I wasn't sure what to expect with this book. I don't remember why I even chose it. I think it was the description. (below) It just seemed intriguing. Then I started reading.
From the start, I was sucked in. Curious to know what leads a person to kidnap their friend's baby. I had several theories throughout the book. In the end, I was nowhere close! Well-written main characters, Billie and her friend Cassie are real. They are far from perfect, They are even unlikeable in some ways. Their story is unique, and their history has formed a bond between them that is keeping them tethered.
Such a great book so interesting and entertaining
Carola Lovering is now on my shortlist of authors I will keep an eye out for in the future. Thank you to St. Martin's Press and Carola Lovering for this ARC!

Description
Every friendship has its shadow.

On a brisk fall night in a New York apartment, 35-year-old Billie West hears terrified screams. It's her lifelong best friend Cassie Barnwell, one floor above, and she's just realized her infant daughter has gone missing. Billie is shaken as she looks down into her own arms to see the baby, remembering—with a jolt of fear—that she is responsible for the kidnapping that has instantly shattered Cassie’s world.

Once fiercely bonded by their secrets, Cassie and Billie have drifted apart in adulthood, no longer the inseparable pair they used to be in their small Hudson Valley hometown. Cassie is married to a wealthy man, has recently become a mother, and is building a following as a lifestyle influencer. She is desperate to leave her past behind—including Billie, who is single and childless, and no longer fits into her world. But Billie knows the worst thing Cassie has ever done, and she will do anything to restore their friendship…

Told in alternating perspectives in Lovering’s signature suspenseful style, Bye, Baby confronts the myriad ways friendships change and evolve over time, the lingering echoes of childhood trauma, and the impact of women’s choices on their lifelong relationships.

This was a stressful read that grabbed me from the first page. I wouldn't really call it it a thriller but I haven't been sucked into a book like this in a long time.
This book covered a lot of touchy topics and I was itching to see where Billie and Cassie would end up in their friendship.
Billie did something horrible, but i dont think shes necessarily a horrible person. Cassie did something horrible too... their friendship has secrets and its what ties them together and pushes them apart. So happy for this ARC and the chance to read this one early! I love carola lovering and everything she writes!

Bye, Baby is a gripping and suspenseful read that will hook you until the very end. Four stars!

*I received an advanced reader copy of this book from NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

I screamed when I got a Carola Lovering book. To say I’m obsessed with Tell me lies in an understatement. This book kept me guessing the entire time and I loved the back and fourth. One minute I’m mad at Billie and then I’m mad at Cassie. The twists really kept me guessing. I would 100% recommend this book. Thank you NetGalley for this ARC ❤️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This book was super suspenseful and I couldn’t put it it down! It centers on long-time friends Cassie and Billie, who have recently grown apart after Cassie got married and had a baby. Billie is desperate to keep Cassie in her life and goes to extremes to do so until one night she makes an impulsive and terrible decision that changes everything.

This is one of those unique books where the author makes you empathize with completely unlikable characters. Both Cassie and Billie were hard to like for different reasons, but I found myself rooting for each of them on and off throughout the book. I liked the alternating chapters and felt that the suspense was high the whole way through. The ending of the book was satisfying for me and seemed realistic, under the circumstances.

Overall, I enjoyed this book at least as much as the previous books by this author. Would definitely recommend to those who like psychological thrillers as well as the whole “friends with secrets” trope. Thanks to Netgalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I couldn’t look away from this one.
Cassie is a self proclaimed influencer documenting every moment of her life with her rich husband and new baby.

Billie and Cassie have been friends since they were 12 . They are tied together by history and a secret they can’t reveal and can't forget. Cassie has planned her life around finding a rich, old
money husband. Once she has all the pieces in place- she begins to ignore Billie.. Cassie’s constant IG posts, as she shares every part of her life with the world- are like a train wreck that Billie can't look away from.
Billie has built a great life for herself also. She has a job as a travel agent for the rich with lots of amazing trips as benefits, a loving group of friends and a new guy. But her obsession with Cassie could take it all away.

This book was well written and I will definitely read this author again.The author perfectly pegged the character of Cassie and the dopamine high she seems to get of followers over real people in her life. I found myself off doing something and wishing I was home curled up with this book. Thanks to NetGalley, & St Martins Press for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

No quotes because unreleased (coming out March 2024!!) but holy moly was this book good!! 4.5 stars! You're getting zero spoilers from me, It'll have to be a must-read for you next year.

One Line Review: They've been lifetime friends, harboring secrets they swore to take to the grave. But one night, and one unforgettable decision take their lives and turn them upside-down. Nothing will ever be the same for either woman, as they navigate a twisted new world of lies, deceit, and the toxic ties that bind them together (whether they like it or not.)

Synopsis: Join Cassie and Billie, based in New York, both living incredible lives that fit them to a T, or at least appears so. Cassie has always dreamed of being more than where her roots grounded her in childhood. She fights voraciously to gain status, wealth, and an online following, all thanks to her WASPy husband Grant's heritage.
Billie is an avid world-wanderer, made possible by her fantastic job that takes her everywhere she's ever wanted to go. While both women love the way their lives have evolved since childhood, it has forced their once air-tight bond into more of a casual acquaintance, much to Billie's disappointment. She feels Cassie distancing herself but doesn't know why.
The breaking point came on Cassie's 35th birthday, when Billie realizes that her life-long best friend blatantly lied about not having a party, leaving Billie (literally) watching in on the event from outside. In an unbelievable snap decision, Billie does something that she cannot come back from. To say that these two are the epitome of a toxic relationship is an understatement, but it was the reason I couldn't put this thriller down!

My Thoughts: The way that author, Carola Lovering, takes you through this journey is nothing short of thrilling (see what I did there LOL.) You're swept into Billie and Cassie's perspective and parts feel as though you are in the room with them, Carola truly immersing you in their lives. There was a moment where Cassie repeatedly had nightmares, and I got chills, feeling as though it were a dream I was vividly a part of myself.

Carola Lovering is now on my shortlist of authors I will reach for again in the future. Thank you to St. Martin's Press and Carola for this Advanced Reader's Copy!! So happy to have this been my first ARC to get to read and review!!!

This was exactly what I needed to get out of a reading rut. I love Carola Lovering and was so excited to receive an advanced copy of Bye, Baby and it did not disappoint. Fans of Tell Me Lies will devour this. While not necessarily a thriller, there was an element of suspense that kept me turning the pages late into the night. Bye, Baby focuses on a complicated friendship between Billie and Cassie from teenager years to motherhood and everything (and I mean everything) in between. Carola writes toxic relationships SO well where you’re siding with one character in a chapter and then changing your opinion the next. I absolutely loved the ending and thought it did both characters justice and was realistic. I can’t wait for my friends to read this one.

Enjoyed the book. The beginning was a bit slow but it did pick up. The friendship between Cassie and Billie was sweet
And heartbreaking all at the same time. And something that i think readers would relate to.

This was the first book I read by this author. I am looking forward to reading more from her.

Interesting read. They become best friends and share lots of ups and downs through their lives, some good, some not so good and drift apart but maybe not so much for one of them who doesn’t really want to give up what their friendship was but things just can’t be the same. It all comes to a head when one of them does something that can’t be forgiven by the other and maybe not by the man that she realizes that she loves and wants to be with. Highly recommend.

I received an advance review copy for free and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

This was the first book by Carola Lovering I've read, and I really enjoyed this book. This book pulled me in from the start. I liked the back and forth between the characters Billie and Cassie. The storyline was great.

I very much enjoyed this book, told in alternating perspectives, across two different timelines. Cassie and Billie have been friends since they were teenagers and have grown apart in recent years and the story takes us through the entirety of their friendship and the reasons that things ended up the way that they did. There is a mystery-ish element to this story, but the story seems to be much more about relationships. I didn't want to put this one down. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an e-ARC of this novel,

I gave this book 4 stars - It is very different than anything else I have read lately and at the end kept me up wanting to finish. Bye, Baby is a book about 2 women, childhood friends up until the time one of them, Cassie, meets her rich husband. Cassie becomes an influencer on the internet. Billie has had a rough childhood and although she has a good job she does not compare to Cassie's new found wealth. Each chapter alternates between Billie and Cassie going back and forth between the past and the present. When Cassie has a baby the rift becomes even more pronounced. Billie mourns the loss of Cassie's friendship. The climax occurs when Cassie has a birthday party and does not invite Billie. Although this may sound petty, it is not as the two shared some very disturbing experiences.
Their story is told in alternating chapters going back in time, but is easy to follow. I look forward to reading more by Carola Lovering. Thank you to to NetGalley for an advance readers copy in exchange for an honest review

Absolutely mesmerizing! This book delves into the intricate tapestry of friendship, taking unexpected twists and turns that kept me hooked from start to finish. The evolution of the friendships portrayed was a fascinating journey, and the way it all unfolded defied every prediction I had. The author's ability to craft such authentic characters and their relationships is truly commendable. Just when I thought I had it all figured out, the story took an astonishing direction, leaving me in awe of the author's storytelling prowess. A must-read for anyone seeking a deep and unpredictable exploration of friendship's complexities.

Carola Lovering writes a certain kind of book - in which wealthy (or those who want to be wealthy/are jealous of the wealthy) get into trouble and some sort of lie and trouble ensues. And every time I pick one up, I know what I'm getting in a good way and I'm here for it. I pick up Carola's books because she can repeat her mold differently every time. I consistently found myself wondering whether Billie or Cassidy was the villain, and I found my feelings totally torn when each one of them acted unpredictably (but also could be considered predictably).

Strange story about a baby that is taken while there's a party going on in the apartment. Then, the back story is told about 2 friends, one of whom now lives in the same building but was not invited to the party.

Bye, Baby is an addicting suspense novel (binged it in one sitting) that examines the toxic friendship between between Cassie, a NYC influencer, and her childhood best friend, Billie. Told in dual POVs and timelines, you will get a glimpse of their friendship throughout the years, learn bout the deepest secrets that bonded them together, and the events that pulled them apart in the present. I think the author did a great job writing two morally gray characters. There were times when I loved Billie and despised Cassie and others where I liked Cassie and could not stand Billie’s actions. While they both made mistakes, I was shocked when I finished the book emphasizing with Billie and really did love the side romance storyline Lovering added. Along with that, I think the social media angle was realistic and powerful. Also, being a NYC resident myself, I loved the setting and found it easy to connect with all the places and landmarks mentioned.

Read if you like:
-Suspense novels
-Toxic friendships
-Social media influencers
-Dual and alternating timeliens
-Unlikeable characters
-NYC setting

Thank you SMP for the ARC! Pub date 3/5/24

I really liked this book. This was the first book by Carola Lovering I've read, but it will sure not be the last one. This book pulled me in from the start. The relationship between the two women was so believable . I think readers will definitely be able to relate to one of them. I hated to put it down. Going forward I will look for more books by this author.

I really enjoyed this book. The trauma definitely made me uncomfortable and it was heartbreakingly sad, but very important to the characters. Carola Lovering writes young adult like no other and I loved the progression of these characters into their mid thirties. The influencer angle also brought a lot to the book because that is so our culture right now. I really enjoyed learning about Cassie and Billie's stories and how they came to be essentially strangers in the city they call home.

4/5

I totally devoured this book. I don't really know how to classify it - it wasn't quite mystery or thriller, but more suspense.

Synopsis: A missing baby. A fraught friendship. A secret that can never be told.

Things I liked:
• alternating perspectives
• character development
• back and forth in timelines
• I like/dislike both the main characters. I still don't know who I liked
• It's both heavy and light at the same time

Things I didn't like:
• Not much to say, but there was some unnecessary language

CW:
• language, abuse

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!