Full disclosure: I finished this book last night and am reviewing it today, so I didn’t take the time to let it marinate like I usually do. My gut reaction on books is sometimes different than how I feel days later, but here we go anyway.

I didn’t dislike this book, and I’m actually surprised by that. First things first, this is not a thriller. I don’t know why it’s being marketed that way. Psychological fiction, sure, but not enough happens in this to be a thriller in my opinion.

That being said, I was palpably anxious reading it. Lovering splits opens the dynamics of friendships and reveals them in all their messy dysfunctions. I really enjoyed the writing and character exploration in this book.

My main issue is, again, not a lot happens. One of the two MCs doesn’t develop at all by the end of the novel, while the other kind of does, it just wasn’t enough for me. Not enough has changed in the lives of either woman by the end to justify the 350 pages on said lives. Plus, while I think Lovering did a really good job portraying both of the MCs, and getting deep into their motivations and personalities, every other character was very one-note.

But as I said, I didn’t actually dislike this book. I really enjoyed reading it, it kept my interest the whole time, and I found both of the MCs truly intriguing characters. I just wish a bit more had been done with what I think was a very interesting premise.

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and Netgalley for an ARC in exchange for my honest review. Bye, Baby will be out 3/5

3.5/5

This book was so predictable and honestly just unbelievable, not in a good way. Most of the time I was reading it I was like ‘seriously?’ . This book would be good for a newbie to the thriller world.

Bye, Baby is a slow-burn, suspense novel about two lifelong best friends who have recently had a falling out. As Cassie becomes rich, a mother and a wife, she decides she wants to leave her other life behind - including Billie. Billie is not married, never wants kids, and is middle class.
What I liked about this book is how relatable it was. I think everyone has friends that they grew apart from as they moved or entered a different season of their life.
This book is not a thriller. There are no twists and turns. It's a book filled with stress and tension. Though the book was relatable, it didn't feel like that much happened in the book either.
I did like how this story was told from the perspective of Billie and Cassie and in different parts of their life. The reader gets a good understanding of who they each are and their history.

Enjoyed this story of a broken friendship and the over the top toxic psychological games that the main characters go through. Beyond the story of kidnapping is the evolution of a friendship and its downfall. Not what I was expecting, but then that became the intrigue.

DNF - Just too over the top for me and had to quit with the sexual assault of a minor. Self absorbed rich women who put themselves over their husbands and best friend . 40% in and no thriller or mystery yet. Just a sad description of those addicted to social media and self-promotion.

Features:

-Explores themes of toxic friendship, trauma bonding, motherhood, and growing apart.
-Starts at the climax
-Complicated characters coming to terms with their choices
-Multiple character perspectives

Billie and Cassie have always been inseparable…until they weren’t. This book about two women growing apart had me captivated from the start. Though there was definitely plenty of tension that kept me turning the pages, it is not really a true ‘thriller’ in my book. The main focus, and certainly the thing that I cared most about, is the past and present relationship of Billie and Cassie. In exploring this fraught friendship, Lovering covers many themes such as the decision to be a mother or not, dealing with trauma, socioeconomic status, the realities of being an influencer, and so much more. Not all of the ideas introduced are fully explored, but I loved having them there to add nuance and complexity to the characters and their relationship to one another. Ultimately, this is a book that I absolutely devoured and definitely recommend to readers who like stories focused on complicated relationships.

A relatable experience despite unrelatable circumstances

Though I found Billie and Cassie difficult to like as people, there are also things about both their experiences that I found extremely relatable. I think most of us have experienced growing apart from someone we were close to growing up. Though Billie’s fixation on her dwindling friendship with Cassie makes everything feel more sudden and extreme, Lovering does a good job conveying the parts of their relationship that will ultimately pull them apart from the very start. I am not a fan of Cassie, but I know people who have made a similar decision to leave their past, and the people in it, behind. Whether I agree with her particular choices or not, her overall desire to reinvent herself is something that I find myself sympathizing with.

Many of the other themes that Lovering explores through these characters I found very real as well. However, the more extreme actions, thoughts, and choices of Billie and Cassie that create extra tension also makes them less relatable. Despite being fully invested in the book, it took me quite a while to stop actively disliking these characters and allow myself to recognize the things that had been keeping me invested in their story. Once I did, I found a lot of beautiful work to like.

A little too ‘on the nose’ at times

This book explores a lot of different themes while the characters try to navigate their relationships and challenges life throws their way. In order to fit everything in and add additional drama, a number of elements are oversimplified and/or exaggerated. As a result, it is easy to miss the more subtle work that makes the characters and situation more nuanced and interesting. I am not someone who feels that every single thread introduced needs to be fully explored. However, there are definitely some that seem to have been added purely for dramatic effect and others that could have led to interesting development but ultimately get ignored in favor of a more straightforward presentation. Ultimately, the desire to make this feel like a thriller undermined its potential as a character novel and so it gets caught somewhere in between. Obviously, this didn’t prevent me from rating the book highly, but it does make it less than a perfect read.

At first glance (and from the first chapter) this seems like it might be a mystery/thriller about revenge and a missing baby. But once you dig in, you’ll discover there is so much more happening. This is a novel exploring friendship, nostalgia, love, loss, status, and social media. I thought the structure of the novel was well done, there are alternating POVs and timelines, and despite all of that, it’s never confusing. I really enjoyed this novel!

as with all of carola lovering’s book, i couldn’t put this one down. the tension is high but predictable the entire time. cassie is the worst. i felt bad for alex.

Bye, Baby looks at female friendships as they change over life stages while keeping the reader wanting to know what happens next.
Billie West hears terrified screams in the apartment above: it's her longtime best friend Cassie Barnwell whose infant daughter has gone missing. Billie and Cassie’s friendship has changed over time. From their Hudson Valley hometown, fiercely bonded by their secrets, to college and even a shared apartment in New York. But the women’s lives have gone different ways. Cassie has a rich husband, a new baby, and a job as an influencer. Billie lives in a small apartment, works at a posh traveling agency, and has no desire to have kids. This hurts Billie to the core and she doesn’t want to give Cassie up. With Cassie’s baby missing and Casie begging Billie for support, she may just have worked her way back in.
Carola Lovering looks at how friendships change over time and life stages. Billie is set up as obsessive but as you look more at childhood trauma the reader can truly see how that can cement some people while making others flee. Facing truths they have been pushing down, for Billie and Cassie the events become a catharsis of letting go of the past and setting them on a new path of growth. This isn’t a beach book about friendship but glances at the dark underside of life and bonds.
The book alternates in perspectives allowing each woman to express themselves and how they feel for one another. The book slowly picks at a big secret-- one that explains everything. The reader must rethink what they know about each woman and if their feelings changed based on past and present actions. Despite this, I personally sided with one of the women. After you read the book, tell me if you rooted for one over the other!
Both chilling and emotional Bye, Baby isn’t just about a missing child; it’s about trauma and friendship. I recommend you give this a read.

Publication Date: March 5
I received an ARC for review; all opinions are my own.

I was hooked at the beginning with the premise and promise of a mystery/thriller, but the book didn’t quite live up to that. It’s ultimately a story about a toxic female friendship between two characters whom I often didn’t like or want to root for. Cassie was shallow and unlikeable and displays zero character development throughout the story, reverting to the same social media-obsessed woman we originally meet. Billie was easier to relate to and root for but made too many frustrating choices to fully invest in her victory. The multiple POVs/timelines mostly worked but sometimes didn’t sound distinct enough from one another. I was invested enough in the story and Billie to want to know the outcome but think the book will be ultimately forgettable.

I struggled a bit it on how to rate this book as I enjoyed it for the most part, but as some who reads 5-6 books per month, at times it just seemed to be a recycled story of a toxic friendship. There were times where I could like Billie and definitely sympathize with her, but some of her choices as an adult left me annoyed as well. Cassie was just overall an unlikable character, but you find yourself wanting the friendship with Billie to work due to events that happened in their past. All of that being said, I will settle on 3 stars. Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and publisher for the digital ARC of “Bye, Baby” in exchange for my honest opinion.

Unfortunately this book was not a favourite of mine. I enjoyed the second half of the book and the way that the author set up the prologue but I found the first half REALLY dragged. The story overall was just okay not the twisty and shocking book I was looking for. Thank you for the opportunity!

Billie and Cassie were childhood BFF’s, but the forever friends just doesn’t last. Told in alternating perspectives between characters as well as flashbacks through their childhood. The chapters build the story well. Through Part One Billie stole my heart! BUT I realized throughout the rest of the novel that it was only because I could connect with her sooo well. I had a “Wade” and a “BFF” that were just like the characters. As the book progressed, I connected less and less. The pitch of complex stories of friendship and womanhood is completely off the mark. This is more of an outlandish story that feels completely YA. I was definitely not looking for or appreciative of the YA feels; overall part two left me wanting so much more.

Many thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the early read!

I would consider this novel more domestic thriller or a contemporary fiction with elements of mystery. It's an interesting and well written story that weaves in themes of friendship and relationships against the back drop of murder. This novel has alot going for it. Entertaining and interesting

I really enjoyed this suspense thriller. Although I wonder if suspense/thriller is a correct label for it. While there was an aspect to that, it almost read more like a story of friendship, with hints of romance and family issues which I found interesting. I found it sort of relatable on a few areas.

This is the story of Billie, who when the book begins kidnaps a baby. The story unfolds to show us what happened leading up to that and after. I liked the different POVS and flashbacks. I don't want to give too much away but there were some difficult parts to the book that should have a TW - SA being one of them.

I thought the author did a great job of writing the characters. I had strong reactions to some of them. I enjoyed the arc of Billie and I loved the ending. This is a hard book to review without spoiling too much but this was a good book that I couldn't put down. I read a lot of it in one sitting.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for an advanced copy. Opinions are my own. 4.5 rounded up.

This book sucked me in and did not let up. A twisted twenty-three-year friendship. Which has had its up and downs along the way. Currently they are on the outs. The characters are easy to connect with, their story is fantastic and gripping. Billie and Cassie met at their small town's pool. From that moment they were inseparable, until Cassie decided she no longer needed Billie. You see Cassie is a bit of a social climber. As soon as she is on the ins with someone better, she is happy to leave you in the dust. Billie always knew Cassie was looking for a man with a trust fund, and she was lucky enough to find it. All her dreams have come true, and she is leaving Billie in the dust. We all know how that feels. The Instagram pics showing everyone having a great time, with one person missing...you. Billie has a great life as well. I wish I had her job of designing travel itineraries for the rich. Umm hello, perfect job. She has had a tough time meeting Mister Right and she is still giving love a halfhearted go.

On the night that Cassie's beautiful baby girl disappears from her party, Cassie's view of the world has changed overnight. The only person she wants in her corner is Billie. Of course, Billie will be there for her no matter what. The past is in the past and Cassie needs her, is calling her, is demanding her to be by her side. No one knows what these two have shared and what they need from one another. Only the two of them. Thank you to Carola Lovering and St. Martin's Press for this captivating read.

Thank you, NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press, for my free digital copy for review.

This book defies the conventional boundaries of your typical thriller. Yes, murder shadows its pages, but at its heart, this narrative delves deep into the complexities of friendship. It intricately explores the toxic dynamics between two women, Cassie and Billie—best friends whose paths have diverged, yet find themselves inextricably linked once more.

The storytelling elegantly weaves between two timelines. The past lays the foundation, offering a detailed exploration of Cassie and Billie's relationship, and enriching our understanding of these protagonists. Meanwhile, the present feels like a constant tug of war—a dance of distancing and reconnection that's both compelling and slightly disconcerting. The emotional turmoil driving a single decision unfurls a cascade of events, propelling the story forward.

I devoured this book in a single sitting, its pace never faltering. Despite finding both characters rather unlikable, their story ensnared me. I was driven by an insatiable need to discover how their intertwined tales would conclude.

TW: Sexual abuse

I love Carola Lovering's books! They are so captivating and exciting to read. I loved the friend/family dynamic and the dual POVs.

This is a story of two friends Billie and Cassie. The story goes back and forth from present to past explaining the back stories of both these characters and how they turned out the way they did. I think the author did a good job of introducing the characters and providing details on each of them separately as well both of them together. I found that the friendship kind of turned toxic and was a bit annoying on how Billie constantly felt like she needed Cassie. I definitely felt hooked into the story from the beginning and was a page turner to find out what happened and how it all ended. Thank you St Martin’s Press for allowing me to have the opportunity to read this an advanced reading copy.

If you like books that hook you from page one and never lag, then Bye, Baby is for you. The story is told in the alternating voices of Billie and Cassie, two women who have been best friends since middle school, as well as flashbacks from Billie’s perspective.

Billie and Cassie are not as close as they used to be when they grew up together in a small town. Cassie is married to a very rich man and now has a 4 month old daughter and friends with money. Billie has a career in travel and doesn’t ever want children. But that’s just the surface. We learn the deeper reasons of both their deep friendship and the later drift over the scope of the novel. And those reasons spur a terrible action on Billie’s part.

Fast-paced and with good character development, Bye, Baby was an engaging, skillfully written novel. I will be reading more from Carola Loverling!

Thanks to NetGalley, the author and St. Martin’s Press for the opportunity to read this digital ARC.