I loved The Golden Spoon and was really excited to read this one. A twisty page turn that keeps you on the edge of your seat. I couldn’t put it down. A very enjoyable mystery.

This story was intriguing and did keep me guessing. There is a little bit of romance, a little intrigue, and some mysterious situations. The only thing that took me out of this was that the main character was not always so smart and we as the reader were given a lot of obvious clues for things that the MC should have known. This is frustrating for me because I feel like I'd rather figure things out on my own instead of being given the same clues over and over. The character development was pretty good and the ending was satisfying.
I'll continue to try this author and hope she continues to develop great mysteries! Also, please consider checking content warnings before reading this one.

This was such an enjoyable thriller! I thought the author did a great job developing the characters and I really liked the storyline. The ending I did not see coming, which is always a huge bonus. I would definitely recommend this.

Years ago, Alex Marks escaped to New York City for a fresh start. Now, aside from trips to her regular diner for coffee, she keeps to herself, gets her perfectly normal copywriting job done, and doesn’t date. Her quiet world is upended when her childhood 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 her darkest times. When Alex sees an advertisement searching for her replacement, she impulsively applies, never expecting to get the job. Against all odds, Alex is given the position but soon, she begins to receive strange, potentially threatening letters at the office. Francis’s murderer was never identified, turning everyone around her into a threat, including her new boss. Alex is drawn into the details surrounding her predecessor’s murder and her own dark secrets begin to rise to the surface.
I thoroughly enjoyed reading about Alex, her past and present. Definitely a creepy- twisted read. When I found myself thinking I knew what would happen next, I was excitingly surprised that there were more twists and turns. I loved how it all came together! Thank You Netgalley and Jessa Maxwell for a very entertaining read.

Ohhh I flew through the book!!! I thoroughly enjoyed it! Alex Mark moved to New York City to have a fresh start and disappear from her old life. And she did...for a while...until her favourite columnist was found dead at her summer cottage and she impulsively applied for the replacement position. And now someone knows! As she's now behind the Dear Constance column, someone, out there, knows the truth about her past. It took waaayyyyy too long for the coin to drop about the 'Dear Constance' chapters and I literally gasped when I finally pieced it together! Kudos to the author for taking me on a journey I thought I had a decent hold on and spinning it on its head. The characters were nicely flushed out and quirky; the dialogue was right on par.

Many thanks to the author, Atria Books and Netgalley for an advanced copy for an honest review

This book felt like a completely different author wrote it compared to their last book. I didn't like this one at all because of that.

I Need You to Read This by Jessa Maxwell is a poignant exploration of relationships, communication, and the complexities of human emotions. The novel intertwines themes of love, loss, and the power of words, showcasing how written messages can serve as both a lifeline and a source of misunderstanding.

I’m shocked at how much I adored this!! I was glued to my kindle. This was very different from Maxwell’s first book. Alex was a very interesting character. The twist revealed towards the end gave me full body chills. There were so many red herrings and I really wasn’t too sure what was going to happen but the pay off was worth it

3.25 ⭐️

This was my first Jessa Maxwell book and wow, she kept me turning the pages on this one! While this wasn't the craziest thriller I've ever read, some of the twists and turns in this book caught me off guard. Alex was interesting as the main character, which allowed me to really get wrapped up in this story.

Thanks Netgalley and Atria Books for an ARC!

1.0

I need you not to waste your time reading this.

Not a single character would know common sense if it reared up and bit them in the ass. Alex has all the intellect of a dead goldfish, and for some reason the moment she stands out in public every man within 20 feet aggro on. (Seriously, she eats lunch at this fancy place to celebrate getting her job an some weirdo--completely unprompted, and this guy never comes up again--just walks up to her and starts hitting on her like it's a sleezy bar. And, despite it being an upscale place, where waiters sit you down, no one asks the weird guy loudly harassing the woman who walked in alone.) Her two diner friends—the only vaguely interesting characters in the book—are also flat (tragically retired cop and cool diner lady).

The prose is tasteless and basic. On occasion it slips from third to general 'you' second, which no one else probably cares about but it is a pet peeve of mine that drives me up the wall.

As for the plot, it is both contrived and boring. There are so many moments that had me rolling my eyes: the whole job-hiring process (god, she applies for an advice columnist job at 1 AM, drunk, and gets called back like immediately and hired five minutes into the interview... girl lol. And don't even get me started on her salary), the manic pixie dream boy she bumps into at the coffee shop, the nothingburger of the cool secret bar...

Oof, and the setting. It's New York in the 2020s but it really shouldn’t be. Everything about it would be WAY more believable if it was set in the 20th century, during the heyday of newspapers--where being an advice columnist would actually be, like, a valid job title and not a task crammed into the schedule of an already overworked writer.

The genre is thriller but the only thrill I felt was hitting that 100% read mark and finishing the book. Honestly, I only finished for two reasons: for the sake of my NetGalley review score (which, bless it, is a disaster) and because I was stuck without service on the subway and had nothing else to read.

The only vaguely interesting sections are the Dear Constance letters, which the main character wrote as a young woman, and even those feel out of place. They’re not written like a person telling their story. They’re written like a novel or a short story, neither of which reads as believable in the context of being (supposedly) a letter.

Anyway. I'm off to apply to a job while drunk and get a next-day six salary offer to do nothing but read letters and write vague shitty advice. Byeeeee

Thank you to the publisher for providing an eARC via Netgalley. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.

This was good. It wasn't my favorite but not my least favorite. It was straight in the middle. 3/5 Stars

NetGalley copy: Enjoyed the story and the characters. Still very much wish there was more to the story line but ultimately it was a good ghostwriter wonder.

"I Need You to Read This" is an engaging murder mystery with an intriguing premise. The story follows Alex Marks, who lands her dream job as the advice columnist for a famous newspaper, stepping into the shoes of her idol, Francis Keen, who was murdered months prior. As Alex begins to receive threatening letters, she becomes entangled in solving Francis’s murder while grappling with secrets from her own past.

Though the plot includes red herrings and a dual timeline that artfully connects past and present, the twists are somewhat predictable. The pacing starts slow, but by the halfway point, it becomes a page-turner. Alex’s sleuthing friends, Janice and Raymond, add a delightful dynamic to the story. The inclusion of letters to "Dear Constance" enriches the narrative, blending the mystery with nostalgic elements reminiscent of classic advice columns.

While not as twisty as some thrillers, it leans toward a cozy mystery vibe, offering a leisurely yet engaging read. The touch of romance is enjoyable but feels underdeveloped by the story’s end. Despite occasional frustrations with Alex’s obliviousness, her determination keeps readers rooting for her.

Perfect for fans of mysteries or thrillers, especially those who appreciate a blend of intrigue, nostalgia, and self-discovery, this is a solid, atmospheric read—ideal for fall.

Read this for book club this month and loved it!!! Loved the short chapters, and format of letters sprinkled throughout. Characters were fully developed.

3.75 stars
This was a fun little mystery! I Need You to Read This is about Alex Marks who gets a highly coveted position as an advice columnist for a famous newspaper. The previous writer for the column was Francis Keen, someone Alex idolized and who was killed months prior. Alex finds herself investigating the murder after she begins to receive threatening letters that may or may not be tied to Francis' killer.

Even though the twists were quite predictable, I still found it to be well written. Alex’s obliviousness was very frustrating at times but I was rooting for her to the end. Her sleuthing friends, Janice and Raymond, were a great addition as well. It was definitely a slow-burn and difficult to get into at first but by the halfway point I was hooked!

A great popcorn thriller!!! Filled with twists and you really cannot trust anyone. I would say this is slightly slow burn. It did take a little to pick up but once it did, it was so good!

This was a fun murder mystery. It’s not very twisty but it’s engaging. Alex gets a job writing the Dear Constance column after the original writer is murdered. She decides to solve the murder but has her past to deal with.

This has past and present timelines which come together in the end. There are some red herrings thrown in to make it more mysterious. Plus, it has a touch of romance. I wanted more of the romance as everything was wrapping up. Otherwise, I liked how this ended.

This feels like a cozy mystery. I wasn’t racing to the end of this story on the edge of my seat. Instead, I found myself leisurely reading this as time permitted.

The story reminded me how much I used to enjoy reading Dear Abby in the newspaper each week. It brought back the nostalgia of reading about other people’s problems which seemed much worse than mine.

I unfortunately chose not to finish reading this book. I did enjoy Jessa Maxwell’s previous title, but the premise of this one didn’t sit too well with me, and I found that I was not intrigued enough to continue reading.

This was a fun fast paced thriller while it was a little predictable it kept me entertained throughout. I loved the idea of the plot in this one the idea of taking over a job and getting involved in your predecessors murder case. While I loved the plot the characters could be a little grating at times. I thought the writing was engaging and fast paced I just felt some of the twist were a little obvious. I really enjoyed this authors writing and hope to pick up more from them in the future. I would like to thank NetGalley and the publishers for a chance to read this book for an honest review.

This novel follows Alex, who has landed her dream job as the new writer of the “Dear Constance” advice column, after its previous writer, Francis, is murdered. Alex is soon caught up is trying to find out what happened to Francis, while also having to face her own past. Engaging and well-paced, I thoroughly enjoyed this novel.