First and foremost, I want to thank Netgalley and the publisher for an e-ARC!

Stars: 4.25 rounded down

"I'll make it look like a suicide..."

I Need You to Read This by Jessa Maxwell is a thriller surrounding our main female character, Alex, living in New York City. Alex is a woman who comes from nothing and carries a past around with her. It's suffocating and relentless, causing her character to make many decisions out of fear and anxiety. After the murder of her favorite advice columnist, she finds herself hate applying for her job, thinking she would never get the job. But she does. And then everything starts to happen and she finds her past, and present, haunting her.

It was a bit slow as the story is built and crafted, as we get to know Alex, and up until she gets the job as the new advice columnist. By about 30% in, I found myself hooked! By 40%, I had a suspect and motive list as Alex tries to investigate the murder of Francis Keen. As the story progresses, I was able to figure out one of the biggest twists, while one I figured out part of it but was floored when it was completely revealed.

Overall, I highly recommend this quick and fun read to anyone looking for a fun thriller to devour!

Things I really liked:

Characters. I really enjoyed the different characters in the story. I especially liked that Alex, as the narrator, was able to describe these characters all the way down to their emotional states. It really brought them to life to me.

We learn about Alex's past through letters at the end of some of the chapters. I really enjoyed looking at her life through the letters versus chapters. I know when chapters themselves jump through different time periods, it can be jarring or confusing, so having a clear distinction was great!

Things I didn't like so much:

There was the miscommunication trope with Alex and a present time lover. While I understand why it happened and her reactions, I just am a firm hater of miscommunication tropes. It worked for the story though, so it had its place, this is more of a me issue.

I found some of the pacing a bit awkward during two big scenes, one being at a hotel, and then near the end where the first of the twists have been revealed. It seemed they weren't as fleshed out as some other big moments and happened too fast to me.

In 'I Need You to Read This', Alex's pursuit of a fresh start in New York is disrupted when her go-to advice columnist is murdered, and she is unexpectedly appointed as the successor. As she navigates this new role, Alex takes it upon herself to investigate the murder of Francis Keen, the esteemed columnist who preceded her. This riveting psychological thriller is marked by its masterful storytelling, which expertly balances numerous plot elements and incorporates newspaper columns to create a rich narrative tapestry. 3.5⭐️

I was lucky enough to have NetGalley and the publisher gift me this this advanced reader’s copy.

The last book by this author had so much potential for me to love it, but it fell short and I ended up not really liking it. However, the first 80% was SOOOOO fun. So I was really eager to try another book by this author and see how it would go. Unfortunately, it was the exact same. I loved it so much and then everything fell apart at the end for me.

I love a quick read that will keep me on the edge of my seat. I really liked the Golden Spoon, and this one was great as well. About a writer who is looking for answers to solve a murder. It’s a great read.

When MC Alex’s favorite advice columnist is murdered, she never would’ve dreamed taking over the position. Alex only applied for the job to fill her idol’s shoes to make sure the vetting process was up to par. Little did she know, she’d be the next “Dear Constance”. There’s more to it than just becoming the columnist that so many readers depend on, there’s something “off” about the new office. Right away, Alex has suspicions on what’s going on, but what turned into a quest to maintain the integrity of the advice column, unravels into a crazy twisted tale that you don’t see coming!

This story was well written, so much so that I forgot the key details in the start of the story as I was immersed in “now” vs “then”. I found the writing easy to read and the flow paced evenly. I do think this was a little more “slow burn” than “popcorn thriller”, and I’m here for it! I loved the use of mixed media to tell the story from different perspectives! Overall 4.5 ⭐️ rounded up!

Thank you NetGalley and Atria Books for this ARC in return for an honest review!!

Step 1 - See early copies of I Need You To Read This by Jessa Maxwell showing up on Bookstagram
Step 2 - Access Read Now copy through NetGalley
Step 3 - Devour this thriller in a day!

But...

This book left me scrambling for an understanding afterwards. I read it incredibly fast, then had to go back and re-read the last third as I felt like I had missed something. I don't think I did, as on the second pass I felt the same.

It started off strong, but then lost its footing.

I connected with and deeply loved parts of this thriller, but other parts seemed scattered and overdone; one plot point seeming completely superfluous.

I wish I had more to say, but that's really all my thoughts on this one.

I wanted to enjoy it more than I did, especially after truly loving Maxwell's 2023 release The Golden Spoon, but that's sadly not the case.

Thank you NetGalley and Atria Books for the complimentary copy to read and review.

When a young woman spite applies for a job to replace a murdered advice columnist, she finds herself both desiring to solve the murder and in danger herself. I really enjoyed the way the mystery unfurled, with letters interposed into the chapters leading to some of the characters' pasts being exposed. The red herrings were skillfully done, and even though I guessed some of the answers I was no where close to solving the entire thing before it was revealed.

I was enraptured by THE GOLDEN SPOON so was very excited to read this. While this is less of a cozy mystery, it has Maxwell’s easy style of writing so I read it quickly because I had to know what was going to happen. Alex was interesting but I wanted more life from her - she clearly was going through the motions and you don’t understand why until it’s too late. I will read anything Maxwell writes but I think she does best with a cozy.

When an advice columnist is murdered and the killer hasn't been caught - would you apply to be her replacement? That's exactly what Alex Marks does, applying on a whim because there is no way they could replace her idol with just anyone. Surely she won't even get the job. But she does. She soon realizes how much work this job will be, and how much danger she has potentially gotten herself into.

I loved this book. I really enjoyed Jessa Maxwell's 'The Golden Spoon,' but I loved this one even more. The format and the characters were perfectly lovable and hate-able when they needed to be. There were twists that surprised me but weren't completely out of thin air (one of my pet peeves!). The story kept me guessing while also being heartfelt. I definitely recommend this one!

I loved this just as much as the authors debut! She really has a way with writing immersive mysteries with memorable characters and great twists. The setting and publishing world aspect of this really worked for me as well. Another winner!

Thank you to Atria books for the gifted copy of this book.

I think the premise of this book is very unique and interesting. I was looking forward to a fast paced thriller about advice columnist writers, murders, and the secrets of this newspaper. There’s several other sub plots going on that the reader is following and learning about as the story progresses, and it’s interesting to read it in the format of an advice column entry. I thought that was exciting and moved the story along. I loved the short chapters this book has to keep the pacing fast and you on the edge of your seat while reading. However, I found the twists to be predictable and the ending of the book felt very copy paste from other thriller books i’ve read before. It’s not necessarily a terrible thing, but personally I was hoping for a more unique ending and exciting twist for a premise like this. Not one thing about the ending of the book was surprising to me, I guessed the two major twists about 40% in. I recommend for readers looking for something fast paced, especially those newer to the thriller genre.

A slow burn mystery that just never seemed to get going.

First, I love this cover! I even found the premise really promising. But I found the story, itself, slow and a little silly at times. I have a tough time believing a newspaper doesn't cover their windows and anyone can see who their "confidential sources" are. I also have a tough time buying that the police completely missed a vacation home that someone owned when they were murdered. Add to that the odd moments like grilling a very exclusive club on who its members are, thinking they will just tell you along with the weird moment with the ex partner's wife. These moments muddied the story and made it hard to believe the main character had any idea what she was doing.

All of these little moments took me, the reader, out from the story and the mystery and just left me wondering why these details were there to slow the story down. I wish I'd liked it more. Sadly, this one just wasn't for me.

A huge thank you to the author and publisher for providing an e-ARC via Netgalley. This does not affect my opinion regarding the book.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

Released last week, this thriller by @jessamaxwellauthor was a delight! I figured out PART of the ending by the 45% mark, but there was a plot twist I genuinely didn’t see coming!

I loved Alex, the main character, who struggled with anxiety and a haunting past. Stumbling into her dream job as the “Dear Constance” columnist at a world renowned newspaper, she doesn’t have a clue that she’s also stumbled in to solving the mystery of her predecessor’s murder. Then she begins receiving hate mail, which becomes eerily personal, threatening to uncover parts of Alex’s past that she’s tried to bury.

Over all, a well written, fun book. Alex’s friendships with Janice and Raymond gave me “Only Murders in the Building” vibes, which I loved. This one is a good one to add to your fall reading list!

Thank you to @netgalley , @atriabooks , and the author for the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

A quick read with two mysteries wrapped into one story. Fun and twisty. I really enjoyed the characters and the changing settings. Wrapped up nicely in a way I did not expect.

Thank you to NetGalley, Jessa Maxwell, and Atria Books for the ARC.

I didn’t love this book but I didn’t hate it either. I found it to be extremely predictable which I don’t enjoy in a book. I prefer to have to think hard about who did what or what comes next. This book didn’t do that for me. It was a slow burn for sure with most of the intensity in the last 20%. I found myself bored in a few places. The writing wasn’t fantastic or overly exciting to keep me interested.

I liked the letters intermixed throughout the book although quite obvious who wrote them. They added some background to the story. The love interest was weird and not organic at all. The story could have done without. The killer was blatantly obvious as soon as the character was introduced. That being said, the wrap of Francis’ murder mystery was rushed and anti-climatic.

The characters were just alright, not very developed and not very memorable. I found the FMC to be really flat and non-interesting. I think Brian was the most exciting character and I think that says a lot for how little we know about him.

The cover isn’t really true to the book either. The letters were handwritten and not typed so the keyboard keys were in my opinion the wrong idea. A newspaper style cover would have been more suitable. Minor but I know I definitely decide to read a book based on its cover.

Despite the title of the book, I don’t think you need to read this. It’s not your suspenseful and exciting thriller that leaves you contemplating everything, but it’s a cute cozy little mystery you can read rather quickly. It’s an okay read in between more exhilarating books for a brain break.

Thank you to NetGalley for the advance review copy in return for an honest review. I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. This was a fun thriller but it was very predictable very early on. I wish there was a bigger twist and it wasn’t so predictable.

This is definitely a good book for a lover of Thriller books. I didn't see some of the twists and outcomes coming, which I appreciate in a good thriller!

I was really, really excited for this book. It sounds absolutely amazing and definitely something that I would love. Unfortunately it fell a little flat for me. I couldn’t get into the story and ended up setting it aside for now.

BOOK REPORT
Received a complimentary copy of I Need You To Read This, by Jessa Maxwell, from Atria Books/NetGalley, for which I am appreciative, in exchange for a fair and honest review. Scroll past the BOOK REPORT section for a cut-and-paste of the DESCRIPTION of it from them if you want to read my thoughts on the book in the context of that summary.

Sigh. Another “meh.”

Partly because the characters were all flatter than flitters, and partly because it was all so achingly predictable. Who knows, though? Maybe if I were 18 instead of 58 I would’ve loved it (do 18-year-olds today still read books?); once again it’s probably me that’s derivative instead of the work of fiction.

In the for-what-it’s-worth category, I kept picturing the Regina character as the actress Hannah Waddingham, who played Rebecca Welton on AppleTV’s Ted Lasso. So maybe somebody keep that in mind if this book gets optioned for a streaming series.

Description
The author of the “clever, atmospheric, and creepy” (Andrea Bartz, New York Times> bestselling author) The Golden Spoon returns with a sly and addictive new mystery about an advice columnist searching for answers about her predecessor’s murder.

Her most important letter might be her last…

Years ago Alex Marks escaped to New York City for a fresh start. Now, aside from trips to her regular diner for coffee, she keeps to herself, gets her perfectly normal copywriting job done, and doesn’t date. Her carefully cultivated world is upended when her childhood hero, Francis Keen, is brutally murdered. Francis was the woman behind the famous advice column, Dear Constance, and her words helped Alex through some of her darkest times.

When Alex sees an advertisement searching for her replacement, she impulsively applies, never expecting to actually get the job. Against all odds, Alex is given the position and quickly proves herself skilled at solving other people’s problems. But soon, she begins to receive strange, potentially threatening letters at the office. Francis’s murderer was never identified, turning everyone around her into a threat. Including her boss, editor-in-chief Howard Dimitri, who has a habit of staying late at the office and drinking too much.

As Alex is drawn into the details surrounding her predecessor’s murder, her own dark secrets begin to rise to the surface and Alex suddenly finds herself trapped in a dangerous and potentially deadly game of cat and mouse that takes her all the way from the power centers of Manhattan to Francis Keen’s summer house, where her body was found and where the killer may just be waiting for her.

Do you need to read this? 🤷‍♀️. I think it would be a great intro to thrillers book for someone, but it definitely didn’t knock my socks off.
The premise is good, the friendships are lovely & supportive and the use of the columns to provide backstory is clever. The chapters are short so I can definitely see this being a “read in one sitting” book, if you’re into it. I did enjoy Jess’s Maxwell’s writing style; I’m sure I’ll read other books by her in the future.

I wanted to be on the hype train for this book, but something just felt missing for me. I found 80% of the story to be relatively slow, then everything happens all at once in the last 20%. The scenes that are supposed to be suspenseful just weren’t. The roles of some characters seemed obvious from their initial introductions so the twists didn’t seem too dramatic. I know stories aren’t supposed to be 100% believable, but there were a lot of plot holes - I.E the way Alex discovers crucial information was way too convenient. If we’re discussing murder weapons in the hallway, wouldn’t that make us an accessory after the fact? 🤔
As for Alex? For someone who feared for her life/discovery, she sure does make a lot of dumb decisions along the way.

TW for domestic violence.