Boys Come First

This hilarious, touching debut novel by Aaron Foley, author ofHow to Live in Detroit Without Being a Jackass, follows three Black gaymillennial men looking for love, friendship, and professional success in the Motor City.

Suddenly jobless and single after a devastating layoff and a breakup with his cheating ex, advertising copywriter Dominick Gibson flees his life in Hell’s Kitchen to try and get back on track in his hometown of Detroit. Hes got one objective exit the shallow dating pool ASAP and get married by thirty-five and the deadlines approaching fast.

Meanwhile, Dom’s best friend, Troy Clements, an idealistic teacher who never left Michigan, finds himself at odds with all the men in his life: a troubled boyfriend he’s desperate to hold onto, a perpetually dissatisfied father, and his other friend, Remy Patton. Remy, a rags-to-riches real estate agent known as Mr. Detroit, has his own problems namely choosing between making it work with a long-distance lover or settling for a local Mr. Right Now whos not quite Mr. Right. And when a high-stakes real estate deal threatens to blow up his friendship with Troy, the three men have to figure out how to navigate the pitfalls of friendship and a city that seems to be changing overnight.

Full of unforgettable characters,Boys Come Firstis about the trials and tribulations of real friendship, but also about the highlights and hiccups late nights at the wine bar, awkward Grindr hookups, workplace microaggressions, situationships, frenemies, family drama, and of course, the group chat that define Black, gay, millennial life in todays Detroit.

Aaron Foley‘s reporting and writing on Detroit, blackness, and queerness has appeared inThis American Life,Jalopnik, theAtlantic, CNN, several anthologies, and thePBS NewsHour, where he is currently a senior digital editor. A Detroit native, the city’s first appointed chief storyteller, and a former magazine editor, he is the author ofHow to Live in Detroit Without Being a Jackassand editor ofThe Detroit Neighborhood Guidebook. He currently lives in Brooklyn’s Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood.

• Publisher:Belt Publishing (May 31, 2022)
• Language:English
• Paperback:386 pages
• ISBN-10:1953368255
• ISBN-13:9781953368256
• Item Weight:11.2 ounces
• Dimensions:6 x 2 x 9 inches