Alex ends up with the dream job of a lifetime as an advice columnist for Dear Constance when the previous columnist is murdered. Very similar to the real life Dear Abbey, writers send in their struggles for Alex to offer feedback and solutions. I love true crime and other people's drama, so this seemed like the perfect read for me. Unfortunately, I Need You to Read This was a bit of a dud, and one that I won’t tell others to spend their time reading.

Alex is an overall like-able character. For reasons that are not revealed until late in the novel, she is struggling with paranoia and PTSD. She trusts no man, but makes careless and stupid mistakes that end up biting her in the rear. I think the author did a good job at describing her anxiety, but for such a smart woman, she made too many dumb mistakes.

The ending of the novel was cringeworthy. The characters that end up being the bad guys (no spoilers here) left me with vicarious embarrassment. It was cheesy and took away from the overall creepy feel of the novel. Additionally, we spend the majority of the story being invested in who killed Francis, only to have it become a minor reveal in the last couple of pages.

2.5 stars ⭐️⭐️💫

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Wow, what a ride! After reading (and loving) Maxwell's novel THE GOLDEN SPOON last year - I could not wait to see what she would come up with next...and she did not disappoint! This was suspenseful, thought-out, endearing, and more - just like her last novel!

While this book is told from a single POV, it is intercut with a variety of "Dear Abby" letters, which adds another "voice," so to speak, to the story.

rating: 4 STARS ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
genre: suspense, mystery
format: digital
release date: Aug. 13, 2024

Things I liked:
- Not knowing who to trust. Or even if you could trust Alex, the MC. There was so much going on that everyone sort of went back and forth in my mind on whether or not they could be the culprit.
- I love Maxwell's writing style. The voice of her main characters is always really well done.
- The side characters - specifically her friends in the diner! So good.
- I 89% called the ending - which, if you know me, almost NEVER HAPPENS.

I recommend this one whole-heartedly! I think even if thriller isn't usually your genre, you might get a kick out of it.

Thank you Atria Books and NetGalley for my advanced copy provided in exchange for my honest review.

This was a fun ride! A twisty mystery that I was invested in from start to finish. When the writer of the famed “Dear Constance” column is murdered, Alex finds herself filling her hero’s shoes with no prior desire to do so. We see Alex struggling with her past, but much of it is not revealed until the end.

I’d say a solid third of this story is told via “Dear Constance” letters, which was a refreshing change up. Alex struggles with her mental health in the wake of what was clearly a traumatic event, and she attempts to work through this while also attempting to solve her predecessor’s murder.

Two mysteries entwining themselves together, and I loved it! I will say the middle gets slow and at times a bit boring. But other than that, I enjoyed this. I liked Alex’s character and thought she was well developed. Overall, an enjoyable read.

A big thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for gifting me an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

No sophomore slump here from Maxwell! I loved "The Golden Spoon" and this twisty, fun thriller was even more enjoyable for me. I found Alex to be a very complex character and she reminded me a lot of the FMC from "The Woman in the Window." We had a little agoraphobia going on and that added another layer. I was a little bored with the letters, but overall an enjoyable read.

Alex has been living in NYC for quite some time and has her routines down perfectly. Until, her dream job is posted and on a whim she applies and is offered the position of being the author of an advice colum in a prestigious New York newspaper.

As much as she wants this position, she is haunted by hidden secrets from her past and teased with clues of the mysterious murder of the previous writer, Francis Keen.

With the help of her peculiar sidekicks - the retired police detective and the diner waitress - will Alex solve the murder mystery or will Alex's own past step into the light and ruin everything?

While I enjoyed the perspective of the Dear Constance letters, at times it felt a bit repetitive and underwhelming. I felt the suspense building and wanted answers. Chapters are short, which made ofr an easy, but tense read. I enjoyed the little glimpses of what could be some mental health issues for Alex and that she wasn't painted as a victim. Her empathy and abilities to relate to people was very enjoyable and a different perspective in the thriller world.

Thank you to Netgalley and Atria Books for the ARC in exchange for a review.

I’m probably going to be in the minority but I really didn’t like this book. I feel that it was over dramatized, and that it was written like we had went on a journey that we just hadn’t. I didn’t feel connected to any of the characters, and ffs I was just glad that it was over in the end.

Thanks to NetGalley and Atria Books for this ARC.

The Golden Spoon was one of my favorite books that I read last year, so when I found out that Jessa Maxwell’s upcoming release was available for request on NetGalley, I jumped on it!

Before I even made a dent in this book, I could tell that this one had more suspenseful vibes compared to her debut cozy mystery. This didn’t deter me in the slightest — Maxwell’s writing style nicely compliments both genres.

As for the story itself, this book sucked me in right from the start. The concept of this book felt very unique, as I’ve never read a book revolving around a “Dear Abby”-type plot. The letters that were intermixed between that chapters kept the story going at a fast pace.

I also had an immediate liking to the trio of characters at the diner — I could clearly picture Alex, Janice, and Raymond sitting and chatting about their detective work over breakfast.

As a mystery/thriller aficionado, there were certain parts of the story that I was able to piece together, but there were also some twists that I didn’t see coming!

Keep your eyes out for when this book hits the shelves this summer!

(Please note that I will add a link once I post to my reviewer page)

Thank you to Atria Books and NetGalley for this ARC!

This book is definitely more of a slow burn in my opinion, but once the twists hit, they don’t stop coming. I loved the character development between Alex, Janice, and Raymond also.

I was so excited for this one, as I thought the premise was interesting and I really enjoyed The Golden Spoon. But this one just kind of felt flat to me and I can't quite identify why. Part of it was that it all seemed a bit illogical and unrealistic and the character behavior felt flat to me. Also, the writing felt like it needed one more edit- for example, and this might be a personal preference, but there were so many places where contractions weren't used that I thought should have been and it kept everything feeling very stiff and stilted. Overall entertaining and I did want to find out what happened.

The Golden Spoon was fantastic and when I saw the author had a new book I was super excited to read it. It didn’t capture my attention right away but I read on and the story expanded and developed. I was entertained and liked the twists. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

I really liked the main character and the display of mental health issues that are common. I thought it was accurately portrayed. I also enjoyed the twists even though I felt one was a bit obvious but the author did an amazing job. I loved the ending !

Mystery novels under 300 pages should not be boring. I'm almost impressed.

Imagine getting your dream job because the previous employee was murdered, which is not exactly an ideal situation, but Alex is ready to escape her old job. When she takes over an advice column dear to her heart, she's determined to make her predecessor, Francis Keen, proud. Until she starts getting threatening letters. Alex doesn't know if the sender is someone from her past coming back to finish a job, Francis's killer, or someone new entirely. All she knows is she needs to find out before it's too late.

This was more of a character study than a quick mystery to breeze through, but it left me wanting in both aspects. Alex is a frightened woman who has serious trauma, dealing with OCD and anxiety. The book follows her trying to process and break through these struggles, but it's written so oddly. As someone with OCD, the overall representation was written well. However, a specific life event is making her OCD crippling to her quality of life. It's not revealed why Alex is so frightened or the extent of the trauma, so she just comes off as overtly paranoid a majority of the time. Her mental struggles, while valid and well-written, were presented in a way that made it hard to understand and connect.

You can piece Alex's mysterious past together, but that took away from the main plot: who killed Francis Keen, and who is trying to kill Alex? On both fronts, you are getting clues agonizingly slow. The rest of the time is spent in Alex's head. Nothing happened til the last 15%, but the "big reveals" gave me severe second-hand embarrassment. Alex's previous intense caution is thrown to the wind despite her incredibly vulnerable state, and she makes stupid decisions that lead to cheesy villain monologues. I couldn't physically restrain myself from rolling my eyes at times.

This isn't bad, and it's a relatively easy read to get through, but I don't know if it's worth the time. If you like mysteries based on characters overcoming anxieties, you might like this one, though.

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for the advance copy in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own!

(Review has been shared to Goodreads and Storygraph as of March 3, 2024. Review will be reshared on previous mentioned sites and Amazon, Goodreads, and Tiktok upon publication in August.)

This one was entertaining but lost points due to how frequently I was struck with "that's not how the real world works" moments. I'm aware this is a work of fiction, but there were definitely moments that took me out of the story. I will say that while most of the twists I saw coming, one gobsmacked me.

Imagine landing your dream job, but it quickly turns into a quest to solve the murder of the woman who gave you the courage to uproot your life and start over. That’s the predicament Alex finds herself in, while trying to not get killed in the process. I Need You To Read This is not only the title but my recommendation. Thank you Jessa Maxwell, Simon & Schuster and NetGalley for the privilege of reading this ARC.

Jessa Maxwell’s second thriller has done it again! I actually read this book in one 12 hour drive across Virginia! I felt like I needed more substance to the Dear Constance column, I found myself wanting more letters and yes, even though the book cover is absolutely amazing, I think the title fell flat, let me explain, after reading this wonderful book, maybe Dear Constance should have been the title. Idk just spitballing here.

Dear Constance is a famed advice column in the Herald, a newspaper in NY. When Francis Keen, the columnist is murdered everyone mourns, well maybe not the murderer.
When The Herald announces that it will be replacing beloved Francis, no one is more upset than lonely copywriter Alex Marks. In a drunken stupor she decides to apply for the job and surprisingly gets it. Now struggling with catching up with thousands of letters and emails, she starts getting threatening letters, are they for her or were they intended for Francis. Join Alex on a mission to find Francis’s killer along with the dark past that Alex is hiding from everyone.

This book follows a woman who applies to take over the job of an advice columnist. The book starts slow at first, but picks up about halfway through. There are two main “mysteries” the reader is trying to figure out: who is after Alex and who killed Francis? The former is slowly revealed throughout the book with Dear Constance letters as we learn more about Alex’s past and the latter is the main focus of the story as Alex investigates. I felt like one storyline was well flushed out; whereas, the other had a very rushed resolution. Alex’s character development is strong as she is brought out of her shell. Overall, I really enjoyed this book. It had very strong writing and would be a perfect rainy day read. (4.25/5)
**This ARC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.**

Although, this thriller was a bit of a slow burn, I felt it was absolutely satisfying! This was a fun, twisty read that had me guessing till the end. I did enjoy the author’s previous book, The Golden Spoon. So I was super excited to be able to receive an ARC for this one! This one definitely topped their first book.

Alex’s move to NYC was supposed to be a fresh start and a new beginning. But she is stuck in a dull and mediocre job doing pharmacy copywriting. Things change when she sees a job listing for a writer to replace the popular, Dear Constance column. What a total dream job for Alex! But there is a darkness behind why they need a replacement. The original writer for the column, Francis Keene, was murdered while she was alone at her beach house. The murder is still unsolved and a huge shock to all of Francis’s fanbase. Alex decides to apply on whim and before she knows it, she is hired for the position. Soon Alex’s anonymous lifestyle is in the spotlight, and she receives threatening letters. She is wrapped up into investigating who is sending these letters, as well as who murdered Francis. Will Alex be able to make it out alive?

What I enjoyed:
- this was a twisty one! I did not expect what happened to happen. There were plenty of times my interest was piqued by trying to piece together everything.
- The writing style! I love this authors work and how they weave a story together.
- I thought the concept of a help column was a fresh take on the thriller genre. I actually enjoyed reading the letters along side Alex
- Alex’s found family!
- A lot more but I don’t want to spoil it!

Overall, a solid mystery/thriller read! 4 stars out of 5 stars. Thank you Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest!

Well first thing I love nyc so this was the perfect start for me in the book. The cover is beautiful and original. I liked the flow of the book but it seemed like there could have been more action involved. Also why so many letters I feel like there could have been more plot and less letters but thats just my opinion. Overall I really liked the book and would recommend it to my friends who love this style of book.

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC of I Need You to Read This.

I wasn't a fan of the author's first book, The Golden Spoon, but I was willing to give her a second chance.

Now I kind of wished I hadn't.

No one needs to read this. I definitely didn't. The book is less than 300 pages but it felt like much longer.

First, there's nothing original or unique about the premise.

We have another mousy, socially awkward and psychologically damaged woman who is scared of her own shadow with secrets from her past.

What else?

When the job opportunity of a lifetime comes up to step into the shoes of her favorite advice columnist, Alex Marks accepts the position.

But, nothing is as it seems when she begins to receive threatening letters, perhaps relating to the murder of the former columnist. The killer has never been caught.

Alex Marks is not an interesting or compelling character; stuff happens to her, not the other way around. She's fearful and prefers to live inside her plastic bubble.

Not surprisingly, since she's hiding from her past. She's boring, lives a strict routine, hangs out with a few people at a cafe, but has no life.

The writing is fine, but also wordy, the narrative a dull, tedious slog, not unlike The Golden Spoon.

We get plenty of exposition as Alex settles into her new job but nothing really happens until the last two chapters.

The letters to Dear Constance are background material for why Alex idolizes Francis Keen, the woman behind the Dear Constance column, which was useful, but also too much telling.

Not to mention, I didn't care about Alex so I didn't care what or who she was running from.

I figured out who was threatening Alex from the start, and some of the twists hinged on coincidence which I despise as literary devices in books.

The big reveal on who killed Francis' is an afterthought and explained in the last few pages. But the reader will nearly forget about Francis after pushing through the tedium of the pages before it.

The point of the story is that a mousy woman with the personality of a doormat finally understands she deserves friends and happiness and needs to find her self worth and have better self esteem.

Been there, read that so many times.

Alex Marks has been blending into life in New York and feels secure in her routine and obscurity, safely hidden from her past. But her heart is broken when her hero, advice columnist “Dear Constance” is tragically murdered. When Alex lands a job as the new Constance, she is both excited and terrified that the spotlight will bring old ghosts back to haunt her and put her in the path of the original Constance’s killer.

I loved this book! The twists were twisty but not totally implausible. I made some predictions which were correct but I was still excited as I pieced together the clues along the way. I know a mystery is good when I flip back to a past chapter to double check something that now has a new context!

The chapters are short and I kept telling myself, “one more chapter” and then staying up way too late reading half the book.

As a bonus, I just really liked the main character. She was smart and strong but also had immense empathy for other people (making her a great advice columnist). I really cared about what happened to her.

Highly recommend this if you’re looking for a tense mystery and need a change from the same old domestic thriller (I sure do, yawn). It’s a win for me!