The Gay Best Friend

by Nicolas DiDomizio

Overview

He's always been the token gay best friend. Now, stuck between a warring bride and groom hurtling toward their one perfect day, he's finally ready to focus on something new: himself.

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

THE GAY BEST FRIEND IS:

"Filled with charm, hilarity, sweetness and swoon, The Gay Best Friend is an absolute MUST-READ." —Lynn Painter, bestselling author

"Outrageously witty and incisive! The Gay Best Friend captures all the kinetic energy of a 90s Julia Roberts film and queers it. A perfect summer read that reminds us: putting yourself first should never be a second thought." —Timothy Janovsky, author of Never Been Kissed

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781728270296
Publisher:	Sourcebooks
Publication date:	05/30/2023
Pages:	352
Sales rank:	85,792
Product dimensions:	5.50(w) x 8.20(h) x 1.00(d)

About the Author

Nicolas DiDomizio holds a bachelor’s degree from Western Connecticut State University and a master’s degree from NYU. His debut novel, Burn It All Down, was published in 2021 and praised as “unforgettable” by James Patterson. He lives in upstate New York with his partner Graig and their shmooshy bulldog Rocco. The Gay Best Friend is his second novel.

Editorial Reviews

04/03/2023

This breezy but underwhelming gay romance from Didomizio (Burn It All Down) does little to freshen up the stale trope from which it takes its title. Domenic Marino has just broken up with his fiancé, making it a difficult time for him to be roped into the wedding parties of both bride and groom in the end-of-summer wedding between two of his best friends. Being gay, Domenic feels he must code-switch with each of them, a problem exacerbated by an abundance of alcohol at the bachelor and bachelorette weekends, where long-kept secrets and resentments are stirred up—not to mention an affair between Domenic and another groomsman, pro golfer Bucky Graham. There are few surprises along the way—outside of how much golf is involved in the love story—and, despite centering the eponymous gay best friend, there’s no real subversion of the way this archetype typically plays out in straight people’s stories. The romance itself offers some entertainment, but Dominic proves egotistical and whiny, making it difficult to enjoy his company. Readers can skip this one. Agent: Elizabeth Bennett, Transatlantic. (June)

Publishers Weekly

"Absurdly charming and outrageously irreverent, The Gay Best Friend is a goddamn delight from start to finish. Brimming with cheeky wit, breathtaking tenderness, and just enough chaotic messiness to have me screaming every other page, the term "beach read" was invented for a book like this. Nicolas DiDomizio is one of the funniest authors in the game, and I’ll read anything he writes." — Mazey Eddings, author of The Plus One

"Equal parts hilarious and heart-wrenching, The Gay Best Friend is not to be missed. It explores the complexities of love, friendship, and our capacity for forgiveness with sharp, emotional detail. In Dom, DiDomizio has created an unforgettable character to root for and relate to. I loved every page." — Annette Christie, author of The Rehearsals

"Filled with charm, hilarity, sweetness and swoon, The Gay Best Friend is an absolute MUST-READ. DiDomizio deftly creates characters that are as lovable as they are deliciously-flawed, and I am officially obsessed with this book." — Lynn Painter, New York Times bestselling author of Mr. Wrong Number and The Love Wager

"Outrageously witty and incisive! THE GAY BEST FRIEND captures all the kinetic energy of a 90s Julia Roberts film and queers it. A perfect summer read that reminds us: putting yourself first should never be a second thought." — Timothy Janovsky, author of Never Been Kissed

"The Gay Best Friend is fun, frothy, and full of feels. With characters so messy they seem like people you’ve known your entire life—you know, the ones you simultaneously want to shake some sense into and hug the stuffing out of—it’s the perfect beach read." — Xio Axelrod, USA Today Bestselling Author

"The Gay Best Friend tugged at my heartstrings and tickled my soul in equal measure. With dialogue that zings and relatable characters you can't help but root for, DiDomizio has created something sparkling and wonderful." — Robin Lefler, author of Reasonable Adults

"DiDomizio relays the realistically messy road many of us travel to reach a happily-ever-after while at the same time underscoring the true value of living life authentically." — Booklist

"Sure to have readers laughing, crying, and cheering on the protagonist to the very last page. Fans of works by Alexis Hall, Casey McQuiston, Alison Cochrun, and Alice Oseman will enjoy." — Library Journal

From the Publisher

★ 05/01/2023

Chock-full of comedic mishaps, sarcastic banter, and a not-so-pretty but very realistic journey of self-discovery, this second novel from DiDomizio (Burn It All Down) is impossible to put down. Thirty-year-old Domenic Marino has it all: a stable job, a fiancé, and amazing friends who are getting married to each other. But Dom's world is flipped upside down when his fiancé calls off their wedding, and Dom is left single, heartbroken, and responsible for making his friends' wedding the happiest event of their lives. As the groom's best man and the bride's gay best friend, Dom has to navigate his loyalties carefully when the bachelor party gets out of control. The pressure builds as Dom has to keep too many secrets from too many people, especially the relationship he's just started with a closeted pro golfer who is one of the groom's best friends. VERDICT Sure to have readers laughing, crying, and cheering on the protagonist to the very last page. Fans of works by Alexis Hall, Casey McQuiston, Alison Cochrun, and Alice Oseman will enjoy.—Katy Duperry

Library Journal