Billie and Cassie have been friends for the past 23 years. Growing up the pair were inseparable. They were bonded by friendship, and a dark secret. As they grew older, they started to grow apart.

Cassie married a wealthy man from a high society family and started a family. She has also become a fashion influencer on social media. As the years have gone by Cassie and Billie have less in common with one another. Billie is a carefree world traveler, that is single and has no children. Billie is desperately wanting to reconnect with Cassie. She would love to be able to rekindle her friendship with Cassie.

The night of Cassie’s 35th birthday, Billie hears Cassie’s infant daughter crying from the party above. As the party is going on and no one is caring for the child. Billie decides to take the child and care for her downstairs away from the loud party. Cassie is hysterically trying to find her missing daughter. Now Billie has realized what she has done and now finds a way to comfort her friend in her time of need. What follows is how these best friends, ended up in such a dark place. Now Billie needs to keep the secret that she was the one who has abducted Cassie’s baby.

Even though there is a lot going on in the plot itself this is definitely a character-driven story and I did like that about it. This wasn't so much a thriller or suspense like I was expecting, but more of a toxic friendship and motherhood between two women. It is a slow burn, so if that is something that you like, I completely recommend this one for you. I like the premise of the book, I just wanted a little more of a thriller.

Bye, Baby by Carola Lovering will be available on March 5, 2024. A massive thanks to Netgalley and St Martin’s Press for the gifted copy!!

I'm feeling a little...indifferent about this book.
I absolutely loved the plot and each chapter revealing bit by bit of the fuller picture. However....I wish more CAME of it. I was expecting a bigger mystery. We know that Billie kidnapped Ella, but I wish there was a bigger motive other than just "she was angry because Ella was crying and she wasn't invited to the party." I was hoping that SPOILER ALERT!!!!!



Wade's murder would contribute more. Or the fact that Grant used to be a cheater. So, the ending fell a little flat for me because I was just expecting....more.

Overall, I still really enjoyed this and devoured it very quickly. I just want MORE! I was left thinking "wait....that's it?"

Thank you netgalley for the arc!

This was the best thriller I’ve listened to in a while. I absolutely loved the sarcastic humor that Lucy and her grandmother both had. It made this book less heavy, which is hard to do with a suspenseful thriller. The premise of the suspected murderer having no memory of the events was also unique to me. And once all the memories and timeline of events started falling into place, I was dying to see how it ended. And the ending still took me by surprise.

The narrators also did a very good job with the characters they portrayed, giving each of them a unique voice both figuratively and literally.

I didn’t want this book to end. Thanks so much NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the opportunity to review this book.

4 Twisty Stars!

This is my first book by Ms. Lovering and I was drawn in by the blurb and so excited to read this book. This book does an amazing job of exploring deep friendships from childhood that then splinters apart for one of the friends which, years later all comes to a head.

Billie and Cassie were besties that met in seventh grade and were inseparable even with their economic differences. Never in her life did Billie think she would be cast aside by Cassie but that’s exactly what’s happened now that they’re both adults and Cassie has married into more money than she grew up with and is on her way to becoming the “Influencer” she’s always dreamed about. Billie however, is unmarried, and not living the life of her dreams, with the exception of living one floor below her previous best friend. One night changes everything for both of them in a twisted path that as the story progresses we find out what secrets are being held on to and the why’s of Billie’s actions.

The more I read of this book, the more immersed in the story I became. I was fascinated by how these two women changed and their goals in life shifted with these changes and this story moves at a pace that works perfectly for the storyline. Billie is quite a manipulator and her actions know no end to get to her end goal; having Cassie as a friend again.

By the end of the book, I was pretty much slack jawed and wondered how I hadn’t figured out how it was all going to play out which is a true testament to Ms. Lovering’s writing. I wasn’t sure what to expect when I started this book and at the very end I was a very happy reader having just finished an amazing book and finding another new to me author that I’m looking forward to reading her previous books.

A good domestic women's drama. Exploring very difficult subjects, we watch as the two protagonists once such close friends have their friendship morph and dissolve over the years. The inciting incident happens decades ago but propels the story now.

Many thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for this ARC!

Childhood best friends Billie and Cassie have been drifting apart ever since Cassie’s step into married momfluencer life, until one day Billie finds herself kidnapping her baby and simultaneously is called upon for support in Cassie’s time of need.

Talk about a toxic relationship... Let’s not kid ourselves here, this was not a thriller or psychological fiction by any means, but as long as you’re not let down by being unthrilled, this was a quick and interesting read about a complicated friendship and the lengths someone will go to hold onto what they deem is important.

I felt like there were some loose ends dangled that I wanted tied up, but overall, it just felt like a really authentic portrayal of women my age in the area where I live on two very different life paths and that’s something I really appreciated.

First things first, I went into this one expecting a full thriller/mystery and it is not that, BUT I still really enjoyed it! I mean, reading the blurb you already know what happens and all of the major twists happen before the first 50% of the book but the author has a phenomenal way of writing that makes you want to keep reading to see what happens. This book is an ode to female friendships and how secrets within the friendships can lead to some serious toxicity. Both main characters drove me nuts, but in a good way? I liked the dual POV & timeline as it helps tie everything together nicely. This is a very good read and one I definitely recommend picking up!

Bye, Baby
Written By Carola Lovering
Published By St Martin’s Press
Release Date March 5, 2024


When this book came out I wanted so bad to read it. I could not wait until I heard back from the publisher and then….I got the best news ever. I was granted the book to read and I want to thank both Lovering and St. Martins Press. This book grabbed a hold of me and took me on the best thrill ride of all times. The twists and turns, the characters that kept the reader on the edge of their seat and a story that will keep you guessing throughout. I love, love, love this author and want to say that this book is so well written and exhilarating. Fast paced and gripping this book will keep the reader engaged and excited from the first page until the last.

Cassie Barnwell lets piercing screams rip from her lungs. Her baby is missing. What could have happened and how could someone have gotten in her home. Her best friend, Billie hears the scream and realizes that the baby her friend is looking for rests in her arms. Billie knew that the friendship that her and Cassie had had drifted apart yrs ago. The two were very inseparable at one point. Cassie had become more than she thought she would. Married to a wealthy man, a new mother, and an influencer that a lot of people have come to trust. However, Billie knows something that Cassie wants to stay a secret. What would hurt for the two of them to restore their friendship? If Billie uses it for leverage maybe they will be just as close as they once were. Or maybe Cassie will involve the police. Billie must do something to make things right again but can she? Things may turn worse for both of them. Something is going to happen and you will definitely want to read to find out what that something is. It is the edge of your seat, nail biting experience you have ALWAYS wanted out of a mystery/thriller. You will not want this one to end. I PROMISE!!!

5 stars

Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for giving me a copy in exchange for my unbiased and honest review

Bye, Baby by Carola Lovering is a suspenseful story about a friendship with many secrets. I enjoyed the book and found myself wanting to know more about where the plot was headed. The book is mysterious in many ways and leaves the reader with hooks to keep them coming back for more.

The story is told in alternating chapters between Billie and Cassie.

Billie hears screams one day in the apartment above her and knows that it’s Cassie. Cassie’s baby has gone missing. She looks down to see that she is the one to have taken the baby!

So why did Billie do this and what is her friendship with Billie like? We find out that Billie and Cassie met when they were younger and experienced a lot together including some trauma. In the present, Cassie has married a wealthy man and is living a completely different life from Billie who is single and doesn’t want children. Their friendship has drifted apart.

This story focuses on how people and friendships change over time, how childhood trauma can impact individuals throughout their lives.

Thank you to St Martin’s Press for my ARC!

4.5 stars - I really enjoyed the book, which I would say is an engaging domestic drama/women's fiction, not a mystery/thriller as I've seen it categorized. You will enjoy it more if you set your expectations accordingly. The story deals with different types of losses and the way friendships can change and become dysfunctional. 

Billie and Cassie have been best friends since childhood and have been there for each other through many joys and traumas throughout their lives. However, things change when Cassie marries an affluent man and ignores Billie in favor of a new group of wealthy friends. She also begins posting non-stop about her charmed life on social media which her followers love, but often frustrates her husband. Even when Billie is upset with Cassie, she can't seem to look away from these posts. Billie has had much heartbreak in her life, but has always had Cassie to turn to. She tries to keep the friendship alive in spite of the way Cassie treats her. One night, Billie catches Cassie in a lie when her social media posts contradict something Cassie has told her. Billie snaps and the decision she makes will change both of their lives. 

There are times I felt sympathy for Cassie, but she and her mostly shallow friends are hard to like. Billie doesn't always make the best choices, but the hurt she feels each time Cassie snubs her is relatable. The story told from alternating point-of-view between Cassie and Billie in different timelines is very engaging. The thing Billie does is talked about in the prologue, but the book is suspenseful as you wonder what drove her to take such a drastic action. In flashbacks, you learn that Billie had a very vile stepfather as a teen and some of the scenes between him and Billie are hard to read and could be triggering for some. It does set up something important, however, that affects both Billie and Cassie going forward. Most things are wrapped up by the end of the story, but a couple are left open to interpretation. I choose to have a hopeful outlook on how things will go moving forward for the characters.

I received an advance copy of this ebook at no cost from NetGalley and St. Martin's Press, but my review is voluntary and unbiased.

Carola Lovering has written a masterpiece! This thriller caught me from the beginning, and it's written so very well and such a great storyline that you can't stop. Lovering makes you love her characters, and feel alongside them throughout the journey. Toxic friendships. Twists all over the place. Truly a fantastic read! Easily a 5 star read I highly, highly recommend!

Thank you to NetGalley for sharing this arc with me in exchange for an honest review.

Having enjoyed Carola Lovering’s previous novels, I didn’t hesitate to add this one to my must-read list.

Bye, Baby ended up being a bit unexpected. It had all of the addictive writing, intriguing characters, and intense storylines that I have come to expect, but this novel was so much more than a domestic thriller, it was a novel about female friendship, how it evolves over time, and the choices that we make as women. It was a thought-provoking novel that, darn it, made me feel a lot more than I thought it would.

Billie and Cassie were friends since the seventh grade. They shared everything with one another: good times, bad times, and traumatic times. They were pretty much inseparable for most of their young lives, but as time goes by, people change, outgrow their small towns, lifestyles, and often outgrow the people that they grew up with.

In a domestic thriller, I am often not overly attached to a particular character. I am there for the ride that the story is going to take me on. With Bye, Baby, I was invested in one of the characters. I cared about her, I wanted her to be happy, and I wanted everything to work out for her. Yes, I cared. Did I think she always made the best decisions? No. Did I want to shake some sense into her and tell her not to do certain things? Of course I did. If she had listened to my good advice, it wouldn’t have been a very entertaining story, though. She had to do what she was going to do, and I was there, flipping the pages as quickly as I could to find out what the repercussions were going to be.

The story alternated between Billie and Cassie’s perspectives, both from the past and present day. I loved seeing their friendship from the very beginning and how it grew over time. They had a closeness that many best friends share, but not all friendships are able to survive the test of time. We always think that we will be best friends forever with our earliest friends, but we don’t consider how we may go in different directions with our life choices and goals.

Bye, Baby was a riveting, twisty read that swept me into the story and kept me glued to the pages. I was invested from the very beginning of Billie and Cassie’s story and couldn’t wait to find out how it would all play out.​

*5 Stars

Cassie and Billie were once inseparable during their youth and young adulthood and have since grown apart. Cassie is a first time mother married to a wealthy man while Billie continues to be child free and doesn’t date much. One fateful night Billie hears Cassie scream from the floor above her, panicked about her missing baby. Billie looks down and sees the baby in her arms. How did they get to this point?

I have loved all of Carola Lovering’s books but this one was absolutely amazing! The complexity of the characters has you loving and hating both at different parts of the book. Told from dual perspectives, it will also have you cringing and asking yourself, “why are we like this?”

Bye Baby was a clench your teeth kind of read but not in the way you might think.

This book made me uncomfortable and put me on the edge of my seat but in a great way. Following Billie and Cassie, two childhood friends whose relationship has grown distant, this book gives a different perspective on toxic friend relationships and what some friends will do to keep them.

I listened to this as well as read it and the audiobook was great. I was listening and flipping pages on my kindle as fast as I could. Lovering kept me wanting more as I tried to figure out what the big climax would be and it wasn’t disappointing. I’m glad that all the loose ends were tied up and that I didn’t feel like I was left wanting more.

I am a big fan of Carola Lovering, so this was a much anticipated release for me! BYE, BABY is a story of suspense about lifelong friends Cassie and Billie. Cassie is married with a baby and wants to leave her past behind — Billie included. When Cassie’s baby disappears, Billie is there to comfort her. She is desperate to restore her friendship with Cassie, and that includes lying to her about the night Cassie’s baby went missing.

⭐️⭐️⭐️💫
Lovering has a talent for writing toxic relationships, and this one was juicy! Billie is overly attached to her friendship with Cassie, even though all of the signs are there that she should move on. I enjoyed the dual POVs because Cassie and Billie are so very different. The author did a great job of revealing just enough at the beginning of the book to build suspense.

This book read as a slow-burn for me — but the chapters are very short, which made it a super quick read! The ending was a little lackluster for me, and I wanted a bit more action, but overall this was a page-turning psychological suspense 🖤

3.0 Stars
Bye, Baby
Carola Lovering

Thank you to #NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the Ecopy of Bye, Baby by Carola Lovering. The story POV rotates chapters between Billie and Cassie, the main characters. The chapters are short and flow well, once you are comfortable with alternating chapters and moving from present to past and back again. I enjoyed reading the perspective of Cassie and her dedication to becoming a lifestyle influencer and the amount of personal information she shares with strangers. In her commitment to this new lifestyle, Cassie finds new friends that improve her career and slowly pulls away from her best friend since they were 11 years old, Billie. Billie is confused by this distance and becomes obsessed with regaining her status in Cassie's inner circle.
This theme was the main plot of the story and it became repetitive and dull. The author shares a lot of Billie and Cassie's childhoods, but again, it dragged on. I would not describe this story as a thriller or mystery. Everything that happens is obvious and predictable. This novel should be listed as a family/friend drama with little surprise or suspense.

This book had so much potential with the plot, but in my opinion, it fell short. Ultimately, the title, cover and synopsis were what drew me in, but it just wasn't for me, and I wouldn't consider it a thriller but more in the suspense genre.

Thank you NetGalley, Carola Lovering for a copy in exchange for an honest review.

I was provided a free advanced copy of this book from @netgalley in exchange for my honest review.
Billie and Cassie met when they were twelve years old and became inseparable! Throughout high school, college, and even early adulthood they stuck together. But as time moved on they began to drift apart. Now at 35, Cassie has married a wealthy man, and has an infant daughter, and Billie is the one still hanging on. Until the day Cassie's daughter goes missing.
I struggled with this one. You know from the back that Billie is the one that takes Cassie's child. But how we get there and how we get from there... was... interesting. I told my husband about 50 pages from the end, "I don't know how this is going to end. If it goes one way, it will be disappointing, but if it goes the other way it would be too unrealistic!" I do think it was an OK ending, but the concept alone was just odd for me.
It is set to be published this Tuesday, 5 Mar, so look into it if it sounds like a book you'd be interested in!
#NetGalley #ByeBaby

Thank you to Netgalley and St Martin’s Press for the ARC in exchange for my honest review!!

This was a really hard read, please make sure you check trigger warnings before picking this one up. StoryGraph has really great and detailed TWs so I always recommend checking there before reading most books.

Another thing to note, this really isn’t much of a thriller like I thought it would be so if you are looking for that, you won’t really find it in this book. Very character driven, two unlikable and unreliable main characters make it also hard to keep up with.

Not really my favorite, but not bad if you are looking for a storyline with unreliable narrators and toxic friendships driving people to do horrible things.

Carola Lovering has an impeccable way of writing characters that are so internally awful in the most peculiar ways. Neither Cassie nor Billie were particularly likable - both dark and twisty and messed up, they were fascinating to follow. I was cringing so often as the story line progressed. It was like a car wreck where you can’t look away but you absolutely need to know what happened. The storyline was so unique and kept me engaged the entire time.