3.5/5 stars

"I Need You to Read This" offers an intriguing mystery, though it took a bit to hook me. The story follows Alex Marks, who steps into the role of an advice columnist after her idol's death. The early chapters felt slow, but once the plot picked up—especially with the eerie letters and Alex’s investigation into the murder—the tension ramped up, and I found myself more engaged.

The setting of the newspaper world added an interesting layer, and the story developed nicely after the very VERY slow sluggish start. If you enjoy mysteries with a gradual build, I'd recommend this book. Just be ready to get through the slow start.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC!

4.25/5, rounded down

Thank you Atria Books for the advanced reading copy!

I really enjoyed this book! It was super quick and I was INSTANTLY hooked. I loved the writing style, premise and storyline. All of the characters were well-developed and fun to read, with none of them being too unlikeable (a pet peeve of mine). While there were some fun twists and surprises, I figured out the major mystery a little to quickly to rate this one 5 stars, despite still enjoying the journey of reading it. I've heard great things about Jessa Maxwell's last book, THE GOLDEN SPOON, and this definitely made me want to grab that one ASAP -- along with anything else Jessa writes in the future!

SYNOPSIS -- Alex Marks has a very regular life. She goes to her regular diner, does her boring job, and keeps to herself. When an opportunity arises to replace her late childhood hero, Francis Keen, as the recently-murdered woman behind advice column Dear Constance, she takes a chance. Against all odds, Alex is given the job and has to dive in head-first to solving other peoples' problems. As threatening letters start to show up intermixed with the others, Alex starts to wonder if Francis's murder is still out there, and coming for her next. Unfortunately, in order to uncover the truth behind Francis's death, Alex must also dredge up some of her own secrets first.

Overall I really enjoyed this one. There were bits that were predictable and other times that I was completely caught off guard. I struggled with the main character and my dislike for her made it difficult for me to love the book. But perhaps the main character will speak to you a bit more than myself.

A big thank you to Netgalley and Atria Books for the advanced copy!

Alex Marks, a quiet, seemingly reserved young woman, has recently moved to New York and is a copywriter for a pharmaceutical company, a job she finds extremely boring. She is a fan of the Dr Constance advice column written by Francis Keen which she claims has gotten her through some very tough times. When Keen is murdered, and the paper advertises for a replacement for her, Alex, impetuously, decides to apply and, to her surprise, she is hired. Although a bit intimidated by her new job, she is excited for the opportunity. But, almost immediately, she senses something is off in the office and with her new boss. Alex decides to do her own investigation into Francis’ death. And then she starts receiving letters threatening that, if she’s not careful, she will end up just like Francis.

For the most part. I really enjoyed I Need You to Read This by Jessa Maxwell. It is well-written and, despite taking some time to set up Alex’s story, Maxwell keeps the story moving by interspersing the narrative with letters to Dear Constance. My major problem, however, is with the character of Alex. Although she clearly has something or someone in her past that she is hiding from, she seems rather naive regarding her own safety and makes some very questionable choices. She trusts some people and believes terrible rumours about others, in both cases, with little to no evidence given how little time she has known them. She also stays alone at night in the newspaper office despite her concerns, then walks home alone and, later, visits Keen’s isolated murder site without capable backup.

Still, overall, there was a lot to like about the novel. It is well-written and kept my attention throughout. Despite my reservations about Alex’s choices, she is a very likeable protagonist. The mystery was interesting and, if some of it was fairly predictable, much of it still kept me guessing and I definitely did not see the end coming. Overall, a fun, entertaining read, perfect for a lazy afternoon with no distractions because, despite my reservations, it's a hard book to put down.

Thanks to Netgalley and Atria Books for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review

Let me start by saying that I could not put this book down. I kept coming back for more, and before I knew it, I had finished.

Our story starts with Alex, who is extremely guarded and doesn't go out much, besides to the cafe across the street from her apartment, and then she goes back to work from home. Her best neighbors and co-workers are the two pigeons who hang out by her window.

This changes when Alex finds out The Herald is ready to find their next Dear Constance. She applies, partially out of sarcastic amusement and partially out of anger that they would even try to replace THE Francis Keen. She's shocked when she's called in for an interview and offered the position.

Overall, this story was fast-paced and kept my interest. The story is lighter on any aspects of crazy twists throughout, and there is little to no goriness or profanity. This story does have some light aspects of a dual timeline, but it's fairly minimal and doesn't bounce back and forth between POVs.

One thing I did wish this book had was more character development. One thing that made me pause a few times was some of the decisions Alex made. For example, she's very cautious and guarded, yet would sit in an office building, that she's not familiar with, very late into the evening, and then walk home alone. But then would be panicky over noises she'd hear outside her own building. It didn't entirely make sense to me. That said, things tie together at the end, but again, I think more development would have made it easier to empathize with Alex.

The twist at the end was absolutely not expected. I did not even remotely guess it, or lean in the direction of it, and I am always appreciative of an author who stumps me.

If you enjoy hidden pasts, and fast-paced thrillers set in the big city, you'll definitely enjoy this one!

I went into this book blind. Because of that, I started off wondering what the timeframe of the book was and wondering exactly how old Alex was. I questioned that she was a huge fan of an advice columnist in a print newspaper. I spent a long time trying to wrap my head around making that make sense but ultimately, it doesn't even matter. It is part of the story being told.
This entire book was written with a sense of unease. I could feel myself tensing up any time Alex was in her office or doing something job related. All of this put together made for a great psychological thriller. If Alex got the job because the former columnist was killed, who's to say she didn't just sign up for the same fate. Especially when she starts going through the pile of letters and finding threats that are recent.
Scattered throughout the book are letters that were written to the advice column. The reader can start to guess pretty early one who was writing them. They might even think they know where the story is going and who is out for revenge. I know I thought I did, but was unsure enough that I wouldn't confidently say I figured it out.
I enjoyed <i>I Need You to Read This</i> more than I expected, especially after letting myself just get into the book without questioning the scene that was being set.

She took the job of writing for an advice column not knowing what would come with it. Why would this job put her in danger? Why would she need to be worried? What was going to happen next to her? These questions kept me going after a shocking and then kind of meh beginning. It picked up! It was worth the read. Solid 4.2

I Need You to Read This, Follows Alex as she replaces a murdered advice columnist, she then goes on to investigate the murder herself. It starts off pretty slow but the last act had me hooked. It is a very fast read and a fun time, and it being a fast read allowed for the fact I couldn't see every twist coming. Which while frustrating at times kept me on my toes.

The plot to this one was engaging and different froma a million others out there. I did not mesh with the author's writing style as it seemed a bit stilted and not indicative of how people act and think in the real world - at least in my experience. I think thriller readers will definitely enjoy this storyline and I encourage you to do so and judge for yourself.

📚 BOOK REVIEW 📚

I Need You To Read This By Jessa Maxwell
Publication Date: August 13, 2024
Publisher: Atria Books

📚MY RATING: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

📚MY REVIEW:

Whoo-ee, Jessa Maxwell gave us an anxiety-provoking and suspense-filled thriller with I Need You To Read This!

This murder mystery features one of my favorite things, an unreliable narrator, who has a backstory that isn't fully revealed to the reader till the book begins its procession to its twisty and shocking conclusion. In this story, nothing -- and no one -- is quite as you think as it is.

Short chapters and a fast-paced plotline across multiple timelines really made this a quick and fun suspense read! The supporting cast of characters was a lovable bunch, which was a nice dichotomy with the unknowns around our female MC, Alex. I struggled with the believability of some of Alex's choices at times, but I think that was because I didn't have her full back story yet. Once I learned more about her history, some of her behaviors became more understandable... It just took a while to get there. All in all, her unreliability really kept me on my toes as I read this one.

There were a few parts of the plotline that I wish had been developed more and some subplots that didn't really go anywhere (and I kinda wished they would have). Overall, the twists and turns of the mystery kept me turning page after page and kept me guessing until the very end about how the story would ultimately reach its conclusion.

If you love fast-paced thrillers with unreliability and secrets that aren't revealed til the book's very end, this one needs to be on your TBR list for sure! A huge thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for providing me a copy of this e-book in exchange for my honest review!

#INeedYouToReadThis #JessaMaxwell #NetGalley #NetGalleyReviews #ARC #thrilleraddict #thrillerlover #thrillerreads #booklover #bookreviews #bookrecommendations #bookrecs

My favorite part of this book is the fantastic atmospheric vibe. New York City, a diner, newspapers, advice columns, letters, and a slightly unsettling newsroom. I loved all of that so much and it really made the book for me.

The story itself was good. It was a little creepy and mysterious, but I pretty much knew where it was going, so it didn't blow me away. But overall, the good writing and the fantastic atmosphere of the story won me over.

I definitely recommend it if any of that sounds interesting to you. This would also be a good one for you if you're new to the thriller genre and not a huge fan of overly scary books. This one gives a little bit of the thriller creepiness without being too much.

Thank you to Atria Books and Netgalley for the digital ARC of this book

This story follows Alex who recently gets hired as the new advice columnist Dear Constance. The previous columinst Francis Keen was found dead and the case remains unsolved. Alex loves her new job because she feels such a connection to Francis when she was alive. Alex starts to get suspicious of people in her life after starting her new job and she starts investigating the murder. This book kept me on my toes until the very end. The ending had a twist I was not expecting!

This was such a great read! I was invested in the main character, and I did not see the plots twists coming at all! There were several characters I was suspicious of the whole time but I also several reveals that I couldn’t have guessed! The letters being throughout the book was a neat added aspect and when it was revealed who they were written by, I was shocked in the best way! I really enjoyed this book!

I Need you to Read This is the perfect pre-spooky season read. It was tense and atmospheric and enjoyable. While some of the situations Alex finds herself in felt like a bit of a stretch, the plot was incredibly compelling. I won't give anything away but I thought the ending was very satisfying.

I Need You To Read This is such a clever story that unfolds with well paced scenes and compelling details. I loved the two main POVs with one written from letter form. And it was so interesting to follow the discovery of what’s happening in present tense while discovering the secrets of the main character’s past.

This is a great book to pick up for those who love thrillers and domestic suspense.

I also listened to the audiobook version of this story, which was well done by a single narrator. I listened at 1.7x speed (my normal is 1.75-2x speed for audiobooks).

Thank you NetGalley and Atria Books for this advanced copy.

Special thanks to Atria books and NetGalley for the ARC of this book.

Jessa Maxwell wrote The Golden Spoon whi h I have to admit took me a few times to get started. Once I did, I really enjoyed it with the food and the big cast of characters. But this one missed the mark for me.

It is about a girl who loved a column that was one of those columns where you right in like a Dear Abbey article. Only the column writer's name was Francis and was Alex's favorite column. When Francis dies, Alex puts in for the job and gets it. Very excited, she does the job well and is soon getting threatening letters.

The plot sounds good but this book was very slow for me and Alex was so slow on the uptake, it was infuriating. I did not care for this book, but it wasn't terrible, just very slow. 3 stars.

4 solid stars - a VERY QUICK read (and don't we all love that?!) This is more of a thriller than the author's cozy mystery debut, but I did find it very engaging, if not perfectly plotted. I did, however, find the protagonist, the new advice columnist, Alex, rather slow and frustrating & I nearly tossed my iPad at the wall a couple times at how slow on the uptake she was!! I also enjoyed secondary characters Ray & Janice from the diner. Overall, very serviceable & will look for more from the author.

**3.5-stars**

Alex Marks moves to New York City, hoping for a fresh start and a place to disappear into. Her copy-writing job is low key, and otherwise she keeps to herself. When her idol, Francis Keen, the woman behind the famous 'Dear Constance' advice column is killed though, it's the impetus that uproots Alex's carefully planned quiet life.

Keen will need to be replaced. Her column is so beloved. They can't let it die along with her. On a whim, Alex applies for the job and to her absolute shock, she gets it. Shortly thereafter, Alex begins to receive strange letters, threatening in nature. She wonders why Keen's killer was never caught and then begins to suspect those around her, including her new boss.

Unable to leave well enough alone, Alex begins her own investigation into Keen's death. Will she be able to solve the mystery, or will she die trying?

I Need You to Read This is a solid story. I feel like it had similar traits to Maxwell's previous novel, The Golden Spoon, in that it is a slow build really focused on character work. It took me a while to get into The Golden Spoon, but once I did, I was hooked. I was so intrigued by that full cast of eccentric characters, the setting and the backdrop of the cooking competition.

Unfortunately, this one never ended up hooking me. It felt a lot more subtle and Alex's character was just less enticing to me, as compared to the full cast in the last book. Additionally, the set-up and setting itself, although I love New York City, wasn't as captivating either. These are simply personal taste items though and just because I was never truly keyed into this one, doesn't mean you won't be. Give it a go!

This is a solid story, with an interesting overall mystery. It did nothing off-putting and had solid characters. I would recommend it if you enjoy more Literary Mysteries, or anything set in the newspaper, or publishing worlds. I did feel like, because of the newspaper setting, it had a film noir feel to it as well, which I do enjoy. If that's something you like as well, it's another reason to pick it up.

Overall, it's a sold story, just not necessarily my bag. Maxwell is interesting, she sort of toes the line in between Cozy and Literary. Her stories have a unique feel and she definitely shines with her character work.

Thank you to the publisher, Atria Books, for providing me with a copy to read and review. While not blown away, I definitely enjoyed this one and am looking forward to more from Jessa Maxwell!

This was a quick read. It was easy to get into and had a few skeevy, creep moments that you look for in a thriller. I think the advice column and supporting characters could’ve been utilized better to really flesh out the story.

A fascinating premise! I felt like this book read more like women's fiction for most of it, until about 75-80% into the book. At that point, it did become more of a thriller. I figured out the ending, but it was still a very enjoyable read. I would maybe say 3.5 as a thriller but round up to a 4 as a solid fiction read. Interesting characters.