Thanks to NetGalley and Random House for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.
Release Date: April 6th, 2021
400 Pages
Synopsis: Joe Goldberg is back. And he’s going to start a family—even if it kills him.
Joe Goldberg is done with cities, 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 living 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.
Anyone familiar with the two previous books in Kepnes’ You series, knows Joe Goldberg is, um, unlucky in love. His relationships tend to be full of drama and end very, very badly…as in dead bodies being left behind. But in You Love Me, Joe is determined to make a fresh start. No drama, no killing, he’s a “good guy.” Well, you can probably guess how THAT goes! If you’re at all familiar with antihero Joe Goldberg, whether through the book series or the tv/Netflix adaptation, you know he has a myriad of mental health issues which I’m guessing include an antisocial disorder or attachment disorder, and narcissistic personality disorder. He perversely has a charming side, which kind of makes you root for him and his undying quest for true love. In this third installment, Joe is after sexy librarian, Mary Kay DiMarco, who like Joe’s previous loves, is a bit of a mess. Like Beck, Candace, and Love, I didn’t particularly care for Mary Kay. Joe’s types always seem to be at best, self-absorbed, and at worst, as disturbed as Joe, which makes me contrarily be more on his side. I also thought Mary Kay’s relationship with her BFF, Malanda, was a little too reminiscent of Beck and Peach in the first book. But, as usual, seeing everything play out through Joe’s eyes, gives the story a darkly comedic tone, especially as this time when bodies start to pile up, Joe is more a hapless victim himself. It took a few chapters for me to get sucked back into Joe’s world, but once I did, I couldn’t put this down. There were a couple of big twists that I didn’t see coming, and although the finale was a bit frenetic, it happily hints that there will be a 4th book. All in all, You Love Me is another implausibly bonkers yet highly entertaining entry in the You series, and I think it will leave fans quite happy.
