The Gay Best Friend I saw at Barnes and Noble and immediately picked it up and was like yep, this is the book I’m walking out this store with. And that’s exactly what I did! After purchasing this book, I saw the audiobook was up for request on NetGalley and immediately had to request!! So yes as soon as that approval hit … it was time for that hybrid reading to go down. There is nothing I enjoy better than reading a physical book with the audiobook streaming through my headphones.

This is a laugh out loud romcom with some twist and a whole lot of romance! I enjoyed watching our main character Domenic “Dom” Marino code switch between the hypermasculine & hyperfeminine worlds of his two besties who are soon to be wed. So we have the bride, the groom and the token gay best friend. I mean what more could you ask for?!? I also really enjoyed the authentic depiction of over thinking and anxiety. I have never felt so seen.

An amazing & mesmerizing audiobook delivered by a masterful narrator. A stunning performance brought this cute story to life!! I highly recommend!

A huge thank you to the publisher, the author and NetGalley for this ALC in exchange for my honest review.

I loved this book! It was super cute, but engaging, and kept you wanting more. I finished this in a few days because I loved it so much and wanted to know what was going to happen. I really enjoyed this book!

4 stars! was really so fun and interesting on the gay best friend take but i did often find myself frustrated at what was going on.

there was so much plot squeezed into one book, it felt repetitive in some senses. i was frustrated by the situations the lead found himself in especially with his friends. i was so annoyed and would not have put up with it but taking a step back and not making everything about myself, i was able to see how realistic these characters were (especially of those in that tax bracket).

i did enjoy the development of the characters and despite the plot feeling like a lot, there was a lot of it i liked. it was overwhelming, just a little messy (in a drama kind of way that i liked).

generally the writing was easy to read and i found myself enjoying the dramatics of it all. i really liked the way dom was able to grow and be himself more comfortably and confidently with his friends.

the narrator did great although i hated his voicing for one of the male side characters… i lived though.

thank you to the publisher and netgalley for this audiobook arc in return for an honest review.

I totally fell into this book. I fully sank into these characters. Often it takes a few chapters before you really feel a connection to the main characters. but not this book. I loved every minute of this book. Domenic is so real for all his troublesome behavior, his insecurities, and his friendships, and relationships.

Daniel Henning did a spectacular job voicing all the parts of this book. you really felt all of his emotions coming through!

Thank you to Dreamscape and NetGalley for the audio arc! I really enjoyed this one, which was a nice surprise because I had mixed feelings initially. A little chaotic, a little frustrating at times (the communication was ROUGH) had me questioning things but then things quickly began to come together. The characters’ growth was nice and I enjoyed all of the cast of characters, even though they all infuriated me at times (a sign of the humanization) my favorite being Bucky, his southern metaphors were hysterical. This book was messy, but such is life. I’m excited to read more from this author! 4 stars!

I think that the best way to describe this book is obnoxiously stereotypical. The characters were relatively mediocre and predictable. But not predictable in the good character writing kind of way; predictable in the they all act like stereotypes and caricatures of real-life people, things exaggerated for movies or tv shows, way.

The story was good. It was a little bit long, but it got the job done. I found myself bored toward the end. I felt like I was waiting for the book to be over. Under different circumstances, I probably would have put this book down and simply forgotten to pick it back up.

The climax felt so... anticlimactic. I think the message of Dom learning to love himself and then finding someone who actually deserved him would have been a better ending and honestly a better message to anyone reading this and struggling with similar circumstances.

As for the narrator, it felt like the was putting on a stereotypical gay voice just for the character. I honestly found it slightly offensive, but he did have some inflection in his tone that other narrators lack, which earns him points in my book.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. This was a cute sort of rom-com about a guy named Domenic who has recently broken off his engagement with his long time boyfriend. Now he is is the best man for his childhood friend Patirick's wedding. But Dom has also become very close friends with Patrick's fiance Katie. And Katie has asked Dom to keep Patrick in line during the boy's bachelor party weekend. Obviously this puts pressure on Dom and also places him directly in between his two friends. At the party, he beomes better aquainted with PGA Star Bucky who is another of Patrick's good friends. This was a good story and I am really glad I had an opportunity to read and enjoy it. My critique would be just that it wasn't really as funny as readers are led to believe. There are a lot of cringy situations and times I felt terrible for Dom. The only truly negative thing I can say is that I liked Dom but became annoyed with him because he told secrets time and time again. After so many times, you aren't sorry you accidentally slipped, you have to be knowingly doing it. Of course he should have told his friends early on that he felt uncomfortable beign the go-between but seeing him sloppily telling on everyone was annoying. Otherwise I did have a good time with this one and will happily keep my eye out for future books from this author.

Goodreads review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/edit/60779402

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC! How cute was this book! Seriously, I loved every minute of it! Recently single and a mess, Dom is stuck between his two best friends who are getting married. When Kate asks Dom to go to Patrick's bachelor party to protect him from doing stupid things... he shows up at Kate's bachelorette party with more secrets than he ever thought he would have. This book is charming, heartwarming, and adorable.

This was just what I needed after a long, difficult week. A light hearted, funny, but real book. I loved the main character and rooted for him immediately. Several moments had me laughing out loud, and about 1./2 way through this book, I went an added DiDomizios other book to my TBR. I am thankful to Netgalley and Goodreads for the ALC and the ARC of this book. Happy Pride month! <3

I really don't enjoy people who are messy and drag others into it, so this book really didn't land with me. I did think that the exploration of Dom and the code switching he has to do between friend groups was an interesting angle. But I really disliked most of the people and it was really had to make me care for any of the friends. I stopped reading twice to switch to something else and almost didn't come back that last time. I do think that Daniel Henning is a good narrator (I mostly know him from the recent TJ Klune books). Thank you NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for the advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed listening to The Gay Best Friend by Nicolas DiDomizio on audiobook. The readers voice is perfect in my opinion Thank you Dreamscape Audio and Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Domenic is our main character, and he is currently trying to navigate his new life after a failed engagement and supporting his best friends Patrick & Kate who are getting married. As the gay friend, he is invited to both bachelor and bachelorette party. But as the Best Man and lifelong friend to Patrick, he is torn keeping all of the secrets that ensue during the bachelor trip from Kate. Then enters Bucky, who REALLY throws things for a loop.

Overall, this book is pure chaos in the best way and I enjoyed the friendships. I love the insight on what its like to have to play both sides as the token gay friend. The only reason i didn't give this a 5 star is because I really would have liked to see a little more of Dom and Bucky actually together rather than in secret. Although, that really did play an important role in the entire book.

I would recommend this book as a beach read, and for those looking for a different take on gay romance and what that looks like.

This book had good bones, but the execution was subpar at best. I wanted to love this so badly, but kind of hated every character (and not in a they are so bad I kind of love them anyways way) and none of them I found fully redeemable. Points for originality in the plot but not much else

I enjoyed this book and would recommend it to friends and family!!

Thank you to the author, the publisher, and NetGalley for an advanced audiobook download in exchange for my honest review.

The gay best friend is cheesy stereotype of the token gay in a gaggle of women. And while Dominic (Dom) falls into that role sometimes, this book is about someone way more than that!

Dom grew up best friends with Patrick, who comes from a far more wealthy and connected family than Dom and that Dom can't help be a little jealous of. After they drift apart in college after Dom comes out as gay, they will reignite their friendship when Dom's new friend, Kate, turns out to be dating and eventually getting engaged to Patrick! The majority of this story is during both the bachelor and bachelorette parties in Mystic, Connecticut just one month after Dom's own engagement to Ted fell apart. Kate wants to use Dom's role as her gay best friend to spy on the debauchery of Patrick and his frat friends, and Patrick wants to use Dom's role as his gay best friend to maintain bro code and not spill what happens at the bachelor party to Kate.

The ensuing parties are chaotic, drunken, and messy. In other words, unforgettable! And indeed, no one is more chaotic, drunken, or messy than Dom himself. He may be the protagonist, but is he the hero of this story?

Overall, this book was really well laid out, the timing of the parties and wedding were clearly delineated, and I was glad to see Dom having to reflect on his role in the drama of the book, when so often books just hold up the main character who just had lots of events happen to them and they are innocent of it. It is mark of good writing.

My only warning here is don't listen to the audiobook. The narrator has some strange choices for voices of the characters especially Bucky, who is supposed to be a hot 30 something golfer, but sounds like a late 50s trucker who smokes a pack of cigarettes a day! This and some of the other vocal choices pulled me out of the story.

Well, that was funny and cute. I think I laughed out loud a bunch of times. It was a sweet story. I wil read more from this author. I recommend this book if you need a good palette cleanser. I really liked the narrator too.

OMG, I loved it so much!
The Gay Best Friend by Nicolas DiDomizio, an audiobook Narrated by Daniel Henning was a fantastic journey through friendships, choosing sides, being only gay in the company, and difficulties in "coming out". This is a story about making mistakes and learning from them.
This is a story about being true to yourself!
Domenic was supposed to get married this year but unfortunately, his relationship ended leaving him to work out, how to be alone. Instead of concentrating on his own problems, Dominic is stuck between his best friends, the bride and groom, and their issues. Dominic can't decide who to put first as doesn't matter what one of them will hurt. And in between all this, there is some unexpected romance with the potential to bloom but the other person must admit to himself true self. Is Dominic worth it to "come out"? Will Dominic be ready to stay a "dirty secret" or will choose himself?

YES, this was so amazing book!
Thank you NetGallery and Dreamscape Media for a chance to listen to this audiobook. I must say Daniel Henning as a narrator was truly perfect for this book!
#TheGayBestFriend #NetGalley

It wasn't possible to leave a review on Amazone so I will do on publication day 06/06/23

Thank you to the publisher for providing an advance copy via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Unfortunately, I found myself frustrated at the characters during most of the book. Of course every romance will have some sort of miscommunication trope, but this book did it so many times and the characters barely learned a thing, especially the MC. Dom kept self-sabotaging, then hated himself, then learned nothing and self-sabotaged again. I'm sure this will be a fun read for many, but it's not for me.

This book is not a romance. It has a romance in it, but, if there is an HEA, it would be with besties and/or the self. But the traditional HEA is not the focus of this story. Instead, it is a coming-of-age for a man in his late 20’s coming to terms with letting adolescent roles, expectations, and behaviors go. Now, filter that through the big emotions of a needs-therapy gay man and the wedding between his two best friends. Dram-aaaa! If you like the drama of the CW teen shows, you’ll like this, too. It’s a good romance-adjacent genre that we haven’t seen in large-publishing-house books yet. Yay for have multi-lens stories!

Very fun summer read! This book has a balance of cringe style humor, pop culture references and a lot of emotional growth from all of the characters that felt authentic. A wonderful balance that the audiobook narrator had as well. The main character is a little chaotic but also so loveable and frankly, a little relatable of trying to keep up with everyone else for the sake of appearances. I adored the friendships and also loved the romance subplot. I look forward to picking up more books from Nicolas DiDomizio!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this book!

What can I say about this book? It was cute and I enjoyed it but it fell a little flat for me. You could see the love story coming from the very beginning and the tension between the characters was a bit much at times.

I still enjoyed it but it wasn’t my favourite.