I was hooked from the first page! Fast-paced suspense with relatable, vulnerable characters and a tense, satisfying ending. Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I tore through this in a matter of days! I was a little leery because I didn't love The Golden Spoon, but this one grabbed me from the start. I kept trying to guess who the culprit was and I definitely guessed who it was but I did not figure out why. Great read!

If you've been following me awhile then you'll know that mysteries/thrillers aren't usually my jam. This book surprised me though. While some of the plot was obvious, I thought the red herrings and apex of the book were really good. I liked Alex's growth as a character, and I honestly couldn't put the book down. I read it in almost one sitting.

Alex starts the book as kind of meek, stuck in a copy writing job and with very little social life. When the author of Alex's favorite column, Dear Constance, is brutally murdered, Alex feels even more unmoored. After a night of drinking, Alex decides to apply for the Dear Constance job. Much to her surprise, she gets the job. After she gets the job Alex spirals, she's sucked into solving the murder of her predecessor and conquering her own personal demons.

This is really a story about survival and how violence can shape a person. Alex is a survivor and as she dives deeper into the mystery of the Dear Constance murder, she also unravels more of her past. This book really surprised me, and not in like a Game of Thrones twist surprise, but like a good surprise. I thought the plot made sense and when you get to the climax, you gasp and clutch your pearls. The reason this wasn't a 5-star read is I thought the supporting cast was flimsy. Her friend Raymond had a backstory, but her other friend Janice doesn't. Alex seems so fully fleshed out that it's a shame the other characters are so dull. Also, there's a few times when Alex is mentioning how long she has been in NYC and it changes from 10 to 8 years. I think it's just a typo, but still it made me lose the thread of the story.

Overall, this was a good mystery and I recommend it.

Thanks to NetGalley and Atria for the advanced copy, all opinions are my own.

A fun, twisty thriller, <i>I Need You to Read This</i> follows Alex Marks, a pharmaceutical copywriter looking to reinvent her life in more ways than one. After learning that The Herald is looking for a new advice columnist to replace the legendary (and recently murdered) Francis Keene, she applies on a whim and is accepted. As she tries to fill Francis' formidable shoes, Alex begins getting threatening letters and starts piecing together what happened to her predecessor.

I love a good advice column. As a kid, I used to read Dear Abby and other columns for hours, imagining others' problems and the advice I would give to them. (Now, my column of choice is Ask a Manager for all of those juicy workplace problems.) I also enjoy mysteries and whodunits. For me, this was a fun, fast-paced read, but as with many thrillers, it requires a healthy suspension of disbelief.

The perfect mix of mystery, suspense and a little bit of romance! I really enjoyed this book and it kept my interest until the very end!

This was such an intense thriller! I couldn’t stop reading once I started! The characters were complex and interesting!

This book is already getting much-deserved buzz! A compulsive read and perfect for those that love the newspaper publishing industry and mysteries.

Jessa Maxwell, debut author of the delicious mystery, “The Golden Spoon,” (she really knows her way around a dessert cookbook), is back with her second adult book, “I Need You to Read This”. This time (and with far less POVs) we’re in the newspaper world. Main character, Alex, has been doing pharmaceutical copywriting when she takes a chance to apply for the position of Sunday advice columnist at a prestigious New York paper (think of the The Times, not The Post). “Dear Constance” has been without an author for eight months since the unsolved murder of Francis Keen, stabbed to death at her beach house.

The letters and e-mails have been piling up and newly hired Alex (a longtime fan of “Dear Constance”) is eager to do her best, especially when her weekly column is personally edited by legendary Editor-in-Chief, Howard Demetri, a man of secrets. Alex’s primary support group is from her morning cafe stop, blustery owner Janice and retired cop Ray. At work, Alex is rebuffed frosty admin Jonathan, but soon joined by Lucy, who helps her sort through the mountains of paper mail. But Alex suddenly receives threatening current missives and finds another possibly threatening note probably meant for her predecessor, Francis. Is Alex also in danger of getting murdered?

Ms. Maxwell’s story is well-crafted and cleverly interspersed with letters from people who are lost and lonely and the advice they receive. Alex is a kind-hearted character, full of empathy and self-awareness that makes her a great advice-giver and a reluctant but effective detective. I think I like this sophomore book far better than her delightful first effort. 5 stars!

Literary Pet Peeve Checklist:
Green Eyes (only 2% of the real world, yet it seems like 90% of all fictional females): NO Just some orange cat eyes and Tom’s honey-brown ones.
Horticultural Faux Pas (plants out of season or growing zones, like daffodils in autumn or bougainvillea in Alaska): NO Nothing more than a bouquet and an English garden at the beach house.

I enjoyed this book. It kept me turning the pages to see what was gonna happen next. I haven't read anything else by her but this sold me on her writing so I'll try her first book too. I gave it 4 stars she can really tell a story. Will be recommending it to everyone.

Mystery Thriller about a copywriter, with a dark past, takes over for a murdered advice columnist & starts looking into her death after she begins receiving strange letters.

5/5 stars: Maxwell's newest Mystery Thriller stand-alone features a copywriter who impulsively applies for and gets the job of writing a popular advice column. But when she begins receiving strange letters, she starts her own investigation looking into her predecessor’s murder. Unfortunately, the dark secrets of her own past rise to the surface and she'll find herself trapped in a dangerous and potentially deadly mystery. Will she solve the murder and save her own skin? Or will she face a similar fate? With plenty of twists and turns, Maxwell's write a gripping tautly paced tale that will leave you on the edge of your seat. I really like how Maxwell's plot unfolds and the deft way everything's woven together. Additionally, Maxwell's writing and character work are excellent; the characters are well-rounded and complex while remaining incredibly likable. Alex is so relatable and it's great to see her coming into her own. Oh and I love her Bluebird Diner friendships, Janice and Raymond, and her budding relationship with Tom. You can tell how much Maxwell loves advice columns and I really liked the inclusion of the letters from advice seekers. Maxwell's touch on some serious subjects; so take care and check the CWs. Overall an excellent read, high recommend!

I received this eARC thanks to Atria Books in exchange for an honest review. Publishing dates are subject to change.

I flew threw this book and read it in two days. I really connected to Alice, and thought the book had a great pace to it. I am in the minority of people who didn't like The Golden Spoon, so I wasn't expecting to like this as much as I did. Pleasant surprise.

Francis Keen runs the hottest advice column in The Herald paper: Dear Constance. That is until she is tragically murdered one day, leaving the paper in search of her replacement. Alex Marks, bored out of her skull with her copywriting job and an avid reader of the column, finds herself applying. When she gets the job offer, she’s excited but she’s nervous… Francis’s killer was never found—was it personal or did it have to do with the job? As she settles in to her new role, Alex begins to receive odd letters and fears that her life may be in danger too.

No sophomore slump here! Labeled as a thriller but more of what I would consider a cozy mystery. There aren’t any bigs twists and turns or out-of-the-blue jump scares but there are plenty of unsettling scenes sprinkled throughout. Interspersed with Alex’s narrative are letters to Dear Constance from a reader whose situation at home seems to be ramping up and with it, my ANXIETY ramped up; I really liked this touch.

With all of that said, a seasoned thriller reader will see the outcome pretty early on, taking away from the shock value of the novel. Similar to her debut, Maxwell puts most of the action in the back hand of the book so there’s a lot of build-up to get there.

Between the two, I do think I liked Golden Spoon a touch more but this one is still definitely worth the read.

Thank you Atria Books and NetGalley for the digital copy in exchange for an honest review! Available 08/13/2024!

I really enjoyed this thriller focused on an advice columnist! Alex was a great main character. She is easy to root for with a mysterious backstory that slowly unfolds throughout the book. I really enjoyed all of the side characters including her friends from a diner and her new colleagues at a newspaper. I did find one storyline (I won't spoil anything) a little out of left field but over all this was fun and very engaging, I read it in one sitting! Jessa Maxwell is an author to watch, for sure. Thanks to Jessa Maxwell, Atria Books, and NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

I had a lot of fun with this one!

The pacing is great; I read it all in one sitting. I didn't find it all that twisty, but I did find myself really rooting for Alex and becoming engrossed in her work. I've also gotten so used to fluff and misdirection in mysteries over the years that it felt refreshing to read such a lean, focused thriller.

I loved the writing and enjoyed the pacing. The characterizations were on point and the tension build up was nicely done. I just feel like the ending could have been a lot better. Since I don't want to spoil anything, I'll just say towards the end the "who done it" part became predictable and didn't deliver the jaw dropping twist I was expecting.
I intend to read other books Jessa Maxwell writes, I just hope next time (and the times after) she delivers more of a surprising, unexpected ending.
Thank you to the publisher and to NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read in exchange for an honest review.

I absolutely loved The Golden Spoon, so I was ecstatic when I got an early copy of I Need You to Read This--and it did not disappoint!! It was a slow burn, yet it was so intense that I carried the book around with me to read every second that I had the chance. Alex Marks has moved to New York City to start her life over. She has a job working from home that she does not enjoy, but does everything she has to in order to stay inside. Then one day she sees that her favorite advice columnist has died and she decides to apply for the job. When she finds out she gets it, she is thrown into chaos until the very last page. This was a good, solid thriller that kept me guessing and moved at lightning-fast pace. I loved every word of this book! I cannot wait to see what Jessa Maxwell writes next!

What could be better than reading strangers words in their most vulnerable moments? Murder, of course! 😉

What a thrilling murder mystery! I loved the plot for this one and I fell in love with the MC, Alex. Her determination really shone through the pages as I kept reading and uncovering more of her past. It keeps you guessing throughout and wraps up nicely like a satisfying treat. ☺️ I can’t wait to read more from Jessa!

Twists and turns galore and an honest portrayal of ocd and anxiety. I love books with mental health rep.
Alex is real and likeable I can really relate to her which made me really love this book even more

Thank you to NetGalley, Jessa Maxwell, and Atria Books for this arc of I Need You to Read This, out August 13, 2024!

📜Quick Summary: Alex is miserable at her copy editing job, and needs to make some changes. Her friend list is minimal, her love life is nonexistent, and she’s running from something in her past. Francis, the advice column writer for The Herald, is found murdered in her beach home. Her senseless murder goes unsolved and cold. Alex finds herself applying for this position. Was it the right choice, or will she be next? Alex gets swept up in solving the murder, while also staying afloat in her new position.

💡Thoughts and Feelings: For a second book, I think the author did a good job. Some things are easy to pick out, but the book follows your typical story map of a thriller, sprinkled with little treats here and there. I enjoyed Alex’s story unfolding, and wished at times for her to be a little bit less trusting…and question more around her.

🙋🏼‍♀️Moving Character: I didn’t really “love” any character throughout this novel. At one point or another, each one got on my nerves for different reasons. I feel like I was gliding over the ocean in a boat, but never got off to dive in and really get to know them. I wish I could have seen more in the relationship between Alex and Johnathan…I feel like there was potential there for a great friendship if it wasn’t so award at times.

👍🏻or 👎🏻: Thumbs up to a newer thriller reader. This definitely has some good elements thrown in there, but seems to need a little more depth when it comes to characterization and creating more tumultuous situations for the main character.

🌟Overall Rating: 3.5 stars

This novel was provided by the publisher, via NetGalley, in exchange for my honest review.

Alex Marks, a young woman who seems to be in hiding, follows the advice of columnist Dear Constance in the paper. When she learns the columnist has been murdered, Alex gets hired to be her replacement and hopes to find the murderer. Unfortunately, there seems to be a lot of suspects and Alex has problems of her own. Alex starts the novel being depressed, but getting the job gives her something to look forward to. She's a likable character and Ray and Janice, regulars at her breakfast cafe, are likable too. They kind of make a good team and I could see the three of them sleuthing together on more books. My biggest quibble is that there seems to be only about 3 people working at this newspaper and there's never a sense that it's a real working paper. Thank you to NetGalley for allowing me to read the book in exchange for an honest review.