I really loved this book. Carola Lovering describes the dynamics of a toxic relationship flawlessly making her books unputdownable

A fantastic domestic drama that kept me interested from beginning to end. The plot revolves around two childhood friends, Billie and Cassie, whose friendship has grown apart through the years.

The story is told through the alternating points of view of Billie and Cassie. They weave the tale of their complicated friendship through flashbacks to the past and the events around Cassie's 35th birthday. I enjoyed the short but descriptive chapters that gave so much insight into why these friends have ended up in the lives that they lead now.

The plot was extremely well conceived and unfolds at just the right pace. It was hard to put this book down, I kept thinking I would read just one more chapter and that would turn in to 5 or more. It is a very thought provoking story and left me wondering what I would do if put into the situations of these two women. This was my first Carola Lovering book but I am sure it will not be the last.

I am extremely grateful to St. Martin's Press and Netgalley for the opportunity to read a digital copy of this captivating book for review. All of the opinions in this review are my own.

This book was entertaining and I kept turning the pages, but wow - every character is so unlikable I had a hard time feeling any sympathy for anyone. Maybe that's the point?

Obsessed. Carola Lovering knows how to write these angsty, sexy stories that I simply cannot put down. She's become an auto-buy novelist for me.

Bye, Baby was the first book by Carola Lovering that I have read and I enjoyed it. The book was told in dual POV and timelines. Cassie and Billie have been friends since they were young and are now in their mid thirties. Their relationship has gone through many changes since high school and they have drifted apart. The book opens with Cassie screaming because her baby has disappeared and Billie is in the apartment below her with the baby. How did they get to this point? These girls, especially Billy have gone through so much trauma and abuse in their lives. This book touches on some very touch subjects. I wouldn't say it's a thriller but there is a psychological aspect to it.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for an ARC of Bye, Baby by Carola Lovering for an honest review.

I have read this author before. This was not my favorite book. I didn’t like the characters even though I sympathized with them at first.

This was not my favorite Carola Lovering. I thought Part 1 was really strong; Part 2 had too much filler for my liking. Not a bad read- gets 3 stars from me.

I’ve had this on my shelf and was finally able to get to it. This was a pretty good book! It’s not exactly what I was expecting, but I enjoyed it nonetheless. The author utilized a nonlinear timeline along with multiple points of view. This added a lot to the overall experience as it gave us more of an insight to the background of the main characters, along with their thoughts and emotions they encountered in both specific events and just life in general. Some of the relationships amongst the characters and how they interacted with and treated one another were just awful to see. It’s sad to say that there’s actually adults out there that are like this. There were also some parts were hard to read due to the nature of what was going on. With that said, there are some trigger warnings, including alcoholism, sexual and emotional abuse, severe anxiety, early onset dementia and rape. While I highly disliked one of the main character’s personality and how she treated people when she didn’t seem to have a need for them, the array of elements made the story come together.
Thank you Netgalley, Carola Lovering and St. Martin’s Press for the opportunity to read and this book. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I loved the idea for this story! The characters had a lot of great potential but I felt that they missed the mark for me in the aspect of being able to connect with them. The actions the characters took at times felt very out of the blue and were not easy to understand the motives behind. The plot even though it sounded intriguing at first glance it did read very much like a drama rather than the suspenseful thriller I was anticipation with a very slow start to the story and with the story progressing at a slower rate than I had hoped for a exciting suspenseful thriller. Overall this story had great potential and some enjoyable moments and relationship points but it did miss the mark for me. Definitely recommend if you enjoy slow paced domestic thrillers with a largely character driven plot.

It seems that the thrillers lately haven't been exactly...thrilling. This was the first book I read by this author, and I found it to be quick paced and engaging, with characters that you loved to hate, and I easily binged it in a few sittings. But I wouldn't call it a thriller at all, knowing what happens up front, but more of a friendship gone wrong story.

Billie and Cassie have been friends since childhood, when Cassie's family moved to blue collar Red Hook, NY in disgrace after being cut off from the family matriarch's money in Greenwich, CT. Eager to claw her way back to the status she once had, Cassie is a social climber at best, gold digger at worst, but fiercely loyal to Billie, coming to her aid in an unspeakable way when it mattered the most. Once she is firmly ensconced in the upper classes of NYC, enjoying her status as an influencer, boutique owner, and finance wife and new mother, Cassie tries to distance herself from her friendship with Billie, who is still enamored of Cassie and doesn't want to let their friendship go. The final straw is when Cassie lies about not having a birthday party, and coincidence brings Billie to her building the same night. When she hears the cries of Cassie's infant daughter on her balcony, being neglected in the chaos of the party, she acts on instinct and takes her to calm her down, but then realizes what she did amounts to kidnapping. This was more a story of how far you will go for a friend and realizing when it is time to let them go than any shockingly twisty thriller, but enjoyable in its own way.

This was a page turner, I couldn't put it down. So many twists and turns that will keep you guessing! Toxic female friendships, alternating POVs, secrets, loss, and more!

I was given this book in exchange for my honest opinion. Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for this ARC.

Thank you to @netgalley and St. Martin's Press for my gifted copy in exchange for my voluntary review.

Cassie and Billie have been best friends since childhood, that is until Cassie snags her successful, rich husband and lavish life. Cassie tries to leave Billie in the past until one day when Cassie's baby disappears. Billie is Cassie's person to run to in times of distress and need. Cassie's baby shows back up on her doorstep, leaving Cassie full of anxiety and paranoid that it'll happen again. Putting her life on hold, Billie comes to Cassies rescue and gets her best friend back, but Billie is hiding a terrible secret, one that she knows will end their friendship for good if found out.

I really enjoyed this thrilling read! Fans of Daniel Hurst and John Marrs will like this one!

I was immediately sucked in by Lovering's writing but what I thought would be a gripping thriller about a kidnapped infant turned out to be more of a look at a friendship gone wrong. Although I love a story about the NYC rich, the characters were hard to relate to or root for and the ending was a letdown. 3.5 stars

Thanks to St. Martin's Press for the copy to review.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for a review. As a big fan of Lovering’s Tell Me Lies, I was very excited to get my hands on a copy of this one. This is a really great long term friendship perspective that shows how the different paths you choose in adulthood affect your pre-adult relationships. It’s hard to write a ton about this without giving away plot details but if you’re looking for a book about the rise and fall of a female friendship and the choices we make to try to resist change, this one might be for you.

“Bye, Baby” written by Carola Lovering earns 4+ stars for me. The beginning of the book was riveting. The descriptions of the relationships were heartfelt and I could feel the emotions as they played out. There were some unexpected twists but the ending was a bit predictable for me. It was an enjoyable story and written well enough where I could relate to the characters.

I absolutely loves this one. Probably in my top 10 books for 2024. I would give it 5 out of 5 stars. Great ending and loves the twist at the ending

Bye, Baby by Carola Lovering delves into the idea of what you would do for a friend. It reveals the depth of jealousy and what can happen when emotions overcome thoughts.

Billie and Cassie were best friends for as long as they both could remember. That was until Cassie escaped the life she had come from to a life of wealth and influencer lifestyle. As Cassie worked to do everything she could to escape her past, Billie struggled to hold on to their friendship. Despite her efforts Billie and Cassie drifted. Cassie had a life now that didn't fit a place for Billie. Cassie was not only a social media influencer but now she was a mom. Both of these being things that Billie could not be and had no desire to pursue.

When Billie finds out by happenstance that Cassie is having a birthday party she wasn't invited to Billie can't help but feel upset and angry. It almost seems like fate or karma when her boss moves into the apartment below Cassie. Even more so when her boss asks Billie to feed her cat.

It only took a baby's angry wails and hungry cries for Billie to react. Billie does something she never expected to do. Take her best friend's baby. What happens next is a spiral of events that brings the once best friends closer again and Cassie to fall into an obsessive despair. Even when things begin to work out and the baby safely returned Cassie believes the only person she can trust is Billie. Billie understands everything especially after the past they both escaped. Especially since Billie knows Cassie's dark secret.

However, the truth has a way of coming out and even as Billie is joyous to have her best friend back it is only a matter of time until things fall apart all over again. It's on the reader to find out what path this story of friendship and friendship betrayed takes.

Until next time, happy reading!

This was my very first book from this author as I’m going from new to old reviewing. It was not the most twisty thriller as I guessed how everything was gonna end from half point. I kept wondering if I was going to be wrong but sadly I wasn’t. It is not a very good sign when you guess early on what it’s happening. If you’re a reader that this doesn’t bother your experience then you would enjoy it.

This book explores how friendships and other relationships change over time and thru traumatic events. The main characters were best friends when they were younger but have begun to grow apart. I did not find either of the the main characters to be very relatable at the start of the book but I still enjoyed reading learning about how their friendship started and grew and how their friendship had impacted their lives.

Best friends, Billie and Cassie share a secret from Billie’s traumatic past. After high school and attendance at different universities, each woman makes new friendships and begin to develop separate interests. While Billie feels somewhat indebted to Cassie and desperate to keep the friendship close, Cassie has become a wealthy social influencer with motherhood and fashion as her areas of focus and she has no room for Billie in her life. When Billie discovers that Cassie has excluded and lied to her, she becomes overwhelmed and acts impulsively in an incident that will not only destroy the friendship for good but could also endanger her career and other relationships.
I found this book to be very enjoyable and engaging. I couldn’t imagine how things could possibly be resolved and this made the book difficult to put down. While I found myself rooting for Billie, she wasn’t really a likable character and her desperation was difficult to understand. The past influences on the friendship definitely collided with the women’s present lives making the story complicated and compelling. Cassie and her new friends were easy to hate which gave the situation a moral dilemma. The author did a terrific job of making the reader feel the conflict. A great read!