A tension-filled decades-long look at the rawness of need - the things we think, or perhaps are lucky enough to know, we need - to make us whole - and what may be unleashed in our compulsion to find them.

Told in the alternating intimate first-person POV voices of Billie and Cassie - two young women who meet as pre-teens - and following their complicated, emotionally-intense friendship through ups and downs that criss-cross time, culminating in at least two traumatic events as heartbreaking as they are inevitable.

As Billie, (seeking redemption in love and acceptance), and Cassie, (who has subrogated the allure of wealth for intimacy), each face their own demons, their fierce dependence on each other is threatened, as the foundation of their lives shifts through the competing dramas kicked off by their collective and individual experiences in childhood, college, career, relationships, and motherhood.

This fascinating, deep, dark look at friendship is both touching and troubling, and will appeal to readers of psychological suspense, domestic thrillers, and anyone who enjoys taut character-driven journeys.

A great big thank you to #StMartinspress for an ARC of this book. All thoughts presented are my own.

Another reviewer described Carola Loverling books as "compulsively readable" and that's the perfect description for how I felt about Bye, Baby. It was literally unputdownable, once I started, I got nothing else done and read it over just a few hours. The dual POV between the women was ~chef's kiss perfection~ because I love mess. I also thought the incorporation of someone becoming an influencer was perfect for a present-day story. We've got the person doing the influencing, sharing that their life isn't actually what they're posting, and then we've got the other person watching their stories and obsessing, even though they can't get a call back. I just loved the dynamic it created and the way it spurred the story along.

This was a really, really fun read, and definitely one I'll be recommending!

Billie West and Cassie Barnwell had an intense friendship. They were inseparable, shared each other's dreams and secrets, and oftentimes seemed like two minds merged into one soul. The dependency of Billie continued on past that of Cassie and that is what the story revolves around.

Cassie desired the world of fame, fortune, and moving in circles she had once dreamed of, while Billie, was always left on the outside, an introvert, a woman bearing secrets that made her even more dependent.

When Cassie casts her off for the world in which she moves, now rich, now semi famous, now married to money with a child, Billie is devastated and tries in every way to work her way into that inner circle.

Both girls share big secrets that deal with trauma and while Cassie moves on in a big way, Billie is left in a valley of despair and desperation. It all comes to a head one night when Cassie is having a huge birthday party for his wife and Billie is not invited. Then tragedy occurs and Cassie's baby is taken.

The girls grown to women show the difference between the ability to cope with trauma or the inability to do so. They both fall apart in different ways and feel they have no one to go to except one another.

This was an interesting look at how people perceive things, having many side elements, like rape, instability, social class, abortion, not wanting children, influencers, and alzheimers disease. Too many issues cloud the story and make the original story get bogged down in the other side issues. Unfortunately for me, it added elements that were not fully brought out and made for a somewhat tedious story.

Jan and I had quite a lively discussion from the book so of course that made it a worthwhile read for us.

Thank you to Carla Lovering, St Martin's Press, and Net Galley for the ability to read this story due out in March of 2024.

I was totally sucked in by this one. The first chapter really sets the scene for what’s going to happen later in the book. I had no idea I was actually going to be on Billie’s side, given what happened in the prologue, but j just couldn’t stand Cassie. It was so interesting to read about how their friendship changed throughout the years and to finally get to the reason why they were so close and wouldn’t let each other go. I enjoyed reading both perspectives, but ultimately related the most with Billie (although I would NEVER do what she did!). I wasn’t sure how to classify this novel, as it wasn’t really a thriller. I ultimately decided on suspense because it does have you on the edge of your seat. I loved this book!

Carola Lovering is one of my favorite authors ever and I was SO excited to get the opportunity to read this ARC of her newest book. Every book she writes is a remarkable, jaw dropping, page turner, and this book was no exception. I loved how this explored the complicated and ever changing relationship between best friends and what it’s like when you grow apart from someone who was once so important to your life. I also really enjoyed the social media/influencer mom subplot and the setting in New York. These characters were very relatable and reading both of their perspectives made me resonate with the story even more.

Definitely check this book out when it’s released in March 2024 and in the meantime if you haven’t read “Tell Me Lies”, “Too Good to Be True”, or “Can’t Look Away” I highly recommend each of those!

This tells the story of a long standing friendship between Billie and Cassidy. We meet them as adults and then flash back and forth to when they were younger and how their friendship has now changed dramatically. Its an intense story that definitely kept me turning the pages. The character of Cassidy is pretty awful, but I think that's purposeful to reflect the awful influencers that we have these days. Biliie is pushed to her limit in the friendship and does something awful to Cassidy...but in a way you are rooting for the friend who did the bad thing???? Overall I loved this look at friendship, trauma and the long term effects of it.

This was an intense book about Cassie and Billie. Their lives have always been intertwined, but Cassie has been pulling away. Billie does something drastic and changes everything. This definitely kept me turning the pages! I really enjoyed reading this.

The Bye Baby storyline is one of my favorites - a long term friendship of two women whose lives have changed over the years and one of them strives to keep it alive. We all have them and deal with them in different ways. Cassie and Billie suddenly become close again as the result of an incident. Bille basks in the glow and Cassie regrets the estrangement. What follows is a heartbreakingly well written portrait of two women who entwined pinkies and swore allegiance to each other. It’s a thriller too, and the women, especially Bille will stay in your head.

I was obsessed with this book from the prologue. Child abduction stories freak me out but I also have a weird obsession with them (if they get solved/happy ending). This story also has a major plot line of a friendship breakup which felt very relatable to me post baby. I oddly loved the MC who is kinda a villain but the better of the villains? I was rooting for her and didn't want anything bad to happen. Like I said, I related to her.
There were a few parts of the story that made me roll my eyes but I was rather pleased with the ending. This is one of those books where I will be half way in and just know there is no possible good ending. There is no way the author can salvage the mess. But I was pleasantly surprised by the closure the ending brought me.
This doesn't release until 2024 but it is one to keep on your radar!

I was so excited when I saw a new Carola Lovering book was coming out! Such a fantastic, yet underrated author.

Bye, Baby was yet another outstanding novel and it's going right to the top of my list of 2023 favorites.

Billie and Cassie have been friends forever but recently Cassie has been trying to leave Billie behind. Billie just won't accept it and is desperately trying to hang on. (Seriously, Billie, it's super cringy. Let it go.) But then one night Billie happens to be in the same building that Cassie lives in and somehow ends up with her baby.

This was a great book! I loved it, even cringy Billie, and was able to get through it quickly. Another well done novel from Carola Lovering.

4⭐️ Y’all… this book stressed me TF out! I flew through it because I NEEDED to get to the ending because I could not stop thinking about it. I saw myself in Billie’s character a lot. Her best friend is now married with a baby which has caused a monumental shift in their relationship. One night Billie makes a rash decision that alters everyone’s lives.

Themes that I identified with:
How friendships change over time
The differences in having kids vs not having them
How society treats childless women
How social media can take over our lives
The pressure women face to have children
Quantity vs quality friendships

Looove this author - she writes multiple perspective domestic thrillers like no one else. Lovering is so great at relating her characters to our everyday lives. The way she describes friendship, romance and life is so relatable!

Before I read the book I naturally looked at the reviews to prepare myself for what I might embark on.....I found them to be both misleading and insightful. This book is about friendship changing and growing as they do from childhood to adult. We begin with Billie who is borderline obsessive over her friend, Cassie who....I am not a fan of. They try to make you feel for both women and understand them each.....well I just can't wrap my head around Cassie. I found myself siding with a kidnapper?! Don't get me wrong....she messed up and was wrong but I felt for her! The book was a quick read with ups and downs to keep you going.

4 stars-Cassie and Billie meet and become best friends in middle school. The story takes us from their teen years to now and how their lives have changed. What I liked-the writing. The author is very talented at writing a captivating story about the two women. What I didn’t like is Cassie. She is such a shallow, self important character who feels like the world should revolve around her every whim. The in between, I understand Billie’s character, but…I am going to leave the rest unsaid. I think reading it for yourself will give you an idea of where I am going with this. I also liked the ending…it felt to me to be exactly as it should have ended. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the arc in exchange for an honest review.

All I can say is… this ain’t a thriller the book description is trying to make it seem to be.
*insert Jay Alexander confused gif here*

Lots of shallow sh!tfluencer vibe with Cassie.
But not gonna lie I actually liked how the author made this character vapid. Pretty much sums up the sh!tfluencers you see on social media.
Oh and Billie… three words… SIMP BEST FRIEND
The book was weaved in a suspenseful manner just so the reader can see an unfinished and lazy ending.

i would give it a 2.5 but 2 is more adequate.

thank you netgalley for the copy in exchange of my HONEST REVIEW.

btw good for you if this book worked for you but it didnt on me.
sahreeee

I had high hopes for this one after LOVING Too Good to Be True & Can’t Look Away, but found myself incredibly frustrated with both FMC’s and the miscommunications (or lack thereof). Cassie was absolutely awful, selfish, unlikable and annoying. Billie was frustrating. That said, I was curious enough to keep going to find out how this story played out and I really loved Alex. I was happy that they ended up okay/working things out. Overall, I liked this one enough- but it wasn’t a fav. Thanks so so much for my galley!!!!

This book literally left me speechless. Two women were best friends growing up, and began drifting apart once they reached college age, when they went to different colleges. Cassie Barnwell went to a prestigious and expensive college, where she made a lot of friends and future contacts. She married well and now has a child. She has an upscale clothing shop and is an influencer with a fair following. She promotes the articles she has in her shop. Cassie thought her life was just about perfect, and then her infant daughter disappeared one night.

Billie West's mother had died and her college money was no longer available to her, so she was not able to attend college with Cassie, something they had always planned to do. Billie worked to put herself through college, and is co-owner of a business which arranges tours and vacations. She also leads a lot of the tours in exotic, interesting places. Billie is marriage-shy, due to having a front-row seat to her mother's horrific remarriage. For everything she has going for her, she still wants her best friend back, but her best friend has moved on.

This story is full of unexpected twists and some shocking revelations. I recommend it for every reader who enjoys a good character driven thriller.

My thanks to the author, St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for an e-ARC of this book. It was my pleasure to voluntarily read and review it.

Bye, Baby is definitely not what I expected based on the first chapter. This book has some aspects of a thriller, but the real focus is on the dynamics of female friendship when people start becoming mothers. I was hoping for Carola Lovering’s style of writing from Tell Me Lies—toxic, sexy, entertaining. This book definitely brought toxicity through the codependency of adult friends. While I could relate to the struggles of female friendship in our thirties, I found the constant need for approval from a friend to be hard to relate to, at least currently. I also found a lot of the plot to be predictable, and I had trouble caring about any of the characters. It was still enjoyable, though. I appreciated the examination of how friendships changed post-baby. Thank you to St. Martin’s Press, NetGalley, and Carola Lovering for the ARC.

“Bye, Baby” is Carola Lovering’s fourth novel. I absolutely devoured it. I read this book over the course of two days (but it could’ve been one if I started sooner in the day) and it was great. This book examines what happens when best friends grow apart. It’s an incredibly relatable topic and I found myself both rooting for and against the characters at the same time. Both main characters were really dynamic, in part due to the dual perspective of the novel.

Billie West is in a tumultuous relationship with her lifeline friend Cassie. Cassie has managed to outgrow their small town life, and finds herself married to a wealthy New Yorker. On top of this, she has a young baby and a blossoming Instagram following as a fashion influencer. Billie is childless, single, and works at a travel company, which allows her to explore the world. It seems that there’s no room for Billie in Cassie’s new life, so she decides to make the room for herself. When Billie hears Cassie’s screaming, she knows that she’ll be called to the rescue. She managed to hear Cassie’s baby crying one floor above her, and Billie decides she has to take action. So without much thought she kidnaps the baby. Is a missing child enough to reignite their friendship?

“Bye, Baby” will be published on March 5th, 2024. I am eternally grateful to St. Martin’s Press as well as NetGalley for the DRC of this amazing novel.

Bye, Baby by Carola Lovering

352 Pages
Publisher: St. Martin’s Press
Release Date: March 5, 2024

Fiction, Women’s Fiction, Friendships, Relationship Dynamics, Kidnapping

Billie and Cassie grew up together and were best friends even though they were so different. Billie’s mother suffers early onset Alzheimer’s, and her stepfather is abusing her. Cassie plans to attend Harvard while Billie goes to Northeastern. Cassie wants so much more out of life. She wants to marry for money and improve her station in life. Now that she has graduated college, married, with an infant, she is a micro-influencer. She has close to 49 thousand followers. When her infant daughter is taken, she realizes there is more to life than Instagram and posting for strangers.

The story has a fast pace, the characters are well developed, and it is written in the first-person point of view from two different perspectives. The characters are flawed but believable. Billie is clingy and Cassie is shallow. The title comes from their favorite teen movie, Dirty Dancing, “Nobody puts Baby in the corner.” As teens, they called each other Baby. This is the story of friendship and how much a person can take before breaking. If you like stories that involve friends with drama, you may enjoy reading this one.