I really enjoyed this book! The characters were well developed and the story was engaging. I recommend that others try this book as well. Well done!

For You and Only You
⭐️⭐️⭐️
Author: Caroline Kepnes

I requested a digital advanced readers copy from NetGalley and Random House Publishing and providing my opinion voluntarily and unbiased.

Synopsis: 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 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.

My Thoughts: This is book no. 4 in the You Series. The storyline got off to a rough start for me, and I did not read the other books in the series. When I requested this ARC, I did not realize it belonged to a series. It really took into halfway into the book to peak my interest. This is a book about a book, which generally I really love. I didn’t love how the chapters were put forth.

Joe is an unreliable narrator whom can’t see himself coming, but we as the readers, do. The inner workings of Joe’s mind and the inner banter with himself is great, however, some of it seems too repetitive. Those pages probably could have been slimmed down. Another con for me was the ending, I was hoping for an alternative ending. Wonder Parish was not my favorite character. I loved the nuggets of information on the locality this story took place at, it was really detailed and I did feel like I was there in Massachusetts. This was still a great read and diehard Joe fans will still love the story. This story may not be for everyone. However, there will be readers who will love this book and I recommend to those readers. 💕

I've found that I like these books less and less as the series goes on. I'm not saying I don't enjoy Caroline Kepnes's writing and I will definitely continue to read her future books. I struggled to finish For You and Only You. It just did not work for me. Too much of a slow burn that lacked the excitement and suspense of earlier books.

For You and Only You (You #4) by Caroline Kepnes is the underwhelming fourth installment of what was once a favorite mystery thriller series. This installment is far too long and repetitive. Joe's voice is still somewhat entertaining, but the rest was just not for me anymore.

Joe Goldberg never fails to release some crazy into the world. His murder spree continues in this novel and I can’t complain - it’s interesting in the same way the other novels have been.

I received this from NetGalley and have just now gotten to it, which shocks me since it was one of my most anticipated reads for 2023! It got lost in the shuffle unfortunately and I’m happy to have continued it.

Watching Joe expand to being an author really brought even more depth into his character and I really enjoyed it. We get the throwbacks to other shenanigans (aka murders) Joe has found himself in previously and it’s really interesting watching him get out of the trouble he’s always in. Good thing he’s a smooth talker!

While this wasn’t my favorite installment by any means, it was good and I finished it in one day! I really enjoyed it.

This has the quick wit and stalker vibes of Joe, kind of, but this isn’t the Joe we know in love. This Joe let me down and I miss book 1 and 2 Joe. I want more of that Joe so I can love this series again.

Caroline Kepnes is one of my favorite authors. The You series just blows my mind at how interesting it is. It is confusing when you find yourself rooting for a murderer, or hoping he takes out an annoying character. Although, it’s not all roses he definitely makes mistakes and of course murder is bad and wrong!

This time we are in Boston, and it’s Joe so you know there will be a woman obsession. Each book I read in the series becomes my favorite and this is no exception! Despite getting this galley for free, I bought the book and got it signed at a book signing, Ms. Kepnes revealed she is working on a book not about Joe, it she is not done with him (yes!) I will read anything she writes and I can not wait for more. She’s also amazing in person! Very friendly and posed for selfies.

Oh Joe.

That's always my take when these books start and end. It's not the best installment and some things were telegraphed pretty early on. But these books are a guilty pleasure, and you go in knowing that, knowing that some hints of truth will be dropped among the very deluded and psychotic Joe (who STILL thinks it's everyone else).

I literally couldn’t put this book down from the moment I picked it up. I am obsessed with Joe Goldberg and this whole journey. I will be so so sad when his journey is over. I loved how this book was a different take from previous books. Not to give too much away but it definitely has Joe questioning some things. This book has so many twists and turns it left my head spinning and holding my breath to find out what happened! I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Really enjoyed! I’ve never read any of the You books but enjoyed the Netflix series. This book did not disappoint. The show got Joe Goldberg’s voice spot-on and FYAOY was compulsively readable, twisty, and overall a fun ride. Thank you to the author and publisher for the ARC!

Joe is back and he has a lot of observations in this installment. And of course he finds a new girl, Wonder. The plot was interesting but it didn’t capture me as well as the previous ones. As long as Joe is around though, I will be following his escapades.
Many thanks to Random House and to Netgalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

It hurts so much to say this was a 2 star read for me. I just feel like this was a copy and paste book with a few details changed. I don't think I will be continuing on with any more books in this series.

FOR YOU AND ONLY YOU brings us back into Joe Goldberg’s web of hopelessly devoted inclinations and murderous tendencies. Kepnes expertly tackles the world of writing and publishing as our favorite antihero encounters some of his literary peers in a Harvard fellowship.

With an ivy league backdrop, love quickly leads to obsession, elitist ideals test allegiances, and egos are on full display. Joe is ready to be the next Salinger, but as usual, there are bumps along the way. His new passion is a girl named Wonder. He will do anything to make them the author couple others envy. And no matter how warped his perspective is, I can’t get over how the author makes it disturbingly logical. This is the beauty of this series. I know what Joe does is wrong. Yet, I find myself justifying it because of that thread of truth to what he says.

As each page flips by, it is clear to see Kepnes keeps leveling up and in the best way. Her writing oozes wit and brings to life characters with the ability to encapsulate the best and worst in us all. Every time I enter back into Joe’s world, I know I am in for one wild ride, and this is no different.

I have to admit, I’m a huge fan of the “You” series on Netflix, and up until this book, I’ve followed the story exclusively there. It’s to my understanding that the show takes a different turn than the books but when this latest in the series came out I was really intrigued and so excited to be chosen for an ARC copy. Lucky for me, even without reading previous books in the series, I was able to follow along and understand where this new one was taking me. I adore Joe’s voice and wit, and found myself loathe to put the book down. The only thing that kept me from five stars was that I felt I was in Joe’s head a little too much, although still loved the book!


**Thank you to NetGalley, Random House, and Caroline Kepnes for an ARC of this book!

I've loved every Joe Goldberg book until this one. This hurts to say but it's definitely my least favorite. I felt it was missing the witty Goldberg I've come to love and the other characters really just lacked any personality.

Thank you Random House and NetGalley for the copy.

For you and Only You - I loved the movies but just couldn't really get into the books. I am not much into series, so that could be why. I may give it a try another time.

The latest installment in the You series, For You and Only You, by Caroline Kepnes, does not disappoint. Pontificator and murderer Joe Goldberg receives a writing fellowship at Harvard University and creates more mayhem in Cambridge.

Fresh from living in Bainbridge Island, Washington, and then Florida, he's written a book and caught the attention of an esteemed literary author, Glenn Shoddy. He joins the motley crew of writers who all want to be published. There he meets working-class Wonder, a manager at a Dunkin' Donuts and aspiring writer. And that's where all the trouble starts.

With the fourth book, you'd think the antics of Joe and his musings about the world would be old hat. Somehow, the author makes this book as fresh as the first one. You never know what's going to happen or what interesting characters Joe will encounter. And you've grown accustomed to Joe taking other people's futures into his own hands and that will continue in unusual, stealthy ways. Plenty of surprises appear in this book.

I really liked the idea of an ensemble group of people in a writing group. They've all come for their own reasons and from varied backgrounds. There's a rivalry between all of them, and yet Joe finds that Wonder understands him and he her. They're, as he says, in this together. As you will soon find out, he will do anything to ensure that his latest lady love and her book gets the TLC and attention it deserves.

Towards the end, though, the book slows down. I'm not sure that I really liked the ending. It wasn't explosive, and I cannot imagine how the author will position Joe next, but I'm there for it. I wouldn't say that it's a let-down, but it almost felt that way. The wind hasn't been taken out of his sails because Joe always seems to rise from the ashes, but it wasn't what I expected. But I know that the author can come up with something unexpected and take Joe in another fresh direction despite my misgivings with the ending of book four. Here's to book number five!

“For You and Only You” is Caroline Kepnes’ fourth novel in the Joe Goldberg ‘You’ series. This story followed Joe Goldberg to Harvard’s prestigious writing program. Joe finally feels like he’s in a place where people will appreciate him for his mind and not his background…..or not. His fellow students all seem to be pretty snobby, until he meets Wonder. Could she finally be the soulmate he’s been searching for?

Honestly I loved this. I loved all of the novels Caroline Kepnes has written and I’ll continue to follow Joe wherever he goes. There’s not many times when I’ve read a book after watching the TV series (and at this point the books and show are drastically different), but these stories are even better than the show in my opinion. These books always manage to be witty, exciting and messed up all at the same time.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing for the DRC of this novel.

This review is all about my personal experience and thoughts on the book "For You and Only You" by Caroline Kepnes. Unfortunately, I didn't manage to finish reading it. Reading preferences can differ, and this review is based solely on my own taste.

"For You and Only You" promised to continue the suspenseful and twisted tale of Joe Goldberg, a character known from the previous novels in the series. However, my experience with this book left much to be desired, and I made the decision to abandon it before reaching the end.

One of the most significant issues I encountered while reading this story was the writing style. Caroline Kepnes has often been praised for her unique narrative voice and the ability to get inside the mind of a disturbed protagonist like Joe Goldberg. However, in this installment, the writing felt repetitive and lacking the freshness and depth that initially captivated readers. Furthermore, the plot failed to hold my interest. While the concept of exploring Joe Goldberg's further exploits may have seemed intriguing, the execution fell flat for me personally. I found myself becoming increasingly disinterested as the plot unfolded.

Additionally, the character of Joe Goldberg, who was once a fascinating and complex anti-hero, became increasingly predictable and less compelling. The depth and psychological complexity that made him intriguing in the earlier books were noticeably absent in "For You and Only You." Instead, he seemed to be following a formulaic path, devoid of any surprises or genuine character growth. As a result, the book failed to evoke the tension and page-turning quality that I had anticipated.

I love classic Joe Goldberg. I realize that you aren't supposed to like a stalking serial killer, but I said what I said. From his wit, his obsessive behaviors, to his cunning plans, Joe is just entertaining. Unfortunately I feel like Joe is losing his edge. In this book Joe is trying to be a better person, and spends most of the book striving to be good. We want classic Joe, not a reformed Joe. At about the 60% mark I considered DNF'ing this book, I even put it aside and read something else. But I've read the first three books and wanted to finish this one so I picked it back up. In the last 40% we saw a small glimmer of classic Joe, and the book ended in a way that makes me think there will be another one.
I really like this series as a whole, and while this one is my least favorite of the series; I'm hopeful there will be a fifth book where we get "good" ole classic Joe.


Thank you to @netgalley and @randomhouse for the gifted copy of this book.