I tried to get into this one, because it was easily one of my most anticipated reads of the year. That said, I had a lot of trouble connecting with the storyline and the characters, which didn’t make it too easy to get through.

I really enjoyed this book! It was a fast read that hooked me from the very beginning. The writing style, premise, and storyline were all engaging, and the characters were well-developed, relatable and fun to follow—none of them fell into the trap of being overly unlikeable. There were clever twists and surprises along the way, though I did figure out the major mystery a bit too quickly, which is why I couldn’t give it all the stars. Still, I thoroughly enjoyed the journey.
Alex Marks leads an ordinary, unremarkable life, a life in hiding. She frequents the same diner, works remotely at her mundane job, and mostly keeps to herself. But when an unexpected opportunity arises to replace her childhood hero, Francis Keen—the recently murdered woman behind the advice column Dear Constance—Alex takes a leap of faith. Despite the odds, she lands the job and dives headfirst into solving other people’s problems. However, when threatening letters start to appear alongside the usual ones, Alex begins to suspect that Francis’s murderer is still at large—and may be targeting her next. To uncover the truth behind Francis’s death, Alex will have to confront some of her own buried secrets first and maybe even come out of hiding …

Having heard great things about Jessa Maxwell’s previous book, The Golden Spoon, this read has made me eager to pick that one up next, as well as anything else she writes in the future!

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for early access to this title in exchange for an honest review.
Don’t judge a book by it’s cover, they say. Well, the cover enticed me to submit for this book. It is so edgy and mysterious. *click* Okay, the premise sounds exciting. Clearly this book must be for me, right? Wrong.

The prose were good and the idea was there, but this book was such a slog for me. I thought the cold open was fantastically done, but the rest of the book failed to live up to the first couple pages. I am so sorry, but this book was exceptionally dull. I don’t think I could recommend it to anyone, since it is sure to fade from my memory by next week.

When Francis Keen, a well known advice colonist is brutally murdered Alex Marks is devastated. Alex has always aspired to be like Francis for as long as she can remember. So when the opportunity arises to apply for the now vacant position as advice columnist Alex finds inspiration to apply.
Now in her dream job, Alex starts to receive mysterious letters that she believes can only be from Francis’ murderer. However, as Alex receives more letters she can’t help but wonder if her own sorted past has come back to haunt her. Could the murder be someone from Francis’ past or her own? Can she find out who is responsible before someone else is murdered?
Overall rating 3/5
I liked the concept of an advice columnist solving a crime plot line however wished that the twist at the end was a bit original. I loved the letters to Francis/Constance within the book alluring and would have liked more unhinged letters sent for advice to confuse the reader and Alex as to who the murderer was. If you like the tropes- unassuming suspect, killer plays with MC, history returns, big reveal or twist endings then this book is for you.

*Thank you to Jessa Maxwell, PENGUIN GROUP Putnam | G.P. Putnam's Sons and Netgalley for the ARC copy. I am freely leaving my honest review.

I received a free eARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I can’t remember what made me request this one. I feel like I saw a couple of reviews from book bloggers I follow that made me want to check it out. It starts off strong - a well-known and respected advice columnist is murdered, and several months later, the newspaper begins searching for her replacement. Alex Marks is a shy copywriter who just wants to do something creative. She also loved Francis’s column (called, for some reason Dear Constance, even though it’s widely known that the author’s name was Francis), and applies on a whim. Naturally, she gets the job, but she quickly feels like she’s in over her head. The letters have just kept coming, even after Francis’s death, and some of them are of a threatening nature. Alex is hiding secrets of her own, and being all alone in a creepy office, working long hours, just makes her more paranoid. And it doesn’t help that Francis’s murder remains unsolved.

I wanted to like this - I started it several weeks ago, then put it aside, but when I picked it up again, just enough time had passed that I didn’t quite remember the beginning, so I had to go back and reread it. And it’s still a good beginning! I’m intrigued by Francis’s death, and Alex is a little whiny, but I can root for her. But it all kind of falls apart near the middle, and the pieces never really come back together in a way that makes sense. The story starts to become far more about Alex, and the secrets she is hiding, to the point where Francis’s murder becomes secondary, and I almost thought it would just remain unsolved. When we finally do learn the truth, it’s basically an afterthought. While I didn’t have a problem with the story becoming more about Alex, I question why we needed the frame of Francis’s unsolved murder in the first place. It’s a very thin thread to connect the two plots.

This is the problem - depending on what you want the focus of the story to be, I’m not sure all of these people need to be here. If you want to focus on Francis’s murder, then we don’t really need Alex. If you want to focus on Alex’s escape from her past, then you don’t really need Howard and Francis. There’s barely a thread connecting these two stories, and while they’d both be interesting if given more focus, as it stands neither of them is fleshed out enough.

I liked this book, but I didn't really think it counts as a thriller. It's more of a suspense/mystery with finding out about Alex's past and finding Francis's killer. The plot was good, but I felt like it dragged a little bit in the middle. The twist was pretty predictable so it really wasn't as surprising when it unfolded. The story kept me engaged while I was reading, but nothing gripped me. It was easy to pause, put down and pick back up. Overall, I'd say the writing was good if you enjoy whodunnit books. This is my first Jessa Maxwell book and I'd look forward to reading more of her writing.

I hope Jessa Maxwell has a new book coming out soon because I thoroughly enjoyed this title and look forward to reading more from her. I loved the premise of I Need You to Read This as I had not personally read anything similar lately (or if at all) so it reeled me right in.

Alex Marks has recently taken over the Dear Constance advice column at the New York Herald after the original columnist, Francis Keen, was murdered 8 months prior. Along the way, we meet her mysterious boss Howard Dimitri, buddies from the local diner Janice and Raymond, and several other interesting characters. Soon Alex finds herself not only on the receiving end of threatening letters but in the middle of trying to solve Francis' murder.

I Need You to Read This was quick, easy to follow, reels you right in with palpable tension, and ties everything up in a little red bow at the end.

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for an ARC eGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

I enjoyed this novel but would’nt consider it a creepy thriller as portrayed. A better genre would be general women’s fiction. Alex is living in a new city after a ‘bad situation,’ exact details unknown. Seemingly on a whim she applies for the vacant position of a famous advice columnist -Dear Constance - think Dear Abby. Now I don’t read these type of columns myself but thousands do and judging from the overflowing mailbags, thousands write in regularly. Alex, on the other hand, has followed Dear Constance regularly and often followed her general advice and considers her as a major influencer in her life. Why was the position open you ask? Dear Constance, real name Frances, was just brutally murdered. Unsurprisingly, Alex is named as the new replacement and immediately doubts her abilities and why she was chosen- yet she suspects the editor or someone else at the paper is the killer. With the help of her work assistant and her two cronies at the local dinner Alex vows to discover the truth. About halfway through I nearly gave up, but was glad I hung in as I was surprised in the last third of the novel. Domestic violence sexism and workplace harassment are major themes.

It was such a great book! Loved the horror aspects and the writing as well as the characters and the plot. I highly recommend.

My first book by Jessa Maxwell. I absolutely loved the cover but I didn’t find this book to be creepy at all. I would even put it on the lower category of being a thriller. It had its moments of suspense and the story did keep me engaged but I needed/wanted more. I felt like the story didn’t really take off or become intense until the very end which is a bummer for me. When I read a thriller I want the thrills from the very beginning and for them to be non stop. Overall a good story if you’re looking for a who dunnit kind of storyline.

3.5 stars
I have read many mixed reviews on this book. While I wouldn’t classify this as a thriller, I didn’t find it boring and loved the premise. Haven’t read her first novel, The Golden Spoon, I am new to Jessa Maxwell’s work. Alex changed her name and moved to New York looking for a fresh start. The advice columnist, who Alex loves, is suddenly murdered. When they post the job looking for a new writer, Alex finds herself applying not expecting anything to come of it. But to her surprise she is hired for the spot. She soon starts getting unsettling letters in the mail. This position is not what it seems. Alex keeps digging further and the more it seems like her life might be in danger.
Thank you NetGalley and Atria Books for the ARC.

"I Need You to Read This" by Jessa Maxwell had me hooked from the beginning. I really enjoyed how the mystery unfolded and how the author developed these characters—they felt so real and complex. Even though I figured out who the killer was pretty early on, the journey to get to the resolution kept me glued to the pages. The twists and turns along the way were so well done that it didn’t even matter that I’d already guessed the ending. Overall, it was a fun, satisfying read, and I’d definitely recommend it to anyone who loves a good mystery!

Thank you, NetGalley and Atria Books, for the chance to read this in exchange for an honest review <3

I really enjoyed this one! I personally loved The Golden Spoon more but this was a great second novel by Jessa. It was creepy at times and flowed nicely. Jessa is really good at writing page turners.

Wowzers! I loved this book! From start to finished, it kept me wanting more. And the title and cover I really love too. Alex was such a fun character! I am hoping her journey continues

Jessa Maxwell writes an addictive mystery about Alex Marks, who takes on the job of her childhood hero, Francis Keen, who writes the famous advice column, Dear Constance. However, Francis Keen didn't just quit writing the column she was murdered. So when Alex Marks surprisingly gets the job to take over for Francis, she discovers some disturbing things that might link the column to Francis' death. Will she discover the truth before she ends up like her hero? That's all I want to tell you about this wonderful book because too much information will ruin the book and all the twists you have in store for you. After looking at Jesse Maxwell's other books and reviews and enjoying this book so much, she is definitely an author i'm adding to my one click list.

A gripping thriller with an accessible premise for readers new to the genre. Come for the unique ‘ Dear Constance’ premise, stay for the twisty, propulsive plot. 5*.

Thank you to Atria Books and NetGalley for providing this e-arc.

I enjoyed this book the entire way through. I liked the main character and the plot was enjoyable. My rating was really hinging on the ending. Unfortunately I predicted who I thought was the kill and it turned out that I was correct. I was a bit disappointed that I had figured things out. I really loved Jessa Maxwell's first book and gave that 5 stars. I was hoping for a bit more grit and gutsiness with this sophomore novel. It was ok. It was fun but it could've been more developed.

This book is gripping, thrilling, and a complete page-turner that I devoured in one sitting. This book kept me on the edge of my seat, biting my nails and the shocking twists were exciting. I had previously enjoyed Golden Spoon, and I have to admit this book is even better.

Jessa Maxwell’s The Golden Spoon was a surprise favorite of mine last year. I usually prefer my mysteries dark, but her GBBO-inspired caper was the perfect balance of creepy and cozy. It was such a hit that her sophomore novel instantly earned a spot on my ‘must-read’ list this year.

I Need You To Read This is a bit different from Maxwell’s debut. Instead of a group, we follow a single protagonist, Alex, who fills the shoes of a murdered advice columnist, despite having secrets of her own.

The tension in this one is perfect! There are a bunch of mini cliffhangers that keep you turning pages, and there’s something about the story that’s just a bit unsettling, but not in a way that will give you nightmares.

While I really enjoyed this one, there were a couple of things that kept me from giving it the full five stars. First, I wanted to know a little bit more about the main character, Alex. I understand that she was hiding secrets, but a tiny bit of background could have helped in understanding her motivations. I felt the same way about the side characters. They were clearly very important to the story, but felt a tad flat. Also, while I’m OK with a little bit of predictability in my mysteries, this one was a tad too predictable, until the end where you really had to suspend some disbelief.

Despite the summer pub date, this feels like a great read for the crisp days of early fall. I Need You To Read This is out now. Thanks to Atria and NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

A vibey, creepy thriller that definitely had me jumpy! I guessed some of the twists but I had such a good time reading this, I loved the newspaper setting and how the main character grew over the course of the book. It all came together in such a satisfying way, definitely a perfect book for fall!