct. It is hard to identify them as individuals. They all felt the same to me. I felt a little irritated at first. But when I looked closely I found it a praiseworthy thing. The characters aren't special as individuals. But when they came together; started nworking together - their voices turned into a powerful force. Together, they became a fire that would be extremely hard to extinguish.

I also want to mention something personal. Troy is half-Bangladeshi. I, myself as a Bangladeshi, am very proud to be represented. The small cultural things the author mentioned are correct. Whenever Troy cooked something of our cuisine, I found myself bouncing around with joy. It was a wonderful experience. Many many thanks to the author.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this ARC.

This book was an absolute delight! Something that I really love is when books are steeped in a particular place and this was certainly the case with this book! There were so many references to Detroit and I really felt like I was there with Dominick, Troy, and Remy! I thought the characters were excellent too, they felt like real people. They had flaws, strengths, and they had believable challenges. I thought the arcs for each of the characters were intriguing and that the story pacing was well done! The humor in this book was top tier- especially in the characters’ internal monologues.

I highly recommend this and I can’t wait for the book to come out!

You know that feeling when you accidentally stumble upon an absolute gem of a book and you can't put it down? Yeah.

Went into this with zero expectations and (basically) zero knowledge of what the plot was about and I basically fell head over heels in love with it. I loved all three protagonists and was swept away by the writing style. It was somewhere between witty and poetic and it was almost as though a friend was telling me a story out loud. I loved the commentary on race, identity, class and gentrification and I hope that Aaron Foley get's the love and appreciation he deserves when the book is published!

I am so looking forward to the physical copy of this book! I just love the cover. I love the humour. I love the writing. I adore the way the characters are as they are.

Thank you Belt Publishing for the advance reading copy.

This is just the book I knew I would need when I need to read a queer fun story which would make me laugh and smirk at the same time.

It's just not the women who are looked upon with judgemental eyes when we hit a certain age. It's more so for queer men as is experienced by our main character here. Their voice speaks of the many experiences they go through amidst various circumstances where they feel things they feel they should and shouldn't; like they act like they should and shouldn't and think like they should and shouldn't.

You will know what I am talking about when you read this book.

While it may be true or written in relation to the story or the characters involved, the parts which repetitively mention "white gay men/boys" have it easy or something in the same vein are somehow not appropriate or necessary enough to make such comparisons. Give me a better plot or character stories or events or anything in the plot that would absolutely need such statements or comparisons.

The story ends well. Such a good read over-all.