For You and Only You: A Joe Goldberg Novel

I love to book and I’m watching all the episodes again

First let me say I have read all the books and I’m also a fan of the Netflix show. I like the books for totally different reasons than I like the show and book Joe is harder to romanticize than show Joe because you never get out of his head so the world building is all from his perspective and boy is he one deranged somebody.This book was an absolute page turner for me. Once it got going I legit couldn’t put it down. I just finished it moments before hopping on here to type this review. It was thrilling and enchanting and I really enjoyed his object of obsession this book and the setting and watching his character dive into and out of an identity as seamless as he does when he wants something.That said there is only so much entertainment that can be had from watching a character relive different versions of the same story with slightly varied outcomes.I think much like the show is doing with season 5 we need a concrete ending for Mr. Goldberg. The trail of bodies is piling up and one can only suspend but so much disbelief.This doesn’t take away from the entertainment factor of the books as stand alone products but if you’re someone like me who had read them all fatigue with the character is inevitably going to set in.I’m always going to check in to what he is doing because there really isn’t any other character like this at the moment who can keep my attention but watching his history expand the way it is it’s getting harder and harder to believe the consequences of his actions are what they wind up being in each novel.Still the author deserves props because she knows you to hook you and she always surrounds him with a bevy of very strange side characters with flaws of their own that make you question the motives and realities of everyone around you.Definitely would recommend if you are a fan of the series.

Good read and I love her use of you as the narrative but wasn't as good as others.

I think I liked this one better than the last 2. It had book 1 vibes to it. I felt the old Joe was coming back out to play. He tried to be so good for Mary Kay in the last book.. but that’s not who he is. What was different, however, is you truly see how sick Joe is in this book. I mean he kills people.. he’s bad right? But do we love him? Heck yes we do. But in this book, the way he talks about himself and people, you really get some insight on how sick he really is. He truly is a psychopath. The question that always burns a hole for me…. Is he capable of loving? I think he has some delusional definition of love but I don’t think he can actually feel love… idk. I hope we get another! I can never get enough of Joe Goldberg!

I struggled to get through this one but the ending was superb, just like the majority of the others. Her prose never fails to suck me in! Here’s to hoping there’s another book in this series, somewhere down the line. I loved the ending but there’s still wiggle room for more.

I really wanted to like this book because I’ve enjoyed the first two so much. I started to notice the downfall when I began reading the third book and not feeling invested in it until near the end. Reading this fourth book all I could think was, “I’m so bored!” I preordered this book back in March, and I am just now finishing the book in December. 9 months to finish this book?? I usually can read the You books in a couple of weeks due to how fascinated I was in the storyline, but with this book I just could not care about the characters. I could not even care about Joe. Everyone was insufferable. I will give Kepnes another try with the fifth book, if there is one, but if it doesn’t get interesting at the most half way through the book I’m giving up on reading the series.

I love love the Netflix series and so I love to compare the books with the show. I loved the first three books! Although slightly different then the show, they all in some way, had details from the series incorporated into the book. This book, however, it did not!! I found it so hard to finish. It had nothing from the last part of the series incorporated in this book at all. In fact, it was all different characters except Joe, of course. I spent four months trying to finish this book and while I almost gave up, I like to honor my commitment of reading so pushed through and finished it!

I absolutely love this book the whole series really and I can’t wait to have them displayed

This series has lost it’s thrill. It read more as a bad fan fiction than as part of the YOU series.Joe seems like a completely different person in this book and not in a “character growth” type way.I wish the previous book (the third in the series) was the final in the series because all I feel is disappointment after finishing this one.

The only thing I disliked about the book is how it came, very dusty and unclean

جاني بحالة ممتازة

Caroline Kepnes' "For You and Only You" is the latest entry in the "YOU" series, continuing Joe Goldberg's dark journey. While I have genuine criticisms of this book—particularly how Joe seems to revert to old patterns after the development in "You Love Me"—I remain a dedicated fan of the series and will certainly continue reading.**Spoiler Warning: The following contains spoilers for the entire "YOU" series.**In "You," we were introduced to Joe’s unsettling obsession with Beck. "Hidden Bodies" continued his disturbing behavior in LA, but "You Love Me" stood out for its deep exploration of Joe's psyche and his attempt at personal reform. Unfortunately, "For You and Only You" feels like a step back, with Joe quickly returning to familiar patterns.One major issue for me was Joe’s love interest in this book, Ruby. Her character is portrayed as self-absorbed, manipulative, and significantly annoying. I found myself intensely frustrated with her, feeling as though her presence undermined the narrative. Ruby’s constant demands and self-centered behavior felt like they were designed to make Joe’s actions seem more justified, but instead, they often made the plot feel more tedious.Despite these criticisms, I am very much a fan of the series and hope the next book brings a fresh and engaging twist. A potential idea could involve Joe meeting a new character reminiscent of the "Black Dahlia"—a woman who kills men and meets her match in Joe, leading to intense self-reflection and development for both characters. I’m looking forward to seeing where Kepnes takes the series next and hope it recaptures the suspense and depth of the earlier book 😇