The Gay Best Friend

By: Nicolas DiDomizio

Narrated by: Daniel Henning

Length: 9 hrs and 36 mins

Publisher's summary

Domenic Marino has become an expert at code-switching between the hypermasculine and ultrafeminine worlds of his two soon-to-be-wed best friends. But this summer—reeling from his own failed engagement and tasked with attending their bachelor and bachelorette parties—he's 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.

But 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 and the one thing Dom hasn't been paying nearly enough attention to lately: his own life.

©2023 Nicholas DiDomizio (P)2023 Dreamscape Media

I do 10 stars if I could

This is What I want in a gay story. The characters are wonderfully flawed. I wish I could make friends like the ones in the story 🥰

Cute

It was cute . Cozy and cute . Takes a little to grow on you but it’s cute .

Amazing!! Didomizio does it again!

Released on May 30th, The Gay Best Friend is about the “token gay best friend” stuck between a warring bride and groom, who both just want their wedding day to be perfect.

Domenic Marino’s romantic life has crumbled. Reeling from a failed engagement, he now has to play the role of “gay best friend” to his two soon-to-be-wed besties. Usually, he’s a pro and switching on-and-off his hyper-masculine charm with his ultra-feminine confidence between his two friends, but when the bachelor party gets rowdy and a new unexpected romance blossoms, Domenic is left with a laundry list of secrets he can’t let out when he returns for the bachelorette party. Chaos ensues and a ruined wedding could be on the horizon.

The Gay Best Friend comes in at 9 hours and 36 minutes and captures both the essence of queer love and what we adored about the 90s romantic comedy. It’s narrator, Daniel Henning, brings a level of charm to DiDomizio’s writing, that I for one, was not emotionally ready for. I’m still trying to process just how amazing this audiobook is. For Pride Month, this novel is an easy 10/10.

What a fun listen

I loved this! So fun to hear this interwoven story. You go through the motions with all them here! Love it

Another typical gay story

I am conflicted. The story was good but followed the same troupe as every other gay story.

Spoilers to follow...

It set itself up to have deeper exploration of the main characters complex feelings of need to please everyone, discover who he truly is and have some self respect in the men he chooses to start a relationship with. That is the direction it seemed it was headed.

Instead, we have just another vapid, insecure gay man hero worshiping straight men. Shocker.

The entire time he is unhappy with his life and complains about it but doesn't actually fix anything. He loves the piano; hates his job. Sticks with the job. Has massive insecurity issues, doesn't do anything about it.

He ultimately falls for the straight athlete. After getting out of a toxic relationship; he decides to enter another toxic relationship. Is subservient to the needs of the guy, foregoing any self-respect he was working towards.

So, though a decent read, I am let down by the predictable and ultimately stereotypical ending.