This book is like an onion, the more you peel away the more you NEED to get to its core. The plot devise of a newspaper advice columnist made this feel like an older book— but in the best way! There are alternating chapters that contain letters that revel the subplot. I liked this set up and I also enjoyed the red herrings thrown at the reader! Very well written and extremely entertaining.

Thanks to NetGalley and Atria Books for the advanced reader copy.

The premise of this book--a young woman takes over writing a newspaper advice column when the previous columnist is murdered--felt fresh and I enjoyed getting to see some of the ins and outs of a newsroom. But the twist at the end felt entirely far-fetched and came out of nowhere (there weren't any real clues that could lead a reader to see, after the fact, that this would be a reasonable surprise) and it ruined the book for me.

4.5⭐️
when the beloved advice columnist is suddenly killed, alex has the opportunity for her dream job at the herald. she lands the job as the new advice columnist and when weird things start happening around the office questions start to arise- what really happened to francis? as alex starts digging she starts receiving threatening letters... what is she running from?? I thoroughly enjoyed this book and page after page it kept me guessing.

thank you to the publishers and netgalley for this ARC!

Thank you for the EArc. I really didn’t care for this one. The writing style bothered me and ai didn’t care for the story. This was a miss for me.

Two stories that intertwined into one as the pages go on. I enjoyed Alex’s story. I liked how her character transformed throughout. This was a fast paced quick read. I enjoyed it

Alex Marks escaped to New York City for a fresh start. Her self-isolating world is upended when her writer hero, Francis Keen, is brutally murdered. Francis was the woman behind the famous advice column "Dear Constance," and her words helped Alex through some of the darkest times of her life. When Alex sees an advertisement searching for her replacement, she impulsively applies, never expecting to get the job.
This intriguing premise sets the stage for a gripping thriller that blends personal growth with a suspenseful murder mystery. Alex's unexpected new role as the advice columnist for "Dear Constance" is a forced transformation and the catalyst to search for the truth behind Francis's death. She begins to receive strange, potentially threatening letters at the office, turning everyone around her into a threat, including her boss, editor-in-chief Howard Dimitri, who works late and drinks too much. The narrative effectively keeps readers on edge, wondering who can be trusted and what secrets are being kept. The plot thickens as Alex digs deeper into the mystery and must also face her hidden past. The novel offers a blend of mystery, suspense, and personal growth. The murder is somewhat predictable, but the book does shed light on the abuse of power and how abuse in the workplace is challenging to report.

I received an ARC ebook for my honest review. Thank you, NetGalley and Atria Books.

3.5 stars - I Need You to Read This is the 2nd thriller by Jessa Maxwell. It tells the story of Alex Marks, a woman with many secrets who gets a job as a newspaper advice columnist after the former columnist is murdered. The tale flows well (but slowly) and is told in short chapters set in the present that are interspersed with letters from the past. I liked all of the characters too, which is unusual for me when reading thrillers. There is usually at least one deplorable character or two that I can’t stand. The only characters I disliked in this book I disliked for a reason. Because of that, it made it fairly easy to figure out who the killer was. I also didn’t really get the whole backstory with Raymond. It felt thrown in and weird and not really connected to the main action. I recommend this book if you enjoy thrillers, characters with secrets, and found family. It maybe doesn’t need to move all the way to the top of the TBR pile though. Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for my review.

I was able to guess the twists and ending to this book very easily. I enjoyed the writing style but overall was left disappointed.

I really, really wanted to like this book. It's exceptionally slow. Think of the slowest book you've read and it's slower than that. Nothing happens in the book, literally nothing, until you're 82% in. It also felt like multiple stories were being told. We have someone telling their story through Dear Constance letters at the end of almost every chapter. We are trying to figure out who killed Francis. We have Alex's mysterious history. We have Alex's diner friends and their random history. We have Alex's coworker and her story. Oh and, everything is painfully predictable.

I would consider this a slow, burn mystery and definitely not a thriller/suspense.

Trigger warning: domestic violence, domestic abuse

Many thanks to Jessa Maxwell, NetGalley, and Atria Books for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review. Expected publication date August 13, 2024.

I Need You To Read This by Jessa Maxwell

Rating: ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ / 5
Spook Level: 🫣 🫣 🫣 / 5

Summary: Francis is an advice columnist. She's also DEAD. When Alex finds out, she is sad to hear, but finds interest in applying for the replacement role to fill the Dear Constance role that The Herald posted. She applies with a wine glass in her hand, not truly thinking of what will happen if she gets the job when surprisingly she does get it. But she soon begins to find out that Francis' killer may just be after her too. When she meets a handsome stranger on a trip to the coffee shop in front of The Herald, she is almost immediately suspicious. Will she find Francis’ killer or will the killer find her?

What I Loved: This story was a very well-planned thriller because what started to come in about 50% of the book began to feel like a full circle of small details minimally scattered at the beginning of the book. I did love the spirit of the main character, not only going into a job she truly did not think she would get and wanting to prove the innocence of someone else being blamed for the murder. It seemed like Alex was going through a lot on her own, many things she did not share with her 2 friends in this book. Alex seemed like she was in for more than what she bargained for at different moments of the book and it made me feel overwhelmed myself. Here is an important lesson I learned through this book: It doesn't matter if someone is giving you all the best advice in the world, you should ask about them and if they are going through anything difficult.

Other Notes: I wished there was more of a backstory on who Tom was, I suspected he was a police officer or something of that nature because of his "Peeping Tom" moments and now I am getting why he was named Tom in the first place. Being the hopeless romantic that I am, I was surely surprised that our MC did not pull through with Tom immediately as I think it truly would have kept her out of trouble, but then the story would have gone in another direction. I will be honest with you, I truly skipped over one page because it was graphic and made me squirm a bit because I just couldn't stomach it.

Warning: This book does include themes of domestic abuse, suicide, murder, conspiracy, and rape mentioned on and off page. If any of the above triggers you, please do not read this book as there are graphic parts that depict some of the above and or off-page mentions.

Special thanks to the Publisher and the Author for providing a complimentary digital Electronic Advanced Reader Copy (E-ARC) of this novel via NetGalley. This is my fair, honest, and personal review. All opinions are mine alone and were not biased in any way.

An advice columnist is murdered and an ardent fan is picked as her replacement. Seems like a dream come true for copy writer Alex until it isn’t. Threatening letters and a strong drive to find out who killed her predecessor, puts Alex in a killer’s sight. An excellent thriller with just enough mystery to want to keep reading long past the time I should have put the book down.Thank you Netgalley and Atria Books for an early copy. This review is my honest opinion.

This was such a fun popcorn thriller. Some other reviewers state that it was a little predictable, but what about the character study and development? I loved the flaws that our FMC had. She was scared and strong and anxious and determined. She was a fighter, and I could cheer on Alex all day every day. I loved the way that abusive relationships and love were broached throughout this crazy ride. The Dear Constance column brought forth nostalgic thoughts to a time when you listened to advice and took time to think about your actions and the consequences of same. Most of all, I enjoyed the idea that Alex wanted her advice to matter, that it was thought out and planned and that she wanted her readers to do what is best for them. She had life experience and wanted others to learn from it.

This thriller came up short for me. I liked the premise of the story and found the mystery to be unique and interesting, but it was so slow. I figured out the twist pretty early on and found myself bored and skimming at times. I didn’t hate it but I didn’t find myself immersed in it either.
2.5⭐️ rounded up

Despite its title, I think you will be okay if you don't read Jessa Maxwell's latest I NEED YOU TO READ THIS (publishes August 13, 2024).

The book blurb did pull me in, but the reading experience devolved for me from the beginning. Alex Marks leads a lonely life as a remote pharmaceutical copyeditor in NYC, and she goes to the local diner Bluebird for breakfast every morning as her only social activity. After the advice columnist Francis Keen (Dear Constance is the advice column) from the Herald passes away, the newspaper advertises the position, and Alex applies. She gets the job! It's $125,000 per year to read Dear Constance letters and reply to ONE letter per WEEK. Now, I don't know much about the newspaper industry, other than it's not high paying these days and you have to work your butt off. So the plausibility of being responsible for writing 300-500 words per WEEK for $125,000 per year, even in NYC, befuddles me. And she gets an assistant?!

Then the setting and vibe really threw me. Yes, it's summer in New York City, but the huge office building where Alex now works (why doesn't she work remotely?) is dead. Apparently she only sees the receptionist Jonathan, the head honcho Howard, and her assistant Lucy. I guess no one else works in this 45 story office building. I've never read a book set in a city that felt so lonely.

And then the dialogue bugged me. It was cheesy and amateurish.

Interspersed within the narrative, the reader finds out that Alex used to write to Dear Constance herself and that she's experienced trauma from a past partner, which is easy to figure out based on the novel itself, so it felt repetitive. Aside from Alex's new job and her traumatic past, we don't know much about her as a person. I suppose Alex's loneliness is a point the author is trying to make, but what about her family? Any friends other than the server and the other regular patron at the diner? Does she have any personality other than her past trauma?

As for the plot, it is slow, but I don't mind a slow plot. It was everything else, from the premise to the execution of dialogue and even scene structure, that made me roll my eyes. The police non-involvement in Francis's death seemed odd. There was ridiculousness toward the end that I could have taken more readily had not so many things bugged me and compounded on one another.

I really enjoyed this author's first novel THE GOLDEN SPOON. This follow-up was a big disappointment.

Many thanks to Netgalley and Simon and Schuster for this arc. I received this book in exchange for my honest review. My thoughts are entirely my own.

Alex Marks is a ghostwriter for a company and a year after a famous columnist Francine dies they are holding an open call to try and find her replacement for Dear Constance. Alex gets the job after answering some questions asking for advice. Alex starts to investigate Francine's death and starts to get death threats as well. Alex's assistant Lucy tells her about how their boss Howard takes advantage of younger woman and Alex believes that Howard killed Francine. Alex has her friends Janice and Raymond help her investigate. Once Alex snoops on Howard she goes back to Francine's summer house to find the murder weapon. Lucy is actually the younger sister of Brian the man that Alex has been hiding from for years that almost killed her. Janice and Raymond show up to help Alex and try and help her and Lucy kills her brother after learning that he lied to her for years. Alex lives and is in the hospital and Howard's wive ends up confessing to killing Francine because her husband cheated on her with Francine for years. Alex gets to keep her job and ends up reconciling with her mom and Tom the guy she starts seeing. I loved this book it was so interesting.

I was on the edge of my seat throughout this book. It was a surprisingly quick read, very suspenseful, and the writing is great. It was a bit predictable, but that's a me problem. I highly recommend this title if you're looking for a good thriller.

3.75 stars - What a fun popcorn thriller this was. The nostalgia I felt about the Dear Constance column.. it reminded me of the advice columns in magazines I used to read when I was younger. I had such a fun time and tore through this. I did guess some aspects of this book it really didn’t take away from my overall enjoyment. Can’t wait to read more by this author!

Alex Marks, a copywriter in New York City, is shaken by the murder of her childhood hero and famous advice columnist, Francis Keen. When Alex takes over Keen's role on Dear Constance, she begins receiving strange letters and suspects foul play in Keen's death. As she investigates, she uncovers dark secrets from her past and realizes her own life may be in danger. Will Alex solve the mystery and save herself, or meet the same fate as her predecessor?

This is the first book I have read by the author of The Golden Spoon, and I must say, I was immediately captivated. While I was able to predict some of the outcomes, the majority of the twists and turns took me by surprise. The fast-paced nature of the book, coupled with its easy readability, made it a truly enjoyable experience.

One aspect of the book that I found particularly intriguing was the exploration of toxic relationships and anxiety. The mystery surrounding Alex's background and her decision to start anew added an extra layer of depth to the story. The gradual revelations throughout the book only served to enhance my enjoyment of it.

Overall, I found this to be a well-written and engaging book. I highly recommend it to anyone looking for a thrilling read with a touch of mystery and intrigue.

Thank you NetGalley and Atria books for my digital ARC copy. I am leaving this review voluntarily.

I read over half of this book in one sitting before I went to bed because I didn't want to stop. It was so fast paced and never dragged.

The story starts right away, and as I said there were no draggy parts. I really enjoyed the chapters that ended with the Dear, Constance letters and found myself missing them when they weren't in a chapter.

The mystery was a little predictable, but it was such a quick read that it didn't even really matter. I loved the friendship between Alex, Raymond, and Janice, and would love to read more about the three of them!

Rating: 🌕🌕🌕🌖
Genre: 🔪 Thriller
Violence: 🔪🔪
TW: Gaslighting, Cutting

Synopsis: A reclusive copywriter’s carefully cultivated world is upended when the advice columnist whose words got Alex through her darkest days is brutally murdered. When Alex is chosen to replace her idol, she quickly proves adept as solving others’ problems. But soon she begins to receive threatening letters and her inbred paranoia makes her suspect everyone. Is her past coming back to haunt her?

Thoughts: I find the premise novel and much of the character development nuanced and engaging. Maxwell has a skill with atmosphere that makes the reader share in a sense of claustrophobia or a feeling of enchantment. The author is particularly proficient at enmeshing us in Alex’s confusion and fear as she unfurls her main character’s backstory. Certain hints made me confident I knew the culprit. But the author deftly misdirects me. Using the interplay between Alex’s history—and the resulting fear that drives so many of her choices—and her predecessor’s murder, Maxwell distracts me to the point I don't not see the penultimate twist coming. At the same time, there are places where the suspension of disbelieve required has me asking, “Is that really plausible?” One is the way basic police procedure is omitted in service of story; an incompetent cop only has so much leeway. The other is one component of the resolution, which requires one to believe in facts and behaviors that seem unlikely. While I found myself occasionally pulled out of the story by these inconsistencies, I would definitely recommend it, along with Maxwell’s The Golden Spoon.

Thank you to @atriathrillers and @netgalley for the #gifted copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.