When I finished the third “You” book it definitely teased a continuation so I was excited when I finally saw the fourth book available! However, I think this series has maxed out for me.

Although I don’t watch the Netflix show anymore, (I couldn’t get past halfway through season 1), I’ve really enjoyed the books. And I’m aware from friends that the books and the show have taken an entirely different direction. Reading Joe with his somehow likable personality despite being a serial killer has been mostly entertaining. But by the end of this book I felt over Joe.

This book felt like the first book all over again. Joe becomes obsessed with a woman and stalks her until they start dating. They met in a writer’s workshop at Harvard and she felt all too familiar to Beck. It read like a “been there, done that” for Joe and while I enjoyed the humor I wasn’t as interested in this book as a whole.

Then, about halfway through, things get super interesting! I felt like finally the plot took us somewhere new. But, ultimately I didn’t like where it all ended up. I felt like multiple parts of the plot were too absurd and unrealistic. I just had a hard time believing the characters.

All in all, this was not my favorite book in the series and even though it ends with an opening to continue I’m not sure I would this time.

Thanks to NetGalley and Random House for an ARC of this book.

For You and Only You by Caroline Keynes

I’m a big fan of Joe Goldberg both in print and on film…but I didn’t love this episode in his life.

The overall story, Joe at a fancy writer’s fellowship, was great, but it felt out of place in the storyline after everything else that’s happened to him.

The second half and the introduction of Sarah Beth knowing everything about him was really interesting. She was much more interesting than Wonder!

Still a good read and I will always pick up the next book! If you’re having Joe withdraw make sure to catch up on his latest shenanigans.

Thank to @netgalley and @atriabooks for the advanced reader.

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Joe Goldberg is back in the latest novel from Caroline Kepnes. Joe may be back but after reading ten percent of this one, I will not be back. I have high hopes that each novel will make me gasp and be surprised with Joe. However; I feel that this series has lived its time and needs to move on.

Joe is back! Now, Joe takes Harvard. He's always been a literary snob so what better place to land than right smack dab in the middle of the academic elite where he can wear his snobbery on full display. He's been invited to attend a writers workshop with an author he idolizes and believe it or not, he falls in love (or obsession again).

As the bodies continue to pile up, Joe seems to be starting to miss his ability to fly under the radar. While he navigates the complexities of his new relationship while trying to write the great American bestseller, things get sticky. For You and Only You is a great addition to the Joe series, I recommend it to any Kepnes fan.

This was a ROLLER COASTER!! I don’t feel like any of the other books in this series have jumped into the “action” so quickly. This book was pretty fast paced. As usual, Joe needs to take a chill pill and work on impulse control. There are some really fun twists throughout. I have to say, he needs to work on his partner picking skills. Every time I thought I knew where the story was going, something else came out of nowhere. The unpredictability made this a very enjoyable read. I couldn’t put it down!

The latest Joe Goldberg adventure takes us to Harvard, where our favorite stalker is now trying his hand at writing. The unique unreliable narrator still hits, you can still see the reality of every wild situation Joe finds himself in. Unhinged in the best way, this is another good time with Joe

I really wanted to like this book and I pushed through at times I wanted to stop, but at 70% I DNF'd it. To me this book didn't seem like the Joe that we all know so well. There was a lot of complaining in this book and not a lot of stalking/planning like his normal self.

For You and Only You by Caroline Kepnes is a gripping addition to the You series. The novel is a unique and addictive blend of psychological thriller and dark romance that explores the twisted mind of its protagonist, Joe Goldberg.

As the fourth book in the series, For You and Only You continues the story of Joe as he falls in love with yet another woman, Wonder, and becomes obsessed with her. The novel's unique narrative style, with Joe speaking directly to the reader, adds an extra layer of creepiness to the already dark and twisted plot.

Kepnes' writing is sharp and suspenseful, with plenty of twists and turns to keep readers guessing. The character of Joe is a fascinating and complex protagonist, and while his actions are often horrific, Kepnes manages to make him a strangely sympathetic character.

While the novel may not be as strong as the first in the series, it still fits well within the larger story and provides fans with plenty of thrills and chills. However, new readers should start with the first book in the series to fully appreciate the complexity and history of Joe's character.

Overall, For You and Only You is a dark and twisted addition to the You series that is sure to satisfy fans of psychological thrillers and dark romance. Kepnes' strong writing and unique narrative style make for an addictive and compelling read, even if the plot may not be as tight as the first book.

I struggled to get through this book because Joe at this point is getting boring, too repetitive in his ways.

Take a charismatic stalker with the occasional affinity for killing his darlings, make him extremely well-read to bolster his off the rails narcissism, give him a platform to write a fictional self-victimizing book about his relational transgressions, and what pops out is... You.

This fourth installation is Caroline Kepnes at her most ambitious. Its sister fan-favorite series popularized on Netflix has completely veered away from canon, and that's not necessarily a bad thing. Up until the latest run, each season has been loosely based on its book, but this is the first time the show has been released before the book. It's a breath of fresh air to dive into an adventure unrecognizable from the absolute dumpster fire of what the writer's room has done to the on-screen adaptation.

In the book, the titular Joe Goldberg escapes another slew of murders and lands in an ivy league fiction fellowship. In the show, he's fled to Europe to gain favor amongst London's pampered elite. In the book, Joe maintains a constancy of character. In the show, he randomly develops dissociative identity disorder.

The first rule of fight club is that you do not repeat fight club.

The writers are more narcissistic than the character they're ruining. The fundamental magic of this series is being inside Joe's head, and although it's an extremely disturbed head, it gives readers the same voyeuristic fetish Joe himself hungers for. Crucially, the narration needs to be reliable. Using the twist of having Joe unknowingly revealed as the eat the rich killer is not only lazy, it's disrespectful to the character, to Caroline, and to the audience.

Joe's always been a troubled character, for less obvious reasons than the fact that he murders people. As a kid working in a New York bookstore, his abusive boss locked him in a cage in the shop's basement for days, notably during the 9/11 attacks. He's released after the twin towers fall into a broken world. But he's still Joe. His arc, while meandering, is one of growth, not psychosis solely for shock value from a team assuming its viewers are dumb.

Unsurprisingly-great book, annoyingly-watchable show.

3.5 Joe, Joe, Joe Stars
* * * 1/2 Spoiler Free-A Quick Review
We all love Joe and the one who created him, Caroline Kepnes. There are those that loved Joe so much, a series on Netflix was created so those who weren't mainly readers, could fall in love with him too.

This recent endeavor brings Joe to Harvard, to write, and to be with those who should appreciate his talent. Instead he finds others who are full of themselves and elitist. Enter the one person he connects with, Wonder.

Will Wonder fulfill Joe's needs...We can only wonder...

Thank you for the opportunity to read this. I ended up not watching the fourth season of the show. I’m excited to see what Carolyn’s future work will be outside of You.

"For You and Only You" is the fourth book from the "You" series by Caroline Kepnes but the first that I have read. I thought that it would be ok to start with this book because I knew that there was a change of setting. I was hoping that maybe this might stand apart from the previous books more, but to be honest I think I would have benefitted from reading the whole series together. Luckily I had watched the first series on Netflix so I did go in with an idea about Joe and his obsessions. If I hadn't I really think I would have been completely lost. I do find Joe an interesting character, intriguing, cold and dangerous while at the same time still manages to keep you on his side. I think I need to revisit the other books before I can fully appreciate this addition to the series.

I really hate to say this but I think my love affair with Joe is over. Maybe it’s me but it almost seems like the story has fizzled and the shiny newness of it all has waned. I do love her writing style tho. Thanks to the publisher and netgalley for this copy for review

I will continue to read these books about Joe Goldberg as long as Caroline Kepnes keeps writing them. This time around Joe finds himself at Harvard for a writing fellowship. Glenn Shoddy, an acclaimed literary author, is the facilitator of the fellowship and believes in Joe's talent as a writer. Joe thinks he is finally in a place where talent will be worth more than pedigree until he meets the other fellows, most of which have already been published. This is okay though because he has Wonder, his new love interest, who also has no college degree and feels a bit like a fish out of water. Wonder lacks confidence in her work and Joe is determined to help her see the genius she is and how great they could be together. As is always the case with Joe, his interest in Wonder quickly turns to obsession and it isn't long before he is willing to commit all sorts of terrible crimes for her and their future. While I enjoyed this book, I didn't find it as compelling as some of the others in the series and it seemed to be a bit drawn out at times with Joe being plagued by seemingly the same intrusive thoughts over and over again. The ending was interesting and seemed to suggest some growth in Mr. Goldberg but left several loose ends. Overall I think if you are a fan of the series you'll enjoy this next installment.

Joe... buddy the games are getting old...

My biggest issue is it was so slow and long. I would say it took 50% of the book for something to happen and then it would take off and then slow down again. So much potential but then fell off.

What I loved and would have thought would have been great was more of Sara Beth! Awesome idea of the podcast…and that storyline was awesome. Loved it!

What I didn’t like: Wonder….nope didn’t work and then the repetition of all the previous novels . Joe finds someone stalks them to then realize things aren’t happily ever after . But the idea of the fellowship didn’t work for me, it was too literary. And Sly and Glen didn’t work for me
Joe our journey might have to end here youre not making any changes
Thanks so much to to Netgalley and the publisher for my advanced copy

3.5/5 stars

For You and Only You is the fourth book in the You series.

Having watched the first two seasons of the tv series I found myself getting confused at times trying to remember what happened in the books vs the tv series. I definitely could have used a recap at least for what happened at the end of book 3.

I really like Joe. He is one of the best morally gray characters of all time. In this installment he heads to Harvard for a writing fellowship.

I enjoyed how the author brought up Goodreads and Colleen Hoover's Cohorts group. I really liked seeing Joe at Harvard writing a book. I was interested in him having a mentor, finding a new girlfriend, and seeing who he might want to kill. But I found the beginning a bit too slow.

There were definitely some fun twists, and so many crazy characters. But this book was too long. And there was so much drama in the class. It was hard to make sense of it all. But Joe Goldberg is the best most charming serial killer ever. And getting to read about him feeling forced to kill people is still so much fun!

There won’t ever be enough Joe for me. He is my favorite anti-hero. I love that he wants to be a good guy - to walk the straight and narrow but always misses the mark. The story had me in stitches. I adored the near misses, the fatal flaws and everything in between. Kepnes writes Joe, Wonder and Glenn Shoody in the literary world like only she can. Scabies for Breakfast stayed in my head for weeks after I read this novel. One of a kind. You’d think Joe would be getting predictable but no he continues to surprise me. Mad love!

I read the the other books in this series and loved them. I've also seen the tv series on Netflix and loved it too. Joe Goldberg has moved onto Harvard University and instead of selling books is now writing them.
This was a great addition to the series and I loved it. You know that Joe is technically bad but you can't help but like him in a way at the same time. He's such a great and complex character, both in the books and on the show. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advanced copy.

Joe has always been a very interesting character to me. From the very first time we met him to now, he’s absolutely insane but i as a reader, cannot help it and am sucked in every single time. He’s creepy and yet so unexpectedly compelling as a character that I can’t help but enjoy it. Very fun! 5/5 stars!!