Ooh yall this one was wild!! Bye, Baby was a fast paced drama filled suspense that had dual timeline and povs, family drama, friendship drama and was very character driven.

I loved the influencer side of this book and could definitely relate to some! I really liked this book and can’t wait to read more from the author!

(Actual: 3.5⭐, rounded up) A solidly engaging read for me, though I wouldn't necessarily call it a "thriller"? Perhaps more like "dramatic suspense," if anything. I'm definitely a mood reader, so sometimes it takes me a bit (or longer) to really be captured by a novel's premise.... but that wasn't the case here! As per usual, I went into this read blind, and a big plus for me right from the start was its pacing— the story starts with a bang and just doesn't let up. This is a quick read with compelling enough characters [in Cassie and Billie, respectively] that I remained invested despite it fizzling out a bit in its last act; the ending just felt.... a bit anti-climatic, I guess, given everything we come to learn as readers. That said, and while I do also think this book could have expanded upon these same themes even further, I enjoyed this book's exploration of long-term friendships and the unwavering loyalty and/or growing toxicity that both comes and can later be born from them (especially when there are plenty of secrets long since buried involved and to play with). I think where I related most to this book and with these characters is in the feelings of loneliness and grief that come with losing a close friend, because I think we all experience at least one bad "friend break-up" in life (and BB/Lovering takes that to the extreme). Overall, while I do think this book could have benefitted from some additional scenes (like therapy for Billie— so. much. therapy. PLEASE), I'd definitely still recommend it out to those looking for a fast read, as well as to to those who enjoy reads centered around complex interpersonal relationships and the choices we make for, because, or even in spite of them.

First off I’d like to thank the net galley and Carola Lovering for this ARC. Bye, Baby was an emotional read. I don’t think I’d fully classify this as a typical mystery/thriller it came off as contemporary at times, but it was good and I enjoyed it. I was intrigued by Cassie and Billie’s relationship. I wasn’t expecting their history to be as deep as it was, the bonds they forged really gave me an understanding as to how things played out in the rest of the book. Personally I think because I’m a mother I was invested in this book from the start and because of that I felt for Cassie a lot more than I would have if I wasn’t a mother. Overall it was an addictive read and took me through a roller coaster of emotions.

I could not finish this book.

The plot had so much promise but didn’t deliver. I was going into reading this book as a mystery/thriller but it was not.

Up to 50% of the book is about the building blocks of a toxic friendship bouncing back and forth between present/past/different perspectives. Then the big event happens and then it ends.

The writing was pretty good though, it wasn’t confusing when the setting/character perspective was jumping around, I wish the plot kept me more entertained.

I couldn’t force myself to keep reading. I skipped a head a little to see if it would grab my interest but it did not.

Maybe the last 40% gets better but I couldn’t power through to get there.

I would not recommend this book to anyone looking for an exciting mystery/thriller

I LOVED Tell Me Lies so I was very excited to receive this ARC of Bye, Baby. From page 1 I was hooked! The friendship between Cassie and Billie is a complicated one. This book starts when Billie hears the intense screams of her lifelong best friend, Cassie, as she discovers her infant daughter is missing. Only for Billie to discover, she is the one with Cassie's baby. The book then takes us back in time, both years and days, from Cassie and Billie's perspectives as we learn about their friendship, how it has developed over the years, and how it has become strained in more recent months.

I loved reading the two different perspectives. I had a difficult time relating to Cassie and felt terrible for how she treated Billie. I understood why they felt such a need to stay connected, but I was almost embarrassed for Billie at times, for how she pined after Cassie. I wanted more from the Grant storyline, I felt like there was a lot of build-up to his past behaviors and felt a little let down by the end result.

I enjoyed the flashback chapters and the development of Cassie and Billie's friendship and how it evolved over the years.

(I got an ARC of this from NetGalley, it will be out tomorrow!) (Content warning: sexual assault) I don’t know exactly what to call this book – thriller? Suspense? The book starts with the big action – Billie hearing her childhood best friend Cassie screaming as she realizes her baby is missing, only for Billie to realize that she is the one who has taken the baby. Billie panics, secretly returns the baby just a few hours later, but is elated to learn that in her moment of need, Cassie asked for Billie, their fractured-in-recent-years friendship seemingly repaired. The rest of the story alternates between going back to Cassie and Billie’s youth, to Cassie and Billie now, post kidnapping – a look at how, and why, their lives have changed, if things can be repaired, and at the impact of growing up and having kids of friendships. I don’t know that this was my absolute favorite, but I did really enjoy reading about female friendships in all their complexities.

Bye, Baby by Carola Lovering is a juicy, page-turning, intense read. The story follows the lives of two childhood best friends, Billie and Cassie. The two girls met at the age of 12 and were inseparable for 22 years. Glued at the hip that is until Cassie married the man of her dreams. That’s when things started to unravel. Cassie begins ghosting Billie and excluding her from her new life. Billie is so confused as she thought the two would always be friends, bonded for life. After all they share a huge deep dark secret that they must carry to their graves. But Cassie wants to forget their secret, the horrible unspeakable night when Cassie and Billie were 18 years old. Cassie knows the only way to do that is to shut Billie out of her life. And so Cassie focuses on her new extravagant life and tries to forget about Billie. That is until her 4 month old baby is kidnapped from a birthday party. Cassie is shattered and falls apart and the only thing that will help her survive is the comfort of her old forgotten friend Billie. Cassie reaches out and the rollercoaster begins.

This was a whirlwind of a read. In the beginning I loathed Billie for her needy dependence on Cassie (bordering on obsessive) and her inferiority complex. But as the story played out I felt such empathy and love for Billie for all she had endured and suffered. My feelings towards Cassie were more complicated. As an adult, she was an entitled, materialistic, gold digging snob. But during her childhood she was a fiercely loyal and protective friend to Billie.

I loved how the story switched between Cassie and Billies POV and also from past to present. The pace of Bye, Baby was perfect for me and I definitely felt the suspense building. Several times through out I felt protective of Billie and didn’t want her to be found out. I was rooting for Billie 100%. I do have to say that there definitely were some dark heavy moments in the story dealing with abuse which I found hard to read. So it is for this reason I’m rating the book 4/5 ⭐️. But other than that Bye, Baby was a phenomenal read. That I would highly recommend.

Thank you St Martins Press, Carola Lovering and Netgalley for my advanced copy of Bye, Baby, in exchange for my honest review.

Pub Date: March 5, 2024

Carola Lovering is the master at writing about mundane real-world events (2 friends drifting apart) with horribly unlikeable characters, but absolutely sucking the reader in. I could not put this down. Lovering talks about childhood friends drifting apart, influencer lifestyles, women not wanting to have kids, and, content warning, sexual assault. These were a few too many topics (wanting to be child-free wasn't important to this story despite my relating to it), but the rest of the plot was consuming. A thoroughly enjoyable contemporary suspense novel.

Thanks to Netgalley for a free ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for this great ARC. All opinions are my own.

Bye Baby tells the story of two childhood best friends, Billie and Cassie, and how they've drifted apart as the years have passed. Cassie is an Instagram influencer/business owner/proud mama to a several months old baby, Ella. Billie is a luxury travel consultant, but she mainly spends her time watching Cassie's Instagram stories and reliving the good ole times; it seems to be the only way Billie can see Cassie ever since her best friend quite responding to her texts. Sure, she'll blame it on her new baby and mom brain, but Billie can see all, and she can feel Cassie pulling away. Billie, however, is hanging on for dear life, and no matter how hard Cassie tries to forget their past, one secret binds them together forever. After a somewhat betrayal, Billie makes a grave mistake, but it's one that puts her right back in Cassie's orbit.

I really enjoyed reading this book. I felt like the ending fizzled out a little bit, though. After reading this book, I have become much more aware of the Instagram influencer industry for some reason, with its carefully crafted posts and image, sponsored posts, the whole community of it and honestly, it kind of ruined it for me—in a good way. You really don't know what's going on in a person's life, even though they try to tell you they're being "honest" or "raw".

Honestly, everyone in this book SUCKED—​except Alex and Sasha (minor character)...and maybe the baby. Cassie is the worst, acting fake nice towards Billie but simultaneously talking trash about her best friend and trying to cut her out her life without even talking to her. God, what a terrible friend, and after all they had been through. Her friends absolutely sucked! Billie shouldn't have done what she did, but at least I liked her more than all the other hateful characters. Don't get me wrong, just because I don't like these characters doesn't mean it wasn't any less enjoyable! Sometimes it's fun just hate everyone you're reading. Billie was redeemable, though; she realized things about Cassie and decided to come clean and then get on with her life.

Don't know who I would recommend this to, but I do know I need to read Carola Lovering's other book, Tell Me Lies.

Unfortunately, this one was a DNF for me at about 20%. I’m not getting the feeling of thriller or mystery. The story line just wasn’t for me.


Thank you to St.Martins Press and Netgalley for my gifted copy

BYE, BABY is a take of toxic friendship and female dynamics. Sometimes I have a hard time with stories featuring unlikeable characters, but I did enjoy the pacing of this one. I really appreciated the examination of our innate desire to be needed that drives the character's motivations. The multiple POVs and timelines made for a speedy read. The ending was a bit tidy but satisfying. This was my first read by Carola Lovering and I will certainly pick up some of her previous titles!

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an electronic ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This is my first book by this author and I can see why she’s a favorite for many! This was one that you want to find out where and why this friendship took a turn for the worse. Billie and Cassie had been friends since they were young until something happened and they weren’t anymore. Told from both POVs and from past and present, we see how in the present day Billie longs to have their old friendship back and be as close as they once were. Cassie on the other hand is the total opposite. I could not stand Cassie and her new snobbish friends, but also, I felt very conflicted about Billie.

Their friendship from the beginning is very complicated given the events and how their lives changed. It made me think about how messy friendships are and how sometimes friends can grow apart. It also made me think of how you can have what I call “high maintenance” friends. Those that are needy and only want you for themselves; however, how far is too far when trying to get back to the friendship that once was. Also, if that bond is broken, can you ever get it back?

Such a good story, but not so much of a thriller to me. That was ok, because the story was one that keeps you reading to find out what’s what!

3.5 stars. Thanks to Netgalley for the E-ARC. It is very hard to keep me entertained when a book reaches its climax by 50 percent for me. But this book kept me entertained till the very end. The relationship btw Billie and Cassie was so complicated and toxic. Not gonna lie I was low key hating on Cassie because.....well read the book and you will find out.

After reading the synopsis of this book I thought I had the whole story figured out, but it went a lot deeper than I thought it would. Although I was able to guess most of the plot, I still enjoyed the book. Cassie annoyed me a lot with how much she was obsessed with social media, but I think she grew throughout the book and became less superficial. I thought this book did a good job covering some tough subjects. I did enjoy the read; I just wish it had a little more mystery/suspense to it. Overall, I think it was a good book and a easy read.

Thank you to the publisher for an advanced reader copy of this novel. This novel gripped me from page one -- I read it in one sitting. Lovering writes such that you are thrown directly in the middle of the story so you feel completely involved in all the ups and downs of the two characters Billie and Cassie. I love a touch of rich people behaving badly and this has just enough for me. I will definitely be looking for Lovering's next novel and highly recommend reading Bye, Baby.

I read this book in one sitting. It was very interesting and kept my attention. I had a love- hate relationship with the two main characters, especially Cassie. The book was about toxic friendships, the lengths you would go to stay friends with someone, love, and more. It was an interesting premise. I will definitely check out more books from this author. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC.

BYE, BABY By Carola Lovering

There's something to be said for your high school friends. They say if you've been friends longer than 10 years, you'll be friends forever. My high school friends and I have 18+ years and currently planning a girls trip to go see Usher!

Billie and Cassie have been friends since high school, bonded by adolescence and all secret. They've grown up, and Cassie has a rich husband and a new baby and has distanced herself from Billie, although it only makes Billie cling on tighter in desperation. Cassie has a birthday party, but Billie isn't invited. Baby Ella is taken from her stroller during her mom's party, and Cassie reaches for Billie in her time of need. Things are back to being like the old times. The only problem is Billie is the one who took Ella.

I appreciated the shifting of relationships and how sometimes you grow out of a friendship and that is okay. However, both Billie and Cassie, who I'd call main characters were annoying. Billie was desperate and a loser and Cassie was mean and shallow. I felt no sympathy for either of them and struggled to feel bad for them. Why can't you just communicate in a respectful way due to the love you used to share?!

I also couldn't process Billie's decision- what in the world would posses you to think taking a baby is a good idea? Even a screaming one. Like call the cops for a wellness check or something... 🤯

Alex was a true gem in this story. He is honest and patient and I just loved him.

I love loved TELL ME LIES and loved TOO GOOD TO BE TRUE but still haven't read CAN'T LOOK AWAY. One of those I pre-ordered and haven't read yet

Bye, Baby introduces us to Cassie and Billie, who swear they will be life-long friends. They are well drawn out in part 1, so we grow to care about them. It moves a little slower here also, but just wait for part 2! The twists and turns will keep you reading until the wee hours.
Many thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for allowing me to read this enjoyable book. This review is all my own thoughts.

4.5 ⭐️

This is my second book by Carola Lovering. I definitely plan to read her other books.

This book definitely had a ton of toxicity in it between Cassie and Billie. It was kind of tough to read because I hated Cassie. But I think I was meant to hate Cassie. I felt for Billie so many times because I’ve had my fair share of toxic friendships and it’s rough.

I flew through this book because I had to find out how the story was going to end between Billie and Cassie.

Billie and Cassie grew up as best friends. Now approaching their mid 30s, Cassie has climbed the social ladder, married well and become a new mom. Billie is still single and less prosperous. She is obsessed with Cassie’s posts on social media showing her success and beautiful life. On the night of Cassie’s big birthday party, Billie finds herself in the apartment below Cassie’s having kidnapped baby Ella. Lovering does an excellent job using multiple POVs and flashbacks to demonstrate how their relationship evolved over time and why their pathways diverged. This is a twisty domestic thriller with a trigger warning for sexual abuse. It’s very engaging. I thank NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this ARC.