For Scharisse Freeman, success comes at a cost but is it a price she's willing to pay? From the multi-prize winning author of THE SECRET LIVES OF CHURCH LADIES, a funny, sexy, clever novel

'I laughed, I cried, I got turned on! Philyaw has created a heroine you can’t help but root for, and a book you can’t help but love.' Rufi Thorpe, author of Margo's Got Money Troubles

'This book is so damn good. Sexy, messy, funny AF...it slaps with a perfectly manicured open hand.' Nikese Elise Williams, author of The Seven Daughters of Dupree

'This kind of book-making should not be humanly possible with first novels. Readers everywhere will get lost, then give thanks. This one is special. Like, forever special.' Kiese Laymon, author of Heavy

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'I have no intention of sticking to the script...'

Meet Scharisse Freeman, the Beyonce of the mega-church world: bold, unapologetic, ambitious, very much her own woman.

For the same reasons, she has always been a pariah among the other Black preacher’s wives (aka First Ladies). From the moment she ditched her humble roots and married a megachurch pastor fifteen years her senior, she’s been labelled too brash by the First Ladies and too holy by her estranged childhood friend, Petra. Schar doesn’t have a lot of allies, but that hasn’t stopped her from building an empire spanning from books to branded products, and living a comfortable life her mother could only have dreamed of.

On the eve of her 40th birthday, Schar gets the validation she’s always dreamed of: a coveted invitation to participate in the Mrs. First Lady USA pageant. But as the competition nears, a scandal breaks and her carefully curated life threatens to implode...
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'Sexy, shocking and funny as hell. It’s a wonderfully operatic tale of intrigue and betrayal… Deesha Philyaw has written a love letter to the women in this world, and this novel practically glows with her affection.” Victor LaValle, author of Lone Women

“This novel is so alive! Philyaw manages the tension between faith and desire with an expert hand.” Raven Leilani, author of Luster

'Funny and juicy and sexy' Samantha Irby, author of We Are Never Meeting in Real Life

'Propelled by a ferocious love for others, The True Confessions of First Lady Freeman heals as much as it humors, inspires as much as it scandalizes... Irresistibly catty, twisty, and packed with secrets… Trust me: your jaw will be on the floor many, many times.' Mateo Askaripour, author of Black Buck

'Unputdownable...You’ll be thinking about The True Confessions of First Lady Freeman long after you’ve read the final page.' John Vercher, author of Devil is Fine