When the story started I was really intrigued, but as the story progressed I found that the story ended up falling a bit flat. I didn't find that the twist was really a twist & felt predictable. I think this could be a great book for someone who is wanting to start reading more mystery/thrillers. I think because I read a lot of books in that genre is why it felt more forgetable to me.

Thank you so much to the publisher and Netgalley for an ARC copy in exchange for my honest review.

"I Need You to Read This" by Jessa Maxwell is an intriguing thriller with some of it told through “Dear Constance” letters. The characters are well-developed, and mostly likeable. While the emotional depth and themes are there, the pacing seemed slow in some parts but rushed in others, mainly towards the end. It took a little while for me to get into the book. Overall, it was a fun, quick read that effectively captured the complex relationships with the characters, though it could benefit from a little bit more cohesion. A solid 3.5 stars for me.

This was spoooky. I do wish it would have been a little longer at times, I feel like the characterization could have been stronger. I found it hard to root for the main character at times because I didn't know much about her. As always, I LOVE a New York City setting and this one did not disappoint.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC of I Need You to Read This by Jessa Maxwell. This novel is a unique blend of mystery and introspection, with an engaging premise that promises intrigue from the outset. Maxwell's writing is crisp and draws you in, but the pacing felt uneven at times. The central mystery kept me curious, though some plot points lacked the depth and complexity I was hoping for. The characters were interesting, but I found it hard to connect with their emotional journeys fully. Overall, I Need You to Read This offers an intriguing read, though it falls short of being truly gripping or unforgettable.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an eARC in exchange for my honest review.

This murder mystery was different, and I really enjoyed it!
Quickly paced and well-threaded with twists, I Need You to Read This was character-driven and possessed an intriguing darkness....which I appreciate in a thriller. Some twists were anticipated, but I still received the needed relief in the end when issues were resolved. All in all a good read. Would recommend.

I thought the premise of this book was fascinating, but it fell flat to me. The characters were flat, and I didn't feel like I was reading a mystery/thriller book because the majority of the time, Alex was talking about being stressed about the job and thinking she wasn't good enough. The book started slow and remained slow the whole way. Towards the end, it wasn't shocking to me, there was no twist, nothing that kept me wanting to find out more.

I did enjoy the newspaper/writing career and the setting in New York. The writing and setting were cozy, and I loved the cover. I think this will be great for readers who want to get into the mystery/thriller genre.

Thank you to Jessa Maxwell, Atria book, and NetGallery for providing an ARC.

I was really intrigued with the premise of this story - I loved the mystery of how Francis died and following Alex get involved without fully meaning to. The story has a very dark side to it and I loved the Dear Constance letters that were inserted throughout (I kind of had an idea of what was happening though). I did feel like I couldn’t fully connect with the characters in this one, I think I was hoping for a bit more of a cosy mystery and got a bit more of a thriller type book.

This was well-written but the plot was very predictable which robbed a decent amount of the enjoyment I derive from the genre. This was also true of The Golden Spoon which makes me think two things: 1) Jessa Maxwell is an excellent author for people who are new to the mystery genre and don't like anything too suspenseful or terrifying 2) I cannot read anymore Jessa Maxwell without actively choosing to do her a disservice in ratings.

What an intriguing read! I didn’t call the ending per se but I was able to predict a few things.
I have never read this author and I was pretty engaged through out the read, it was certainly on the unique side. A few chapters got really long but that ending made up for it!

This is such a good whodunit! It's a little creepy and a little you-might-think-you-know-but-you-dont. So enjoyable and hard to put down.

I was expecting more to happen throughout the entire book, but really a lot of the action happens at the end. A lot of the characters are mediocre and not really that important.

I was a huge fan of Jessa Maxwell's debut, The Golden Spoon, so I was thrilled when I got my hands on this one. It follows a girl with a scary past who ends up becoming the new "Dear Constance" writer at a big newspaper in New York. My first gripe/complaint with this was, for this girl to be so scared of someone finding her, she reallyyyy took a high profile, very public job? The story dragged a little (in my opinion), but I was overall surprised at the main plot twist. Because of that, this gets a higher rating in my mind and makes up for the slowness/plot points.

Alex moves to New York City and gets a job as an advice columnist. Her predecessor and hero was murdered under suspicious circumstances. Alex decides to investigate the crime.

In my opinion this book has a very slow start and I had a hard time staying engaged. It was not very thrilling for a thriller. It’s more like a slow burn mystery. I had the”twist” figured out so it fell flat for me. I know a lot of people will probably enjoy it unfortunately it didn’t work for me.

Thank you to netgalley for a copy of this book.

I really enjoyed this. I read The Golden Spoon and thought it was ok but this one I felt was so much better! I loved the suspense and while some of it was predictable, the ending had me in total surprise. I really enjoyed the characters in this one!

This was a disappointing read. It was a great premise but the author didn’t execute it well in my opinion. Too many coincidence and plot twists that just didn’t make sense.

An absolutely unputdownable book for me! I was drawn in immediately to this book; it was on my list of most anticipated reads for this year and it did not disappoint! Alex Marks has a drab, boring life in NYC until she unexpectedly ends up with a job as a column writer after the murder of the beloved Francis Keen, who held the role for decades. Almost immediately she begins to get threatening letters and knows that all isn’t what it seems when it comes to Francis’ untimely murder and it’s up to her to bring to light what transpired.

I loved the dark, moody atmosphere provided by the writing and the NYC setting. It was perfect for a fall evening. The book went so fast for me because I couldn’t wait to see what happened next and I was definitely surprised at the ending! This will be a top favorite for me this year.

Rated: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Pretty basic as far as murder mystery story goes. Not highly memorable. But I did enjoy the premise of the MC, having once been a writer herself to Dear Francis, took up the gauntlet herself to replace the then missing need.

Alex gets her dream job because the previous employee was murdered, which doesn't sound great, but she really needs to leave her previous job and desperately wants to take over the advice column that she feels so attached to. She's determined to be the best that she can be at it until she starts getting threatening letters. She's not quite sure if it's an enemy from her past, the killer of the previous columnist, or someone completely new.

Good concept, but not quite the best execution for me. This was a deeper introspection on Alex's character but at times I found I didn't really know why she was the way she was despite all the context. Usually I adore character studies, but this one was just a smidge lacking. The side characters also felt very one dimensional.

This also had a very slow pace and everything happened in the very last portion of the book. I felt like the main villain here was Alex's anxiety since that seemed to be what she had to overcome in the end mostly. I appreciate how different this was from most mysteries I have read especially with a good portion of it being epistolary, but it just fell a little flat for me.

3/5 ⭐

I really enjoyed The Golden Spoon by Maxwell, which was essentially a murder mystery meets The Great British Bake-off. It was light and quick and well executed.

I Need You to Read This features some heavier, darker themes, so I was a little surprised. Still, this is a fun mystery to get me into spooky season reading.

Alex Marks was an avid reader of the Dear Constance advice column … right up until the author of the column is murdered. Soon, a posting appears for the columnist’s replacement and Alex, eager to feel closer to the columnist, applies and gets the Job. But almost immediately upon starting, she begins receiving strange messages. Alex embarks on an investigation to figure out what happened to her predecessor and finds herself in a tangled web of secrets, lies, affairs, and danger.

This kept me guessing at every turn and has a number of twists that leave the reader reeling. I blew through it and was shocked by the ending. It’s just the creepy, atmospheric, engaging read I enjoy this time of year. Highly recommend!

Set across dual timelines, we follow the journey of a new advice columnist determined to escape her past. Through flashbacks and her pursuit to uncover the truth behind the murder of her childhood hero, we gain deeper insight into her motivations and struggles. As the story unfolds, she evolves into a stronger, more confident woman—one who might finally rise above her challenges, if she can learn to trust her instincts.