Bye, Baby is a fictional thriller written by Carola Lovering that I could not put down! This book is told in alternating chapters by Billie and Cassie, childhood best friends who have started to drift apart. But when Cassie has a traumatic experience, Billie is still the one she reaches out to for help. I loved this book! I loved the mysteries included, and seeing how the relationships changed and developed over time. I did feel a lot of sympathy for one of the characters, who seemed to be losing a great friendship, but the characters do grow into themselves more during the book as well. Definitely recommend! Thank you to NetGalley, and the author and publisher of this book for an ALC in exchange for a free and unbiased review.

Really enjoyed this one, especially as an audiobook. It’s not exactly a thriller, more just a suspenseful drama about friendship. I didn’t get really into it until the second half but once that hit, I was in.

I am a fan of this author’s writing and will be looking forward to getting through her backlist. I requested this book from reading the premise alone, and I’m so glad I did. A solid 5 stars from me. I will admit, I wasn’t a huge fan of the narrator’s voice during certain parts of the book, but I can see why it was done the way it was (1 example: high-pitched valley girl accent).

Told in dual POVs with dual timelines, both done exquisitely. Great character development and plot. I really connected with Billie and empathized with her, but it didn’t excuse what she did (I won’t say what it was to avoid any spoilers). Growing up I too had a best friend that I grew apart with so I could relate to Billie wanting to keep that connection alive.

I’m not sure I’d label Bye, Darling as a Thriller maybe more of a drama with a hint of suspense. I would highly recommend this book to anyone, it was bingeable, intriguing, and unique.

A special thank you to @macmillanaudio for the ALC of my first 5 star read of 2024!

This story was definitely interesting! It had a plot that felt fresh for this type of thriller. The characters were developed well and their choices made logical sense. It felt realistic to me, which I did enjoy. There were some sensitive themes/topics in the book, so read the trigger warnings before diving into this one. Overall, I think it’s a good read for those who like thrillers.

We follow Cassie, a wealthy social media influencer, and Billie, a travel agent , two best friends who have grown apart as they get older throughout their teen and adult lives. We get dual timelines of Cassie and Billie and see how their lives were and how they are now. Billie’s teen years were difficult and there should be trigger warnings for sexual abuse in this book. Those chapters were hard to hear. During Cassie and Billie’s adult years they are still dealing with friendship and relationship problems. Billie has a bit of jealousy towards Cassie, will that jealousy cause Billie to do something unthinkable? Yes it will.

This was one of my anticipated books of the year and I’m happy to say I really enjoyed it. I was hooked from the first chapter and was eager to keep listening. I enjoyed both narrators and think they did a good job portraying the characters. I wouldn’t really call this a thriller, maybe an adult drama. We really saw how friendships can change overtime and I really connected with that. I enjoyed Carola Lovering’s writing and would read from her again.


Thank you to Carola Lovering, NetGalley, and Macmillan audio for providing me an advance copy of this audio to review.

I really enjoyed the way the author explored the complex ways in which people are bonded and how those bonds change over time. The suspense didn’t really hit for me until the end of the story when you wonder if Billie is going to be caught for her role in the disappearance of Cassie’s baby.

There were moments where I found the characters relatable but most of the book I found myself wondering why those women subject themselves to such a toxic relationship where they hate the other person and in turn themselves. I had to wonder what trauma bonded them so I wasn’t surprised when we realize the secret the women have carried since they were girls.

The ending was not as satisfying as I think it could have been. Cassie calling them even and Alex finding it in him to give Billie another chance just felt really unrealistic. I can’t help but think that Billie’s obsession won’t end so easily.

I don't think this should be marketed as a thriller. It's a drama about friendship and trauma and moving on from both. It was gripping regardless.

This story included topics of motherhood, morphing friendships from childhood to adult, and also contains some heavier subject matter like child abduction and sexual abuse.

The narrator was great! The audio book flew by. I don't think this is a story I will remember, although the writing was fine, the story itself didn't excite me very much and felt like other thrillers I have read before.

This book had me almost immediately hooked!! I had to know how this story was going to play out.

Many scenarios were going thru my head!

I can’t say I didn’t like this book bc I did enjoy it, but I found the ending to be a bit anti climatic

I’ll def be checking out Carola Lovering for her future books!

What an enjoyable book to listen to! Narrator was great!

This book is one about a toxic female friendship between Billie and Cassie that has spanned over 20 years. The book is character driven as opposed to plot driven. It develops the characters of the 2 women with chapters with alternating POV of each women. The book also goes back and forth between present day and the past, giving the women’s POVs over different periods of time.


Thank you to Carola Lovering, NetGalley, and Macmillan audio for providing me an advance copy of this audio to review for my honest and voluntary review!

Deeply rooted trauma and toxic friendships have never been so entertaining as in this twisted and surprising tale. This story went in directions I didn’t expect and kept me in turns engaged and appalled all throughout. Even the kidnapping was handled in an unusual way- and what a feat to inspire the reader to feel more empathy for the perpetrator than the mother. I appreciated this fresh take on the genre and couldn’t put this story down.

Helen Laser and Karissa Vacker did an excellent job narrating the audiobook.

Thank you Carola Lovering, St. Martin’s Press, Macmillan Audio, and NetGalley for providing this ARC for review consideration. All opinions expressed are my own.

"Bye, Baby"

This was a solid, solid read. Well, I listened to the audiobook, so, solid listen. I actually will likely go back and re-read this one in the physical copy, and probably visit it again after that. Which is not something I say for most books on my shelf.

Although I think some readers may have gotten confused when reading the word "terrifying" in the summarization of this novel and mistaken this for a thrilling read, reading the rest of the summarization should being you to the quick realization that any mother who realizes her child is missing would release a primal and terrifying scream from any parent.

This book takes a good look at the friendships we keep, maybe a realization on WHY we keep them, and forces us to look at cost and secrets of those friendships we thought we may keep forever based on our past with these people.

This book is about two best friends, deep secrets, the company they keep as they get older, and where it leads them. The end of this book was VERY satisfactory to me, and honestly I was as uncertain as Billie was as to how it would turn out.

I loved the back and fourth POV chapters, they provided great insight on the past and present. I also love how it flipped between now and then. The characters were well written, I don't think there was "too much" packed into one story and I thought it was paced really well. I highly recommend this book.

The voices for narration of Bye, Baby were PERFECT for this book, and I can't wait to listen to more from them and read more from this author.

I would like to thank Carola Lovering, NetGalley, and Macmillan audio for providing me an advance copy of this audio to review for my honest and voluntary review. If you're looking to put a good novel on your bedside, or even to listen to in the car, make sure this is on your TBR.

Bye, Baby, written by Louise Lovering, takes readers on a suspenseful journey through the complexities of adult friendships, the haunting echoes of childhood trauma, and the profound impact of women's choices on their lifelong relationships.
Whooooo! I finished this book in two days and couldn't stop listening! It's was riveting and I had to know how it would end. This wasn't my typical who-dunnit (read the prologue!!), but it kept me interested to the very last word. The author did a great job building up characters and you end up rooting for them! I can't wait to read more from this author!

Carols Lovering can write anything and I will read it! She has proven herself to me and will always be an auto buy author for me! I have read all of her books so far and I think this is now my favorite! I loved the toxic friendship and obsession between the two main characters, Billie and Cassie. They are lifelong friends who have been through so many difficult times, some that they have chosen to never talk about again. But as they grow older and Cassie gets married and has a child, the relationship becomes strained and they grow apart. Billie is desperate to maintain their strong bond, but Cassie is trying to move on with her other friends that are also mothers and wealthy. Until the worst thing Cassie could imagine happens and all she wants is her best friend, Billie.

As a mother, I absolutely empathized with Cassie, because having your child taken is the worst possible thing that could happen, but I also loathed her. She is an influencer and a gold digger. And Billie is messy. Her love life, her sketchy decision making.. it’s hard to watch, or read, but also you can’t look away! It is such an intoxicating story that I had to see how it would unravel. You’re on the edge of your seat waiting for the shoe to fall! For me, it’s rare to love a book so much, that I really couldn’t stand the characters!
And Helen Laser and Karissa Vacker’s narrations were perfection! Karissa has always been a favorite of mine, I seek her books out and I was so pleased she was chosen for this book!

If we are being completely honest I was a bit nervous to pick this book up as I didnt love "Tell me Lies". But WOW this book actually pleasantly surprised me!!!

This book is a departure from Lovering's usual romantic suspense and semi-thriller vibes. It's more of a drama with a suspenseful twists, and once you start, it's impossible to put down. The story kicks off with action, putting you right into the story and wasting no time. You're caught up in this intense friendship that is almost erie

I want to keep this review very basic as I feel like you need to go into this story almost blind to fully enjoy it
The narrative revolves around two best friends who've grown apart, but a haunting secret keeps them connected. When one of them loses their newborn, all hell breaks loose. It's a rollercoaster of emotions, exploring who you can truly rely on in times of crisis and questioning trust when everything is falling apart.

I was hooked from start to finish! Each chapter had me guessing, and the ending? Not what I expected at all. Finished it in a day, and if you're a fan of drama with a bit of thrill, this one's a must-read.

this book is somewhere around a 4 to 4.5 star rating! i think i have to sit with it a bit longer to solidify my rating, but i can confidently say that i loved my experience reading this book!

this book definitely more of a drama than a thriller, but i feel like it’s not trying to be a thriller but more of an examination of the two characters’ lives. there’s sort of a mystery/thriller element for part of the book, but i would not classify this as a thriller. this is just a heads up, because i don’t want people to go into this book thinking they’re going to get a fast-paced thriller.

however, it is a well-executed character study of two women bonded by a deep secret. this book features two points of views, Cassie and Billie, in a past timeline and present timeline. the timeline was well-executed, and the audiobook narrators did a fantastic job distinguishing each woman’s voice. both characters were well fleshed out and felt like such real people. you get an understanding of the troubles each woman went through in the past or present, and both sympathize yet question the characters. they’re both flawed in their own ways, and their backstories gave us a full understanding of the characters’ motivations. there were times where i was rooting for the characters and other times where i was conflicted about them. if you liked the aspect of two women’s flawed lives coming together in None of This is True, i would recommend this (even though i’d label that book a thriller, unlike this one)

the characterization in this book is excellent and is what drives the story. it’s not plot-heavy, but also didn’t feel slow to me because i was curious how things would pan out. there is some VERY dark content in this book that i wasn’t expecting (i don’t really get triggered by things in books but some parts were hard to listen to). big TW for SA of a minor.

the audiobook was really well done and i would recommend listening to it. i would recommend this book if you like:
- complex, flawed characters
- character-driven books
- commentary on motherhood
- toxic female friendships
- new york city settings

Bye, Baby releases March 5, 2024. thank you to Macmillan Audio, Carola Lovering, and Netgalley for a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This really isn’t a mystery — in the very first pages you find out that Billie, once the teenaged bestie of Cassie (bonded together by a long ago awful secret), has crashed her former and now very successful best friend’s 35th birthday and kidnapped her 4 month old daughter. To return her 3 hours later. The story then alternates between POVs to let us know why this happened and reveal what bonded and then unbounded them. More like dark women’s fiction about a toxic friendship.

I was unsure who to like or dislike and I definitely was not engaged in rooting for the relationship to be healed after the kidnapping occurred, although author Lovering gives great depth to her characters through the flashbacks. A better understanding was helped by narrators Helen Laser and Karissa Vacker, whose voices let me interpret the differences between the characters (who seemed flat when I was reading the book). The story was not my cup of tea at the moment, but it could be interesting to readers who like to dissect longtime friendships gone bad 3.5 stars.

Literary Pet Peeve Checklist:
Green Eyes (only 2% of the real world, yet it seems like 90% of all fictional females): YES Alex has green eyes.
Horticultural Faux Pas (plants out of season or growing zones, like daffodils in autumn or bougainvillea in Alaska): NO Not beyond Cassie’s wild dream of losing Ella in wildflowers.

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press/Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for a free advanced ebook and audio copies in exchange for an honest review!

Bye, Baby is a story about the evolution of friendship. Billie and Cassie have been friends for over 20 years and in Bye, Baby, both main characters tell us the story of their friendship. The book gives us each characters perspective from different points in time. This helps weave together how their relationship has changed and why it is where it is when the book opens.

I enjoyed the book and the suspense that it brought. At first, I THOUGHT I had an idea of how it was going...but I was wrong and I was glad it wasn't what I was personally predicting. The book was engaging and entertaining. I listened to the audio version of the book and appreciate that the two main characters were read by 2 different actresses. It was a pleasure to listen to.

This book deals with friendship, motherhood, secrets, relationships, molestation, and Alzheimer's. Be aware of this if these may be triggering to you.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the digital review copy in exchange for my honest feedback.

I loved this sorry! It follows 2 female best friends who encounter ups and downs from their teenage years into adulthood. One character is very likable, while the other you will most likely not care for. ☹️😆

While growing up, Billie and Cassie are close and inseparable, but as they mature Cassie pulls from Billie. Billie becomes almost non-existent in Cassies’s life, as Cassie’s goal is to marry rich and be amongst her new wealthy friends.

Billie yearns to have her old friend back, as basically her only connection to her is watching Cassie through her influencer page on Instagram. Billie soon gets her wish when one night something traumatizing happens to Cassie and suddenly Billie is the ONLY one Cassie wants around…. But Billie is hiding something. Something that will definitely turn Cassie away from her forever.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It was a bit longer than I felt it should have been but I still enjoyed it. I looked forward to listening to it daily!

***SPOILER: My only complaint is Cassie not getting what should’ve been coming to her. To find out that her husband is a cheat and for Billie to be done with HER! Not the other way around. 😤I hope Lovering writes a second book where Cassie’s world comes crashing down! (I couldn’t staaaaannd Cassie Can you tell?)

This was an exciting and engaging read start to finish. It explores the different layers of female friendship especially the kind you grow up with. The plot revolves around two childhood friends Billie and Cassie, who have both grown apart in the recent years, and how this change in their relationship has affected them. Its a beautiful piece of women fiction and how relationships change as we grow mature. The dynamic between Billie and Cassie reminds you of how we grow into different people as we move through life and how challenging or easy these changes in relationships/friendships can be for different people.
The story starts with the kidnapping of Cassie's baby by Billie and the plot develops as we move through the dual povs and jump back and forth through multiple timelines to see Cassie and Billie's friendship evolve and dissolve over time.

Overall, this was a great read and kept me entertained. It keeps you engaged to see how the story unfolds and what will come of their friendship in the end. My only issue with the book was that the ending left me wanting something more, a better resolution, a greater sense of resolve.
Nevertheless, I thoroughly enjoyed this quick read.

My rating is 3.5 rounded up to 4.

Thank you Netgalley & St Martin's Press and Macmillan Audio for the digital ARC and audiobook to review in exchange for my honest review and comments.