I was very intrigued by the premise of this book. The synopsis gave me The Couple Next Door by Shari Lapena vibes but from a completely different perspective, so I was really excited to dive into this one.

Billie and her childhood best friend, Cassie, have grown apart in recent years. Billie has felt cut out of Cassie’s life as Cassie gains internet influencer notoriety and is living a seemingly glorious life with a wealthy husband and beautiful baby. The separation in their friendship is all the more perplexing when Billie finds she has kidnapped Cassie’s baby during Cassie’s birthday party.

For me, this book didn’t live up to the promise of this premise. I was hoping for lots of tense cat and mouse, hidden secrets, and overall intensity. What I got was a book I enjoyed while I read it, but that I won’t remember because it was predictable and a bit simplistic.

This is told over the course of Billie and Cassie’s lives from childhood through the present and bounces between timelines. The timelines were really well done and worked with the overall story. The story is told from Billie’s perspective and I liked young Billie, but the older she got the less I liked her. The primary reason I didn’t like Billie as she got older was Cassie. Cassie was at no point likable and Billie seemed desperate to be friends with someone who just didn’t seem worth it, I struggled to connect with that mentality even when the background was explained.

Overall I still had a really good time with this book and it was a middle of the road thriller for me. It was entertaining, I enjoyed the time I spent reading it, but it was a bit predictable and it probably won’t stick with me.
 
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this book.  I leave this review voluntarily.

Another good book by Carola! Intertwining friendship with past shared childhood trauma and changes in the future with romance and new friends. Thankful that @netgalley and @stmartinspress for this ARC.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Read How: 🎧
Genre: Women Fiction
Narrator: Helen Laser and Karissa Vacker


Quick Blurb:
Billie and Cassie were best friends from childhood to young adulthood in Hudson Valley and NYC. However, Cassie married a wealthy man who would provide the lifestyle shealways wanted. Cassie has made new friends within the new lifestyle and she doesn’t want anything from her previous life including Billie. Billie is desperate to restore the friendship she had with Cassie due to their past which leads her to do something extremely stupid.
This book unpacks childhood trauma, friendship changes over the years, love, and heartbreaks.


For me, I can still enjoy a book even though the characters are unlikeable as long the writing style and plot are able to keep my interest. This book definitely was and it was the type of toxic I like. 😂

Billie and Cassie were terrible friends to each other. Cassie is a shallow and self-absorbed person but it took Billie a really long time to accept it. I understand why Billie felt loyal to Cassie but the baby girl was delusional and had no self-respect when it came to her former BFF. In the end, I did like Billie because she had some growth for example realizing she had great friends who respected and accepted her for who she was. Sometimes it is okay to lose friendships due to different lifestyles or just in general even though there's used to be a strong bond.
I also liked Alex for her even though she made decisions that fractured the relationship.
My feelings about Cassie didn’t change in the end because she was still selfish and with no depth

Narrator:
I loved both Laser and Vacker voices. I thought they did a great job bringing Lovering's words to life.

Thank you so much Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press and Macmillan Audio for the ebook and audiobook copy in exchange for an honest review

I’ll start by saying this is definitely not a thriller. More like a combination of mystery, drama, and romance with a whole heap of situations to digest within the pages. I appreciated the look at how tough motherhood is, especially in those early months, the powerful choice some women make to not have children, and the adaptation of friendships through life.

While I respect the conceptualization that went into the crafting of this tale it was a lot different than I’d expected, another example of how important it is to manage the readers expectations. I did a combo of audio and digital and can highly recommend the audiobook, the narrators Karissa Vacker and Helena Laser did an amazing job!

*There are a lot of potential trigger warnings so if you do read this make sure you’re prepared.

Thanks to St. Martin’s Press for the arc and Macmillan Audio for the arc via Netgalley!

This was a binge-worthy, wild ride of an audiobook and one that I didn't want to put down! It had a little of everything; toxic friendships, anxieties from new motherhood, suspense, dark secrets, and so much more that made this a super enjoyable read.

But what really makes this story unique and interesting is the exploration of adult friendships and how those friendships change over time -- for better and for worse.

The story was told from two different POV's and went back and forth between past and present timelines. The narrators did a great job at portraying the personalities of each of the MC's. At times, the pacing felt a little slow, but overall, I kept wanting to know what was going to happen next.

*I received an advanced readers copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*

Short synopsis: Cassie married wealthy, and is now a social media influencer, her childhood bestie Billie is feeling left out because Cassie has new friends. One night, Cassie’s baby goes missing from their penthouse balcony.

My thoughts: While I expected this to be a thriller, it was more a suspenseful drama. A look into social standing, wealth, keeping secrets, and two somewhat unlikable friends. I found times where I didn’t like either character, because they both had moments of selfishness and instability. This was definitely toxic friendship at its best.

The social media influencer side was so believable and kept the story interesting. I can totally see how someone can get sucked into either side (the person sharing their life, and those watching it).

I really liked the dual POV, and the time flashbacks to get more info from their history.

I did a mix of audio and physical reading and would suggest either way! The narrators did such a great job of portraying this story, and propelled the story forward making it impossible not to binge.

Read if you love:
- Social media
- Friendships
- Dual POV and flashbacks
- Romance sub-plot
- Character driven stories

This isn't a thriller or mystery like it is tagged, but a story about a toxic friendship over the years. There are very few likeable characters in this book, but somehow it isn't grating while reading but works with the storyline. That being said, I can't say I enjoyed the book but was interested in the outcome. The narrator did a great job.

Billie and Cassie have been best friends since they met in middle school. They have grown up together, and hold deep secrets for one another. However, in recent years Billie has felt Cassie pulling away. After getting married and having their first baby, Cassie just doesn't have enough time to spend with Billie. And the few times they do get together the interaction is superficial and lacks the depth they used to share. As Billie tries to come to terms with this Cassie's life on social media shows Billie the truth of their friendship, and in a moment of frustration, and anger, Billie makes a choice that causes a hitch in everyone's life.

The story is interesting, and takes a look at the friendships that women hold onto and the dynamic that happens so frequently when life takes friends on drastically different paths. I do not think it a stretch to say that the friendship between Billie and Cassie was toxic and consistently one-sided. Although extreme, I think the toxicity led Billie to making such a dramatic and disturbing choice, which she now needs to learn to live with. Overall, the novel was interesting and easy to listen. The narrator was clear and engaging. I would recommend to anyone looking for a different type of women's fiction novel.

I was excited about this book simply because I love mysteries/thrillers. I'm not sure I would categorize this book as either. Maybe contemporary fiction? The book was fine on its own merits, but the whole time I felt like I was waiting for the other shoe to drop.

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

I have liked previous books by this author and I really enjoyed this one too! This is told from alternating perspectives of friends Billie and Cassie. This book has lots of character development and underlying mystery. the timeline in this book is different as something is revealed before the end but it works so well with he different timelines too! I listened to the audiobook and it was great with the narrators!. Look for this one out March 5th and thank you to Netgalley and Macmillan audio for the early copy!

"Bye, Baby" by Carola Lovering is Friendship and Women's Fiction With a Touch of Suspense!

Billie and Cassie met during the summer before seventh grade and quickly became best friends. Whatever was lacking at home, their friendship filled. Connected at the hip, so to speak, each would do anything for the other.

After high school, they begin to drift apart. As Cassie becomes engaged to a wealthy man, Billie notices subtle changes in their friendship. When Cassie has a baby and Billie remains single and childless, she realizes there's not much left that connects them. Still, Billie remains hopeful...

"Bye, Baby" is told in Cassie's and Billie's first-person narratives through short, alternating chapters. The focus is on the 30 days before Cassie's 35th birthday, and on the backstory of their friendship. Initially, I didn't care for either protagonist but as the details of the friendship began to unfold, my understanding of both characters levels out. It's a complicated relationship, to say the least.

This was an immersion read-listen through the gifted DRC and ALC. The audiobook narrated by Helen Laser and Karissa Vacker was my preference, but either format will deliver a great experience.

"Bye, Baby" feels more like Friendship and Women's Fiction with a touch of Suspense rather than a Mystery-Thriller. The pace is consistent and the contrast in personalities between the two main characters contributes to the emotional drama of the story. I enjoyed this far more than I expected to and I love the way it ended. Recommended!

4⭐

Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin's Press, Macmillan Audio, and Carola Lovering for a DRC and an ALC of this book through NetGalley. It has been a pleasure to give my honest and voluntary review.

Kapow! The Prologue grabbed me and I sneaked in pages by listening to the audio when walking the dog and reading the digital on my Kindle in between. Lovering tells the story of Billie and Cassie's friendship with two present POVs--one from each--and interludes from that past by Billie. This book may try to cover too many themes: friendship, assault, social media, privilege, Alzheimer's, choosing to be childless, and more. . . One thing I especially loved was the crossover reference to previous title Can't Look Away. Unfortunately there were quite a few F-bombs. Leaving this at a four-star rating. My favorite title from Lovering is still Too Good to Be True.

Thank you to Macmillan Audio, St. Martins Press, and NetGalley for an audio and a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.

"Bye, Baby" by Carola Lovering is an absolute triumph in the realm of contemporary fiction. Lovering crafts a riveting narrative that seamlessly weaves together love, loss, and the intricacies of human relationships. The characters are brilliantly developed, each with their own flaws and vulnerabilities, making them relatable and utterly compelling. The storytelling is a rollercoaster of emotions, keeping the reader hooked from start to finish. Lovering's prose is both evocative and poetic, elevating the novel beyond the ordinary. With its unexpected twists and turns, "Bye, Baby" is a masterpiece that explores the complexities of life and love, earning it a well-deserved five-star rating.

Billie and Cassie have one of those once in a lifetime friendships, having grown up together through their worst times and seen each other at their lowest points. Fast forward to adulthood, and they have drifted apart. Billie is single and has no desire to have kids, Cassie is a stay at home new mom who married into a wealthy family. When Billie accidentally kidnaps Cassie’s baby while she’s in a daze, she realizes things will never go back to how they were.

Marketed as a thriller, this book read like much more than that! It was a real analysis on female friendship, and how things can evolve over the years as women go through different experiences in their own lives. I loved the tangled and complex web of friendship that Lovering wove, and I liked that the reader got both perspectives. This book should come with a trigger warning for sexual assault as one of the characters does experience it and it’s described in detail. There was lots of effective suspense building and I would definitely read another one by this author!

Bye, Baby 🍼👒🌆🚓📱
by Carola Lovering
4.4/5 ✨

This novel had me picking it back up no matter how many others I had sitting in my "Currently Reading" pile. Something about the two main characters, Billie and Cassie, kept drawing me back in. I had so many highlighted passages while reading/listening to it, most of which made me feel understood as the friend with no kids (and no desire to change that, either). Lovering does a wonderful job of highlighting the brutal landscape that is female friendship and dynamics. While some of the flashbacks threw me off guard, most of them provided important story and world-building information. If you're a fan of mildly thrilling domestic thrillers, you'll enjoy this one (that's not a read, this is just more psychological than physical in terms of thrills).

I have to say, I was more inclined to turn on the audiobook of this title than to pick up the eARC! The narrators, Helen Laser and Karissa Vacker, are amazing and bring so much life and personality to the story that's being told. If anything, I'd recommend the audiobook of this title.

Thank you to NetGalley, author Carola Lovering, narrators Helen Laser and Karissa Vacker, St. Martin's Press, and Macmillan Audio for the opportunity to read (or listen) and review this ARC!

Thank you @stmartinpress @macmillan.audio for a copy of this. I was expecting a thriller, a mystery of a missing baby but didn't get it in this book. The opening line for this book started so strong and I was invested. This book focuses more about childhood friendships that drift apart as you get older. Cassie is a micro influencer and her former BFF has been left in behind because she doesn't want children. Billie is desperate to maintain their friendship as see her friend only online. There really isn't any mystery with the baby missing so I was a bit disappointed with it. I did enjoy seeing their friendship flashbacks and their complex relationship. I did enjoy the dual narration between the two characters.

I listened to the audiobook and read this title!! Thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio/Macmillan

Bye, Baby intricately explores the complexities of friendship and betrayal as Billie grapples with the guilt of kidnapping her best friend Cassie's infant daughter. Set in New York City, Lovering's suspenseful narrative/story keeps readers engrossed as they navigate the evolving dynamics between the once inseparable friends. With alternating perspectives and themes of childhood trauma, the novel offers a gripping examination of the lasting impact of women's choices on their relationships and the secrets that bind them.

The primary characters of "Bye, Baby" are Cassie and Billie. Billie and Cassie were best friends growing up and always supported one another. Nevertheless, it is evident via flashbacks and the switching points of view between the two ladies that Billie was always the more devoted, caring friend. Cassie, on the other hand, has always been the shallow, conceited friend who prioritized herself and her demands over those of others. It would be an understatement to say that I wasn't a big admirer of Cassie. Throughout the entire novel, I considered her to be pretty repulsive, and my heart ached for Billie.

Growing up, Billie didn't have the nicest existence. The only family Billie had was her mother, who regrettably married a local drinker and suffered from early onset dementia. Billie had a difficult childhood. Billie's mother, who sadly suffered from early onset dementia and married a drinker in the neighborhood, was the only relative she had. Billie had always wanted someone to stand by her side and be her confidante; she believed she had found Cassie, but Cassie naturally moved on to more exciting and fulfilling endeavors.

Indeed, in this book, Billie made a terrible choice. However, I couldn't help but feel bad for her because of how wounded and devastated she was. Did Cassie earn her misfortune? Absolutely she did.

Thank you net galley for this arc.

A story of friendship from childhood to adulthood - a friendship that is toxic at times.

Billie and Cassie were inseparable as children, and Cassie helped as Billie dealt with a lot of difficult life events. But over time, they have grown apart. Cassie is determined to leave her early life behind, and Billie with it. A gold -digger or social climber as they used to be called, Cassie is now a social media influencer married to a very wealthy man, with a thriving business and a young baby.

Billie has been desperate to maintain the friendship with Cassie, despite how one-sided it has become. She is deeply hurt as it becomes apparent that Cassie has lied to her on several occasions. When Billie goes to Cassie's apartment building to feed another friend's cat, she hears Cassie's baby crying on the balcony above her. She decides to take the baby...

Told from multiple points of view, we hear from Cassie and Billie at various stages of their lives. Dramatic events that happened when they were younger, help to explain some of the details of their friendship. The ending didn't leave me feeling very satisfied, but I liked the way the plot explored the turns that the women's lives took.

I listened to the audiobook, and felt the narrator did a good job of portraying the two women. I could easily keep them straight in my head. I felt she did a great job of making you feel the fear that Cassie felt when her baby was missing, and how frightened she was after the baby had been returned, but before she knew who had taken her.

I'm struggling to rate this one.

On the one hand, I loved the story and how it unfolded. Dual POV and jumping back and forth in time are always hits for me. The writing was great, the characters were great and I got through the book in just a couple of days.

But this book wasn't a thriller. It didn't have big twists or unknown secrets to uncover for the reader. From the first few pages, you know what happened and who did it. The story is explaining the how and the why. I would classify this book as a commentary on friendships and how they can be everything you need in one season, but eventually run their course as each individual changes.

I also found there were a few plot lines that just didn't seem necessary or add anything to the story.

Overall, I think I would have rated this one higher if it wasn't classified as a thriller.

Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the advance listen of this audiobook in exchange for an honest review.