Bye, Baby was full of tension in spite of the fact that the prologue told the reader "whodunnit". At times I could hardly continue reading, not wanting things to develop for Billie, in particular, the way I was afraid they would. At first I found neither Billie nor Cassie sympathetic characters but as the story went on and I began to understand more about who they were that changed, in particular in Billie's case. Lovering's use of the two voices and the way she interspersed the current and the past worked well for unraveling the tale of friendship between these two women, messy as it was. She wrapped it up in a way that was satisfying and also believable, not so easy given the complicated interactions. This is not my favored genre but I enjoyed the book, found it well constructed and intriguing, and would recommend it.

I honestly really enjoyed this read. Lovering’s books are always satisfying and compulsively readable. And highly underrated in my opinion. This book delivers a double punch- not only is it a thriller (and a great one at that)—it’s also a commentary on friendship and social media and toxicity and childfree women and so many other things. The characters were really strong as well as good side characters. Even the ones you want to hate. I found it really easy to follow. I liked that Billie did not want to give into the pressure of having to have children. I hate the pressure of society, that they assume everyone lives to be a mother. If you do, that’s awesome and I respect you. But I made my own choice by not wanting any., i completely get Billie. I love that this topic is being raised. There is nothing wrong with having kids, same as with not wanting to have any. I could also relate to the longing for your best friend's attention when you feel they slip away from you. Such a relatable book for me in many ways. This book is full of suspense with characters you’ll love-hate and a setup that’s irresistible. Highly recommend.

I loved her book Tell me Lies and was excited to read this one! I thought it was a fast paced read and I liked the jumping back and forth between the past and present. I didn’t think either of the characters were particularly likeable… but maybe that just makes them human. I would recommend this. It’s a quick read!

Hm. 🤔 This one has left me a little confused on how I feel, and why.

This was not the page-turning, can’t-put-it-down, thriller I was hoping for— at least for me personally.

Mostly, I just felt like nothing ever really HAPPENED. Which is a little weird because obviously stuff happens in this book— but I just kept waiting to care about what was happening. 😳

I did like some of the background story that explained Cassie & Billie’s complicated friendship— but it was never enough to get me fully invested in the present day storyline, or care about them or their friendship. Also, I felt like there should have been a completely different investigation happening.

Lifelong friends, Billie and Cassie grow apart. Cassie married into wealth. Billie hasn’t been looking for a relationship, but finds someone who steels her heart. Billie can’t let go of Cassie. She is obsessed with her. Always stalking her on the internet.
Cassie’s baby goes missing. She calls her old friend, Billy to be with her because Billy has always understood her.
You will get to love both characters. The author has done a fantastic job of telling a story of a friendship that went wrong. This a quick read that you won’t want to put down.
I was given an ARC from NetGalley and the publisher., St. Martin’s Publishing group. Thank you and also to the author, Carola Lovering. I will certainly be reading more of her books!

4.5 but rounded up because I truly couldn't put this book down and read it straight through on a Saturday afternoon. This was my first read of Carola Lovering, and there was so much to admire about the way she wrote about this intense, destructive, entwined friendship and the ways in which we fight to hold onto the formative loves in our life.

This book was labeled as a thriller and for me it didn't fit that category. It was an interesting read about Billie and Cassie who in high school were best friends. They shared all their secrets. Billie had so much going on with her mom and step dad and Cassie acted as her protector.

Now as adults Cassie has moved on and is married, has a baby, has her own business and is an instagram influencer. Billie longs to still be close to Cassie so she stalks her instagram feed and obsesses over her. This is one toxic relationship.

Finally a line is crossed and there friendship comes to an end. There are a lot of elements tossed into this book childhood trauma, dementia, women's choices, careers that it felt like to too many things sprinkled into one book.

This is my second book by this author. I was very impressed with her writing, storyline, the characters, and of course, the many twists and turns! I am giving this book 5 stars 🌟 out of 5. Must read!!!

I could barely put this book down! I liked the alternating viewpoints and timelines. Prime example of how tricky female friendships can be. Billie was a very sympathetic character, Cassie less so. I think that’s what makes it so interesting to be rooting for a character who has done wrong. I wanted to find ways to excuse it and redeem her.

I could not put this book down and liked how flawed the two main characters were. I didn’t love the sexual assault part of the book but I understand why it was included. I also found the actual kidnapping scene a bit ridiculous. But all in all, this was a winner for me.

There’s a lot going on in this book, not in a good way. I liked her other books, but just wasn’t pulled in to this in the same way. It’s more of a drama book than a thriller book, I would not market this to people who love thrillers. DNF at 30%.

You know a book is well written when you want to root for the perceived “villain”! I could not put this one down- I wanted to know every second of Billie and Cassie’s history. The author touched on many relevant topics in the current time of our lives and I think they were all well handled and very interesting. There’s not so much of a *twist* as the big issue is well known prior to reading BUT finding out how it’s resolved and how their histories are entwined into their current lives is messy and addictive to read. Kinda like watching your favorite influencers Instagram stories! Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC!

4.5/5 stars! A well written novel about a childhood friendship that's changing as it ages, once bound closer by shared trauma but now drifting apart as what happened to them moves farther into the past and their lives turn in different directions. A story about how loyalty can quickly move towards dependence and even toxic obsession. While I wouldn't necessarily classify it as a thriller/mystery novel, Lovering has an easy-to-read style that keeps you engaged the entire way through.

The characters are well-developed, in both their past selves and their present selves. There's Billie - loyal friend, dependable to a fault, with a selflessness and urge to make those she loves happy that I think my fellow people-pleasers and I can relate to. There's Cassie - relatable in her journey into all that comes with motherhood, driven to get what she wants out of life but superficial and self-absorbed in every way. I had a love/hate relationship with each woman, feeling empathy and understanding towards them/their actions at times and wanting to shake them out of frustration at others.

This novel felt more like an adult coming-of-age story, breaking free from past traumas and realizing that as we get older, the people we thought we needed so desperately when we were young turn out to be the people we should let go of in order to finally grow into ourselves.

Big thanks to St. Martin's Publishing Group, Carola Lovering and NetGalley for the ARC of this novel in exchange for my honest review.

This was a delicious recipe for a thriller. The characters were perfect, the plot was thrilling, the way the author unraveled each and every surprising twist was masterful. I loved the way it was told in alternating perspectives and I got to know the crazy back story of this twisted friendship. It’s amazing how far someone is willing to go to protect their childhood friend only to adopt a new life and forget they exist. Until… they are forced to remember. Loved!

I don’t know why I torture myself with suspense/thrillers bec they drive me bonkers wondering what will happen! Bye, Baby definitely did a great job of that! Thoroughly enjoyed it! The character you love. The character you hate. The event that changes things… that’s really not what the story is about. The reality of what the story is about. All of this is in Bye, Baby.

At the end I almost thought it was anti-climactic but realized it was actually something to leave me thinking. What a fantastic book club pick! I can 100% see a discussion on the ending as well as other parts of the book.

I loved it!

Bye, Baby is marketed as a thriller, but it's much more of a character-driven drama. Billie is the more likable character, and Cassie is just awful. There are parts of their relationship that I think everyone can relate to (friendship breakups), but the book is just.. boring. Nothing happens, and then something happens, but that something is described on the back of the book! And then more of nothing. Lovering can write, but she didn't really construct a plot with this one.

Captivating and anxiety ridden!!!!! I was obsessed right away with this one and I loved the way it was written. The author did such a great job of painting this in a way that the whole book played out like a movie. There was so much detail and I loved the constant back story so you could really get a sense of the girls relationship. I HATED Cassie. Talk about insufferable!!!!!! The book isnt as thrilling as I would have liked but it was still quite an amazing story thats basically just about how heartbreaking it can be to grow up and grow apart from people

Overall, I enjoyed this book, however, there were a few kinks that tripped up the narrative; one, there being too many themes. Is this a murder mystery, domestic drama, child abuse, mental health, romance, psychological thriller? It’s a little bit of everything.
Bye, Baby follows the friendship between two childhood besties, Billie and Cassie. You get a good glimpse into these girls’ personalities early on and it helps you to better understand them as adults. Warning, their friendship is TOXIC! So many times I wanted to scream at Billie to leave already! As the women drift apart with their very polarized lifestyles and busy schedules, Billie becomes desperate to keep their friendship afloat. The “evil character” in here was, eh. He was way too over-the-top stereotypical. He wasn’t believable.
The writing was excellent; it read like a movie. It’d make a phenomenal thriller on TV for a late Friday night chill with pizza and beer. It’s a spiderweb of conflicts and misunderstandings that’ll give you all the cringe. I 100% would've dumped Cassie ages ago...

The book revolves around a kidnapped baby, but I wouldn’t necessarily consider it a thriller. It mostly centers around the complicated relationship between two lifelong friends. Billie and Cassie have been friends since childhood but the events and choices in their lives bring them closer and further apart. When Cassie’s baby is kidnapped, their friendship becomes even more complex.

This book was hard to get into because I found the characters so incredibly unlikeable. Cassie is an Instagram influencer and Billie can’t accept that her friendship with Cassie is wavering. Once I got over that original hump, I couldn’t put it down! I flew through the rest.

Thank you NetGalley for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

Billie and Cassie are childhood besties, who have been through so much together and have a deep connection. They have faced trauma, loss, and love together. However, life happens and they grow up and apart. Cassie finds a new niche and she gains fame through her Instagram account; while Billie feels left behind and disregarded. Billie longs for her old relationship with her best friend, and feels an unexplainable pain when she is once again left out by Cassie. In a moment of extreme emotion, she reacts in a very hurtful and illegal manner. As she hears her best friend’s guttural screams, she looks down and finds Cassie’s infant daughter in her arms.

I didn’t find this to be a thriller, but it did have moments of good suspense. The plot was predictable and I found myself often anticipating the next thing to happen. I enjoyed the dual timeline and the dual POV. I loved the modern context and found the friendship and struggles truly relatable. There are so many side elements like trauma, rape, dementia, and loss; maybe too many. I loved the depth of the characters and the plot, but felt like some of the details were thrown in and not given the time they deserved. Overall I did like it, and it was entertaining.