Thank you, Macmillan Audio for this advance copy in exchange for my review.

Bye, Baby has a fantastic opening scene and from what I assumed at that point it would be a really fun thriller with an unhinged narrator.
My assumption was incorrect and it’s more of a slow burn deep dive into a friendship between two women. While I wouldn’t consider it a thriller it definitely has some domestic suspense themes to it.
Regardless of the genre, I thought it was an excellent book. I really enjoyed both Billie and Cassie. (Even though the way they would describe each other sometimes would make them seem like they were going to be insufferable.)
While they were both definitely chaotic, and Billie definitely has some issues, Billie’s boyfriend Alex was stable and a breath of fresh air.

🎧📖 note: Helen Laser and Karissa Vacker did an incredible jobs bringing these ladies to life. When I was unsure if I would enjoy the direction the book was going in after the first couple of chapters they are what made me hang in there, and I’m glad I did.

3.5⭐️

"Bye, Baby" is an intense story of friendship and my first five-star read of the year! This thriller is told from alternate points of view and alternating between past and present as we learn about Billie and Cassie's friendship. Billie feels like she is losing her best friend as Cassie is growing in a different direction in her new married, parenting, and social media influencer life. Things take a turn for the worse when Cassie's baby disappears and he leans on Cassie for support. "Bye Baby" is narrated by Helen Laser and Karissa Vacker - I thought they did a fabulous job of bringing the women to life. I was in for the ride from the prologue. This is my first Carola Lovering novel and I will be looking into reading more from her soon!

"Bye, Baby" by Carola Lovering is a dual point of view novel about female friendship and the importance of letting go. It's not exactly a thriller or a mystery as we kind of know what happens. But we get to discover how and why and what brought our characters to act in such ways. I could not believe there would be some kind of resolution to the whole situation. The main character, Billie, really got herself into a mess! I was so embarrassed for her the whole time. They were all messy. Billie's boyfriend Alex was the only one that had his stuff together, it seems. It was a fun book. I liked how it had the past and the present and also the dual POV of Cassie and Billie. The writing is very easy and effortless but so engaging. I enjoyed it. The narrators, Helen Laser and Karissa Vacker, both did a great job! I would read/listen to more books by Carola Lovering for sure.
Thank you Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for providing me with an early copy of this audiobook.

If you’re looking for a book that gives some in depth look into female relationships, then this book is for you. If you’re wanting an edge of your seat thriller- then not so much. That prologue started off so great. It was all downhill from there. It was written well, and I wasn’t bored- it just wasn’t the book I was expecting. The narrator was absolutely fabulous and easy to listen to.

3.5★ There is just something about Carola Lovering’s writing style that hooks you in and makes you fly through the pages. While this one was more character/friendship study and less suspense, I was still equally engaged throughout. I love the exploration of toxic friendships and the role social media plays in shaping our lives. While the characters are not all likable, they *are* very well developed and I found myself invested in the outcome.

My only criticism is that this book seems to be marketed more as a thriller with the inclusion of the “missing baby” teaser, however, this is not at all a thriller and going in with that expectation may lead to disappointment. It is more of a slow burn domestic suspense that is more character driven than plot driven. All in all thought, this is still one heck of an entertaining read, as her books always are, and I cannot wait for her next one.

I listened to this one primarily on audio and have to applaud Helen Laser and Karissa Vacker for their pitch perfect narration. They did an excellent job making each of their characters wholly unique, which is important in dual point-of-view mystery, and that kept any confusion from occurring between chapters.

Read if you like:
•literary suspense
•domestic drama
•character driven stories
•dual timeline and pov
•bingy reads

Thank you {partners} St. Martin's Press and Macmillan Audio for my gifted copies.

Bye, Baby is about a distorted relationship between longtime friends Cassie and Billie. The story switches from alternating POVs from them both.

The book begins with a jump start where we discover Billie stole Cassie's baby, leaving the reader on a cliffhanger. That scene instantly got my attention because I was interested to see how the characters got to that point, what pushed them there, and how it would play out after the fact.

I loved how the book delved into the characters' backstories; the timeline jumped from the present day to how they met and throughout their lives together. It gave a well-rounded picture of Cassie and Billie's relationship.

The book touched on a lot of topics: family, coming of age, death, motherhood, relationships, friendship, loss, and sexual abuse, to name a few.

There should be a trigger warning for sexual abuse, as it does come up quite a bit as part of the storyline.

I struggled with how I wanted to rate the book. I ended up going with a solid 4 stars. It sometimes dragged a little through some of the backstory, and I didn't feel so connected to Cassie's character. It had all the aspects of a great novel, but it didn't feel like anything pushed it over the edge to be a 5-star read for me.

Overall, I liked how cohesive the storyline felt and how well-thought-out the characters were. The ending was tied up well, with nothing left hanging or ambiguous.

Thank you to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for an advanced audiobook copy of Bye, Baby by Carola Lovering. All opinions are my own.

I debated for a while but rounded up to 4 stars for this one.

First, I really enjoyed the writing and the narration. It felt like a movie to me. Both Billie and Cassie’s emotions were very realistic (for toxic codependent friendships) to the point where I physically cringed a few times out of embarrassment for the characters.

I do not believe this should be considered a mystery/thriller. I thought it was so I kept waiting for the big twist and it never came. That was slightly disappointing, but that doesn’t subtract from the excellent writing and the fact that I did enjoy the story

This book is billed as a thriller, but I absolutely wouldn't call it that. It's not even a mystery. There's nothing mysterious to be found in this book. Instead, we get two women who are connected through their childhood friendship and childhood trauma. They've grown into different people and grown apart. The story switches between their perspectives and each chapter begins by telling you which of the two women's POV it is. Unfortunately, even with the audiobook reader trying to switch voices to differentiate them, these two both sounded the same. They're whiny, self-absorbed, and, frankly, they're kind of boring stereotypes: one is a gold-digger trying to get back to the wealth her family once had and the other is the unfortunate result of unprocessed childhood trauma in varying forms.

Notable trigger warning: on-page sexual assault of a minor.

A huge thank you to the author and the publisher for providing an e-ARC via Netgalley. This does not affect my opinion regarding the book.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this ARC. I was bored most of this book. Nothing super exciting happened. I liked the dual POVs but that’s about it.

Bye, Baby was addictive, engrossing, and profound. I liked so many things about it: the well-drawn characters, the angst of childhood and motherhood, friendship, growing up, letting go… I immediately picked up another book by this author and am currently engrossed in it. Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martins Press for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review. This was a great treat!

This was my first book by Carola Lovering and I can’t wait to read her other books. Bye, Baby was such a fun one to listen to! The story is told in a then and now timeline and from a dual POV. Billie and Cassie were best friends during their childhood but have grown apart. Now, as adults a tragic event brings the two back together. This book has themes of friendship, secrets, and motherhood. Both of the narrators did a great job in terms of holding my interest, perfect tone, and inflection. Karissa Vacker is one of my favorite narrators and did a fantastic job with both female and male voices.

Another great book from Carola Lovering! Not necessarily a thriller in my opinion, but rather a suspenseful read full of juicy secrets and a few good reveals.

The only reason this book is a like (and not a love) is because some of the subject matter was not enjoyable for me personally. Definitely check TW!

Overall, I would definitely recommend this for the right reader who is looking for an entertaining story that dives into themes of toxic friendships, motherhood, and the “perfect” image a person creates of their life online.

The audiobook was fantastic! I alternated between the audio and the eARC and really enjoyed both!

Bye, Baby is an emotional rollercoaster! Carola Lovering knows how to make the reader feel the frustration and elation of a toxic relationship. The author creates characters that infuriate the reader but also allow you to root for them! I only gave this book 4 stars instead of 5 due to the triggering content in one of the character’s past. This caused me to take several breaks from reading and I needed to be in the correct headspace before picking up the book. I understand that the material mentioned in the book is important to the understanding of the character but be warned it may be triggering.

Thank you NetGalley and McMillan Audio for an advanced audio copy in exchange for my honest review. Overall this book was a bit unexpected for a thriller. Yes there were parts that were suspenseful but I kept hoping that there would be twists and there just…weren’t. The audiobook narrators were fantastic and I love how different their voices were to add to the juxtaposition between the two characters. I would strongly recommend to the publisher to add a content warning at the beginning of the book, or for readers to be aware of them prior to reading. There was some very graphic content. I enjoyed my process of reading this book as a nice escape but overall I was left disappointed with the ending and not sure if this would be one I would remember.

Thank you so much to Macmillan Audio for the ALC!

I was a little nervous to read this as a mom of a young baby thinking it would scare me, but I'm here to report I was never scared, so if that's your worry, you'll be fine! LOL

This definitely was less of an edge-of-your-seat thriller and more of a slow-burn friendship drama. It revolves around two adult women who have had a (toxic) friendship since they were in highschool. The story is told in present tense and past tense from both of their perspectives. The past tense definitely sucked me in more than the current day drama with it's higher level of intensity!

While it held my attention and kept me entertained, I did find the ending to be a little lackluster. Overall, a good read that I think will be a hit!

As far as the audio performance goes, Helen Laser and Karissa Vacker both did an excellent job. I always appreciate how well Karissa does both male/female voices. She's one of the few that I think pulls it off effortlessly.

3.5 stars

This will be available for purchase on March 5, 2024.

Publish Date: March 5, 2024
Published by: St. Martin’s Press and Macmillian Audio
352 Pages

Trigger Warnings: Alzheimer's, Sexual Abuse, Abortion, and Socia Media Influence Insight

I received this audiobook ARC via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

This was the first book that I've read from Carola Lovering and she did not disappoint.

OMG!!! This book had me locked in from the first page. I could not stop listening to it. Let me start off by saying Go to hell Wade!!

Best friends since childhood Billie and Cassie were inseparable until Cassie met the love of her life and their friendship became pretty much nonexistent until the unexpected happened. Ella, Cassie’s daughter goes missing and Billie is the only person that Cassie wants. This incident sheds light on Billie's behavior.

I can relate to a dwindling friendship and kept secrets but I don't think I would ever go as far as Billie or Cassie. Will their secrets stay buried? 🤔

Book 4 stars
Narrators 5 stars

What a ride this book was! It starts with a woman, Cassie, screaming for her missing infant daughter — one floor below, the screams are heard. By Cassie’s childhood friend, Billie. Billie & Cassie have a lot of history, secrets, and an extremely unhealthy / toxic friendship, which annoyed me at times.

This book has so many things I love: Dual POV, Dual Timeline, friendship drama. My first book by this author, and now I will be looking into her other books to catch up.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan audio for my advanced copy!

2.5 stars rounded up

The whole premise is pretty far fetch and shallow for me. We are clearly dealing with insecure people, but where do we draw the line between insecure and insane? Until what point can our actions be explained by our past and not our conscious decisions?
The book has some very heavy parts, explicit sexual abuse of teens ...

Not my favourite book by Carola Lovering but it was a decent one nevertheless.

Thank you Netgalley and Macmillan Audio for allowing me to read this book!

The story focuses on the relationship between Cassie and Billie who are long term best friends from childhood. Now they have grown up, built adult lives for themselves featuring different career paths there has been an ongoing, ever present distance between them that has resulted in them growing apart over time. Add fuel to the fire when Cassie has a new baby leaving even less time for them to spend together.

Although Billie has a good career and success she feels like her achievements don’t match Cassie’s as she is single without a family of her own to show for. When Cassie’s baby goes missing and Billie is the one responsible, the friendship is irrevocably torn apart.

The story is told from multiple timelines, showing us the past history of their friendship and present day, and we also get to see POV of both of the women.

I wouldn’t categorize this book as a thriller overall, however there are some twists and turns in here.

I really enjoyed the narration by Helen Laser and Karissa Vacker, I thought they did a great Job with the expressions and pacing. The narration also did a great job at highlighting the complexity of the women’s relationship and bringing forward the undertones and the subtext of the writing.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for a copy of the audiobook.

This book wasn't for me.

It started off with a punchy first chapter and set my expectations for a certain type of book and that's not the book I got. I thought Billie was a pathetic puppy and quickly grew tired of her obsession with Cassie who isn't likeable at all.