A compelling read from the start!

This book centers on Alex, a woman who seems constantly on edge, but we’re not immediately sure why. She lives a solitary life by choice, preferring to keep to herself. One night, fueled by wine and a bit of spontaneity, she applies for a job to replace "Dear Constance," the advice columnist she has long admired. After Francis, the previous writer, is murdered, the column comes to an abrupt stop. Feeling lost without it, Alex decides to apply, almost as a joke, and is shocked when she actually gets the job.

From the very beginning of her new position, Alex is unsettled, and the book takes on an eerie tone. She’s haunted by the mystery of Francis’s murder, especially since the killer was never found. As Alex digs deeper into Francis’s life, she becomes more obsessed with uncovering the truth about what happened.

I really enjoyed the mystery in this one! I figured out some of the twists early on, but there were still plenty of surprises I didn’t see coming. The story was incredibly engaging, and I particularly liked the inclusion of the letters throughout the narrative. The pacing, however, felt like a slow burn. While Alex was intriguing from the start, I found her a bit naïve, especially as her backstory unfolded.

I do wish there had been more resolution at the end of the mystery. While the main storyline was wrapped up neatly, I still had some lingering questions about certain characters and their motivations.

All in all, it was an enjoyable read and definitely worth picking up!

I was so excited to get this because i really enjoyed The Golden Spoon. I did not care for this one as much as the first one by her though.This one was just ok for me. It was a decent cozy mystery. Great as a palette cleanser or a quick read to get in your monthly or end of the year goal. I do like the way Tessa writes, its just not very thrilling and the plot twists are usually predictable.

Thank you to Netgalley and the Publishing Company for this Advanced Readers Copy of I Need you to Read This by Jessa Maxwell

**Review of *I Need You to Read This* by Jessa Maxwell**

⭐️⭐️⭐️ (3/5 stars)

*I Need You to Read This* by Jessa Maxwell is a thought-provoking novel that explores themes of communication, connection, and the ways in which we share our lives with others. The story is centered around an engaging premise, where a personal message or letter becomes the catalyst for change and introspection. Maxwell’s writing is smooth and reflective, capturing the complexity of human emotions and relationships.

However, while the central themes are strong, the pacing can feel slow at times, especially as the novel delves into introspective moments that, while meaningful, sometimes drag the story. The characters are relatable, but I found that their development felt a bit surface-level, which made it hard to fully invest in their personal journeys. Some aspects of the plot also felt predictable, which slightly dampened the overall impact of the story.

Overall, *I Need You to Read This* is an introspective and enjoyable read for those who appreciate character-driven stories, but it may not have the depth or momentum that some readers are looking for. It’s a good choice for a reflective read, but it doesn’t quite deliver the emotional punch that would elevate it to something truly memorable.

This was my first introduction to Jessa Maxwell and I will be more inclined to check out books from this author in the future. The writing was immersive and well-paced. This was a well thought out murder mystery, leaving me on the edge and wanting more as the story went on.

I really enjoyed this author's debut as I found it to be such a fun and cozy murder mystery! I was definitely expecting similar vibes going into this one, but instead it was a bit darker than anticipated with some of the themes and tone. I liked the concept though and the inclusion of the Dear Constance letters to add an extra layer of mystery and intrigue to the story. The characters too were still fun and eccentric enough to follow as well, Alex especially because she felt so real with her anxieties and backstory. There was a twist too that I did not quite see coming so was pleasantly surprised by that! Overall this was suspenseful enough to keep me on my toes and trying to guess the outcome of things, so i will definitely continue to read more Jessa Maxwell!

I was really intrigued by the cover when I saw this book and I knew I had to read it. This book was super super addictive and I am so grateful I got to read it thanks to NetGalley. I did not want to stop reading this. The characters are captivating.

Jessa Maxwell’s I Need You to Read This is a thrilling, twisty mystery that keeps readers on edge from start to finish. The novel centers on Alex Marks, a woman who left behind a tumultuous past to start fresh in New York City. Her quiet life is upended when she learns that her childhood hero, Francis Keen, the beloved writer behind the advice column Dear Constance, has been murdered.

In a spur of the moment decision, Alex applies for Francis’s position, never imagining she’ll actually get the job. But when she’s hired, she finds herself drawn into a dark, complex web of mystery surrounding Francis’s death—and begins receiving strange, possibly threatening letters that make her question everyone around her. As Alex digs deeper into the murder, she uncovers unsettling truths about both Francis’s life and her own, threatening to unravel everything she’s worked so hard to keep buried.

Maxwell masterfully builds suspense throughout the novel, keeping readers guessing as Alex’s investigation takes unexpected turns. The combination of Alex’s personal struggles and her unraveling search for the truth creates a compelling, character-driven narrative that makes the story as much about her emotional journey as it is about the mystery. The tension between Alex and her editor-in-chief, Howard, adds an extra layer of intrigue, as his dark secrets seem intertwined with the murder.

I Need You to Read This is a well-crafted, atmospheric page-turner, full of unpredictable twists and dark revelations. Maxwell’s writing pulls you into a world where every character seems suspicious, and the line between friend and foe is razor-thin. If you’re a fan of psychological thrillers that blend mystery with character-driven storytelling, this one is a must-read.

A super quick and engaging read! This leans more thriller than cozy mystery, though the plot isn’t perfect. The protagonist, Alex, was frustratingly slow at times—I almost threw my e-reader! But I enjoyed Ray and Janice from the diner. Overall, a solid read, and I’d check out more from this author.

Thank you Netgalley, author and Atria Books for the ARC.
.
Alex Marks moves to New York City for a fresh start, leaving behind a past she’d rather keep buried. By day, she toils away at her mundane copyright job. By night, she devours Dear Constance, the wildly popular advice column in The Herald. But when its sharp and beloved columnist, Frances Keen, dies suddenly, Alex and thousands of fans are left in shock.

Then comes the opportunity of a lifetime—The Herald is hiring for the column, and Alex, despite her doubts, lands the gig. But as she settles into Frances’s old desk, she realizes that being Dear Constance comes with more than just answering letters. Secrets swirl around Frances’s death, and Alex might have just stepped into something far more dangerous than she ever expected.
.


An advice columnist’s untimely death, a replacement who starts pulling at threads better left untouched, and a slow-burning mystery? Yes, please! This was my first Jessa Maxwell novel, and I loved the concept—there’s something deliciously eerie about stepping into a dead woman’s shoes and realizing she might have known too much.

That said, while the setup was intriguing, the execution was… a bit uneven. The pacing leaned toward slow burn, teasing out details and layering in tension, but at times, it felt like it wasn’t moving forward fast enough. The story alternates between Alex’s perspective and Dear Constance letters from a mysterious writer called Lost Girl, whose turmoil is somehow woven into the bigger picture. While I figured out the twist behind these letters early on, a few surprises still kept me on my toes.

Overall? A solid, atmospheric mystery, but not a mind-blowing one. If you’re a seasoned thriller reader, you might find it predictable. If you’re new to the genre, it’s a decent entry point.

It's a 3/5 stars ⭐ read for me.

A good, easy read—just don’t expect it to reinvent the wheel!

Would I pick up another Jessa Maxwell book? Maybe. But next time, I’ll be hoping for a bit more oomph.

Just finished this thrilling gem this morning!

If you didn’t know, this is by the same author as The Golden Spoon. Which I also really enjoyed.

Lately podcast books seem to be all the rage. Which is completely understandable because all the ones I’ve read have been done really well. I liked this book though because instead of the podcast element, it has advice column letters. Unspent on that mixed media storytelling.

Although this is a fast pace, thriller. You are also going to find elements of found family.

not gonna lie I thought I had the ending figured out and oh boy was off 😂. So, if you haven’t read this, you should definitely pick it up! Jessa is definitely an auto read author for me now!!!

This book was so twisty! I didn't want to put it down! I went in kind of blindly, which is what I tend to do with most thrillers so I can be surprised and it did not disappoint. I had such a fun time trying to solve the case along with the fmc and devoured the whole book. Really liked it!

Another fast paced twisty thriller from Maxwell! I really had so much fun with this one. It dove right into the mystery and didn’t let up once. I did figure out the culprits but that didn’t take away from the mystery and it didn’t matter because it wasn’t an immediate give away. I can’t wait to read what she comes up with next

Thanks NetGalley for this ARC. Was really looking forward to this one but it was just an average read for me. The story just didn’t grab me. I finished it but just an ok read unfortunately.

3.5 stars for this one. I was quite entertained for the majority of the book. The tension was building and the characters were all a little dubious. I enjoyed the premise: advice columnist Francis Keen has been killed, Alex sees an advertisement to take over the job and applies. After she is hired to become the new Dear Constance, weird things start happening to her, too, and she is afraid that her past has caught up to her. All of that had me turning the pages. But there were a few things that felt off - we get an encounter involving a side character that feels super random and never really goes anywhere, a connection that comes out of left field as Alex investigates what happened to Francis, and a few things that happen without explanation. As much as I enjoyed the quick pace of the book, I think it needed to be a little longer. I felt like I'd missed a few pages where some of that had been foreshadowed or explained. I also think that it would have been more satisfying to have followed the resolution farther forward in time rather than summed up in an epilogue that left too much out as well. So, overall, it was a fun time but it needed a little more. Thanks to NetGalley and Atria books for the digital arc of this book. It's definitely one I'd recommend when you want a quick read that will get your heartrate up.

I Need You to Read This by Jessa Maxwell. Pub Date: August 13, 2024. Rating: 3 stars. I really enjoyed this author's prior novel "The Golden Spoon" so I thought I may find this one enjoyable too. Sadly, this book was not as engaging for me as her other novel. The pacing of the novel was uneven and choppy as well as slowly paced. I felt the character development was lacking. This one was a miss for me. Thanks to #netgalley and #atria for this e-arc in exchange for my honest review.

I Need You to Read This is the newest novel of author Jessa Maxwell. Her first mystery The Golden Spoon was an light and entertaining mystery based on the idea of the Great British Baking Show.

This time Maxwell takes on the busy newsroom and newspaper advice column as the backbone of this murder mystery. Alex Marks has left the small town life behind. She is trying to forget her past and get lost in the hustle and bustle of New York City. Then she is a want ad in the newspaper that changes her life.

When her role model advice columnist Francis Keen is murdered, the newspaper puts out an ad looking for her replacement. On a lark Alex answers the ad and is surprised when she is offered the job.

Coming into the spotlight is difficult for Alex but she finds she loves the job and is excited to be the newspaper's new advice columnist. Though strange things seem to be going on at the office, Alex gives the job her all, spending long hours alone in her secluded office with her assistant answering the many letters asking for her advice. There are eerie moments, when her boss, editor-in-chief Howard Dimitri, is discovered staying late at the office and drinking too much. Then there are some threatening letters. She decides to try to figure out why Francis was murdered which takes her to her predecessor 's lake house in search of answers.

She has a skill for solving other people's problems, but can she save herself?

A twisty never-meet-your-heros tale, I adored ever tense page of this thriller. Voice and plot were spot on.

This was such an amazing read! I liked the golden spoon, but I loved this plot even more! I truely loved the side characters and the low-key romance of the book, and I had to keep guessing at where I thought the book would go. In the end I had a feeling I knew who was the person behind the notes was, and I was right, but I had no idea what the big twist was going to be and the real motive behind everything. I thought the author did a great job referencing abusive relationships, and I thought it was interesting hearing her letters from the past throughout the book as her relationship changed. All in all, it was a great mystery with some humor, and some very hard topics mixed in.

First and foremost, many thanks to Atria Books, Jessa Maxwell, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book.

Alex Marks is a young woman who has fled to New York City in search of a new life, as well as to just get lost among the crowds of the city's population A longtime fan of Francis Keen, the true identity behind the advice column "Dear Constance", she is surprised to find an advertisement for a Keen's replacement. On a whim, she applies for the position, despite her certainty that she will never actually get the position due to lack of experience and given her young age. Alex is shocked when she is indeed given the job, and overwhelmed with the task of filling Keen's shoes. Francis Keen had been murdered, thus prematurely ending her successful career, and at the time of Alex's hiring, the case remained unsolved. So when Alex begins working in Keen's former office, located in an old, run down section of the Herald's office building, she finds the space to be creepy, eerie, even a bit haunted. As Alex begins the overwhelming task of reading every letter which comes in in order to choose one to use in the column, she begins to learn her boss is a bit strange and intimidating. She observes him drinking heavily in his office, overhears him having loud and frightening conversations with another individual on the phone, and suspects perhaps he is not as trustworthy or as safe as she initially believed. When Alex begins receiving threatening letters, her fears increase substantially as she realizes she must try to solve Francis Keen's murder before she winds up dead herself. Along the way, we meet acquaintances who become endearing, interesting, and every bit as much a part of the story as Alex herself.

A good modern read for the Agatha Christie fan, I Need You to Read This is a decent mystery novel, but left me wanting more. The premise was good, the characters likable, but from the description, I expected more from the "suspense/thriller" aspect. I feel this was more a misrepresentation of what the book ends up being more than anything else. This is a fantastic read for the individual who loves classic mysteries without the shock value many authors today feel is necessary, but despite feeling misled in the book's description, I felt myself wanting more from the character development of some of Alex's acquaintances.