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The Maidenheads
A bighearted debut novel about queer yearning, indie musicians, and bushwacking a thorny path back to your first love
Jamie is bad at endings, which is why she's stuck at a dead-end Baltimore newspaper job, continuing to have break-up sex with her first-ever hetero partner, and haunted by the what-ifs of her ex-girlfriend Mari—a charismatic and brilliant musician—and their former band together, the Maidenheads. Since they (and their band) broke up a decade ago, Jamie hasn't been able to sing.
Then an unexpected opportunity to perform in DC with Mari's successful new band arises, and Jamie jumps at it. What begins as a return to music becomes a reckoning—with the weight of unfinished love, the voice she long buried, and her own complicated past. But as Jamie channels more of her energy into the band, other threads in her life begin to fray, and she must make some urgent choices about her future.
Electric, spine-tingling, and filled to the brim with tenderness and honesty, The Maidenheads is a novel about the tenacity of first love, the life-changing power of music, and the difficult, necessary work of becoming yourself.
Jamie is bad at endings, which is why she's stuck at a dead-end Baltimore newspaper job, continuing to have break-up sex with her first-ever hetero partner, and haunted by the what-ifs of her ex-girlfriend Mari—a charismatic and brilliant musician—and their former band together, the Maidenheads. Since they (and their band) broke up a decade ago, Jamie hasn't been able to sing.
Then an unexpected opportunity to perform in DC with Mari's successful new band arises, and Jamie jumps at it. What begins as a return to music becomes a reckoning—with the weight of unfinished love, the voice she long buried, and her own complicated past. But as Jamie channels more of her energy into the band, other threads in her life begin to fray, and she must make some urgent choices about her future.
Electric, spine-tingling, and filled to the brim with tenderness and honesty, The Maidenheads is a novel about the tenacity of first love, the life-changing power of music, and the difficult, necessary work of becoming yourself.
336 pages, Hardcover
First published May 26, 2026
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 130 reviews
June 23, 2026
For a moment in high school, Jamie dreamed of something big—she and her girlfriend Mari had a band, and though they were young and largely untried it was clear that if the stars aligned they could go somewhere with it. But the stars didn't align, and instead, as an adult, Jamie is working a job she can do in her sleep, and drinking too much, and sleeping with her ex-boyfriend just to not feel alone. And then her past comes calling.
I read Long Island Girls recently, and while they're very different books it's fascinating to see what historical fiction looks like when it's about an era I lived through. I was never involved in any kind of music scene, of course, while for Jamie and her cohort music is something as natural as breathing. And: if I'm honest, my decisions were mostly a bit less chaotic than Jamie's.
At the core is this messy, unresolved relationship between Jamie and Mari. It fell apart in high school in large part due to (let's keep it vague) a big mistake of Jamie's, but in becomes clearer and clearer in the present-day story that their relationship was never going to be, is never going to be, easy. In a lot of ways this is a book full of bad decisions, but human ones; in other ways it's sort of a stand-in for millennial uncertainty.
It's not always an easy read, and I took a few short breaks in reading when I needed a step away. There are a number of places where you just kind of want to reach through the pages and say "whoa, slow down, think this through"—but at the same time, while I can't necessarily imagine Jamie's life for myself, it feels viscerally possible.
Thanks to the author and publisher for inviting me to read a review copy through NetGalley.
I read Long Island Girls recently, and while they're very different books it's fascinating to see what historical fiction looks like when it's about an era I lived through. I was never involved in any kind of music scene, of course, while for Jamie and her cohort music is something as natural as breathing. And: if I'm honest, my decisions were mostly a bit less chaotic than Jamie's.
At the core is this messy, unresolved relationship between Jamie and Mari. It fell apart in high school in large part due to (let's keep it vague) a big mistake of Jamie's, but in becomes clearer and clearer in the present-day story that their relationship was never going to be, is never going to be, easy. In a lot of ways this is a book full of bad decisions, but human ones; in other ways it's sort of a stand-in for millennial uncertainty.
It's not always an easy read, and I took a few short breaks in reading when I needed a step away. There are a number of places where you just kind of want to reach through the pages and say "whoa, slow down, think this through"—but at the same time, while I can't necessarily imagine Jamie's life for myself, it feels viscerally possible.
Thanks to the author and publisher for inviting me to read a review copy through NetGalley.
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July 31, 2026
A messy queer book about messy queer people and how the past both haunts and informs us.
Great for the DC music scene and the weird complications of being a late twenty-something (who's a real disaster) in the early '10s. In many places, it felt like Tilt (minus the earthquake, obviously): a pregnant main character in their late twenties who's made a lot of bad decisions, had a lot of opportunities fall through (or never happen at all), has so much potential that never quite kicked off (despite the promise of talent), and is working through a lot of bitterness and undiagnosed mental illness and body stuff. The writing, also, felt similar. Of course, this goes in a completely different direction (again, no life-altering earthquake) and is very queer, but I couldn't help but notice similarities.
Super messy, Jim is a disaster, Mari is a monster (although you understand WHY), Sally deserved better, and despite a slumpy middle it's a solid four-star read.
I don't really want to reveal more, because despite nearly tipping me into a solid depression (woooo), I enjoyed it.
Great for the DC music scene and the weird complications of being a late twenty-something (who's a real disaster) in the early '10s. In many places, it felt like Tilt (minus the earthquake, obviously): a pregnant main character in their late twenties who's made a lot of bad decisions, had a lot of opportunities fall through (or never happen at all), has so much potential that never quite kicked off (despite the promise of talent), and is working through a lot of bitterness and undiagnosed mental illness and body stuff. The writing, also, felt similar. Of course, this goes in a completely different direction (again, no life-altering earthquake) and is very queer, but I couldn't help but notice similarities.
Super messy, Jim is a disaster, Mari is a monster (although you understand WHY), Sally deserved better, and despite a slumpy middle it's a solid four-star read.
I don't really want to reveal more, because despite nearly tipping me into a solid depression (woooo), I enjoyed it.
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June 29, 2026i should've loved this i just didn't feel a pull towards the characters
June 20, 2026
What a beautiful love letter to DC’s music scene. As someone who has lived in NOVA their entire life, I loved all the details that makes our area unique, such as our different music venues (the 9:30 Club cupcake mention made me so happy), DC and Maryland neighborhoods, Metro stops, and local businesses. I couldn’t help but smile when an old music school I used to work at was vaguely mentioned.
So many things felt relatable in this book- finding yourself, still finding meaning and joy in things that you used to share with a once meaningful person, accepting and embracing queerness, and letting go of toxic codependent relationships.
Thank you to NetGalley and Dutton Publishing for the early access!
So many things felt relatable in this book- finding yourself, still finding meaning and joy in things that you used to share with a once meaningful person, accepting and embracing queerness, and letting go of toxic codependent relationships.
Thank you to NetGalley and Dutton Publishing for the early access!
May 15, 2026
Every time I shut this book I said aloud, “oh no Jamie.” I was utterly gripped by this protagonist, and their desire to chase their dreams and their first love - so tangled up in one another. The ending was so, so sweet. We needed a book like this in the world.
June 7, 2026
I love a book set in the music world - and this brought the nostalgia of the 90s and clubs in DC at which i’ve seen many a show . Sadly, I wasn’t invested in either character, both of whom were selfish and immature, showing only a modicum of growth in the last 5% of the book.
There are things to applaud. The cast is wide and side characters are compelling. There was exploration of sexuality, parental relationships, abortion, and pregnancy. It felt real and raw in a way other books avoid.
Unfortunately, the plot was…missing? The same thing seemed to occur over and over again which I found both frustrating and boring. It needed something to keep the reader engaged.
Not for me but definitely for others.
2.5 ⭐️
There are things to applaud. The cast is wide and side characters are compelling. There was exploration of sexuality, parental relationships, abortion, and pregnancy. It felt real and raw in a way other books avoid.
Unfortunately, the plot was…missing? The same thing seemed to occur over and over again which I found both frustrating and boring. It needed something to keep the reader engaged.
Not for me but definitely for others.
2.5 ⭐️
May 31, 2026
A messy queer coming of age Sapphic rockstar romance that has Jamie, a bisexual former singer blowing up her life to reunite with her ex band and the woman who she still secretly loves. This was WAAAY too dramatic and chaotic for me. I wasn't a huge fan of the protagonist or the love interest and it felt like the characters were too immature. Okay on audio and recommended for fans of books like The Glitter bats series but not a book for me. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital and audio copy in exchange for my honest review.
CW: unplanned pregnancy & abortion
CW: unplanned pregnancy & abortion
June 24, 2026
"i thought about how a person might become to believe that people would only stay if you tricked them, and for the first time, instead of anger and pain, i felt just a quiet sadness."
heartbreaking, showstopping, wonderful, etc. i could go on for hours.
i fell in love with this book on the first page. peterson's prose immediately captured me and drew me in. the love letter to the dc music scene somehow connected with me even though my experience with music is through the midwest emo scene. i felt jamie's passion for dc, music, kate bush, and their first love. it punched me in the chest and took me back to being disastrously in love for the first time. horrible decisions were made on their end (and on mine, i must admit), but i connected with them on such a deep level. i felt their self doubt, insecurity, and loneliness. jamie felt like a part of me despite our different experiences and life choices. i was rooting for them through every dumb choice and crying for them at the end. such a devastatingly beautiful coming of age novel.
heartbreaking, showstopping, wonderful, etc. i could go on for hours.
i fell in love with this book on the first page. peterson's prose immediately captured me and drew me in. the love letter to the dc music scene somehow connected with me even though my experience with music is through the midwest emo scene. i felt jamie's passion for dc, music, kate bush, and their first love. it punched me in the chest and took me back to being disastrously in love for the first time. horrible decisions were made on their end (and on mine, i must admit), but i connected with them on such a deep level. i felt their self doubt, insecurity, and loneliness. jamie felt like a part of me despite our different experiences and life choices. i was rooting for them through every dumb choice and crying for them at the end. such a devastatingly beautiful coming of age novel.
July 17, 2026
uhhh was this written for me? between the baltimore / dc references, the character who listens to sleater-kinney’s one more hour on repeat during a break up, and the queer yearning i say yes it was.
if you like messy queer love that is also highly associated with music and baltimore and dc and the culture there this is 100000% for you
if you like messy queer love that is also highly associated with music and baltimore and dc and the culture there this is 100000% for you
March 1, 2026
We meet Jamie in her late twenties but, through flashbacks, are able to follow her from her young teens. When we first see Jamie in her youth, her parents have just divorced, she’s moved to her mums new house in the city—where her mum is ready for her Sex In the City era—she’s lost touch with all her old friends and she is a total outsider in her new school, with absolutely no friends. That is, until she meets Mari in gym class. Mari is an unmistakable outsider too, with her imperfect skin, shaggy black hair, strange personality and Georgian accent (Georgia the country, not the city). Jamie isn’t sure about Mari, but isn’t given much choice when Mari sits next to her on the bus and asks what music she’s listening to and if she wants to stay on the school bus to come to her house. Jamie finds Mari a little off putting at first, but Mari is persistent and unrelenting. Their friendship finally begins when Mari invites herself over to Jamie’s and they spend hours listening to music together. We follow them through their teens, witnessing awkward first kisses, the feeling of a first relationship and their conjoined love of music. When Mari hears Jamie’s voice for the first time and Jamie finds out Mari can play piano, it’s only a matter of time before they end up doing songs together. This is how The Maidenheads are formed and at seventeen years old they gain minor fame when Mari writes a song about their peer, Emmy, committing suicide over a boy and are discovered at a gig by someone working on an upcoming thriller movie who wants their song “Forgotten” and them to play in a scene. The movie ends up being originally hated for hurtful lesbian stereotypes, but it continues to propel them forward. Ten years later, Jamie is recently broken up with her long-term boyfriend and working at a journalling agency when she ends up at a Les Somnambules concert, Mari’s new band. Mari, who she’s been separated from for a decade. When she meets Mari again for the first time in years, her life turns upside down. We follow Jamie while she struggles with having her first (and possibly only) love back in her life, wanting to play music, her dad’s new family and all the other hardships that comes with life.
How to even begin with this book? I’m not sure if I even have the words to do it justice, or if any words in the world really could. This is a phenomenal debut novel, so much so that I had to double check if it actually was one. Above anything else, this book is emotional, it’s honest, it’s raw. It’s unapologetically gritty and at times leaves a bad taste in your mouth, except you can’t help but ask for more and more and more. The younger scenes with Jamie and Mari felt like a punch to the gut. It captured perfectly the feeling of realising you have a crush for the first time on a girl—on your friend. It’s terrifying, exciting, feels a little wrong but, fuck it, because it’s amazing too, you know? It also made me realise and come to terms with my possible internalised homophobia, which I always thought could never have been me and this book really does hit you that deeply, may make you realise things about yourself that you hadn’t before. It’s rawness and emotion I believe really does touch you in a way that it’s impossible to ignore what feelings it may dredge up.
The love story—if you can truly call it that—in this book is all consuming, both for the characters and, in my case at least, the reader. Without giving too much away, I really found myself both hating and loving the characters—sometimes simultaneously. One moment I adored them and couldn’t get enough, and the next I was mad at them and couldn’t believe the things they had said or done. But either way, I still couldn’t get enough. The writing in this book is wonderful, and really my only complaint is that the book had to end at all. I couldn’t recommend this book enough to literally anyone—whether you’re straight or gay, whether romance is normally your thing, it doesn’t matter. This is a book that stays with you, and I truly think everyone should give it a chance to do so.
Thank you to Benny B. Peterson, Dutton and Netgalley for this ARC in return for an honest review!
How to even begin with this book? I’m not sure if I even have the words to do it justice, or if any words in the world really could. This is a phenomenal debut novel, so much so that I had to double check if it actually was one. Above anything else, this book is emotional, it’s honest, it’s raw. It’s unapologetically gritty and at times leaves a bad taste in your mouth, except you can’t help but ask for more and more and more. The younger scenes with Jamie and Mari felt like a punch to the gut. It captured perfectly the feeling of realising you have a crush for the first time on a girl—on your friend. It’s terrifying, exciting, feels a little wrong but, fuck it, because it’s amazing too, you know? It also made me realise and come to terms with my possible internalised homophobia, which I always thought could never have been me and this book really does hit you that deeply, may make you realise things about yourself that you hadn’t before. It’s rawness and emotion I believe really does touch you in a way that it’s impossible to ignore what feelings it may dredge up.
The love story—if you can truly call it that—in this book is all consuming, both for the characters and, in my case at least, the reader. Without giving too much away, I really found myself both hating and loving the characters—sometimes simultaneously. One moment I adored them and couldn’t get enough, and the next I was mad at them and couldn’t believe the things they had said or done. But either way, I still couldn’t get enough. The writing in this book is wonderful, and really my only complaint is that the book had to end at all. I couldn’t recommend this book enough to literally anyone—whether you’re straight or gay, whether romance is normally your thing, it doesn’t matter. This is a book that stays with you, and I truly think everyone should give it a chance to do so.
Thank you to Benny B. Peterson, Dutton and Netgalley for this ARC in return for an honest review!
July 14, 2026
4.25⭐️
If you’re looking to feel nostalgic for indie rock scene of the late 90’s and early 2000’s, while also feeling enamored and frustrated by a friend-to-lovers-to-something-worse plotline, then look no further than this stunning debut.
In The Maidenheads, we follow our main character Jamie in two timelines, the current timeline where she deals with an unexpected pregnancy and a bad breakup that bring up complicated feelings about her family, about missing and yearning for her first love, Mari, and the feeling of a dream of success in music abandoned for a different path. And a second timeline, where we go through the history of how Jamie and Mari met when they were young growing up in Washington D.C. together. They rose to indie fame in the music scene very young, and when they were right on the brink of success, a massive friendship-ending fight caused them to go their separate ways. But when Jamie has the opportunity to reunite with Mari, to join her band that’s playing their old music, all these complicated feelings and memories come flooding back.
This is a story about complicated family dynamics, where Jamie struggles with her relationship with both of her parents, reflected in her decision of whether or not to keep her own surprise pregnancy. And this is a story about the complicated nature of first love and falling in love with your best friend, how love can evolve, and whether this relationship can ever actually work out. Jamie struggles with her own image, as well as her gender and her sexuality and the rigidity of labeling yourself when you don’t feel like you fit neatly in any box. I love how queer this story is, and I’d highly recommend it to fans of Torrey Peters, A Language of Limbs, and Strange Girls.
If you’re looking to feel nostalgic for indie rock scene of the late 90’s and early 2000’s, while also feeling enamored and frustrated by a friend-to-lovers-to-something-worse plotline, then look no further than this stunning debut.
In The Maidenheads, we follow our main character Jamie in two timelines, the current timeline where she deals with an unexpected pregnancy and a bad breakup that bring up complicated feelings about her family, about missing and yearning for her first love, Mari, and the feeling of a dream of success in music abandoned for a different path. And a second timeline, where we go through the history of how Jamie and Mari met when they were young growing up in Washington D.C. together. They rose to indie fame in the music scene very young, and when they were right on the brink of success, a massive friendship-ending fight caused them to go their separate ways. But when Jamie has the opportunity to reunite with Mari, to join her band that’s playing their old music, all these complicated feelings and memories come flooding back.
This is a story about complicated family dynamics, where Jamie struggles with her relationship with both of her parents, reflected in her decision of whether or not to keep her own surprise pregnancy. And this is a story about the complicated nature of first love and falling in love with your best friend, how love can evolve, and whether this relationship can ever actually work out. Jamie struggles with her own image, as well as her gender and her sexuality and the rigidity of labeling yourself when you don’t feel like you fit neatly in any box. I love how queer this story is, and I’d highly recommend it to fans of Torrey Peters, A Language of Limbs, and Strange Girls.
October 18, 2025
This book was a burst of nostalgia for me and not just from the early 2000s chapters, but more so with the theme of first love and coming of age. Jamie’s character is awkward at times but relatable and endearing. Her relationship issues, career woes, and past regrets are something every reader can relate to. And when he ex Mari is in town with her band and they come face to face and have to grapple with their past. I felt so many emotions as I read from fear and frustration to hope and admiration. This is a book I’ll think of for years to come. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
March 9, 2026
*Before I get into the review, I want to make your I'm not misgendering the main character - there were times were it felt implied that she was nonbinary, but I don’t think her pronouns were addressed. If I’m incorrect in my assumptions, please accept my apology, I’m happy to go back and edit the review with the correct pronounce. This story also has really heavy topics and themes, so it's important to check your triggers before diving in.
In The Maidenheads, we follow Jamie as she finds out she's pregnant with her ex-boyfriend's baby.
Jamie is a copyeditor for a magazine, and has lingering feelings from the band she was in her teenage years - but it feels like she's more hung up on her girlfriend at the time, Mari. For a long time while reading this book, I thought it was the story of how two queer people fall in love through their love for music - the obsession with how great they are together when they play and create music together. But it feels more like the music is just an instrument used to help Jamie understand herself and her trauma and attachments - not necessarily her love for music, but how her love for music feels tied to her identity.
Mari and Jamie were in a band called the Maidenheads that forms a little bit of a cult-classic following. These characters are very flawed and very honest and very selfish in their own way - even the protagonist, Jamie. Everything she does is for Mari, but even that feels very selfish. It feels like an obsession and a hyper-fixation, and a desperate need to be everything for Mari, to exist for her and for what she needs from Jamie. It all stems from a very honest feeling of not belonging. You can see as the story progresses that the only time Jamie has felt "right" is when she is with Mari and/or performing with her.
This isn't necessarily a love story - the entire time that Jamie and Mari start to rekindle their relationship, as a reader, you're waiting for the other shoe to drop. You're able to pick up on these very toxic tendencies between the two characters, and at times, they are both very very frustrating and unlikeable. A lot of the time, I was worried that this book was going to lack in the completion, but the resolution and the end felt properly paced and satisfying, giving not only Jamie, but Mari, a conclusion that made sense and redeemed them both. It felt like Jamie was able to heal and understand this unhealthy attachment to Mari, understand how essential it was to find a rhythm in her own life that brought her peace and joy.
Overall, I thought it was a really unique and really honest story - at times a little frustrating, but I have so much appreciation for the rawness and realness of the story and characters, the courage in the telling of this story.
In The Maidenheads, we follow Jamie as she finds out she's pregnant with her ex-boyfriend's baby.
Jamie is a copyeditor for a magazine, and has lingering feelings from the band she was in her teenage years - but it feels like she's more hung up on her girlfriend at the time, Mari. For a long time while reading this book, I thought it was the story of how two queer people fall in love through their love for music - the obsession with how great they are together when they play and create music together. But it feels more like the music is just an instrument used to help Jamie understand herself and her trauma and attachments - not necessarily her love for music, but how her love for music feels tied to her identity.
Mari and Jamie were in a band called the Maidenheads that forms a little bit of a cult-classic following. These characters are very flawed and very honest and very selfish in their own way - even the protagonist, Jamie. Everything she does is for Mari, but even that feels very selfish. It feels like an obsession and a hyper-fixation, and a desperate need to be everything for Mari, to exist for her and for what she needs from Jamie. It all stems from a very honest feeling of not belonging. You can see as the story progresses that the only time Jamie has felt "right" is when she is with Mari and/or performing with her.
This isn't necessarily a love story - the entire time that Jamie and Mari start to rekindle their relationship, as a reader, you're waiting for the other shoe to drop. You're able to pick up on these very toxic tendencies between the two characters, and at times, they are both very very frustrating and unlikeable. A lot of the time, I was worried that this book was going to lack in the completion, but the resolution and the end felt properly paced and satisfying, giving not only Jamie, but Mari, a conclusion that made sense and redeemed them both. It felt like Jamie was able to heal and understand this unhealthy attachment to Mari, understand how essential it was to find a rhythm in her own life that brought her peace and joy.
Overall, I thought it was a really unique and really honest story - at times a little frustrating, but I have so much appreciation for the rawness and realness of the story and characters, the courage in the telling of this story.
July 24, 2026
thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advanced digital copy!
this book is available for purchase now.
--
the maidenheads by benny b. peterson is hard to describe, honestly. it's a real coming out and coming of age story, unafraid of showing how messy people actually are while they're figuring themselves out.
jamie is stuck when we meet her as an adult. dead end newspaper job, sleeping with her ex boyfriend out of habit more than anything, still carrying the weight of her teenage band and her first girlfriend mari like something she never fully set down. when an old connection pulls her back toward mari's new band, everything jamie's been avoiding for a decade comes rushing at her at once.
the flashback structure is where the book really earns its keep. we get jamie and mari young, awkward, figuring out music and each other side by side, and it's rendered with enough specificity that it stops feeling like nostalgia for a scene i wasn't part of and just becomes nostalgia for being young and reckless with your feelings in general. the dc and baltimore setting helps a lot here too. it feels lived in rather than decorative, and the music scene stuff has that same lived in quality, small venues, the particular kind of ambition that comes with being a teenager in a band that might actually go somewhere.
what i appreciated most is that jamie and mari's relationship never gets cleaned up to be more digestible. jamie messes up constantly. mari is a wreck in her own ways. neither of them handles their feelings well, and the book doesn't pretend otherwise. but underneath all that mess, it still feels authentic, like two people who are genuinely trying to figure themselves out and just keep tripping over each other in the process. that felt true to life in a way a lot of coming of age novels don't bother with. it would've been easy to smooth over their worst choices to make them more likable, and peterson doesn't do that, which is part of what makes the tenderness between them land when it does show up.
that said, not everything worked for me. there's a pregnancy storyline in the present day sections that i never quite understood the purpose of. it takes up real space in the book but doesn't seem to connect to much else going on, and i kept waiting for it to click into place thematically in a way it never really did. there's also a sexual assault and its aftermath handled in the book, and i didn't love its inclusion.
so it's a bit of an uneven book for me, but a great one. the coming of age material, the music, the flashbacks, the imperfect and authentic core relationship, all of that is genuinely strong, sometimes excellent. but a couple of the present day threads felt uncomfortable in ways that kept pulling me out of the story. still a strong debut overall, just not one without some real caveats.
this book is available for purchase now.
--
the maidenheads by benny b. peterson is hard to describe, honestly. it's a real coming out and coming of age story, unafraid of showing how messy people actually are while they're figuring themselves out.
jamie is stuck when we meet her as an adult. dead end newspaper job, sleeping with her ex boyfriend out of habit more than anything, still carrying the weight of her teenage band and her first girlfriend mari like something she never fully set down. when an old connection pulls her back toward mari's new band, everything jamie's been avoiding for a decade comes rushing at her at once.
the flashback structure is where the book really earns its keep. we get jamie and mari young, awkward, figuring out music and each other side by side, and it's rendered with enough specificity that it stops feeling like nostalgia for a scene i wasn't part of and just becomes nostalgia for being young and reckless with your feelings in general. the dc and baltimore setting helps a lot here too. it feels lived in rather than decorative, and the music scene stuff has that same lived in quality, small venues, the particular kind of ambition that comes with being a teenager in a band that might actually go somewhere.
what i appreciated most is that jamie and mari's relationship never gets cleaned up to be more digestible. jamie messes up constantly. mari is a wreck in her own ways. neither of them handles their feelings well, and the book doesn't pretend otherwise. but underneath all that mess, it still feels authentic, like two people who are genuinely trying to figure themselves out and just keep tripping over each other in the process. that felt true to life in a way a lot of coming of age novels don't bother with. it would've been easy to smooth over their worst choices to make them more likable, and peterson doesn't do that, which is part of what makes the tenderness between them land when it does show up.
that said, not everything worked for me. there's a pregnancy storyline in the present day sections that i never quite understood the purpose of. it takes up real space in the book but doesn't seem to connect to much else going on, and i kept waiting for it to click into place thematically in a way it never really did. there's also a sexual assault and its aftermath handled in the book, and i didn't love its inclusion.
so it's a bit of an uneven book for me, but a great one. the coming of age material, the music, the flashbacks, the imperfect and authentic core relationship, all of that is genuinely strong, sometimes excellent. but a couple of the present day threads felt uncomfortable in ways that kept pulling me out of the story. still a strong debut overall, just not one without some real caveats.
June 29, 2026
THE MAIDENHEADS is fun and fast-paced and an absolute pleasure from start to finish. The writing is lovely, clean, and immersive, the story is compelling and big-hearted, and the characters feel alive on the page. I’m compelled to state these particular gifts in the broadest possible terms, because they shouldn’t be taken for granted, and because it must also be said that THE MAIDENHEADS is a book that at times felt it was created in a lab for me specifically.
I have not ever lived in DC, but I have been a frazzled soft butch flailing in the general direction of gender transition, singing in a haunted soprano, yearning horribly for girls I wrote songs for and with, falling in love with the sound of their voices and for the CDs they burned me and the ways we played music together. Ultimately, THE MAIDENHEADS is a nostalgic book about the dangers of nostalgia, which is why it’s so easy to sink into—we move in and out of Jamie and Mari’s thrilling, doomed love story through Jamie’s perspective, but Peterson knows just how long to luxuriate in the tortured fantasizing and the long-awaited sex (EXCELLENTLY WRITTEN LESBIAN SEX SCENE ALERT P. 206) before whisking us away to the less chaotic/intoxicating stuff of Jamie’s life, which of course only glows with greater and greater significance as Jamie begins to find herself amidst all the coming-of-age wreckage.
I’ll stop here so I don’t slip into spoilers, but my main critique is that this book should have been published and put directly into my hands when I was in high school. :-)
I have not ever lived in DC, but I have been a frazzled soft butch flailing in the general direction of gender transition, singing in a haunted soprano, yearning horribly for girls I wrote songs for and with, falling in love with the sound of their voices and for the CDs they burned me and the ways we played music together. Ultimately, THE MAIDENHEADS is a nostalgic book about the dangers of nostalgia, which is why it’s so easy to sink into—we move in and out of Jamie and Mari’s thrilling, doomed love story through Jamie’s perspective, but Peterson knows just how long to luxuriate in the tortured fantasizing and the long-awaited sex (EXCELLENTLY WRITTEN LESBIAN SEX SCENE ALERT P. 206) before whisking us away to the less chaotic/intoxicating stuff of Jamie’s life, which of course only glows with greater and greater significance as Jamie begins to find herself amidst all the coming-of-age wreckage.
I’ll stop here so I don’t slip into spoilers, but my main critique is that this book should have been published and put directly into my hands when I was in high school. :-)
July 2, 2026
Picked this up as something to read for Pride and while I finished a few days past June I would say it still encapsulated what I think a very universal experience is in queer love/ life: yearning. I felt so drawn to the characters even if I couldn’t quite understand why they were acting so untoward. But looking back I understand it to be pains of someone trying to understand who they are at the core. I also thought the ending was sweet even though I hated that it was open-ended about her relationship with Mari. I say, no to toxic relationships; there are so many more people in the world to love!
Unrelated but I just wanted to note: The characters seem to not like showering???? Like, I would never just fuck after sweating buckets at a music gig. But also I’m not a musician so what do I know.
Quote in memory: “I knew I had repair to do, but I felt helpless when it came to my parents, exhausted when it came to Peter, overwhelmed by Mari.”
Unrelated but I just wanted to note: The characters seem to not like showering???? Like, I would never just fuck after sweating buckets at a music gig. But also I’m not a musician so what do I know.
Quote in memory: “I knew I had repair to do, but I felt helpless when it came to my parents, exhausted when it came to Peter, overwhelmed by Mari.”
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 5, 2026
This is just one of those books I know I'd have hated if I didn't read it via audiobook. The narrator was really good and added a lot especially to the disgusting descriptions.
I didn't really feel connected to any of the characters but I enjoyed the story being told enough to still rate it based on merit regardless.
I didn't really feel connected to any of the characters but I enjoyed the story being told enough to still rate it based on merit regardless.
June 8, 2026
This book has a lot of my favourite things: cool lesbians, Fleetwood Mac-esque messy bands, complicated friend/lover relationships, and many many more. This was a great debut and I had a lot of fun with it.
August 14, 2026
VERY dc—9:30 club, mt pleasant, black cat, AFI in silver spring. the author mentioned every single metro stop the characters ever visited, including some routes that I probably would do differently. v queer. main character needs to get it together! I do <3 the 9:30 club
August 7, 2026
4.5/5
An almost perfect read for me. Messy, chaotic, raw, full of franken-feeling. I really appreciated the growth and resolution.
An almost perfect read for me. Messy, chaotic, raw, full of franken-feeling. I really appreciated the growth and resolution.
July 7, 2026
3.75/5
July 3, 2026
I want to see Jennifer's not there
May 15, 2026
Jamie and her ex, Mari, were just teenagers when their up-and-coming band and relationship imploded. Ten years later, Jamie is an editor for a newspaper and uses her press credentials to attend a show for Mari’s new band. Mari invites Jamie to sing which creates strain on the rest of the group and forces Jamie to confront their tumultuous past and find her voice again.
I adored these complex, unforgettable characters and the alternating timelines had me completely immersed in the story. Both tender and thought-provoking, this novel explores complicated familial & romantic relationships, choosing or opting out of motherhood, the transformative power of music, and embracing one’s sexual identity. A fantastic coming of age story full of queer yearning and good music. Highly recommend! Out 5/26.
I adored these complex, unforgettable characters and the alternating timelines had me completely immersed in the story. Both tender and thought-provoking, this novel explores complicated familial & romantic relationships, choosing or opting out of motherhood, the transformative power of music, and embracing one’s sexual identity. A fantastic coming of age story full of queer yearning and good music. Highly recommend! Out 5/26.
April 26, 2026
A brilliant and beautiful queer love story (but not a love story in the way you’d expect) that will especially touch people with connections to D.C. and Baltimore (the 9:30 Club is a character in its own right in this novel). Absolutely devoured this! My thanks to the author for the ARC, can’t wait for this story to get into the hands of eager queers everywhere
March 19, 2026
LOVED this queer coming of age story!
It follows Jamie, stuck in a life that feels like it’s going nowhere, until a chance to reconnect with her ex (and former bandmate) pulls her back into music, and everything she’s been avoiding. What unfolds is a story about first love, identity, and figuring out who you are when your past won’t let you go.
The characters are flawed in the most real way, and the tension between love, regret, and self-discovery feels so raw. You can feel the music, the longing, and the chaos of it all. Absolutely loved it!!
It follows Jamie, stuck in a life that feels like it’s going nowhere, until a chance to reconnect with her ex (and former bandmate) pulls her back into music, and everything she’s been avoiding. What unfolds is a story about first love, identity, and figuring out who you are when your past won’t let you go.
The characters are flawed in the most real way, and the tension between love, regret, and self-discovery feels so raw. You can feel the music, the longing, and the chaos of it all. Absolutely loved it!!
March 15, 2026
This book was very gripping, filled with queer yearning, nostalgia, and emotional intensity. This will be an extra fun read for music fans, especially any that happen to be familiar with the music scene in DC. I loved seeing the journey our main character went on, even when she was frustrating at times. It made me want to sing, hug my baby, and call my mom.
This book would pair well with “Idlewild” by James Frankie Thomas; “Interesting Facts About Space” by Emily Austin; and “Margo’s Got Money Troubles” by Rufi Thorpe.
I read a digital ARC from NetGalley.
This book would pair well with “Idlewild” by James Frankie Thomas; “Interesting Facts About Space” by Emily Austin; and “Margo’s Got Money Troubles” by Rufi Thorpe.
I read a digital ARC from NetGalley.
March 6, 2026
4.5 ⭐️I adored this debut, and was so impressed with the characters and writing style. It was nostalgic, adoring and anxious. I was on the edge of my seat at times! For music fans, for people who cast rose coloured lenses of their first loves, for obsession, for identity and people who appreciate difficult relationships I highly recommend. Thank you Dutton Books for this advanced reader copy!
June 23, 2026
I had high hopes it would actually go somewhere, and it didn't. As a lifelong DMV resident, who spent many a night at shows in DC and Baltimore, I appreciate the late 90s and early 2000s nostalgia. That was this book's saving grace honestly because I knew the cities and suburbs being mentioned. I knew the vibe. Unfortunately, the story was just a bit lackluster for my taste.
May 29, 2026
I really wasn’t sure what to expect with this book, but I enjoyed it so much! Full of music, second chances and epic crash outs, The Maidenheads really captured the highs and lows of first love and growing fame. I really loved Jamie so much. There were certainly times I was so frustrated with her and decisions she made, but at the same time, I understood all too well the feeling of being in love and nothing else mattered. Mari was such an interesting character. Vulnerable yet viscous, I loved seeing her and Jamie as young girls figuring out their feelings and then as adults with all that history and hurt. Even though I wasn’t familiar with this particular 90s/2000s music scene, I still found it so fascinating and immersive. I also really enjoyed seeing Jamie reconnect with her dad. I would LOVE to see this adapted on screen. I think it would be so cool and unique! I highly recommend this one for music fans and readers who love complex relationships.
Thank you to Dutton Books for the digital reader’s copy!
Thank you to Dutton Books for the digital reader’s copy!
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June 27, 2026great debut!!!! loved how this talked about the consuming nature of first love, intertwined with performing music and how that can transform you. the setting of DC/baltimore was strong, and i also liked how this talked about sexuality and fluidity not just in the context of the protagonist, but her father too. it felt a bit slow to me and i wasn't as invested as i wanted to be but i liked how this resolved itself, it felt very real to the plot/story
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