I’d say this was a “cozy thriller” if I had to put it in a box. It was a fast, fun read, that had me wanting to see what would be uncovered next. I was drawn in and kept engaged throughout. I liked the “realness” of Alex’s character. She had OCD and a mild case of agoraphobia, which really had my heartstrings. Although I read the synopsis, I felt it wasn’t quite align with the story, I felt it was more about Alex then the job itself. I didn’t know this was a “cozy” story, so the ending was a bit too well wrapped up, but it was a good book!

"I Need You to Read This" took me by surprise with its darker themes in a murder mystery that kept me reading! Alex moves from her childhood home to Manhattan to escape her past. She's a writer for a pharmaceutical company. But After Alex Marks's childhood hero, advice columnist Francis Keen is murdered, Alex applies for the "Dear Constance" columnist job and gets it! In no time, Alex is investigating Francis's murder and tripping over the secrets that she's desperately trying to keep hidden. Alex is now a public figure and has threatening letters to prove it. Will someone help her or will they think it's all in her head and leave her to the wolves?
I appreciate the comic relief provided through some characters in this otherwise intense book. The inclusion of the "Dear Constance" letters was so endearing and interesting. I hadn't read a Jessa Maxwell book before, and I will be back for more!

Thank you to Atria books and NetGalley for an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review

I loved this! Fast paced, engaging, and a plot that twisted and turned. I loved the formatting between present day and letters from the past. I enjoyed the way the story was developed, and I always enjoy my thrillers when more than one mystery is developing at once. I was satisfied with the solution to the story and the twist. I enjoyed the main character and her development throughout the story. I also loved Ray and Janice!!! Dream crime solving team. Fast paced and fun!

3.5 stars. I was really enjoying this book, but eventually there were just too many random things that didn’t have a purpose and didn’t drive the story or the characters. Raymond’s whole background being suddenly revealed and then he disappears for half the book? The two diner pals suddenly showing up at the beach house when it was established that it was a four hour drive, Janice called Alex’s office even later than when Alex talked to Jonathan and he told her Howard was being arrested, because Jonathan told her where Alex had gone. Even if Janice and Raymond had dropped everything to rush out, it would have been 4 or more hours to get to Alex. But Alex wasn’t laying there bleeding out for 5 hours with Brian and Lucy just hanging out. The timeline of these events just don’t make sense. Then Lucy kills her beloved brother over the exposure of his lies? Nah. I could see her shooting him in the leg or holding him at gunpoint until police show up, but from what we knew about her and what the general audience knows about people who grow up like that, she wouldn’t have murdered the one person she thought she could trust. And then a drugged and groggy Alex manages to outwit the smartest person in the book, Regina? It’s just not believable. Ultimately, there were just too many things I disliked to give this a higher rating. I thought it started out strong and then just got weaker as it went.

Thank you, NetGalley and Jessa Maxwell, for this e-ARC! I was really looking forward to this read as the description gave me the chills with the advice columnist dying and Alex taking over after being a reader/writer of the column for years. + a murder mystery, duh! I think the premise and idea of the book are excellent - something I have not read or encountered much. Unfortunately, Alex, as a few reviewers said, fell a bit flat for me, and she was hard to read sometimes. I feel like I just wanted more, but I cannot put my finger on it. I always love it when authors put letters or texts into the novel, so having the advice column for us to read was a plus! Overall, the story was a solid read, a good thriller to keep me busy between books but not something that made me turn the last page and say, "Wow."

I would read another of Jessa's books!

🗞️ murdered advice columnist
📝 mysterious past
🗞️ amateur sleuthing
📝 set in N.Y.C.

Francis Keen, beloved writer of the Dear Constance advice column was murdered and her killer remains loose. Eight months later, The Herald newspaper has put out a job listing for her replacement, and not all are happy as Francis was admired by many. One of these people is Alex Marks, who recently moved to New York City for a fresh start. Alex applies after being curious about the newspaper's criteria for the job, but ends up being hired. Nervous but excited to try and fill Francis' shoes, Alex dives head first into the job which requires she read ALL the Dear Constance letters. She very quickly begins to receive eerie anonymous letters and starts to wonder if she's also heading toward a similar dangerous fate.
•
I really loved Maxwell's debut, 𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙂𝙤𝙡𝙙𝙚𝙣 𝙎𝙥𝙤𝙤𝙣 last year. While I try not to compare an author's other books when trying to decide on a rating, it's also hard not to be disappointed. That said, I still liked this one. The inclusion of actual letters to the Dear Constance column was fun and added another layer of mystery. The mystery itself was predictable to me, but solid and wrapped up fine. Overall it just didn't knock my socks off but it was a fairly quick and entertaining mystery/thriller and I'll continue to read more by this author.

I was not expecting to love this book as much as I did! I enjoyed the different cast of characters, the murder-mystery plot, and the creepy atmosphere. The ending was just a little bit lacking for me, but I still enjoyed it! I will definitely read more from this author in the future and need to go back and read the Golden Spoon!

Alex Marks lives a small life in NYC, basically in hiding because of something that happened in her past. After Francis Keen, her favorite advice columnist "Dear Constance", is murdered, Alex finds herself applying for -and landing- the job as the Dear Constance replacement. Alex starts to get anonymous, threatening letters, and since she isn't sure if they have something to do with her past or with with Francis Keen's murder, she decides that she needs to solve the open case and find out who killed Francis. Alex is a sympathetic protagonist, and the supporting cast are interesting with unique eccentricities. Suspenseful with several surprises revealed along the way, I found this to be a moderately paced and enjoyable mystery.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher!
Although you know Alex is running from something, it’s easy to think she’s a bit paranoid at the beginning. She is not. It’s all well earned.
Big “Sleeping With the Enemy” energy.

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author of this book for an arc of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I think the premise of this book was good, but it fell a little flat. I thought the main character wasn't very likable and she was a little boring. I didn't really want to follow along with her story because of it. It was a little darker than I thought it would be and it still had some okay twists, but nothing too shocking. One thing that I did like was the "Dear Constance" portions. Although they were a little boring until the end, I thought it was pretty unique and made this book stick out a little bit. I think a more matured mystery reader would easily guess this, but a new reader to the genre would enjoy this.

I picked this book up because I really enjoyed her previous book The Golden Spoon. I loved the idea of the famous column advice writer Dear Constance being murdered and her successor possibly being targeted next. I liked how the author included the letters to Dear Constance in the book. However, this book was somewhat predicable. It was fine. It’s a solid three star read but there is nothing new or noteworthy. It’s a good light page turner when that’s what you’re in the mood for but it’s not going to leave you asking questions or wanting more.

Loved! I half read on my kindle/half listened in the car on a couple long drives and I was super invested in this story and these characters! I’d say it falls somewhere in between cozy mystery and thriller - but minimal gore. Also, check your trigger warnings, some parts might be sensitive for you!

I thought this book was the perfect pick for me because I always like a good, classic murder mystery. And I was exactly right—I had a great time reading it!

The main character of the story is an aspiring newspaper columnist who is attempting to understand the reasons behind the deceased former columnist and her idol.
The way the characters in this novel truly kept the plot flowing was what I found so amazing. It kept me interested the entire time and never became boring. I truly liked Alex as a character, and I found it fascinating what she was running from.

With two mysteries being solved simultaneously, this book has a quick paced plot with a few slower sections. The timelines in this book, which alternated between the past and present, were easy to follow. I found the idea of the advice column intriguing and anticipated it would play a larger part. Even though I liked the Dear Constance letters' point of view, there were moments when it seemed a little repetitive.

When you read a mystery, the finest sensation is when you see how everything comes together at the end and are shocked—this finale surprised me! I think fans of murder mysteries will really enjoy this book!

⭐️⭐️⭐️✨ (3.5/5)

I thought the premise of this one was cool, although it did take me a little bit to get into it when I first started. I actually listened to the beginning like 3x before I continued on. Once I got going it was a solid audiobook though. The narrator did a nice job too.

I loved the diner friends that the MC, Alex Marks formed a relationship with. I’m not sure why I liked that little trio so much but I just loved them.

The twist I totally didn’t see coming. The pacing towards the end picked up so quickly that I didn’t have time to even think of a twist. Now when I say fast and picked up quickly don’t take that as it was rushed because I didn’t get that vibe at all.

There is a quote in the epilogue about running away that I really enjoyed but I felt like it added to the impact of the ending so I’ll let you savor it for yourself.

This was my first introduction to Jessa Maxwell and I was pleasantly surprised. The story did have a bit of a slow start (first half actually) but as more information was becoming divulged, I was getting more and more hooked! It was interesting how everything came together and I truly did not expect the story to unfold the way it did, but it was worth it! My only wish was that the beginning of the story was as captivating, because I found myself getting a little bored as things were being set up.

Thank you to Atria Books, Jessa Maxwell, and NetGalley for this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Another great read from this author! This book was a wonderful change from the normal thrillers I read. It has me reminiscing about "Dear Abby" that I would read in the newspaper every weekend. I did not catch on as some may have. The characters were amazing. I felt like I knew them all.

Thank you to netgalley and the author for allowing me to read early.

One of the best thrillers I've read in a long time. My Mom read the Dear Abby advice column religiously when I was growing up so the advice column plot line was complete nostalgia for me. The characters are well done and make you really root for them!

Solid 4 stars
⭐⭐⭐⭐
"I Need You to Read This" by Jessa Maxwell is an absolute gem of a mystery that had me hooked from page one. The story follows a young writer who lands a gig as an advice columnist for a NYC newspaper, stepping into the role of a recently murdered icon. But it’s not just about solving the murder—there’s a whole lot of personal drama and intrigue going on.

Our protagonist is juggling a new relationship, quirky colleagues, and a diner waitress who seems to be part of the whole mystery. The way all these threads connect is both clever and entertaining. Maxwell’s writing is sharp and fun, keeping you guessing with every chapter. The big reveal is both a pleasant surprise and a bit of a “Oh, I saw that or didnt see that coming” moment, which makes it even more satisfying.

This was my first dive into Jessa Maxwell’s world, and I’m super grateful to NetGalley and Atria Books for the ARC. Can’t wait to see what Maxwell cooks up next!

3.75/5 Stars rounded up to 4.

I definitely enjoyed reading this book. The premise of the story was so much fun, and I think Jessa Maxwell executed it quite well. I loved the inclusion of the Dear Constance letters and how we learn as the book goes on that the letters from LostGirl were actually written by Alex herself. I didn't find the twists to be all that surprising, but I still enjoyed them anyway. I would have liked to see more of Alex's relationship with Tom though. There seemed to be so much potential there, but it sort of fell flat.

I was a little bit skeptical about this book in the beginning as it just wasn't grabbing my attention like I thought it would. Boy am I glad that I decided to stick with it. That twist at the end! I was so happy with how everything tied up in the end and will definitely read more by this author as she releases them. If you are a fan of books with letters and things like that this one is for you. I love the aspect of letters, emails, and text messages in books. It really breaks up all the words! I definitely recommend you pick this one up if you love thrillers and shocking twists!

Thank you Netgalley, the author, and the publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.