I really have enjoyed past works by Lovering, however, this one was not for me. I do not think it should be labeled a thriller, it's more like women's fiction. Mostly just friend tension. I didn't really enjoy the characters and I couldn't connect or find a reason to care about them which made it difficult to want to continue reading.
I will still read more of Lovering in the future, this just didn't work for me.

I tried with this book. I tried twice, as a matter of fact. I really hoped it was just a mood thing and that I’d be able to appreciate it more at another point in time. Round two did not yield different results. I don’t think I like the overall setup, but what I really could not get past how inauthentically the characters were painted. Ultimately, the story felt comical, not thrilling.

I am immensely grateful to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for my copy. All opinions are my own.

A twisty thriller, with no real thrill, but also sort of a thrill?
Two friends from adolescence have fallen out, changes in privilege, circumstance and status.
Can they get back together?
Should they?

Billie, our protagonist, is a strange bird. A lot of the time I wanted to slap her. Get some self worth Billie!
Anyways, overall easy and fun to read for the most part.

*Bye, Baby* by Carola Lovering is a twisty, emotionally-charged thriller that totally pulls you in from the first page. It’s all about the complicated friendship between two women, and how secrets, jealousy, and resentment slowly unravel their bond—especially after one of them makes a shocking decision that changes everything. The writing is sharp, the characters feel super real (and messy in the best way), and the tension just keeps building. It’s one of those books where you keep saying “just one more chapter” until you’re suddenly at the end. Perfect for fans of dark, character-driven drama with a psychological edge.

While there were some plotholes in my opinion and I was hoping for more thrills, I still enjoyed this one and would recommend. I wouldn't say this is the most thrilling book if that's what you're after and I would also say some relationships and characters storylines didn't play out how I would've wanted, hence the star knocked off. I would read more from this author though, this was a nice quick, fun time.

This book kept me engaged and interested the whole way! It had lots of interesting components including rocky friendship, mystery, secrecy, twists and turns. It was a great book that I would recommend to thriller lovers! Also, a huge thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the chance to read the book in exchange for my honest review!

love everything Carola Lovering writes and loved Bye Baby! I recommended it to all my friends, a great toxic friendship story. Will continue to read/request Lovering's novels as soon as I hear about them!

What I really found interesting about this book is that it's not a thriller or suspense, because the reader knows what happened right from the beginning. It's more of a matter of having second hand anxiety about when will the shoe drop. It's more of a dramatic examination of a friendship over time, how it's changed, how people change, power dynamics in relationships, and how one impulsive decision could change your life.

Thank you to NetGalley for the advanced copy of this book. I don't know that I'd call this a thriller, as marketed, so much as a drama, focusing on the lives of women, their friendships, and motherhood.

Bye, Baby is a suspense thriller that concentrates on relationships between best friends over a span of time, especially when they drift apart. It's a story of motherhood and loss. Billie and Cassie have been friends for over 20 years but have drifted apart. Cassie is married and has a baby while Billie is single and career driven. At the beginning of the story, readers learn Billie has kidnapped Cassie's baby, so the question is why? Why force this tragedy on her best friend?

This book is an exploration of friendship, motherhood and blame. What happened to drive two close friends apart? Lovering does a fantastic job exploring the subject within this thriller. Highly recommended.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an advance copy of Bye, Baby by Carola Lovering in exchange for my honest review and opinion. I enjoy this author and was thrilled to be approved to read this before all my friends and family could get their hands on it. I found this to be an engaging read that kept me guessing until the very last page. Lots of twists and turns.

One of my favorite reads of 2024! This story had me completely hooked and I finished it in 2 days. I've since recommended this book to many friends and readers in my bookstagram community. Billie and Cassie were both so unlikeable yet I loved them. I really enjoyed the scene being around 'influencers' and haven't read many books with influencer main characters.

As someone raised in NYC, I loved the descriptions of these Gramercy moms and it was very realistic!

I've come to learn i just am not a fan of this author. Her stories do not captivate me like I hope they do and I was rather bored during this one.

Really enjoyed this one! The pacing was excellent and I loved the twists. Will be picking up more by this author!

Y'all - what is wrong with Carola Lovering? I swear she writes the most demented characters. There are two perspectives/MCs in this book - Billie and Cassie. Billie is more relatable - flawed, wanting to cling to her best friend of the past, afraid to get close to new people - but honestly, she steals a baby, so can we really like her? As a mother myself, I want to like Cassie. There are moments when I really connected with her love for her daughter. But she's just cruel and cares more about money and status that true friendship.

The pacing was great with this book. It opens hectic, chaotic, and deep into the story, but evens out as we get to know both characters better. Maybe the bias towards Billie is because we really get to know her past better in flashbacks to her teen years. Cassie's in those flashbacks too, but they seem to focus more on Billie's traumatic experiences and give a better understanding of what led her to be who she is. We get some snippets of Cassie but if feels like it's from Billie's perspective as her best friend and biggest fan.

Lovering is really good about creating morally corrupt characters and then navigating between current day and the past, seeing how their relationships in pivotal years shape their human connections as an adult. It shows how hard it is to separate your needs from the people you were closest to as a teen, and how sometimes you want someone in your life so badly, you're willing to do basically anything to keep them there.

Oh my goodness, I loved this book!! Its written in 2 timelines, you follow the friendship. Of Cassie and Billie. Best friends from childhood, but things change as they age. Billie doesnt know what to do to fix things, and then a tragedy happens. Billie is there to help Cassie, but Oh! The drama that unfolds!! I couldnt put this book down and read it in no time! Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's for early access to this book in exchange for my honest review!

Backstabbing and betrayal galore! Some of my favorite things to read about. So many secrets between Billie and Cassie. Their relationship is toxic. I couldn‘t turn away.

Bye, Baby by Carola Lovering is a thrilling, fast-paced psychological drama about love, obsession, and the consequences of secrets. The story centers on a woman named Violet, whose life spirals out of control after a traumatic event tied to her past resurfaces. Lovering’s writing is suspenseful and emotionally charged, capturing the intensity of Violet’s internal struggles while revealing unexpected twists. The narrative keeps readers on edge, blending mystery with a deep exploration of relationships and trust. Bye, Baby is a compelling, addictive read, perfect for fans of gripping psychological thrillers and complex characters.

BYE, BABY REVIEW💙
rating: 4⭐️
genre: suspense (not a thriller!!!)
read if you liked: Only If You’re Lucky

Billie and Cassie have been friends for over twenty years and secrets they have kept have bonded them for decades. But in recent years, they have drifted apart - and their lives couldn’t be more different now. Cassie is married to a wealthy man and has recently become a mom, meanwhile Billie is single, childless and no longer fits into Cassie’s life. Billie will do anything to restore their friendship - but at what cost? When Cassie’s daughter goes missing and ends up with Billie, Billie is left pondering if the truth would completely shatter their friendship or will it somehow help to mend them back together?

I have thoroughly enjoyed all of the Carola Lovering’s books I have read. She tends to write characters that you love to hate, and this rings true with Bye, Baby as well! This book is told in alternating perspectives and offers a mix of drama amongst the two main characters and a few bits of suspense along the way. It’s really easy to become invested in the dynamic between Cassie and Billie. I enjoyed how the author explored their friendship and the complexities that typically come with female friendships, especially long-term friendships!

I did a mix of reading and listening and equally enjoyed both! 🎧📕The audiobook is narrated by Karissa Vacker and Helen Laser and they did a great job of creating these characters and telling the story in an engaging way! I don’t think you could go wrong with physical or audiobook for this one! #byebaby #suspensebook #popularbook #carolalovering #bookreview

I will not be reviewing any St. Martin's Press titles until they address the racist comments one of their employees made in October. See @readersforaccountability on IThis was my first Carola Lovering book and I wasn't a fan. It was fine. But who would do this?! What friend would "accidentally" kidnap another friend's baby?! No one. C'mon. That's ridiculous. I was a mother for less than a month when I read this. lol. This got really slow when it should've been picking up speed. I read this book in February 2024 while boycotting SMP.nstagram.