My first #ARC truly didn’t disappoint! I absolutely love the details that @carolatlovering works into her books, and this was no exception.

This book centers around Cassie and Billie and the events that shaped and molded their (very toxic) friendship. It’s not so much of a thriller, so don’t go into it expecting huge twists and crazy turns. I did enjoy the dual timelines and alternating viewpoints and I was curious to see how it would end, as there were multiple relationships hanging in the balance throughout.

Overall, a solid 3/5 for me! This book releases March 5, 2024 - thank you to #NetGalley for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

With hardly anything in common, Billie and Cassie are connected by a gripping bond from their past. The two have known each other for most of their lives but have drifted apart; each living a different lifestyle. One is fully immersed in her life as a wealthy wife and mom and the other is happy to remain single and childless. This toxic yet comforting friendship made for an entertaining read. I’ve read my fair share of thrillers and the inclusion of a kidnapping brought this to a new level!

Having read the author’s previous two books, I was expecting another devious thriller. While this storyline is captivating, it leans more towards a domestic suspense than the thrill ride I had hoped for. With that said, I loved the development of the characters and how the story unfolded

Carola Lovering is a queen at drama filled books!! I was immediately hooked by this one and continued to be sucked into the characters lives. The multiple POVs between two best friends and the interspersed memory chapters paint detailed pictures of their lives, the loveable and unlikeable parts. I connected with pieces of both Billie and Cassie. I think there are aspects many could connect with. I loved this one and highly recommend!

Carola Lovering gives good toxic relationships. If you like unhealthy female friendships, this book is your jam. It kicks off with a bang and centers around ex best friends and a missing baby, tackling issues of friendship, loneliness and motherhood. Well written with alternating chapters from former BFF Billie and Cassie's perspectives, my big issue is that I didn't like any of the characters and therefore was not heavily invested in the outcome. I understood and felt for Billie- tied to Cassie from her childhood and so desperately hanging onto what their friendship once was- but I wanted to hit her over the head with a frying pan to knock some sense into her. Gold-digger, momfluencer Cassie was just awful and I thought her ending was more than she deserved.

Though this is marketed as a thriller, it's really more of a domestic drama. If you go in expecting a thriller you will be disappointed. There were elements of mystery, but definitely not enough to call it a thriller. Three and a half stars downgraded to three stars for me. Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for the ability to receive an early review copy in exchange for my honest thoughts.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for a readers copy of this book. My reviews are freely given and never contain spoilers.
This is a tale of a lifelong friendship between two women, Cassie and Billie. They share a deep secret that binds them together, but their present lives find them estranged from each other. Billie is struggling with the distance between them, while Cassie continues to pull away.
The writing illustrates the push and pull of the friendship well. Both women act in ways that they can justify as reasonable to themselves, even as others see things differently. An enjoyable read with a satisfying and nicely executed ending.

Talk about some unlikeable characters. That said I did enjoy the story. I was not sure how it was going to end but I had a feeling it was not going to be good. The end end seemed a little unbelievable but that might just be me. Best part of the book is I found out about a job I totally want, luxury travel consultant.

Loved this deep dive into friendship between Cassie and Billie. Told in a creative way, we see the constructing of a dependant friendship and its destruction. A must read read with some shocking twists!

3.5
Two best friends estranged over time as one becomes a wealthy and famous influencer and the other just a mere travel creator. It is unknown why their relationship is strained. We start with the theft of a baby! The first page. Shocking! I loved that quick intro and then the suspense that built up to the reason why!

I love how well Lovering can pull the reader in and create a true sense of place with rich characters and a solid plot. I quite enjoyed the two POV lines in this book to give me a feel of the whole picture and understand what each woman is feeling and why they are behaving the way they do. I also enjoyed the backstory of their lives and relationship spread throughout.

I thought the plot was great, but overall, it was a little underwhelming. I felt like I wanted more drama? The reasons and actions overall felt somewhat weak. If you've read it, let's talk.

I also didn't love the past sexual abuse storyline, I mean obviously, but I felt like it wasn't necessary to use for the formation of the story. I understand why Lovering used it, but I think there may have been another way. It felt...out of place in this story.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the gifted eArc.

Ehhhhhhh. My main problem with this is that it’s being marketed as a thriller and it.. is…absolutely not…? Domestic drama, maybe?
The stolen baby trope just gives me the icks so I should’ve known better 😖

👍🏼
•Multiple POV
•Dual timeline
•Short chapters
•Characters you love to hate
•Hooked me quickly, engaging/ mysterious premise in the beginning…

👎🏼
•The last 25% underwhelmed
•The synopsis above is basically the entire book
• Abrupt, anticlimactic ending
• Romance plot missed the mark for me

✨ Fine for a quick read and easy read I guess 🤷🏼‍♀️

Thank you @netgalley for this ARC

Thanks to Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Billie and Cassie have been friends since they were kids but now in their mid-30’s Billie still wants to be best friends with Cassie but Cassie is giving her the cold shoulder.

I am a little confused to see this listed as a mystery thriller when it is so clearly women’s fiction. As far as women’s fiction goes, it is a pretty good book. There are chapters from both Billie and Cassie’s points of view as well as chapters recapping the past history of these characters. I felt like I really knew the characters very well by the time this was over and understood their complex relationship. I was introduced to this author when I read Too Good To Be True, which excellent and a bit more of a mystery with some completely shocking reveals. I think the author set a really high bar with that one that she hasn’t reached with her most recent 2 books. This was a good book for what it was but if the next book is marketed as a mystery/thriller, I hope it actually is one.

DNF @ 12%

The authors writing style isn't for me, and this is advertised as a thriller... it isn't. We find out very early on that the FMC, Billie, is the one that takes Cassie's baby. But the focus of the story is the history of their 23 year relationship and how obsessed Billie is with Cassie...

Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read Bye, Baby for my honest review.

Thank you Netgalley & St. Martin's Press for an eARC of Bye, Baby by Carola Lovering! When I got the approval for this in 2023, I dropped everything I was doing to read this one, and I'm so glad I did. This was one of my favorite reads of the year, and I'm sure it's going to be a major hit with thriller and suspense lovers upon hitting shelves and Kindles. It's one of those books that's truly addictive - Once you start, you need to keep turning the pages to figure out what the hell is going to happen next!?

One night during a party, Cassie Barnwell's infant has gone missing. Bille West, her best friend, hears Cassie's screams from the floor above. Who would do something? Oh, no one other than Billie herself. The two friends have drifted apart in recent years, but were once inseparable and are bonded by their secrets of their pasts. The two are so different from one another, but Billie knows everything about Cassie and will do anything it takes to bring the two girls back together.

Read this one if you love plot lines with the following aspects -
-Shocking, secret pass
-Alternative POVs and timelines
-Twists, suspense and toxic friendships
-Childhood trauma
-Books that make you think "what would I do?" and moral dilemmas

As always, can't wait to see what Lovering comes up with next! This is a book I'd re-read.

Bye, Baby
by Carola Lovering
Pub Date: 05 Mar 2024

Bye, Baby is my first book by author Carola Lovering. The book is rated as a thriller but in my opinion it wasn't.

The story is about toxic relationships and obsessions, a friendship between two woman. Also areas such as but not limited to prejudice, discrimination, sexual abuse and Alzheimers.

I found this book hard to rate at first, after thinking about it I decided it to be a thought-provoking and well written book.

Many thanks to NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press for providing me with an E-ARC of this book.

Thank you Netgalley for the ARC. When I tell you I screamed when I got it, I mean, I screamed. I love this author and this one is very different from her past books. This story follows two besties who have grown apart with time. But there is a big secret that keeps them from losing touch 100%. I couldn't put this one down and really enjoyed it.

This book was pretty good. There was a lot of drama, lies, and secrets. It was a little slow at first, but the last half of the book made up for it.

💔 Bye, Baby - Carola Lovering

3 ⭐️ - Oh man, I wanted to love this more. Really, I did. Maybe it’s me? It was engaging. I was interested. I just didn’t love it. This is a suspense, rich people drama and not really the thriller I was hoping for.

On a fall night in NYC, Billie West hears terrifying screams. Only to find out it’s coming from her childhood bestie’s apartment. Cassie Barnwell has just found out that her infant daughter has gone missing. Here unfolds the story of Cassie and Billie’s friendship from childhood into adulthood and how changes in life, love, and circumstance can change us whether we like it or not.

This had some good aspects. Changing point of views and short chapters are always winners for me. I was definitely invested in the changes and growth of Cassie and Billie together and separately. I was engaged and wanted to know the outcome. The ending and outcome just fell so flat after such a slow burn. I wanted more and I wanted it to end differently. I did this one on audio, which I definitely recommend because if Karissa Vacker. If you’re into slow burn snd rich people drama, this one’s for you!

Thank you Netgalley, St Martin Press, and Macmillan audio for the early reader and listener copies! This one’s out now!

After reading Tell Me Lies by this author I was really eager to read Bye Baby after reading the synopsis. Taking your friend’s baby in the night?! What?! I had to read this to get the whole story, and I’m glad I did! This book interested me the whole time. Cassie was so unlikeable and I just couldn’t wait to find out how Cassie and Billie’s relationship turned out. I would recommend this to others!

3.5/4 rounded up to 4.

This definitely wasn’t your typical thriller, or really a thriller at all. This was more of a drama.

Cassie Adler and Billie West were the best of friends. Cassie’s baby goes missing for the evening and is returned safely in the middle of the night. Despite their current strained relationship, Billie was Cassie’s first call.

Told in 2 POV’s from present and past.

Cassie was pretty unlikeable but we all have had that friend - you keep strictly based on longevity, loyalty to your childhood etc.

Thanks to netgalley for an ARC!

★ ★ ★ ★

enjoyed!!!! this book was more of a drama than thriller but it had some of my favorite things: new york city backdrop, rich people doing bad things, and incredibly relatable characters!! carola does it again with this great book full of drama, emotions and unexpected endings!

I was expecting this to be more of a thriller, but to me it read more like women's fiction. It's about the toxic and dependent relationship that Billie has with her beautiful and wealthy influencer friend Cassie. Lovering does a great job of portraying Cassie's desperation as she spirals down after her baby is snatched during a party in her and her husbands luxurious apartment.

The writing was well done, but it was a little slow getting into the book.

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for an advance reader's copy.