Gretchen McMurphy was playing bingo halls and dive bars until a fitness influencer used her breakup anthem to help followers get a better booty, and now she s landed her dream gig - opening for iconic pop star Fae Deeds. Suddenly Gretchen has things she s not used to having: a sizeable income, screaming fans, bottled water preferences, and a friend who understands the pressures of the music industry, the daily battle of being a woman in the public eye, and what it feels like to have every man you ve ever loved hurt you. Fae really gets it. Fae knows. Fae has developed her own tools for dealing with these issues - and it's not good coping skills or proper meditation. It's much, much sharper than that. And pretty soon Gretchen must decide what (and who) she's willing to sacrifice for fame. Razor-sharp and riotously funny, The First Cut is the Deepest by Mindy McGinnis is a deliciously unhinged thrill ride down the music industry's darkest alleys.