The Gay Best Friend

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)