For You and Only You

A Joe Goldberg Novel

By: Caroline Kepnes

Narrated by: Santino Fontana

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

A POPSUGAR BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR

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.

Critic reviews

“Joe Goldberg lives on. . . . For You and Only You delivers everything a fan could want. . . . Yes, it’s a book about writing books, and yes it’s very meta. . . . Kepnes obviously knows the world well, so the zingers land with authenticity. . . . What makes For You and Only You stand out is how pitch-perfect Joe’s voice is when he’s ‘talking’ to the Wonder who lives in his head. . . . [Joe’s] voice is so confident that at times Kepnes puts it in all caps and it feels right. . . . Joe is an addictively charming antihero and after four books, he still feels fresh and original.”—The Washington Post

“Compulsively readable and laugh-out-loud funny.”—The Boston Globe

“Hard to put down . . . another witty, irresistible mashup of crime fiction and romance, crafted with care and slicked with satire . . . Kepnes dissects that disturbing trope [of stalkers as romantic] with an icy scalpel . . . Kepnes’s group portrait of the workshop members and their dynamics is comedy gold. . . . The plot twists keep on coming, so fast Joe’s wisecracks can hardly keep up, barreling toward a truly surprising finale. The key to For You and Only You, and all of this series, is Joe’s unmistakable voice, seductive and sharp and, once we realize we’ve fallen for it, frightening.”—Tampa Bay Times

“Kepnes gleefully portrays the most back-stabbing seminar yet, dropping literary names with abandon as she twists the plot. Joe Goldberg might be a narcissistic, manipulative, murderous, utterly unreliable narrator, but he’s damn entertaining.”—Kirkus Review (starred review)

“Puckish . . . Kepnes waggishly satirizes the publishing industry, and her outsized characters’ egos and anxieties lay the foundations for delightfully deranged plot twists. . . . Joe’s stream-of-consciousness narration engages throughout, rendering readers both confidante and accomplice. Kepnes reliably entertains.”—Publishers Weekly

“Within this intensity, [Joe Goldberg’s] snark-laden observations about ego, love, and loyalty ring true.”—Booklist

Joe diverges

No spoilers but this is a different Joe. Do not expect him to behave as expected.

Way too long

Fully a third of this book could have been cut and it would have been much more entertaining. I’ve been a fan since the first book of the series, but it’s definitely a less is more situation.

Not as great as the others but still pretty great

Not as great as the others, but still very good. I'll listen to anything she rights and anything he narrates.

Worth the wait.

I preordered this and had to make myself take breaks so I could savor it. I could have finished it in one go. This book was a ride! Kepnes refused to be predictable with this latest book. Just when you think you know what’s about to happen as the story line moves toward the usual directions, the story takes a turn. As she mentions in the book, you’ve got to trust the author and let her set the pace. Joe let’s us inside his mind to let us see his obsessions with writing and love…and ultimately with himself. Fontana breathes life into Joe. He’s so believable in this role. He is charming and sexy and menacing at times, making him feel so real. I LOVE his narrations in this series and he’s still killing it. My only complaint is what happens in the epilogue because…NOOOOOOOO! What?! Please say it’s not so!

God he is frustrating

I can't tell you how many times I screamed at my phone. I stopped multiple times just to vent because he feels so real and authentic. He has to be the most realistic narcissist unreliable narrator that has ever been written. I don't know if I "enjoy" Joe, but I couldn't stop listening either.