Thank you, NetGalley and Crown Publishing | Crown for this ARC to review. I’ve been hearing about this book everywhere and it hasn’t been published yet so I knew I had to get my hands on it. I’m so glad I did. This book took me back to college with the way it makes you feel so passionate about music and your friends and first loves. Joe and Percy meet and start talking about music. Percy loves music, can’t play anything and has no talent herself, but has all the opinions about what is good and what definitely isn’t. Joe plays, but can use some help with writing lyrics and songs and what sounds good together. This blooms into a beautiful friendship, then possibly more, then crashes. Years pass. This book is a beautiful story about music, how music changes, being yourself, and finding who you are meant to be. I will definitely be reading this book again.

This book was everything I wanted it to be and more. As a music lover, so many scenes just spoke to my soul. Percy and Joe’s meet cute in the first chapter? That’s my love language. Discussions on a perfect song vs. a perfect track? I could read/listen/talk about it for hours. Although I was obviously rooting for Percy and Joe (they’re musical soulmates!), I loved that their romance was more of a subplot and the true romance was between the characters and their love for music. It gave Daisy Jones & The Six vibes with the musical working relationship and I loved that so much. I wish I could read it again for the first time!

"Deep Cuts" is a little bit Daisy Jones, a little bit Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow, and a whole lot of unique. The push and pull of Joe and Percy, our central characters, is almost unbearable in its tension and friction. They have a will they won't they that doesn't always make sense, but when does love ever make sense all of the time? I loved the nostalgia for the indie music scene of the 2000s, even though I definitely was not cool enough back then to understand all of the references. Overall, this is a great book that spans years and the full spectrum of the complications of friends who long to be lovers.

🎶 A slow-burn literary romance for music lovers— and one extraordinary debut novel! Deep Cuts comes out Tuesday and if you love a slow burn, or music, or you’re a millennial, or a big fan of the book ‘Drinker of Ink’— I think you’re going to love this. Thank you to @crownpublishing for letting me get a sneak peek and big, big congrats to @hollybrick!

🎶 I finished this book a couple weeks ago, and I’m STILL thinking about it— which to me, says ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️. If I had to describe it in one word, it would be redemptive. There are so many things that happen in the first half that had me screaming, SCREAMING. But man, did I love the journey the characters took to find their way back around.

🎶 Ultimately, I think this is a story of a very smart and passionate woman who got used for her talent when she was too young, and not yet strong enough to stand up for herself. And it’s about her learning to use her voice to take what is rightfully hers. She is not perfect and makes some bad choices, but I was so damn proud of Percy by the end of this novel. I also love that she surrounded by women who challenged her wrongs and pushed her to be better, rather than telling her what she wanted to hear.

🎶 Did I get every music reference in this book? I sure did not. But I felt Percy’s passion emanating right off the page— and in a world where so many people would tell her she was too much, I wanted to cheer her on.

🎶 I know many of you have fallen in love with ‘Drinker of Ink’ and I’d say this is similar but with songwriters rather than poets. It’s also being compared to a cross between Daisy Jones & Tomorrow x 3 and I would get on board with that as well. Either way, I highly recommend this one!

Thank you to Crown Publishing and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an e-ARC of Deep Cuts!

This novel follows Percy and Joe, whose creative partnership as critic and songwriter spans years, blurring the lines between collaboration, ambition, love, and identity.

Deep Cuts is a slow burn that truly sneaks up on you. The ending completely won me over, but what really made this book stand out was how real the characters felt—flaws and all. One minute, I was rooting for Percy and Joe, and the next, I wanted them to never speak again. Their dynamic is so messy, so frustrating, yet so compelling. Holly Brinkley wrote a story that is sure to linger. I know I will be thinking about Percy and Joe for a long time!

If you love emotionally complex relationships, characters that feel achingly human, and a whole lot of musical references, this one’s worth picking up!

Thanks to NetGalley and Crown for the advanced reader copy.

DEEP CUTS is the story of Percy and Joe, who meet during college at UC Berkeley and bond over their deep love of music. Over the next almost decade the two try to navigate their place in the music industry (Percy as a writer, Joe as a singer) and their complicated feelings for one another.

This novel had me running to my Spotify account in almost every chapter, to hear the music that the characters discussed with such reverence and depth. At times I found myself entirely frustrated with Percy's self-involvement and inability to self-reflect, but from a writing perspective this felt like a win for Holly Brickley, as she so deftly captured the navel gazing nature of being in your twenties. There are no easy answers by the end of this novel--only that Percy's and Joe's love of the music will go on no matter what their relationship to each other will be.

I so enjoyed this book! DEEP CUTS is not only a love story in the traditional sense, but it's also a love letter to music and its life-changing powers. The chemistry between Percy and Joe practically jumps off the page, and I loved the push-pull dynamic between them, how they kept finding each other again and again. The enduring friendship between Percy and Zoe was really well-done, too! The 2000s setting was another highlight of the story—Holly Brickley doesn't leave out a single detail, creating an atmospheric, nostalgic feel throughout. I also appreciated that we got to see snippets of Percy's writing, how her pieces demonstrate her connection with music and how music has shaped her life. Overall, while you might get frustrated with these characters at some points, you'll still be undeniably invested in their journey! If you love romances with a literary feel, coming-of-age narratives, stories set in the 2000s, and/or books about music, you definitely need to give DEEP CUTS a read. Thank you to NetGalley and Crown Publishing for the ARC.

I absolutely loved this book start to finish. What a debut!! This is a semi-modern day Fleetwood Mac. The tension between Percy and Joe was so palpable and I genuinely cared for them. The characterization was strong, the emotions so raw, and the writing beautiful. With splashes of humor in a deep bowl of reflection, nostalgia, and the human experience - I really feel this book will stay with me for a long time. review posted to goodreads

2.5 rounded up. This had the potential to be a really interesting story about two musical collaborators, Percy and Joe, who skate along the edge of romance for years. Will they or won’t they?

My problems with the book are twofold. First, a lot of the music mentioned in the book (and there’s a lot of name dropping) is from the 1990s and early 2000s, a time that I consider a kind of wasteland for music (perhaps due to my age), so many of the references went right over my head. Admittedly, that’s on me. The other big problem is that Percy’s writings about music are so obtuse and pretentious that my eyes would glaze over every time there was another one. I’m sure there’s a better audience for this book, but it wasn’t a good fit for me.

Thank you to Crown Publishing and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I thoroughly enjoyed this one. This is perfect feeling of 90s and early 2000s music scene and being in your young adult life. Those looking for a real story of love and friendship will savor this. Brickley does such a good job of capturing emotions in a way you can relate to. Definitely recommend.

Thank you to Crown publishing and Netgalley for this e-arc!

Deep Cuts is not a usual suspect in my genre line up, however I was still pleasantly surprised by it. A wild ride following Percy, who has always questioned what it means to be seen, to belong, and through the lens of music we see her life unfold.

This was a twisting and messy journey which felt so real. Percy is sharp and witty, she always has a great come back. Her best friend Zoe is so good to her - truly a girl’s girl. and then there’s Joe Morrow. At the end of the day he is just another man, but I love to see a flawed character. This trio is full of real life charm and also annoying quirks. I felt for them and also hated them all in equal measure (except Zoe, Zoe is my girl).

I’d say give this one a go if you’re okay with a LOT of musical references - essentially it’s all about Percy’s life, but through one scope which is music. This was tedious a good chunk of the time for me, but at the end of it all it’s just a messy story about what is it to be seen, heard, growing, and navigating life. I enjoyed what’s underneath it all, but to get there you have to stomach a lot of “music”.

Anyway, 3.75 stars, rounded up!

Out Feb 25, 2025!

GenXer here! This book is totally giving off Singles vibes, an early 90's film by Cameron Crowe. I loved the premise of the storyline, Percy and Joey, just two college kids overanalyzing music and life together. I remember the days sitting in a friend's room, listening to music, contemplating life, thinking you know everything and knowing nothing at the same time. I love the reference to music throughout the story, I loved the banter between the characters, and how the storyline evolved over years. Having said all that, for some reason I struggled really connecting to this book and finishing it. I can't even really say what this book lacked but I just did not connect with it. It was just a 3-star read for me. Good but not perfection!

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC rear in exchange for my honest opinion.

I loved the author’s writing style but Percy and Joe drove me crazy. The way they went back and forth ruining each other’s lives for the better part of a decade before seriously getting together (and even then not being sure it would actually work) was infuriating but I was invested enough to keep reading so that says something about the book itself.

Ever wondered what would happen if When Harry Met Sally met indie rock, social commentary, and existential crises?

Meet Percy Marks—wannabe writer, accidental ghostwriter, and professional "Will they/Won't they?" champion. She spends a decade orbiting around Joe Morrow, her not-boyfriend who writes songs about her but refuses to date her (because feelings). Meanwhile, Joe’s band, Caroline, skyrockets to fame, and their relationship plays out like the world's most chaotic setlist—full of bangers, breakdowns, and bad timing.

This book is a deep dive into early 2000s nostalgia (yes, we're calling that "historical" now), packed with music that makes it feel like a time capsule. Oh, and the chapter titles? Styled like a concert setlist. Genius.

If you love Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow, One Day, or yelling at characters to just kiss already, this one's for you. Absolute must-read for music lovers and slow-burn masochists.

Thank you to NetGalley and Crown Publishing for an advanced reader copy. All opinions are my own. Review to be posted to Goodreads, Instagram, and BN.com

I was excited to read this book. Unfortunately, it was not my jam. I have found that I love to read books for enjoyment. I am not one to analyze everything. It went deep in the early 2000 music scene. I found the pace of the book to be slow. The author did a great job submersing the reader in that time period. I know quite a few people at the library that will find this book enjoyable.

Deep Cuts by Holly Brickley has quickly become my new favorite book. I want to try to explain why, but the most important thing to convey is this: I was on a hell of a rollercoaster. It felt like I was living Percy's life alongside her. When she felt lust, I felt it too. When she felt embarrassment and humiliation, I felt every moment of it. The highs and lows—every bit of ecstasy and pain—was shared. Holly Brickley did an exceptional job of capturing Percy's experiences and drawing us into that ride with her.

I quickly realized that while there’s plenty of love in this book, it’s ultimately more women’s fiction than it is a romance. The central love story is between Percy and music. Throughout her life, Percy has felt invisible. Music is the only way she’s ever found to express herself—she dissects it, feels it in her bones, and lives for it. When she meets Joe, she begins to experience love, friendship, and, for the first time, the feeling of being special. She finally meets her musical match, someone that speaks her language. The chemistry between them is undeniable, but it quickly becomes clear that Percy is using Joe as a vehicle for her love of music—at the same time, Joe is using Percy to become a better musician, to write better songs. Mutually beneficial, but still so complex.

There were several standout moments for me in this book. The friendship between Zoe and Percy, and the way it highlights womanhood, was powerful. The email exchange where Percy explains Running Up That Hill—how she wants to experience Joe’s life, just once—hit me hard. And Zoe’s response, reminding her that women don’t need miracles to experience each other’s lives, was a reminder of the deep, shared female experience. Later, when Percy talks about her sexual assault at the club, Zoe immediately understands the terror and shame tied to it, hearing the pounding music and feeling that rooted fear. It was a really emotional moment for me—a reminder of the connection women have with one another and how important it is to show up for each other.

The first time Joe performs Bay Window live in front of Percy was another key moment. I was so giddy and excited with how clearly Joe’s love for her poured into the performance. Percy was excited too, and I thought it was because of Joe’s feelings—but then it clicked: she was high off the validation of everyone else’s love for the song she co-wrote with him. In that moment, I realized something—I don’t think Percy is in love with Joe. She’s in love with the success and recognition that comes with her music. She craves that validation. She is good at music, and she realizes it in that moment.

For a long time, I thought this story wouldn’t have a happy ending, and in its own messy way, it did. It felt so rewarding. Deep Cuts is a messy, toxic, and heart-wrenching journey—a sort of coming-of-age novel, but told through the lens of Percy's entire adult life. It captures the highs and lows of adulthood in the early 2000s, and the way passion can consume us, especially when expressed through music.

This book was exceptional, and I want to remember how I felt reading it forever.

Percy and Joe meet at Berkeley in 2000 and share their passion for music. As Percy provides feedback on Joe’s music, it sets off a partnership that will span years and ignite passions in them both.

Alert to music fans! If you love music and reading about the creative process, you’ll enjoy this one. There were so many references to music history as well, which I found interesting. I could entertain myself looking up these songs for a long time after reading this story. Besides the music, the relationship was the heart of the story even though they weren’t with each other most of the story. It’s also a coming of age as they get to know themselves apart from each other, and then get to know each other again and again.

“Maybe I could learn to do it better. Maybe now that I’d been split open, made wiser, my words on a page could get closer to music.”

Deep Cuts comes out 2/25.

In 2000, Percy meets Joe at a bar during college, and they bond while dissecting the music playing on the jukebox. They begin a decade-long relationship that gets friend-zoned early, to Percy's dismay. The book follows her (yes, Percy is a woman's name here) as she navigates the world while her former best friend eventually becomes a music phenomenon.

I'm what I would call a shallow reader. An English teacher's least favorite student. I hated the parts in class where we analyzed what the author MEANT and WHY they said what they said. I wanted to read what's on the page, not the allegory and theme and message behind it. I just wanted to read for the fun of the story. I still do. I don't want to LEARN stuff from my leisure reading. I want to read a good story. Action. Romance. Mystery. Intrigue. Whatever.

So when things like Deep Cuts come along in my reading, they're usually books that I tire out quick on. This book is all about dissecting music for what it does for you, how the words chosen make it a better song, etc. Percy feels (to me) like a pretentious know-it-all who has to analyze the shit of of EVERYTHING and judge the creators for their choices.

I LOVE music. I love getting back story on a song. But Percy gets.... extra. About every nuance of every song. The way she goes about it makes it feel like the worst parts of English class, instead of a fun twist on a song.

The thing is, the time period of the book essentially means that she and I would have been contemporaries. She's in college in 2000, and that's when I started college, so she's maybe a couple years older than me at most. But I feel like we wouldn't have gotten along. Her opinions have opinions, and they're not the lighthearted, fun kind.

This book is NOT written for me. It's not. I'm not the audience. I KNOW people who will love this. I'm not that person. This book is going to really hit some people in all the right places. This is about to become someone's new favorite book. There's DEFINITELY an audience for this book. It's just not me. Just because I didn't love it, though, that DOESN'T mean you don't either. This is really a well-written, thoughtful, insightful book... for someone else. I truly hope you love it.

I received an Advanced Reader Copy via NetGalley in return for sharing my thoughts on this book. Thanks to the author and publisher for this opportunity!

An entire generation needs this novel to time travel to that post-college, before you found your adult self, a stage that is part of the millennial experience. Brickley gives voice to the late-night musings of college friends who drift apart and find their way back together, time after time. There's an accompanying playlist to reinforce the soundtrack reflections of the story, a much-needed contextualization of the importance of music. I may want to start up a battle over the Hall and Oates praise, but that's why this is a must-read, and then immediately read again because you just can't let go of the feelings that come bubbling up. Nostalgia is strong with this one and you'll want to text a friend just to remember when.... it is so good!

LOVE THIS BOOK. If romances are all beginning to feel the same, this might be for you. This was unique and had substance while hitting my nostalgia for the early 2000s. I will remember this story for a while.