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My Not So Anonymous Best Friend
Noah aka NOS2321: Gamer. Weeb. Up-and-coming rock star. And gay. Encouraged by his anonymous pen pal, XES6969, Noah takes the leap and comes out of the closet—no instructions needed—accidentally sending his father to the hospital during his reveal. Despite his horrible dating track record which included two girls (because it was required that he at least try) and one boy (because he had to start somewhere), Noah believes in happily ever after. That belief gets tested when he falls for Evan Santiago.
Evan aka XES6969, believes in sacrificing yourself for those you love. Learning NOS’s identity hadn’t been his fault. Except he carries the lie which begins to fester, trapping him into silence. When a stray football brings them together, Evan no longer wants to keep silent. And when he learns that Noah is interested too, he takes a chance at love, risking everyone he’s tried to protect, including himself.
Evan aka XES6969, believes in sacrificing yourself for those you love. Learning NOS’s identity hadn’t been his fault. Except he carries the lie which begins to fester, trapping him into silence. When a stray football brings them together, Evan no longer wants to keep silent. And when he learns that Noah is interested too, he takes a chance at love, risking everyone he’s tried to protect, including himself.
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About the author
Elizabeth Arroyo
9 books67 followersElizabeth is the Latinx author of speculative fiction & contemporary romance novels for teens.
Before she started writing, Elizabeth got her undergraduate degree in Psychology with a minor in Criminal Justice. She then went on to work in foster care programs, mental health facilities, and youth organizations within the Latinx Community, providing services to youth and families.
She now spends her time writing romance, binge watching anime, and spending time with her family.
Elizabeth currently resides in Chicago.
Before she started writing, Elizabeth got her undergraduate degree in Psychology with a minor in Criminal Justice. She then went on to work in foster care programs, mental health facilities, and youth organizations within the Latinx Community, providing services to youth and families.
She now spends her time writing romance, binge watching anime, and spending time with her family.
Elizabeth currently resides in Chicago.
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
May 19, 2022
3 stars
It was alright. I was pulled in by the story and rooting for these characters but ultimately I felt let down. I felt like Noah’s story with music should have been more. I still think Noah was originally written as female abs changed to “suit” the story. Evan was your typical male protagonist and I’m tired of the borderline abusive male getting the guy (or girl) at the end. He made me uncomfortable and I want to see growth before they deserve the other.
Yet I still rate it 3 stars because I couldn’t put the book down. I liked Sasha. I don’t know. I read it and quickly but it leaves a taste in my mouth.
It was alright. I was pulled in by the story and rooting for these characters but ultimately I felt let down. I felt like Noah’s story with music should have been more. I still think Noah was originally written as female abs changed to “suit” the story. Evan was your typical male protagonist and I’m tired of the borderline abusive male getting the guy (or girl) at the end. He made me uncomfortable and I want to see growth before they deserve the other.
Yet I still rate it 3 stars because I couldn’t put the book down. I liked Sasha. I don’t know. I read it and quickly but it leaves a taste in my mouth.
April 27, 2022
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the arc of "My Not So Anonymous Best Friend" by Elizabeth Arroyo.
Noah and Evan have known each other for years but only Evan is aware of this fact. He has moved and met Noah at school one day and found out that Noah is NOS, his old pen pal from elementary school. Now that two are dancing around each other as the attraction between them is there but neither feels like they can confess it to each other. Evan is posing as straight not only because of his football credit but to keep himself alive at home wit an abusive father. Noah has only recently come out at school and has left his first boyfriend, he also thinks that Evan hates him and so is afraid of acting on his feelings. When the two of them finally do get together the chemistry explodes.
I really enjoyed this book, as an older reader I have found myself starting to get frustrated with YA reads (expectedly and not as a problem with the writing in any way at all) because of the characters. Noah and Evan only mildly hit that problem area for me and their character building and background more than compensated for that. While I adored this story I do struggle with the idea that it is categorized as YA, for me it reads almost as adult or as very late YA for 16 and 17 year olds at the earliest. The talk of sex, abuse, drugs and more that happens in this story made this book read as older for me.
Things that I loved about this book was the chemistry between Noah and Evan. They really did seem drawn to each other even when they were fighting. I also appreciated that Noah wasn't the conventional rock star type and nobody, except for his father, is trying to change anything like that about him. Noah has great friends who support him but also call him on his bullshit. The same can be said for Evan his friend is there for him through everything (though really what senior has parents that are never home and just leave you this house?). I loved Evan's siblings and how they were catalysts in this story and not just background players.
There were some things that I struggled with in this story. The references to Evan's dominant character were awkward, unexplained, and tried to be used to explain away his controlling nature. I would have liked to see Noah stand up to him a bit and seen some growth with that. Noah and his father's relationship is very fraught and the ending really didn't give me any of the closure that I wanted, Noah just gives in even though in the middle of the story it seems like he really doesn't want to pursue music at the end he just goes with it. The last real problem I had with the story was Noah being SO forgiving. He couldn't hold a grudge at all, which is great as a character trait and allowed for some of the story to move on much more quickly than it would have otherwise but his forgiveness toward Sasha after she betrays him with the fan site (I apologized and she apologized and we had ice cream and coffee seems a little trite) and his constant forgiveness of Evan grated on me just a little.
Despite those challenges this was compelling, I didn't want to put it down almost from the first page and I was rooting for Evan and Noah the whole way through. I gave this story 4.5 stars rounded up to 5.
Noah and Evan have known each other for years but only Evan is aware of this fact. He has moved and met Noah at school one day and found out that Noah is NOS, his old pen pal from elementary school. Now that two are dancing around each other as the attraction between them is there but neither feels like they can confess it to each other. Evan is posing as straight not only because of his football credit but to keep himself alive at home wit an abusive father. Noah has only recently come out at school and has left his first boyfriend, he also thinks that Evan hates him and so is afraid of acting on his feelings. When the two of them finally do get together the chemistry explodes.
I really enjoyed this book, as an older reader I have found myself starting to get frustrated with YA reads (expectedly and not as a problem with the writing in any way at all) because of the characters. Noah and Evan only mildly hit that problem area for me and their character building and background more than compensated for that. While I adored this story I do struggle with the idea that it is categorized as YA, for me it reads almost as adult or as very late YA for 16 and 17 year olds at the earliest. The talk of sex, abuse, drugs and more that happens in this story made this book read as older for me.
Things that I loved about this book was the chemistry between Noah and Evan. They really did seem drawn to each other even when they were fighting. I also appreciated that Noah wasn't the conventional rock star type and nobody, except for his father, is trying to change anything like that about him. Noah has great friends who support him but also call him on his bullshit. The same can be said for Evan his friend is there for him through everything (though really what senior has parents that are never home and just leave you this house?). I loved Evan's siblings and how they were catalysts in this story and not just background players.
There were some things that I struggled with in this story. The references to Evan's dominant character were awkward, unexplained, and tried to be used to explain away his controlling nature. I would have liked to see Noah stand up to him a bit and seen some growth with that. Noah and his father's relationship is very fraught and the ending really didn't give me any of the closure that I wanted, Noah just gives in even though in the middle of the story it seems like he really doesn't want to pursue music at the end he just goes with it. The last real problem I had with the story was Noah being SO forgiving. He couldn't hold a grudge at all, which is great as a character trait and allowed for some of the story to move on much more quickly than it would have otherwise but his forgiveness toward Sasha after she betrays him with the fan site (I apologized and she apologized and we had ice cream and coffee seems a little trite) and his constant forgiveness of Evan grated on me just a little.
Despite those challenges this was compelling, I didn't want to put it down almost from the first page and I was rooting for Evan and Noah the whole way through. I gave this story 4.5 stars rounded up to 5.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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April 28, 2022
This is the first time I came upon a book with no hype surrounding it. No one was talking about it. Even Goodreads had only a handful of ratings. But I'm glad I accidentally stumbled upon this book on Netgalley and immediately grabbed it.
My Not So Anonymous Best Friend is a sweet classic teen love story. It will give you all the feelings of falling in love for the first time, coming out to your family, having lots of amazing, supportive, caring friends, music, lots of pining for the hot hunk of a football quarterback and dilemma about whether love is enough or not to keep a person in your life.
I love the writing style. It was very easy to read and felt like I'm reading a children's book. The plot was very cheesy and cliched. While the story kept me hooked, the whole book was predictable. This books gave me mixed feelings. I didn't hate this book neither did I love it.
I felt that my 17 year old self would have liked this book even more than present me.
Thank you to NetGalley and Evernight Publishing for an e-arc in exchange for my honest review.
My Not So Anonymous Best Friend is a sweet classic teen love story. It will give you all the feelings of falling in love for the first time, coming out to your family, having lots of amazing, supportive, caring friends, music, lots of pining for the hot hunk of a football quarterback and dilemma about whether love is enough or not to keep a person in your life.
I love the writing style. It was very easy to read and felt like I'm reading a children's book. The plot was very cheesy and cliched. While the story kept me hooked, the whole book was predictable. This books gave me mixed feelings. I didn't hate this book neither did I love it.
I felt that my 17 year old self would have liked this book even more than present me.
Thank you to NetGalley and Evernight Publishing for an e-arc in exchange for my honest review.
May 8, 2022
Noah and Evan . . .
Noah Stone (NOS2321; future rock star) and Evan Santiago (XES6969; football player) were assigned a school project in grade school to write to an anonymous pen pal. The two of them became friends without knowing each other in person. However, Evan inadvertently finds out who his penpal is when he moves to where Noah lives. He doesn’t say anything about it to Noah, however. The reader can expect this is going to get complicated!
Evan’s life isn’t easy, but he tries to protect his little brothers from an abusive parent. And his penpal chats keep him focused. Will he finally tell Noah who he is? Will they take a chance on each other? Will it work out for them?
There is a lot more brought up in this story to think about. It was well-written and enlightening. It shows the important of friendship and what others can be going through that no one realizes. The characters are great and the reader will be cheering for them all the way. Grab your copy and share their story.
Noah Stone (NOS2321; future rock star) and Evan Santiago (XES6969; football player) were assigned a school project in grade school to write to an anonymous pen pal. The two of them became friends without knowing each other in person. However, Evan inadvertently finds out who his penpal is when he moves to where Noah lives. He doesn’t say anything about it to Noah, however. The reader can expect this is going to get complicated!
Evan’s life isn’t easy, but he tries to protect his little brothers from an abusive parent. And his penpal chats keep him focused. Will he finally tell Noah who he is? Will they take a chance on each other? Will it work out for them?
There is a lot more brought up in this story to think about. It was well-written and enlightening. It shows the important of friendship and what others can be going through that no one realizes. The characters are great and the reader will be cheering for them all the way. Grab your copy and share their story.
April 30, 2022
“Noah believed in love everlasting. Love trumps all. Love is enough. I loved him with all my soul, but the inevitable still had us separate. And in truth, I just had no clue.”
I LOVE this book! I love the characters, I love their growth and how they took on the challenges they faced and came out on top. I loved the way Evan and Noah’s relationship grew and how even in the moments that they were tested - both personally and as a couple - and made decisions that would normally make me as a reader want to scream and shake them, I just loved them every more. There was a great balance of lighthearted and serious moments that kept the story from becoming boring or predictable! It was both heartbreaking and heartwarming. 100% recommend!
Thank you NetGalley for an ARC of this beautiful novel!
I LOVE this book! I love the characters, I love their growth and how they took on the challenges they faced and came out on top. I loved the way Evan and Noah’s relationship grew and how even in the moments that they were tested - both personally and as a couple - and made decisions that would normally make me as a reader want to scream and shake them, I just loved them every more. There was a great balance of lighthearted and serious moments that kept the story from becoming boring or predictable! It was both heartbreaking and heartwarming. 100% recommend!
Thank you NetGalley for an ARC of this beautiful novel!
May 1, 2022
This book was a mix of cuteness, sadness and LGBT representation ! So, I loved it !
First of all, the representation of gay people was nicely written and the characters were very endearing.
The story is a bit basic but it really works, a gay man who plays an instrument and the quaterback guy. I found the combination of the two really sweet.
Then we have the background of Evan, made me sob a few times, not gonna lie. No spoilers but him blaming himself was so well put it made the story really sad and i just wanted to hug the boy.
All in all, the book was a really nice read for me and i put it 4 stars.
I really recommend it to anyone who loves a boy/boy romance with angst :)
First of all, the representation of gay people was nicely written and the characters were very endearing.
The story is a bit basic but it really works, a gay man who plays an instrument and the quaterback guy. I found the combination of the two really sweet.
Then we have the background of Evan, made me sob a few times, not gonna lie. No spoilers but him blaming himself was so well put it made the story really sad and i just wanted to hug the boy.
All in all, the book was a really nice read for me and i put it 4 stars.
I really recommend it to anyone who loves a boy/boy romance with angst :)
May 16, 2022
I liked how one of the characters knew the identity of the other from the start. That was refreshing, since usually one finds out sometime in the middle. But for the rest, I felt it was a pretty cliche story. I really liked Axel and Thomas, and I enjoyed what Evan’s brothers brought to the story.
May 13, 2022
Thank you to NetGalley and Evernight Teen for the electronic ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Noah Stone and Evan Santiago meet anonymously in 6th grade, as part of a school pen pal assignment. They are only introduced by initials, NOS, meet XES. They stay in touch throughout the rest of their school years without giving their real names, but when they are in high school, Evan’s family moves, and he inadvertently learns that Noah is NOS.
On the surface, they have little in common. Noah is a musician—on his way to becoming a rock star, under his father’s management—as well as a gamer, and newly out of the closet. Evan is an athlete, on the football team as well as being a competitive swimmer, and a bit of a player.
Their worlds begin overlapping—a stray football hits Noah, giving Evan a reason to interact with him directly. Noah is mentoring one of Evan’s brothers. As the book alternates between their points of view, it becomes clear that they are definitely interested in each other.
This is a book about secrets—how they affect our lives and relationships, and the way others see us. It’s a book about family, and the roles we play in our families, whether by choice or necessity. It’s about figuring out who we are, and how that fits into others’ expectations. It’s about father-son relationships. And it’s about first love.
I raced through this book—it was an easy read, and I really cared about what happened to the characters. The only thing I struggled with was remembering that they were teenagers. Their experiences sometimes made them seem much older—and then the story would jump right back into high school to remind me that they were seniors. I really appreciated how the book addressed mental health issues, and how this tied into the father-son relationships. I will be keeping an eye out for more by this author.
Noah Stone and Evan Santiago meet anonymously in 6th grade, as part of a school pen pal assignment. They are only introduced by initials, NOS, meet XES. They stay in touch throughout the rest of their school years without giving their real names, but when they are in high school, Evan’s family moves, and he inadvertently learns that Noah is NOS.
On the surface, they have little in common. Noah is a musician—on his way to becoming a rock star, under his father’s management—as well as a gamer, and newly out of the closet. Evan is an athlete, on the football team as well as being a competitive swimmer, and a bit of a player.
Their worlds begin overlapping—a stray football hits Noah, giving Evan a reason to interact with him directly. Noah is mentoring one of Evan’s brothers. As the book alternates between their points of view, it becomes clear that they are definitely interested in each other.
This is a book about secrets—how they affect our lives and relationships, and the way others see us. It’s a book about family, and the roles we play in our families, whether by choice or necessity. It’s about figuring out who we are, and how that fits into others’ expectations. It’s about father-son relationships. And it’s about first love.
I raced through this book—it was an easy read, and I really cared about what happened to the characters. The only thing I struggled with was remembering that they were teenagers. Their experiences sometimes made them seem much older—and then the story would jump right back into high school to remind me that they were seniors. I really appreciated how the book addressed mental health issues, and how this tied into the father-son relationships. I will be keeping an eye out for more by this author.
May 1, 2022
This book was a mix of cuteness, sadness and LGBT representation ! So, I loved it !
First of all, the representation of gay people was nicely written and the characters were very endearing.
The story is a bit basic but it really works, a gay man who plays an instrument and the quaterback guy. I found the combination of the two really sweet.
Then we have the background of Evan, made me sob a few times, not gonna lie. No spoilers but him blaming himself was so well put it made the story really sad and i just wanted to hug the boy.
All in all, the book was a really nice read for me and i put it 4 stars.
I really recommend it to anyone who loves a boy/boy romance with angst :)
First of all, the representation of gay people was nicely written and the characters were very endearing.
The story is a bit basic but it really works, a gay man who plays an instrument and the quaterback guy. I found the combination of the two really sweet.
Then we have the background of Evan, made me sob a few times, not gonna lie. No spoilers but him blaming himself was so well put it made the story really sad and i just wanted to hug the boy.
All in all, the book was a really nice read for me and i put it 4 stars.
I really recommend it to anyone who loves a boy/boy romance with angst :)
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews