The Reading Room- You Love Me by Caroline Kepnes

Hello everyone and welcome back to The Reading Room where I talk about the upcoming/recent releases I’ve read recently and am excited to talk about.

I am thrilled to share my review of You Love Me by Caroline Kepnes, the third novel in Joe Goldberg’s story. Good ole’ Joe is back at it again and for anyone who was disappointed by Hidden Bodies should rejoice. I felt this one was just as good as the original.

*I received a free copy of You Love Me in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed are my own and do not reflect that of the publisher or author.

About the Book

You Love Me (You, #3) by Caroline Kepnes
Published by Random House on April 6, 2021
Pages: 400
Goodreads

Joe is done with the cities. He’s done with the muck and the posers, done with Love. Now, he’s saying hello to nature, to simple pleasures on a cozy island in the Pacific Northwest. For the first time in a long time, he can just breathe.
He gets a job at the local library—he does know a thing or two about books—and that’s where he meets her: Mary Kay DiMarco. Librarian. Joe won’t meddle, he will not obsess. He’ll win her the old-fashioned way... by providing a shoulder to cry on, a helping hand. Over time, they’ll both heal their wounds and begin their happily ever after in this sleepy town.
The trouble is... Mary Kay already has a life. She’s a mother. She’s a friend. She’s... busy.
True love can only triumph if both people are willing to make room for the real thing. Joe cleared his decks. He’s ready. And hopefully, with his encouragement and undying support, Mary Kay will do the right thing and make room for him.

About the Author

Caroline Kepnes is the author of You, Hidden Bodies, Providence, and numerous short stories. Her work has been translated into a multitude of languages and inspired a television series adaptation of You, currently on Netflix. Kepnes graduated from Brown University and previously worked as a pop culture journalist for Entertainment Weekly and a TV writer for 7th Heaven and The Secret Life of the American Teenager. She grew up on Cape Cod, Massachusetts, and now lives in Los Angeles.

My Thoughts

As my husband said when I first made him aware of the new installment in Joe’s story, “I really hope he finds love this time” and that’s the talent of Caroline Kepnes in all her Joe novels. She makes you care about a guy who does unspeakable things in the name of love and devotion.

This time, Joe finds himself in the Pacific Northwest, on a little island off the coast of Washington. The quiet setting was a stark contrast to Joe’s previous haunts (New York and LA) and the object of his affection is a married mother of a teenager named Mary Kay. What’s more, she works at a library. As a librarian myself, I loved the little glimpses into library life, as well as the literary references.

Since Joe’s paramore was already established it was a bit of a fresh take on Joe’s modus operandi. Of course we got the typical “love at first sight” accompanied by all the trappings of making sure his love is happy and being the guy she needs, even if she does not know she want him, yet. Joe is the ultimate unreliable narrator and I absolutely adore it. For anyone who has not read the books but has seen the Netflix show, you should go in knowing that Joe is so much cringier in the books than he is in the show.

At play in the book is also some consequences that carry over from Hidden Bodies, which I am going to remain tight lipped about to avoid spoilers. I will say that Joe is absolutely as diabolical, manipulative and stalker-ish as he was in the other two books- even if he is determined to “be good”. He even rescues three kittens- which all survive so do not worry about that!

Joe has learned from his past relationships, which he applied to his wooing of Mary Kay as well as the winning over of her daughter which he calls “the meerkat”. You love the people he loves and hate the people he hates and maybe, just maybe, you understand why he does a lot of what he does and how dare Caroline Kepnes make me empathize with a guy like Joe. It’s absolutely disturbing and I reveled in every minute of it.

Overall, I gave Joe’s latest effort to find love 5? and wish him luck in his future endeavors that we will hopefully get to read soon. I am so thankful to Penguin Random House for the early copy and am always excited to read more from this author.

What About You?

Have you read You Love Me? What did you think of it? Let me know in the comments!