For You and Only You

A Joe Goldberg Novel (You, Book 4)

By: Caroline Kepnes

Narrated by: Santino Fontana

Length: 15 hrs and 31 mins

Publisher's summary

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.

©2023 Caroline Kepnes (P)2023 Random House Audio

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

“Twisted . . . Delightfully creepy.” —Rolling Stone

“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

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.

A book of Wonder

Santino always does an amazing delivery of Joe Goldberg; his voice really brings the words alive. This audiobook gave me some sleepless nights because I kept wanting to listen to hear what would happen next. The writing is darkly funny and witty. There is something very amusing about Joe’s cynical inner dialogue, particularly when dealing with the pretentious people around him that is just so relatable, just you know, he goes too far with the consequences. I liked how this particular piece was a bit of a satire on Ivy League and publishing; I enjoyed the jealousy and the sense of crazy that people can get when producing art, whether it be media or writing a book and that feeling of entitlement for recognition for hard work and then just not getting it. This actually might be my favorite “YOU” book yet!

Joe diverges

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

Ready for another!

Caroline K does it again! Brilliant! And Santino Fontana, as always, does an amazing job making Joe G come alive. Perfection! As with the entire You series, I didn’t want this book to end!

Santino Fontana+Joe Goldberg=AMAZING

5 stars for the narrator! his voices, his tone, he just nails it all!
I have big love/ hate for Joe and hope there's a book 5 to enjoy.
For You and Only You wasn't as grabbing as the other 3 that I basically binge listened to. This one was not as addicting. I fully admit that I was listening during a stressful few weeks, so it could be the personal distractions. I definitely plan to listen to the series again if there's a book 5.

A Fun Ride!

From the moment it begins, it's nonstop twists and turns, laughs out loud, and ohhhw shoowts! 🎶There is a soundtrack in my mind as Joe slips into maniacal episodes the way he does, you know?!

Enjoyable and entertaining...you'll relish every opportunity to listen!

I Love YOU!

Overall very entertaining. The Reader is pretty frickin amazing. It’s like listening to slam poetry, the rhythm and pace is awesome. Also perfect character voicing. This story had a few moments that I felt were repetitive but then again Joe is a psychopath, so that maybe how his brain works. I loved the topic of writer/writing and thought this must have been a fun one to write for the author. I loved listening to this and found it very anddictive and humorous. Can’t wait for the next book! Highly recommend the series.