Book Review: You Love Me by Caroline Kepnes

“I don’t need help when it comes to self-soothing. I know how to survive and I will survive”

― Caroline Kepnes, You Love Me

The follow-up to Caroline Kepnes' 2016 thriller Hidden Bodies, You Love Me was released in April 2021. For the week of April 10, 2021, the book debuted at position fifteen on The New York Times fiction best-seller list.

Synopsis from 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.

My reaction to this novel...

Despite my dissatisfaction with the second novel, I have great expectations for the third. I'm excited to read this one because I've read favorable reviews and seen good ratings on Goodreads.

The initial chapters were a tad out of control. Anyway, knowing Joe, we anticipate his insanity; if he isn't nuts, he isn't Joe. Just because he narrated this third book differently from the first two, I found it challenging to read. Every sentence is difficult to recall since it seems like he has gone wild. Simply said, I don't like it that way. But the natural bookworm in me compelled me to continue reading it, so I struggled so hard I was about to give up when it struck me.

I suddenly realized that Joe was the same guy from the previous book, which aroused my curiosity and made me want to keep reading. It's a good thing I have this book and I can read it whenever I have time. I was so engaged in the tale that I forgot I have a lot of chores. I'm so relieved to reach the end of the narrative and think, "It's been a long time, Joe!" It's a good thing you're not like the character from the second book."

I found the story to be rather strange. In the end, I had not anticipated anything like it. I don't understand why he has such bad luck with women. I was just sorry for him. He has committed a great deal of evil deeds, but he still seeks his true love. There were a lot of bizarre events in this novel, but a few parts I really wanted to see were left out. Even if the revelation was less shocking than it may have been, the story started to get creepier.

I wanted to recommend it to anyone who have read the first and second volumes, as well as those who, like me, adore psychological thriller books.

My Overall Rating: ⭐⭐⭐✨(3.5/5)