Carola Lovering's Bye, Baby is categorized as Mystery & Thriller as well as Women's Lit. Although I agree with Women's Lit, the book falls short of being a true mystery or a thriller. The book's synopsis very adeptly gives the reader the what and the who: Billie West has kidnapped her best friend's baby. While one might go into the book thinking that this act is, in and of itself, the mystery or that there is something dark and sinister about to happen, that would be a simplification of what the story is truly about: the relationship between two women and how friendships evolve over time. The storyline will be eminently relatable, as the transition from childhood friendships to adult friendships, in the face of marriage, work, children, and simply life challenges, is one that most women will face throughout their lifetime. There is a continual ebb and flow around friendships as one friend marries while the other remains single, one has children as the other doesn't, as couples divorce. If there is a mystery, it is how do two women maintain a lifelong friendship? Are they even meant to? And at what stage does gracefully letting go happen? What happens when one friend has moved on but the other hasn't?

Bye Baby is an excellent book, read in one evening. The story itself was interesting and well written. But mostly, it was thought provoking. I dare any woman to read the book and not have some thoughts about their own friendships or their behavior as a friend.

Bye, Baby by Carola Lovering is a good and well crafted thrilling novel. There are many good twists and the relationships between the characters were entertaining. A great book with a solid story. Thank you to Netgalley for the ARC.

Bye, Baby looks at friendship, how it evolves and changes, as well as the lasting effects of childhood trauma and guilt. Told in alternative points of view, as well as alternating timelines, this was an great read. Both main characters made poor choices, but in the end you were rooting for them!

domestic thrillers exploring female friendships is one of my family genres and this books is a electrifying read .

Thank you netgalley for the eARrc

Carola Lovering never disappoints. I have loved everything this woman has wrote so it's no surprise that I loved this book. She writes in a way that hooks you right from the beginning. I can't wait to buy this to have a physical copy.

Wow. I just don't know what to say because I got chills while reading. The story was hauntingly good and suspense was right and left. The plot twist made my jaw drop and it was heartbreaking. I've to say, it was one of my favourite thriller read of the year!

The plot of this book peaked my interest and once I picked it up I was sucked in, The reader is instantly grabbed and never lets go. While there was a lot I really liked about this book there were some negatives.

I enjoyed the initial storyline of the kidnapping and how a lifelong friendship between Billie and Cassie was impacted, The focus on social media was very, very well done and a reminder to EVERYONE that what you see online is not real.

Unfortunately for me neither one of the main characters was very likable, I could not see how any genuine relationship was ever formed and at times I actually disliked both Billie and Cassie. Some of the scenarios seemed incredibly far fetched and the reader really needed to suspend disbelief,

Overall I would recommend this book as it was one that I could not put down and I never felt like I forgot the storyline between readings,

Trigger warning for this book is important.

Lovering has crafted a unique, suspenseful domestic thriller where there is no clear protagonist or antagonist. Both Cassie and Billie are deeply flawed people, bound together by the secrets of their younger years. The alternating perspectives allow readers into the psyches of both women, and how they view the actions of the other. Emotions always run high when children are involved, and Bye, Baby is no exception. In her latest outing, Lovering tackles the intricacies of female friendships, childhood trauma, and the obsession with status in today's digital age.

Another great read from Carola Lovering! A twisty domestic thriller about two best friends and how their friendship has evolved over the years laced with dark secrets from the past and current kidnapping. I loved that this story involved best friends, it had great character development – I felt like I knew both Cassie and Billie and I couldn’t put it down!


I was given this book in exchange for my honest opinion. Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for this ARC.

Thank you, NetGalley, for this book

I HATED the characters in this book. The story is about two childhood friends, Billie and Cassie, and how their lives diverged. I guess I was supposed to be sympathetic to Billie because she's not evil, but her neediness and desperation were so off-putting. And Cassie is an influencer, and I hated her from page one.

Billie is desperate for most of the book to get Cassie's attention, but Cassie has a new friend group who understands her lifestyle, motherhood, her newfound fame, and her husband's financial situation. Billie grew up with Cassie, and even though Cassie has always been a gold digger, she loved her anyway.

I did finish the book because I wanted to know what happened, but I can't recommend this one to anyone. Both characters were so wretched that I don't want to subject others to them.

Carola Lovering writes multi perspective, domestic thriller like no one else. The story of Billie and Cassie and the ebbs and flows of their friendship is relatable and anxiety inducing all at once.

The best thing about Lovering’s writing is her relatability in her characters. You know these people, you’ve been there. The way she describes friendships as we take different paths is spot on.

You know the twist from the first page but seeing how the story plays out made this a five star read!

Wow. This book! Wow. I loved it. This was so good! I couldn't put it down! "Chefs Kiss"
I just reviewed Bye, Baby by Carola Lovering. #NetGalley
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Cassie and Billie definitely have their share of trauma and secrets in their past. Each plagued by different wants, desires and a past.

When Cassie has a birthday party and later finds her daughter Ella missing, shes beside herself. When Ella is returned a short time later Cassie is relieved and somewhat confused. The one person she wants to see is Billie. As Cassie learns to live with the uncertainty that is life, her daughters safety and what she can do to keep her safe, her life could unravel with finding out the truth. Or will it make her stronger?

Thank you netgalley and St Martins the early release in exchange for an honest review.

This is my first book by this author and I have to say I'm unimpressed. I was hoping for a twisty storyline that kept you guessing til the end, but this book lacked that.
Thank you to Netgalley for allowing me to read this book.

Bye, Baby by Carola Lovering is a propulsive, thrilling novel. Like in previous books, Lovering is a master is capturing the nuances of female friendship—particularly when they turn toxic. I don't want to give anything away, this is a book with so many twists and turns. You will not forget Cassie and Billie! Highly recommend!!

Thanks to netgalley and st.martins press for this one. I loved the female friendships and storylines. And how accurate it was about friends drifting apart.

Cassie and Billie have been best friends since high school. But now in their 30s, Cassie is a social media influencer, boutique owner, new mom and married to a trust fund man. Billie is single, working for a travel agency and doesn’t want kids. Their lives are in clearly different places. But when Cassie’s daughter goes missing, Billie is the first person she wants to call.

I did really enjoy reading this book. And going back in time to see how their friendship used to be. But hello…why is nobody talking about the fact that Cassie was drinking at a party and left her baby alone outside to be taken. But she was never questioned about leaving her baby alone. The baby was crying and crying and nobody did anything. I do wish the ending of the book was different and they could forgive each other for their friendship.

A twisty tale of friendship gone haywire. I enjoyed the multiple view points of the two main characters. I liked it a little better than her previous novels. Thanks to NetGalley for an advanced copy.

This book is a masterfully written portrayal of a complex relationship between two women from childhood up into their mid thirties. At the heart of their relationship is a terrible secret that binds these two women together through the years in both good and bad times and also despite their disagreements and opposing values. Then one of them steals the others baby and all heck is turned loose. As the story unfolds, the author explores layer after layer of the ties that bind these two women together. It leads you to ask the reader what is it that you value in a romantic relationship or in a friendship. How much are you willing to give up of yourself to be with another person? As a woman, I am left examining how I feel about my relationships with other women, and how much do I buy into the idea of aggression between women and are women truly catty towards one another? How much can you rely on other women to have your back. I found it fascinating to see the inclusion of the role of social media in the plot, and I found that to a certain extent social media itself acted like another character in the book. I did hold back one star because I feel as though the book doesn't ring a note of universality in it, and so it comes across sometimes as the foolish nonsense of very limited women who don't have much to make their lives meaningful.

Another great twisty tale from Carola Lovering! Billie and Cassie meet as girls and swear to be best friends forever. Until they’re not. As the girls grow into adulthood, priorities change and even the closest bounds can fray. Sometimes the secrets that bind can break a friendship. Themes of sexual abuse, friendship, and loss.
Told from alternating POV, Bye Baby is a compelling read.

3.75* The writing in this book really kept me hooked. This is something you will stay up at night to read. I was totally into the whole plot until the end. It fell a little flat for me. This reads like a thriller but it is actually more of a literary fiction novel forced to make you think about the decisions you make and how that affects those around you. This isn't an easy novel to read. Sometimes the narrative made me feel icky but I think that is the point and the author does a great job of sucking you in.
This is definitely a book you sit and think with.


Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an early copy. This book will be out March 2024