3.5 stars. With her first three novels, Carola Lovering seemed to have found her niche exploring toxic romantic relationships and the emotional fallout resulting from those entanglements. In Bye, Baby, a toxic relationship is still central to the story -- but this time, it's best friends instead of romantic partners.

Billie and Cassie became instant best friends at age 12, when Cassie moved to Billie's upstate New York town. Now they're in their mid-30s, and their lives have taken very different paths. Cassie married into a wealthy family and lives with her husband and new baby in a swanky Gramercy Park apartment, growing her followers on Instagram as she promotes her upscale boutique. Billie, meanwhile, is successful but single (and childless by choice), and spends her evenings watching Cassie's charmed life unfold through Instagram stories. The women have grown apart, something that Billie refuses to accept. Billie will do whatever it takes to stay in Cassie's life -- even if that means kidnapping Cassie's baby.

Bye, Baby unfolds on two timelines, delving into both Billie and Cassie's current relationship and the past events that caused Billie to trauma-bond to Cassie so strongly. It's not a thriller, but instead a domestic drama/character study that explores the psyches of two women, one of them incredibly damaged. Lovering really excels at this -- painting complex portraits of her characters, exploring the dark things that affect their mental states and the ways they are shaped by their trauma. Billie is such an interesting character, sympathetic both in spite of and because of her choices, while the portrayal of Cassie is much more shallow. I would have liked some past chapters narrated from Cassie's perspective to understand her a bit better. I never connected with her and didn't feel much for her aside from annoyance.

Lovering infuses the plot with lots of interesting commentary surrounding influencer culture, materialism, and the way women's choices are perceived, delving into difficult topics like Alzheimer's disease, sexual assault, and social discrimination and classism. Bye, Baby is a deft exploration of a toxic female friendship from both sides: how it feels to be the one holding on, and how it feels to be the one pulling away. I listened to the audio version, which is masterfully read by Helen Laser and Karissa Vacker, both of whom infused their respective characters with a lot of emotion. Thank you to St. Martin's Press and Macmillan Audio for the early reading opportunity.

Whoa. What the heck did I read?????

Billie and Cassie have been friends since they were 12, when Cassie moved to upstate New York. The two girls became fast friends and continued that friendship on to adulthood.

The story opens with Billie having Cassie’s daughter Ella and Cassie has no idea where her daughter went.

The story flips between both women and over multiple years. We learn about their friendship and how they got to this point.

Some part of Cassie’s perspective honestly just annoyed me. She is not a likable character to me.

This book was so much more than I expected. Be mindful of the insane amount of wealth and have some of the characters flaunt that at every turn.

Bye, Baby follows two childhood best friends, bonded over a shared, terrible secret from their teens into adulthood. While different seasons can naturally cause friendships to grow apart, that is not what is happening here. Cassie is intentionally trying to distance herself from her oldest friend and you get a first-hand account of this through her POV, while also getting the POV of Billie desperately trying to hold on. There’s very much a codependency, trauma bond feel to Billie’s desperation. Billie’s hurt and anger result in an impulsive choice one night. A choice she immediately regrets, but it’s too late to stop the consequences she has already set in motion. I felt sorry for Billie one minute, understanding her hurt and pain, then angry the next, as she seemed to almost grovel and beg Cassie for attention. I disliked Cassie, almost repulsed by who she was, except when she spoke about her daughter. Her attachment and fear over her baby was an excellent way to get the reader to sympathize with a character who otherwise didn’t seem very redeemable to me! I thought this was well done!

This was a great balance between suspense and contemporary fiction. Enough tension and uncertainty to leave me guessing, but also a deep dive into a friendship that once was significant but now is toxic and harmful, and what it means to have to let that go even when your heart does not want to. Listening to this on audio was an excellent choice as well! The dual narration made the POVs easy to follow, and the voices matched the characters perfectly. I highly recommend the audio format.

‼️ NOTE: a couple of trigger warnings may be significant to some readers. I am choosing not to post them for those who may see them as spoilers, but please feel free to ask if you know there are things you prefer to be aware of before reading!

Thank you to @netgalley and @macmillannaudio for this ALC!

Wow! This was such a well-crafted story! I love how she contrasted the friendships and relationships of Cassie and Billie. It wasn't exactly suspense, but it read like a suspense novel and kept me turning pages.
My only wish is that the strong language had been cut back- not a fan of all the f-bombs.

Read if you like:
👯‍♀️ Stories about Friends
⏳ Past & Present Timelines
2️⃣ Dual POV
🤫 Secrets

This book is truly the exploration of best friends that drift apart and the consequences of lack of clear communication and resentment when a friendship dims overtime with one party pulling away and the other not understanding why it’s happening because they have poured all of themselves into the relationship. It’s messy, it’s toxic, it’s full of lies, confidences, and ultimately trust even when the relationship is falling apart.

There is one part of the story that got to me a little bit, and as someone who doesn’t normally become bothered by things and doesn’t check trigger warnings I would recommend people go in knowing there is a scene that was detailed enough to take me back that depicts non-consensual sexual contact between two characters.

Overall I think I landed somewhere right around loving this one because it was very bingeable and kept me hooked from start to finish.

Thank you so much to the publisher for my ALC in exchange for my honest review!

It's weird to like a book when the characters are so hateful (and not in that fun way). Cassie is absolutely horrible. When they meet as teens, Billie is so wounded she is just thrilled Cassie sees her. Watching her beloved mother fade and her new stepfather leer, it is no wonder. But Cassie is selfish and materialistic. Billie just ignores it.

Billie isn't likable either. She is obsessed with her friend, who has left her behind as an adult. She takes her baby. But I felt bad for her. She does not have a good beginning. She's actually doing surprisingly well with everything considered. Still, she does something pretty unforgivable.

The ending was a little too neat and clean for my liking. Still, there is a tenseness throughout. Will Cassie find out? Will Billie come clean?
It was enough to keep the story going.

I really enjoyed Bye, Baby. While it's not necessarily a thriller, the beginning grabbed me and I was never bored. In fact, I prefer whatever this genre is to your typical thriller. Psychological fiction, maybe? I immediately felt invested in the two main characters' relationship, and think many women will relate to its take on motherhood (or child-free by choice) and how friendships change as we age. The stereotypical influencer in the city/Hamptons references were familiar but didn’t feel tired. Did I mention I binged it in a day? I listened to the audiobook, and thought all narrators were great. Immediately, I started casting the movie. I'm picturing Alison Brie as Cassie and Brie Larson as Billie.

Thank you NetGalley, Carola Lovering, and Macmillan for this audiobook ARC. I received the physical format as well, but really enjoyed listening to this thriller. It was easy to follow and although there were a good amount of characters, it was a great storyline! I loved the friendship that was built & then was challenged/questioned throughout the story. I will be recommending this book to lots of other readers!

Bye, Baby is part mystery, part fiction with a focus on a lifelong friendship between Billie and Cassie, now in their mid-30s. Billie is content with her travel job, friendships, and single life. Cassie is a boutique owner/influencer who appears to be happily married with a baby daughter. They have been friends for about 25 years, but have drifted apart, largely due to Cassie's unyielding desire to social climb. Billie clings onto their friendship to an almost obsessive level. When the novel opens, Cassie's daughter has gone missing. Their dual perspectives eventually lead up to what has happened. There is some mystery regarding her daughter's kidnapping, but it leads to the deepening of their friendship and rumination on how they've both changed. Cassie's character often drove me a little batty. She's so consumed by marrying rich and appearing to have it all. I liked Billie, but she frustrated me with her reliance on Cassie and unwillingness to accept that things have changed. Overall, it kept me interested and I flew through the audiobook in a few days. The audiobook, which was perfectly narrated by Helen Laser and Karissa Vacker for each character's perspective.

Thank you NetGalley and the publishers for providing this ebook and audiobook ARC. All thoughts are my own.

Thank you St. Martin’s Press and Macmillan Audio for my #gifted copies of Bye, Baby!

𝐓𝐢𝐭𝐥𝐞: 𝐁𝐲𝐞, 𝐁𝐚𝐛𝐲
𝐀𝐮𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐫: 𝐂𝐚𝐫𝐨𝐥𝐚 𝐋𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠
𝐍𝐚𝐫𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐬: 𝐇𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐧 𝐋𝐚𝐬𝐞𝐫 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐊𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐬𝐚 𝐕𝐚𝐜𝐤𝐞𝐫
𝐏𝐮𝐛 𝐃𝐚𝐭𝐞: 𝐌𝐚𝐫𝐜𝐡 𝟓, 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟒

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This book was so addicting and I loved it SO much! I was honestly hooked from the first chapter and found the format to be so engaging and thought it flowed so well. I went into this book blind, so I really had no idea what it was about or even the genre. I was so surprised with how much I loved this book and highly recommend it for anyone who is hoping to read a suspenseful story about friendship, childhood, and secrets.

Cassie and Billie were best friends growing up, and were always inseparable. Now, as adults, the two have grown apart, but Billie is desperate to have her friend back in her life. Cassie, who is married, a social media influencer, and a new mother, lives a completely different lifestyle from Billie. One night in a NYC apartment, Billie hears a baby crying and quickly realizes it’s Cassie’s baby in the apartment above where she is, and there’s a party going on that Billie was not invited to. Billie climbs the fire escape to grab the baby and bring her back to the apartment to soothe her. It’s not long before Billie hears Cassie and the chaos from above as everyone searches for he missing baby. Billie will do anything to get her friend back, including hiding the truth about what happened the night the baby was taken. Full of secrets, childhood trauma, and evolving friendships, we learn about Cassie and Billie through alternating timelines and dual POVs in this suspenseful work of literary fiction.

🎧I listened to the audiobook, narrated by two of my favorites, Helen Laser and Karissa Vacker. If you listen to the audiobook, you are in for a TREAT! I cannot even explain how much I loved these two together in their alternating roles. I feel like they they fit the roles of Billie and Cassie so well and I could not imagine two better narrators for this book. I HIGHLY recommend listening to this book with your ears if that option is available to you. You will not regret it!

💔Dual Timeslines and POV
💔Character Driven
💔Suspense
💔Childhood Friends
💔Social Media Influencer
💔Lots of Secrets

Posted on Goodreads on March 1, 2024: https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/144922955?ref=nav_profile_l
**Posted on Instagram - Full Review- on or around March 5, 2024: http://www.instagram.com/nobookmark_noproblem
**Posted on Amazon on March 5, 2024
**-will post on designated date

This is a character driven story about the evolution of a friendship of two women who have been friends since they were teenagers. They had been inseparable ever since, until recently. Recently, Cassie has married and birthed her first child, and Billie is a career focused single woman who does not desire to have children. Their lifestyle differences has caused them to stray from each other and has formed a wedge in their close friendship.

Billie feels Cassie has pushed her out of her life, and she is unhappy and mourns the relationship they once shared. Despite feeling hurt and neglected, Billie still holds on to hope that one day they will be able to bridge the gap between them and find their way back to each other

They rekindle the friendship they once had after Cassie's baby is taken, and the only person she wants to seek comfort in is Billie. But, Cassie doesn't know Billie was the person who had taken her baby! The person she trusts the most is the one who caused her so much pain. Billie struggles with the guilt of her actions. She knows she must come clean and face the consequences of her betrayal, but she fears losing Cassie's friendship forever.

I related to this story in the sense that I myself had strong, close friendships and relationships that withered away as time went on. I think the fundamental lesson of the narrative is that life changes, and friends change. You can yearn for what was, but the ultimate reality is that some things aren't meant to last forever. However difficult it may be to accept those changes over time.

I listened to the audio version of the book and enjoyed the dual narration of Helen Laser and Karissa Vacker. Having the dual narration adds layers of depth to the narrative. Ultimately, the dual narration enhances the overall storytelling experience, creating a more immersive reading experience.

Thanks to Netgalley and Macmillan Audio for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

3.5 Stars rounded up

There was a lot to this one that I found enjoyable and one of those is definitely the dual narrators Helen Laser and Karissa Vacker! The story started really strong but I thought towards the end some steam was lost. The toxic friendship component and the unlikeable characters made for some great drama too! Thank you so much to Macmillan Audio for the ALC of this one!

I am not sure that I would call this a mystery or thriller - but still enjoyable to read. The book follows two women, who alternate telling the story from their perspective. Friends since childhood, the book follows their toxic and unhealthy relationship through adulthood. They make terrible mistakes that impact their relationship forever - and it is not until the end of the story that we learn why their toxic friendship lasts so long. I did not realy like either of them, was frustrated by their actions, their behaviors and their personalities. Their interactions made me want to scream. Opposites connected by a past that they can't let go of. All that being said, I could not look away from the disaster that they both were. I wanted to know more about them as individuals and as friends. I listed and read this and both versions were enjoyable.

Thank you netgalley for my advanced reader (and audio!) copy.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the gifted copy!

Undoubtedly, I was intrigued by this story from page one. The writer did a great job of hooking the reader from the beginning, and the writing itself was strong. I flew this one and it held my interest throughout. However, by the end of the book I was left feeling like....why? What was the purpose? This one didn't fully work for me and felt anticlimactic, but it's definitely an interesting look at toxic relationships and social media culture. I think a lot of people will enjoy this one for sure.

I love when books take a close look at relationships - the more toxic, the better. The friendship in this book is extremely complicated and loyalty is questioned. Secrets, bad decisions, family drama-, missing baby, even the beginnings of a romance - this book has a little of everything. I loved the backstory just as much as the present day.

Don’t go into this expecting a thriller. It’s much more of a slow burn suspense and one I couldn’t put down. I love characters made to be hated and this book has several.

I was hooked from the beginning… definitely some unlikeable characters but I love stories about Rich people behaving badly! Narration was great too… I truly couldn’t put this one down. A tiny bit far fetched at times but aren’t all popcorn thrillers? I loved this one! 4.5 stars

If you like breastfeeding and Alanis Morrisette, you'll like this book!

In all seriousness, I really enjoyed Bye, Baby. I would classify this as more of a suspense/drama than a thriller. I love a good toxic friendship story and this was definitely it! I listened to this on audiobook, Helen Laser and Karissa Vacker did a great job!

Amazing friend turned giant b**** + sad friend who's desperate = everyone getting f***** over!

Check your trigger warnings with this book.

I really liked this audiobook! This is a thriller about two high school friends and how their lives drift apart as they grow up and come back together in the face of a crime. Lovering didn’t waste any time getting straight to the action. I was hooked from the epilogue! It slowed down a little bit in the middle but we continue to learn secrets from the characters pasts that keep you engaged. It’s also told from different points of view and timelines, but wasn’t difficult to keep track of or confusing. I loved the narrators! I really liked the way Cassidy’s Instagram videos were read. It really helped to understand how much she changed after college and getting married. Definitely recommend this one!

Thank you @CarolaTLovering, @MacMillian.audio, and @NetGalley for this advance listen copy. All opinions are my own.

This novel was a super interesting concept! Dual POVs, flashbacks, and a secret you spend most of it trying to uncover makes for a thrilling story. Friendships, relationships, family, DRAMA, kidnapping and maybe even a murder? SIGN ME UP. The audiobook version of this was *chefs kiss*. I have a feeling this is going to be a top thriller of 2024.

This book is packaged as a thriller but is more of a story about a toxic friendship that is bound together by a past filled with a dark secret.

Billie and Cassie become best friends as as teens and are inseparable through college and eventually share an apartment in the city until Cassie meets and marries a very wealthy man. Their lives are completely different. Cassie is a new mother, she in a fashion and lifestyle influencer, she is starting a new business and her circle of friends are very entitled. Billie is single, childless and travels the world for work. She misses Cassie who has gradually pushed her out of her life. She is hurt and finds herself obsessed with Cassie’s social media presence. When Cassie’s baby goes missing she reaches out to Billie who is more than happy to be back in her life regardless of the circumstances. They reminisce about the past, the good times and the trauma and secret that will always connect them. They rekindle the friendship but Billie is keeping a new secret from her friend that could ruin everything.

This was a riveting story, it was character driven. The transformation of the friendship and the two women was written so well and was so thought provoking. Definitely a study of toxic relationships and how they transform a person.

4 ⭐️