Warning this book may cause some serious second hand embarrassment! I cringed so hard so many times! If this had been a movie, I would have watched parts of it from between my fingers!
Best friends Billie and Cassie used to be inseparable, but now in their thirties, their friendship has changed. But when Cassie’s infant daughter goes missing, she turns to the one person who really knows her, Billie.
Be aware these characters are not particularly lovable. Especially Cassie. This book flips between past and present as well and chapters are told either from Billie’s or Cassie’s viewpoint.
I think this a reach as a thriller. I’m not entirely sure how I would categorize it! Either way it was a good read and I will definitely read more by this author!
TW: child abuse (sexual multiple encounters)

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

This didn't really read as a thriller to me, more of a literary fiction with some dark elements to it. It was more about the friendship than anything really mysterious or "thrillerish". I found it hard to get through. I just kept hoping a twist would come along to make it more like a thriller book, but it didn't happen.

I’ve been a fan of Carola Lovering’s writing for a while now, and have read all of her books. The first word that comes to mind when I think of her novels is JUICY! They are always full of drama, shocking moments, fun twists, and 100% addictive. I always prepare myself for a wild and crazy ride when I pick up one of her books. Her forthcoming novel, Bye, Baby is focused on two old friends, Billie and Cassie. Their friendship seems to have shifted recently after Cassie became a mother and lifestyle influencer. Billie is feeling left out, pushed away, and forgotten. And oh boy, the drama just escalates from there! I’d call Bye, Baby a domestic drama that studies and really dives deep into the complexities of female friendship. Along with friendship, it also includes a few more of my very favorite themes: motherhood and marriage. Lovering’s crafty writing style really made this one a winner in my eyes. She incorporates quick flashbacks from the past that effortlessly weave into the present storyline, and make things really click for the reader. You really get a better understanding of each woman’s character and behavior. I thought that the execution of it all was flawless. I wouldn’t necessarily call either woman particularly likable, as I went through periods of distaste and irritation for both of them, but also felt small pangs of sympathy and understanding as well. That’s some brilliant character development right there! Overall, this was a fun one to listen to. If you’ve enjoyed Lovering’s novels in the past, I’m very confident that you’ll enjoy one too. Bye, Baby releases on March 5th, and it gets 5/5 stars from me!

Bye, Baby has a lovely title, a great premise, but it isn't the greatest thriller.
It's more a novel with a lot of drama and little suspense, but for some reason it remains interesting to read further and watch the story unravel.

A story about two best friends grown apart with a secret that binds them and keeps them connected.
A story that misleads a little just going with the title and the synopsis. This story isn't about a baby kidnapped. This is a drama about two friends with different lives and an understanding and obsession that drives them to great lengths.

It is figuring out what happened between these women that drove them apart.
Mostly it is following their daily lives and reading about their differences.
It was compelling enough to keep on reading but that is about it.

ARC received from Netgalley

Thank you to @stmartinspress and @netgalley for this advanced readers copy in exchange for my honest review.

Billie and Cassie have been the best of friends since childhood and up until they go off to college. They are bound together by a secret, but is that enough to keep the friendship alive? Cassie started life in a very well to do family, but through circumstances, her family loses it all and she has to live a much different life. She is now on a mission to find and marry a rich man. She becomes very obsessed with this plan and starts to pull away from Cassie as she meets new and richer friends at College. Cassie is just too many reminders of a past she wants to forget. Cassie, on the other hand, is obsessed with getting her best friend back. She makes some really, really bad decisions along the way. I just wanted to shake her and tell her to just stop. She really was infuriating at at times. This was a real look at love and toxic relationships and just how far you'll go for that love. Overall, it was a very addictive story and I flew through the pages.

Bye, Baby was my third novel from Carola Lovering and my least favorite. I had a hard time connecting to either Billie or Cassie; neither were people I aspire to be, or would want to call a best friend. The things Billie went through with Cassie at her side, created an unbalanced friendship that was unhealthy and should have ended long before it did. Towards the last quarter of the book I did skim some of the flashbacks and when things started to get tight for Billie, I got second hand "oh shit" feelings for her. Even though it's not my favorite book of hers, t's a book I would recommend to fans of Carola Lovering, and I will keep my eyes out for future releases.
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Thank you NetGalley and St. Martins Press for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

Billie and Cassie grew up together and despite being very different people, they have been best friends since they were 12. Cassie has been pulling away from Billie in recent years and Billie can't understand why as nothing has happened to cause the wedge. Cassie is so engrossed in her upscale life that she feels Billie is pulling her down, but all of that changes when her baby daughter goes missing - from then on Billie is the only person she needs.

I have loved Lovering's prior books and I think having read them my expectations were properly set going into this one. I knew not to expect a thriller that would keep me on the edge of my seat but to instead expect a mystery that would keep me engaged and wanting to know more, and that is exactly what I got. This was definitely a character driven story and I thought Billie and Cassie were very well developed. I felt for Billie a lot and Cassie was just awful, but despite not liking her I still was engrossed in her chapters. While it was character driven, the plot continued to move and it never felt slow or boring. I loved that their backstories were sprinkled throughout the book and it really just built everything up and kept me interested. My only somewhat of a criticism was that it didn't feel like Cassie's story was wrapped up enough at the end, Billie's definitely was but I wanted more on the Cassie front. Overall the book was very well executed.

*I do think some trigger warnings should be included in the final copy because there was a lot to unpack here.

I'm around 4.5 stars on this one but rounding up!

Synopsis: Best friends Billie and Cassie used to be inseparable, but now in their thirties, their friendship has become strained. But when Cassie’s infant daughter goes missing, she turns to Billie, her oldest friend, for help.

Thoughts: I really think you should go into this one blind - don’t even read the full blurb. I had no idea where this story was going, but it had so much depth and so many layers to uncover that I was riveted. I wouldn’t call it a thriller or mystery as much as a domestic drama, but it was very captivating and well-written. If you’re like me, you may be extremely frustrated with the main character in the beginning, but as the story unfolds through dual timelines, her motivations become more understandable. Overall, this was a well-crafted exploration of trauma and female friendship that is worth a read! Definitely check out the trigger warnings for this one as the author explores some pretty dark themes.

Read this if you like:
🍼 female friendships
🍼 dual timelines
🍼 dual pov
🍼 domestic drama

I loved this book and hope to read more by this author. If you like family dramas this is the book for you. This book has deep topics abortion, abuse, kidnapping and alzheimers. It keeps you guessing until the end. Thanks to netgalley and the publishing company for an ARC of this book

Omg what a great read this was! I couldn’t put it down! It’s so good from start to finish! Clear ur schedule, curl up with a blanket and you won’t want to stop!

Bye baby review

“Bye, Baby” follows Billie West and her friendship with Cassie Barnwell, both in the present day and the past when they first met. In the present, their friendship is one-sided, bordering on non-existent — Cassie is a new mother, married to a wealthy man, a social media influencer, and boutique-business owner; and Billie just doesn’t fit into that lifestyle. Billie is relegated to finding out about her best friend through Instagram posts, until the night Cassie’s baby is kidnapped and Cassie realizes the one person she needs most is Billie — little does she know Billie is the kidnapper.

The story starts with Billie taking Cassie’s baby before jumping back a few months prior to provide the events leading up to it. It’s a wild ride (in a good way); from the beginning you know things can’t end well, but you have to see how it all plays out. The pacing is excellent, and the balance of present and past helps to understand why Billie is so hellbent on keeping her friendship with Cassie alive.

It initially comes across as growing apart because of the baby/marriage, Cassie becoming an influencer, etc., but as bits of the past are revealed, you realize there’s much more beneath the surface.

I have a love/hate relationship with Billie. Maybe it’s because I can relate to her a little bit — feeling on the outside of a friendship and not understanding why, missing the deep connection she once had with someone she thought would be in her life forever. As the reader, I relate more to her other friends and loved ones who see her friendship with Cassie from the outside. Cassie is just a shallow girl with a single mindset: being wealthy is all that matters.

I will say that I almost liked Cassie multiple times throughout the story though, which is definitely a testament to Lovering’s skill — it’s almost like I was seeing Cassie through Billie’s eyes as well; I didn’t want to cut her off, even if she’s garbage.

It’s hard for me to put this novel in a category. While there are items from the past that are hinted at and slowly revealed throughout the story, I wouldn’t classify this novel as a mystery or thriller. That being said - whatever genre you want to put it under, I highly enjoyed this read! Thanks very much to Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for the eArc in exchange for my honest review.

Great psychological thriller. The books is perfectly named in so many ways.
The story of best friends drifting apart over time, but a dark secret holds them together, and another brings them close again.
This story had me until the end which I found unrealistic and unbelievable.

This was such a wild ride with the dynamics from high school-college-adult life and how much friendships and people evolve. While I had such a good time reading to this, I was disappointed it wasn't darker. Shock, I know.... I truly thought this was going to go in a different direction and I'm bummed it wasn't the direction I was hoping for. This is a good thriller for those who aren't as dark and weird as me, and do enjoy a little light-hearted thriller. Thank you @Netgalley for this ARC!

Thank you to NetGalley, the Publishers, and Carola Lovering for an ARC of Bye, Baby. Oh myyyyyy Carola has done it again! This may be (totally is) a top contender for best book of 2024. This was remarkable - I felt like I was intertwined in the lives of Billie and Cassie. I did not want the story to end and I wished it was 500 pages longer to know more about after 🤣. I loved the alternating perspectives of the book and how it would be from the past to right now with how the story was playing out. It grips you from the first page of Billie having Cassie’s missing infant daughter to how in the heck did Billie get here after being best friends with Cassie and her pushing Billie away. This story will play on your heart and keep you glued to uncover what really fell out between Billie and Cassie.

4⭐
Genre ~ psychological fiction
Setting ~ New York City & Red Hook, NY
Publication date ~ March 5, 2024
Est page Count ~ 352 (p+ 52 chapters)
Audio length ~ 11 hours 24 minutes
Narrators ~ Helen Laser, Karissa Vacker
POV ~ dual 1st
Featuring ~ 2 part story, multiple timelines, childhood friends, sexual assault, secrets, influencer, toxic friendship

Billie & Cassie became best friends when they were 11. Now they're in their 30's and have drifted apart. We begin on the day the baby was taken then head back 50 days before and then we're slowly coming forward to the present. And we also head back to where the toxic friendship began in 2000 and move forward to the present. I didn't find it as confusing as I just made it sound. We learn that jealously can lead to a spur of the moment decision that can change the course of what you thought you wanted.

You're just on the edge of your seat right along with Billie waiting to see when she'll get caught. They share a secret from the past, that while it is predictable I still enjoyed the suspense leading up to it being revealed.

I have family in Red Hook, so it's exciting when I am familiar with the location. Even where I went to college is mentioned. She gives a shout out to Holy Cow, which has the best milkshakes and ice cream cakes I've ever had, so if you're ever in the area you won't be disappointed if you stop there. I do have to say though that true Upstate New Yorkers say they're driving on the Thruway, not I-87.

I was lucky enough to have both a kindle and an audio copy to review.
Narration notes:
A well done job by both! They were both seriously perfect for the characters.

Overall, an enjoyable psychological read.

*received for free from netgalley for honest review* I actually really loved this book! I was wondering how it would end and i'll just say i loved that ending& the whole book! Would read more from this author

“Bye Baby by Carola Lovering is an emotionally charged rollercoaster, offering a raw exploration of love, loss, and the complexities of relationships. The author’s compelling storytelling drew me in, creating a deep connection with the characters. The nonlinear narrative adds a layer of mystery, but at times, it required careful attention to follow. Despite this, Lovering’s evocative prose and the depth of emotions portrayed earn this novel a solid 4 stars. A poignant journey that lingers in the heart long after the final page. 📖💔 #BookReview #ByeBaby #CarolaLovering #FourStarRead”

I absolutely adored this book by Carola Lovering. I love getting the background information on the long, toxic relationship of Cassie and Billie. It painted a clear picture of how toxic it became over the years. The ending was everything I expected. I devoured this in 3 sittings.

Billie & Cassie are "best friends" and have been since they were young. Recently, Cassie has been avoiding Billie like the plauge and Billie is obsessed with trying to get her friend back. Billie is lost without Cassie and is unsure on how to move forward. Cassie is just fine with out Billie & living the life she has dreamed about since her father lost all of their families money. When Cassie's baby is taken at her birthday party, she turns to Billie for comfort.

Bye Baby really intrigued me from the synopsis & I was really excited to receive this ARC. Unfortunately, I just really struggled from the start to get into it.

I feel like every single character in this book had no redeeming qualities, and quite frankly, they all sucked as human beings. I really stuggled to sympathize with Cassie for the struggles that she encountered when having her baby stolen because she was quite frankly just awful.

Billie was absolutely no better. Incredibly whiny & just honestly infuriating.

As a mom, I think that having your child taken is my worst nightmare, as it was for Cassie. I definitely think that I would have wanted to continue to look for answers just like Cassie did. I just don't think that she was relateable on any other front.

Thanks to NetGalley and St Martin's Press for the early review copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own and were not influenced in any way.

While I enjoyed the book I was disappointed that it was not a thriller as I was led to believe. The characters were well written and truly infuriating, this novel gave a glimpse into how complicated friendships can be.