I’m torn on how to review this. On one hand, I love an estranged friendship/rich people behaving badly story. On the other, I felt that this book was too long with several story lines that were not necessary to the plot. I felt I was just distracted from the story and wanted more about the kidnapping of the baby versus social media following, extravagent lifestyles, and a half hearted love story.

Thank you St. Martins press for this ARC!

I was really looking forward to getting to read this book as I wasn't quite sure what to expect, since I haven't previously read any of this authors work. I was pleasantly surprised though.
From the get go, I was so invested in both Billie and Cassie's past and current lives. As soon as it was apparent that their friendship was strained, I had to know why. With the book starting with the moment Cassie's baby is taken, it provides enough context but also leaves the reader wondering, therefore propelling them to read further into the story.
The way that each character is given their own viewpoint is a style of storytelling that I really enjoy, especially when we are given two in depth characters such as Billie and Cassie. I loved reading what exactly each character was feeling in the events that were taking place.
When it comes to Billie, it was so hard to decide if I sided with her or not when it came to taking Ella. While I understand the feeling of being left out from your old best friends life, I don't think I can sympathize with taking a child lol. When Cassie comes back to Billie and FINALLY puts that dang phone down, I felt a sigh of relief, despite knowing what was going on internally with Billie. It was nice to see their dynamic together as adults.

All in all, this is a really good read. It was a little slow at first, which is why I didn't give a full five stars. However, I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who is looking for a good suspenseful novel.

Thank you St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this advance copy.

The story of Cassie and Billie, childhood friends.
An obsessive and toxic relationship.
Alex and Jane are 2 characters I connected with the most.

The ending wasn't a big surprise,

A couple topics in this book could be triggering for some people.

I enjoyed this book, but wouldn’t put it in the mystery/thriller category.

Billie and Cassie have been friends since childhood. Lovering weaves their past and present to tell a story of obsessive friendship, traumatic abuse and the potential of social media threading a sense of security.

I enjoyed following the lives of Billie and Cassie, I found it easy to connect with both characters in different ways. As a mother myself, I found Cassie’s devotion to motherhood relatable, but her materialistic and money hungry outlook on life was less than palatable. Billies genuine need for love and acceptance left me bouncing between sympathy and second hand embarrassment.

I give this a 3 star rating because I feel like overall the story was a bit anticlimactic. With the title and initial blurb, I would’ve assumed a bigger bang. It was an overall easy read, but I wouldn’t throw it under the thriller/psychological genre.

Billie and Cassie have a complicated friendship that spans decades. Their strong bond is forged with longevity, trauma, dependence and love. But at the age of 35, their lives are vastly different. Billie is a single woman who travels the world as a luxury travel consultant, and Cassie is a new mother whose days revolve around growing her Instagram following and networking with New York's elite. The two have drifted apart mostly due to Cassie who is fine with letting the friendship fade. But Billie can't let go. Things come to a head when she does the unthinkable and kidnaps Cassie's baby; that one decision forces the two to re-examine the truth about their friendship.

I enjoyed this book because it explores how friendships evolve and the challenges faced by women who don’t want kids. While I found elements of this book thrilling, I don't think this is a typical mystery/thriller. The actual kidnapping is a nominal element of the book, and I think readers expecting a mystery will be sorely disappointed.

The flashbacks that showed how Billie and Cassie's friendship evolved over the years slowed the pace of the story and I don't think the huge chunk of chapters dedicated to those years are necessary. The kidnapping’s resolution also means there's not a lot at stake after Part 2. For a reader to keep going, they would have to be really invested in the two main characters, and while I could empathize with both their troubles, I personally found them a bit too unlikeable.

Regardless, I think this book is worth reading and would recommend it to those who want to read about complicated female friendships.

I LOVED THIS BOOK! Just like Tell Me lies, one of the best books I read last year, I devoured this one in 2 days. I could not put it down! I was so excited to see a new book from Carola Lovering, and this did not disappoint. This time, instead of a toxic romantic relationship, Lovering tackled the toxic female friendship. I don't think that anyone is able to tackle a toxic relationship in a more human way than Lovering. She masterfully creates these characters that totally fall into the gray area of good and bad - which is where most humans fall.

Like Tell Me Lies, this book alternates POV between Cassie and Billie, who grew up as best friends in Long Island. This book also alternates between their time growing up and present day. They are now adult women living in NYC with very different lives and a strained friendship. Billie works for a luxury travel planning company and is single and childless. Cassie is a burgeoning influencer and high end boutique owner with a baby who got what she always wanted - an old money husband and friendships with similarly situated women. The book begins with Cassie screaming that her baby is missing, and Billie realizing from the apartment below that she is the one that has her.

While this book has mystery components, I think this book is more about the rise and fall of Billie and Cassie's relationship. While their lives have gone in entirely different directions that leave them with little in common, they have memories, heavy shared experiences, and secrets that make it difficult to just simply let the relationship go.

Cassie was unlikeable to me in many ways, but I just wanted to keep learning more about her and why she was the way she was. She did have redeeming qualities - she is an amazing mother. Billie was more redeemable but her co-dependency with Cassie was difficult to swallow. I did pull for Billie and want everything to work out for her, which I think was important. I think part of this is the detailed universe Lovering built where you get to know all of these characters on a deep level.

As I mentioned, I flew through this book. It is in two parts - during the first part, I could not put the book down. The second part was more of a slow burn, but still enjoyable.

Overall, this book was great and am so thankful for the ARC from NetGalley and St. Martin's Press in exchange for my honest review.

This book will resonate with a lot of women in their late 20s and 30s and they things they go through with their friend groups from different stages in life while growing older. I enjoyed the chapters doing some time traveling telling current day stories along side how Billie and Cassie got to where they are now through events of the past. Decent thrilling moments but some of them could have been fleshed out a little more like why Billie took the baby. It really didn’t make much sense other than wanting Cassie’s attention and being jealous of the baby since Cassie’s life now revolved around her. It was a good book and worth the read but some of the current day stories were drawn out a bit and so much of the story focusing on Billie not wanting kids herself while all her friends do.

Thanks to NetGalley and St.Martins for the ARC.
This story flowed well. The writing was well done and I was able to connect with the characters. As women, we have all been here to some extent in re to the dynamic of friendships. Good read.

I loved this book! The story was so captivating and the characters were fleshed out so well. Carola has a way of writing female characters and dialogue that is so authentic. This definitely adds to the great pace of the story. I highly recommend!

I love Carola Loverling books, so I knew I'd enjoy this no matter what. As far as her others, Bye, Baby wasn't my favorite. It was a slow burn about a toxic friendship, definitely not thrilling or mysterious at all, really. But it's well done. Cassie is a social climber and a social media influencer who has backed away from her childhood friend, Billie, after having a baby- much to Billie's dismay. I saw Cassie in so many of the shallow people I chose not to follow on Instagram and i felt like she was portrayed so accurately. I really enjoyed the relationship with Billie and Alex and my heart absolutely broke for Billie's childhood. Though I wanted to shake her for her adult actions, I understood her trauma bond with Cassie and her misguided ways as a confused, hurt adult. I wish they'd both go into therapy.
The ending to this one is excellent, but it was a bit of a sludge to get there at points. I'll always recommend Loverling.

First of all, thank you to Martin Press Publishing and NetGalley for allowing me to read an early ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Second of all, I’ve given the book 4.5 stars. It was an amazing tale of two friends who grow apart as they reach middle age. The story switches from the two main girl’s POV’s, as well as the past when context was needed. These two girls.. they’ve been through quite a lot together, and they hold secrets that each of them will take to their graves. So when one betrays the other, the betrayed takes it to the next level, stealing the child of her “best friend”.

I think the only reason I didn’t give it five stars was the fact that one of the reasons I was ecstatic to read this is the aspect of the kidnapping. It was advertised as a thriller, so I treated it as such, hoping to be kept on the edge of my seat, you know? But no, the story didn’t focus on the kidnapping, as the baby was returned a few hours after being taken. It focused on the friendship of the two girls, both the past and the present. I guess I was just missing the anticipation. If I’d known it was going to be more about the friendship than the thriller aspect, I would’ve settled down a little and put a box of Kleenex’s next to me just in case.

There were some deep themes throughout, so I would definitely take a mental check before deciding to pick this book up, especially if one is triggered by SA, or perhaps a toxic relationship. I know from experience the last thing one needs is an unwanted flashback. I thought the book handled it well, especially the SA. Justice was served.

So would I recommend this book? Yes, but not as a thriller. I would recommend if someone wanted a little thrill mixed with friendships and relationships. If this is more your style, then this is the book for you, and consider purchasing it when it comes out next March. (This is the review I posted on Goodreads)

Carola Lovering writes the BEST books!!! I don't hear a lot about her and that is just WRONG!!! She is an amazing writer! I am a reader who almost exclusively reads dark, disturbing-type psychological thrillers. Every once in a while, I take a brief break with lighter fare and that is how I discovered this author. I first read Too Good to Be True, loved it, and went back and read her others. Reading this one was a no-brainer for me, and it is actually my favorite. Billie and Cassie are childhood best friends who have grown into adult best friends. Inexplicably Cassie no longer wants anything to do with Billie and cuts off contact and moves on with a new crowd. Billie continues to try and reconnect to no avail. Cassie is an Instagram influencer, so Billie is able to follow along on Cassie's life without her in it until she sees something that leads her to kidnap Cassie's baby. Yes, that's what I said. Now, THAT incident is actually just a TINY part of this whole story. The story is not about Billie stealing Cassie's baby. That happens in the opening chapter and the rest of the book is about what leads up to that point. And it is a fascinating, unputdownable story of female friendship. Told from present-day Cassie and Billie's POV's and backstory from both we slowly learn how the friendship became so fractured. I could not stop reading. I absolutely loved Billie and felt so much for her. Cassie is a self-centered, rich-girl wannabe character, but I understood her also. The ending is just so perfect. I don't want to ruin anything for anyone else, so I will just leave it at a strong urging to READ THIS BOOK!!!! Carolina Lovering, please never stop writing!!!

Thank you to #NetGalley, Carolina Lovering and St. Martin's Press for this much appreciated ARC. All opinions are my own.

I will post my reviews to Amazon, Instagram, Barnes and Noble and other retail and social media sites upon publication.

A complicated and tumultuous lifelong friendship, spur of the moment life-altering decisions, and two very different life paths all converge in this amazing read by Carola Lovering.

Billie West and Cassie Barnwell met one summer in a small town before entering seventh grade. The two became inseparable and bonded over a traumatic incident that they experienced together. However, as the years go by they have drifted apart. Cassie who married into a wealthy family, is an Instagram influencer and doting mother, and Billie who is single, childless, and frequently traveling, couldn't have less in common. That is until the night that Cassie's infant daughter goes missing...and Billie is responsible.

I honestly couldn't put this one down- I absolutely loved it! I legitimately couldn't figure out where the story was headed and loved the perfect way that it all unfolded. The characters were well-developed and I truly had a love/hate relationship with both Cassie and Billie. I found the complexities of their friendship really interesting and the alternating timelines between past and present, and dual perspectives really made me understand both Cassie and Billie's feelings, behaviors, and the (less than ideal choices) choices they made.

I will definitely be checking out more from Carola Lovering!!!

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

Goodreads Review: 7/18/23 https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/5690535775
IG Story: 7/14/23: https://www.instagram.com/the_books_we_love_/

This book kept my interest but I would categorize it more as a book about relationships, particularly ones from childhood that grow toxic, and a coming of age story. The story and characters were intriguing and I enjoyed the multiple POV's. Recommended for those who enjoy toxic friendship/revenge stories. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

This book was interesting, don’t get me wrong, but it was anticlimactic at best. The ending had no twist, nothing. The whole premise of this book is a woman kidnaps her ex best friends baby, only to return her a few hours later. Now the ex bestie wants to be friends again… because she’s the only person she can trust. Then she just confesses and the besties like …. Ok cool. The end. There was no twist no reveal that would make this book a mystery or thriller. If this had had a twist, I probably would have rated this much higher. Boring.

Such a fun, fast, readable story! You don’t know whether to love or hate the characters, to feel sorry for them or just say WTF.

Billie is the most unlikeable character, and frankly the most stalkerish MC that I can remember. I can only assume that she is trauma bonded to Cassie, as that is the only non romantic case I could think of to explain her behavior in this book. She is constantly ignored, belittled and bullied by Cassie, on Cassie’s ride to the top of influencer fame and fortune. Heads up girl, that’s your gross husband bankrolling this life, not the Instagram stories of your avocado toast.

It’s always a good time when you just CANNOT guess what the ending is going to be, and maybe it ended the only way it could. Billie could confess all she wanted, what was Cassie going to do, take the chance that she would be exposed for Wade’s death? Not likely.

The only character I felt anything for was Alex, who had the misfortune to get wrapped up with Billie. But the fact he forgave her for being a psycho? Maybe he deserved it in the long run.

Thanks to St Martin’s Press and NetGalley for the advance copy!

Thoroughly enjoyed this book! The suspense build and the characters. The author did a great job with the characters. I HATED Cassie, McKay, and Wade. Alex and Jane were a breath of fresh air. I felt bad for Billie as she couldn’t recognize it was time to let go. This book will keep you interested for sure. Thank you NetGalley

This is my absolute favorite type of thriller!! Right from the beginning I was hooked. There is the one main character who is the overly jealous/obsessive type and then the other is the typical rich, appears happy but is actually miserable, one. They have been friends for years but after something awful happened when they were younger it has been a secret they both have carried with them. Told in dual POV and timelines I found myself quickly turning pages. Both characters are unlikeable, yet at different points I found myself feeling sympathetic to both. This is a book that would make a great Tv series.

A friendship that has soured with time and growing apart is featured in BYE, BABY by Carola Lovering. I was immediately sucked into this story, and I could not put it down! What I really liked about this story is that it studies this friendship currently and through time. We get to really savor the dynamics. Surprisingly, this novel is fairly low stakes, which might not work for some readers. I, however, savored the writing and characters in its achingly realistic portrayal of Billie and Cassie.

Billie and Cassie were friends as kids. Cassie always had her eye on the prize: a rich husband. Billie took a backseat in the friendship and almost became Cassie's whipping girl. Now, as adults, Cassie is a social media influencer/business owner with a rich husband and new baby. She no longer "needs" Billie like she used to for affirmation. Billie is successful in her own right working with Jane at Jane's exclusive travel agency, but she can't help but be spurned when she's unceremoniously dropped as a friend by Cassie. How can she get back in Cassie's orbit again?

I haven't read Carola Lovering before. I HAVE watched the Hulu series based on her book Tell Me Lies. I *think* the author writes about toxic relationships instead of murder, which I just learned is a sweet spot for me. I can't wait to check out her backlist!

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

4.5 stars.

I don't know if I would classify this as a thriller as there is nothing "to figure out", it's more of a suspense, but it is a very compulsive read. Every time I put it down I wanted to pick it back up and see how it played out and ended. I LOVED the multiple POV'S and timelines. Billie and Cassie each had their own voice that if you didn't look at the chapter headers you would still know who's pov and which timeline you were in. This only lost a little bit from me cause I would have liked a little bit more drama at the end, although I do like how everything wrapped up.


Thank you to Netgalley, Carola Lovering & St. Martin’s Press for an arc of Bye Baby in exchange for an honest review.