This book had my stomach in knots the whole way through! That feeling of regretting something so much and wishing you could take it back was palpable. I do think everything ended up how it should have in the end, though! Great read!

Bye, Baby is the fascinating new thriller release by Carola Lovering. Set in NYC it tells the story of two childhood best friends who are fighting to keep their friendship alive.

Or at least one of them is! The other will do anything to let the past stay in the past.

Cassie and Becca grew up together in the same small town. They know everything about each other, including the dirty secrets that no one can ever find out.

Through good and bad, and through high school and college, the girls managed to stay friends. But Cassie always had her eyes set on something bigger. Little by little she starts making new friends and associating with new people.

She wants it all. And she just may have it. Until one night her daughter is gone and the only person she can turn to is her old best friend.

I found this book to be very intriguing because I didn’t know whose perspective was the most accurate. On one hand we have Cassie, the “perfect” mom and influencer who doesn’t want to be friends with Becca anymore because she’s a part of her old life.

And then there’s Becca, who plays the victim a little bit by not being able to let Cassie go. She lets Cassie treat her like a second tier friend and it’s painful to watch.

Who do you trust? Who is right, and who is wrong? It’s difficult to say.

But these girls have both had difficult situations in their lives that have made them the way they are. And they share a big secret that no one can ever find out about.

I really enjoyed this book. Lovering’s writing style is easy to fall into and I found myself devouring each chapter. I had to know what would happen next!

If you like thrillers that feature a little bit of drama and dishonesty, this book is for you. I was drawn in by the initial plot, but the characters wrapped me up in their twisted backstory and kept me guessing until the end.

Carola Lovering is a fabulous suspense writer, and BYE, BABY is another great novel that will keep you up late turning the pages. I have some previously familiarity with Lovering's work, and it's always cause for celebration when she has a new novel coming out.

I especially appreciate how each point-of-view character is essential to the narrative. Often, with multiple POVs, some can begin to seem tangential or unnecessary. That's not the case here -- and each is equally captivating.

The story of Billie and Cassie is filled with great tension. I felt very anxious to see how their relationship would develop with all the ups and downs of the plot. Lovering's portrayal of friendship rings true to life.

The way this story plays out is both entertaining and compelling, and the ending provides a satisfying conclusion. Brava!

Thank you to the publisher & NetGalley for the complimentary e-galley; all opinions in this review are my own.

I did not connect with this book at all. The two FMC were completely unlikeable. Billie and Cassie were king time best friends until Cassie marries into old money. I read up to 35% and then skipped 40% of the book. I didn’t care about either character but wanted to see how it ended. And I wish I hadn’t, the ending was disappointing. I know that this book will be loved by others, I just did not connect with it.

Bye, Baby by Carola Lovering

This one was so good! I needed to take a break after my last long book and this was a perfect one to pick up next.

I read Lovering’s Tell Me Lies earlier this year (after binging the show on Hulu!) and I liked this one even more! She has a great way of writing characters that are both flawed and likable. Bye, Baby explores growing out of childhood friendships, toxic friendships, social media, societal expectations, childhood trauma, guilt… I really liked Billie’s character and it was fun to see her grow. (The same was true *sometimes* with Cassie.)

Favorite quote:

“And isn’t that a requisite of loving someone - to grow complacent to their most fatal flaw? To suppress the urge to change them until it all but disappears? The practice resembles acceptance, but the process is more painful. It’s more like sacrifice.”

Thank you to @netgalley and @StMartinsPress for this ARC. Billie and Cassie are inseparable growing up and they have endured life together. That is until Cassie marries Grant, has a baby and tries her hand at being an influencer. Now, Billie is annoying and stalkish. When something goes wrong at Cassie's birthday party that Billie isn't invited to, Cassie's first instinct is to call her oldest friend. But did Billie have anything to do with the incident? I read this book super fast. Though the plot is explained very soon in the book, you aren't sure how the whole story will unfold. #ByeBaby #CarolaLovering #March2024

Thank you to netgalley for the ARC of this book!

I do think in all honesty that this book was labeled incorrectly, this was more a suspense/family drama than mystery/thriller. That being said, I powered through this book, the writing kept me invested and the story itself had me on the edge of my seat just WONDERING what was going to happen next.

This book did have dual POV’s as well as past/present POV’s so if you don’t love either of these maybe it would be best to stray away, because it was sprinkled pretty consistently throughout this book.

Overall, it was a good read, I didn’t like it any less because it was categorized wrong (in my opinion ofc) but the ending was just too open/closed for me. I wanted more than what it was giving me, it almost was packaged up and completed TOO perfectly.

Obsessive friendship, trauma bonding, and years and years of therapy...... that's this book.

Holy shit.

Billie and Cassie are best friends. They are as close as sisters and bonded in ways that are inexplicable. Cassie is, to be polite, a 'gold digger'. and Billie remains single and childless. Billie has a jet-set life, organizing events and special occasions for people. Cassie lives her life on social media, with her own clothing life and and beautiful baby.

As the title may suggest.....something happens to the baby.

I mean.....Come on.

I just..... How much further can we go with the domestic thrillers? Is this what it's come to?

This might be my limit.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the opportunity to read and review this book.

Bye, Baby by Carola Lovering was a great read!
Cassie and Billie, the main characters, were childhood best friends. Cassie, even from a young age, was drawn to status and money influenced by her grandmother’s wealth. Billie had a tough upbringing with her mom who suffered a dire medical diagnosis and a step-father who was a monster. Cassie was a rock for Billie when she experienced trauma and loneliness in her younger years. The girls were forever bonded by a huge secret they would keep forever. Carola’s writing made you want to keep reading all night to find out what happened next!
Unfortunately, these best friends grew apart. Cassie opting for the rich husband and very luxurious life, while Billie chose an more average life. Billie became almost obsessed with looking at Cassie’s life via her never ending insta posts.
Another big mystery hits when Cassies baby goes missing. Some themes in this novel explore the best friend relationship, sexual trauma, social class and loss. I want to that netgalley for giving me an ARC copy of this amazing book to read for my honest review. I will be recommending this one to friends !

This was told in perspectives of the two toxic best friends Billie and Cassie. Billie was desperate to liked, and riddled with trauma. The whole time I was reading her perspective, I just wanted to give her a big hug. Cassie on the other hand? I disliked her immediately. Cassie was fake, self centered, mean spirited, narcissistic, judgmental, and pretentious. I really wanted Billie to see her true colors, and I hated how Billie thought she owed Cassie her undying loyalty.

The story was also told in flashbacks mainly of Billie and how her and Cassie met, and how their relationship I felt was one sided. As the book went on you go through a lot of emotions of irritation, as well as understanding. Although I felt like this wasn’t so much a thriller, I truly could not put this one down, and I was here for all the catty, drama that unfolded.

I feel like I need therapy after reading this book. The characters were unlivable, the explicit scenes involving sexual assault and pedophilia were disturbing, I wish I had been given some trigger warnings ahead of reading this to be quite honest. Cassie was an awful person. Billie was creepy and deranged. I felt like during this book both of them would end up acknowledging their messed up ways, taking accountability for them, and becoming better people, but absolutely not, They were both more messed up by the end of the book than they were throughout. I finished the book in its entirety because I truly hoped by the end of it I could have my mind changed, but it just didn’t happen. I’m sorry but this book just wasn’t for me. I’m sure there are plenty of people who would enjoy this, but I am unfortunately not one of them. This is the only book I’ve read by the author Carola Lovering, and although I didn’t enjoy it, I would still give her another chance and try out a different book of hers.

I received an advanced readers copy of this book from NetGalley. This review is honest, unbiased, and completely my own

This book was so good. It kept my heart racing wanting to know how it ended in more ways then just one. My heart hurt for sweet Billie and I just wanted to punch Cassie most of the time. If I didn’t highly enjoy the writing style and the author, I wouldn’t have been able to experience those feelings. I feel honored to be able to review this book and recommend it to others. I also look forward to other books from this author.

Can dark childhood secrets keep you friends forever? After growing apart into adulthood Cassie is now married to wealthy man and has everything she has every wanted and would like nothing more than to completely shed her past. Perhaps even her childhood friend, Billie who knows all her darkest secrets.
Even though their lives are completely different Billie wants nothing more than to have her best friend close to her again and will do anything to bring her and Cassie back together.

The back and forth of the alternating perspectives definitely keeps you on your toes and answers just a hint of your questions with every flash back. I couldn’t put this book down and was dying to know what would happen next through to the end! This was the first time I had read anything by Carola Lovering but her unpredictable ending has me wanting to grab another to see if it is just as good!

Would definitely recommend this book!

I was hooked from the very first page of this book. It beautifully explores friendship, motherhood, and family. Billie and Cassie were the best of friends in their childhood. Their secrets bonded them even tighter. As they grow up, they grow apart. Also, they both grow further into 2 different personalities where Cassie plays the dominant hand. She has inserted herself into the high society by marrying rich and having friends in similar circles. She doesn't want to relive her childhood by being in touch with Billie. She has happily moved on. On the other hand, Billie still longs for Cassie's friendship even though she has made new friends. She responds to any call that Cassie makes.
The book revolves around these 2 with dual POVs and the timeline also alternates between the present and past. Presently, Cassie is working on building her company while being a new mother. Billie has not had a serious relationship since her fallout with Cassie, but has just met Alex and she thinks she likes her. The past explores how they met, how they got close, how they made other friends, and how their relationship evolved to what it is.
I would review this book as character driven fiction with a hint of thriller. I devoured it. Couldn't stop reading. Recommended!

I feel like I'm in the minority and did not like this book. I think I wasn't a huge fan because it marketed itself as a thriller but was more a story of the complexity of friendships.. I found both the characters pretty unlikeable and had a hard time understanding their decisions.

Bye, Baby is a drama-filled suspense thriller that takes a deep look into toxic female relationships. Billie and Cassie have been best friends their entire lives; however, over the past three years, Cassie has begun pulling away from Billie. While Billie fights for their friendship, Cassie is busy with her new marriage, her new friend group, and her new baby. After an unfortunate incident occurs during Cassie's birthday party, she starts to re-evaluate her life; however, where does Billie fit into this new re-evaluation?

To be honest, I didn't think this was much of a thriller. Everyone, including the reader, knows exactly what happened from the beginning. To me, this was much more of a drama/suspense book with a lot of awkward and uncomfortable scenes (passive-aggressive arguments, parents neglecting their children, toxic friendships, and detailed sexural assault scenes (*definite trigger warning*)). None of the characters were likable, and I honestly found myself rooting against all of the characters. Overall, I really did not enjoy this book.

Billie and Cassie are best friends forever. They are in high school with big dreams and plans until something happens to change their lives. Now, many years later Cassie is married to a super rich guy and living the Influencer life. Billie &Cassie have drifted apart and then this book turns into Single White Female. This isn’t a thriller per se, but it is a book about longtime friendships with a satisfying ending.

My hopes for this book weren’t the highest, because Tell Me Lies wasn’t my favorite, but I truly could not put this book down. I LOVED the Lisa Jewell name drop and multiple Taylor Swift references, overall I could not be more obsessed. I read this book months ago and am still thinking about it today, definitely one of my favorite reads of 2023.

This book was just not good. It’s list as a thriller but it’s definitely not that. The plot was completely lost

I would definitely say go in cold to this one as the blurb might tell you a little much. Also know while listed as a thriller, this is more a friendship drama about unlikable people. There was only one person I ended up liking by the end. But don’t let that scare you away. There is something there that made me want to read it. I wanted to know what was happening, who was genuine and what would be the ultimate result.

I spent a little time shaking my head and even yelling at the characters for their choices. I had a little bit of an idea where this one was going, but I did enjoy the read. This is really a good friendship gone awry story and I wanted to know why and how.