The Maidenheads

The Maidenheads by Benny B. Peterson Pre-Order May 26th 2026

The Maidenheads by Benny B. Peterson is a big-hearted, electric debut novel about queer longing, indie music, and the thorny journey back to first love.

Jamie is bad at endings—and it's keeping her stuck. She’s trapped in a dead-end Baltimore newspaper job, revisiting break-up sex with her first hetero partner, and haunted by Mari, her brilliant ex-girlfriend and former bandmate from The Maidenheads. Since the band broke up nearly a decade ago, Jamie hasn’t been able to sing—or forget Mari.

When an unexpected opportunity arises to perform with Mari’s successful new D.C. band, Jamie jumps at it. Logic warns her it might be a mistake, but her heart isn’t ready to resist the gravitational pull of first love.

Electric, spine-tingling, and overflowing with tenderness and honesty, The Maidenheads captures the enduring complexities of love, identity, and music. A heartfelt ode to the life-changing power of both first love and first bands, it’s a debut that will leave your heart pounding, your ears ringing, and your soul utterly captivated.