Caroline Kepnes is an American writer, screenwriter, author, and former entertainment reporter. She is best known for her novel series You, consisting of You (2014), Hidden Bodies (2016), You Love Me (2021), and For You and Only You (2023). Kepnes was involved in writing for the Lifetime/Netflix television series adaptation of the same name. She also authored the stand-alone novel Providence (2018).

Kepnes was born on November 10, 1976, in Barnstable, Massachusetts. She attended Barnstable High School and later graduated from Brown University with a degree in American Civilization. During her career as a journalist, she worked for Entertainment Weekly and wrote about pop culture. Her first paid writing was an article about boy bands for Tiger Beat magazine.

Aside from writing, she made a cameo appearance in the television series The $treet. In 2014, Kepnes released her first suspense novel, You. The story explores the dark side of romantic comedy tropes by featuring a protagonist who is a violent stalker and serial killer. This novel was written during a difficult period in Kepnes' life, following her father's death from cancer. She initially resisted labeling her character, Joe, as a serial killer but eventually acknowledged the nature of his actions.

Her second novel, Hidden Bodies, serves as a sequel to You and was adapted into the second season of the Netflix series You. Kepnes' third novel, Providence, is a suspenseful romance with supernatural elements. Reviews describe it as "a bit like Dexter meets H.P. Lovecraft."

The third novel and sequel to Hidden Bodies, titled You Love Me, was released in 2021, and Kepnes is currently working on the fourth novel in the You series titled For You and Only You.