Short synopsis—Alex has big shoes to fill when she takes over the Dear Constance advice column after original columnist Francis Keen is found murdered in her home. Running from a secretive past herself, Alex soon finds herself ensnared in the mystery of what happened to Francis..
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Jessa Maxwell has a fan in me! I love the way she writes. I’m a longtime thriller lover but kind of new to the mystery/cozy mystery genre. Her previous book, The Golden Spoon, was centered around a baking competition, and this one is centered around an advice columnist. I’m in my grandma era (not a grandma but embracing a slow season of life 😂) and these storylines really hit the spot.
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I kept changing my mind on this motley crew of characters! I suspected one twist but was pleasantly surprised by a couple of other things. Overall a super enjoyable read! I recommend a rainy afternoon and cup of tea by the fireplace for this one. Enjoy!
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Thanks so much to Atria Books and NetGalley for the arc!

This was a good read. The story was interesting, and the characters were unique. I liked how it kept me engaged, but sometimes it felt a bit slow. Overall, it was an enjoyable book, and I’d definitely recommend it to others.

I absolutely loved Jessa Maxwell's The Golden Spoon, so I knew I definitely wanted to read I Need You to Read This based on the synopsis provided. I will say, the synopsis is a bit misleading. After finishing this book, I went back and read the synopsis to find that it almost sounds like I read the wrong book. Regardless, I Need You to Read This is still very well written, captivating, and cozy mystery. (I wouldn't consider this a thriller, so I feel that describing it as a "cozy mystery" fits best in this case.) Thank you, NetGalley!

Francis Keen, the writer behind the famous advice column Dear Constance of the Herald newspaper, was found stabbed in her beach home by an unknown attacker. She lost her life, the murder weapon was never found, and the suspect was never caught.

Alex Marks moved to New York City for a fresh start, but is bored to death with her current writing career. When she sees an advertisement for a replacement of Dear Constance one year after Francis’ death, she immediately applies since she was a huge fan of the column.

When she gets the job, settles into her new office, and starts reading some of the letters people have written to Dear Constance she realizes that not all of them are from people seeking help. She’s receiving threatening letters and they know everything about her and her toxic past, but who is it?

This was my first book by the author and I really enjoyed the mystery, the friendship, and the suspense leading up to the end. This story was well written and felt like a cozy mystery more than a thriller which made it easy to read and able to finish in a day.

Alex takes the job of an advice columnist and shortly after finds the original creator was murdered. This mystery follows her as she investigates what might have happened to her idol, often times suspecting those close to her. There were many twists and revealed that kept me captive, but overall I felt the plot was a bit slower-probably something g in my part because I have a difficult time separating mysteries from thrillers. 3.5 stars

I really enjoyed this! The older building Alex’s office is set in gave the whole story a spooky atmosphere. I did figure this one out about halfway through, but it was still a fun ride.

Many thanks to Netgalley for the e-arc!

I've learned my lesson, this is my second Maxwell book and I didn't really care for it. I found it repetitive and the twists at the end weren't that interesting. I wanted to like it but I didn't.

I was hooked on this book from the moment I picked it up. I truly loved the letters from the past interspersed with the current times and how Alex was adjusting or not adjusting her life. Her feelings of inadequacy and feeling like she was letting life pass her by/not doing enough were very relatable.
Alex landing her dream job was impressive and striving for perfection to prove that you've truly earned the job was another relatable aspect of the character that Jessa Maxwell wrote.
I was initially confused by the sudden crash landing of the information from the 'Dear Constance' letters about Ryan, but by letter two I had fully understood the dynamic of what we were working with, and what was being explained. Domestic violence is devastating, but I think Jessa Maxwell did a good job of portraying it, and how you are feeling during it and why women become paralyzed and unable to leave the relationships. I do appreciate that Alex tried to leave her situation, it was just a little too late.
I truly never saw the twist of Lucy coming, but loved the justice she got for herself, and Max at the end. The book was well written, definitely worth my time, and I will likely check out Jessa Maxwell again in the future.

I Need You to Read This
Jessa Maxwell

3.5 stars

Alex’s favorite advice columnist suddenly died and now she’s stepping into her iconic position while also trying to figure out who did it

📰 slightly creepy in this newspaper workplace mystery
⌨️ the intrigue of of MC’s past and her new job
🤨 suspicions of every character we meet
🍿 an easy popcorn thriller

flew through this, easy to read and really enjoyed the audiobook version! would definitely read more from this author

Really found the plot intriguing and fun. This was a fast read for me, it kept me guessing and while a little slow at the middle it picked up and was good!

chaotic, clever, and full of twists. Half therapy session, half rollercoaster ride. Buckle up and enjoy! 4/5.

I enjoyed this slow burn mystery. I was kept guessing the whole time and could not figure out who to trust.

This was a fun mystery/thriller, although altogether I find it lacking in something. It was interesting enough for me to keep reading, and the overall concept was great, but the execution fell a bit flat and the twist was pretty predictable. However, for a quick and entertaining read, I enjoyed it.

I didn't love this. I felt like there was a lot of suspense built and detail and then the "reveal" was a different story that didn't really have much to do with the original story.

I really tried to like this one. But I just felt like it was so boring. Maybe it was me and I just wasn’t focused enough. But I don’t know, the characters felt boring and so did the story line. I felt like there wasn’t enough draw to it. The stakes weren’t high enough for me.

This was creepy and darker than I was expecting going in, but had many twists and turns that kept you sucked in!

This was a compelling read that contained some darker themes. I loved the premise, setting and characters in this novel by Jessa Maxwell (absolutely loved them in her prior novel too!). There were several times I thought I had the mystery figured out, only to later be shocked by a reveal or suspicious about someone's motives. The premise with the Dear Constance advice column is something I haven't read before so it felt fresh and had me considering the dark things that people might either admit to or ask about if there was zero chance of their identity being known. I'll definitely be picking up Jessa Maxwell's books in the future!

The book starts slow and fails to grab you at the beginning. It’s well written and an enjoyable read but not as suspenseful as most and a little disappointing.

3/5 stars- this one fell a bit flat for me. I found the main character a bit frustrating at times and the story line was a bit predictable. I really enjoyed the golden spoon and will definitely read more from Jessa Maxwell in the future.

Alex escapes to New York City to escape and other than her normal coffee trips she is a loner and has a sub par job. When her childhood hero is killed her world feels like it is spinning. After dealing with the death of her hero she sees her position open in the paper and Alex decides to go for it and she is surprised when she is given the position. But things quickly start going downhill including threats and other suspicious activity.

I enjoyed this book and thought it was well written. It gave me the chills at times and thought it was a really good book. Also it kept me on my toes so that is a big deal for me!