This is one of my most anticipated releases of 2021 and thank you so much to both Netgalley and Random House for the gift advance copy of You Love Me.

I first off want to say I am a major fan of Joe Goldberg and the YOU series. Although this was not my favorite You book, there is something about Joe that really captivates your attention while reading his journey through his love story. I first read You and Hidden Bodies back in 2018 and I think a major indicator of my rating is there was too much time in between books. I think if the books were read closer together or if the wait wasn't so long I may have enjoyed this story a little bit more.

Once the story finishes in Hidden Bodies, I am instantly wanting to know how Joe and Love's story continues. This book takes you in a completely different direction than what's expected, and I think I really enjoyed that the most. I wasn't expecting Joe to fall for someone else and I certainly wasn't expecting that person to be in the predicament she was in. Also, I love that the books really show how dark Joe can be vs the show. In the show, I feel like he is portrayed as someone who can be innocent but in the books, I love that he does have these dark intentions.

Will I continue to read anything by this author or other books in the You series? Of course, in a heartbeat.

You is one of my all-time favorite books but Hidden Bodies is one of my least favorites - so I was unsure of how this one would go. I did enjoy it and it's definitely more reminiscent of the first than the second. that being said, I think I'm a bit tired of Joe Goldberg's storyline.
he meets a woman, becomes obsessed with her, people around her start dying because of it. he'll almost get caught being a creep a few times and escape by the skin of his teeth. it's a little boring and predictable at this point.
I don't think this really needed to be a series tbh and I don't think I'll continue on.

I was excited - but also conflicted - when I heard there was going to be a new installment in this series. I enjoyed You and Hidden Bodies but it's been so long since I read them that I wasn't sure what to expect. This started off great but ultimately it just wasn't what I hoped it would be. Is it bad to say that I miss the Joe we met in You? Honestly, I feel like I may have enjoyed it more had I not watched the Netflix series between reading Hidden Bodies and You Love Me.

In You Love Me Joe has settled into a new home on a cozy island in the Pacific Northwest where he volunteers at the local library and meets Mary Kay. Joe is determined to be a good guy. He vows that he won't meddle, stalk or obsess over her and will win her love the old-fashioned way.
Mary Kay isn't exactly available and has baggage of her own so winning her over isn't as easy or uncomplicated as Joe hoped. Joe is convinced she wants him though so he begins to integrate himself further into her life through her friend group and by bonding with her 17 year old daughter. What could possibly go wrong?

My favorite part of You Love Me is probably Joe's inner monologue - his twisted, dark humor is as entertaining as ever. Despite wanting to be better he's still the same old Joe. Well, a watered down version of himself but still the psychopath we've come to know...only with less murderous tendencies this time around.

After the way this ended, I'm curious to see how the next book plays out!

I gotta admit, after being in Joe Goldberg’s head for two books in a row (I just finished reading Hidden Bodies before this one) and rewatching the series on Netflix, I’m a little burnt out. I don’t usually read book series and now I remember why. I won’t continue with the fourth book if and when it is published, and of course the ending is set up for that. I love her writing and being in Joe’s head but I can only read so much about the same character. I absolutely hated how this book started and how they ended things with Joe and Love. It seemed like a copout for Joe to just start over again. His life on Bainbridge Island was pretty boring, and the book seemed overly long. I hated the twist thrown in at the end, and I wished the author would have just wrapped his story up here as a trilogy (with a different ending).
People who love series will love this book! It is well written, but not for me.

QUICK-ISH TAKE: YOU was one of the surprise books that snuck up on me. I didn’t know much about it before starting it, and I can safely say it was one of the few books I absolutely destroyed cover-to-cover. Dark and twisty with a very cool narrative device (all internal monologuing from the POV of our antihero), it was one of the more unique and f*cked up books I had read in some time. Cut to me immediately buying HIDDEN BODIES, the sequel and unfortunately a case of a book not living up to the expectations of the original. HB was missing some of the fun of the OG along with the addition of some obnoxious hatable characters (which is saying something when the main character stalks, manipulates, and murders his girlfriend!).⁣
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Now here we are with YOU LOVE ME, the 3rd book, and a for-sure return to form. Kepnes not only keeps the dark streak going with this thriller, but manages to also poke fun at the romance genre in general, here transporting our main character to a small coastal town reminiscent of Debbie Macomber’s Cedar Cove series, and populating it with a host of stereotypical characters (the single mom, the handsome high school jock, the sarcastic bff), each hiding their own special brand of toxic drama. If I had any complaints, I thought Joe came across a little soft in this story (for a murderous sociopath, he seems to take a backseat to colorful cast of townsfolk) and the book itself felt a little long. That being said, I continue to be a big fan of this series and would happily read a 4th YOU book.

oe Goldberg is a new man, and he is determined to prove it to you and, more importantly, to himself.

Caroline Kepnes reveals at the top of the book that our Joe is newly released from prison and has transplanted to Bainbridge Island, an intentional choice on his part. As with most aspects of Joe's life, however, this choice does not turn out the way he planned.

As the title indicates, Joe falls in love. The object of his affection has her own struggles, which of course Joe takes on as his own. He is all for adding to his life to make up for what he's been forced to divest, but in the case of Mary Kay, the comely librarian and mother of a 17-year-old daughter (whom Joe not-so-lovingly nicknames The Meerkat), his notorious patience is particularly challenged. Mary Kay's life is full--professionally and personally--and Joe resolves to make room for himself.

Joe's continual mantra is to be good. He still judges, and his snark remains unfettered, but his manner of dealing with ... issues ... has evolved. He promises himself that he will not put himself in any circumstances that members of law enforcement could perceive as menacing or stalking (unless it's on Instagram) or threatening. He's a changed man! He is good!

More than in the first two books, Joe needs you here. He needs you to believe in him as he has never needed that before. He needs you to believe that he is good, that he has changed, that he is who he says he is--who he wants to be. He needs you to love him.

There is a delicious irony at play in You #3 that I wish I could point out in this review, but it would reveal a spoiler. Suffice it to say, I not just doff my wig to Caroline Kepnes, I genuflect to the point of throwing my back out. For all the occasional pacing lags, this book has a brilliance in its development that leaps over its predecessors, a pretty stellar feat. I laughed harder, my discomfort was more intense, and I cried for our Joe.

He's trying so hard, dear readers.

I really enjoyed You, the first book in this series. Then I read Hidden Bodies but was disappointed. Yet that book ended with a bit of a cliffhanger—Joe was imprisoned for murder. I thought You Love Me was a play on words; perhaps Joe meets another woman (You) and falls out of love with Love, thus introducing a triad of sorts. But this third installment opens with barely a mention to the incarceration and suddenly Joe is living near Seattle. Wait, what?! And in trying to keep Joe as twisted as we’ve come to learn, he falls for Mary Kay who doesn’t seem all that exciting. I didn’t get it. Here’s hoping there isn’t a fourth installment.

Joe Goldberg is back and just as diabolical as ever! But in a funny, sarcastic and brilliant kind of way. Yes, characters do die in this installment but spoiler alert! Joe didn't actually kill any of them. Is he reformed or is he up to old habits? Caroline Kepnes has written another uniquely funny and dark thriller that will keep you surprised and invested until the very end.

I know we are not supposed to like Joe but he is just too smart and too funny. His running inner monologue is sharp and insightful and really hilarious.

"New York used to be like a Richard Scarry book.”
“Love him.”
“But it lost that Scarry feeling.Maybe it was Citi Bikes. . .” Or all those dead girls.

Joe has moved to Bainbridge and the object of his intentions here is his supervisor, Mary Kay. A librarian! How perfect. But Joe must watch his every step because she has very close group of friends who must approve of him first. Every scene, every encounter in this book is twisty, dark and so fascinating. Joe really is trying is best to reform his obsessive tendencies, but will he succeed?

I’m a “good guy,” but what use is it to be Citizen Good Guy if I’m not doing better on the inside too? You make me want to think good thoughts and you tell me that you should get back to work. We shake hands—skin on skin—and I can do it. I will do it. I will grow for you.

Mary Kay is dominated by her friends and her daughter and there are tons of surprises in store for Joe and the reader. Even as Joe's new perfect facade starts to crumble all around him, I was still rooting for him! This book is a wild ride of unexpected twists and turns and yes, lots of mayhem. Joe is obviously a psychopath but he is a brilliant one. Caroline Kepnes has a gift for writing funny, sarcastic dialogue and also turning a sharp eye on the effects of social media. Surprisingly, I found that this book could be read on its own as each character is fully developed and the references to Joe's past are explained in detail. With that said, the first book on this series is one of my favorite thrillers and should not be missed!

(Thank you to the publisher for providing an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

Favorite Quote:

“Come on,” I say. “One drink.” You shift your purse. “I should probably go home. We ran late tonight.” I expected a little pushback and I know all about your shouldprobably disorder. Shel Silverstein should write a poem about the shouldprobablies and the female need to express her awareness of what a good woman would do right now. But you’re still hesitating and what the hell is there to think about? You’re my neighbor. You live right around the corner and the pub is right around the corner and your daughter isn’t six—there’s no babysitter to relieve—and your shoulders are tense getting tenser—“I don’t know, Joe . . .”—and did you learn nothing from Lisa Fucking Taddeo? Stop feeling guilty, for fuck’s sake.

So I liked this one, but did I love it? Unfortunately the answer is no. It was entertaining enough for sure, and I found the end of the book to be the best. That's where the pace really picked up for me and I wish it was like that the whole way through.

I loved the very first book, You. It was excellent! Very unique concept and Joe Goldberg was such an interesting, though creepy, character. Then they adapted it for tv and I loved that too! Then Hidden Bodies, book two, came out. It was ok but didn't blow me away. But season two of the show was great! There was some very noticeable differences from the book that I actually liked better. Of course, I had to read this one because season three of the show is on the way! I think this will be a rare case of actually enjoying the direction of the show more than the books.

While I liked this one, it reminded me a lot of the first book. And it was just a little bit slow. After all that Joe has been through, I just felt like I needed more! I am excited to see how the third season of the show compares. I'm glad I read this, because I feel like I am invested in Joe's story. If you've liked the first two books, I'd definitely give this a read! For me, it just lacked a little.

YOU love me
By Caroline kepnes
⭐⭐⭐ 3 stars

I was so excited about this book and now that I have finished it I feel bad to say that it was disappointing. What happened to you Joe Goldberg? This doesn't seem like a sequel of YOU. This is more like a domestic drama and the twists are just like any other mystery/thriller book, and there's nothing wow about it. It really lost its thriller. I get that he had to change and I do like that he wanted to win MK in the old-fashioned way but I feel like he changed too much that he just become an annoying character. I took me longer than I expected to finish this book and even though it wasn't what I expected I still enjoyed some of it. I do like the 'Nomi twist' at the end but then comes Mary Kay and the ending felt like it was rushed.

Synopsis: Joe is back and he's now living in Bainbridge, Washington. New life, new girl. new Joe. He wants to do things right this time, he promised not to kill anyone anymore. He's a volunteer at the local library and that's where he meets Mary Kay: she's got a kid, she likes books, and she has a busy life. This time he wants to have a family but then Joe meets some people that are worst than him. All he wants is MK's love but he needs some people out of the way first.

Spoilers: [That part about Love was the most annoying thing I've read in thriller books. And how about Malanda? Nobody noticed that she was missing? And that 'twist' about Seamus trying to hurt Joe? The silliest thing! and how about Oliver? I didn't like his character at all!].

I love the first book very much and it was so unique! The second book was good and I really liked the Netflix version because they added Ellie and I like Love's character there better. Now the third book felt rushed and it didn't feel like Joe, but I'm still excited about the fourth book. Let's go to Florida, Joe.

I received a free digital copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review

This is a great read and a well detailed plot that kept me engaged from the very start.
I really liked the well thought out characters and found them to be believable. I cannot wait to read what the author brings out next.

I love how Caroline Keynes creates a character everyone loves to hate. The first book was amazing but as some series go, the middle book was not great but not bad either but it wrapped up nicely. This book I had high hopes for eventho the ending of the last book didn’t leave off as tho there was a need to have a third book. You Love Me was a little boring for me and it took me a few days to finish the ending because I just wasn’t invested in how it ended anymore. I think my run of Joe Goldberg has ended..

I am sure I am in the minority since there are lots of fans of Joe. This book will appeal to a large audience especially since there is a Netflix series to match.

I think Joe has worn out his welcome, at least for me. I couldn’t finish this one, even though my love for You was strong. Joe’s incessant whining and gloating is just no longer fun and believable anymore.

I must start this review with the truth... ... ...I've never read the first two books in the You series. I know, I know... But I AM a huuuuge fan of the Netflix series.

[spoilers ahead]

Which is why I was SHOCKED by how much I disliked Book Joe! (Though, at least he's not all murder-y in this one like the other two.) As TV Joe, Penn Badgley is so very charming, and you feel like he's really wanting to be a good person and just be in love even while being A COMPLETE PSYCHOPATH. And maybe it's because we are only constantly in Joe's mind in the book, but Book Joe feels like a complete psychopath from page one. He's rambling and angry and hateful and throws around the f-bomb like it's a common noun. You read his thoughts (literally) and roll your eyes when he says how much his new obsession is in love with him, too. Now, granted, she is, but at the moment there is nothing to prove that; there's not really anything that she seems to be doing to encourage this love initially. His love felt forced and unwelcoming...not exactly what you are looking for in a leading man.

However...

[Again, MAJOR SPOILERS AHEAD.
Seriously. Do Not Continue Reading If You Don't Want To Know a MAJOR Plot Point.]

I did feel for Book Joe in the end. He hasn't killed anyone with his own hands. (Can we really blame him *completely* for the suicide?) He seems happy in his new role as father and husband. He's settling down and finding peace in his life... ... ...and then BAM! Kepnes kills off his wife. Because of her daughter. Completely by accident.

What. The. Actual. [Joe's Favorite Word].

I'm so torn on how to feel about this book. I *know* that my outlook has been completely tainted by TV Joe and his adorable, psychotic ways. But even thinking outside of that and taking this book completely on its own, I was more turned off by his antics than interested.

3.5 Stars

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for giving me a digital copy to read and review.

This story follows everyone's favorite stalker, Joe Goldberg. Fresh out of prison and in a new home, he falls for a local librarian and tries to be good in order to do things right this time around. In typical Joe fashion, things happen that keep you on the edge of your seat.

I loved this book soooooo much. It was thrilling, had some great twists and turns, and the writing was really good. I highly recommend reading this if you are a fan of the Netflix series and the books.

Joe Goldberg is BACK!!!! He's moved to an island in the Pacific Northwest and feels like after serving his time, he can finally breathe.

He finds himself with a job at his local library (how fitting- am I right?) and he meets H.E.R.
Mary Kay DiMarco, the Librarian. What seems like an old fashioned meeting turns out to be Joe at his usual tricks,,, and will they lead him to the same place this time? We most certainly hope not...

I loved how Kepnes made Joe different in this book, He seems more subdued, more mature, patient- he should have learned by now what he is capable of. This new side of Joe makes me love his character even more! Fans of the series will love this book- and while it is different, I liked it all the same.

Picked this up because I fell in love with YOU when it first came out! Who doesn't love a story from a stalker's POV?

Going into You Love Me, I knew nothing. In this story, Joe now has a new victim.

This story fell very flat for me and due to that, it took me forever to read because I felt like I was reading the same thing over again as I did with YOU. Very repetitive and not thrilling at times. This book was way too long so it dragged most of the time. Also, I found it to be predictable.

Thank you, NetGalley & the publisher for the advanced copy!

This was a highly entertaining follow up novel following my favourite snarky stalker. I appreciated that Joe is getting older in this book because it's so refreshing to read about mature characters (at least, in terms of age). He has learned a lot of the past years and possibly even grown from his past mistakes. 

As a sequel, I would definitely recommend reading at least You before reading this one. It will also reference and spoil events in Hidden Bodies, but I can hardly recommend people should read that disappointing sequel. Unlike Hidden Bodies, I Love You manages to capture the entertaining experience of the first book. Unfortunately, I had issues with the ending which let me down. I enjoyed the story quite a bit until then.

I Love You certainly wasn't original or fresh but rather a remix of the first book. It follows the same narrative beats with a lot of similar twists and plot points. However, it did this in a way that felt comforting and fun. I generally enjoyed revisiting this series.

I would recommend this for fans of You who are looking to spend more time with Joe. If possible, please read the audiobook because the narration really enhances the experience. 

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the publisher.

3.5/5 I enjoy the story of Joe. I love his sarcastic tone his evil thoughts and the way he weaves in and out of women's lives. It's creepy and weird but the way that Caroline Kepnes writes his character is captivating. An enjoyable ride.

This 3rd book in the You series is just as enjoyable as the other two books. It's light and an easy read. Thank you to Random House and @netgalley for my advanced copy.

You Love Me by Caroline Kepnes is the 3rd book in the "You" series. And a great addition it is!
Joe Goldberg is back and better than ever. Now it's time to find the love of his life again.
He attempts a fresh start on a quiet island in the Pacific Northwest where he volunteers at the local library. He instantly falls hard for librarian Mary Kay and starts planning to firmly secure his place at her side. Discovering how messed up Mary Kay's life is has Joe wanting to "fix it". In the past this has never worked in Joe's favor.
Being inside the delusional mind of a psychotic killer with his perspective of the world, the author somehow has a way of making the reader feel sympathetic towards the villian, wondering if he could be redeemable and also wondering just what he's going to do next.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for an arc of this novel in exchange for my honest review.