Everytime a new book comes out I say, this book is so much better than the show! Keines gives the ultimate creep factor in each of her novels, that is unreplicable.

I didn't like this at all! All the other books in this series I've enjoyed, but this one I couldn't wait for it to be over! So boring, not like the other books at all, in my opinion.

I literally teared up when I got this ARC- that is how much I love Caroline Kepnes.

It was SO nice to be back inside the twisted and wonderful mind of 'Shovely Joe' Goldberg.

I read and adored the first three books in the series, but think this might be my favorite one yet. I highly reccomend this (and anything else Caroline Kepnes puts pen to paper for).

Kepnes is one of my favorite authors for good reason. Her writing style is so intriguing, immersive, and flows so well. This might sound odd to someone unfamiliar with her work, but I feel smarter after I read her books.

If you want a bingable, interesting book that sucks you in from the first page- this is for you.

Sincere thank you for allowing me to be an ARC reader for this.

I’m not ashamed of saying I love Joe Goldberg. I will read anything #carolinekepnes writes with him in it. #Foryouandonlyyou does not fail on giving me some more Joe. I will be suggested this book to follow Joe lovers. Thanks #netgalley for giving me this opportunity.

I’ve been waiting to watch the latest on Netflix until I finished this book. Kepnes is unique in her writing style, giving us Joe’s monologue which is constantly active as his brain never shuts off. Joe is amazing, intelligent, looney tunes and a romantic. He’s written a book, gone to Harvard for a fellowship to analyze writer’s works, and made new friends. Wonder, his new infatuation and fellow writer, reminds him of his other “loves.” But she’s also a bit different in how she sees the world and remains with her family, something Joe lacks. It’s very easy to get lost in Joe’s world, he seems to evolve for the better with each book. Please do not expect the same story to be shown on tv, some things have changed but the concept of Joe Goldberg remains constant. I had the privilege of reading an advanced copy through NetGalley and wrote my review voluntarily.

Caroline Kepnes continues to bring Joe Goldberg to life in brilliant ways. As a writer who grew up in Massachusetts, seeing Joe placed in a Harvard writing program was especially intriguing. This one also had some unexpected twists and turns, growth for Joe, fresh characters, and social commentary mixed in. Excellent read!

This is the fourth installment in the You series, and unfortunately it was my least favorite of the bunch.

If you are a fan of the series, you know what to expect: Joe moves somewhere new after committing several murders in his last place of residence, becomes obsessed with a woman he then refers to as You, and things eventually go downhill as he starts killing people in his way. This time, Joe is part of a group of writers doing a workshop together at Harvard.

The You in this book was a bit uninspiring, and I wasn’t sure why Joe was so deeply obsessed with her. The inner monologues went on for such a long time that I struggled to get through parts of the book and ended up having to split it up and read a few chapters at a time in between other books.

For me the biggest issue is that I have watched the series based on the books. The series diverted so far away from the books that I had trouble recalling things from the books instead of what happened on the show. I think I’ve watched several seasons of the show since last reading one of the books, and that made it tough to put myself back in the storyline of the book series instead.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

For You and Only You
A Joe Goldberg Novel
by Caroline Kepnes
Pub Date: 25 Apr 2023
Random House Publishing Group - Random House, Random House
General Fiction (Adult) | Mystery & Thrillers | Women's Fiction

In Caroline Kepnes' fourth installment of her Joe Goldberg series, the mysterious Joe Goldberg returns. He is currently on a Harvard fellowship focused on writing. Joe bonds with Wonder Parish, another fellowship student with whom he shares a love of literature. When Joe's efforts fail, his mind spirals out of control, endangering their relationship and his fellowship. Despite his desire for a normal existence, can he achieve it?

In keeping with Caroline Kepnes' previous novels, which were turned into a popular Netflix series, this book depicts Joe as a twisted serial killer. For You and Only You is a dark psychological drama that is not for everyone. Even though I am a fan, the content is disturbing. Before proceeding, make sure you read the trigger warning.

Thank you NetGalley and Random House for sharing this novel with me. Your kindness is appreciated. Caroline Kepnes always delivers a thrilling plot. I look forward to reading book 5.

It’s not easy to get back to Joe when you’ve been curious about the Netflix series and it strayed so much from the original works. But I absolutely loved the previous installment and I caught up quickly on where things had been left off. This 4th book is less dark and… somehow less Joe-esque. That annoyed me for a while, until I got why: unlike with Beck, Love, and Mary Kay, there was hardly an obsession with Wonder. Digging deeper, I found her pretty dull, and in fact it was almost like I “missed” the moment he fell for her. It was so early on in the book, I think that’s what I didn’t like. I still have faith in Joe, and I want to be stunned, I want him to leave the scene with a loud bang. Caroline Kepnes, you know what to do please :)
Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC!

Oh Joe Goldberg...this is the one where Joe decides that instead of being a reader, he will be a writer, no matter the costs. This is the 4th book in the series, all of which have been made into Netflix series. If you've seen the series, you know the gist of this story. Joe moves to a new town, after murdering everyone in the old town. Joe meets a new girl, the obsession begins, and all barriers to true happiness are eliminated.

I've only seen the series, not read any of the books, so was curious to see how the internal dialogue of Joe translates to the page. In his narrative about them, he describes them as 'You', which you'll have to get used to, dear reader. It's entertaining, for a while...

We know Joe's backstory, as an abused child, he becomes a psychopathic murderer. What we don't get is why he picks the women he does, some of which are more likeable than others. He sees something in them that he doesn't see in himself, and thinks they need him to fix them. He's a sculptor, in a way, that just wants to mold these women into his soulmates. What could go wrong?

You could read this as a stand alone novel, as there are so many references to the prior books, characters, and victims. This makes this edition longer than it should be. There are many pieces that could be expanded upon, less emphasis on Wonder, more on Sara Beth. Give Joe a real woman to challenge him! Wait, we kind of did that in book 3 but we know how that turned out.

I do enjoy the change of scenery in each book. Living in LA, I liked all the references and nods to popular culture. This book is set in Boston, where I grew up, so I enjoyed that for a while. The true nature and character of the city comes out as Joe experiences it anew.

It just wasn't enough to keep me engaged for 400+ pages..

"I should know better than to be happy. Being happy is like daring the universe to sucker punch you..."
Ahh Joe, back again and as delusional as ever. I enjoyed this book much more than I did the third book. I felt like Joe's voice was exceptionally strong. It was even more evident to me in this book how truly misguided Joe is. The irony of his behavior is that if he stopped trying so hard to control everyone and everything to get what he wants he might actually get what he wants.

I did think this book was a bit too long. At this point they are all the same as far as overall plot. Joe meets girl, Joe becomes obsessed with girl, Joe kills people who get in the way, etc. I also thought certain elements wrapped up too easily for Joe and definitely could have been more of an issue.

Ah, Joe Goldberg is back! In this 4th installment of the Joe Goldberg series, he is now focusing on his writing and of course a love interest. I have given all of the other books in this series 3 stars and I don’t think this one will be any different.

Although I enjoy the plot, it is a bit long and redundant. Joe needs help and it seems that maybe he met his match in this book with some of the members of the Harvard writing fellowship. There were a few lines that made me laugh and want to remember them enough that I highlighted them, but it was typical Joe for the rest on the book.

Unfortunately, probably my least favorite of the 'You' series. Also, in case you were not aware, the books have completely divested from the Netflix series so do expect to be reading the same story that you watched!

Most of this book is stream-of-consciousness nonsense and was far too long. I kept waiting to care about what was going on. Sure, there were some funny lines and some tense moments, but overall, I was bored.

(Thank you to @netgalley and the publisher for an eARC in exchange for an honest review)

I was excited, as always, to read the next book in Caroline Kepnes addictive series about Joe Goldberg and “For You and Only You” was a thrilling story that further developed this singular character.

The fourth book in this series takes Joe to Harvard where he is part of a tight-knit writing fellowship program run by the enigmatic and acclaimed literary author, Glenn Shoddy. Joe becomes quickly enamored with Wonder Parish, another student in the fellowship whom he bonds with over having no college degrees, no pretensions, no stories from prep school or grad school, and a pure love for literature. Their romance and his place in the fellowship quickly unravel as Joe’s obsession, once again, gets out of control.

Though the book and Netflix series are veering more and more apart from each other, I am still thoroughly enjoying both. Satirical and suspenseful, “For You and Only You” masterfully continued Joe’s story.

A few favorite passages:

“You can make one person love you, but you can't make a group of people like you, not when they already have each other, when they are a ‘them’ in a way that makes you a ‘you.’"

“Real love is quiet. A whisper between two people.”

“What hurts the most, what cannot be forgiven… You wouldn't even show it to me.
That's what we do when we read something that moves us, alters us, astounds us. Whether it's good or bad, we show it to someone we love, because when you read something, you want someone you love to read it, too.”

“Love is a book. You don't skip ahead. You let the story surprise you. You root for the character and let the author set the pace. You don't read because you're in control, because you know what comes next and when. You read because you don't know.”

I love thrillers. And I especially love darkly funny thrillers. This arc was so entertaining that I’ll be purchasing it at release to reread and then add to the little library.

Going in to For You and Only You by Caroline Keynes I had no expectations. I didn’t know it was a series (the 4th) or that there was a Netflix show.

All I knew is that the story focuses on Joe Goldberg, an aspiring writer who is welcomed into a highly coveted writing program at Harvard and with people he basically loathes. And he thinks he finally found love with Wonder, a woman he feels deeply connected to. Did I mention he’s also a killer? And doesn’t take criticism well?

The writing is fantastic and with some of the best dialogue I’ve read in a long time. I raced through the book and found myself disappointed that it ended. This was a great read and I guess I’ve gone some catching up to do with Joe! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Such a disappointment compared to both the other books in the series and what I was expecting this to be.

This entire book is like being trapped in a conversation with the most insufferable people in your grad classes, the ones who can't shut up about themselves or what they're working on.

None of what I've come to expect or desire from the You series was here. There was no suspense, no tension, no thrills, no over-the-top kills, nothing... the humor is there, but it's drowned out by the constant whining.

It's definitely my least favorite of the series, and I don't even know that I want to continue when new books are released. Honestly, I think the Netflix series is much better because there are more characters, and the story overall is much better.
This book felt like we missed a whole book that should've come before this one. It almost felt like Caroline Kepnes decided in the epilogue of the last book that Joe was going to Florida and then started writing this book and changed her mind and just summed up his time there with more murders and a character we've never met. It worked for Candace because it was the first book, but it doesn't work after that. I wish this book was better because I loved the series up until now.

Thank you to Net Galley and the publishers for my free ARC copy in exchange for an honest review.

"What if Joe Goldberg wrote a book?" Turns out, I'd rather he didn't.

I should have loved this. I enjoyed the other books in the series so much. The over-the-top voice of our narrator, the hilarious improbable consequences of his actions, and the amount of chaos packed into every page kept me engaged. This book promised more of the same but in a university setting, with Joe contemplating his past.

It took me quite a while to finish this book and I kept wanting more. Big spoilers ahead.

There is exactly one on-screen murder until the very end of the book and it, along with that final second murder, feels lackluster. I kept waiting for something to happen and, a few times, I thought it was. There was a hilarious interrogation scene, which is probably the strongest passage in the book, where Joe is tied up and confesses all his crimes on tape. But otherwise?

I was left wanting more, constantly. So many past events felt almost forgotten, in the strangest way. Joe mentioned the existence of his son a handful of times (this is generous - I only remember one instance but hope there were more). Events from book 3 are addressed briefly at the beginning and then again when a true crime podcast is released about them (which was hilarious) but this also fades into oblivion as the novel unfolds. And Wonder? I'm not sure if characterizing Wonder as "Love Quinn but poor" was intentional, but that's how it read and she therefore felt largely forgettable.

I don't like giving low reviews to authors I usually enjoy, and I really did enjoy the other 3 books. But this one left me so unsatisfied that I'm nervous to compare it to the in-Netflix-universe events of season 4... but I hope they'll be better.

Recommended if you've read the others and are a completionist, enjoy reading about amateur writers writing and discussing their writing, and enjoy Joe's sassy quips. Reading vlog to come.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book!

Unfortunately I think Joe and The Formula of Joe have run their course in my life. This seemed to drag and drag.

Thanks to Netgalley for the free copy in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed this one! Caroline Kepnes knows just how to keep you on your toes. I moment I thought I had some things figured out and then the story just took a turn and surprised me. I could not get enough of this story! I love Kepnes writing style.