4.5 stars
This book was so much fun. Terrific thriller that I could not put down. I finished the entire book in less than a day. It was SO well-crafted and well-written. Do not miss this one.
I will definitely be recommending this to others.

Thank you to NetGalley and St Martin's Press for the ARC!

I really enjoyed this book and the multiple point of views and the telling of the present and the past. This was hard for me to put down and I really enjoyed it and would recommend it to others.

𝐁𝐲𝐞, 𝐁𝐚𝐛𝐲
𝐁𝐲 𝐂𝐚𝐫𝐨𝐥𝐚 𝐋𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠
𝐏𝐮𝐛𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐡𝐞𝐫: 𝐒𝐭. 𝐌𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐢𝐧’𝐬 𝐏𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐬
𝐏𝐮𝐛 𝐃𝐚𝐭𝐞: 𝟑.𝟓.𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟒 𝐶𝑜𝑚𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑆𝑜𝑜𝑛!

I’m not sure I would put this one in the thriller category. While it was suspenseful, it’s more about the dynamics of a female friendship wrought with trauma, toxicity, and poor decisions.

Billie and Cassie were the best of friends in their youth. While Billie was suffering at home, Cassie was the one who was looking for attention or needed it, and she usually got it. But after an incident occurs, the two friends are bonded by secrets, secrets that will eventually tear them apart.

As an adult, Cassie has married a wealthy man and is a recent mother. She is also a “lifestyle influencer.” She moves in different circles than Billie, who is single and childless, plus Billie reminds her too much of the past. Meanwhile, Billie desperately wants to try to restore their friendship. But Billie takes it too far when she hears Cassie’s baby crying.

I did not care for Cassie; I found her self-centered and haughty. Billie had been through a lot. I kept hoping she would just move on from Cassie, but the painful memories that bound them made her rejection all the more painful.

The narrative also discusses the lasting effects of trauma, the choice of a woman to be childless, and how secrets have a way of doing damage.

A few trigger warnings for sexual abuse, but otherwise, the story is well-paced and I felt this friendship, though toxic, became quite addicting.

Thank you @stmartinspress for the gifted ebook.

Thank you @macmillan.audio for a gifted audiobook.

Carola Lovering's latest, BYE, BABY, is a knockout, a gripping domestic thriller of dark secrets, toxic friendships, childhood traumas, social media, and choices.

Brilliantly crafted, character-driven, powerful, suspenseful, and highly relatable- BYE, BABY is unputdownable. I loved it! My first book by the author, and I cannot wait for more.

AUDIOBOOK: I read the digital copy and listened to the audiobook. I highly recommend the audiobook, which was well done by the talented narrators Karissa Vacker (favorite) and Helen Laser. Addictive!

Billie and Cassie were long-time BFFs. They met 23 years earlier in a small Hudson Valley town when in the 7th grade. They were very close and had each other's back from childhood. They dreamed, had desires, planned their weddings, and longed for the day they could make those dreams come true and escape their hometown.

There was a devastating and traumatic event and an event that bonded them with a dark shared secret. They would take it to their grave. But as they grew older, the women grew apart.

Cassie married a society man from a wealthy family, now a fashion and lifestyle influencer on Instagram. She is a snob and no longer associates with people like Billie. She also has a new baby; all her posts are picture-perfect IG swoon-worthy.

Billie, on the other hand, is single, childless, and grew up with a traumatic childhood. However, she is smart, a world traveler with a great job, but she still misses her close bond with her childhood friend, Cassie. She stalks Cassie's IG account to glimpse her former friend's world.

They meet, but things are strained with them around her new wealthy friends. She wants nothing to do with her old friend, Billie.

It is Cassie's 35th birthday party (Billie is not invited), and things get crazy; the baby is left unattended on the patio during the party.

When Cassie's baby is mysteriously abducted (later returned) unharmed, Cassie reaches out to her friend, Billie, and they seem to be back where they were on great terms. Cassie needs Billie. This makes Billie happy. Cassie was devastated and realized her life was not about social media but her baby.

However, how long will this feeling last? Will she go back to her old ways and ditch Billie again?

But Billie is hiding a secret and knows it will ruin their friendship if she comes forward. However, they both still share a dark secret from the past that will keep them bonded.

The author cleverly explores toxic female friendships, motherhood, childhood traumas, and the dangers of social media influencers in BYE, BABY.

I loved the cover, the writing, and the story—highly relatable, thought-provoking, compelling, and suspenseful. I felt for Billie and her mother, and you could not help but root for her and despise her disgusting stepdad. I liked Cassie better when she was afraid of an abductor.

For fans of Mary Kubica, Wendy Walker, and Sarah Pekkanen.

Bye, Baby by Carola Lovering will be available on March 5, 2024. Thanks a million to St. Martin's Press, Macmillan Audio, and NetGalley for a gifted ARC and ALC and the intro to this talented author.

Blog review posted @
JudithDCollins.com
@JudithDCollins | #JDCMustReadBooks
Pub Date: March 5, 2024
My Rating: 5 Stars
March 2024 Must-Read Books

This book was a page turner from beginning to end. Reminded me of the Gabi Petino (spelling) case in the beginning and I was hesitant however it definitely created its own way and storyline. Two girls find their way to eachother and become best friends. However as with any friendship there’s usually an imbalance. It’s watching this imbalance play out that gives us the storyline. Definitely was action packed towards the end with some twists I didn’t see coming. Would highly recommend. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

I wasn’t quite prepared for the depth of this story. It’s less of a thriller and more of a story regarding friendship and the growing pains of life throughout the years. I did really enjoy the romance aspect and the ending for Billie & Alex. I felt like this book dragged a little throughout but overall I wanted to keep going and figure out how things would resolve,

Before I go any further with my raving review: This is very much a “the girls who get it, get it,” kind of book, and the girls who get it will be those who’ve gone through a friendship breakup. Lovering captures the idiosyncrasies of privileged white women SO WELL. It’s definitely her thing, and this is her best book yet.

“Bye, Baby” went to a much darker place than I expected, even though a kidnapping is the basis of the plot. Lifelong best friends Cassie and Billie have drifted apart, especially as Cassie becomes a mom and starts hanging out exclusively with other rich moms. Billie is desperate to get her friend back — so she steals her baby?!

That’s not even the craziest part of the story. It switches between Billie’s and Cassie’s perspective as well as the present day and their high school years. This book is a good, hard look at how our deepest friendships can define us. As an added bonus, Cassie is an aspiring lifestyle influencer, and you know I love commentary on influencer culture. When I wasn’t reading it, I was thinking about it.

This is a drama about friendship told from the perspective of the two main characters Billie and Cassie. The story is also told in the present and the past. The story has good characters who lead interesting lives. There is pain and deception among the characters that has to be overcome. The intertwined lives of Billie and Cassie is the backbone of the story plot.

I am a long-time fan of Carola Lovering and have read all of her work to date. Until ‘Bye, Baby,’ it took me quite some time to figure out how to provide this book with a proper review without giving away the plot and the underlying reasons for my conflicting opinions of the main characters.

The story, told in alternating POVs between the two women in both flashbacks and present times, did a great job keeping me invested in the overall narrative. Who each character was at their core proved to be an extremely important theme throughout. This is where I found myself at a frustrating crossroads forced to consider whether or not I believe the ends justify the means in situations that ‘should’ be seen in black and white, right and wrong, forcing me to consider a gray area that I may not have even realized could exist before reading.

The two women are both incredibly relatable in this book; Cassie is a classic opportunist with a remarkable ability to manipulate the people around her, her environment, and circumstances to benefit her in a way she feels she is entitled to. Making it incredibly easy to despise her throughout the unraveling of the women’s shared history. On the other hand, Billie is the girl who grew up feeling small, with low self-esteem and, trapped in circumstances she could not change was the perfect target for someone like Cassie. Billie was vulnerable, impressionable, and, for lack of a better word, ‘weak,’ allowing Cassie to swoop in, play hero and pushing Billie into a subconscious unwavering loyalty to someone who manipulated her into believing she needed and owed Cassie for being her friend.

Cassie wasted no time moving on from Billie when it served her and, in turn, strung Billie along to maintain a twisted sense of self-preservation. Billie’s decision in the book was undoubtedly wrong, but I struggle to hold her accountable because the motives behind her actions were not evil at their core, although the anger and frustration she felt at the time. I felt as though her impulsivity was ultimately based on instinct, ironically the motherly instinct she truly believed she did not and never would possess. The guilt Billie felt following that decision truly made me believe she regretted her actions and knew she was wrong in making that choice.

Contrastingly, a choice Cassie made in their past that was the true thread holding the two women together was made selfishly but disguised as selflessness. Billie needed to believe that Cassie made that earlier choice for her, to help her, to ‘save’ her, and nothing made me feel more at ease than when Billie came to the realization that all along Cassie has only made decisions in the best interest of Cassie. Cassie’s lack of remorse was clear following the reality of her being more afraid of other people finding out about what she did rather than feeling bad about what she did; her motives behind her earlier and continued actions were once again only in her best interest without regard for the collateral damage she would cause.

This book made me think A LOT, and it also left me longing for a continuation of Billie’s journey beyond Cassie. I am less concerned about what happened next in Cassie’s life; I think it is easy to write the rest of her story because of the type of person she has shown herself to be. Above all, I was rooting for Billie to face her trauma, let people with genuine intentions into her life to help carry the weight of everything she has carried from childhood, finally have a happy ending fueled by trust, love, and mutual loyalty and adoration, something she thought she found in Cassie but was robbed of for a very long time.

A special thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for providing me with a digital review copy in exchange for my honest feedback.
All opinions are my own.
Publication date: March 5, 2024.
Genre: Women’s Fiction, Mystery & Thrillers

A tale of a twisted relationship that never really stands a chance.
Billie and Cassie have been best friends since childhood. They shared their hopes and dreams and had each other's back. Billie was sincere, Cassie, not so much. So when their lives diverge as adults, Cassie's moved on with her wealthy husband and new child while Billie is left wondering why things have changed so much. Then something happens that throws the two back together and more drama ensues.

I really enjoyed the dual perspective and the 'then and now' approach to this story. I can't say I really liked either woman but for different reasons. The themes of relationships, shared secrets, sexual abuse, social media influencers and Alzheimer's are all present here and although it does seem like a lot, the story never got bogged down by them. The writing has an easy way about it and has a relatively quick pace. By the end I had a better understanding of why the things that happened did as well as a feeling of satisfaction by the outcome. I think this one will garner a lot of interest when it's released and think it's a great addition to anyone's TBR list.

I received an ARC of this novel from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Two young women who met as girls deal with the differences of who they were and who they have become.

This was such a great book with a glimpse into the life of influencers, a job that truly sounds made up.

I liked Billie and was kind of rooting for her the whole way, despite what you learn in the first chapter and leading up to it. I didn’t love Cassie and I’m truly unsure if that was the author’s point.

I liked the alternating chapters of the past, though it wasn’t totally necessary dive that far into their past. I was more interested in the present and where it would go.

When the midway hit, I truly wondered where the second half of the story would go. It was a bit less dramatic and engaging as the first half, and I could have done without the HEA for both. I was kind of hoping Cassie would go back to her ways (as she did) and there really was a deranged follower who was obsessed with her. But alas, it was different and wrapped up nicely.

Def give this a chance if you love influencer storied and rotten friendships.

This book has it all--complex relationships, crime, love, and it keeps you guessing! I sat and read this in one sitting. I guessed one outcome/storyline pretty early, but the story and pace still kept me guessing throughout the book. This is a good thriller!
Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for advance access to the digital copy.

Fantastic book that I couldn’t put it down. This book dives deep into complex friendships and loneliness. I found myself connecting to each of the women featured in the book despite wanting to dislike them.

Despite not being a traditional thriller, I found myself turning each page quickly while wondering what would happen next. Highly recommend.

A tale of friendship that spanned many years and the challenges that come with that. In this story there is a kidnapping and a secret ! I enjoyed this . Thank you to Netgalley, the author and St. Martins Press for the arc in exchange for my honest review.

Carola Lovering is incredibly skilled at writing characters and situations that are incredibly strong! I was sucked in from page 1 and even though I figured out the path of the book early on, I still wanted to know every bit of the story! Thank you NetGaley and St. Martin’s Press!

This is an intense story told between two women’s POVs, Cassie and Billie. They grew up together and once were the very best of friends. Their relationship changed however and over time became imperfect, toxic, and sad. I wanted to shake both main characters several times because they were so frustrating! The book also includes a social media element that is a great reflective piece for readers. I definitely recommend adding this one to your TBR list!

Billie and Cassie have been best friends for twenty-three years. They grew up together and share a dark secret about the past. But as they grew up and life changed, they slowly grew apart. Or rather, Cassie is the one who grew away from Billie. She married a wealthy man, is an influencer and a new mom. And she really seems to have outgrown her friendship with Billie. She views their time together these days as “something to cross off her to-do list”. It’s Billie who is holding on to the friendship. On the night before Cassie’s birthday, Billie shockingly realizes that she was not invited to her best friend's birthday party. As she watches the party unfold on Cassie’s lavish terrace, she soon begins to hear Cassie’s baby start to cry. So before she even realizes what she is doing, Cassie takes the baby. As she listens to Billie become hysterical, a small part of her relishes in the fact that Billie seems to need her again.

I think most women can relate to trying to hold onto a friendship that has run its course - or maybe was a bit one-sided all along. The hurt and the betrayal Billie felt was all too relatable. While she obviously went too far, I was not expecting to sympathize with her as much as I did. Billie was clearly more invested in the friendship from the beginning, while Cassie only seemed to want her friendship when it was convenient or she needed her. It’s a hard lesson to learn but I think a lot of us have been there. I can understand both sides, with friendships sometimes changing as you grow and it isn’t always easy.

Told in dual timelines, from dual perspectives, we see the awful secret of the past be revealed while in present day, Billie is scared that Cassie will find out the truth of her taking the baby. This is a very character-driven novel that shows growth and development in both women. It also took a bit for the “mystery” to come out; the beginning of the story was mostly focused on Billie and Cassie’s lives and friendships. I thought it was a very unique way to lay the groundwork and start to build the suspense that something was going to happen!

I also loved Cassie’s influencer perspective - again, its one quite a few of us can relate to.

“Bye, Baby” releases March 5, 2024. Thank you to Netgalley, St. Martin’s Press, Macmillan Audio and Carola Lovering for the ARC/ALC! This review will be shared to my instagram blog (@books_by_the_bottle) shortly.

Twenty-three years ago Billie met Cassie and the two young girls became fast friends, each others everything. The two remain bff’s throughout college bonded by a secret only the two know. When Cassie meets the rich man of her dreams, things change between them and soon Billie feels left out in the cold. Now in their thirties hurt and rejected, Billie makes an extremely poor choice, but that choice leads her back to Cassie once again, but if Cassie finds out, their friendship may never survive. A domestic drama about a deep friendship that turns toxic over time. Lovering fleshes out her characters quite well and as this was a duel read/listen the narrators bring those characters to life. A story that was hard to walk away from once started. Thank you to St. Martin’s Press, Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for an ARC and ALC of this book.

This book had me cringing, laughing, confused, irritated and at times bored… overall however the book was a great read. The plot is a little much for taking place in the current culture… Like advanced cameras would most definitely be in this building/apartment. I also almost wanted a different ending but it wasn’t an ending I was expecting so it was twist worthy. Overall I’d recommend it to friends to read!