Duel POV this drama is not as much thriller as getting to the backstory of why. This book is about two former best friends who have grown apart mysteriously. When one of the friends baby goes missing one night it changes everything. This was a slow burn with a self centered social climbing influencer Cassie and independent needy travel agent for the rich Billie are both kinda ick in their own way. They both want different lives but are connected by a past secret.

I feel like there were some controversial aspects shoved into this story that kinda took away from the central plot. SA, Alzheimer’s, social class disparity, death, not wanting children, and abortion. It made it too heavy for what it was. The whole thing made me uncomfortable.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC Audiobook in exchange for my fair and unbiased opinion!

This is by far my favorite Carola Lovering book! I loved the social media angle; I think this does a great job shining a light on the superficial/fake nature of influencers. The toxic friendship was also very well written.

I received an advance copy. All thoughts are my own.

This wasn't really the mystery I thought it was going to be and it wasn't as great as I thought the media was making it out to be.

Carola Lovering does messy stories and messy characters so well. Yet, there is always some relatability woven through. This is definitely another one very well done, and the dual narration worked perfectly.

The audiobook of this story was great! I loved the two different narrators-especially Cassie! I think I would have enjoyed this book if I had read a physical copy, but listening to it really made the story come to life. That isn't the case with all audiobooks, but this one was a definite win! I loved the narration!

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.