Billie and Cassie are my age. 35. Like me, they grew up in a small town in New York. Like me, Cassie has a baby girl who she just obsesses over. I mean the descriptions of the feelings of maternal, primal bonding with your baby during breastfeeding alone brought me straight back to those early days with my own daughter. Billie’s dating a cop (hello, my wonderful husband is the police). Her last name is West (my maiden name). They attend college in the northeast(same). The story references the same city I am sitting in as we speak to write this review. Ok, I think I belabored my point enough. It was RELATABLE to me. If you want target audience for this book, it is me.

The book description frames this book as a thriller. I love thrillers. This book has beautiful character development and substance, but is not a thriller. I expected more thrill.

This story spans decades as Billie and Cassie meet while they are still kids, grow up together, go through heavy family issues, college, first relationships, and navigate new friendships and relationships. Marriage, careers, motherhood.

They live through and share a terrible secret together from their past that could cost them everything.

It is a story of sisterhood, growth, friendship and loyalty. It is toxic. I think I would have enjoyed this book more if I wasn’t always waiting for the horrible thing to happen. Don’t get me wrong - some horrible things did happen.

If it had been presented to me as only a tumultuous relationship between two best friends navigating childhood friendship into adulthood, that still would have hooked me. As it is, I expected something different and more. The description and the book title to me, depict something different than what this story was. My recommendation for this book is to read the reviews and not go in blind. That being said, this author’s writing style is lovely, it was easily digestible as a I read it in one day and as I said, the character development drew me in. I cared about what was going to happen to Billie and Cassie. They are still swimming around in my head.

⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

Carola Lovering does messy stories and messy characters so well. Yet, there is always some relatability woven through. This is definitely another one very well done.

I am a big fan of Carola Lovering's work, and I really enjoyed her latest, Bye, Baby. I listened to the audiobook which really enhanced the story. All of the characters were unlikeable/frustrating, but that made the story even more unputdownable! Cassie was insufferable, yet she was my favorite POV. The only problem I had with this book was the ending. It was a bit of a letdown. Nothing really happened, and I kept expecting it to. Maybe not a twist, but something. It just sort of ended. It was a very straightforward story which made me think something was going to go down at the end and when nothing did, I was a little disappointed. I still really enjoyed this one though! I would recommend!

Really enjoyed this one, especially as an audiobook. It’s not exactly a thriller, more just a suspenseful drama about friendship. I didn’t get really into it until the second half but once that hit, I was in.

This is my first read by this author and I was very surprised by it. Billie and Cassie have been friends since they were little girls. They were the closest of friends and promised that they would always be best friends. When they go to college and make other friends, that promise gets broken by one of them.

Billie works for her friend Jane in the travel agency that she has started. Cassie is married with her first child and works as a social media influencer. Cassie also has her store, Cassie Adler, that she runs and is determined to make a profitable business. Cassie uses her husbands money to buy stuff for the store and he is always curious as to if the store is making a profit or not. When Cassie got married, she did not ask Cassie to be her maid of honor. She asked McKay, her husband's cousin, that has wormed her way into being Cassie's best friend now. Billie is not happy about this at all and feels that Cassie is trying to push her out of her life now. Cassie is always posting to her Instagram account and sharing her life with her followers. It pretty much consumes her life and she is always sharing too much information about her life and what she is doing. There is one thing that no one knows about Cassie and Billie's relationship except the two of them. Will they be able to keep the secret amongst themselves or will one of them spill the beans?

When Cassie is about to have another birthday, Billie knows that she always makes a big deal about it so she calls Cassie and asks her what she has planned for the day. Cassie tells Billie that she just wants to have a quiet day at home with Grant and the baby. Billie has a hard time believing that is all Cassie wants to do. Cassie's best friend McKay and her husband get together and throw Cassie a big party, but don't invite Billie.

Will Bille retaliate when she finds out that Cassie is having a party without her? You will have to read this one and find out what happens between Billie and Cassie and where the phrase they use to each other "Bye, Baby" comes from. This story is told in the alternating present and past form. The past is important because it lets you see lots of what happened and where things come from.

I voluntarily read and reviewed this book and all opinions are my own. Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for an advanced copy of this book.

In solidarity with the boycott in response to blatant racism and Islamophobia by St Martin’s Press’s employees, I cannot in good conscience provide a review for this book. Readers are demanding that St Martin’s Press reverse their current stance on dismissing racist rhetoric and support of the ongoing genocide of Palestinian people.

3⭐
ARC Review - Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC!

OH MY GOD - can I first start this review by saying the author must have an obsession with nursing, nipples, and milk. I thought this was supposed to be a thriller but apparently, I'm a new mom reading up on feeding schedules in ridiculous detail. Quotes for reference:

"Ella begins to fuss in her stroller... I feel a wave of love for her as my nipples tingle on instinct - my milk coming down."

"Instantly calming as she suckles by breast. It's a relief for both of us..."

"Ella is on my nipple like a magnet... my breasts engorged and tingling from the let-down."

Any who, to the real plot review. Cassie, one of the FMC has to be the most insufferable character I've ever read about and heard internal monologue from. She is an influencer in her mid 30's who has a habit of being a narcissist and cutting off her only real friend who cares about her at all and gossping about her like it's her day job yet is up her ass when she's in a crisis. She is very obviously only married to her husband Grant for money, was a stay-at-home mom but now also runs an extremely expensive boutique along with raising a 4-month-old. I'll wrap this up by saying, if Cassie were real, I would have her blocked on all platforms, 20 stories a day with the cringiest captions about motherhood and her husband? I'll pass.

Billie and her new boyfriend Alex were the only characters in this story whose parts I didn't want to skim read. Her past is traumatizing, trigger warnings for sexual assault, disabilities (her mom), money problems, and a pedophile stepdad. Without getting too much into spoilers Billie seems like the kind of girl I would kill to be friends with. She cares so deeply as an empath, a ride or die, travels to exotic places for work, and her personality is amazing. I could talk to her for hours.

This was such a wonderful domestic/literary suspense! I loved the dual timeline POV and it kept me hooked throughout! It was a very bingeable read and I finished it in < 3 sittings! This had SO much drama, so many secrets, and offered a glimpse into the influence/mommy blogger life. The story allows you to really connect with the main character, Billy. The commentary on female friendships, trauma bonds, social media, and motherhood are done perfectly. Lovering explores toxic friendships in a way that most people will likely be able to relate to in some capacity and it is so thought provoking! The reason for my 4 star rating is that the ending ends on somewhat of a cliff-hanger and ties up a little too neatly for me. I was hoping for a bigger, maybe even more sinister, ending. Overall, I loved this book and will definitely be picking up more from Lovering in the future. Thank you to St. Martin's Press for the advance copy! I recommend this read for people who LOVE domestic dramas/suspense books and want a read that is so hard to put down!

Thank you so much for giving me an ARC of this book! I was almost in a reading slump and this book pulled me out! I can’t wait to read more from this author. I loved the past and present time line and for some reason I was rooting for this toxic friendship but I think it has a very satisfying ending!

Thanks to Net Galley for this ARC (advanced readers copy)! This one comes out in March.

Part 1: Eh ... two very unlikeable characters, and I got pretty tired of Cassie and her obsession with social media.

Part 2: I was really wanting to know how all this was going to play out, so I couldn't put it down.

All in all, a very unbelievable story about two people, one shallow and one who experienced trauma, with an ending that was a bit lackluster.

I think more than anything this is about toxic relationships and mental health issues. We already know the big reveal: Billie takes Cassie’s baby. What’s left is the why and if Billie gets caught. But really, the book focuses on self-centered people who think the world revolves around them and many in need of serious therapy.

Cassie takes advantage of Billie’s friendship their whole life (evident in the flashback chapters- many of which I felt unnecessary). However, Billie has an unhealthy attachment and obsession to Cassie and won’t accept that some friendships come to an end or change with time.

I enjoyed the writing and the pacing, and I felt most of the characters well written, even if unlikeable (we all love to hate sometimes). However, I couldn’t stand the ending. I disliked it so much I actually dropped a half star from my rating. <spoiler> I’m sorry but Billie kidnapped a baby and her boyfriend cop finds out and doesn’t arrest her?! And chooses to get back together with her?! And Cassie says we’re even b/c of what happened as teens? And her boss knows and doesn’t do anything? Like has no one heard of mental health treatment at the very least?</spoiler>

While <i>technically</i> the book revolves around the kidnapping of baby Ella, that really has so little to do with the book that I wouldn’t call this a mystery, thriller, or even suspense. I think this falls more to contemporary, women’s fiction.

Trigger warnings <spoiler> sexual assault, specifically with a step-daughter</spoiler>

I received an advanced copy through Netgalley in return for an honest review.

This book was a rollercoaster and the characters were ridiculously dumb, but I enjoyed every second! Billie was actually my favorite character, despite the whole kidnapping thing; which seemed kind of anticlimactic. I mean… I just really don’t know what she was thinking. 😂 But I did feel bad for her. Her life kind of sucked and then her lifelong best friend just drops her. Cassie was just terrible. I liked her in the high school parts, but adult Cassie/influencer Cassie was insufferable. I also think that’s what made parts of the story so entertaining though. I really liked the ending! This was just overall a very well written character driven story.

There are some really heavy scenes, so check trigger warnings before reading.

Read this if you:
🍼enjoy character driven stories
🍼have ever been part of a toxic relationship
🍼wish you had a private jet 🛩️

Bye, Baby | Carola Lovering
4⭐️

Brief synopsis: Bye, Baby follows Cassie and Billie, two childhood BFFs who have grown apart as adults, but are tied together by traumatic events from their childhood. These events are slowly revealed and help explain their incomprehensible, obsessive “friendship”. The pair is later brought back together as adults when Cassie’s baby is suddenly kidnapped.

This was my first book by Lovering and it definitely won’t be my last! A bingeable book with an interesting set of characters. Honestly, I didn’t really love any of the characters, but sometimes I enjoy reading books with unlikeable characters! 🤷🏼‍♀️ This was definitely a character-driven plot. Personally, I wouldn’t classify this a “thriller”, leans more towards domestic drama/suspense. I loved the short chapters, dual POVs, and alternating timelines (past/present). The influencer plot was little annoying, but seemed realistic and made me giggle at times🤣

A couple small issues with this book…Billie’s obsession with Cassie drove me crazy (especially at first). After learning about their secrets though, I could understand Billie’s reasoning a little more (she was almost toxically “bonded” to Cassie). Also, the ending UGH. I had to suspend disbelief a little too much and it tied up a little too nicely for my personal preferences, but I don’t think it took away from the rest of the story.

However, this was a well-paced and intriguing story about friendship, secrets, and lies. Definitely recommend for a binge worthy, drama-filled read!

Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press, and Carola Lovering for providing me with a gifted copy of this book in exchange for my honest review!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this read. The book was good!!! Bye, Baby was a book with two women that I was not really found of and but kind of grew on me by the end. I don’t want to give anything away but the book was full of sexual abuse, secrets and more. This will be a book people will want on their TBR for 2024.

Bye, Baby had me hooked right from the start! I really enjoyed reading this book and thought it was a great mix of friendship, lies, and betrayal! Cassie and Billie were complete opposites and it was interesting seeing their dynamic within their friendship. I really thought Alex was a sweet character within the book!

I would recommend this book. Thank you for the opportunity to read the ARC!

We are just two weeks into 2024, and I’ve read five books. One okay, three great, and one phenomenal. Bye, Baby is phenomenal. I’ve read all of Lovering’s books, and per usual, she does not disappoint. I truly did not see what was coming or how anyone would react. Typically, I don’t love to read books with unlikeable main characters, but Lovering did a fantastic job of weaving in their back stories so we have a better understanding of why the characters may act the way they do. 5/5 10/10 100/100…totally loved it!

4🌟
This was my first time reading a Carola Lovering book and I have to say: I love her writing style. Dual POV, short chapters, and writing that flows incredibly well and leaves you wanting more--sign me up! I binged this book in 3 days. Bye, Baby tells the story of Billie and Cassie and their friendship over the course of 23 years centering around not one, but several, life-altering events. This book is definitely more of a psychological thriller as opposed to a mystery since the "whodunnit" of Cassie's missing daughter (as mentioned in the book's description) is revealed in the first chapter.

This story was engaging and honestly, at times disturbing, but those parts--though difficult to read--helped me understand Billie and Cassie and their friendship better. I found my perspective of the 2 women change over the course of the novel. At first, Billie was a bit annoying and I couldn't understand why she was clinging onto a friendship with someone who didn't care about her. However, in the latter half of the book I could see why she acted the way she did (in some regards) and empathize with her. We're human and we all make mistakes.

I felt the opposite way about Cassie. At first, I was super interested in her microinfluencer career and I thought Carola's writing about the life of an influencer was quite on point. I really liked hearing about Cassie's life and her as a mom. I also felt sorry for her and having to deal with a needy friend like Billie. But in the latter half of the book, Cassie's true personality is revealed. She's vapid, more concerned with appearances than reality, judgemental, and vaguely narcissistic. I do think she truly loves her daughter but her sole focus on her daughter only lasted for about 2 weeks until her anxiety over the incident settled. As you can probably tell, I was quite annoyed with her character and her POV became increasingly hard to read, whereas before I could overlook some of her flaws.

Overall, I enjoyed reading about the relational dynamics and appreciated the real and raw way friendship, family, and relationships in general were depicted. They're not always sunshine and roses. I also thought the ending wrapped the storyline up nicely and I liked that there was still a happy(ish) ending!

Thank you so much to Carola Lovering, NetGalley, and St. Martin's Press for this eARC in exchange for my honest review!

TW: abortion, sexual abuse, violence, and early-onset Alzheimer's disease. Please take care when reading.

I have mixed feelings on this novel. The story started off strong, but then it mellowed out and lost my attention a lot. I wouldn't consider this a mystery novel at all. You know what happens, and the only question is will it be revealed. That's the entire book. You have two POV's from each of the female MC's...but neither are very likable.

Also, there is rape of a minor in the story. It was part of the storyline, but there was no need for the detail description provided.


2/5 for a promising storyline, but poor plot execution

One thing I loved about Bye, Baby was the alternating view points. I like to hear from both characters. I also like the alternating between past and present. I didn’t like how the story was more character driven than it was plot/action driven. I went into this story expecting a thriller and was let down. It was a good story but I wouldn’t classify it as a thriller. I don’t know if I would recommend this. It was a well written story with a few trigger warnings to watch out for.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martins Press for the readers copy of Bye, Baby in return for my honest review

Thank you St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the e-copy to read and review.

Bye, Baby was an original concept, unlike anything I've read before. I began this book thinking it was a psychological thriller (and for the most part, the first half sort of was). But part two veered off in another direction altogether, becoming more of an indepth study of the complexities of female friendship over time.
Although it wasn't exactly what I was expecting, I was pleasantly surprised by this book. It was smart, relevant and fully believable. The character development was excellent and overall, it kept me engaged from start to finish.
I definitely recommend this page-turner. Just remember though, this is not a thriller so be sure to adjust your standards accordingly 😉