not really sure why this series needs to continue as it’s the same formula over and over again … I loved the first two books, and then started to get bored by the third one, and this one felt like it dragged on forever …

joe is such a love to hate character, and that is obviously the appeal of this series!! you can’t help but want him to get away with murder - but at the same time, you would never condone this type of person in real life. for me, however, I feel like joe’s stereotype has run its course.

especially since he’s a young white man with a view on the world that everyone, especially women, owes him, and in todays society, we need less of these books and more promoting women, BIPOC, pacific asian americans, natives, and LGBTQ+ individuals (just to name a few)

ANYWAYYYYY

I do enjoy the characterization of kepner’s story, but the plot felt weak and repetitive to me. if you’re super into this series, I’d give it a shot but otherwise, it’s a skip from me.

thank you to netgalley and the publisher for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review!

rating: 1.5 stars
wine pairing: walla walla valley pinot noir

I read the original You book many, many, many years ago before the Netflix series. I remember loving the book and was excited for the tv show. After watching the show, I will admit, I lost track of the books and watched the tv show only. I love the tv series so much and was looking forward to this arc of the new book. Maybe since it has been awhile since I have read one of the books, but I just like the tv show better. It was really fun to read this in Penn Badgley’s voice though and this had that distinctive Joe Goldberg tone. Overall, it was a good read and I am always interested in what Joe Goldberg is up to next!

I have mixed feelings about it. I have to admit that I found the book to be a bit slow and boring in parts. Joe has fallen in love with Wonder Parish, an aspiring writer who works at Dunkin' Donuts. However, Joe's obsession with her leads to the typical violence that follows Joe in every book making it predictable. I did enjoy it, but I don't think it quite lived up to the first books in the series. I would still recommend it to fans of the series and to anyone who enjoys a good psychological thriller, but I would caution them to temper their expectations a bit.

Joe Goldberg is back! This time, he’s immersed in the writers of Massachusetts after starting a fellowship at Harvard. While workshopping his book ‘Me’ (and I can appreciate that title, given this series) he sets his sight on a fellow writer.

This fourth “You” novel by Caroline Kepnes left me struggling to find interest, unlike the past novels which were easy to lose yourself in. It started getting interesting about halfway through but didn’t hold that same suspenseful momentum as the previous novels in the series, unfortunately. And for fans of the show, rest assured — the books are VERY different from the show (with the exception of some character overlap with books & seasons 1/2) so you will have no spoilers if you already watched the new season of the show.

This releases this week! Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for the ARC.

Joe Goldberg is such an interesting character and even though he is psychopath, I can't help but love him. It's crazy that I now hear Penn Badgley's voice as I read these books. Yet, Joe became so irritating in this book - like don’t you dare talk about S.A. Cosby in a negative way ever! It actually took me a while to finish this one because it wasn't holding my attention in the way the first three books did. Wonder was pretty boring as far as Joe's love interests go so ultimately this one didn't work for me as the three prior.

Finally getting a chance to read a Joe Goldberg book, as I refer to it, was very, very interesting. To be able to get inside his complicated and deviant mind was quite the experience and matched my thoughts about his persona, having watched the Netflix show since the start. In fact, I could hear the actor's voice in my head as I read this 2nd person POV and enjoyed Joe's way of legitimizing heinous acts even more because of viewing the TV show. I had to pay close attention to his ramblings because not only are they clever with many pop culture references but it gave me a true overview of how the man operates. How he thinks he is forever in love with his latest conquest and will stop at nothing to prove that love.

This time around, our man Joe is living in Boston and is part of a writing fellowship at Harvard. Setting his sights on the very first day on Wonder, the story unfolds in a very circuitous way, There is much going on in Joe's complicated and deviant mind as he is hell-bent on persuading the newbie author to really see him and thus starts his determined pursuit of the hard-working woman.

Not having read any of the prior books concerning Joe Goldberg, I knew of the names of his former lovers from the TV show and with the help of his narcissistic ways, we get plenty of references to those who have passed on whether at his hands or not. It's all written so matter-of-factly, and full of a voluminous amount of details, it's quite impressive the author can keep it all straight!

I will say that overall, it's a very engaging and tempting kind of story but I'm not sure I liked the ending. It felt very unfinished but again, perhaps that how all of these books conclude. Allowing the opportunity for more and wanting the reader to want more. But I'm very glad I had the chance to explore more of the world of Joe Goldberg and did enjoy the story and how Kepnes is able to keep the story moving while allowing her anti-hero continually spew word vomit like a champ.

For You and Only You was quite the reading experience and I happily give this well-written and unique book a solid 4 stars!

Okay...so I used to really love these books...but I have to admit now that my tastes have changed. The second person POV is not for me. I just could not get into it, and it was really affecting my enjoyment of the story. I think I will just stick to watching the TV show for this one from now one.

Yet another perfect installment of the chaos that is Joe Goldberg’s mind. This book is a great follow up to You Love Me. It was an enjoyable read with an “on-brand” plot and I do not have any complaints or critiques.

Did Not Finish.

I think my love affair with Joe Goldberg is fizzling out.

I…got bored during For You and Only You. It was the same thing: Joe gets obsessed with girl. Joe decides to kill someone because of girl.

But this time he’s also part of a writing fellowship workshop. So we just keep hearing about “how to be a great writer” and SNORE.

And so, we’re breaking up. Sorry Joe. It’s not me, it’s you. DNF.

Thank you to Random House for the review copy.

Joe #4.

OMG. The growth we have seen in Joe from when we first met him until now!
And he's doing it all to be the best version of himself for YOU!
Maturing, writing, and workshopping at Harvard!
All the literary name-dropping!

He has been one of my favorite characters and someone who is always popping into my head.
This book does not disappoint and really just takes us along with him on his growth and development in love.
I am always rooting for him even though I probably shouldn't be.
This book really shows how far he has come since RIP Beck and all his other past ladies and leaves open-ended (which we love!) to roll us right into Joe #5.
I love how much we have seen present-day Joe, but I would love to see more of his prior life (Family is so important Joe! Talk to your mother!).

If you have seen the Netflix version and love it, DO NOT hesitate to pick up the books. Same Joe, different story!
Love it, 5/5 stars.

I hate to rate this book only 2 stars because I do love Joe Goldberg but I'm over you Joe ... It's the same story over & over again ...
I was soooo excited to get this atc but unfortunately it iust didn't do it for me .. sadly I feel Joe Goldberg is old & tired & this story is over .

However I do appreciate the chance to read an arc of Joe's "love story" 🖤
Thank you #NetGalley

It's always nice to meet Joe again, but this fourth book left me a bit bored. I think the internal monologue has run its course.

I know Joe tends to fall fast and hard for women, but it was absolutely ridiculous in the case of Wonder (don't get me started on all the stupid names).

I mean, it was an okay read. But it was just more of the same.

Thanks to Random House, NetGalley, and Caroline Leone's for an advanced copy of this book. I offer my review freely. Pub date: 25 April 2023

The main reason I didn't enjoy this book is it's just so repetitive. It's felt like the same book over and over and over again. Even within each individual story, the inner workings of Joe's mind is so repetitive I don't know how he handles it. It got old very quickly for me. There's been no growth of Joe's character throughout the series and maybe that's why people like it, because he's Joe. The same old psychopathic guy who obsesses over new women every time he turns his head and then ends up killing them or killing for them and then something happens and it goes south and is he gonna get caught? Is he going to kill the woman he "loves"? I can't make myself care about him anymore.

I think this series as a whole has just been slowly going downhill for me. There's no reason for this book to have been as long as it was - I mean almost 450 pages? Of Joe just going on and on and it being so boring and long winded. Cut it in half and you'd have the same story.

Joe Goldberg is back - this time in a writing fellowship at Harvard, writing a book which is, of course, called, "Me." And, of course, Joe once again falls in love, and people start turning up dead. If this is your first encounter with Joe, you should go back and start at the beginning. Joe speaks directly to “You”, which is his most recent love interest. Normally, he ends up killing “You” if “You” don’t return his love the way he wants, and if you don’t read in order, you’ll have trouble understanding what he needs. But even though he is a murderer, we still love him! This time it’s Wonder he loves. This one isn’t quite as good as the very first book but still hits its mark. Many thanks to NetGalley, the author and the publisher for my copy of this book.

Thank you, Netgalley, the author, and Random House Publishing for the gifted e-book ❤️

Read this book if you like: Creepy reads, stalkers, thought-provoking reads

I think I'm just going to have to make peace with the fact that I like this show so much more than I like the books. The writing of the books does not mesh well with me. This was so slow and anticlimactic. This one was just okay. It was just like the other books. Nothing really new and shocking. You may feel differently.

Caroline Kepnes plunges us into Joe's latest escapade at a brisk pace, resulting in the reader feeling instantly immersed in the "You-niverse". Joe is on top ranting form from the outset and in his crosshairs are women, incompetent drivers and educational institutions. Mr. Goldberg remains my favorite literary psychopath. In 'For You And Only You', Joe becomes an Ivy Leaguer who's written a book. Cue the usual, topnotch literary and musical references scattered throughout his internal monologues. Of course, Joe soon scopes out a new receptacle for his warped affection and we get a front row seat for their unravelling love story. Exactly the phenomenal and thrilling read we've come to expect from the brilliant Caroline Kepnes. Her writing is clever and witty and funny and horrifying all at the same time. Highly and enthusiastically recommend!

Him.
Joe.
"Me".

Everybody's Internet boyfriend slash serial stalker slash killer that lives subscription-free in my brain is back. Reading it, killing it.

Not my favorite of the series, but I was really into book 4. He's written, he's reading, he's workshopping. Workshopping is the new stalking in Goldberg world.

In this one, Joe navigates stalking his newest obsession while dodging a true-crime obsessed writer who might be onto him and his past. Wonder, Joe's newest true love for life, has no redeemable qualities and she generally sucks. This is the worst match for him yet, and I scolded him with every page I turned. Why does he pick emotionally unavailable, vapid, promiscuous and lying women? There's nothing for the reader to nod along with as he describes this character. All we really know about her is that she dresses either inappropriately or intentionally unprofessionally, and she wears big gold hoop earrings, the significance of which is not explained. (Rat in a cage on a hamster wheel?)

There's a relationship in this book that went too extreme, too dangerous for Joe. I wanted to give up this book at a certain point but I read on. It worked as the story progressed, so... wow.

I love this series and all the word play, the pop culture references, literary devices and plot points that satisfy a reader's need to feel literary but also naughty.

I really appreciated receiving this advanced copy in exchange for this review. I will always be Joe's Goodreads Girl

I’m honestly not sure why Caroline Kepnes has kept with this series. This is one of the only shows where I think the writers did a better job than the book at telling the story. Book 3 was awful, season 3 was excellent. Book four is so boring. The stream of consciousness narration is too much; the intriguing nature of the narrative in book 1 is totally overdone by book 4. My journey with the written version of Joe ends here.


Thank you to the publisher for the advance copy. All thoughts are my own.

Gotta love Joe Goldburg. You’d think we would be tired of this by now but the guy never gets old. Maybe it’s because he is just so unbelievable, so audacious, so…confident. His thoughts on other writers are pure good. These books get better and better - never stop Caroline! Never!

Joe Goldberg is back! In You and Only You, Joe is now at Harvard in Boston on a writing fellowship. As he does, he starts obsessing over one of the girls in the fellowship.

Joe is now a writer and is back to being all about books but this time in the writing of books. And Wonder’s writing, his new girl.

I find Joe such an interesting character, although extremely disturbing and mostly icky, if I’m being honest. His inner dialogue is always so completely opposite to what comes out of his mouth, which is what is so fascinating about him. He hides that psychopathic side of himself so well. And he really has no clue that he’s a really bad guy.

As much as I loved You, You and Only You lacked what made You so special. I loved that Joe was a bookseller in You and cared more about books than anything else. I loved the fact that he used social media to stalk Beck. It was a real eye opener. Plus, the glass cage was like a third character.

In You and Only You, those favorite elements were not there. But with that being said, I did read late into the night to finish this newest Joe Goldberg book and when I finished, I definitely missed Joe. Without a doubt I’ll be picking up the next book to get more of Joe and his obsessions. Hmmmm…. Maybe I’m the one who’s obsessed.

*Thanks so much to Random House and NetGalley for the advance copy!*