This is so good, fast paced, modern, tense, such a great escape from the monotony of lockdown…enjoy!!

The third in the You series sees Joe a couple of years after the end of Hidden Bodies and immediately back in to a similar situation to the first two books, an infatuation with a woman that isn't currently reciprocated.

As usual the writing from Joe's viewpoint is good, but I have chosen to DNF You Love Me because up to the point I read to it was just a repeat of the first two books.

Ohhhhh Joeeeeeee!!!!!

I will never have enough of Joe!!! I have Joe Fever. It should be a shameful, guilty, disease, but it’s more like a shameful, guilty pleasure, and I goddamn love Joe Goldberg!!

New city, new love interest. Same old Joe. Only he’s not the same. This time he wants to be good, this time he wants to do it right. Enter hilarious attempts at hiding his true nature, and trying to win over the girl and her friends the ‘normal’ way. By being a good guy.

After reading You and Hidden Bodies, and watching the impeccable performances of Penn Badgley, I was thrilled to hear that there were plans for more books. Caroline Kepnes does psychopath so well, and really, it’s so very hard to not root for Joe. For his happiness.

Excellently written, this book throws you right back into the Joe-es-sphere, it’s smart, captivating, compelling, and I cannot wait for the next instalment!!

Thank you so much to Caroline Kepnes, Simon and Schuster UK, and NetGalley for an arc of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Book review : You Love Me by Caroline Kepness

⭐️⭐️⭐️ /5

“I moved here because the murder rate is low, as in not a single fucking murder in over twenty years. The crime is so nonexistent that there are not one but two articles in the Bainbridge Islander about a couple of architects who stole a sandwich board from another architect”

You Love Me is the third book in the popular You series, where protagonist Joe Goldberg tries to turn his life around.

Whilst trying to stay spoiler free in this review, the book picks up with Joe finding himself in a sleepy suburb with two new interests, being good and Mary Kay, an older librarian.

My thoughts on this book are conflicting. Joe seems very much like his usual terrible self, yet he seems to have lost some of the charm he had in previous books. He comes across as self-centred and very deluded. There was no rationalising of his actions in this book.

I struggled with the story as it jumps, it feels like there are whole sections of description missing. Characters appear just to further plot (Oliver) rather than becoming fleshed out.

Given the quote I chose above, how many people can die without any police involvement, any raised suspicion.

And finally, it gets really repetitive. I think Murakami is ruined for me, not by description but by the sheer number of mentions (29 by my count).

Overall, the story has some interesting twists, but felt rushed, and slightly off brand. I think more should have been made of the two twists at the end, both came out of nowhere with no build up, one to seemingly tie up a loose end and the other to leave the ending open for a further book.

I really wanted to enjoy it more.

I was kindly provided this book by Simon & Schuster UK ahead of release on 6 April 2021 in exchange for an honest review.

This book picks up about 2 years after the second book, Hidden Bodies and you jump straight into the action. Joe now lives on an island, with a windfall from Love’s family and a volunteering role at a library where he meets the manager Mary Kay and instantly decided she is the one.... again.
Joe’s trademark voice sparks and I was instantly back into his psyche. It was like stepping back into his warped but convincing mind.
Although I enjoyed this latest instalment I think the intrigue and lure of Joe had waned for me. That initiate shock of his obsessive ways has been lost over the three books but it was still gripping to read how this trilogy comes together.

Joe Goldberg is back for the third instalment of the Caroline Kepnes 'You' series. Joe is apparently now a reformed character living in a much quieter part of the country. He takes on a voluntary role in his local library, so of course he falls for the librarian.

But can a leopard change its spots? Of course not and inevitably Joe is drawn back into his old ways.

Another great story with a range of characters, some more unconventional than others, and full of twists and turns. This one will translate well to the screen and be enjoyed by all Joe Goldberg fans out there!

A huge fan of the Netflix series but not read the books previously, I was intrigued and pleased to receive a NetGalley Arc for this one,

Having not read the previous books, it’s a quite unique writing style to attune yourself to, it’s takes a while, and I constantly found myself reading in the style of the tv show if that makes sense?

Overall though after some time getting used to the style, it was brilliant to have the completely nuts Joe Goldberg back , he’s literally the serial you hate to love.

Entertaining and thrilling reading , I can’t wait to see it back on the Netflix screen

Joe Goldberg is a thoroughly evil and most wicked man - and i love him! I hadn't read any of the other books in the series, just seen the Netflix season and had no trouble picking up and running with where the author had cleverly plonked her awfully fabulous character. While i usually prefer to view life through pink tinted glasses sometimes, just sometimes, it's rather wonderful to view the world and it's people with someone like Joe's gift of perception and wickedly sharp observations. He sees the glorious (and petty) downside in everyone - but his object of desire. When Joe lands on a sleepy northwest island nothing can go wrong and no one will die when he falls for the local librarian -will they? This was an absolute hoot to race through.

You was amazing. Hidden Bodies was OK-ish and I was a tad concerned that this series had lost its way. I am happy to announce that, for me anyway, the wheels are firmly back on the wagon and we are cooking on gas once again!
I think that this series only really works if you have sympathy with Joe. That's where book two went awry for me. In this book I am firmly back onside with #TeamJoe and, although he is still a concerning character, a lot of what happens really isn't his fault.
We start with finding out what happened about the fallout from book two. If you haven't read it, then I am afraid you will either need to go through the small pain or rely on the catch-up that is contained herein. Scant though it really is. So. Joe is estranged from Love and, more importantly, denied access to the rest of the family. He has been rewarded for the estrangement and has moved to a small island where he is determined to "go straight" Yeah, right. Short book if that's ever gonna happen. Enter into the story one Mary Kay DiMarco. Librarian in the library that Joe now volunteers at. There's a spark but Joe is determined to stick to his promise to not obsess and slowly. slowly, catchy monkey...
Trouble is, Mary Kay is withholding personal information. And, as we well know, that really doesn't go down well with Joe... and so begins another brilliant chapter in the ever car-crash life of Joe. Poor Joe...
This is just as shocking as You. Just as compelling reading. If you are like me you will sympathise with Joe and hate yourself for doing it. He has been dealt a rum deal in life but he really doesn't do himself any favours but not all the trouble that lands with his is of his making. He retains a certain naivety that makes you side with him on occasion even though everything in your head says "no" and that's a sign of a very well crafted character.
You'll laugh and cry and be appalled along the way - if you don't run the whole gamut of emotions during this whirlwind roller coaster then I wanna know why!? Me, I'm just hanging for the next one - being how this one wrapped.... My thanks go to the Publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this book.

Caroline Kepnes has done the unachievable and made this third instalment, in my opinion, the best out of the three!!

I have read all of the three books and watched the Netflix series based on the books and I love them equally. Joe Goldberg is back, the crazed stalker who gets utterly lost in his victims....I love to read about Joe's warped mind and how he thinks.

Joe is back in a different location this time and working in a library. We once again see Joe select his new victim (his new "love") and see the Joe we know and love get back to his utterly cruel and wicked side.

I really hope Caroline Kepnes keeps on with her character Joe, as for me I have never read a story like this. I love her style of writing and her descriptions of characters and surrounding areas.

Thanks for an advanced copy of this book.

I was so excited to be approved to read this ARC; I absolutely loved the first 2 books & was expecting just as good storyline this time, but to my disappointment this book did not meet my expectations. By far.

I love the series and I will definitely be watching 3rd season when it comes out because I feel like this book was written purely for the Netflix show... And if that’s the case, then the show must be better than this book?

The problem with the storyline is that it felt really repetitive, and because of that, very predictable. The ending felt a bit far fetched, even for You series. Nevertheless, as I said, it’ll be great to binge watch it on Netflix, because when it comes to the TV show, a great storyline is not the only thing that we’re looking at ;)

You #1 was incredible whereas you #2 I felt so disappointed with, so I was hoping that Caroline Kepnes would pull a Jojo Moyes and bring it back with the 3rd book but she didn’t.

This seems to be one of those rare cases where the show is better than the books.

This book did nothing for me, the plot felt recycled and repetitive, and it really didn’t live up to my expectations.
So disappointed

Our loveable stalker is at it again as we follow Joe Goldberg for a third time.
This time Joe has moved on, again... and is trying really hard to reform himself and it was great to see the different side to his character, but will he manage to change?
I found I wasn't grabbed from the start as much as in the previous books and felt like it took much longer to get through it, but still a great storyline.

I was drawn to the first book in this series, You, because it was set in a bookshop. The literary references and bookish theme still continues in this latest book (third in the series) although now the story has moved to a library. The protagonist tells his story of obsession and control from his own perspective But that's not all.

There is the familiarity of the same story. There is a cage in the basement, a suspicious friend who likes to run in the forest, the protagonist getting into her flat and pretending to be her. So for a long while, there is nothing new and the story seems a little stagnant. The character, and especially his wit and self-delusion, is as entertaining as he ever was but a little stale. The whole thing feels as if the author is cashing in.

Despite these reservations, the central character is still a fascinating study into twenty-first century manipulation, especially using social media as it currently is, with themes like #metoo and toxic masculinity thrown in. The concept of love and loving, delusions and the chilling thought that we may be part of something like this make this a compulsive and disconcerting read. I really wanted to find out what becomes of this modern anti-hero. And that is why I read the whole book. It compelled me to. Great read if maybe a tad rehashed and a little too long, but quite a twist at the end.

Oh my goodness, what a ride!

This is the third instalment of Joe Goldberg's story, and the first I've read since the emergence of the very popular Netflix series, 'You'. I think it's important to read the first two books before this one, as the reader isn't provided with the sort of condescending recap that many saga writers are guilty of slipping in (or perhaps is demanded of them by their publisher). I found myself visualising Penn Badgley's portrayal of the character throughout this book, such is his total embodiment of Goldberg's characteristics. There is a cheeky reference to the Netflix world which I thoroughly enjoyed too.

Caroline Kepnes' talent is in creating a protagonist who is completely unbearable - I certainly wouldn't want to come into contact with Joe Goldberg, and that is only partly due to the higher-than-average death count that surrounds him - but making him interesting enough for you to be captivated by the story. Joe is a hideous narrator; all sickening double entendres and wisecrack plays on words to impress his audience and display his intelligence. He's playing to a gallery that isn't even there. However, the beauty of these books is finding out what happens next through him. What is he going to do now? How is he going to handle the most recent problem that has landed in front of him? I've never hated a character so much, yet been so fascinated. It's also fair to say that the people that surround him in this book are pretty deplorable too.

This book is a slight departure from the first two, in that Joe is trying to be 'well behaved'. The deaths keep happening - I'm pretty sure that will always be a staple of these books - but his relationship with Love has changed him. Slightly. This makes for an interesting dynamic.

This book kept me on my toes for the entire duration. The end of chapter cliff-hangers are so shocking that you can't just stop there. In places, it's completely implausible but it's pure unadulterated entertainment. The last bombshell is particularly harrowing and I'm still thinking about it now, several days after finishing the book.

I wholeheartedly recommend this book, and the wider series. Kepnes is an amazing writer - I realised how little description she adds to Joe's monologue but yet I always had a vivid picture of where he was and the type of person he was with in my head. Long may he continue...but I also hope he gets his comeuppance soon.

You Love Me - Caroline Kepnes

This is the third in the 'You' series, and now a hit Netflix series.

You really need to need the two earlier books first, 'You' then 'Hidden Bodies'. Events follow straight on from book two and while past events aren't explained, past characters are frequently referred too.

The novel is in the first person view of Joe Goldberg. Introduced in 'You' as a sociopathic obsessive stalker, now by book three he is trying to be good, not stalk, not get obsessed, not kill people. As dangerous sociopathic anti-heroes go, for me, he's the best, better than Dexter, Sweetpea and American Psycho's Patrick Bateman.

Joe, now a wealthy man, has moved to Bainbridge, an island off Seattle, he volunteers at the local library and quickly meets the object of his next obsession.

The first person style often moves into full, deep stream of consciousness. Reading it becomes a state of mind, sometimes fast and ranting and often very funny. There is a very high degree of self awareness and character development as Joe attempts to lead a better life and learn from his past mistakes.

There is some sparklingly creative writing, and I found it a joy to read, then the last 20% really ramps up and throws in plenty twists and tension.

Overall, a highly creative book, and a brilliant truly immersive reading experience.

Read the first two books first though, this one is published in the UK on 6th April so plenty of time to get reading.



Thanks to Random House and Netgalley.

As much as I was a fan of the first two novels, I found this chain of events a little too unbelievable and the book then lost some of its charm. I found it hard to get through

Caroline Kepnes has, of course, done it yet again. Her series just continues to get better and better when it was never lacking in the first place. I'm obsessed with the new characters in this addition. Still just as creepy and twisted - if you enjoyed the first two, just go pick this one up. Highly recommended!!

Oh Joe. We all love to hate Joe, but what is it about this character that we can't get enough of? He is so sneaky and so cruel yet women have this weird soft spot for him despite all the mad stuff he's been doing since the start of this series!

Another woman, a librarian this time, in Seattle. I mean, Joe just wants to be loved, and doesn't he deserve it?!

Every chapter will leave you wanting more, Caroline has a knack for drawing you in and making you love the people you really shouldn't!

You Love Me

Caroline Kepnes brings us another installment of Joe Goldberg! I am a huge fan of the first two books and the similarities are plain to see in You Love Me. It’s although the format/blue print is almost identical. You'll recognise the plot points if you're a fan of the other two novels.

It’s hard to write this review without ruining the end of Hidden Bodies, but Joe is making a new life for himself in a remote town. He volunteers at the local library and falls for Mary Kay (the library manager).

I didn’t feel the same way for Mary Kay as I did for Beth and Love. I actually found her really irritating. Joe and that internal monologue of his is back, and it’s just as brilliant as ever, especially in his pursuit of Phil and Melinda.

I loved the AA scenes - I thought these were a highlight of the book. I really liked Phil and Joe, but I genuinely never warmed to Mary Kay or Melinda. Great writing always makes you feel something. Positive and negative.

I’m looking forward to book four and I’m hoping the shackles come off and we see an evolution of Joe Goldberg.