A stalker romance thriller that's more than a bit jarring, but in a good way.

When his ex-girlfriend Love Quinn permanently bars Joe Goldberg from any involvement in their young son’s life, Quinn moves to Bainbridge Island, near Seattle, licking his wounds. Joe begins volunteering at the local library, where he quickly becomes obsessed with librarian Mary Kay DiMarco, mother of Nomi, a defiant teenager whose favorite book is Columbine.

Since this is the first Caroline Kepnes book I’ve read, I didn’t realize at the outset that You Love Me is the third novel in a series featuring Joe Goldberg or that there is a Netflix series based on the books. So, I was completely unaware of the character’s troubling backstory. On one level, that was great for me because, in the beginning, I assumed Joe was a “normal” lonely guy for whom I felt a good bit of sympathy given his forced estrangement from his son. But little by little, as the author teases out the fragments of Joe’s troubling past and personality disorder, it becomes clear that Goldberg is not only quite delusional but perhaps more than a little dangerous. This becomes more and more evident as his obsession with Mary Kay grows, and he begins stalking and manipulating her to fulfill his own delusional fantasies. Not to mention his frequent thoughts of committing murder.

Usually a fast reader, it took me several sittings to read this book. That wasn’t because I found it insufficiently engaging, but because this author’s rather unique writing style, at least as used with this book, demands substantial focus. You Love Me isn’t a light, engaging beach read you can skim through because you will miss too many of the more subtle nuances. I attribute that to the author’s method of putting the reader into Joe’s delusional mind by writing the novel in a second-person point of view. Thus, we become privy to virtually Joe’s every thought along with his habit of moderating many of his thoughts when responding to the other characters.

You Love Me is a twisty, creepy, suspenseful, and entertaining read that should satisfy the most demanding psychological thriller fan. Free from the bias that inevitably comes from reading the previous books in the series or acquaintance with the Netflix series, I feel the book holds its own as a standalone novel. For those reasons, I probably rate it a bit higher than others who have reviewed it. On some levels, I think the book is quite brilliant.

You Love Me by Caroline Kepnes was published by Random House and is now available. I received an advance copy of the book from the publisher via NetGalley used for this review, which represents my honest opinions.

Thanks to NetGalley, I got an ebook copy of this one. It was one I was waiting for - then forgot about until this showed up in my email one day. I was so excited, I dropped everything to get started.

Big mistake.

This was not it for me. I don’t know if maybe I’m tired of Joe and his shenanigans (which I doubt but maybe), or if this storyline wasn’t good for me (again, it was different while being the same so I doubt this is the issue) or something else but man I’m disappointed! I couldn’t wait to get back into Joe’s head. I don’t know what didn’t do it for me here, but this book took me over a month to read. This is incredibly unusual for me and is usually a clue that I’m not feeling it.

Honestly there’s nothing really wrong with with this book. I love the first two (and the show), but something about this one just isn’t it for me.

⭐️⭐️⭐️

You Love Me is the third installment of the You series. This time Joe is ready for another move. We learn that his relationship with Love is over, and he has moved to an island outside of Seattle to start over. He joins the local library as a volunteer and sees….her. Mary Kay Dimarco, librarian. And her “meerkat” daughter.

The third book allows us back into he head of Joe and all his complexities. However, unlike the first two books, there is a more of a growth to Joe. He still carries the same obsessions as the previous two books, but he has a bit more maturity and self control this time around. However, the book still has the darkness and twists and turns that we have come to expect and love. You will love the twists in this book and the growth of Joe. It kept me on the edge of my seat. Definitely a must read.

An absolutely brilliant story. I loved being back with Joe, he's such a unique and well written character. Even when he's not likeable and does highly questionable things you can't help but be drawn into his world. Definitely a highlight of the year for me.

I still can’t decide if I like that all three books take place in a completely new setting with a new group of characters, or if I wish the books had more overlap. I really liked the settings in the first two books, but I wasn’t the biggest fan of a small town setting in this one. The characters were mostly likable (Oliver being my favorite obviously 🤪) and I kinda liked that Joe seemed to be doing better. The book wasn’t bad by any means, I just felt like it was kinda boring. The ending was good and suspenseful but only the last two or so chapters really captivated me.

I LOVED the others in this series by Kepnes! I try to get everyone to read them, and this one is no different. I really enjoyed the writing style in this book. The twists and turns kept my attention throughout. I will definitely be checking out other books by this author and I would recommend this book to friends and family.

DNF and I probably knew this going in.

Recently I read Hidden Bodies by Caroline Kepnes in anticipation of her newest release, YOU LOVE ME. Unfortunately, I DNF'd Hidden Bodies. I could not get through it. Joe, the main character, is memorable. But I don't believe his character can carry the entire series. I also don't think the books POV can hold the entire series. It's just not enough.

These are supposed to be thrillers, but nothing thrilling is going on. Joe is a psycho at best. Sorry, psychos. But unlike in the first book, where I would have intentionally crossed the street to avoid coming in contact with someone like Joe, I felt like he was a miserable man that hated women but hated himself more. I felt bad for him. I did not fear him.

This will be the last attempt I make on a Caroline Kepnes novel unless she comes up with another new character. And I'm crossing my fingers that it would be a standalone>

Thanks to NetGalley and Random House for this advance copy!

I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I was a huge fan of the book You, and I also really enjoyed Hidden Bodies. I waited years for book 3 to come out. I was so excited when I finally say it was coming. But this book really dragged for me. I rushed through it just to get through it. It was a struggle.

Joe has been my favorite bad guy since You, but I just found him annoying in this one. And everything was so predictable. I was reminded a lot of the first book.

I’m not sure I’ll read the next book if there is a next book.

5 stars. I am impressed with this one. There is an added layer to Joe's character that we've never seen before. It's horrifying and unsettling. While one may argue Joe is probably at his nicest and most docile compared to his other murder sprees, he presents a horrifying look into the worst kind of human being. Full review to come.

You Love Me is the third book in the You series by Caroline Kepnes. Joe Goldberg is back! He’s left the city and moved to a quiet island in the Pacific Northwest. He’s working at a library and has focused his attention on a new woman.

Joe continues to be an intriguing character. He’s met a new woman, Mary Kay, but she’s not exactly interested in Joe. No worries though, Joe has a plan to win Mary Kay over. Joe is a stalker and psychopath, and it’s interesting to read along as his plan unfolds.

Although You Love Me is part of a series, it can be read as a standalone. I have read the first book, You, but haven’t read the second book, Hidden Bodies. I’ve enjoyed the two books I have read, and plan on reading Hidden Bodies soon.

You Love Me is a gripping and twisted story. I liked that the story was from Joe’s viewpoint. Getting into his mind made for a disturbing yet intriguing read.

I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Witty, funny and wickedly dark narrative made for a quick fun read. Joe is charming and oh so stalkerish even if he doesn’t agree. You Love Me is yet another hit that I’d be interested in knowing if it’ll also be adapted to the series on Netflix. Enjoyed it.

Thank you NetGalley for this arc

Joe is back and still has psychopathic ways. He is looking for love. There are many twists and turns that will have you gasping until the final page.
Many thanks to Random House Publishing and to NetGalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

I received a galley copy of Caroline Kepnes’ You Love Me. I’ve read the previous two books in the series as well as another book by Kepnes. This book took quite a few twists and turns. Without giving any spoilers, you’ll have to be willing to suspend disbelief while reading this book, but it’s a solid story with a good mix of suspense and humor.

It’s an easy and enjoyable read that I’d recommend to any fiction readers.

I'll be honest I watched the series before I started reading this book and I didn't read the first two books before reading this third one in the series. I felt like I would get the sense of the characters and plot book-wise because the show had already given me a foundation to work with. The book was admittedly more plotty than the show obviously. While the show has many episodes, there's only so much you can cover in 45-mins episodes. The story is from Joe and how he views women and the world around him. The show itself can be hard to watch for some people because it's not a romance story, it's actually a quite terrifying thriller that deals with stalking and misogyny and death and possession. I liked the show enough to want to read this book but I could not get through it as it was very monologue-y and dealth hard with obsession and self-centric thoughts of a psychopath. I should have known what I was getting into and it's completely on me that I couldn't get through it. I'm sure the book itself is good and I would've loved to have read this one, but it wasn't for me and I know people enjoyed it and the other two books in the series because it was converted into a tv show that has been rather successful. The show is framed in such a way that it doesn't seem heavy with the monologue even though it's still filmed from joe's perspective and everything that happens is still dark and psychopathic and insane. The book just takes it a lot slower and the build up is more intense that way which is why I couldn't get into it and couldn't enjoy it for very long.

<i>*Thank you to the publishers; Random House Publishing Group, the author; Caroline Kepnes, and Netgalley for my free copy of this book in exchange of an honest review!</i>

The end of Hidden Bodies left us with Joe sitting in jail, accused of murdering Peaches and Beck after a tip from Dr. Nicky, but bragging to readers that the cops will never nail him.

You Love Me picks up with Joe in Bainbridge, Washington. What?! What happened with Love, Joe’s unborn baby, and the white-picket-fence life he had planned with them both? Well, that’s something you’ll discover bit by bit in the newest novel by Caroline Kepnes.

In classic Joe style, he immediately falls for Mary Kay DiMarco, his (sort of) new boss and the branch manager of the Bainbridge Public Library. But Joe is determined to stay on the straight and narrow this time, stay out of the American Injustice System, and he swears he’s done with his conniving, stalking, creepy, murderous ways.

Naturally problems find Joe (according to Joe, anyway). Will Joe finally be able to find - and sustain - love with a new target? (whoops, I mean love interest.) Can he really make a change and redeem himself?

One of the best things about the You series is how it takes a story about a very damaged, creepy, horrifying serial killer, gets into his head, and flips everything you feel upside down. In his world, Joe Goldberg is a downtrodden survivor who has barely managed to make it, thanks to the various women in his life and the American Injustice System. (His word, not mine.) Obviously if Joe was a real person, it would be safest for women to stay away from him, but in his world, he’s not the problem, and that’s what makes the series so compelling.

However, if you feel that you’ve already lived this one too many times with Joe, and you aren’t interested in the side story of what happened with Love, you may not find this the engaging read I did. I liked it because it quenched my thirst for more Joe and his perverted world view of believing he’s the Good Guy. There’s also plenty of commentary, as always, of other relationships, which are surprisingly accurate given that Joe can’t tell when a woman is trying to get the hell away from him. How Caroline Kepnes writes this character, I’ll never know, but I’m so glad she did.

Also, I felt the descriptions of Bainbridge and Washington as a whole were accurate. It almost made me miss that rainy state.

Thanks to NetGalley and Random House New York for the free ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review.

I would read anything Caroline Kepnes writes! I've loved all the books in the YOU series with 1 & 3 being top two favorites. No one else has the ability to make me commiserate with a psychopath quite like her. This book took a little different turn than the first two and you can really feel Joe wrestling with wanting to be a good person and wanting a normal life but in typical Joe fashion, the train always derails. 5 stars and I would recommend to anyone who lives thrillers.

It’s pretty clear that this book was written in response to the popularity of the Netflix series. The beginning reused elements of the first book, the middle was actually decent, and the end was just WEIRD. How no one on this island questioned a bunch of a dead bodies is beyond me. Skip it.

I thought I'd be getting tired of Joe by now, but I'm not.
Although this third in the series has a couple of "kinda convenient" plot twists that are almost a bit too much, it's still a solid psychological thriller in keeping with the first two books.
Joe is one of my favorite psychopaths in fiction, but in this book, he's definitely not the only psychopath in the mix. Can't say more for fear of spoilers, but trust me--the crazies have multiplied since the first two books.
The style was a bit distracting at first, with the emphasis on "You said" or "You thought" and the reader not knowing who the hell "You" was, but after the first chapter, it began to flow elegantly and was key to enjoyment of the novel.
Great book. I'm not sure you'd "get it" if you didn't have the first two under your belt (and honestly, I liked the first two books better than this one) but you owe it to yourself to jump into it--especially if you've read the first two. And if not, start with #1 because it's phenomenal.

You Love Me by Caroline Kepnes is the continuation of a story I'm not certain needs to continue. It is slow, slow, slow. One good thing is that Ms. Kepnes changes things up this time by having Joe try to be a productive member of society without caving to his baser urges. Ironically, bad things still happen around him. While he remains a fairly unreliable narrator, his problems center on the blindspots he puts up and his complete underestimation of his acquaintances. While I liked this new Joe to some extent, I do think this new Joe is boring. Plus, I am not a fan of how this part of his story ends.

Caroline Kepnes is back with the third installment featuring everyone’s favorite psychopath: Joe Goldberg.
Joe has given up on Love, and moves to a small PNW town with a super low crime rate (because safety first, am I right?) and is determined to love his best, quiet, good guy life.

Volunteering and then working at the local library is peachy keen because Joe obviously knows his way around a book.

Enter You. Mary Kay. One more trip on this tilt-a-whirl/fun house mirror of love is what readers can expect, adore, and realize they need to make another appointment with their therapist after reading You Love Me.