This was good. It wasn't my favorite but not my least favorite. It was straight in the middle. 3/5 Stars

NetGalley copy: Enjoyed the story and the characters. Still very much wish there was more to the story line but ultimately it was a good ghostwriter wonder.

"I Need You to Read This" is an engaging murder mystery with an intriguing premise. The story follows Alex Marks, who lands her dream job as the advice columnist for a famous newspaper, stepping into the shoes of her idol, Francis Keen, who was murdered months prior. As Alex begins to receive threatening letters, she becomes entangled in solving Francis’s murder while grappling with secrets from her own past.

Though the plot includes red herrings and a dual timeline that artfully connects past and present, the twists are somewhat predictable. The pacing starts slow, but by the halfway point, it becomes a page-turner. Alex’s sleuthing friends, Janice and Raymond, add a delightful dynamic to the story. The inclusion of letters to "Dear Constance" enriches the narrative, blending the mystery with nostalgic elements reminiscent of classic advice columns.

While not as twisty as some thrillers, it leans toward a cozy mystery vibe, offering a leisurely yet engaging read. The touch of romance is enjoyable but feels underdeveloped by the story’s end. Despite occasional frustrations with Alex’s obliviousness, her determination keeps readers rooting for her.

Perfect for fans of mysteries or thrillers, especially those who appreciate a blend of intrigue, nostalgia, and self-discovery, this is a solid, atmospheric read—ideal for fall.

Read this for book club this month and loved it!!! Loved the short chapters, and format of letters sprinkled throughout. Characters were fully developed.

3.75 stars
This was a fun little mystery! I Need You to Read This is about Alex Marks who gets a highly coveted position as an advice columnist for a famous newspaper. The previous writer for the column was Francis Keen, someone Alex idolized and who was killed months prior. Alex finds herself investigating the murder after she begins to receive threatening letters that may or may not be tied to Francis' killer.

Even though the twists were quite predictable, I still found it to be well written. Alex’s obliviousness was very frustrating at times but I was rooting for her to the end. Her sleuthing friends, Janice and Raymond, were a great addition as well. It was definitely a slow-burn and difficult to get into at first but by the halfway point I was hooked!

A great popcorn thriller!!! Filled with twists and you really cannot trust anyone. I would say this is slightly slow burn. It did take a little to pick up but once it did, it was so good!

This was a fun murder mystery. It’s not very twisty but it’s engaging. Alex gets a job writing the Dear Constance column after the original writer is murdered. She decides to solve the murder but has her past to deal with.

This has past and present timelines which come together in the end. There are some red herrings thrown in to make it more mysterious. Plus, it has a touch of romance. I wanted more of the romance as everything was wrapping up. Otherwise, I liked how this ended.

This feels like a cozy mystery. I wasn’t racing to the end of this story on the edge of my seat. Instead, I found myself leisurely reading this as time permitted.

The story reminded me how much I used to enjoy reading Dear Abby in the newspaper each week. It brought back the nostalgia of reading about other people’s problems which seemed much worse than mine.

I unfortunately chose not to finish reading this book. I did enjoy Jessa Maxwell’s previous title, but the premise of this one didn’t sit too well with me, and I found that I was not intrigued enough to continue reading.

This was a fun fast paced thriller while it was a little predictable it kept me entertained throughout. I loved the idea of the plot in this one the idea of taking over a job and getting involved in your predecessors murder case. While I loved the plot the characters could be a little grating at times. I thought the writing was engaging and fast paced I just felt some of the twist were a little obvious. I really enjoyed this authors writing and hope to pick up more from them in the future. I would like to thank NetGalley and the publishers for a chance to read this book for an honest review.

This novel follows Alex, who has landed her dream job as the new writer of the “Dear Constance” advice column, after its previous writer, Francis, is murdered. Alex is soon caught up is trying to find out what happened to Francis, while also having to face her own past. Engaging and well-paced, I thoroughly enjoyed this novel.

I went into this book blind and glad I did. It was twisty and was a good read. It wasn’t my favorite but I appreciate the early opportunity to read it!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for giving me the opportunity to be able to read and review this book!

4/5

Lots of twists and turns with this one! excellent redirection and red herrings to keep you from seeing the obvious. There were just enough characters to keep your suspicions shifting without losing track of who is who. I loved the side characters, great multi-generational friendships and a new look at a part of journalism! Great cozy mystery with a dash of thriller to keep you a little on edge.

This one took me a bit to get into, but once I was in, I was IN! I was able to piece together some of what was going to happen, but other parks came as a shock to me. Not only do we have the mystery of what happened to Francis, but we are also trying to figure out what happened in Alex’s past. I loved how the author used letters written to “Constance” in the past to help blend the past and present stories. This was such a fun read that was perfect for fall! I definitely recommend this one if you’re a fan of mysteries or thrillers!

Thank you to @netgalley for an advance copy in exchange for my honest opinion

When Alex takes over writing the advice column of Francis Keen, whom she has admired for years, she knows she has big shoes to fill. But as Alex dive s deep into the problems of readers seeking advice, she also finds herself trying to solve Francis’ murder.

This book is twisty and dramatic, with a touch of heart and found family as well. I’d definitely recommend this for thriller lovers who want more character development than your standard thrillers of today.

Jessa has a way of making the perfect blend of cozy mystery and thriller - I really enjoyed this one! All of the characters were quirky and fun, but a bit over the top which may not be everyone’s cup of tea.

This, like her debut novel, is a slowwww burn. It isn’t one for the readers who love fast paced thrillers at all. But she hooked me right away in the prologue and I wanted to find out what happened and couldn’t stop.

Still think her debut, THE GOLDEN SPOON, is my favorite of her novels - but Jessa is quickly becoming a favorite cozy thriller author for me!

LOVED it! I will absolutely be reading more of her books!!! What a great page turning and suspenseful book. This definitely keeps you on the edge of your seat and constantly wanting more. The twist was unexpected (which is just the best) and the writing was *chef’s kiss*. Truly a great read!

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC!

*I Need You to Read This* had an intriguing premise that drew me in, but unfortunately, it didn't quite meet my expectations. The story follows Alex Marks, who takes on the role of her childhood hero’s advice columnist after the shocking murder of Francis Keen. This setup held a lot of promise, but I found the execution left me wanting more.

While the concept of exploring the impact of Francis's advice on Alex's life was interesting, the pacing felt off, and I struggled to connect with Alex as a character. The tension built around the mystery didn’t quite hit the mark, and I was left feeling unsatisfied by the resolution.

I appreciate the effort that went into the storytelling, and there were moments of insight, but overall, it just didn’t resonate with me as I hoped it would. Still, I think there are readers out there who might enjoy this tale of intrigue and self-discovery.

Thank you NetGalley, Atria Books and the author for an ARC of this book.

I love the premise of this book. It was refreshing to read a thriller with a premise that I never read before. How did it be beloved advice columnist become murdered and how is her new replacement connected… And why is she now becoming threatened as well?
I love the characterization. Each character was so well hash out that they were incredibly easy to picture and intuit their next moves. Alex, our main girl, and new Dear Constance was hard not to love.
My problem with the story and the only reason I dropped a star was because of how the story wrapped up. I love the twists and how much sense all the little pieces made put together, but it felt so rushed with having two huge plot lines and only 250 or so pages . Don’t get me wrong. I loved both plot lines, but I felt like neither was given the amount of space needed to adequately and best serve each.
I would read another Jessa Maxwell book and recommend this to anyone looking for an engrossing quick read. There’s still new plot lines to discover y’all!

As for my ratings :
Excitement level: 5
Ease of reading level: 5
Overall rating : 4

what a great, twisty and turny read that pulls you in from the jump! Alexis such a relatable main character, dealing with mental health concern, low self esteem and imposter syndrome that many of change relate to in some way. Alex is highly relatable, but a main character you definitely learn to love and get to see her routines that help protect herself from the world. This read is better suited to go in blind, really helping you follow the story without preconceived notions and getting to full immerse yourself.