In I Need You to Read This, the author takes you on asuspenseful ride filled with secrets, and manipulation. The story follows a young journalist who lands a job working at a prestigious but cutthroat magazine after the death of the previous column writer. When she receives a mysterious letter, she’s pulled into a hidden narrative full of danger and deception.

As we get deeper into the story behind the letter, the MC begins to uncover dark truths not only about her workplace but also about the people she thought she could trust. The tension builds steadily, with lots of twists.

Perfect for fans of fast-paced thrillers with strong female leads and a plot that keeps you turning the pages. I Need You to Read This is an exciting, well-written novel that I read in one sitting!

Alex Marks has escaped her past to live an anonymous life in New York City, but she can never stop looking over her shoulder. An advice columnist, "Dear Constance" gave her the courage to leave her old life and start fresh. Alex had always been a fan of the advice column and of Francis Keen, the woman who wrote the column. Everyone was shocked when Francis was found murdered in her beach house. Now, eight months later, Alex sees that the Herald newspaper is looking for a new advice columnist to replace Francis. Alex, who writes unexciting pharmaceutical ads from home, is curious about what sort of qualifications the new columnist might need. She goes online to look at the application and ends up submitting her information, as well as answers to some sample letters. She is shocked when she's called in to speak to the big boss at the paper, and even more stunned when she's offered the job on the spot. While she's excited at the prospect of an interesting job (and raise), she is uncomfortable with having her personal information attached to her new job. As she begins to settle in, she starts to wonder why someone wanted the previous columnist killed. The murder is still unsolved, so when threatening letters start arriving along with those seeking advice, Alex starts to try to piece together what happened to Francis. At the same time, Alex's own past is never far away.

I enjoyed the format of the book, with the present Alex investigating, and the previous Alex telling her story through letters written to Dear Constance. There were plenty of twists that kept me guessing and I enjoyed the two sidekicks Alex collected from the local diner.

This one had me intrigued from the start. I loved the concept—an advice columnist dies mysteriously, and her replacement starts getting creepy letters? Yes, please. The premise delivered just enough suspense to keep me turning the pages, and I really enjoyed the Dear Constance letters woven throughout the story. They gave it a fun, unique vibe. That said, the middle dragged a little for me, and I guessed a couple of the twists before they landed. Still, Alex was a relatable main character, and there were some quirky side characters that made the journey worthwhile.
If you’re into slow-burn mysteries with a little psychological tension (and a dash of dark workplace drama), this is worth picking up. Not a five-star thriller, but a solid, engaging read.

This was a really solid mystery/thriller. Alex gets the highly sought after job of writing an advice column after the previous beloved columnist is murdered. Alex now has to deal with unfriendly coworkers, impostor syndrome, piles of mail to read, possibly solving a murder, and giving good advise. Plus her own past is starting to catch up to her.

I really enjoyed this book. It was very quick to read. I also really enjoyed the found family aspect of the story.

This felt very mediocre. There was nothing that really hooked my attention. I read another book from this author that made me feel the same way.

Wasnt a fan of this one either unfortunately. Got really bored reading it and I really was hoping for this one to be good. The whole synopsis sounded great and I couldnt wait to read it but sadly it fell flat for me and wasnt a hit.

I really enjoy Jessa Maxwell’s writing. This is the second book I’ve read by her and overall I did really like it.

It did have a slow start but once I got to the fast part of the book I couldn’t put it down. There were several twists and turns that I never saw coming and they shocked me.

I definitely look forward to more books by this author.

🎧 I Need You to Read This by Jessa Maxwell 📝🔍

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

This book had been on my list to read for so long, and it surprised me how much I liked it. I couldn’t wait to see how it was going to end. I enjoyed the writing style and how it switched between the storyline and the “Dear Constance” letters of Alex’s job. I thought Alex was a very relatable and likable character who ended up having her own secrets. 😅 I loved all the twists towards the end. Such a good thriller! I’ll always love a whodunnit story.

Alex Marks moves to NYC to start her life over. Alex sees an ad for Dear Constance, an advice column, and decides to apply. Francis Keen was the previous writer who was mysteriously murdered and nobody can figure out who killed her. Alex seeks to uncover the truth.

Short synopsis—Alex has big shoes to fill when she takes over the Dear Constance advice column after original columnist Francis Keen is found murdered in her home. Running from a secretive past herself, Alex soon finds herself ensnared in the mystery of what happened to Francis..
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Jessa Maxwell has a fan in me! I love the way she writes. I’m a longtime thriller lover but kind of new to the mystery/cozy mystery genre. Her previous book, The Golden Spoon, was centered around a baking competition, and this one is centered around an advice columnist. I’m in my grandma era (not a grandma but embracing a slow season of life 😂) and these storylines really hit the spot.
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I kept changing my mind on this motley crew of characters! I suspected one twist but was pleasantly surprised by a couple of other things. Overall a super enjoyable read! I recommend a rainy afternoon and cup of tea by the fireplace for this one. Enjoy!
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Thanks so much to Atria Books and NetGalley for the arc!

This was a good read. The story was interesting, and the characters were unique. I liked how it kept me engaged, but sometimes it felt a bit slow. Overall, it was an enjoyable book, and I’d definitely recommend it to others.

I absolutely loved Jessa Maxwell's The Golden Spoon, so I knew I definitely wanted to read I Need You to Read This based on the synopsis provided. I will say, the synopsis is a bit misleading. After finishing this book, I went back and read the synopsis to find that it almost sounds like I read the wrong book. Regardless, I Need You to Read This is still very well written, captivating, and cozy mystery. (I wouldn't consider this a thriller, so I feel that describing it as a "cozy mystery" fits best in this case.) Thank you, NetGalley!

Francis Keen, the writer behind the famous advice column Dear Constance of the Herald newspaper, was found stabbed in her beach home by an unknown attacker. She lost her life, the murder weapon was never found, and the suspect was never caught.

Alex Marks moved to New York City for a fresh start, but is bored to death with her current writing career. When she sees an advertisement for a replacement of Dear Constance one year after Francis’ death, she immediately applies since she was a huge fan of the column.

When she gets the job, settles into her new office, and starts reading some of the letters people have written to Dear Constance she realizes that not all of them are from people seeking help. She’s receiving threatening letters and they know everything about her and her toxic past, but who is it?

This was my first book by the author and I really enjoyed the mystery, the friendship, and the suspense leading up to the end. This story was well written and felt like a cozy mystery more than a thriller which made it easy to read and able to finish in a day.

Alex takes the job of an advice columnist and shortly after finds the original creator was murdered. This mystery follows her as she investigates what might have happened to her idol, often times suspecting those close to her. There were many twists and revealed that kept me captive, but overall I felt the plot was a bit slower-probably something g in my part because I have a difficult time separating mysteries from thrillers. 3.5 stars

I really enjoyed this! The older building Alex’s office is set in gave the whole story a spooky atmosphere. I did figure this one out about halfway through, but it was still a fun ride.

Many thanks to Netgalley for the e-arc!

I've learned my lesson, this is my second Maxwell book and I didn't really care for it. I found it repetitive and the twists at the end weren't that interesting. I wanted to like it but I didn't.

I was hooked on this book from the moment I picked it up. I truly loved the letters from the past interspersed with the current times and how Alex was adjusting or not adjusting her life. Her feelings of inadequacy and feeling like she was letting life pass her by/not doing enough were very relatable.
Alex landing her dream job was impressive and striving for perfection to prove that you've truly earned the job was another relatable aspect of the character that Jessa Maxwell wrote.
I was initially confused by the sudden crash landing of the information from the 'Dear Constance' letters about Ryan, but by letter two I had fully understood the dynamic of what we were working with, and what was being explained. Domestic violence is devastating, but I think Jessa Maxwell did a good job of portraying it, and how you are feeling during it and why women become paralyzed and unable to leave the relationships. I do appreciate that Alex tried to leave her situation, it was just a little too late.
I truly never saw the twist of Lucy coming, but loved the justice she got for herself, and Max at the end. The book was well written, definitely worth my time, and I will likely check out Jessa Maxwell again in the future.

I Need You to Read This
Jessa Maxwell

3.5 stars

Alex’s favorite advice columnist suddenly died and now she’s stepping into her iconic position while also trying to figure out who did it

📰 slightly creepy in this newspaper workplace mystery
⌨️ the intrigue of of MC’s past and her new job
🤨 suspicions of every character we meet
🍿 an easy popcorn thriller

flew through this, easy to read and really enjoyed the audiobook version! would definitely read more from this author

Really found the plot intriguing and fun. This was a fast read for me, it kept me guessing and while a little slow at the middle it picked up and was good!

chaotic, clever, and full of twists. Half therapy session, half rollercoaster ride. Buckle up and enjoy! 4/5.