I really liked most of the story even though I did not like any of the main characters. That was my biggest flaw with the book. I need a character that I can root for even if its the 'villain' of the story, but everyone was so unlikable that it almost turned me away from the book. I stuck with it and the concept and story was very well done otherwise.

"Bye, Baby" by Caroline Lovering presents a powerful and relatable narrative that delves deep into the complexities of female friendships. The story follows 35-year-old Billie West, who is shaken to the core when she realizes she is responsible for the kidnapping of her best friend Cassie Barnwell's infant daughter. Set against the backdrop of New York City, the novel skillfully weaves together themes of toxicity and love that define many relationships among women. While the story is filled with suspense, it does not reach the heightened danger typically associated with traditional thrillers.

The friendship between Cassie and Billie is portrayed with remarkable depth and authenticity. Having known each other since their teenage years, they have been through the best and worst of times together, harboring secrets that create palpable tension between them. This tension is a result of their contrasting desires; while Billie seeks to preserve their bond, Cassie feels she has outgrown it, leading to a compelling exploration of evolving friendships and the impact of unresolved secrets.

The audio version of "Bye, Baby" benefits greatly from the use of different narrators, each skillfully bringing their respective characters to life. This approach not only allows for instant recognition of the character speaking but also provides a multi-dimensional view of the story, offering insights from various angles. The distinct voices and perspectives add depth to the narrative, enabling the personalities of Cassie and Billie to shine through with authenticity and clarity.

"Bye, Baby" proved to be a surprising and utterly engrossing experience, akin to watching a train wreck unfold. Despite knowing that the journey might not end well, the narrative held an irresistible allure that kept me captivated throughout. The audio version effectively brought the story to life, allowing for a seamless immersion into the complexities of Cassie and Billie's friendship. Moreover, the satisfying redemption arc for Billie added a poignant touch to the conclusion, leaving a lasting impression long after the final chapter.

I don't know if its the book or me, but I didn't like this book. Not one bit. I just felt like it was going around and around and around. I did love the narrator thought!

In this suspenseful novel, lifelong best friends Billie and Cassie find their bond tested when Cassie’s infant daughter goes missing. The story alternates between their recent interactions and their shared history, including a traumatic incident from high school. As adults, their friendship has frayed, with Cassie focused on her superficial lifestyle as a fashion influencer. Billie, single and childless, desperately seeks to restore their connection, even as she harbors a dark secret about the baby’s disappearance. “Bye, Baby” delves into evolving friendships, childhood trauma, and the impact of women’s choices on lifelong relationships.
This book kept me entirely invested in the story, even though I didn't particularly care for either main character, which is quite a fete!

I loved the audiobook so much. The narrator did a phenomenal job bringing this story and characters to life. It was a binge-worthy read that had be glued from the moment I pushed play.

Mystery ⭐️⭐️⭐️

I was honored to recieve this as an advanced readers copy, though it did take me a moment to get to it on my long list of books!

In the story we follow childhood best friends, Billie and Cassy who share a bond that they went to keep hidden. As adults the women are more distant than ever, occasional hangouts but nothing like before.

But when Cassy’s infant daughter goes missing, why is Billie the first one she calls and the only one she trusts.

The novel unfolds as we learn that while their lives are so different, but yet Cassie and Billie still harbor the same deep feelings from their youth. Will they be able to overcome what happened to them? Will they find out what happened to Cassy’s daughter.

This book was quick! I really enjoyed this read and honestly right me out of a reading slump I didn’t know I was in.

Eh. I didn't love this one. First, there was nothing really psychological or thrilling about it. It can't even be classified as a mystery, because you know from page one "whodunit". If anything, the psychological part comes into analyzing why Billie does what she does, and why she can't let her friendship with Cassie go. I did like the format of the alternating timeline so the reader gets to see Billie's past unfold in tandem with the the events happening in the present. However, I didn't really care for either of the main characters. Cassie was vapid and used Billie only for what she needed her for, and Billie was emotionally broken and probably should have been seeing someone about her past trauma. Overall, It was an ok story but I'm not sure I would recommend it for fans of psychological thrillers.

This was okay. It wasn't compelling, but it was an okay time. There were a lot of side issues contributing to the full story that took away from the focus. Definitely not a thriller. (3.25/5)

The plot of this story revolves around the before and after of a dysfunctional female friendship and the choices they each made.

What worked for me:
- a fast-paced, twisty plot that grabbed me from the first page and I did not want to stop listening
- a relatable, likable main female character - Billie
- a sweet, romantic connection between Billie and her guy
- dual points of view and dual timelines
- a believable ending that tied up enough of the loose ends to be satisfying

What didn't work for me:
- I did struggle with the whole "baby-taking" part of the plotline. I won't say much because it'd be spoiler-y. However, there was so much else that I enjoyed so much that it made up for that part of it.


4.5 stars rounded up

Thoroughly enjoyed the narration of this book. In my review I found the book to be a bit unbelievable but the reading I really enjoyed!

This is a struggle for me to rate. Going with middle of the road 3 stars. Let me dissect my thoughts.....

Liked: I wanted to like this premise and I always love to read about female friendships. I did feel tense several times waiting to find out what would happen/ how the story would unfold. Alex was super sweet! When Billie let herself feel how she felt their relationship was lovely to read. And I love a good flashback/ multi-timeline, this one was good and the past timeline unfolded at a good pace.

Didn't like: This was super slow, like: I was 20% in and my husband asked me what the book was about.... I couldn't really answer because nothing (other than "The Big Thing") specific had happened between the characters. We get a slow background of their relationship and it wasn't a bad read but I found myself bored at times.

There were parts of this that got me FIRED UP. Women are not MEANT TO be wives and mothers. We are on this planet for other reasons than supporting tiny humans that don't feed themselves or clean or pay bills or, really, contribute anything to the household (lol). The Cassie & McKay friendship is SO FREAKING TOXIC. It was well-written because it made me cringe so hard but it was hard to read at the same time. The ending was such a disappointment, sadly.

(Do we see how I'm struggling? This entire review is a mess of contradictions: it was well-written but hard to read???? What is wrong with me LMAO)

The narrators were SO GOOD though! I loved both women's portrayal of Billie & Cassie. Well done on that front!

A slow-burn, character-driven story, I really enjoyed this book. I wouldn't classify it as a mystery in the traditional sense, but there is a level of suspense around the character actions and motivations. The present and the past are slowly unravelled so that the reader can finally put all the pieces together and see the bigger picture of Billie and Cassie's friendship. I thought the pacing was perfect, and the characters were strong. I would definitely recommend this book (but don't go in expecting a traditional mystery/thriller). The audiobook narration was excellent!

Excellent.

I listened to this book. The first thing that comes to mind when reviewing is that the author did a wonderful job going back and forth between past and present day times. The novel itself spans across years of friendship between two women. The excitement happens early on in the book that left me waiting for the entire rest of the book for the "other shoe to drop" per se.
The characters were diverse and fitting for their parts in the story. It has a sort of happily ever after, even if its not the one expected.

Overall, this book was lovely from the written standpoint.

From the audio standpoint, no issues. The narrator did a lovely job portraying the authors words and storyline.

Will recommend.

4+ stars

So much happens in this book. As others have mentioned, it deals with a lot of issues surrounding female friendship, social media use, motherhood, and more. I really enjoyed it, but it also addresses a lot of serious and sensitive issues as well. I find I really appreciate this writer’s books and the way she creates suspenseful, compelling narratives that are thrilling and easy to follow but that balance the entertainment value with discussion of real-world issues. This one was definitely a win for me.

I was lucky to receive an ARC of this story on audiobook thanks to NetGally. The dual narrators divulge into the history of Billie and Cassie as they have naviagted being childhood best friends, but now are mostly estranged. I thoroughly enjoyed the narrators bringing us through two different timeframes, sharing secrets and revealing a dark history. This book kept my interest, I just was not satisfied with the ending.
I do recommend this book to others.

Toxic friendship and social media don’t mix in this thriller. Two pretty unlikable main characters made this a bit of a difficult read as it was so character-relationship driven.

I’m not sure I would characterize this as a thriller either, as there weren’t many moments that kept you on the edge of your seat. Instead, it was more of a slow drama drawn out to keep the intrigue.

Thanks to Macmillan Audio for the ALC.

So I thought the narration for this was great! But the story itself was not what I expected. I had expected more of a mystery / thriller, as opposed to a drama. I still loved the characters and story line, though. I just wish it had been labeled more as a fictional drama. But overall, still a 4 star read for me! Thanks to NetGalley, the author, and publisher for the ARC!

I have mixed feelings about this one. The audio was really well done. I loved the narrator and the distinguished voices for each character. It really kept my attention. The toxic friendship storyline was… well, toxic in my opinion. Cassie was really unlikeable for me. But, I really liked Billy and empathized with her throughout her story. Their backstory together really kept me turning though. Their present storyline together felt petty to me. While I didn’t enjoy their “friendship” the whole plot kept me coming back for more.

I definitely think this book is worth the chance. Just check trigger warnings and beware of some tough topics.

Read if you enjoy:
👯‍♀️ Female friendships
📱 Influencer storylines
🫣 Tough topics

Bye, Baby was to me more of a contemporary women's fiction versus a thriller, which left me disappointed.

Billie and Cassie ahad been close friends since their teens, torn apart when Callie began marriage and motherhood. The two recently connect again one time and Billie instantly realizes how much she missed her friend. Immersed once more in Cassie's life, she can't help but grab Cassie's sobbing baby when no one comes to her aide. Cassie has no ill will when her friendship with Billie grows apart, they are just different people. She agrees to one meet up, nothing more. So why does Cassie start relying once again on Billie when tragedy hits?

I wanted more thrillery elements from Bye, Baby although I was captivated and generally, couldn't stop listening. Helen Laser and Karissa Vacker brought both Cassie and BIllie's stories to life in a way that I needed to hear what happened! Several plot points just fell flat for me and again, it felt like a tale with the other woman looking in wanting everything of their one friennd. I wanted, needed more with that ending with the storm brewing. Fans of Carola Lovering's other novels may enjoy this one but for me, I would question picking up another novel by her.

Really enjoyed the audio in this. It definitely added to the reading experience as this was a story with two relatively unlikable characters where a lot and simultaneously nothing happened.