This story and these characters were an unhinged duo that I could not stop reading.

The “mean girl/catty friend” trope is not one of my favorites, but I thought it was done in an interesting way here. There’s themes of friendship and loyalty as we age, motherhood, and expectations of women. There were times where the characters’ actions had me cringing, crying out “noooo!”, and on the edge of my seat wondering what could possibly happen next. The alternating POV really amped up the drama, and I liked getting both sides to certain situations. There’s a few twists along the way; some I saw coming and others that totally surprised me. The story also went deeper (and a little darker) than I was anticipating, but I liked how that depth expanded the story and made the characters’ backstories that much more complex.

This is one you’ll have a hard time putting down.

Wow! By far my favorite Carola Lovering book and one of my favorite reads of the year. Both characters were so well fleshed out and felt like I personally knew them. I've seen quite a few reviews claim this isn't a thriller and I would disagree. This is psychological thriller writing at it's finest - slowly peeling back the layers to understand why anyone took baby Ella and why Cassie and Billie's friendship is so strange. I started this at 10pm and stayed up all night to finish it.

In Bye, Baby, Carola Lovering has managed to take two now-ubiquitous stock characters—the self-obsessed semi-influencer and her left-behind childhood best friend—and turn their estrangement into a compelling thriller. Neither Cassie (the influencer) nor Billie (her erstwhile friend) are entirely sympathetic (or unsympathetic) characters; reading the story through their alternating viewpoints, I found myself siding with both at different times. They’ve grown apart, but the memories of their once-strong friendship, as well as a shared secret from their past, summon feelings of obligation to maintain their previous bond.

The mystery and thriller elements of the plot are resolved in a relatively straightforward manner, and I thought the Big Secret that Cassie and Billie were trying to protect was telegraphed fairly early in the book. Bye, Baby was not really the psychological thriller I expected when I started, but I found it engrossing and suspenseful in its own way, as I wondered how Cassie and Billie would reckon with the new shape of their relationship.

Bye, Baby
Carola Lovering
4.5⭐️
Omg that was a wild story! It started off so shocking and it was full of toxic relationships and crazy decisions. Super super interesting thriller! I really enjoyed the whole thing and I was hooked from the beginning.

BYE, BABY by Carola Lovering ventures into domestic territory I don't typically explore. Kidnapping a former best friend's baby? Who would do such a thing -- and somehow also be a character that I understood and didn't mind getting to know more? Billie and Cassie were lifelong best friends, until they weren't. The characters are rich, compelling, fascinating people -- and the twists and turns kept me up way past my bedtime, thrilled and terrified and unable to look away. I will definitely seek out more books by this talented writer. I received a copy of this book and these opinions are my own, unbiased thoughts.

Rating: 2.5/5 ⭐️⭐️💫

Thank you @netgalley and @stmartinspress for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This started off great, mysterious… engaging.
We make it through the first half and the story seems to have a direction.
Unfortunately, it goes down hill from there. I’m unsure what the point of this story was.
Marketed as a thriller? No. It’s not a thriller.
It’s a trauma bonded friendship drama and an attempt at a romance story all at once.
The ending was anticlimactic and inconcise.

Cassie and Billie were best friends. But as time has elapsed, Cassie has pushed Billie away. Cassie is a major social media influencer with tons of followers and Billie knows a terrible secret. Cassie just cannot risk it. Then the unthinkable happens. Cassie’s daughter is kidnapped and Billie is the only one she wants around her.

I love how the author creates empathy and compassion for Billie. Or rather, that is what I felt. Even though Billie made a mistake, my heart went out to her. I was so hoping it all turned out well…you will have to read this to find out.

If you can’t tell, I am not a big fan of Cassie. However, my heart went out to her when her baby came up missing….Genius writing, in my opinion. There were quite a few places in which my emotions didn’t know where to go. I definitely am looking up this author’s other books! I will be thinking about this one for quite a while.

The narrators, Helen Laser; Karissa Vacker…FANTASTIC! Of course, if you follow me at all, you know I love Karissa Vacker and she and Helen made a fabulous tag team for Cassie and Billie!

Need a good psychological and emotional thriller…THIS IS IT! Grab your copy today.

I received this novel from the publisher for a honest review.

Let me start by saying, if you are going into this book thinking it’s a thriller then you’ll be disappointed. With the main plot being about a missing baby, it’s very easy to think this is a thriller. It’s truly more of a character driven suspense. I found this one to be boring and lacking something. I felt like there was really no point to the story and I was honestly pretty disappointed!

3.5🍼

Toxic friendships
Shallow Gold digger
Sexual assault
Lose of love
Strained family relationships
Growing up and apart


This is not a Thriller PSA! More of a drama.
Luckily I knew that before so it helped with my expectations.

Two bffs, two POVs and 2 timelines from back starting at age 12 to now 35.
This drama is great in the aspect of growing out of your childhood friends. Wanting different things in life. Simple, self driven, lonely vs instagram influencer who only cares to marry rich. But it was the worst toxic friendship ever. Both used and abused each others loyalty.

Cassie was insufferable even from age 12. I’m surprised they even stated friends until 32 😂 I was literally more okay with Billie legitimately kidnapping Cassie’s child l, than the way Cassie’s treated everyone especially Billie.

I liked the way it unfolded but I wish there was even one other semi suspect or a big twist. remy was being hyped up to be part of a twist but it was just that Billie didn’t want kids? Really a uneeded part of the story Who cares? (For example could have been a twist more about how grant was slimey and cheating etc)

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martins Press for granting me access to this book in exchange for my honest review.

At the age of 35, Billie starts feeling like she is losing her best friend, Cassie, of over 30 years. Billie is desperate to get close to Cassie again, even if that means lying to Cassie about what happened the night Cassie’s baby went missing.

This book is about intense, toxic, female friendships, motherhood, and how friendships change from high school to your mid thirties. These characters and their friendship felt so real. I really felt for Billie and the writing pulled me in almost immediately.

I think this would be a GREAT book club book. Definitely will be reading more Carola Lovering in the future!

Meet Cassie and Billie, long time friends who have drifted apart. From sharing an apartment to barely speaking, their lives have taken different paths with their friendship taking a back seat to life. Multiple POV show readers every step the two have taken and how Billie has gone to great lengths to remain in Cassie's world while Cassie is moving up and beyond their old neighborhood. Each step brings us closer to the explosion they've been heading towards. Carola Lovering has done an excellent job of bringing these two women to life and leading us to each clue along the way. It's interesting to see how she brings everything together at the end.

Bye, Baby by Carola Lovering is a story about friendships, the ties that bind, and what happens when those ties no longer hold. I’m so grateful to @stmartinspress for an advanced copy and to @macmillan.audio for an ALC. This one comes out tomorrow.

Cassie and Billie have been friends since childhood. They were inseparable as teens and their years together are full of secrets. As adults, they’ve drifted apart. Cassie has gotten the life she always wanted. A rich husband, a second home in the Hamptons, and influencer lifestyle. Billie, a travel writer, is the one who doesn’t want to let go. The story is told in dual timelines—or maybe it’s actually three timelines. The book opens with Cassie discovering her baby has been kidnapped. Then we go back to when the girls are teens and the years leading up to their falling out.

This was an interesting read, but for some reason I was expecting it to be a thriller. And it really wasn’t. I was expecting the baby disappearance and why it had happened to be a bigger part of the story, but it almost seemed unnecessary to the main plot, and the reasons for it happening—which are explained pretty early on—didn’t really make a lot of sense to me. I think if you’re looking for a story about friendships and secrets, there’s a lot to enjoy in this book. There’s also a really sweet, fraught romance that I enjoyed a lot. Billie’s story in particular is pretty heartbreaking and there are some trigger warnings. DM if anyone needs them.

The audiobook for this one is fabulous and made the story even more compelling. It’s narrated flawlessly by Karissa Vacker (a favorite of mine) and Helen Laser (who’s also fabulous). I’d definitely recommend the audio version of this book.

Bye, Baby by Carola Lovering.
Cassie and Billie have their secrets and they also have a fallout. Cassie's glamorous world no longer aligns with Billie's
Then one night the unimaginable happens, someone kidnaps Cassie's new baby, The event brings Billie and Cassie back together, The problem is , Billie is the kidnapper...

I really enjoyed the first half of this book, it was fast paced and really had me in its clutches. The second half seemed to drag on a bit, though it was still enjoyable. nearing the end I started to dislike both of the main characters and found them to have an incredibly toxic co-dependent relationship. And in retrospect, maybe that was how I was supposed to feel about them. There were parts that seemed a bit contrived, but all in all I enjoyed this book. I would give it 4 stars.

With friends like these, who needs enemies?!?!? Cassie and Billie have a lifelong, unique friendship. Thankfully, I don't have friends like them!

I wouldn't call this book a thriller, but it was a good story. This is a new to me author and I will be seeking out more of her books. I really liked the writing style.

Thanks to Net Galley and the publisher for an ARC of this book.

Bye, Baby is a well crafted domestic suspense novel that focuses on the friendship between Billie and Cassie, the friendship that is full of some deep secrets and some toxic behavior.

The characters in the story were so well-developed and you really felt like you knew them. I found myself feeling many conflicting feelings about the characters throughout the journey of the story and any story that makes me feel something is one that will stick with me! While I didn't find either character particularly likeable, I did enjoy watching their dynamic unfold and I wanted to know how the story would end.

I really enjoyed the past/present timeline and liked how that added a layer of intrigue to the story!

Check this one out if you like:
- slow burns
- past / present timelines
- good character development
- domestic drama

Landing at a 3.75 (rounded up to 4) for this one- I wish that the ending was a little more ambiguous or there was a little more of a surprise or twist, it was tied up a little too nicely for me at the end!

Also, definitely check the trigger warnings for this one! I also heard it was great on audio, so if that's your favorite way to read- check out the audiobook!

Huge thank you to Netgalley, the author and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Billie and Cassie have been beat friends since their teens but now that they are in their thirties life have changed and pushed them apart. Will a life changing event revive the life long friendship?

Thanks NetGalley and Carola Lovering for the chance to read this ARC! This was my first book by Carola Lovering but I will be looking into her other work!

Bye, Baby definitely grabbed my attention from the beginning. The butterflies were in my stomach the whole book trying to figure out what was going to happen next. I did feel like parts were a tad drawn out and I felt like the conclusion undid a lot of the character development that had happened but over all I did enjoy this book! I give this one 3.5 stars bumped up to 4!

Carola Lovering is a true storyteller. In the last three years, she has become one of my favorite writers of women’s fiction. Her stories are thought-provoking and multidimensional. I never know quite what to expect from her - that’s a compliment. She writes complex female characters. This book is no different, and it is another five-star read for me.

Check for trigger warnings before reading.

Billie and Cassie have been friends since they were teenagers. They both have very different relationships with their families that will inform every decision and relationship they have as they grow up. They are best friends. This story tells their story from the perspective of both women, and flashes back and forth between the past and present.

I truly enjoyed the dual point of views - I read a digital copy and listened to the audiobook. Both narrators were incredible. At times, I was angry with both women, felt empathy for them, and heartbroken too. They are very complex women. This story is a true reflection on the choices that we make and who we become. There were also moments of true mystery, and there were also times this story was a thriller. Carola Lovering weaves a tale that will leave you shocked, angry, sympathetic, and empathetic around every twist and turn.

Thank you so much to NetGalley, St.Martin’s Press, and Macmillan Audio for the digital and audiobook copies of this book. I loved this author’s previous books, and this is another winner. It is out in March 5th - I highly recommended that you pick this one up!

“As the years have passed, the gap between us has only grown wider. Now, we exist on separate islands.”

I’ve enjoyed everything I’ve read by Carola Lovering, and this one was no different. I was completely engrossed in the friendship and motherhood dynamic. If it's one thing Lovering does well, it's suspense. The core of this story is so relatable and realistic, and makes for such a compelling read.

Billie and Cassie’s relationship has deteriorated the older they have gotten, and their paths have diverged. Cassie is now a wealthy influencer and married, Billie is still single. Billie has some lingering resentment and jealousy towards Cassie, and it results in an unhealthy obsession. In turn, it's clear that Cassie has intentionally pushed Billie away in an attempt to assimilate into her wealthy lifestyle.

The way this book deal with both friendships and motherhood is incredibly relatable. Billie and Cassie don’t really have much in common as adults and Billie is reluctant to let that go, no matter how much worse it makes her feel. I could really relate to Billie and her thoughts on motherhood. She has trauma that has made her decide she doesn’t want children, but with what she sees around her she still feels unsure. The flashbacks we get to Billie and Cassie growing up are so telling of their personalities and it adds so much to their overall dynamic. Cassie has always wanted to be wealthy and popular, and this has caused tension in their relationship even when they were young. They're also tied together by an incident, and it's obvious that plays a big part into their relationship as adults.

The resolution is fairly satisfying. Cassie and Billie have the conversation that they really need to and Billie lets herself accept her aversion to motherhood. I really loved her budding relationship with Alex, and the ending left me feeling hopeful, which seems to be rare for a thriller.

This is a great thriller that really explores some difficult and deep topics. Carola Lovering just doesn’t disappoint.

Cassie and Billie were childhood best friends who are now in their mid thirties. During college, Cassie found a new group of friends and started pulling away from Billie. Billie however can't get over their friendship even if they go weeks without talking. One night Cassie's baby goes missing and Billie is the one holding her.
While not exactly the mystery/thriller I was expecting the book was engaging, quick and interesting. The way Carola Lovering writes just keeps you wanting to read more. I couldn't put this one down.
Thank you to St. Martin's Press, Carola Lovering and NetGalley for my ARC in exchange for my honest review. This one publishes March 5, 2024

Bye, Baby by Carola Lovering
Billie and Cassie have been best friends since childhood. They share a hometown, and the kind of trauma that either binds friends together or tears them apart. They are adults now and have grown in different directions. Still when crisis occurs, they are the first in each other’s mind, and that feeling expands to obsession. Will the mystery be solved?
This tightly written novel is told from each woman’s viewpoint and sheds light on the lives of the rich, the influencers, and the people that get left behind. A page turning read, even though some of the characters seem to be stereotypical.
Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the opportunity to read Bye, Baby. It was just the break I needed. Publication date is March 5, 2024.