This book caught me by surprise. I knew where it was going but I enjoyed how the main act if you will didn't happen right away. We had some build up which helped establish the relationship between our two FMCs and man what a relationship it is. This book is about love and loss and the things people will do to not lose people.

Billie and Cassie are best friends. At least the way girls can be best friends in middle school before boys get involved. They would do anything for each other. Billie's life is falling apart now that her mom has been diagnosed with early onset dementia. She is now stuck living with her mom and her new stepdad who gives her the creeps. Cassie proves herself during this time to Billie. She shows her how much their friendship means to each other, but at her core Cassie has always wanted more. She wants to be wealthy. She wants to be with someone who has that old wealth who can give her the lifestyle she has always wanted.

Things change between the two women when Cassie goes to Harvard and Billie ends up having to go to a state school because of cost. Cassie starts to get an in in the wealthy crowd. At the same time Billie meets her first love Remy. Fast forward to now and the women don't really talk anymore. Billie doesn't want to let it go but Cassie has found her calling. She is now an influencer on Insta and is living her dream life with her beautiful baby and friends and hubby. Billie doesn't fit in at all. Billie wants to fit in. She wants to remind Cassie what they mean to each other. So she does the unthinkable- she kidnaps Cassie's baby for all of 5 hours. It does the trick- it makes Cassie remember her.

The thing Billie didn't count on in this scenario is how much fear Cassie will have and how much she will not let this thing go. Even if the detective on the case has given her a resolution. So Billie's new BF gets involved. We all know how this is going to go but it did still surprise me at the end. This book shows how much relationships can change throughout your life and how even though you think you are important to someone they may have cut you out for whatever reason.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review! I would recommend this book if you are looking for a quick, psychological drama.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Read How: 🎧
Genre: Women Fiction
Narrator: Helen Laser and Karissa Vacker


Quick Blurb:
Billie and Cassie were best friends from childhood to young adulthood in Hudson Valley and NYC. However, Cassie married a wealthy man who would provide the lifestyle shealways wanted. Cassie has made new friends within the new lifestyle and she doesn’t want anything from her previous life including Billie. Billie is desperate to restore the friendship she had with Cassie due to their past which leads her to do something extremely stupid.
This book unpacks childhood trauma, friendship changes over the years, love, and heartbreaks.


For me, I can still enjoy a book even though the characters are unlikeable as long the writing style and plot are able to keep my interest. This book definitely was and it was the type of toxic I like. 😂

Billie and Cassie were terrible friends to each other. Cassie is a shallow and self-absorbed person but it took Billie a really long time to accept it. I understand why Billie felt loyal to Cassie but the baby girl was delusional and had no self-respect when it came to her former BFF. In the end, I did like Billie because she had some growth for example realizing she had great friends who respected and accepted her for who she was. Sometimes it is okay to lose friendships due to different lifestyles or just in general even though there's used to be a strong bond.
I also liked Alex for her even though she made decisions that fractured the relationship.
My feelings about Cassie didn’t change in the end because she was still selfish and with no depth

Narrator:
I loved both Laser and Vacker voices. I thought they did a great job bringing Lovering's words to life.

Thank you so much Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press and Macmillan Audio for the ebook and audiobook copy in exchange for an honest review

Bye, Baby is a gripping, twisty story featuring two fascinating main characters. Cassie and Billie were best friends, but now their relationship has become toxic—a development that drives this story with its feelings of jealousy, disgust, betrayal, and infatuation. The story is told in flashbacks, as well as alternating points of view. This is a fast-paced, riveting book that will keep readers turning pages!

I’ll start by saying this is definitely not a thriller. More like a combination of mystery, drama, and romance with a whole heap of situations to digest within the pages. I appreciated the look at how tough motherhood is, especially in those early months, the powerful choice some women make to not have children, and the adaptation of friendships through life.

While I respect the conceptualization that went into the crafting of this tale it was a lot different than I’d expected, another example of how important it is to manage the readers expectations. I did a combo of audio and digital and can highly recommend the audiobook, the narrators Karissa Vacker and Helena Laser did an amazing job!

*There are a lot of potential trigger warnings so if you do read this make sure you’re prepared.

Thanks to St. Martin’s Press for the arc and Macmillan Audio for the arc via Netgalley!

Bye, Baby opens with Billie comforting a baby and putting them back to sleep. Then, she hears Cassie screaming as her baby is missing. Billie and Cassie were inseparable best friends from the time Cassie moved to Billie's town after her father lost their money. Their friendship lasted through college and their first years together in NYC. But now, Cassie is married to a trust fund kid and sharing her whole beautifully curated life on Instagram. Billie still lives in a small apartment with no significant other and very few friends. Billie doesn't really fit into the gorgeous image Cassie is portraying and she finds herself hurting as she is forced to watch Instagram for updates on the person she loves most in the world.

The story is told from both Billie's and Cassie's POVs. The timeline jumps around from orbiting around the day the baby was taken and from the past when Billie and Cassie were each other's best friends. I loved the way it was told as the secrets and shared history unraveled. The characters were incredibly human and relatable (even with Cassie being an influencer). I liked the way the subject of Billie not wanting children was handled since I think all women are expected to want them and it can make a huge difference in adult friendships as priorities shift. This was my first book by this author and I'm definitely going to check out some other titles from her!

Bye, Baby by Carola Lovering
⭐️⭐️/5


Pub date: March 5, 2024.

OK, so this one lost me when it was advised as a mystery/thriller, but it feels like more of a domestic drama-type read. Unfortunately, the book itself was slow.
It opens with a great promise that makes you feel like you want to keep reading.. but then, it feels like you spend the entire time waiting for something big to happen... Unfortunately, the big thing that happens- happens at the start. And that's the big thing you wait for. Unrealizing. *sigh*

Besides the dragging story, you'll find yourself annoyed by unrelatable snobs of characters. The entire book was lackluster in my opinion, which is unfortunate because the premise sounded very interesting.

#qotd ladies, what's your favorite makeup/skincare product?
Gentleman, What's your go-to drink?

#byebaby #carolalovering #review #bookreview #bookreviewers #lacking #meh #notmyjam

I'm not entirely sure what to think about Bye, Baby by Carola Lovering. I loved that it was told in different perspectives and across time lines. I liked the exploration of female friendships and the negative effects of social media. However, I found the main story line, Cassie's baby Ella being kidnapped and returned unharmed 5 hours later, to be a fit far-fetched. Overall, this was an enjoyable read. 3.5/5 stars.

A missing baby. A fraught friendship. A secret that can never be told.
Cassie Barnwell and Billie West have been friends for twenty-three years. Recently, Billie feels as though their friendship is drifting apart and she has been desperately trying to repair it. On the night of Cassie’s birthday party, Billie, uninvited and 1 floor below, hears Cassie’s curdling screams. Cassie’s baby is missing and Billie realizes that she is the one responsible.

💭Thoughts:
The first thing I’m going to say is that this is NOT a mystery/thriller in my opinion. While part of me was disappointed by that, the other part of me truly enjoyed what the book actually was: a story of friendship. Two friends who have grown apart for various reasons, but are having a hard time accepting it because there are too many secrets and too much history.
This book was very character driven, which I absolutely loved. I was able to appreciate current feelings based on the alternate POVs and understand the history and evolvement of the friendship based on the past and present timelines. I found myself hating both Cassie and Billie for some reasons while also rooting for both of them for other reasons. They are true examples of characters you love to hate.
I had a range of emotions throughout, which was also a pleasant surprise, and I truly appreciated the wrapped bow at the end 🎀.
Utterly satisfying and I definitely recommend!

Thank you, NetGalley & St. Martin’s Press for a #gifted ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Carola Lovering knows how to write a story.. I just love her. In Bye, Baby, we are introduced to two lifelong best friends, Billie and Cassie. Theirs is a complicated friendship, as many of us with these kind of relationships can attest to. But somewhere it becomes toxic and dangerous. Lovering has a way with developing the characters in her stories that draws you in from the beginning. Bye, Baby is no exception. Highly recommend.

I think if you're looking for a true mystery or suspense, this book won't quite live up to those expectations - but if you're looking for a book explores the complexity of adult female friendships, in a suspenseful sort of way, this will be for you. The story is told both in real time and in flash backs, and you get key information about Cassie and Billie's relationships as the story builds. I think there is a turning point, at the apex of the story, and unfortunately I think we crest a bit too soon. The mystery has unfolded, and the suspense doesn't hold and instead feels a bit strung along, and the ending a bit too tidy. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to provide my honest review.

Short synopsis: Cassie married wealthy, and is now a social media influencer, her childhood bestie Billie is feeling left out because Cassie has new friends. One night, Cassie’s baby goes missing from their penthouse balcony.

My thoughts: While I expected this to be a thriller, it was more a suspenseful drama. A look into social standing, wealth, keeping secrets, and two somewhat unlikable friends. I found times where I didn’t like either character, because they both had moments of selfishness and instability. This was definitely toxic friendship at its best.

The social media influencer side was so believable and kept the story interesting. I can totally see how someone can get sucked into either side (the person sharing their life, and those watching it).

I really liked the dual POV, and the time flashbacks to get more info from their history.

I did a mix of audio and physical reading and would suggest either way! The narrators did such a great job of portraying this story, and propelled the story forward making it impossible not to binge.

Read if you love:
- Social media
- Friendships
- Dual POV and flashbacks
- Romance sub-plot
- Character driven stories

A slow paced friendship drama with very little suspense. The book was written with alternate timelines and POV's which I usually enjoy. However, at times I felt the switch was disjointed and lessened my enjoyment of the story.
Sorry to say, this one just wasn't for me.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the E ARC.

What an interesting book about friendship and small decisions with big impacts. I expected it to turn out somehow grander, but it was satisfying if a bit flat.

"Bye, Baby" by Carola Lovering offers a compelling mix of themes and elements that would appeal to readers who enjoy intense and dramatic stories. The combination of love, toxic friendship, and self-discovery suggests a narrative rich in emotional depth and complexity. The incorporation of literary suspense, domestic drama, character-driven storytelling, dual timelines, and multiple points of view indicates a layered and engaging reading experience. If you enjoy books with a dark and sexy atmosphere, along with a healthy dose of suspense and drama, "Bye, Baby" is a book worth exploring!

Bye, Baby is not a mystery or a thriller. It is a book about relationships and how they change over time. The book centers around Billie and Cassie and is told in dual point of view with flashbacks. Cassie’s baby is missing and we learn right away who took her, Cassie’s estranged best friend Billie. With the biggest mystery already solved, the book lacks the element of suspense or mystery. I enjoyed getting the pov of both women and thought the flashbacks carried an overall lackluster plot. Fans of Carla Lovering should give this one a try.

Bye, Baby was a wild ride for me.

The book is told from Billie and Cassie's POV. They are childhood friends that have grown apart and when the book starts, Cassie is screaming for her missing baby who Billie has taken. The story then proceeds to go back to when they are first childhood friends to the present day where are story begins.

There is a lot to process in this story. I went through all the emotions while reading this. My anxiety was sky high as this story unfolded.

These are flawed, real characters. Cassie is just awful- obsessed with self image and social media. She was unbearable to me. Billie is such a sweetie but she is obsessed with her "best friend" despite being treated so poorly by Cassie.

This book had so many issues that it felt incredibly heavy to me, or at least heavier than I expected. Bye, Baby touches on sexual assault, social class, grief, Alzheimer's, social media and toxic relationships. There was a lot happening and I felt overwhelmed with everything at times.

I did enjoy the book overall and would recommend to any one that likes a suspenseful, psychological read.

Billie and Cassie's friendship has become strained and distant as they've grown up and grown apart, becoming two very different women. Once the best of friends, they had grown up together and leaned on each other during tough times in their teenage years until one traumatic event changed their whole lives. Now Cassie is a wealthy married woman with a baby, a massive social media following, and a trendy clothing store. Billie is single, perhaps a bit aimless in life, though she does have a fantastic and rewarding career in the travel industry. But Billie feels banished and cast aside by her once dear friend, Cassie and her hurt and confusion is completely consuming her.

Both Cassie and Billie both exhibit unlikeable qualities in some way that make it hard to root for them as MCs. Cassie, because of her obsession with social media and projecting a perfect image. And Billie, because she's hopelessly wanting to get back in Cassie's inner circle despite being pushed to the side and made to feel less than. I often find it difficult to be invested in a book with unlikeable characters, but Lovering has done excellent job of completely sucking me in, eagerly turning the pages, as I try to decipher just what caused the rift in Cassie and Billie's friendship and what happened to Cassie's baby.

This is more than a thriller, it's about women's friendship, friendships over time, and motherhood. I enjoyed the format of the different points of view and the alternating timelines. Pick this one up now!

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Casie and Billy have a long, somewhat discombobulated past. They grew up as best friends, but Casie was determined to leave all of her small town life behind for bigger and better things. When she marries Grant Adler and all the money and perks that come from being an Adler, she thinks she has made it. When her baby is kidnapped, the only person she wants is Billy. But Billy has secrets that she knows can turn everything upside down and she wants to keep them hidden at all costs to keep Casie in her life again.

What a ride this book was! It really examines friendship and betrayal. I really enjoyed it!

Absolutely love Carola Lovering! This new one I raced through fervently and really enjoyed it! The only thing I can say about it is that there were many characters to keep track of in the beginning (mostly minor characters) but it ended up being fine.

I wish I could have recorded my facial expressions while reading this wildly entertaining and twisted friendship story. It would have gone something like this… 😱😳🥴🤦🏻‍♀️🤬😢😱😳

We start off with one of the most hooking prologues I’ve read in a while. The last sentence of it already had me gasping, “oh sh!t.” Naturally, I started FLYING through pages because I just had to know how we got there!

I got sucked in to this nightmarish friendship. It was thrilling, it was heartbreaking, and it was dark at times. Billie was a pushover, and I wanted so badly to ask her WHY on earth would she stay friends with someone so superficial. Cassie was a wannabe rich girl who was also a grade A mean girl.

I wasn’t really a huge fan of either of them, but the writing was so dang good that I was actually heartbroken for both of them at different times in the book. Some of this was hard to read, and it had my momma heart in shatters as Cassie experiences the unimaginable. It also had me wanting to slap Billie for some of her idiotic decisions 😂

The pace was fast with short chapters, two POVs, and flashbacks. As I was reading, I wasn’t sure how I wanted this one to end, but I think Carola ended it perfectly.