3.75/5

I feel like the whole time I was waiting for something significant to happen in this book and it never did. But although nothing seemed to happen, I was someone thoroughly entertained. Just a lot of drama and an easy read after reading so many complex stories lately.

Not much of a psychological thriller but a pretty good read. Cassie and Billie were childhood best friends and now that they have grown up and have their own lives and different career paths they don't spend much time together. Cassie has a new baby and although Billie has a good career and is very successful she feels like her achievements are not as good as Cassie’s. When Cassie’s baby goes missing and Billie is the one responsible for it. Thanks Netgally and the publisher for the advanced ecopy.

This is one of my favorite books I’ve read this year. Perfect for a pool “rot” session - I read it straight through. Complicated friendship storylines are always a hit

Bye Baby isn’t a thriller or suspense—it’s more of a slow-burn domestic drama. While the story explores some interesting themes, it didn’t fully capture my attention, and the pacing felt a bit sluggish at times.

I didn’t enjoy Cassie and Billie’s toxic friendship, especially Billie’s cringey, unwavering devotion to Cassie, who is shallow and undeserving of that loyalty. Overall, it was an okay read, but the characters and slow pace kept it from being more engaging.

Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and publisher for a copy of this book to read for my opinion.

Well this book was absolutely not for me. After many starts nd stops, I finally finished and I did not really like the story at all.

Billie and Cassie were best friends way back in the day and grew apart as friends do. Suddenly, Billie is determined to be her friend again and what she did is just mouth dropping. Relationships come to an end in life, especially when younger and people move. I don't have a single friend from before my college years and I am OK with that as I am not the same person and neither are they.

Neither Billie or Cassie were likeable characters and the others in the book were not really likeable either. I connected to no one and didn't honestly care what happened to anyone.

The 2 stars are for the writing. That is why I continued to read. The writing was fluid and nice.

I am not sure I will read another by this author.

this was solid! I think the characters were really well done because for a while I really couldn’t decide whose side I was on/who I was rooting for more, like did I hate Cassie or feel bad for her? we love nuance! the pacing of this book is what lost me. it felt like by 50% the story was kind of over and the rest felt a little pointless. also, Billie lowkey infuriated me, like the whole kidnapping felt so DUMB. I loved her and felt so bad for her and also….. girl. overall though flew through this and enjoyed it, my favorite @carolatlovering book so far. this is definitely more domestic suspense than thriller.

This psychological thriller/mystery follows two best friends bonded by a dark secret from their teen years. As adults, their lives take very different paths — one marries into wealth, becomes a mom and influencer, while the other stays single, child-free, and carves out her own way. Told in alternating POVs, it’s a tense story of estrangement, obsession, and toxic friendship that pulls them back together after a tragic event. Suspenseful and addictive!

Bye, Baby is a sleek, compulsively readable thriller that probes the darkest corners of female friendship, envy, and motherhood. Carola Lovering layers tension and emotional complexity with precision, delivering twists that feel both shocking and psychologically true. It’s gripping, stylish, and leaves a lingering chill.

Waffling between three and four stars here. The overall tone and story were good, but it was really less thriller and more contemporary by the end.

This is was very inthralling and captivating, had me hooked and waiting for what was next! I really enjoyed the flip-flop between both the female characters

3.5 stars. I picked this book up and read the first few chapters multiple times before actually finishing it. I found the beginning confusing until we got settled into the dial POV and timelines. Once I understood what was happening, it was an enjoyable ride but nothing super memorable. I did like the commentary on toxic friendships and the role of social media on motherhood. Thank you NetGalley for the ARC, all opinions are my own.

A suspenseful, emotionally charged novel about friendship, betrayal, and the lengths we go to protect our secrets. Dark, smart, and gripping.

I freaking love her writing style. It's so addicting and highly entertaining. I will devour everything she writes.

I got completely sucked into Bye, Baby by Carola Lovering—it starts with a gut-punch: Billie holding her best friend Cassie’s baby, who’s gone missing, and you instantly know it’s Billie’s fault . Their friendship unravels as we follow split timelines, and both women are achingly flawed yet deeply human—you find yourself rooting for them even as things spiral .

Billie’s unfiltered obsession—and Cassie’s transformation into the glossy influencer—felt raw and painfully relatable. The tension between wanting connection and pushing it away runs so deeply, you feel every twitch of desperation .

The pacing pulled me through in one breath, even if the big “aha” twist didn’t land as hard as I wanted. Still, the way Bye, Baby examines how childhood trauma echoes into adult friendships? Unsettlingly spot-on.

If you want a domestic thriller that’s as much about heartbreak as it is about suspense, this one hits hard—and leaves you unsettled in the best way.

It's a lighthearted, funny and relatable book. It's easy to read and I like the characters and their different and unique personalities in the story.

This book was so GOOD! It grabbed ahold of me at the very first chapter and did not let go!
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Cassie and Billie have been best friends all their lives, but since Cassie married up and had a baby and got involved in influencer life on Instagram, she has cut Billie out.
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We’ve got a then/now timeline and secrets and tension. I loved the flashback timeline! It gave us a lot of insight into the girls’ relationship, but I also loved all the 90s references! Dirty Dancing plays a role and that movie is an all time favorite!
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I wanted to shake both Billie and Cassie multiple times but it was like a car crash you can’t look away from. I thought the ending was satisfying and wrapped up both their stories well.
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Thanks so much to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for the arc! Solid four stars! 🌟🌟🌟🌟

Bye Baby cause I’m dead after this book. I didn’t expect to feel the way I feel after reading this book. Gosh it was a rollercoaster ride. I still need a second to process it.

Talk about a toxic friendship! 🤯 This psychological thriller follows two friends - besties who have grown apart - we learn about their tangled and codependent young adult lives that led them to the distance and the current family emergency that thrusts them back together. Not everything is quite as it seems and both women have skeletons in the closet.

I hated both of these women, but it was also the reason I couldn't look away. The train wreck that is this novel kept me hooked. Overall it was a good book that ultimately reminds you that maybe there is darkness in everyone.

Thanks to Carola Lovering, St Martin's Press, & Netgalley for the eArc of this novel! 💖

It didn't grab my attention the way I want a mystery/thriller to. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an eARC in exchange for my review.

illie, feels her friendship slipping with her childhood best friend Cassie Barnwell after she marries up, has a baby and becomes an influencer. But when Cassie’s baby is taken their fraught friendship is rekindled because they hav always been there for one another during life’s hardships. Secrets from the past and present threaten the relationship and everything Billie holds dear to her.

My thoughts:
I loved this book and I am so glad I finally made time for it! My loyalties lied with Billie even though she was a very flawed character. I loved her loyalty and how she overcame so much from her difficult childhood. I couldn’t stand present day Cassie but she was a better person in the past before she let money and appearances rule her life.This book deals with friendship, greed and secrets. TW there are some cases of sexual assault in this book.