This story centers around two longtime friends, Cassie and Bille, who seem to have drifted apart. One night, Billie takes Cassie’s daughter from her apartment. The story is split between before and after, with narration from both Cassie and Billie.

This was a slow burn. The details of their complicated past are slowly unravelled through flashbacks. I was expecting to hate at least one of the two, but they both had such depth that I found myself somewhat understanding both of them.

I was hooked pretty immediately. It was a great domestic thriller/mystery. 3.5 stars!

Thanks to NetGalley for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review!

This is a quick pace book that can be finished in a day if you have the time. I was hooked from the beginning of this unsettling friendship between two best friends Cassie and Billie. As they grow up they end up growing distance like most friendships do as we age, but the difference with theirs is they have dark secrets to keep and as Cassie is a huge influencer on instagram she couldn’t have a poor friend like Billie and their past ruin her perfect life. As Cassie settles down with a husband and baby things with Billie began to get ruffled.

In this suspenseful drama, we get dual points of view from estranged friends, Billie and Cassie, both in present tense after Cassie has become a mother and in the past from when the girls became friends. The main premise of the book is that Billie kidnaps Cassie's baby and readers are attempting to figure out what lead Billie to this point, as well as what it means for their newly rekindled friendship. This is a very character driven story that explored friendship, family dynamics, and the difficulties of maintaining romantic relationships. There is a decent amount of suspense and drama in this story, but I would have enjoyed a little more action and thrilling aspects surrounding the kidnapping of the baby. Overall, this might be a good read for newer thriller readers or those who really like to get attached to characters and see what has shaped them throughout their lives. The author did a good job of really endearing you to the characters, and the pacing was quick enough that it didn't feel drawn out or like you were losing the plot of the story throughout the character development. Overall, I would recommend.

Bye, Baby was such an intense read covering friendship, loss, trauma, and love. Billie and Cassie were instant friends when they met as kids. When Cassie finds herself in her darkest moment, the only person she wants is Billie. Billie, on the other hand, has just made the biggest mistake of her life. Bye, Baby is a dual timeline read showing the beginning and the continual development of Billie and Cassie's relationship. Friends who would once do literally anything for the other find themselves reevaluating their place in each other's lives.

Carola Lovering has a way of making you question who the bad guy is in given ciricumstances. There is often a lot of hard topics and toxic relationships in Lovering's writing and this was no different. The complexity of change and emotions are handled so well. I caught myself relating to certain situations on a personal level. Overall, this was a great read, just a lot of heavy topics.

I love a Carola Lovering book and was so excited to be given the opportunity to read an ARC of Bye, Baby.

Rating: 3.5 ⭐️
Bye, Baby by Carola Lovering is a novel that focuses on friendship and motherhood. In the background there is a thriller built into the book. It feels like the author attempted to address several topics in this book from the struggles of motherhood, class differences, loss of friendship, being an influencer, sexual abuse and Alzheimers. That's a lot to unpack in a single story.
I enjoyed the different POV and past and present format. Though the book had a lot to mule over and left me thinking about it long after I was done, there was just something that left me feeling unsettled. Maybe that is what makes it a good read.
Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC of this book.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC of Bye, Baby by Carola Lovering. I'm a fan of Lovering's writing style and her character development is second to none. Billie will stay with you forever because she has triumphed over so much tragedy and is so beautifully flawed. Cassie was her best friend since childhood, but lifestyle choices and a slew of other circumstances have gotten in their way. When Cassie's daughter is taken and then returned, their friendship takes a series of unexpected turns and threatens to destroy Billie's other, healthier relationships.

I have to mention that I do believe a trigger warning for victims of abuse is necessary. As Billie's mom battles early onset Alzheimer's, Billie's soon-to-be stepfather sexually abuses her. The scenes were graphic and extremely disturbing.

Unfortunately, not my favorite by this author. The plot hinges on two huge coincidences, both involving her friend/employer (will keep it spoiler-free) and pretty unbelievable in a city the size of NY. I really like the idea of exploring the changing dynamics of a long-term friendship that has a dark secret in the past, but the coincidental nature of the plot kept this thriller from really taking off for me. Enjoy the author's writing and will check out her next one!

Grateful for this early release. Really enjoyed this book. I couldn't put it down and thought about it when I wasn't reading. I loved the character development and really didn't know where it was heading/how it was going to end. I loved this and look forward to reading more by love ring.

This book kind of stressed me out and I'm still not really sure how I feel about it. I think all of the characters had issues and there were many things that could have been done much differently. Any time a baby is involved, I read the book a little anxious so I think that probably clouded my judgement a bit. I'm going to really think on it before writing a full review on my goodreads.

This book took me right back in time. Loved every minute of it! The characters were so dynamic and found myself rooting for them all.

⭐️ rating: 4
genre: lit fiction // drama // suspense
#️⃣ pages: 352
✍🏼 same author as TELL ME LIES and TOO GOOD TO BE TRUE
🥳 pub day: 3/5/24
read if you like: THE COUPLE NEXT DOOR, NONE OF THIS IS TRUE, quick books, friend/family drama, dual POVs, domestic/friendship suspense, character driven plots, influencer plots

NO ONE does drama and relationships like Lovering. TELL ME LIES? are you kidding?! this takes the same spin but with a friendship—and i was here for it!! 👯‍♀️ she does suspense mixed with character development so well. this was one of my highly anticipated 2024 releases and i truly waited as long as i could go pick it up 🥲 it was GOOD! it’s different from her usual romantic suspense/semi-thriller vibes, as this is more of a drama mixed with suspense. it was so bingeworthy and starts with a bang. the best way to describe it is a kind of a cat-and-mouse friendship thriller with that one friend you know you’ve grown apart from but you can’t let them go because there is too much history—and secrets—there 👀🤐

this book follows two besties that have grown apart with time… but a very grim secret keeps them from fully losing touch. when one of the besties’ newborn goes missing, all hell breaks lose. who are the friends that are really there for you in times of crisis? who can you really trust?

i really enjoyed this book! the influencer plot was kind of hilarious, and my only wish is that the ending was a biiit more sinister and less tied up but evaluating it as a litfic, i can appreciate the tied up bow!

Bye, Baby has it all — a missing baby, a troubled friendship, and a secret that can never be told.

This domestic suspense showcases the dark side of female relationships. While it is a little slow at times in the beginning, the backstory of once inseparable friends Cassie and Billie provides critical context to the events unfolding in the present. Their relationship complexities, the role of social media, and a shared secret make the second half of Bye, Baby hard to put down, like a train wreck that you don't want to look away from.

Bye, Baby is perfect for fans of friendship drama, unlikeable but unforgettable characters, and secrets.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press for an early copy of this book.

I really enjoyed this! I found it to be a compelling read and felt invested in the story. The characters were all fairly unlikable but that doesn’t really bother me in a book. I still felt interested in seeing how the whole thing would play out. There were many questionable choices made and it was like a slow moving train wreck - just waiting to see how it would unfold. There were interesting points made about friendship and how people can grow apart which I think would make for a good book club discussion. Overall I’d recommend this one!

I really enjoyed this book! I was intrigued after reading The Push where she could go with this. I really felt for the characters but I loved how it came out in the end. It was unexpected and I love the twists!

A story about two narrators who were childhood friends until a tragedy happens. When Cassie's baby is abducted and it looks like Billie is the guilty one, This beginning scene grabs you from the beginning, puts you in a chokehold and doesn't let go until the very last page. I could not put it down!

REVIEW// Bye, Baby

I’ll start out by saying this is not a thriller but more like friendship drama. Billie and Cassie have been friends since they were teen but over the past few years, Cassie began backing away from Billie. Cassie is too busy with her marriage, baby, and being an influencer. Something happens during Cassie’s birthday party and that’s when she realizes that maybe she does need Billie in her life after all.

Every single character in this book is unlikeable and their lives are full of drama. The writing is good and the plot is straightforward, it just lacked any twists.


Thank you @netgalley and @stmartinspress for my digital copy in exchange for my honest review!

• Bye, Baby will be out March 5, 2024 •

Thank you NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book. I’d say this was more of a good 3.5 star read, but I’m rounding up! There were a lot of good elements to this book, and while not exactly a thriller, it really explored the dynamics of friendships and the factors that can affect and alter those relationships over time. I can’t necessarily say that I liked either of the main characters, but they did have multiple facets that definitely brought out their human elements. The ending didn’t quite work for me, and I wish the author would have wrapped up this story differently. Otherwise, I enjoyed this and kept reading to see how everything would tie together.

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martins Press, for an advanced electronic copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Ultimately this is a story of friendship at its best and at its worst. I have a multitude of thoughts and feelings about this book. It covers a number of really heavy topics.

The story is told in a dual narrator format. Childhood best friends, Billie and Cassie have been through a lot together through the years. They carry secrets they don’t want anyone else to know about. Cassie has always wanted to escape her humble beginnings. She’s very focused on the superficial things in life. Status, beauty and money, and spends her days streaming her every move, as a social media influencer.

She no longer wants Billie in her life. But Billie can’t accept it. It becomes an obsession. I felt bad for her, and the decisions she made as a result of not being able to let go and move on in her life. There are a number of characters in the story that are quite unlikeable. The author does a great job in their development. And you could see a train wreck coming.

The writing kept me invested in the story. It made me want to come back to read more, and even made me feel a bit anxious sometimes. A few things bothered me though. It often mentioned how Cassie is breastfeeding her baby, yet she’s drinking alcohol every day. That seemed really strange to me. I thought the amount of coarse language was excessive, and that became a distraction.

One of the things I really loved was how it highlighted the fact that what we see on social media is never a full picture of what goes on in any persons life.
Overall I’m left with mixed feelings for the story. If you enjoy women’s fiction, I think there’s things you will find interesting about this book.

3.75/5 ⭐️

CW | TW | Frequent profanity throughout. Sexual abuse, some sexual content.

Thank you NetGalley for allowing me tor eceive this book for my honest review.

Unfortunately, this book was just okay for me. I found it hard to get into but I would not say I would not try and pick it up again. I will definately give it another try.

Bye, Baby immediately grabbed my attention. A kidnapping. Two estranged best friends. An “influencer” and a childless woman in her 30s. But how did we get here? The story alternates between Billie and Cassie’s POVs as well as between their past and present in this very addictive and propelling novel.

I immediately felt for Billie. At first it was intrigue at the crime she had just committed. And then it was sorrow and pain.

Billie is a very thoughtful and loyal friend to her best friend, Cassie. Billie had a very rough childhood. Her father was barely in the picture, off living with his other family. Her mother re-married to a sleazeball named Wade. Mix in a tight bond and a disheartening disease you get a very horrific situation for Billie. Cassie was the only person she told the specifics of what Wade was doing and it was Cassie who approached the possibility of standing up to him. But was it for her own benefit or Billie’s?

Cassie is very much the opposite of Billie. She is very self-centered. Her friends rotate based off the ones who benefit her at the time. She came from a family that used to have a lot of money. Her dad made some poor investment choices and lost a lot of it which is why she is so drawn to those that are wealthy. For example, she has very high requirements for a husband and she has dumped past boyfriends for their lack of “appropriate” clothing.

McKay, the popular girl in college whom Cassie is constantly trying to impress and fit within her close circle, is the cousin to Grant, Cassie’s husband. Unlike Billie, McKay is also a mother which creates a stronger bond between her and Cassie often times outcasting Billie. With all that being said, Cassie’s occupation of being an Instagram “influencer” (along with running her business that was footed by her husband) comes at no surprise - constantly checking the number of views and likes for every post.

The book is told in two parts. The first part dives into the majority of the set up and circle’s back to the cliffhanger of Billie‘s crime. The second part consists of Cassie’s breakdown and the detective work figuring out who committed the crime. Cassie and Billie become friends again and it’s a constant battle of wanting to find the criminal and not getting enough information to actually figure it out. Meanwhile Billie’s secret is eating her alive. The ending wrapped up in a pretty expected and not so shocking way. One more twist at the end would have made it more exciting and interesting but overall Bye, Baby is a very easy and addictive read.