A light-hearted, friendship drama mixed with romance, and humor. The Gay Best Friend represents the highs and lows that every friendship goes through from the perspective of Dom, the gay main character, during his uber sporty, frat boy, best friend’s wedding. No matter a person’s sexual identity, everyone will relate to the troubles and hardships these characters go through — while also laughing along with Don’ s modern culture references.

I adored this book and could not stop listening to it. The Gay Best Friend follows Dom as he navigates his role as best friend of both the bride and the groom through their bachelor and bachelorette parties and the summer of their wedding.

The book is sweet, it's funny, and it explores some really vulnerable questions of identity, coming out, self love and being enough. DiDomizio gives such an open view of the challenges of maintaining friendships as we grow older, and what it means to communicate openly.

Highly recommend this queer summer romance.

This was decent. The MC was a little whiny which is always hard to take in an adult character.
The story is fun, the side characters are interesting and for the most part this is really good.
MUCH funny one liners to be found in here.
The constant whiny/self pity was off putting, I wish Domenic had been able to see their own hiccups and missteps instead of focusing on the poor me poor me bits. I think he would have been able to handle more of what came at him if he had focused internally instead of how "wronged" he had been by others.
Thanks to NetGalley & Dreamscape Media for my DRC.

Trigger Warnings: Break-up, past coming out, alcohol, classism, fatphobia, bullying, violence, cursing, gun, strippers, homophobia, sex, drugs/doping, masturbation, nudity, gambling, infidelity, fighting, drunk driving/DUI, internalized homophobia, outing

Representation: Gay

The Gay Best Friend is an adult contemporary about Domenic Marino, who has become an expert at code-switching between the hypermasculine and ultrafeminine worlds of his two soon-to-be-wed best friends. After experiencing his own failed engagement and tasked with attending their bachelor and bachelorette parties, Domenic is anxious over having to play both sides.

The pressure is on. The bride wants Dom to keep things clean. The groom wants Dom to "let loose" with the guys. And Dom just wants to get out of this whole mess with his friendships intact. Once the rowdy groomsmen show up at the beach house, including a surprise visit from the groom's old frat brother, handsome and charming PGA star Bucky Graham, chaos (and unexpected romance) quickly ensues. By the time Dom returns for the bachelorette party, he's accumulated a laundry list of secrets that threaten to destroy everything—from the wedding, to Bucky's career, to the one thing Dom hasn't been paying nearly enough attention to lately: his own life.

This was such an entertaining book! Although it takes place to the months leading up to a wedding, the romance is not the main theme. A perfect adult contemporary! This book is written in a fun and light way, but the author also balances it with a deeper analysis of self. The main character spends a lot of time blaming others for his problem, but comes full circle in growth and acceptance. I thought the book itself was a very funny read and perfect now that summer is almost here! This is going to be the next great beach read!

"The Gay Best Friend" by Nicolas DiDomizio is a delightful and entertaining read that explores the complexities of friendship, love, and self-discovery. Domenic Marino, the token gay best friend, takes center stage as he navigates the challenges of being caught between his two best friends' competing expectations while trying to find his own path forward.

The author skillfully captures the nuances of code-switching between different social circles and the pressures that come with it. Domenic's journey of self-reflection and growth is relatable and heartfelt, as he grapples with the aftermath of his failed engagement and the need to redefine his own happiness.

"The Gay Best Friend" strikes a balance between lighthearted moments and deeper emotional exploration. The dynamics between the characters, particularly the rowdy groomsmen and the charismatic PGA star, Bucky Graham, add a layer of chaos and unexpected romance that keeps readers engaged.

While the plot may follow some familiar tropes, Nicolas DiDomizio brings a fresh perspective and a unique voice to the narrative. The pacing is well-maintained, making it a page-turner from start to finish. Additionally, the book tackles important themes such as identity, acceptance, and the importance of self-care.

"The Gay Best Friend" is a joyful and heartwarming tale that will leave readers with a smile. It offers a delightful mix of humor, drama, and romance, making it a recommended read for fans of contemporary LGBTQ+ fiction. 4 out of 5 stars.

This pains me to say, but I have to give this book 3 stars. While I really enjoyed the main character Dom, I really wanted to throat punch the majority of the side characters. Everyone blamed Dom for EVERYTHING when they were literally putting him in an impossible situation. Kate and Patrick were the worst for blaming him for their issues, while at the same time pressuring him to keep their secrets/expose their secrets to the other person.

I just really felt bad for Dom and definitely felt that he deserved better. Especially when HE kept apologizing; which he shouldn't have been doing.

And then the side plot romance between him and his love interest. Wow the things this guy said and did were AWFUL and Dom just took it and kept apologizing.

I really liked Dom's character overall, but I just wanted him to stop apologizing and make his friends take accountability for their awfulness.

For the narrator, I enjoyed him and felt that he was the perfect fit for Dom's character - I especially liked his narration when Dom was mad LOL!

Thank you to Netgalley and Dreamscape for the ALC.

The Gay Best Friend

I want to rip my hair OUT!! This is why I have to stop reading books about wedding parties. While I could see our protagonist’s faults and flaws, I couldn’t freaking handle the other people in this book!

Dom is the best friend to both the bride and groom, and he is CONSTANTLY stuck in the middle of their battles. He is supposed to support both of them, supposed to keep secrets like a good friend, confess all the dirt on the other… like a good friend. He is blamed for the faults in this relationship and I wanted to SCREAM!

Aside from that, Dom has a strange connection with someone who basically uses him and then pushes him away, making excuses and not factoring in Dom’s feelings at all.

I wanted to enjoy this one, and for the most part, I did… but the things that I couldn’t get past I REALLY could not get past. By the end, I no longer cared enough about any of the relationships because none of them seemed healthy.

I enjoyed the narration for the most part, but the voicing for the Bucky character was AWFUL! Took me out of the story a little because I hated the voice attached to a character I was supposed to really like.

I enjoyed this book, but it took me a bit to get into. I adored Dom, but wow was he in a tough position. The BFF of both the bride and the groom so best man and maid of honor duties. The groom wants him to be radio silent and the bride wants him to spill everything. Talk about being stuck between a rock and a hard place and rather than sit them down for an adult conversation, he just sucks it up and tries to be every thing to every one. That never goes well for anyone does it? Dom is afraid of being left alone and being unloved so tries to play both side to keep everyone happy. It’s a long winding road of perceived betrayal, secrets, lies, immature people doing immature things until finally they collectively get it together. I know it doesn’t sound like it, but I enjoyed the story. Like I said I adored Dom. The rest of the cast all needed a lot of therapy and some self awareness!

I wasn't quite sure what to expect from this book. It wasn't my favorite book but it also wasn't the worst book I've read. It was kind of meh. It took me a little bit to get into the book and the narrator. Overall, the narrator did a great job, however getting used to how he did the different voices took some time. I think the character growth in this book was really great especially with Dom. My biggest issue with this book is that it felt like the author couldn't decide what kind of book he wanted it to be. First, I thought it was a general contemporary sort of chick lit book, but then it veered into a bit of romance, and then we get some hints of touching specifically on LGBTQIAP+ fiction and issues. It read like the author was trying not to veer too closely into one of those categories and as a result I felt like the ending was unresolved. Maybe it is as a result of being primarily a romance reader, but I was disappointed that there was no epilogue at the end to wrap things up and provide better closure. If you don't mind a bit of open-ended then the ending likely won't bother you but I like something more clear to explain what happened to the characters. The pacing of the book was really great and it made things move very well. The last thing that I didn't really care for was that Dom expressed multiple times that he felt like the gay token friend and I felt like that stuff went unresolved and was not addressed very well as an issue that does exist. It felt like something that was thrown into the story without any real intent on addressing it.

This one is a tough one for me to review because what I liked and disliked are about even, placing this directly middle of the range for me.

The story itself wasn’t bad, but I found some of the characters, including the main one, quite unlikeable. This made it difficult for me to root for them and kept me at a distance from the story. Unlikeable characters aren’t always bad as long as there is character development, but I don’t feel like there was any.

I also found that the narrator’s voice for Bucky’s southern accent absolutely terribly stereotypical. I wasn’t a fan of Kate’s voice either, which just sounded too much like a man trying to do a woman’s voice. It would have been a much better narration with a woman on the roster as well.

I wouldn’t write this author off and would certainly read another by them in the future.

I listened to the audiobook version of 'The Gay Best Friend'. Dom is in a tough spot: he's best friends with both the bride and the groom. He has to go to the bachelor and bachelorette parties. Kate, the bride, wants Dom to report back to her about what her fiance, Patrick does at the bachelor party. Soon, Dom finds himself keeping secrets from the bride, the groom, and members of both sides of the bridal party as hi-jinks ensue...

At the bachelor party, Dom connects with the groom's other best friend, Bucky. Bucky is a pro golfer, and Dom thinks that they don't have much in common. The more time they spend together.... they start to see that they have a connection, but Bucky is straight.... isn't he?

I enjoyed the dynamic of being caught in the middle between different friends. I like the idea that someone can be different or play a different side of themselves, depending on which group of friends that they are with. Dom was an interesting character, but I wished that there was more communication on all sides.

Overall, this is a fun story about friendship, love, acceptance, and realizing who you are. I would recommend it!

Thanks to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for an ALC of 'The Gay Best Friend'.

Content Warning: Homophobia, internalized homophobia, hate speech, and excessive alcohol use.

50% in and I am so frustrated with the lack of maturity of these supposed 30s professionals. Like seriously, this is not how adults moving into their 30’s act! It’s TOO over the top and comes across as shallow for all involved.

There are several problematic issues with this book, including the character's actions, and the way situations are handled. It wasn't a terrible story but the characters were not likeable much of the time and there is very little growth through the story which is something I look for. Overall, it is not the best representation of an LGBTQ character or their journey. The casual appearance of Lobster Man- Mario was the best part of the entire book but he was a blip in an otherwise horrid bunch. Okay, maybe horrid is harsh, the best friends Kate and Patrick are initially horrid but redeem themselves toward the end when they begin to communicate like adults.
I found the main character Domenic to lack self-respect so much that it was hard to read!

Narrator Daniel Henning did a decent job with most of the narration but I despised the way he spoke for Bucky. That voice was terrible to listen to and sounded more like a 3-pack-a-day-80 year-old-hillbilly was trying to speak around a wad of chewing gum. Not at all the voice of a professional that Bucky had become. Fine give the character a little twang but sheesh it was almost unintelligible in places.

Many thanks to author Nicolas DiDomizio, Dreamscape Media, and NetGalley for the advanced copy of this audiobook in exchange for an honest review!

Wasnt a big fan of this book. I know the book was about Gay romance but there was nothing else talked about but used the word gay like every 4 words. Alot going on in the story. Thanks to Netgalley and publishing for allowing me to listen and review this book!

2 STARS!

Thank you NetGalley and Dreamscape media for the free ALC in exchange for honest review. What a fun emotional realistic book. My heart and head were firmly with our MMC and felt all his emotions on this rollercoaster book. Great narration. Glad he got the ending he wanted and prioritized his happiness and true to who he is.

Well...

I received an arc via Netgalley which, as you can undoubtedly see, did not influence my opinion of this book in any way, shape or form.

i found the first twenty percent of the story uneventfully boring. it picked up after that it was just torture to read this.

I try really hard to support queer authors, but this was a mess.

This book was very well-written and the narrator gave a stellar performance. I will say that about halfway through the book, I found myself getting extremely frustrated with the characters. Pretty much all of them were exhibiting immaturity, miscommunication, selfishness, etc. and it was difficult to fathom how this was all going to be resolved. In the final act though, this book managed to redeem itself. Things didn't get wrapped up in a convenient pretty little bow (which I appreciate), but rather the characters very realistically learned their lessons, and there was a glimmer of hope and redemption that felt well-deserved for all of them. The author did a great job creating multi-dimensional flawed characters who grew individually and together in a really beautiful way. Overall a great read.

A gay man who was recently dumped before getting married himself gets caught in the middle as he helps his two best friends plan and celebrate their upcoming wedding. This book gave me tons of Best Men vibes with a slightly different twist in that the MC in this book falls for a closeted pro golfer.

Lots of funny moments, lots of bittersweet/heartbreaking moments and I wasn't a huge fan of the audiobook narration either. Just an okay read for me overall. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital copy in exchange for my honest review!