For You and Only You

Posted April 28, 2023 by Carole in Reviews / 9 Comments

I received this book for free from the publisher. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

For You and Only YouFor You and Only You by Caroline Kepnes
Narrator: Santino Fontana
Series: You #4
Published by Penguin Random House Audio, Random House Publishing Group on April 25, 2023
Genres: Fiction / Thrillers / Suspense
Length: 15 hours 31 minutes
Pages: 448
Format: ARC, Audiobook
Source: Publisher
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four-stars

New York Times bestselling author Caroline Kepnes, whose acclaimed YOU series inspired the hit show on Netflix, follows “addictively charming antihero” (The Washington Post) Joe Goldberg to the hallowed halls of Harvard, where he leaves crimson in his wake.
 
“Twisted . . . delightfully creepy.”—Rolling Stone

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.

With her trademark satirical, biting wit, Caroline Kepnes explores why vulnerable people bring out the worst in others as Joe sets out to make this small, exclusive world a fairer place. And if a little crimson runs in the streets of Cambridge . . . who can blame him? Love doesn’t conquer all. Often, it needs a little push.

I had a good time with this book! It is always lovely to catch up with my favorite serial killer, Joe Goldberg. This time Joe has his eye on an aspiring author named Wonder after meeting her at a writing fellowship at Harvard. The whole group of writers is an interesting group and I never knew how Joe would handle the various challenges thrown his way. I loved that there were plenty of surprises worked into this installment.

I love Joe. He is able to justify almost every action he has taken and somehow wins me over in every installment. I know that he is not actually a nice guy but he sure does seem like it at times. He is very unpredictable which adds to the fun of the story. I found the story to be really exciting at times and I loved the fact that I never knew just what Joe might do next.

I listened to the audiobook and thought that Santino Fontana did a fantastic job with the story. Even though this is the first book in the series I have listened to (I have read the other books with my eyes.), this narrator quickly became Joe to me. I loved just how completely he was able to bring this story to life. He brought just enough emotion to his voice to keep me fully invested in the story. I am certain that his performance added to my overall enjoyment of this book.

I would definitely recommend this book to others. This is the fourth book in the You series which I believe would be best to be read in order since events from the previous books are frequently referred to in this installment. I was glued to my headphones and had a really hard time setting this book aside. I hope to see more installments in this entertaining series in the not-so-distant future.

I received a review copy of this book from Random House Publishing Group and Penguin Random House Audio.

9 responses to “For You and Only You

  1. OOh nice! My copy of this just arrived yesterday and I am excited to add it into my queue! Sadly never had the opportunity to read it early, I feel like I did last time, but I could be misrembering! At that point I just knew I wanted to read it before season 3 just in case the show continued to follow the books, but it’s kind of taken its own turn now.

    Glad to hear that this one was enjoyable! I truly never thought I would find myself addicted to a series about a serial killer, and not even a Dexter variety one at that! Lol. Nice review!

  2. I remember listening to YOU. I didn’t enjoy it as I hoped to. It sounds like you have been having a great time with the series. Great review.

  3. I read the first one and loved it. I keep meaning to continue on. I’ve also caught up on the Netflix series and enjoy it as well. Penn Badgley really has become Joe to me so I’m sure I would imagine him as reading. I also read Providence by this author and loved it as well. It’s not talked about a lot but I definitely would recommend it if you’ve not picked it up yet.

  4. It sounds like the audio narration was done so well, I LOVE it when the audio just makes you want to listen until its done haha It just makes the listening experience so much better.

    Great review!

  5. I have yet to start this series but I know so many people absolutely love it and I love seeing that you’re still enjoying it! I really need to start with the first book.