What do you think?
Rate this book
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
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 88 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.
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 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.
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!
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
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.
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.
June 13, 2026
4.25⭐️ phew what a beautiful stunning story. Full review to come!
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 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!
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!
June 14, 2026
I think this was a fun book and might be such a thrill for people familiar with the DC area and music scene. That's not me so I struggled at some points.
A lot of detail in most scenes when I really wanted to know more about Mari!!!! As she's the love interest, I wish we knew more or saw more of her so I could understand the romance side of the story as it's portrayed as all-consuming. I thought Jamie was compelling and genuinely didn't know what her next move would be at any time.
A lot of detail in most scenes when I really wanted to know more about Mari!!!! As she's the love interest, I wish we knew more or saw more of her so I could understand the romance side of the story as it's portrayed as all-consuming. I thought Jamie was compelling and genuinely didn't know what her next move would be at any time.
Read
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
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 30, 2026
Overall, I liked it. An okay story (not plot, basically very little happens other than a series of episodic events) with characters who aren't very likeable. But as what it is, I had an okay time with it.
Read
June 15, 2026
Trigger & Content Warnings
Unplanned pregnancy & abortion
Unplanned pregnancy & abortion
Read
June 29, 2026i should've loved this i just didn't feel a pull towards the characters
May 29, 2026
I really loved this book! All of the characters were well-written, especially Jamie and Mari, even if they weren't always likeable. I felt like I was in the story with them, and right down to the end I was feeling the suspense of what is going to happen with these two. Overall, a wonderful book that I would return to and have on my shelf. I can't wait to see what Benny writes next.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Dutton for the ARC.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Dutton for the ARC.
June 3, 2026
A very DC book (and a very DC book done very well), and I loved it because of that!! I checked-out the audiobook from DCPL as soon as it became available and devoured it in under 24 hours. The Narrator was excellent. They navigated the book's emotional complexity, each character's vulnerabilities (and yes, the messiness) deftly and subtly, without overplaying it. Even the sex scenes, which are so easy to get wrong on audio, were voiced with such care and tenderness. It made for a very intimate listen.
May 18, 2026
The Maidenheads shares similar territory with Superstars by Ann Scott — love and music toxically tangled. Mari and Jamie are less self destructive than Scott’s pair though and much more likable.
A decade ago, Jamie was questioning her body and desire, and The Maidenheads, the band Jamie had with her then-girlfriend Mari was where Jamie found solace. The Maidenheads had one song that put them on the brink of being almost famous. Then Jamie and Mari broke up, and that future fell apart too. Jamie lost all of it at once — Mari, the Maidenheads, the music. She stopped singing for years afterward. But when Mari asks her to come sing with her new band, Les Somnambules, Jamie says yes, consequences be damned.
They still sound extraordinary singing with each other, but elsewhere they’re disastrous. Together, but also apart, hurting each other and the people who love them. Jamie’s attachment to Mari might be love, but more likely it’s an escape from her own mediocre life that Mari provides. Mari’s no better. She’s selfish and tortured by her own past with and without Jamie.
Throughout the story Jamie and Mari move closer towards being people capable of holding on to a different kind of future, but it’s left to us, the readers, to infer whether they actually will.
The Maidenheads is a share! I was invested in Jamie and Mari’s relationships, their struggles, their wins, their music and the music they loved. It would be so cool to hear the Maidenheads and Les Somnambules perform for real.
A decade ago, Jamie was questioning her body and desire, and The Maidenheads, the band Jamie had with her then-girlfriend Mari was where Jamie found solace. The Maidenheads had one song that put them on the brink of being almost famous. Then Jamie and Mari broke up, and that future fell apart too. Jamie lost all of it at once — Mari, the Maidenheads, the music. She stopped singing for years afterward. But when Mari asks her to come sing with her new band, Les Somnambules, Jamie says yes, consequences be damned.
They still sound extraordinary singing with each other, but elsewhere they’re disastrous. Together, but also apart, hurting each other and the people who love them. Jamie’s attachment to Mari might be love, but more likely it’s an escape from her own mediocre life that Mari provides. Mari’s no better. She’s selfish and tortured by her own past with and without Jamie.
Throughout the story Jamie and Mari move closer towards being people capable of holding on to a different kind of future, but it’s left to us, the readers, to infer whether they actually will.
The Maidenheads is a share! I was invested in Jamie and Mari’s relationships, their struggles, their wins, their music and the music they loved. It would be so cool to hear the Maidenheads and Les Somnambules perform for real.
June 15, 2026
With a track record that trends toward imploding when dealing with situations that begin to go poorly, when a chance arises to revisit a past opportunity that slipped by, it’s frantically seized, for good or bad, in The Maidenheads by Benny B. Peterson.
To read this, and other book reviews, visit my website: http://makinggoodstories.wordpress.com/.
Recently broken up from but still hooking up with her first long-term hetero partner, Jamie continues to be consumed by memories and thoughts of what might have been with her former bandmate and ex-girlfriend, Mari, a decade after they messily broke up as a couple and band, as Jamie was left unable to sing. Going to see a show for Mari’s new band, Jamie is unexpectedly invited to their practice, to sing a song with them during practice, and then to join as a guest singer for an upcoming show; enamored by the opportunity, Jamie quickly agrees despite the logistical challenges of a work commute to Baltimore from DC, deciding whether to keep an unexpected pregnancy, and how to navigate her past with and feelings about Mari. As Jamie moves forward with the band, elements within both her life and the band begin to fray and become unstable, forcing reevaluations and hard choices for what is needed to move forward.
Exploring the complexities of identity, relationships, and who you are within relationships, as the role assumed could vary wildly from who you are individually, with the frame of music surrounding it as an additional layer, the narrative slowly follows Jamie’s current events while also taking meandering moments to delve into her past to provide context for who she was with Mari as a teen, as well as with her parents throughout the years, all of which explains the hang-ups influencing her current decisions and behavior. The dynamic between Jamie and Mari was shown to be a grossly codependent one, with insecurities running rampant and manipulation seated at the heart of the relationship, and as their initial issues were not addressed but left to fester for a decade they, therefore, merely repeated them in their reunion; while there is an effort toward growth from this depicted in their dynamic through confrontations from other characters and between these two, as well as the introduction and suggestion of therapy, it comes rather late in the story, limiting the actual demonstration of rebuilding or seeing themselves from a new perspective in comparison to how much time was spent in repetition of self-destructive behaviors leaving a sense of unbalance.
*I received a copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
To read this, and other book reviews, visit my website: http://makinggoodstories.wordpress.com/.
Recently broken up from but still hooking up with her first long-term hetero partner, Jamie continues to be consumed by memories and thoughts of what might have been with her former bandmate and ex-girlfriend, Mari, a decade after they messily broke up as a couple and band, as Jamie was left unable to sing. Going to see a show for Mari’s new band, Jamie is unexpectedly invited to their practice, to sing a song with them during practice, and then to join as a guest singer for an upcoming show; enamored by the opportunity, Jamie quickly agrees despite the logistical challenges of a work commute to Baltimore from DC, deciding whether to keep an unexpected pregnancy, and how to navigate her past with and feelings about Mari. As Jamie moves forward with the band, elements within both her life and the band begin to fray and become unstable, forcing reevaluations and hard choices for what is needed to move forward.
Exploring the complexities of identity, relationships, and who you are within relationships, as the role assumed could vary wildly from who you are individually, with the frame of music surrounding it as an additional layer, the narrative slowly follows Jamie’s current events while also taking meandering moments to delve into her past to provide context for who she was with Mari as a teen, as well as with her parents throughout the years, all of which explains the hang-ups influencing her current decisions and behavior. The dynamic between Jamie and Mari was shown to be a grossly codependent one, with insecurities running rampant and manipulation seated at the heart of the relationship, and as their initial issues were not addressed but left to fester for a decade they, therefore, merely repeated them in their reunion; while there is an effort toward growth from this depicted in their dynamic through confrontations from other characters and between these two, as well as the introduction and suggestion of therapy, it comes rather late in the story, limiting the actual demonstration of rebuilding or seeing themselves from a new perspective in comparison to how much time was spent in repetition of self-destructive behaviors leaving a sense of unbalance.
*I received a copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
June 20, 2026
Thank you so much to Dutton Books for the complimentary copy of the book!
Thank you so much to PRH Audio for the complimentary ALC! #PRHAPartner
This book is out now!
I had not heard or seen anything about this book but the cover alone is so striking that I couldn't help but to be drawn. As I have mentioned many times before, the trend of music theme books really hit in 2026 so naturally I had to read this because of the music theme of it all.
Earlier this year I had read another queer music theme book that just was so messy and dark and this one was not. Jamie is at a crossroads in her life. She hates her job, she unexpectedly learns she is pregnant with her ex's baby and things just are not going well. She used to be in a band called The Maidenheads when she was younger and found herself thinking about that time in her life as well as her relationship with her ex Mari. She goes to see Mari's new band and all the feelings start to come back. Jamie is just so drawn to her. The book does have some flashback moments of when Mari and Jamie were teenagers in high school and how their feelings began. Even though we are 25 years from it, it still is so weird to read about 9/11! So be prepared for a small chapter on that.
I thought the author did a good job showcasing Jamie's complicated feelings towards Mari. And just how easy it is to fall back in love with a former partner. I couldn't help but think of The Killer's lyrics, "It started out as a kiss, how did it end up like this" when it came to their relationship. Because it did start as a kiss and then it snowball into this domesticated real relationship. Jamie was back with the band and singing again. She is also trying to form a relationship with her dad and stepmom who is also pregnant. There was a lot that was happening but it didn't feel like it was too much. I did feel so bad for Jamie because she pretty much gave up her life for Mari. So when things imploded, they really imploded. I won't spoil the end but I am glad that the author showed us Jamie rebuilding her life.
I was just so enamoured with the story and couldn't stop listening once I started. I primarily read via audio and Dani Martineck is a new narrator (though they are the narrator of books I want to read). I thought Dani did a phenomenal job with the narration. I was happy that she was able to give Jamie and Mari specifically their own distinct voice.
I recommend this book if you love a queer indie music theme book with romance and drama!
Thank you so much to PRH Audio for the complimentary ALC! #PRHAPartner
This book is out now!
I had not heard or seen anything about this book but the cover alone is so striking that I couldn't help but to be drawn. As I have mentioned many times before, the trend of music theme books really hit in 2026 so naturally I had to read this because of the music theme of it all.
Earlier this year I had read another queer music theme book that just was so messy and dark and this one was not. Jamie is at a crossroads in her life. She hates her job, she unexpectedly learns she is pregnant with her ex's baby and things just are not going well. She used to be in a band called The Maidenheads when she was younger and found herself thinking about that time in her life as well as her relationship with her ex Mari. She goes to see Mari's new band and all the feelings start to come back. Jamie is just so drawn to her. The book does have some flashback moments of when Mari and Jamie were teenagers in high school and how their feelings began. Even though we are 25 years from it, it still is so weird to read about 9/11! So be prepared for a small chapter on that.
I thought the author did a good job showcasing Jamie's complicated feelings towards Mari. And just how easy it is to fall back in love with a former partner. I couldn't help but think of The Killer's lyrics, "It started out as a kiss, how did it end up like this" when it came to their relationship. Because it did start as a kiss and then it snowball into this domesticated real relationship. Jamie was back with the band and singing again. She is also trying to form a relationship with her dad and stepmom who is also pregnant. There was a lot that was happening but it didn't feel like it was too much. I did feel so bad for Jamie because she pretty much gave up her life for Mari. So when things imploded, they really imploded. I won't spoil the end but I am glad that the author showed us Jamie rebuilding her life.
I was just so enamoured with the story and couldn't stop listening once I started. I primarily read via audio and Dani Martineck is a new narrator (though they are the narrator of books I want to read). I thought Dani did a phenomenal job with the narration. I was happy that she was able to give Jamie and Mari specifically their own distinct voice.
I recommend this book if you love a queer indie music theme book with romance and drama!
Read
May 20, 2026Thank you to Netgalley & Dutton for the chance to read this book early!
The Maidenheads follows Jamie and Mari, who met and bonded over their love of music in school, ultimately leading to the two of them dating and starting a band called The Maidenheads. Growing up in the DC music scene, Mari and Jamie eventually go their separate ways after a life altering situation. The book follows Jamie's pov years later as she is working for The Bugle in Baltimore, fresh off a break up with her now ex, Peter. Jamie has the opportunity to attend a concert for Mari's new band, where the two reconnect, toying with the idea of Jamie joining the band for vocals for an important upcoming show. The rest of the story swims in between the past and present, giving the reader a well rounded view of the ins and outs of their relationship over the years.
I love messy queer stories and this was very much that! I went to school in northern Virginia and went to a ton of concerts at multiple small venues mentioned in this book which I loved seeing as well. I had a hard time rooting for Jamie and Mari as a couple (which I'm used to doing in most of my reads) so this challenged me in that sense. I thought Mari's actions and view of different situations were insensitive and over the line, especially the further I got into the book. I was really happy to see Amanda's "final rule" of Mari starting therapy, that's always something I root for characters exploring in books and I'm not always given that arc.
I LOVED the last few chapters and watching Jamie find / come into herself (arguably for the first time, at least in her adult life.) A paragraph I loved was when she was talking about taking agency over her own body, listening to what it could be for HER instead of all of the roles it has played for other people. All in all I enjoyed this book, but my heart hurt a lot in regards to the actions from many of the characters.
The Maidenheads follows Jamie and Mari, who met and bonded over their love of music in school, ultimately leading to the two of them dating and starting a band called The Maidenheads. Growing up in the DC music scene, Mari and Jamie eventually go their separate ways after a life altering situation. The book follows Jamie's pov years later as she is working for The Bugle in Baltimore, fresh off a break up with her now ex, Peter. Jamie has the opportunity to attend a concert for Mari's new band, where the two reconnect, toying with the idea of Jamie joining the band for vocals for an important upcoming show. The rest of the story swims in between the past and present, giving the reader a well rounded view of the ins and outs of their relationship over the years.
I love messy queer stories and this was very much that! I went to school in northern Virginia and went to a ton of concerts at multiple small venues mentioned in this book which I loved seeing as well. I had a hard time rooting for Jamie and Mari as a couple (which I'm used to doing in most of my reads) so this challenged me in that sense. I thought Mari's actions and view of different situations were insensitive and over the line, especially the further I got into the book. I was really happy to see Amanda's "final rule" of Mari starting therapy, that's always something I root for characters exploring in books and I'm not always given that arc.
I LOVED the last few chapters and watching Jamie find / come into herself (arguably for the first time, at least in her adult life.) A paragraph I loved was when she was talking about taking agency over her own body, listening to what it could be for HER instead of all of the roles it has played for other people. All in all I enjoyed this book, but my heart hurt a lot in regards to the actions from many of the characters.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
So when I read the synopsis of this book a few words stuck out to me. Namely: queer, Baltimore, DC, and punk music. Considering those four words quite literally describe me I knew I had to read this one, and I am happy to report this book did not disappoint.
I love any author who can truly capture sapphic yearning and how all encompassing this kind of love can be, especially at a young age. Peterson gets it. I honestly don’t have an eloquent way of putting how this book made me feel reading it. I just felt seen.
I especially loved the setting of the punk scene in DC and Baltimore because (not to dox myself), but this is where I grew up so seeing these places highlighted with an obvious reverence truly warmed my heart.
I of course loved the characters. They were so real I couldn’t help but root for them all. I tend to struggle with books based around bands because you can only say so much to invoke music without hearing the actual music the author is referring to. However, I feel as if Peterson easily conquered that obstacle and I was able to understand exactly what kind of music The Maidenheads were supposed to invoke.
This book is truly a love letter to the queer music scene, and it was everything I hoped it was when I picked it up. I will be recommending this one to anyone who will listen and I will definitely be looking forward to future releases from this author!
I love any author who can truly capture sapphic yearning and how all encompassing this kind of love can be, especially at a young age. Peterson gets it. I honestly don’t have an eloquent way of putting how this book made me feel reading it. I just felt seen.
I especially loved the setting of the punk scene in DC and Baltimore because (not to dox myself), but this is where I grew up so seeing these places highlighted with an obvious reverence truly warmed my heart.
I of course loved the characters. They were so real I couldn’t help but root for them all. I tend to struggle with books based around bands because you can only say so much to invoke music without hearing the actual music the author is referring to. However, I feel as if Peterson easily conquered that obstacle and I was able to understand exactly what kind of music The Maidenheads were supposed to invoke.
This book is truly a love letter to the queer music scene, and it was everything I hoped it was when I picked it up. I will be recommending this one to anyone who will listen and I will definitely be looking forward to future releases from this author!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 88 reviews