I'm a big fan of this series. But I'm going to be completely honest and warn you that while the first three books are out there, this one goes off the rails a little bit. I got the feeling as I read that this book is not going to be for everyone because while it's about a character we all know and love, it almost goes too far with the plot twists.

A lot of readers are going to find it jarring. Some might even use the word unbelievable? But if you keep in mind that the whole series is unbelievable and intended for reader enjoyment, I think you'll like this book just fine.

I know I sure did!

In this book, Joe is in a completely new environment, and yet much of his story remains similar to his past. He's joined a writing class at Harvard under an esteemed professor, who is known for his one very popular book that won him a Pulitzer prize. Joe's classmates are writers from similar backgrounds and with similar histories.

Except for Wonder. She's different. She comes from a working class family and has to fit writing in between shifts at Dunkin and helping to take care of her ailing father and complicated family. Joe immediately sets his sights on her, and as you can imagine, things go very similar to his past romances.

He's in love. She's the best woman in the world. She's perfect. Until... the rose color glasses come off and Joe begins to realize that his new love isn't all he built her up to be.

I think that's where this story began to feel a little scattered. And I feel like the author did that on purpose. As Joe keeps getting away with crimes and has to keep even more secrets about his past life, he begins to get sloppy. And I felt like that was realistic. There's only so much lying and sneaking around a person can do and I think Joe is starting to lose it.

I liked the premise of this story. Joe is trying to get his book published and is willing to do pretty much anything to make that happen. He even befriends his teacher and starts cycling. For fun!

As always, I loved the writing style in this book. Some of the references made me laugh. I know enough amateur cyclists to know how important KOM can be on Strava, so those scenes where Joe and Glenn are cycling together had me chuckling to myself. The mentions of The White Lotus made me smile too because that is currently a show I'm watching with my boyfriend. And the true crime podcast felt very true to life.

This is book #4 in the You series, so don't start here if you haven't read the first three books first. But if you're a fan of this series and can't wait to find out what Joe does next, I think you'll find this book to be quite interesting. While I did think the story was taken in some unbelievable directions, I think that's also kind of the point.

I love Joe so the continuation of his story was very intriguing. The beginning of the book drug a bit for me with the setup at Harvard and the writing cohort but of course Joe has to first meet and then set up the story of meeting a new girl to date before getting into the meat of the story (and some more exciting dialogue) but holy rambling, Joe! Move on buddy! Anyway, once through the beginning and the Joe/Wonder saga begins I think it became more fast paced and easier to read. Decent continuation of the Joe story, excited for the next one!

Normally I love these books and the Netflix show, but I just couldn’t get past the writing this time. Unfortunately it was a DNF for me.

I've thoroughly enjoyed this series. However, I found the pacing of this book a bit slow. While the story kept me intrigued enough I read to the end of the book, I did not feel all that excited about it.

Joe Goldberg book 4.. honestly she could write a hundred if these and i would keep reading. I mean seriously, only she could make you root for the bad guy. He's a freaking serial killer and we just want him to find love and his happy ending!

Onto the bad news. This book is ok. Same Joe, same girl just with a different name and a Boston accent. I hated how needy Joe became, like he has always been needy and obsessed but this over the top.

Overall I'm glad i read this, and will continue to read these until Joe finally gets caught (hello gps and cameras everywhere!) Or finally finds love.

Thank you net galley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I was so excited to read the next installment of Joe Goldberg’s adventures. This time he is at Harvard and in love (shocker). Caroline Kepnes does a great job of writing one of my favorite antiheroes. Every time I think I’ve figured Joe out he surprises me! While he is wonderful , this time around my favorite character of this story is Sara Beth; I would love to have a book about her and thinking maybe Joe has met his match! Thank you to NetGalley, Caroline Kepnes, and Random House for the ARC.

Holy crap I loved this! For a big part of the book I felt like we had book 1 Joe back! It did have some slow parts and the ending felt kinda rushed but I can definitely see myself rereading this! Keep giving us old Joe!

Caroline hits the mark again! every single one of her books are so twisty and engaging, and they never get old! even for lovers of the netflix show, i feel like they are different enough to be able to enjoy both book and show. i like the new twist of joe trying to be different in this book, too!

This book was definitely slower and more boring than the other 3. I had started to fall off this series with the last book, but I will see Joe through until the end. The deaths in this book were very predictable and not interesting; honestly, both Glenn and Sly were terrible and I was hoping they would be killed off sooner. I couldn’t stand Wonder and her whiny woe-is-me attitude when others didn’t like her book. I know she wasn’t supposed to be incredibly likable, but I couldn’t even tolerate her. Of course, this book was left open for another, so I’m sure this is not the last of Joe. The writing is definitely getting harder to come back to each time.

Joe Goldberg is ready for a change. Instead of selling books, he’s writing them. And he’s off to a good start. Glenn Shoddy, an acclaimed literary author, recognizes Joe’s genius and invites him to join a tight-knit writing fellowship at Harvard. Finally, Joe will be in a place where talent matters more than pedigree . . . where intellect is the great equalizer and anything is possible. Even happy endings. Or so he thinks, until he meets his already-published, already-distinguished peers, who all seem to be cut from the same elitist cloth.

Thankfully, Wonder Parish enters the picture. They have so much in common. No college degrees, no pretensions, no stories from prep school or grad school. Just a love for literature. If only Wonder could commit herself to the writing life, they could be those rare literary soulmates who never fall prey to their demons. Wonder has a tendency to love, to covet, but Joe is a believer in the rule of fiction: If you want to write a book, you have to kill your darlings.

This book will definitely be the one to beat in 2023. Every book I read this year will be compared to this one. Caroline Kepnes has done it again with each book being even better than the last. The thing I love most about You and Only You is the authors wit that always shines through. I am obsessed with Joe Goldberg and I can't wait to see where he goes next. 5 stars!!

Here we are with Joe's fourth book. Up until this point, I have enjoyed Joe's character; his obsessiveness with these women, the need to make these women happy by getting toxic people out of their lives, etc. I had high hopes for this novel.

However, "For You and Only You" feels repetitive and I really struggled to get into this book. It was a nice change up of scenery with Joe heading to Harvard to join a writing group and write his own book but within a chapter or two, he was back into his old way with Wonder. The exciting, thrilling parts of the book went by so fast!

There was so much potential for this book, but it fell short with its repetitiveness and quick moving (but not enough detail) plot.

I am a huge fan of this series and Netflix show. However, this one wasn’t my favorite. It might be time to retire Joe.

It wasn’t bad by any means just wasn’t MY favorite.

DNF 17%. Joe Goldberg has gone from being a thrilling, terrifying antihero to a big baby-back bitch and even that would be okay if he also weren’t such a fucking <i>bore</i>. The previous book in this series hinted at some growth for this character, so what happened here? Caroline Kepnes can write her ass off, I’ve loved all her previous books, and DNFing this breaks my heart. But I just can’t go on. Between Joe’s incessant pop culture references (seriously, it feels like this is <i>Family Guy</i> and he’s setting up cutaways) to the clunky, overdone cursing, to totally simping over a woman for no real reason—? For the hundredth time? Oh, I wonder how it’ll go! Joe, you’re no longer scary, nor cool, nor clever, and it’s been a fun ride but I think this is where I get off.

Seriously. Joe just needs to stop. At this point he has to be what late 30s, in his 40s? Are we really going to get another book of Joe and his messed up meaning of love to follow us through the next couple of years? I honestly only gave this book 3 stars because of Joe and Wonder eventually descending into the type of hipster coffee shop talk about books that makes me want to laugh at the people having those conversations. Both of them are delusional about what good writers they are, but in different ways. I did laugh at some points during this book though because it definitely seems that Kepnes is saying all writers are psychopaths' in a certain way, and therefore, Joe fits right in with them.

"For You and Only You" follows Joe maybe 3-4 years after the events in the last book. We know that Joe inhabits our world since he mentions COVID and how he was forced to be in Florida for too long. Joe though reads a book called written by Pulitzer Prize winner Glenn Shoddy. Joe decides after reading that, he's going to write a book because of course. And Joe being Joe, goes about getting feedback in his own messed up way. He eventually submits his writing to Glenn so he can be chosen for a prestigious writing fellowship at Harvard. Yes, we are going to Harvard in the latest "You." Joe sizes up the other members of the group, but gets taken in by a 35 year old woman named Wonder who just like Joe doesn't come from money or even written anything yet. Joe has decided they are meant to be. And Joe is going to do whatever he needs to do in order to make sure he and Wonder both have successful writing careers.

Look at this point Joe is a mess. You got to love how he reconciles all of his past messy relationships in this one. But as usual, he finds himself besotted with Wonder and is focused on getting her to "love" him in the same way. Wonder though holds her own in this book. I always thought that outside of Beck, no other Joe partner really had his number. Wonder does. In fact many people seem to have Joe's number in this one which shows that our great serial killer is slipping. Badly.

The other members of the writing group are pretty blank to me outside of two of them. I also enjoyed Joe realizing his hero Glenn was pathetic as get out. Like many of Joe's supposed heroes.

The writing was better than the last book. Thank God we didn't have to keep hearing the many different names he was calling sex and or female private parts. At times I did laugh while reading this because Joe messes up so much stuff I shook my head. I did crack up at how the rise of podcasts is going to end up probably being an eternal nemesis of Joe. But reading about people's writing process and their characters was boring as hell. Sorry. I think watching paint dry would be more exciting. I think that is the humorous part of the book because I think even Kepnes gets this. And you quickly realize the lengths all of the so called writers go to in order to be a success.

The flow was up and down though. I think at one point I was like, what is going on. And this is when Joe tries to find Wonder. The book just could have cut so much stuff I think would not have hurt it at all.

The writing leaves things on a cliffhanger. You can guess what happens next.

I realized after beginning this that I hadn’t read book 3, though, I don’t think it affected this installment. I will be going back to 3 when I have the time.

Joe is in new territory, yet again, and staking his claims, as he so enthusiastically does! Seeing Joe surrounded by writers and the dynamics this leads too brought on all the passion, adversity, envy and jealousy you can imagine.

I still stand by the first book as a favorite in the series where we got to know Joe, his internal dialogue, his way of …… handling things - but I can appreciate the surprise moments book 4 expressed and what entertained me most was the eccentric new “friend” group he’s found himself mingling with as he joins a Harvard fellowship.

Yes, Joe is not only writing but sharing his work in hopes of scoring recognition. Considering his level of pride and self manipulation-there was no lack of tension throughout this novel and I only wish I could read “Me”

I’ve been a fan of the You series before the tv show was released, so I was excited to receive a copy of For You and Only You. However, this is my least favorite book of the series, unfortunately. Quite a bit of the book felt unnecessary and the love interest didn’t feel like a fully realized character, such as Love and Beck. The idea of Joe at Harvard was interesting and I did enjoy the sections with the crime author Joe meets. But, I felt like the book could have benefitted from being shorter.

To say I was excited to receive this ARC is an understatement. After watching the You series on Netflix I knew this book would be right up my Alley. From the beginning I could hear Joe’s voice from the You series talking in my ear which was a whole different experience. The question is will Joe ever find his forever person? The classic Joe has his own way of dealing with conflict. For me the book was a little drawn out at parts but other than that this was a fun and twisty read! Thank you NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for the ARC!!!

Joe is back!!!! I first fell involve with Joe when he made his debut in You. He was the first main character who I openly disliked but couldn't stop reading to see what he would do next. I loved him in Hidden Bodies but by the time he showed up again in You Love Me. At this point his actions and antics were becoming predictable.
When I received an ARC of For You and Only You I was excited. I was hoping the Joe of the first novel was back but instead Joe has just become unhinged from the get go. Joe from the first novel took his time to expose his inner crazy but this novel has him off the rails by the first couple pages of the book. I use to find his inner thought process intriguing now its become annoying and I find myself scanning it instead of actually reading it. IM also not a fan of his newest focal point.
If you are a Joe Goldberg fan its a 50/50 chance you won't like this book
What I did enjoy as a New Englander were the references to Dunkins on every corner (totally true) and the horrible driving (if you use a blinker you count to 2 then move over).

FOR YOU AND ONLY YOU

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC!

Firstly, the chokehold that Joe Goldberg has on me is concerning. He’s such a unlikeable character for obvious reasons but yet manages to be so likeable at the same time. This book was very much like the first three in this series. It took Joe no time at all to find his “dream girl”, this time taking the form of Wonder, a Dunkin’ employee and fellow member of a Harvard fellowship. The question as to whether Joe will ever find someone with a normal name was answered quickly - no. Joe has written a book, aptly titled “Me” and has joined the fellowship to attempt to have it published by Glenn Shoddy. It’s engaging to see his vulnerability seeking approval. As per his norm, Joe cannot focus on his own literary goals and is immediately scoping out Wonder’s house, planning ways to know her and ultimately become closer to her and learning details about her that she hasn’t yet disclosed to him.

Wonder is somehow different from Beck, Love and Mary Kay but yet the same. Joe is the definition of insanity by finding the same girl again and again and yet expecting different results. Yet I didn’t find her nearly as naïve as the others. She was so focused on being “Dunkin’ Sally Rooney” which made you couldn’t help but love her in a way. She was so convinced of the merits of the novel she was writing. I think it was evident too that Joe knew this from the start.

The prose in this series always gives me shivers and this book did disappoint.

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⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

In the fourth book in the “You” series, Joe is back and headed to Cambridge, Massachusetts. He earned a writer’s fellowship at Harvard held by one of his favorite authors. It is through this that he meets his next love interest, Wonder, a Dunkin Donuts Manager that lives at home with her grumpy father, reckless sister, and nephew. Joe obsesses over making sure that they both find literary success by publishing their first novels. Of course, wherever Joe goes, “accidents” seem to follow.

So far, I have enjoyed the “You” series; Joe is definitely a guilty pleasure that I enjoy indulging in. The inner workings of Joe’s mind are fascinating to follow and the stream of consciousness is always entertaining. Joe’s sarcasm never disappoints. However, I found that this installment didn’t hit all the right notes that the last ones did. The beginning was a little slow and found it hard to get through the repetitive ramblings that didn’t go anywhere. It could have easily been told with 100 less pages and would’ve been just fine. Additionally, I found Wonder to be a bit lackluster; her character fell a little flat for me compared to other characters in this story.

Overall, I found this to be a fun, solid, middle-of-the-road read.

Thank you NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for the advanced reader copy!