I hate it when a main character does something stupid, then compounds it with more and more dumb moves to try to cover it up. In these situations, it's hard for an author to find a way to resolve things that doesn't leave me really dissatisfied, but Carola Lovering pulls it off in Bye, Baby! Billie West and her best friend since age 11, Cassie, have grown apart. Cassie has a new baby, new friends, a new lifestyle and Billie doesn't really fit in any more. Billie finds herself semi-stalking her friend on Cassie's Instagram page, desperate for any attention her old friend bestows upon her. But then Billie "accidentally" -and only briefly!- kidnaps Cassie's baby, nobody knows she is the one who took the infant and she was returned unharmed, and to Billie's surprise, she is the one Cassie turns to for solace afterwards. The story is told from the alternating perspectives of both women in the present and Billie's POV during their childhood, chronicling the ups and downs of their friendship. More of a character-driven drama/suspense than a mystery/thriller, with insightful perspectives on the lifelong impact of early trauma and the addiction of social media.

Thank you St. Martin's Press for the opportunity to read and review Bye, Baby on NetGalley.

Published: 03/05/24

Stars: 4.5

Thoroughly enjoyed. I was in hook, line and sinker. While I didn't like all the characters, I understood their position in the story.

The synopsis is available. All I will say is I loved the hat.

I felt bad for the main character and I could relate to some of her choices. I was cheering for her when I probably shouldn't have. As for some of the other characters -- you reap what you sow.

As for the ending, I liked it.

This is tricky I don't want to say too much, it will ruin the story.

This is a steady moving mystery.

Wow! Loved Bye, Baby! The character development, the thrills, the plot that just kept coming! It was overall a great read and I really enjoyed it. If you enjoy books with similar themes, then I highly recommend!

This was my first Carola Lovering read but will definitely not be my last! Thank you for allowing me to read this book early.

Billie West grew up in Red Hook, in the Hudson Valley. The summer before seventh grade, Cassie Barnwell shows up and Billie's whole world changed--Billie did everything in her power for them to become best friends. Fast forward twenty-plus years, and the two women have grown apart, despite Billie's almost unhealthy inability to move on, though Cassie did not have the same problem.

One night in October, Billie makes a decision she can't undo--she takes Cassie's crying baby to console it. Minutes later, Cassie realizes that her baby is gone and lets out a bloodcurdling scream. Billie happens to be in the apartment one floor below, and realizes the mistake she's made, but it's too late and the police have been called. After a brief panic, Billie decides to run upstairs and leave baby Ella on the doorstep of Cassie's apartment, then flee. Although they had been growing apart, this dramatic event caused Cassie to bring Billie close because she was scared. This is all Billie ever wanted, and she is doing her best to mend and rebuild their friendship, while trying to gloss over her involvement in taking baby Ella.

This is told in dual POV and in dual timelines.

4 out of 5 stars.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC of "Bye, Baby" by Carole Lovering. This was my first reading of work by this author. I went into the story blind, without any pre-read looks. I liked the dual timelines and multiple narrators. I struggled with the second half of the story, after the plot twist, partly because we knew it was coming from the very beginning and the first half seemed to be just waiting for it to happen, and then the second half was just waiting for her to be found out. I liked the mystery of the tweet from the hometown to spook things up. It was a good read but not something that will stick with me.

Bye, Baby follows Cassie and Billie, best friends from childhood, who are now in their mid-thirties. Cassie, with her wealthy husband, new baby, and large social media following, begins to pull away from Billie, who is desperately trying to hold on to their friendship. One night, a hurt Billie takes Cassie's baby from the terrace of her apartment, setting our story in motion.

This is told from both Cassie and Billie's perspectives in the present day, and Billie's perspective in the past. The present day timelines allow the reader to see how each woman perceives various events in their lives, and the flashbacks give a glimpse into how their friendship has evolved over time. Although I would not classify this as a thriller, it was a compulsive read and after the first chapter, I could not wait to see where the story would go.

3.5 rounded up

Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for the advanced copy of this book.

This book follows childhood best friends Cassie and Billie, now adults, navigating life and how friendship changes over the years. While reading, I enjoyed the story as well as the dual POV and dual timelines. The story kept my attention and I kept reading wanting to know what happened next. That being said, this wasn’t my favorite from this author, and it fell short for me as a thriller. I still would recommend this read, but with the mindset of being a women’s fiction story, not a thriller.

Thank you to St. Martins Press and Netgalley for an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review!

Billie and Cassie were besties growing up. Then college rolls around. Cassie heads to Harvard where she meets a whole new group of friends who really don't get the relationship she has with Billie. Cassie also finds herself a wealthy husband there, which only distances her more from Billie.

Cassie is now an influencer and a new mom to baby, Ella. Long periods of time go by where Billie has no communication with Cassie, and she feels lost without here. Thankfully Billie has met a new man and thing seem to be going well, so that helps ease the pain of her Cassie situation.

Cassie has a party to celebrate her birthday, all of it playing out on social media. Billie realizes she is isn't invited and is so hurt.

That night, Ella, Cassie's baby, goes missing, and all Cassie wants is Billie.

Where is Ella? Who took her? Will she be returned? It's a wild ride to find out!

Many thanks to NetGalley, MacMillan Audio and St. Martin's Press for an ARC and ALC in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for an electronic Advanced Readers Copy of this novel.

Billie West has felt that Cassie Barnwell, her best friend since they were 12, has been pulling away from her. Cassie was always a social climber, determined to win a wealthy and prestigious husband after her family was forced to move after her dad wasted his family money. Billie and Cassie have drifted apart once adulthood set out and have very different views on life and what being a success is. Billie can't seem to shake her loyalty to Cassie, even when it's clear that Cassie doesn't consider her a friend anymore.

One fateful night, Cassie's baby is missing, and Billie is horrified to look down and see herself holding the missing child - how did it get to be like this?

Bye, Baby is an unflinching tale of social media influencers, growing up and letting go of the past. It was well written and entertaining and alternated viewpoints between the two main characters. I didn't really like either of them but understood where they were coming from and enjoyed it even though it was tough to read at times.

Thank you St. Martin's Press, Macmillan Audio, and Netgalley for a copy of this e-arc and audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

I think that the first issue with this book is that it's marketed as a mystery or thriller and it is not that. There is suspense, but no big twist or surprise. It's more of a story of toxic friendships and family drama. The book follows Billie and Cassie who have been best friends since their traumatic childhood. As they've grown older, their friendship has drifted apart much to the disappointment of Billie. She is willing to do just about anything to get their friendship back together, even if it means risking it all.

I listened to the audiobook and enjoyed the narrators, Helen Laser and Karissa Vacker. They did such a good job with each of the characters. I love listening to Karissa Vacker, especially.

While I wouldn't recommend this to mystery lovers, I think it's a good read as long as the readers are aware of the genre of the book.

I have loved all of this author’s books. This one is so good! The author is so great at writing complex relationships. It’s about the friendship of two women and things that happen and change over years. I don’t want to say too much about it, but there is tension pulled tighter and tighter throughout the whole book.

I'll start by saying I did really enjoy this book. However, it was not as good as I was expecting it to be from reading the summary, nor was it as good as her previous books. Throughout the story, I found myself getting extremely annoyed with both the main characters. Cassie is a stuck up princess who gets everything handed to her on a silver platter. Meanwhile, her "oldest friend", Billie (who she now treats like scum on her shoe by the way) is just annoying and clingy and whiny. I said it.

The whole premise of the book relies on Cassie's baby going missing during a party (because she wasn't paying any attention to it because #DoItForTheGram) and surprise, guess who has the baby? (This isn't a spoiler -- It happens super early on and it's also in the summary) You'd think with that kind of lead in, it would be super interesting and twisty and a thriller. Nah. It got pretty boring after that. It was still a 4 star read, but definitely not as exciting as you'd think.

Billie and Cassie have been friends for the past 23 years. Growing up the pair were inseparable. They were bonded by friendship, and a dark secret. As they grew older, they started to grow apart.

Cassie married a wealthy man from a high society family and started a family. She has also become a fashion influencer on social media. As the years have gone by Cassie and Billie have less in common with one another. Billie is a carefree world traveler, that is single and has no children. Billie is desperately wanting to reconnect with Cassie. She would love to be able to rekindle her friendship with Cassie.

The night of Cassie’s 35th birthday, Billie hears Cassie’s infant daughter crying from the party above. As the party is going on and no one is caring for the child. Billie decides to take the child and care for her downstairs away from the loud party. Cassie is hysterically trying to find her missing daughter. Now Billie has realized what she has done and now finds a way to comfort her friend in her time of need. What follows is how these best friends, ended up in such a dark place. Now Billie needs to keep the secret that she was the one who has abducted Cassie’s baby.

Even though there is a lot going on in the plot itself this is definitely a character-driven story and I did like that about it. This wasn't so much a thriller or suspense like I was expecting, but more of a toxic friendship and motherhood between two women. It is a slow burn, so if that is something that you like, I completely recommend this one for you. I like the premise of the book, I just wanted a little more of a thriller.

Bye, Baby by Carola Lovering will be available on March 5, 2024. A massive thanks to Netgalley and St Martin’s Press for the gifted copy!!

I'm feeling a little...indifferent about this book.
I absolutely loved the plot and each chapter revealing bit by bit of the fuller picture. However....I wish more CAME of it. I was expecting a bigger mystery. We know that Billie kidnapped Ella, but I wish there was a bigger motive other than just "she was angry because Ella was crying and she wasn't invited to the party." I was hoping that SPOILER ALERT!!!!!



Wade's murder would contribute more. Or the fact that Grant used to be a cheater. So, the ending fell a little flat for me because I was just expecting....more.

Overall, I still really enjoyed this and devoured it very quickly. I just want MORE! I was left thinking "wait....that's it?"

Thank you netgalley for the arc!

This was the best thriller I’ve listened to in a while. I absolutely loved the sarcastic humor that Lucy and her grandmother both had. It made this book less heavy, which is hard to do with a suspenseful thriller. The premise of the suspected murderer having no memory of the events was also unique to me. And once all the memories and timeline of events started falling into place, I was dying to see how it ended. And the ending still took me by surprise.

The narrators also did a very good job with the characters they portrayed, giving each of them a unique voice both figuratively and literally.

I didn’t want this book to end. Thanks so much NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the opportunity to review this book.

4 Twisty Stars!

This is my first book by Ms. Lovering and I was drawn in by the blurb and so excited to read this book. This book does an amazing job of exploring deep friendships from childhood that then splinters apart for one of the friends which, years later all comes to a head.

Billie and Cassie were besties that met in seventh grade and were inseparable even with their economic differences. Never in her life did Billie think she would be cast aside by Cassie but that’s exactly what’s happened now that they’re both adults and Cassie has married into more money than she grew up with and is on her way to becoming the “Influencer” she’s always dreamed about. Billie however, is unmarried, and not living the life of her dreams, with the exception of living one floor below her previous best friend. One night changes everything for both of them in a twisted path that as the story progresses we find out what secrets are being held on to and the why’s of Billie’s actions.

The more I read of this book, the more immersed in the story I became. I was fascinated by how these two women changed and their goals in life shifted with these changes and this story moves at a pace that works perfectly for the storyline. Billie is quite a manipulator and her actions know no end to get to her end goal; having Cassie as a friend again.

By the end of the book, I was pretty much slack jawed and wondered how I hadn’t figured out how it was all going to play out which is a true testament to Ms. Lovering’s writing. I wasn’t sure what to expect when I started this book and at the very end I was a very happy reader having just finished an amazing book and finding another new to me author that I’m looking forward to reading her previous books.

A good domestic women's drama. Exploring very difficult subjects, we watch as the two protagonists once such close friends have their friendship morph and dissolve over the years. The inciting incident happens decades ago but propels the story now.

Many thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for this ARC!

Childhood best friends Billie and Cassie have been drifting apart ever since Cassie’s step into married momfluencer life, until one day Billie finds herself kidnapping her baby and simultaneously is called upon for support in Cassie’s time of need.

Talk about a toxic relationship... Let’s not kid ourselves here, this was not a thriller or psychological fiction by any means, but as long as you’re not let down by being unthrilled, this was a quick and interesting read about a complicated friendship and the lengths someone will go to hold onto what they deem is important.

I felt like there were some loose ends dangled that I wanted tied up, but overall, it just felt like a really authentic portrayal of women my age in the area where I live on two very different life paths and that’s something I really appreciated.

First things first, I went into this one expecting a full thriller/mystery and it is not that, BUT I still really enjoyed it! I mean, reading the blurb you already know what happens and all of the major twists happen before the first 50% of the book but the author has a phenomenal way of writing that makes you want to keep reading to see what happens. This book is an ode to female friendships and how secrets within the friendships can lead to some serious toxicity. Both main characters drove me nuts, but in a good way? I liked the dual POV & timeline as it helps tie everything together nicely. This is a very good read and one I definitely recommend picking up!

Bye, Baby
Written By Carola Lovering
Published By St Martin’s Press
Release Date March 5, 2024


When this book came out I wanted so bad to read it. I could not wait until I heard back from the publisher and then….I got the best news ever. I was granted the book to read and I want to thank both Lovering and St. Martins Press. This book grabbed a hold of me and took me on the best thrill ride of all times. The twists and turns, the characters that kept the reader on the edge of their seat and a story that will keep you guessing throughout. I love, love, love this author and want to say that this book is so well written and exhilarating. Fast paced and gripping this book will keep the reader engaged and excited from the first page until the last.

Cassie Barnwell lets piercing screams rip from her lungs. Her baby is missing. What could have happened and how could someone have gotten in her home. Her best friend, Billie hears the scream and realizes that the baby her friend is looking for rests in her arms. Billie knew that the friendship that her and Cassie had had drifted apart yrs ago. The two were very inseparable at one point. Cassie had become more than she thought she would. Married to a wealthy man, a new mother, and an influencer that a lot of people have come to trust. However, Billie knows something that Cassie wants to stay a secret. What would hurt for the two of them to restore their friendship? If Billie uses it for leverage maybe they will be just as close as they once were. Or maybe Cassie will involve the police. Billie must do something to make things right again but can she? Things may turn worse for both of them. Something is going to happen and you will definitely want to read to find out what that something is. It is the edge of your seat, nail biting experience you have ALWAYS wanted out of a mystery/thriller. You will not want this one to end. I PROMISE!!!

5 stars

Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for giving me a copy in exchange for my unbiased and honest review