Thanks NetGalley for the ARC of Bye, Baby by Carola Lovering, published by St Martin's Press
Wow! What an awesome read! I couldn't out this book down. First novel that I've read by this author and it won't be the last. I read some other reviews saying that this wasn't their favorite novel by Lovering, but I honestly thought it was great.
The novel is told by the two main characters in both the past and the present, Billie and Cassie, they were High school best friends, did everything together, knew all of each others secrets, finished college and moved in together, fell in love with boys, and then had a falling out. Now Billie follows Cassie on Instagram and she posts about her life, she so desperately wants back into Cassie's life.
Story is told by the two main characters, I love how the reflection on the past slowly gives us Ahhha moments as to what is going on current day.
The author does a great job of making you feel for and relate to both the female main characters, and I was very happy with the ending. I will definitely be reading more novels by Carola Lovering

Cassie and Billie grew up the best of friends and were always inseparable. With one secret between them that probably kept their bond but also haunted their past. Cassie is now a social media influencer and a new mom and her and Billie have drifted apart recently. When tragedy strikes Cassie it’s good old reliable Billie who swoops in to help Cassie but is Billie holding a secret of her own and what will happen to their friendship is anyone’s guess.

This was my first book by the author although I do own her previous one and will certainly be moving up my TBR list after reading this one. I did find the book started off on the slower side but it builds pretty quick and in a spectacular way. I loved the chapters switching between the POV’s and Cassie and Billie as well as the storyline changes from past and present. I flew through this one in just over one day and had trouble putting it down. A trigger warning for sexual assault that is depicted in a graphic and detailed way. I would highly recommend this to all thriller lovers

This is what I sent to Goodreads, and did mention that it was an ARC from NetGalley.

I enjoyed it, once I realized it wasn't a thriller. It is a unique look at a friendship. It starts with Billie kidnapping her friend Cassie's baby, so yes, lots of questions about that friendship!

I am not familiar with this author, but thought this book was unique enough in plot, that I will probably look at her other titles.

I’d like to thank St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review!

This book that intrigued me with its thrilling elements, although it didn't fully deliver on the suspense. Throughout the story, I kept anticipating a dramatic revelation about either Cassie or Billie, but the author gradually unraveled their characters. Cassie comes across as self-absorbed, while Billie clings to their friendship due to the lingering trauma that binds them. The portrayal of Cassie as a millennial influencer was excellently done; I couldn't sympathize with her struggles because she uses her life as content, lacking genuine passion, and has a sense of superiority as a result. I appreciated that the book emphasized the message that material possessions and social media followers won't bring happiness, which was the strongest aspect for me. Despite Cassie's glamorous lifestyle filled with name-dropping and extravagant vacations, I didn't envy her because it was clear that her seemingly perfect existence had a toxic core. Overall, I enjoyed this book and would be interested in reading more from the author.

Billie West is not a kidnapper. She doesn’t even want children of her own. But in a state of chaos, she’s done exactly that---she’s taken her best friend’s baby, with absolutely no forethought or plan on what she’s going to do next. This book lured me in and hooked me from the first page. With a combination of suspense and emotional evolution of the characters, this book had me turning the pages until the very end. Another great book by Lovering! Read it; you’ll see what I mean.

Special Note: Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for allowing me to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This is the third book I've read by Carola Lovering, and I've loved them all. She is masterful at writing from the points of view of different characters and in different timelines, but this is never confusing and works really well to round out the story. I wouldn't call this a thriller, mystery, or suspense novel--although it is tagged that way in some places--since we always know what happened. The only suspense is in waiting to find out when Billie's deceit will be discovered and what punishment awaits her, but that was perfectly fine with me. I enjoyed the dynamics of the women's changing relationship and found Billie likeable and understandable, despite her actions: Cassie was by far the more unsympathetic character for me. Carola Lovering is now one of my favorite authors and I very much look forward to her next book. Many thanks to St, Martin's Press and NetGalley for an e-ARC of this book--I thought it was great!

First off – 3 stars is a good read, meaning I enjoyed it but it missed a few elements that would have elevated it to 4 or 5 stars FOR ME.

This is most definitely not a mystery/thriller, despite the blurb and the unfortunate title. Not that the story isn’t without merit, just know that going into it. Best to just avoid the blurb as it gives too much away.

This is an exploration of obsession and a toxic friendship that defies understanding - until you realize the reasons behind it.

Cassie and Billie have been the best of friends since childhood, and bonded together in inexplicable ways. Now in their 30s, Billie remains unmarried and childless, while the term “gold digger” is an understatement when it comes to Cassie. She married up in a big way, is a new mom, and is now an “influencer” on IG. With her new life and rich friends, she has cast Billie aside.

Billie is deeply hurt and can’t let it go. She goes to extraordinary means to maintain the friendship, which is clearly is one-sided.

I admit to being frustrated with Billie’s character in the beginning, but we eventually learn why Billie is trauma bonded to Cassie and it all starts to make sense.

Let’s just say Billie needed years of therapy. I would have enjoyed it more if the author had included a therapist or the psychology of her character’s behaviors in the narrative. It’s no secret to anyone who has followed my reviews that I love psychologically complex characters and I would have loved to have seen this theme explored further. I had to stretch my understanding of the psychology of trauma bonding to understand it.

There’s a shocking incident that brings things to a head, and we finally get the backstory on what happened all those years ago, which sheds light on Billie’s behavior.

For me, I think the author tried to include too many themes in the story: sexual abuse, Alzheimer’s, remaining childless by choice vs motherhood, social media, influencers, etc….it’s a lot.

I also thought the evil villain in the story was a bit of a cartoonish caricature, and only needed to twirl a handlebar moustache to complete the picture. I like my villains to be a bit more nuanced.

I read 90% of this in one day and I did love the ending and the themes, even if the execution frustrated me at times. It generated a great discussion with my reading buddy, which always makes a read worthwhile.

• I received a digital copy from NetGalley for review. All opinions are my own

Bye, Baby centers around a complicated friendship between two women who have been by one another’s side through the toughest moments of their lives, but have more recently drifted apart. Though it might be more intentional than it intentionally seems. Until, Billie hears the feral screams of her (toxic) best friend Cassie after her daughter has been kidnapped. Unfortunately, as she hears this, Billie is cradling her friend’s daughter. Yikes. The story then jumps between various points from their many years of friendship and present day in the days following the kidnapping.

The novel is not quite the thriller that the description would have you think. I expected more action from the description, but Lovering creates a different, more subtle kind of tension that grows between these two women. And it’s really more of a dive into the dynamics of female friendships, especially those childhood friendships as they transition into adulthood.

I did find the novel enjoyable to read and I couldn’t put it down because I had to know how it was going to end. But I did feel myself cringing through the whole thing. Sometimes because I was meant to, other times because I felt certain situations could have been easily avoided by the characters and impractical that they would actually occur. I was also a bit let down by the ending for the same reason. One character saw a lot of growth and development while the other reverted back to her old ways. Now, that may be the point but I can’t say that I was a fan of how that character’s problems were easily resolved.

There are other little things that made this work less for me, like the mention of brand names constantly--though I do think it was to help illustrate the divide between Billie and Cassie, I still didn't love it, I feel it can date the book very quickly--and I found both main characters unlikeable.

While I don’t think this book worked on all levels for me personally, I did enjoy it and some the characters, like Alex. And while I don’t get traditional thriller vibes, I do think fans of thrillers will still enjoy this novel. It has the suspense, the tension, and good pacing that keeps you turning the page and wondering how it ends, even if it's not exactly a mystery for you to solve.

This is one of the best thrillers I have read in a long time! It is the story of Billie and Cassie, two best friends from middle school who are now in their mid-thirties. These two friends live very different lives, with Cassie being a micro-influencer who enjoys showing off her lavish lifestyle, including her husband and child, and Billie working for a luxury travel company. One night we find out that Billie has taken Cassie's baby. This story is told through both girls' POVs and flashbacks. A definite must read.

This is my first time reading a Carola Lovering book after seeing a lot of great reviews on her work. 'Bye, Baby' is a great introduction to the author's incredible ability to create charged moments, high intensity feelings, and showcase broken relationships.

I think this book is less of a thriller and more an exploration of a decades long friendship between two very different women. I found myself a little underwhelmed by the actual climax of the story and more intrigued about how the relationship between Billie and Cassie would evolve throughout the book after everything that has happened between them.

This didn't have me hanging on the edge of my seat, but I was so intrigued about how the relationships would play out that I finished this is one day.

Cassie was so annoying (in a good way) and Billie's attachment to her makes so much sense in the context. Lovering did a great job showing a fractured friendship where one person isn't ready to let go yet.

My only issues with the story center on Billie and her lack of depth between the dual timelines. I wanted more insight into how she feels about her actions and the changes between her and Cassie. At times, it felt shallow and I think that took away from the story at points.

Overall, 'Bye, Baby' is a quick, engaging read and I'm interested in reading Lovering's other books!

A tension-filled decades-long look at the rawness of need - the things we think, or perhaps are lucky enough to know, we need - to make us whole - and what may be unleashed in our compulsion to find them.

Told in the alternating intimate first-person POV voices of Billie and Cassie - two young women who meet as pre-teens - and following their complicated, emotionally-intense friendship through ups and downs that criss-cross time, culminating in at least two traumatic events as heartbreaking as they are inevitable.

As Billie, (seeking redemption in love and acceptance), and Cassie, (who has subrogated the allure of wealth for intimacy), each face their own demons, their fierce dependence on each other is threatened, as the foundation of their lives shifts through the competing dramas kicked off by their collective and individual experiences in childhood, college, career, relationships, and motherhood.

This fascinating, deep, dark look at friendship is both touching and troubling, and will appeal to readers of psychological suspense, domestic thrillers, and anyone who enjoys taut character-driven journeys.

A great big thank you to #StMartinspress for an ARC of this book. All thoughts presented are my own.

Another reviewer described Carola Loverling books as "compulsively readable" and that's the perfect description for how I felt about Bye, Baby. It was literally unputdownable, once I started, I got nothing else done and read it over just a few hours. The dual POV between the women was ~chef's kiss perfection~ because I love mess. I also thought the incorporation of someone becoming an influencer was perfect for a present-day story. We've got the person doing the influencing, sharing that their life isn't actually what they're posting, and then we've got the other person watching their stories and obsessing, even though they can't get a call back. I just loved the dynamic it created and the way it spurred the story along.

This was a really, really fun read, and definitely one I'll be recommending!

Billie West and Cassie Barnwell had an intense friendship. They were inseparable, shared each other's dreams and secrets, and oftentimes seemed like two minds merged into one soul. The dependency of Billie continued on past that of Cassie and that is what the story revolves around.

Cassie desired the world of fame, fortune, and moving in circles she had once dreamed of, while Billie, was always left on the outside, an introvert, a woman bearing secrets that made her even more dependent.

When Cassie casts her off for the world in which she moves, now rich, now semi famous, now married to money with a child, Billie is devastated and tries in every way to work her way into that inner circle.

Both girls share big secrets that deal with trauma and while Cassie moves on in a big way, Billie is left in a valley of despair and desperation. It all comes to a head one night when Cassie is having a huge birthday party for his wife and Billie is not invited. Then tragedy occurs and Cassie's baby is taken.

The girls grown to women show the difference between the ability to cope with trauma or the inability to do so. They both fall apart in different ways and feel they have no one to go to except one another.

This was an interesting look at how people perceive things, having many side elements, like rape, instability, social class, abortion, not wanting children, influencers, and alzheimers disease. Too many issues cloud the story and make the original story get bogged down in the other side issues. Unfortunately for me, it added elements that were not fully brought out and made for a somewhat tedious story.

Jan and I had quite a lively discussion from the book so of course that made it a worthwhile read for us.

Thank you to Carla Lovering, St Martin's Press, and Net Galley for the ability to read this story due out in March of 2024.

I was totally sucked in by this one. The first chapter really sets the scene for what’s going to happen later in the book. I had no idea I was actually going to be on Billie’s side, given what happened in the prologue, but j just couldn’t stand Cassie. It was so interesting to read about how their friendship changed throughout the years and to finally get to the reason why they were so close and wouldn’t let each other go. I enjoyed reading both perspectives, but ultimately related the most with Billie (although I would NEVER do what she did!). I wasn’t sure how to classify this novel, as it wasn’t really a thriller. I ultimately decided on suspense because it does have you on the edge of your seat. I loved this book!

Carola Lovering is one of my favorite authors ever and I was SO excited to get the opportunity to read this ARC of her newest book. Every book she writes is a remarkable, jaw dropping, page turner, and this book was no exception. I loved how this explored the complicated and ever changing relationship between best friends and what it’s like when you grow apart from someone who was once so important to your life. I also really enjoyed the social media/influencer mom subplot and the setting in New York. These characters were very relatable and reading both of their perspectives made me resonate with the story even more.

Definitely check this book out when it’s released in March 2024 and in the meantime if you haven’t read “Tell Me Lies”, “Too Good to Be True”, or “Can’t Look Away” I highly recommend each of those!

This tells the story of a long standing friendship between Billie and Cassidy. We meet them as adults and then flash back and forth to when they were younger and how their friendship has now changed dramatically. Its an intense story that definitely kept me turning the pages. The character of Cassidy is pretty awful, but I think that's purposeful to reflect the awful influencers that we have these days. Biliie is pushed to her limit in the friendship and does something awful to Cassidy...but in a way you are rooting for the friend who did the bad thing???? Overall I loved this look at friendship, trauma and the long term effects of it.

This was an intense book about Cassie and Billie. Their lives have always been intertwined, but Cassie has been pulling away. Billie does something drastic and changes everything. This definitely kept me turning the pages! I really enjoyed reading this.

The Bye Baby storyline is one of my favorites - a long term friendship of two women whose lives have changed over the years and one of them strives to keep it alive. We all have them and deal with them in different ways. Cassie and Billie suddenly become close again as the result of an incident. Bille basks in the glow and Cassie regrets the estrangement. What follows is a heartbreakingly well written portrait of two women who entwined pinkies and swore allegiance to each other. It’s a thriller too, and the women, especially Bille will stay in your head.

I was obsessed with this book from the prologue. Child abduction stories freak me out but I also have a weird obsession with them (if they get solved/happy ending). This story also has a major plot line of a friendship breakup which felt very relatable to me post baby. I oddly loved the MC who is kinda a villain but the better of the villains? I was rooting for her and didn't want anything bad to happen. Like I said, I related to her.
There were a few parts of the story that made me roll my eyes but I was rather pleased with the ending. This is one of those books where I will be half way in and just know there is no possible good ending. There is no way the author can salvage the mess. But I was pleasantly surprised by the closure the ending brought me.
This doesn't release until 2024 but it is one to keep on your radar!

I was so excited when I saw a new Carola Lovering book was coming out! Such a fantastic, yet underrated author.

Bye, Baby was yet another outstanding novel and it's going right to the top of my list of 2023 favorites.

Billie and Cassie have been friends forever but recently Cassie has been trying to leave Billie behind. Billie just won't accept it and is desperately trying to hang on. (Seriously, Billie, it's super cringy. Let it go.) But then one night Billie happens to be in the same building that Cassie lives in and somehow ends up with her baby.

This was a great book! I loved it, even cringy Billie, and was able to get through it quickly. Another well done novel from Carola Lovering.