Billie and Cassie used to be inseparable friends. However, Billie feels like Cassie has pushed her away in recent years, especially since she has a baby. On a moment of impulse, she grabs Cassie’s baby who is crying. Although, she returns her, events unfold.

I was expecting this to be a thriller or more suspenseful at least, but it was more about Billie and Cassie’s relationship. I didn’t find either one particularly likeable as voices, so that also hindered my enjoyment. I thought there might be a good suspenseful twist at the end, but there was not. If you are looking for a thriller, this probably won’t satisfy that craving. If you are looking for more the unfolding of a friendship, you will enjoy this.

I received my copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I'm giving this one a 3.5.
Throughout the beginning and middle of the book I had high hopes, but the ending definitely let down. I felt like the twist was very subtle and just didn't give me a strong feeling. I also felt like it did drag on for a bit longer than necessary, but I also loved the minute details and descriptions to make the scenes come more to life. I loved the character development of every single character - even the lesser, not so important ones! Will I recommend this one to friends in the future? Sure!
A big thank you to the author, St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the opportunity to read the ARC in return for my honest review.

You would think a stolen baby would be the major plot point of this story, but it's only the next step in an uber-toxic friendship forged and twisted as children. Covering a dual timeline we get to see how Cassie and Billie's friendship began and where it all went wrong. I liked Billie a lot more than Cassie, although both were not making the best decisions during the story.
I wouldn't call this a thriller, more just a general drama between once-great friends. Of which the dynamics kept me flipping pages to see how it was all going to play out, especially after Cassie's baby went missing, and Billie realized exactly what she had done. I like the way it all played out, and how it all ended. I would definitely read other books by this author

One night, Cassie checks in on her baby only to learn she is missing. Her lifelong best friend, Billie, looks down at the baby in her arms and realizes with a jolt she is responsible for the kidnapping. The two are bonded by a traumatic incident in high school, but now that they are over it is clear Cassie is trying to move away from Billie and enjoy her new life as a wife, mother, and influencer.

This book started off so strong! The alternating POV and timelines is one of my favorite formats for this genre. The escalation of the story, but at about 55% the book started to slow down and feel drawn out.

Thank you NetGalley for an arc of this book in exchange for my honest review

I wouldn’t say this one was a thriller. It was a little slower paced but it was needed for the backstory. This was very captivating and I finished it quickly. It kept my interest. The ending was a little odd and rushed. I would have liked for it to play out differently. Overall I did enjoy this book and would absolutely read more by this author.

I've absolutely loved some this author's previous books but this was not my favorite. I kept waiting for something surprising . . . some twist. But it didn't come. The ending was also thoroughly disappointing. The one thing I did like was the message behind the book but, unfortunately, that wasn't enough to save the book for me. The narrators were . . . fine. Hope you have better luck.

Bye, Baby comes out next week on March 5, 2024 and you can purchase HERE.

I'm not a baby person. I used to assume I'd become one, eventually, like most of the girls-turned-women I've known in my life, their voices rising in pitch at the sight of a chubby baby arm, the creased rolls of a tiny wrist cuff. I kept waiting for it to happen. But it hasn't. I am thirty-five years old, and I've never felt that particular tug.

I don't know how Carola Lovering repeatedly gets me to enjoy her domestic thrillers when that's typically one of my least-loved genres... but I am here for it. Something about her characters and the deep, dark thoughts they have feel so real and relatable and believable and yet are terrifying - which I think is the perfect recipe for domestic thrillers, or in this case more of a domestic drama. Even though I wouldn't do the things this main character does, I can't help but see where she's coming from and be rooting for her despite her poor decisions. I loved the exploration of all the topics in this book including trauma, grief, motherhood, and (sometimes toxic) female friendships. Content warnings for sexual assault/rape, caring for a family member with dementia, discussions of a past abortion, and the kidnapping of a child.

3.5 stars, rounding up to 4 because I couldn’t put it down.

I wouldn’t call this a thriller by any means, but it definitely grips you like one! It starts with a bit of a mystery, but you figure out the whys and hows at almost exactly halfway through and then the last half of the book is dealing with the fallout from what happened. I started the book liking Billie (not so much Cassie) and slowly I just got more and more annoyed with both of them; Cassie for being so superficial and obnoxiously paranoid and Billie for just continuing to make stupid choice after stupid choice. BUT, again, I couldn’t put it down nonetheless (I mean I was literally up until like 2:30am because I needed to finish this book and know how it ended lol). Loved how Lovering kept going between past and present to give more context to their (very toxic) friendship, as it really provided a lot of reasoning as to why they are who they are and how they became that way.

I liked “Tell Me Lies” (Lovering really loves her toxic relationships, clearly) — though the Hulu show is sooo much better — so I was excited to read this one! Look forward to her next book! Thank you to NetGalley & St. Martin’s Press for providing me with an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book is perfect for anyone who had a best friend that they drifted apart from because their lives took different paths.

I thought the dual timelines were written well and really felt for Billie with all she went through in the past. I don't think that gave her an excuse for what she did even with how awful Cassie was. Neither of these characters were particularly likeable and I struggled to really care about either of them. I liked Billie a bit more, but that's just because Cassie was such a horrible person and friend.

One thing I enjoyed was the dual perspectives. I liked how the chapters alternated with Billie in the present, Billie in the past, and Cassie in the present. It was a unique way to write this story and really worked for me. I listened to the audiobook and thought that Helen Laser and Karissa Vacker were perfect voices for Billie and Cassie respectively. I haven't listened to many books narrated by Laser, and I really enjoyed her take on Billie's character in this story. Vacker was the right choice for Cassie as she was able to show her emotions throughout. I highly recommend the audiobook if you plan on reading this one.

I really wish someone would create a domestic drama genre because this book shouldn't have been classified as a thriller. There was some suspense, but nothing thrilling happened at all. I thought that it dragged on for a while and really wanted something exciting to go down. The ending was completely lackluster, and that was the perfect place for the author to write a major twist.

I'd recommend this if you enjoy:
-New York City settings
-Toxic friendships
-Domestic drama
-Dual timelines/POVs

Thank you Macmillan Audio and St. Martin's Press for advanced copies in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.

Billie and Cassie are estranged best friends. Cassie has distanced herself for good and bad reasons while Billie is still clinging to the friendship. That is what I never quite understood. There was no reason Billie needed to hold out for Cassie, but that is the basis of the story and the drama that unfolds. I overall enjoyed the book but really couldn't connect or feel any compassion for either main character. That missing piece kept this from being a more engaging read for me. Others may not feel the same way.

Cassie and Billie have been friends since high school. Best friends, if you ask Billie. But it seems their lives have diverged since Cassie married and quickly had a baby…and we have: women in their 30’s behaving badly!
The story goes back and forth from their childhood to their present day and with Cassie and Billie alternating as narrators. There are several mildly suspenseful storylines, but for me, it was more of a story about women’s friendships (with some great commentary about social media, influencers, and the life of the wealthy).
There are a lot of themes thrown into the book and some weren’t as well developed as they might have been (for instance, the story about Billie’s mother). Overall, an interesting and quick moving novel! Thanks to Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for the opportunity to read Bye, Baby in exchange for an honest review.

I received a complimentary electronic Advanced Readers Copy of this novel from Netgalley, the author Carola Lovering, and publisher St. Martin's Press. Thank you all for sharing your hard work with me. I have read Bye, Baby of my own volition, and this review reflects my honest opinion of this work. I am pleased to recommend Carola Loverling to friends and family. She writes an entertaining tale that will take you away. This one involves a lot of social media and influencer mess that I found less than compelling or I would have rated it a *****.

Bye, Baby is the tale of the relationship between Billie and Cassie, two mid-thirties career women in NYC, living the dream, so to speak. Cassie is a clothing store owner, a relative newlywed, a first-time mother, and addicted to Instagram. Billie is a rich person's Travel Consultant, herself traveling the world's hot spots to vet them and discover hidden gems for her customers to explore, a woman without any maternal yearnings or a significant other. For most of their early adulthood, Billie and Cassie were best friends and kindred spirits. They attended the same high school, went to colleges within visiting distance, spent most weekends together, and saw each other through Billie's abusive home life and Cassie's love affair with expensive trivia and bad boys. Marriage and motherhood have interfered with that, much to both of their chagrin. Cassie is completely involved with her 48,000 Instagram followers, her husband, and her 4-month-old baby. Even her business is taking a back seat to her newfound family life. Billie is feeling discarded, unappreciated, and extremely jealous. Nothing good can come of this, but it makes for a fine tale! I think you too will thoroughly enjoy this work.

I really enjoy stories involving friendships and secrets and the circumstances that create them. This story is not so much a thriller as a examination of the psychology of the relationship between Cassie and Billie in the past and present. There is also the social media aspect and how that can play a part in our own brain chemistry and the way we interact with the world. The whole book is fascinating and the audiobook is expertly narrated by Helen Laser and Karissa Vacker.

🏙Had bite (maybe too much?🤔)

3-3.5🌟stars
Though Bye, Baby was well-written, I just had a hard time identifying with or liking most of the characters, apart from sweet baby Ella and Alex, Billie's cop love interest. Cassie and her whole frantic social media-frenzied world and obsession with inherited wealth was just too rarefied, narcissistic and way too often downright insensitive, even cruel.

The plot moves back and forth between Billie and Cassie's BFF years, the first stirrings of their estrangement, and the present. And, in the present, the timeline is split before and after Cassie's big 35th birthday bash, when baby Ella goes missing. I didn't find it at all difficult to follow. I liked the suspense of waiting to learn whether Billie's spur of the moment actions and subsequent coverup would have consequences.

I liked the tragic subplot about Billie's mother and her battle with early onset dementia. Billie's longing to remain close with Cassie also made me sad for her, but then, before too many pages had turned, I thought her lucky if she could leave Cassie and her society friends in the dust!

The story seemed too long; I could have done with less blow by blow details of Cassie's day. The ending was a bit disappointing, though I did like the romance story arc between Billie and Alex.

Thanks to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for sharing a complimentary advance copy of the book; this is my voluntary and honest opinion.

"Bye Baby" by Carola Lovering is a captivating exploration of the complex dynamics between lifelong friends Billie and Cassie. The narrative weaves between their high school camaraderie, tackling the challenges of adolescence and tumultuous home lives, and the present day, where they navigate their mid-thirties with starkly different lifestyles. Billie, employed by a luxury travel company, observes Cassie's seemingly perfect life through social media, only to find herself entangled in an unexpected turn of events on Cassie's 35th birthday. The gripping moment when Billie takes Cassie's baby, later returning her anonymously, serves as a poignant catalyst that reshapes their estranged relationship.

The novel delves into the profound theme of outgrowing relationships, despite shared history and enduring connections. It expertly captures the complexities of friendships evolving over time. While I was glad Billie got the ending she did, I would have enjoyed an additional layers or a darker twist to enhance the narrative complexity.

I really enjoyed this book!

Thank you Netgalley and St Martin’s Press for a copy of this ARC in exchange for a honest review!

This book takes you on a gripping journey through the intertwined lives of Billie & Cassie, exploring themes of love, loss, and the complexities of friendship. I was initially drawn in by the strong start of the book, and enjoyed the alternating perspectives of both Billie and Cassie. The use of flashback chapters added depth to the narrative, providing insight into their pasts and motivations.

One of the strengths of the book lies in the ability to tackle heavy topics with sensitivity, although I would suggest checking trigger warnings due to the nature of some themes.

However, as the story progressed towards the end, I felt it began to lose momentum. Some characters’ choices felt unrealistic, which distracted me from my overall enjoyment. The resolution left me somewhat unsatisfied.

Despite my reservations, I appreciate this author's skillful storytelling and would be willing to explore her work in the future.

I decided to do the audio for this one since I love Karissa Vacker! The narration was great but there were some TW that I am sick of in thrillers - Pedophile troupe is not my jam.

Cassie and Billie have been best friends since high school. They’ve been through a lot together and only share some of their darkest secrets with each other.
After a falling out in college, they go their separate ways. Cassie becomes a popular social media influencer with the perfect life, perfect husband and perfect baby girl.
Billie becomes obsessed with Cassie and resents her for continuing to shut her out. On Cassie’s 35th birthday, she throws a huge party at her house.
When the sitter falls through, they have no choice but to keep her at the party with them. The last thing they expect is for someone to take her.

The story is told in dual POVs and takes place in both the past and present. The past helps build the once relationship between Cassie and Billie, and some of the tragedies they’ve gone through together.
I actually really enjoyed this book despite the 3.5 stars. I think that’s just because there wasn’t as much thrill or suspense as I would’ve liked! But I found myself intrigued enough to keep reading and would still recommend it!

TW: sexual assault, rape, kidnapping

Pub date is March 5th!
Thank you @netgalley and @stmartinspress for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Long-term friendships can be so complicated. Throw in some childhood trauma and mismatched aspirations and the ride will be bumpy. Grownups Billie and Cassie have been friends since childhood, but as one marries into money, has a child and a thriving business, she seems to leave the other behind as she forms new friendships. Getting left out or behind never feels good and Billie does all she can to make herself feel better about the situation. Even if that means figuratively going over the edge. I loved the way these characters were portrayed in the book. The story telling was first rate. Great utilization of the glimpses into the past friendship and lives of Cassie and Billie and how that lead them to where they are today. Thank you NetGalley for providing the ARC.

This was a great book. I loved every paragraph, every sentence and every word of this masterpiece! I read it in 12 hours, which is a lot for me to do! It had everything and more laid out in the novel! I sure hope There is more to come from this author! I am totally hooked!