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.

My favorite book of the year so far!

Loved the fast pace of the story and the characters. They were relatable and likable, but I could see them all being the person whodunit. I had guessed who it was before the big reveal at the end but it wasn't too early on, so I liked that the storyline kept the mystery going for me. I could not put it down. I also loved that the story is set in New York City as it's a place I've always wanted to visit.

The situations the characters found themselves in were very real and believable for the most part. It was just the ending that was a tad far-fetched for me and took me out of the world a bit but was still enjoyable to read as a fun thriller.

There were also moments where I felt the main character Alex says way too much. I know it helped propel the story forward but I felt like in real life someone in that situation should have/would have kept quiet.

Overall, I loved the reading experience and give it a solid 4.8 stars, rounded up to 5.

Thank you so much to Atria Books and NetGalley for this ARC!

it wasnt bad i enjoyed it but i would love it if it had a little more story you know? i felt like it was rushed a little

Thank you to Atria Books and Jessa Maxwell for my copy of I Need You to Read This. It was such an interesting story about a famous newspaper advice column, Dear Constance. When the writer is murdered, people are shocked and confused. Alex Marks decides to apply for the job on a whim, and she is thrilled to get the job. But as soon as she starts, she gets stranger letters in the mail and begins to feel unsafe. Alex starts to look into the murder of her predecessor and questions why she would be a target. Is someone from her new job involved? Or is it someone from her past, which is beginning to resurface.

Thoughts: The premise of this story was so much fun. I thought this book would be an amazing thriller, but it felt flat to me. The main character was boring and I thought there was a lot more the author could have done with her character. She added other one dimensional characters which was a bummer and it seemed like each person only had a single personality trait.

The reveal was fairly obvious, and lacked a thrilling element that made me care about Alex and the other characters. The chapters in the past were also transparent, and I wish the author would have committed to the darkness of this storyline, instead of keeping it at a surface level. 3-stars for this one.

I loved the characters in this story. Alex is a surprising character who at first seems a bit timid, but emerges as a strong woman. Her two sidekicks, Janice and Raymond were unexpected and yet worked quite well. The plot was intriguing with surprising creepy feelings. The author wrote the moments at the Herald with a mysterious, haunted house feel to it that totally worked with the plot of the story. The story moved at a rapid pace, never lagging. I highly recommend.

My review is voluntary and all comments and opinions expressed are my own.

Alex is working as a writer for a pharmaceutical company when her dream job opportunity comes her way- to fill the shoes of her childhood hero of an advice columnist. However, the advice columnist’s mysterious death remains unsolved and Alex is afraid that danger may be coming for her too.

This was a slow burn thriller that weaves Alex’s past into the present storyline. I really enjoyed how it was slowly revealed. There were several twists and I was proud of myself for figuring them out ahead of time, but it didn’t ruin my enjoyment of the story. Fans of advice columns like Dear Abby, domestic suspense books, and slow burn thrillers will enjoy this twisted literary tale.

Thank you to Jessa Maxwell and Atria books for the ARC and opportunity to be an early reviewer.

[ 🅐 🅡 🅒 • 🅡 🅔 🅥 🅘 🅔 🅦 ]

#tropes

🗞️ NYC Setting
🗽 Mystery
🔎 Secrets
🖤 Twists & Turns
👀 Mixed Media Elements

Loved every page of this read. Fast, quick page turner and very twisty. I had never read Jessa Maxwell’s books and this absolutely was a win for me and I will continue to look for more. I enjoyed Alex and her well fleshed out character and she is literally me in fictional character form.

I related to this character a lot. Such a great little storyline with an amazing mystery that will have you guessing for sure! Can you find the clues first, will you expect the ending…probably not. I absolutely am going to pull up The Golden Spoon now that I have found a favorite author in Jessa. This is a must have on the TRB come August 13th! Don’t want to miss it.

Thank you @netgalley , @atriabooks and author for the arc in exchange for my honest review.

I had really enjoyed "The Golden Spoon" but unfortunately "I Need You to Read This" didn't quite catch my attention. It was a fun read but nothing I would likely pursue again.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book in advance of publication.