Another great read by Carola Lovering. I’ve now read all of her books, and they are all fantastic. No two are alike and I love that! I really liked the main character of this story, she was likable, relatable and real. Her BFF on the other hand was not. It was hard to sympathize with her when you were supposed to, I didn't but really, she didn’t deserve it.

I liked this so much more than I expected! It's definitely not a thriller to me. The baby is only missing for a short time but it was just told so well that I was on edge most of the time. It felt like I was transported into their story and I felt stressed out. As a mother, I related to both characters at different points in my life. It can difficult to maintain friendships once you have children. The only thing that bothered me and this bothered me in Can't Look Away as well is including so many themes into the story: alzheimer's, motherhood, abortion, not wanting kids, social media influencers, rape and sexual abuse, miscommunication. It felt over the top. I'm giving it 3.5 stars rounding to 4 stars.

Thanks to St. Martin’s Press for the chance to read this advance copy!

I wouldn’t necessarily put it in the mystery/thriller category— It was a slower read but in a “don’t want to keep reading but also need to know what happens” kind of way.

This book shifts POV of childhood friends, Billie & Cassie, alternating between their past & present. The story is mostly about the changes in their friendship over 23 years. As they grew older, Cassie started to push Billie away to escape who she was growing up & their relationship becomes one-sided, unhealthy, & toxic causing Billie to momentarily snap & kidnap Cassie’s baby. When the book talks about their past, it explains how and why their relationship changes; when the book talks about the present, it tells the story of the days leading up to the kidnapping & what follows.

OMG OMG OMG!!!

I loved everything about this book!!

I have to be honest, I hadn't read or even heard of Carola Lovering before but this book has put her on my favorite authors list.

What did I love? Well besides everything, the characters, the plot, the pacing, the writing, the different POVs, the different timelines and the realness of the story. Not sure if it is Lovering's writing style but I felt like this could really happen...in real life.

The book captured so realistically: friendship dwindling out, grief, the constant Instagram posting, and snobbish rich people characters but Lovering gave the rich characters some depth and I have to say that Cassie was my favorite character. What does that say about me? Not sure but I loved her.

This book is out next year but get it on your TBR and quick!

I loved Too Good To Be True, and knew I had to read Bye, Baby after reading the description! I would say this is more psychological fiction than a thriller, but I was hooked through the entire thing! I love books with multiple POVs, it helps lend credibility to both stories. Anyone who has ever felt cut off from a friendship or has seen a friend change will relate to this book! I always enjoy books that center around influencers or celebrities.

I enjoyed reading from different point of views and I love when a book goes back to different points in time to give insight as to what has led up to today. It’s always fun to read the thoughts of multiple characters and try guessing how the story will play out!
(SPOILERS) Billie has been through a lot (which I definitely struggled reading through some parts) and she has spent most of her life with Cassie as a crutch. It wasn’t too surprising that Cassie makes the “in the moment” decision that she does. Her character frustrated me the most because of how she treated her oldest friend when she finally got what she always chased after; a rich husband. Several times I found myself thinking, Billie is going to use their past against Cassie! With the build up of the main scene, I was truly expecting and hoping to more thrill! But overall, I loved the storyline and I’m happy that even after Billie comes clean, she still may get her happily ever after. Good flow, plot, characters, and concluding scene.

I’m torn on how to review this. On one hand, I love an estranged friendship/rich people behaving badly story. On the other, I felt that this book was too long with several story lines that were not necessary to the plot. I felt I was just distracted from the story and wanted more about the kidnapping of the baby versus social media following, extravagent lifestyles, and a half hearted love story.

Thank you St. Martins press for this ARC!

I was really looking forward to getting to read this book as I wasn't quite sure what to expect, since I haven't previously read any of this authors work. I was pleasantly surprised though.
From the get go, I was so invested in both Billie and Cassie's past and current lives. As soon as it was apparent that their friendship was strained, I had to know why. With the book starting with the moment Cassie's baby is taken, it provides enough context but also leaves the reader wondering, therefore propelling them to read further into the story.
The way that each character is given their own viewpoint is a style of storytelling that I really enjoy, especially when we are given two in depth characters such as Billie and Cassie. I loved reading what exactly each character was feeling in the events that were taking place.
When it comes to Billie, it was so hard to decide if I sided with her or not when it came to taking Ella. While I understand the feeling of being left out from your old best friends life, I don't think I can sympathize with taking a child lol. When Cassie comes back to Billie and FINALLY puts that dang phone down, I felt a sigh of relief, despite knowing what was going on internally with Billie. It was nice to see their dynamic together as adults.

All in all, this is a really good read. It was a little slow at first, which is why I didn't give a full five stars. However, I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who is looking for a good suspenseful novel.

Thank you St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this advance copy.

The story of Cassie and Billie, childhood friends.
An obsessive and toxic relationship.
Alex and Jane are 2 characters I connected with the most.

The ending wasn't a big surprise,

A couple topics in this book could be triggering for some people.

I enjoyed this book, but wouldn’t put it in the mystery/thriller category.

Billie and Cassie have been friends since childhood. Lovering weaves their past and present to tell a story of obsessive friendship, traumatic abuse and the potential of social media threading a sense of security.

I enjoyed following the lives of Billie and Cassie, I found it easy to connect with both characters in different ways. As a mother myself, I found Cassie’s devotion to motherhood relatable, but her materialistic and money hungry outlook on life was less than palatable. Billies genuine need for love and acceptance left me bouncing between sympathy and second hand embarrassment.

I give this a 3 star rating because I feel like overall the story was a bit anticlimactic. With the title and initial blurb, I would’ve assumed a bigger bang. It was an overall easy read, but I wouldn’t throw it under the thriller/psychological genre.

Billie and Cassie have a complicated friendship that spans decades. Their strong bond is forged with longevity, trauma, dependence and love. But at the age of 35, their lives are vastly different. Billie is a single woman who travels the world as a luxury travel consultant, and Cassie is a new mother whose days revolve around growing her Instagram following and networking with New York's elite. The two have drifted apart mostly due to Cassie who is fine with letting the friendship fade. But Billie can't let go. Things come to a head when she does the unthinkable and kidnaps Cassie's baby; that one decision forces the two to re-examine the truth about their friendship.

I enjoyed this book because it explores how friendships evolve and the challenges faced by women who don’t want kids. While I found elements of this book thrilling, I don't think this is a typical mystery/thriller. The actual kidnapping is a nominal element of the book, and I think readers expecting a mystery will be sorely disappointed.

The flashbacks that showed how Billie and Cassie's friendship evolved over the years slowed the pace of the story and I don't think the huge chunk of chapters dedicated to those years are necessary. The kidnapping’s resolution also means there's not a lot at stake after Part 2. For a reader to keep going, they would have to be really invested in the two main characters, and while I could empathize with both their troubles, I personally found them a bit too unlikeable.

Regardless, I think this book is worth reading and would recommend it to those who want to read about complicated female friendships.

I LOVED THIS BOOK! Just like Tell Me lies, one of the best books I read last year, I devoured this one in 2 days. I could not put it down! I was so excited to see a new book from Carola Lovering, and this did not disappoint. This time, instead of a toxic romantic relationship, Lovering tackled the toxic female friendship. I don't think that anyone is able to tackle a toxic relationship in a more human way than Lovering. She masterfully creates these characters that totally fall into the gray area of good and bad - which is where most humans fall.

Like Tell Me Lies, this book alternates POV between Cassie and Billie, who grew up as best friends in Long Island. This book also alternates between their time growing up and present day. They are now adult women living in NYC with very different lives and a strained friendship. Billie works for a luxury travel planning company and is single and childless. Cassie is a burgeoning influencer and high end boutique owner with a baby who got what she always wanted - an old money husband and friendships with similarly situated women. The book begins with Cassie screaming that her baby is missing, and Billie realizing from the apartment below that she is the one that has her.

While this book has mystery components, I think this book is more about the rise and fall of Billie and Cassie's relationship. While their lives have gone in entirely different directions that leave them with little in common, they have memories, heavy shared experiences, and secrets that make it difficult to just simply let the relationship go.

Cassie was unlikeable to me in many ways, but I just wanted to keep learning more about her and why she was the way she was. She did have redeeming qualities - she is an amazing mother. Billie was more redeemable but her co-dependency with Cassie was difficult to swallow. I did pull for Billie and want everything to work out for her, which I think was important. I think part of this is the detailed universe Lovering built where you get to know all of these characters on a deep level.

As I mentioned, I flew through this book. It is in two parts - during the first part, I could not put the book down. The second part was more of a slow burn, but still enjoyable.

Overall, this book was great and am so thankful for the ARC from NetGalley and St. Martin's Press in exchange for my honest review.

This book will resonate with a lot of women in their late 20s and 30s and they things they go through with their friend groups from different stages in life while growing older. I enjoyed the chapters doing some time traveling telling current day stories along side how Billie and Cassie got to where they are now through events of the past. Decent thrilling moments but some of them could have been fleshed out a little more like why Billie took the baby. It really didn’t make much sense other than wanting Cassie’s attention and being jealous of the baby since Cassie’s life now revolved around her. It was a good book and worth the read but some of the current day stories were drawn out a bit and so much of the story focusing on Billie not wanting kids herself while all her friends do.

Thanks to NetGalley and St.Martins for the ARC.
This story flowed well. The writing was well done and I was able to connect with the characters. As women, we have all been here to some extent in re to the dynamic of friendships. Good read.

I loved this book! The story was so captivating and the characters were fleshed out so well. Carola has a way of writing female characters and dialogue that is so authentic. This definitely adds to the great pace of the story. I highly recommend!

I love Carola Loverling books, so I knew I'd enjoy this no matter what. As far as her others, Bye, Baby wasn't my favorite. It was a slow burn about a toxic friendship, definitely not thrilling or mysterious at all, really. But it's well done. Cassie is a social climber and a social media influencer who has backed away from her childhood friend, Billie, after having a baby- much to Billie's dismay. I saw Cassie in so many of the shallow people I chose not to follow on Instagram and i felt like she was portrayed so accurately. I really enjoyed the relationship with Billie and Alex and my heart absolutely broke for Billie's childhood. Though I wanted to shake her for her adult actions, I understood her trauma bond with Cassie and her misguided ways as a confused, hurt adult. I wish they'd both go into therapy.
The ending to this one is excellent, but it was a bit of a sludge to get there at points. I'll always recommend Loverling.

First of all, thank you to Martin Press Publishing and NetGalley for allowing me to read an early ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Second of all, I’ve given the book 4.5 stars. It was an amazing tale of two friends who grow apart as they reach middle age. The story switches from the two main girl’s POV’s, as well as the past when context was needed. These two girls.. they’ve been through quite a lot together, and they hold secrets that each of them will take to their graves. So when one betrays the other, the betrayed takes it to the next level, stealing the child of her “best friend”.

I think the only reason I didn’t give it five stars was the fact that one of the reasons I was ecstatic to read this is the aspect of the kidnapping. It was advertised as a thriller, so I treated it as such, hoping to be kept on the edge of my seat, you know? But no, the story didn’t focus on the kidnapping, as the baby was returned a few hours after being taken. It focused on the friendship of the two girls, both the past and the present. I guess I was just missing the anticipation. If I’d known it was going to be more about the friendship than the thriller aspect, I would’ve settled down a little and put a box of Kleenex’s next to me just in case.

There were some deep themes throughout, so I would definitely take a mental check before deciding to pick this book up, especially if one is triggered by SA, or perhaps a toxic relationship. I know from experience the last thing one needs is an unwanted flashback. I thought the book handled it well, especially the SA. Justice was served.

So would I recommend this book? Yes, but not as a thriller. I would recommend if someone wanted a little thrill mixed with friendships and relationships. If this is more your style, then this is the book for you, and consider purchasing it when it comes out next March. (This is the review I posted on Goodreads)

Carola Lovering writes the BEST books!!! I don't hear a lot about her and that is just WRONG!!! She is an amazing writer! I am a reader who almost exclusively reads dark, disturbing-type psychological thrillers. Every once in a while, I take a brief break with lighter fare and that is how I discovered this author. I first read Too Good to Be True, loved it, and went back and read her others. Reading this one was a no-brainer for me, and it is actually my favorite. Billie and Cassie are childhood best friends who have grown into adult best friends. Inexplicably Cassie no longer wants anything to do with Billie and cuts off contact and moves on with a new crowd. Billie continues to try and reconnect to no avail. Cassie is an Instagram influencer, so Billie is able to follow along on Cassie's life without her in it until she sees something that leads her to kidnap Cassie's baby. Yes, that's what I said. Now, THAT incident is actually just a TINY part of this whole story. The story is not about Billie stealing Cassie's baby. That happens in the opening chapter and the rest of the book is about what leads up to that point. And it is a fascinating, unputdownable story of female friendship. Told from present-day Cassie and Billie's POV's and backstory from both we slowly learn how the friendship became so fractured. I could not stop reading. I absolutely loved Billie and felt so much for her. Cassie is a self-centered, rich-girl wannabe character, but I understood her also. The ending is just so perfect. I don't want to ruin anything for anyone else, so I will just leave it at a strong urging to READ THIS BOOK!!!! Carolina Lovering, please never stop writing!!!

Thank you to #NetGalley, Carolina Lovering and St. Martin's Press for this much appreciated ARC. All opinions are my own.

I will post my reviews to Amazon, Instagram, Barnes and Noble and other retail and social media sites upon publication.

A complicated and tumultuous lifelong friendship, spur of the moment life-altering decisions, and two very different life paths all converge in this amazing read by Carola Lovering.

Billie West and Cassie Barnwell met one summer in a small town before entering seventh grade. The two became inseparable and bonded over a traumatic incident that they experienced together. However, as the years go by they have drifted apart. Cassie who married into a wealthy family, is an Instagram influencer and doting mother, and Billie who is single, childless, and frequently traveling, couldn't have less in common. That is until the night that Cassie's infant daughter goes missing...and Billie is responsible.

I honestly couldn't put this one down- I absolutely loved it! I legitimately couldn't figure out where the story was headed and loved the perfect way that it all unfolded. The characters were well-developed and I truly had a love/hate relationship with both Cassie and Billie. I found the complexities of their friendship really interesting and the alternating timelines between past and present, and dual perspectives really made me understand both Cassie and Billie's feelings, behaviors, and the (less than ideal choices) choices they made.

I will definitely be checking out more from Carola Lovering!!!

Thank you St Martin’s Press and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Goodreads Review: 7/18/23 https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/5690535775
IG Story: 7/14/23: https://www.instagram.com/the_books_we_love_/

This book kept my interest but I would categorize it more as a book about relationships, particularly ones from childhood that grow toxic, and a coming of age story. The story and characters were intriguing and I enjoyed the multiple POV's. Recommended for those who enjoy toxic friendship/revenge stories. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.