Alex, Free-lance writer fan running from a past applies as a replacement after the advice columnist she adores is killed, Great I deal.

Told in alternating timelines, with letters to "Dear Constance", I began to wonder if maybe Constance had ignored the wrong letter and if the past Alex was running from was just a guise.

Great idea, but that's about where it ends for me. I found the supporting characters a little too contrived, a few too manner secrets and an incredibly slow pace until the end when everything is very, very quickly solved, everyone ending up exactly where they should be.

This one was a miss for me. But I did like the cover with the bloody fingerprint on the key, so I would likely have picked it up based on the cover at least.

3 stars. Much thanks to NetGalley and to the publisher for the eArc in exchange for my honest review.

I Need You to Read This was a great example of a fresh and suspenseful thriller.

I loved the dual timelines that were weaved together in this book. It felt like two mysteries unfolding at the same time, and I was never completely sure what was coming next. I was entertained and consistently surprised, which is all I really need from a thriller. As long as I'm invested and flipping through the pages, I'm happy as can be.

That being said, I did notice a plot hole (the main character's ex boyfriend tried to kill her but reported that she had attempted suicide; however, during the incident she had sliced his whole face open so it seems unlikely that first responders would not look into this further? Or at a minimum that this would have flagged to his sister that there was more going on?) and I felt some of the issues were resolved in a strangely quick way (i.e. the way that his sister swaps sides in the course of a few minutes).

I did enjoy Jessa Maxwell's writing a lot and would definitely try more by her in the future.

*Note: Bookstagram review of this book scheduled to be posted effective 3/27/2024.

This is my second Jessa Maxwell book, and I have to say I found it throughly enjoyable.

Alex Marks is starting over in the Big Apple and happens to stumble upon a job writing as an advice columnist, filling the big shoes of Francis whose untimely death left the position vacant. Buckle up for mystery and twists and some creepiness. However, the dynamic between Alex, Janice the waitress, and Raymond the gruff toast-loving ex-cop is funny and entertaining.

I would recommend this to anyone with a love for mystery and suspense. Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for the advanced copy.

After reading and thoroughly enjoying The Golden Spoon by this author, I was immediately curious about I Need You to Read This. The concept of: the fan of a recently murdered advice columnist getting to take over the job, really enticed me. But, after the initial plot setup, I found myself losing interest. I wish there had been more time spent on Francis instead of certain side characters and the pacing felt a little slow for the majority of the book. Also, I felt the romantic element was unnecessary. That being said, I still enjoyed my time reading this one and when we did focus on Francis, I was the most entertained. All in all, it just wasn’t what I was expecting.

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria for providing me with an advanced digital copy!

Confession time — I am a sucker for advice columnists. They are my favorite thing to read in the newspaper. So when I saw this thriller, which follows a murdered advice columnist and the young woman who has been hired to take over the murdered woman’s job, I knew I had to pick it up.

I will say, I was expecting the advice columns to have a bigger role. There were only a few mentioned that were answered. I was also expecting the murdered to be the focus, and while it definitely was, I would say it’s mostly a story about the new columnist, Alex.

I was able to predict two of the major plot twists, but I also read a lot of thrillers and enjoy trying to figure out whodunnit as the story progresses.

I’d definitely recommend this one, and I’m totally going to read this author’s first book <i>The Golden Spoon</i> which got a lot of buzz when it came out last year too!

<i>this ARC was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you!

Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for allowing me to read this ARC! This was an enjoyable thriller with an interesting premise.

Alex, stuck in a boring job and her own limiting routines, has always looked up to famous advice columnist Francis Keen. Months after Frances is brutally murdered, Alex applies on a whim (and a bottle of wine) to be her replacement. To her surprise, she is hired. To her greater surprise, she begins to unravel the mystery of who murdered Francis Keen while facing danger from her past and her present.

I enjoyed reading this book! Alex’s role as an advice columnist felt unique and interesting, and there are a few secondary characters who add depth and humor to the plot. The book moves quickly, and I enjoyed being along for the ride. I did find the twists, a little predictable, and while some characters were fully fleshed out, there were others that I didn’t feel received as much development. Overall, however, it was written in an engaging way and I was always excited to read just one more chapter.

Thank you to the publisher for allowing me an advanced reader's copy to enjoy!
This was an excellent read and I was so excited to get the opportunity to be enthralled by! The main character Alex, gets a chance to write for her favorite column Dear Constance and then gets caught up in a game of cat and mouse and has to solve a murder before she becomes the victim herself.

I liked this, I get cozy mystery vibes and enough plot to keep you engaged. I liked the Golden Spoon by this author better, but that spoke to my love of the Great British Bake Off. I recommend for a fun time!

I was so excited to get a copy of this one because I loved The Golden Spoon!

Unfortunately I didn't fall in love with it like I did her first novel, but it was still enjoyable. There were many times I had to remind myself it was just a story, that it's ~okay~ the story wouldn't play out this way in real life.

Thank you to the author, publisher and Netgalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

A nice light escape and a good beach. read. Nicely written. Good luck with the book and thanks for the opportunity to read.

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC! #netgalley #ineedyoutoreadthis

This thriller was a little sluggish at first but overall, I thought it was really fulfilling! I was guessing right up to the very end of this entertaining and fascinating book!

Alex's relocation to NYC was supposed to be a new beginning and a fresh start. However, she is confined to a uninteresting career as a pharmaceutical copywriter. When she comes upon an opening for a writer to take over the well-known Dear Constance column, everything changes. However, there is a sinister reason why they require a replacement. Francis Keene, the original author of the column, was slain at her beach house when she was by herself. The murder remains unsolved and has shocked Francis's whole fan base.

On a whim, Alex chooses to apply, and before she realizes it, she gets the job. Alex soon finds her secret lifestyle exposed, and she starts getting threatening messages. Her focus is on figuring out who killed Francis and who is writing these messages. Can Alex survive to tell the tale?

What I liked:

It was such a suspenseful read! I was not prepared for what transpired. Attempting to put things together sparked my curiosity quite a few times.
- The way it was written! I adore this author's style and the way they construct a narrative. The idea of an assistance column struck me as a novel approach to the thriller subgenre.

Overall this was 4/5 stars and was a great read!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher/author for the ARC!
3 stars for me on this one just because it was extremely predictable from the beginning. I kept reading just because it was entertaining and I enjoyed the story but the ending turned out to be exactly what I expected around the first few chapters. It was a super quick read and one that I would still recommend if the reader likes mysteries.

I enjoyed reading I NEED YOU TO READ THIS by Jessa Maxwell. It was fresh and new, reminding me of "Dear Abby." Given my busy lifestyle, I read this book in three sittings.

The book is about a girl,‎ Alex, who gets her dream job. She takes it upon herself to find out what happened with her predecessor while dealing with some of her past and her mental health issues. All the while ‎, she excels at her job and helps those seeking advice.‎

I immediately liked the trio of characters at the diner. It was easy to picture Alex, Janice, and ‎Raymond sitting together and discussing their detective work.

With many mystery books, you can put certain parts together. Jessa had some unexpected twists, which I enjoyed as it created a new kind of mystery writing.

I give this book 4.5 stars

Thank you, NetGalley and Atria Books, for the opportunity to read this book.

This fast-paced thriller was interesting, but it fell short of my hopes for unpredictable twists. I read a lot of suspense/thrillers, so it’s tough to surprise me. It will definitely appeal to some fans of the genre.

I have been walking on cloud nine since I received the approval for I Need You to Read This.

I was first introduced to Jessa Maxwell, by the Bookstagram group. Everyone was obsessing over The Golden Spoon. and there was no way I was going to miss out on what everyone else was swooning about so I hit request.

The book gods were working in my favor and my request was granted.

My eyes got big and I devoured the book in just a few hours.

HOLY SMOKE! Bookstagram got it right, this book was absolutely fantastic!

That was the day I fell in love with Jessa Maxwell’s talent.

How do I pick a favorite when I have loved both of these books so much? I cant do it. Instead I will leave it at that each one transported me into a different realm where I was left breathless with a pulse that could probably call for an ER visit.

If you have read a book by Maxwell, you know exactly what I am describing, if you haven't, what are you waiting for? I Need You to Read This, was narrated with perfection, the plot was executed without being boring or dragged out and the characters were multi-dimensional and came alive before your eyes. The twist? Oh, well I cant tell you that without giving away the book!

Teaser :

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.

This was refreshing. A unique twist on the serial killer plot. The story unfolds through an advice column, creating a unique main character. Fun, tense, and intriguing.

ARC by NetGalley and the publisher.
⭐️⭐️⭐️.5/5

Alex Marks is getting a fresh start in New York City. While she may have chosen one of the most populated cities in the world she has plans to lay low. Spending her days working from home with her copywriting job. All that changes when Alex sees an advertisement searching for a replacement writer for the famed Dear Constance advice column and she impulsively decides to apply. To her surprise she gets the job. However the past writer, Francis Keen didn’t simply quit or get fired she was murdered. When Alex starts getting threatening messages she must figure out who the murderer is before it’s too late.

I Need You to Read This is Jessa Maxwell’s sophomore thriller novel. The premise surrounding an advice column was well done with letters and responses being included which I appreciated as the plot is centered around this aspect. I particularly enjoyed getting to see the MC Alex find confidence in her new position of writing as the columnist that she so greatly admired. It should be noted that the plot does touch on PTSD and DV. As the story does progress I did feel that it was slightly slower towards the middle and did hope for more sleuthing than was presented. The ending twist did feel slightly off to me and left me wanting more as well. The book as a whole was well written however I did enjoy Maxwell’s debut novel The Golden Spoon a bit more than this one. Overall I think that this book is a great introduction novel for newer readers to the thriller genre as it was an easy read that was not overly terrifying or anxiety inducing.

I Need You to Read This comes out August 13th, 2024.

Thank you NetGalley and Atria Books for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

I was in a thriller mystery mood when I started this book but it didn’t hold me. But I liked the characters I liked where the author was going with this book. I liked her last book and I do plan to buy this book to add to her collection.

Sometimes, you can't even explain why you instantly love a book. It might be that I was immediately hooked by the tense, terrifying prologue that had me rooting for the famous advice columnist Francis Keen as she tries to escape her killer. Or it might be the idea of doing the job of an advice columnist. Admit it; you have contemplated it, too. How fun it would be to finally give people the advice you have been holding back all this time?

After Frances's death, the main character, Alex Marks, lands the job as the new advice columnist and is offered the creepy office belonging to her tragically killed predecessor. Alex is determined to do her best despite her lack of experience and soon finds herself inundated with mail and dealing with a nasty assistant to the editor-in-chief. Fortunately, Francis Keen's former assistant is always there to lend a helping hand.

The story is interwoven with letters Frances Keen received from a young woman growing up in a forgotten town who meets a charismatic man who soon takes over her life. It isn't difficult to figure out what is happening with this lost girl, but the payoff was poignant. This whole novel is a warm hug, and at the same time, it is creepy and thrilling as the main character, Alex, finds herself at the centre of a mysterious and potentially dangerous situation when she begins to get disturbing letters mixed in with the regular ones from readers asking for help. With the identity of Frances's killer still unknown, everyone around Alex is a potential suspect - including her boss, editor-in-chief Howard Dimitri, whose after-hours habits raise more than a few eyebrows.

As Alex delves deeper into the intricate details surrounding her predecessor's murder, she realizes that her dark secrets are coming back to literally hunt her. Suddenly, Alex is trapped in a deadly game where every move could be her last.

Alex Marks lives a life as far under the radar as she can in New York City. But as she ponders the unsolved murder of her favorite advice columnist, Dear Constance, she is led down a path where she ends up following in her footsteps. But is it safe? And why is Alex so determined to fly so far under the radar at all times? Alex has secrets, and now she’s become involved in a mystery where she may be in over her head.

Little by little, two mysteries come to light in this fast read by the author of The Golden Spoon. Clues revealed sometimes in letters to Dear Constance are added to the end of some of the chapters. Alex is a likable character, ((albeit frustratingly backbone -less at times).. what is she hiding? And what happened to the columnist that Alex adored? Who to trust as she pursues justice? Who to lean on? All is revealed in the end. A solid straight-up mystery. 3.75 stars.

~ Thank you to NetGalley and Publisher