Billie and Cassie are best friends. They grow up together and are inseparable. They share a secret that nobody can know. Over the years they grow apart. Billie kidnaps Cassie’s baby but returns her. Was a good book but I’m unsure how it is defined as a thriller.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.25

🎧Song Pairing: Somebody That I Used To Know-Gotye (haven’t heard this song since it was overplayed like forever ago)

💭What I thought would happen:

GO AHEAD AND LAUGH! I thought this was about twins separated at birth. Like one is kidnapped but they each have a matching locket 😂I mean good story no?

📖What actually happens:

Billie longs for her friendship with Cassie the way it used to be when they were teens but they’ve been through too much and have changed significantly since then.

Cassie is shouting for her baby and asking for Billie…what Cassie doesn’t know is her once upon a time BFF has her baby girl.

🗯Thoughts/sassy musings:

A baby goes missing…as a momma of thee most perfect baby boy ever (kidding, he’s feral AF) I got major anxiety. As someone who has also lost a friend over time and differences I also felt very sad.

Binge-y AF! Seriously! Do not start this unless you intend to spend the day with it. This was my first by this author but I’ve heard nothing but epic things. Colour me a fan!

Read if you like:
🤍Past trauma
🤦🏼‍♀️Mean girl drama
✌🏻Multiple POVs & timelines
🩵Suspenseful quick reads

I have really enjoyed Carola Lovering latest books !!

In "Bye Bye Baby" by Carola Lovering, the author masterfully unfolds a tale where friendship is tested by a haunting event. The narrative, though not conforming to the traditional thriller genre, intricately explores the aftermath of a traumatic incident, shedding light on the complexities of relationships. Carola Lovering's storytelling, captivates readers in a nuanced examination of friendship strained by tragedy. While it may not meet typical thriller expectations, the book distinguishes itself with a unique focus on the enduring impact of a shared history. I recognized its distinctive approach to storytelling and character dynamics.

Special thanks to the author , publishers and Netgalley for providing me with an Advance Reader's Copy of "Bye Bye, Baby in exchange for an unbiased review.

I found this under psychological thrillers genre and suspense but it’s more of a romantic story tied in with women’s friendship drama. The book focuses on childhood friendships and how they can change going into adulthood. It shows how materialism and social media can really drive people. It covers toxicity and obsession and pretty much making poor decisions. I don’t want to give any spoilers. 3.5 overall.

Thank you @CarolaLovering, @StMartinsPress and @NetGalley for a free e-ARC. The opinions are mine alone and not biased in any way.

This book was suspenseful but definitely not a thriller. It also dealt with some seriously heavy subject matter that I didn’t enjoy at all. I know it’s hard to provide content warnings that aren’t plot spoilers, but I’m really done with reading about child sexual abuse.

Thank you to the publisher for the opportunity to read this ahead of publication.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the advanced copy of this book. This was my third Carola Lovering book, I really enjoy her writing style but this one fell a little flat. I wish there was more in depth character development with the two main characters, it all felt slightly superficial. I’m also confused why this was labeled a thriller, it is definitely not a thriller. Slightly suspenseful, but wouldn’t say thriller. I think this one is definitely worth the read, it follows a childhood friendship through different stages of life and a shared secret that can never be told. I appreciated the look into friendships as people grow and change over time. I just feel the story could have been told in less than 400 pages, it got a little slow.

3.5 stars.

Billie and Cassie have a toxic adult friendship that has carried over from childhood, full of jealousy and secrets. This drama/mystery uses flashbacks and different POV's to explore the dynamics in this relationship.

There is one event in the past that was super disturbing, and the main event in the present was unsettling as well.

In BYE, BABY Lovering subtly drags influencer culture while exploring motherhood and relationships. The pacing was a little off for me, but overall this one kept my interest.

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for this ARC about friendship through the years, secrets, lies, heartache, and all that good stuff!

This book had a bit of a thriller vibe in first quarter then more women’s fiction for the rest. Excellent read no matter how you classify it!

4/5⭐️

This was quite the page turner! Several twists and turns throughout that definitely kept me engaged till the end. Not quite a traditional thriller per se, but more of a dramatic look at adult female friendship and moving on.

Cassie and Billie are old childhood friends who have drifted apart as they’ve gotten older. Cassie is building her entrepreneurial brand as an influencer - sharing her seemingly perfect life with her wealthy husband and young baby with thousands of followers. Billie travels the world to provide exclusive vacations for the wealthy elite, not leaving a lot of time for a partner or child. Cassie thinks that she has outgrown Billie and is desperate to leave her - and her dirty secrets - behind, even if Billie tries to make it work. Everything comes to a head when Billie finds herself holding Cassie’s baby - her missing baby - in her arms and realizes she has shattered her best friend’s world. Told in snapshots of the past and present from Billie and Cassie’s perspectives, this novel examines friendship, growing up, secrets, and what it means to be a woman.

I love the way Lovering writes. I was absolutely rapt the entire book! I definitely enjoyed the complex relationship between Billie and Cassie - and how their friendship evolved over time. Their character progression was very well done throughout. While I was definitely more invested in one of the main characters over the other, I appreciated seeing them both evolve over time. I also liked the deeper look at social media/influencer culture. I did feel like the ending was a bit rushed, and I wanted a bit more out of it. Overall, it was incredibly engaging and I’m still thinking about it, days after finishing it!

Thank you St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for the ARC!

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the opportunity to read this ARC! This book really impacted me and I found it completely fascinating!

I couldn’t put this book down!! This is for anyone who’s ever been rejected by their best friend. A best friend is hard to let go of when you don’t understand the reason for the rift. Billie and Cassie have always had each other’s backs but Cassie is moving on and Billie just can’t understand.

This book dives into the complex nature of friendship, loyalty, rejection, honesty and finally letting go of what is not good for you. A thriller but really a heartbreaking tale of loss.

This was a hard book to put down. The evolution of a childhood friendship can be very complicated, especially when one friend has moved on and the other can't let go. A moment's unthinkable impulse steers the friendship down a spiral road. Trigger warning: sexual abuse.

Carola Lovering is a really good writer and she always has a good story to tell. This is the third book I’ve read by this author. This story takes place in NYC and is about a friendship between two old friends, Billie and Cassie, and their lives then and now. No spoilers! This is a terrific book!

An apt depiction of the waxing and waning of a long-standing friendship. Billie and Cassie have differing views of what it means to be a friend in thick and thin and whereas one has moved on, the other still clings to what was. The story was told in both real time and flashbacks and this added to the depth of the story. I think many women will be able to relate to the changes in a friendship that has lasted decades, albeit not in these exact circumstances. I especially appreciated the ending.

I really enjoyed this character-driven drama that delved into the evolution of friendship and self.

Cassie and Billie are unlikely best friends, but from the second they meet at the pool in junior high, they’re attached at the hip. They are there for each other through life’s highs and lows despite their differences, and their bond is cemented through a traumatic event that neither can truly leave in the past. Little girls grow up eventually, however, and the two drift apart until one seminal evening when Cassie’s infant daughter goes missing, and Billie finds herself holding the child, wondering how she ended up there.

Told in alternating perspectives and timelines both before and after the night that changes everything, this is a gripping novel that explores the depth - and limits - of friendship. If you’ve ever had a friend that was closer than a sister or felt the pain of losing a friend you thought would be by your side for the rest of your life, you’ll feel this one deeply. The descriptions of Cassie’s role as a microinfluencer were also right on point and gave me some laughs.

To avoid disappointment from unmet expectations, I think it is important going into this one to understand that it is not your typical thriller full of twists and turns. I’d characterize it more as a domestic drama with suspenseful elements. There are also pretty heavy trigger warnings for sexual assault (it’s not a trigger of mine and even I was pretty queasy reading those scenes) among others.

Pub Date: 3/5/24
Review To Be Published: 2/20/24
eARC received from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

I’ve been seeing rave reviews for this one and now I know why! I found the drama in Cassie and Billie’s relationship surprisingly addicting. I really felt for Billie throughout the entire story and thought the author did a great job developing the main characters. If you like domestic suspense, you should definitely get your hands on this one as soon as it comes out!

4.5/5

This thriller was so twisty! A kidnapping is my own personal worst nightmare. I read this book in one sitting and I still think about it.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this review copy. I mostly enjoyed this book. Since you start off knowing the main plot and antagonists, it is all in the details here which are a bit twisty. But...the ending was terrible for me. I really hoped for more by the end, but I also wasn't sure where else it could go.

What a twisted story of friendship! Cassie and Billie are best friends with a massive secret between them. They graduate and go off to separate colleges and try to have separate lives. Cassie is looking for a Richie Rich and isn’t happy until she lands one. Their friendship becomes one sided with Billie always going to Harvard to visit Cassie and not the other way around. Their friendship really changes and Billie is left behind. Enter the twisted part of their friendship. The story bounces between these two characters and the past and present. I really enjoyed this story! 4.5 stars

Bye Baby

So I wanted to start by saying that I really enjoyed Carolas books and was so happy to receive a copy of Bye Baby both eARC and ALC.

I ended up listening to the audio and while I was very intrigued from the beginning the ending left me like thats it?

I was excited to get the dual POV and multiple timelines. I think it added a lot to the story and learning about Cassie and Billies relationship made the story so interesting. Carola did a wonderful job of going into detail of their friendship without making it feel too detailed or boring.

I think the plot point was good but it just fell kind of flat towards the end. One plot happens and then that basically it.

Needless to say this wasn’t my favorite. But her writing is amazing and made a great story but I needed more from it to give it a better star rating.

3.75 🌟

If you read this book hoping for a good thriller, you'll be disappointed - it's a drama.

I feel bad rating this book because it wasn't what I expected - at all. I went in thinking thriller and it was drama, all drama. The book itself is written well. One of the characters I didn't care for, but that's the point of her character. I think if you go in knowing it's not a thriller, you'll like it more.

Thanks, Netgalley for the ARC of this book.