Two friends with a tumultuous relationship, now thrown back together by a missing baby. Had promise and started strong…but second half felt very slow.

Billie and Cassie have one of those once in a lifetime friendships, having grown up together through their worst times and seen each other at their lowest points. Fast forward to adulthood, and they have drifted apart. Billie is single and has no desire to have kids, Cassie is a stay at home new mom who married into a wealthy family. When Billie accidentally kidnaps Cassie’s baby while she’s in a daze, she realizes things will never go back to how they were.

Marketed as a thriller, this book read like much more than that! It was a real analysis on female friendship, and how things can evolve over the years as women go through different experiences in their own lives. I loved the tangled and complex web of friendship that Lovering wove, and I liked that the reader got both perspectives. This book should come with a trigger warning for sexual assault as one of the characters does experience it and it’s described in detail. There was lots of effective suspense building and I would definitely read another one by this author!

Bye, Baby 🍼👒🌆🚓📱
by Carola Lovering
4.4/5 ✨

This novel had me picking it back up no matter how many others I had sitting in my "Currently Reading" pile. Something about the two main characters, Billie and Cassie, kept drawing me back in. I had so many highlighted passages while reading/listening to it, most of which made me feel understood as the friend with no kids (and no desire to change that, either). Lovering does a wonderful job of highlighting the brutal landscape that is female friendship and dynamics. While some of the flashbacks threw me off guard, most of them provided important story and world-building information. If you're a fan of mildly thrilling domestic thrillers, you'll enjoy this one (that's not a read, this is just more psychological than physical in terms of thrills).

I have to say, I was more inclined to turn on the audiobook of this title than to pick up the eARC! The narrators, Helen Laser and Karissa Vacker, are amazing and bring so much life and personality to the story that's being told. If anything, I'd recommend the audiobook of this title.

Thank you to NetGalley, author Carola Lovering, narrators Helen Laser and Karissa Vacker, St. Martin's Press, and Macmillan Audio for the opportunity to read (or listen) and review this ARC!

Old friendships can be so complicated. So many layers and so much history. Cassie and Billie's friendship goes way back. They met in middle school in Red Hook in upstate NY. Cassie had just moved from Connecticut after her dad managed to loose most of his portion of the family money and Billie lived with her Mom and her Mom's lecherous boyfriend Wade. They become fast friends confiding with each other and sharing secrets - until there is one that completely changes their relationship.

Now that they are in their 30s, life has changed. Billie has a dream job working with a prestigious travel firm. She works directly with the owner of the company and her boss/mentor, Jane. Cassie has married into money and lives with her husband Grant Adler, who is a trust fund baby, and their baby daughter Ella. She is a small business owner and a growing Instagram influencer. Their lives have taken different routes, but Billie still clings to the relationship that was and the one huge secret that the two have kept for over a decade.

One terrible night - while Grant and Cassie's newer - more wealthy - friends are throwing her a 35th birthday party, Ella is suddenly gone - taken from the terrace of the Adler's Penthouse Gramercy Park apartment and then surprising returned - left outside their front door in the middle of the night.

The story goes back and forth delving into the relationship between Cassie and Billie - then and now, while Cassie deals with her new fears and Billie with her guilt.

I didn't really want to like this book as it was hard to like Cassie, but seeing her become vulnerable made me want things to turn out OK and while I started the book both liking and feeling sorry for Billie - in the end, I just wound up feeling sorry for her.

There are some great twists and turns and while some are believable, other are not. Still it is a compelling story and kept my interest for the entire book.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for allowing me to read an ARC of this book.

I read this in two days, I was so invested in Billie and Cassie! These characters were so well developed, I never knew when to hate a few of them and when to love them. Were they good people? The plot was also so interesting.

I'm not sure I would call this one a thriller, but its a goodie! Two friends have grown apart after being besties in middle & high school. Billie and Cassie, now in their upper twenties, live in NYC and have pretty different lives. Billie is obsessed with the way things were with Cassie and wants her friendship back. Lots of unveilings from the past and done very well. Great character development with a strong quick hook. I was turning the pages throughout and kept engaged. I will probably check out Lovering's backlist now, this was my first book from her. Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for an advance e-copy in exchange for my opinion. Bye, Baby will be available on 3/5/24.

Billie West and Cassie Barnwell Adler had been the best of friends until their very different lives drew the 35-year-old women apart. When Cassie's infant daughter goes missing from her upscale Gramercy Park apartment she shares with wealthy husband Grant, who is to blame? We learn it's her old friend Billie. How did a friendship go so wrong? In the chapters that follow, the story is told of the days leading up to this shocking occurrence and what happened afterwards. The story of Cassie and Billie, from their first meeting as teenagers in a small Hudson Valley, New York town to their college years and beyond, reveal a friendship that became more toxic over time. Billie is single and travels around the world for her job. Yet she becomes obsessed with the married Cassie and her growing role as an online fashion/lifestyle influencer whose posts make life look perfect. While they had grown apart, they shared a dark secret that binds them together. And who does the frantic Cassie turn to when her daughter goes missing? Billie.

Bye, Baby by Carola Lovering delves into many topics including the complexities of female friendships and family relationships. I found myself fully invested in the story as it starts so creatively with one friend taking the other's child. Rather than being a mystery about a kidnapped child, it was a story about two very different women with a long history together. And one toxic friendship. I was obsessed with finishing it in one (rainy) day.

Thank you to @stmartinspress and @netgalley for my advance copy! I am such a fan of Lovering! She writes females so well, especially messy, and realistic ones. Both women annoyed me at times and yet I really had to keep reading to see what was going to happen. I loved the dual POV and the location of the story. The toxic friendship trope is a favorite of mine and always relatable. I could see a bit of myself in both women and I loved the focus on NOT wanting to have children. The tie in with Dirty Dancing was also a nice touch!

Thank you @stmartinpress @macmillan.audio for a copy of this. I was expecting a thriller, a mystery of a missing baby but didn't get it in this book. The opening line for this book started so strong and I was invested. This book focuses more about childhood friendships that drift apart as you get older. Cassie is a micro influencer and her former BFF has been left in behind because she doesn't want children. Billie is desperate to maintain their friendship as see her friend only online. There really isn't any mystery with the baby missing so I was a bit disappointed with it. I did enjoy seeing their friendship flashbacks and their complex relationship. I did enjoy the dual narration between the two characters.

Bye, Baby is a gripping novel that explores the dark side of female friendship, the consequences of betrayal, and the power of secrets. The story begins when Billie, the narrator, kidnaps her best friend Cassie's baby. As the reader wonders why and how Billie could do such a thing, the novel flashes back to their childhood and teenage years, revealing the complex and troubled history of their bond. Billie and Cassie share a traumatic event that haunts them both, but also drives them apart as they grow up and pursue different paths. Cassie becomes a wealthy and successful influencer, while Billie struggles with her career and love life. Billie feels abandoned and resentful of Cassie, and decides to take a drastic action to get her attention and revenge.

The novel alternates between Billie and Cassie's perspectives, creating a suspenseful and engaging narrative that keeps the reader guessing until the end. Lovering does a great job of portraying the psychological and emotional nuances of both characters, making them flawed but sympathetic. The novel also touches on themes such as motherhood, identity, social media, and mental health, adding depth and relevance to the story. Bye, Baby is a compelling and addictive read. Perfect for fans of domestic thrillers with complex female characters.

I listened to the audiobook and read this title!! Thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio/Macmillan

Bye, Baby intricately explores the complexities of friendship and betrayal as Billie grapples with the guilt of kidnapping her best friend Cassie's infant daughter. Set in New York City, Lovering's suspenseful narrative/story keeps readers engrossed as they navigate the evolving dynamics between the once inseparable friends. With alternating perspectives and themes of childhood trauma, the novel offers a gripping examination of the lasting impact of women's choices on their relationships and the secrets that bind them.

The primary characters of "Bye, Baby" are Cassie and Billie. Billie and Cassie were best friends growing up and always supported one another. Nevertheless, it is evident via flashbacks and the switching points of view between the two ladies that Billie was always the more devoted, caring friend. Cassie, on the other hand, has always been the shallow, conceited friend who prioritized herself and her demands over those of others. It would be an understatement to say that I wasn't a big admirer of Cassie. Throughout the entire novel, I considered her to be pretty repulsive, and my heart ached for Billie.

Growing up, Billie didn't have the nicest existence. The only family Billie had was her mother, who regrettably married a local drinker and suffered from early onset dementia. Billie had a difficult childhood. Billie's mother, who sadly suffered from early onset dementia and married a drinker in the neighborhood, was the only relative she had. Billie had always wanted someone to stand by her side and be her confidante; she believed she had found Cassie, but Cassie naturally moved on to more exciting and fulfilling endeavors.

Indeed, in this book, Billie made a terrible choice. However, I couldn't help but feel bad for her because of how wounded and devastated she was. Did Cassie earn her misfortune? Absolutely she did.

Thank you net galley for this arc.

Friendship. Life change. Motherhood.

There are so many things that can change a friendship and sometimes it’s hard when that happens if you aren’t the one making the decision.

That’s where this story begins. Cassie and Billie have been friends for most of their lives. They have been bonded by past trauma, shared experience, hometown loyalty. But, Cassie’s life changed. She changed - married and a new mother - and part of that was moving past her friendship with Billie.

Billie, on the other hand, doesn’t have much going on. And as her best friend leaves her in her dust, she becomes fixated on that. So much so that she does the unspeakable - kidnapping Cassie’s baby.

Now, SPOILER, one of my biggest problems with this whole thing is how no one actually discusses how it was even possible for Billie to take the baby. I mean… who leaves their new born on a TERRACE in NY in WINTER?! Honestly, I think it wasn’t Billie’s best idea, but I completely understand.

Bye, Baby - while it is suspenseful at times and has an interesting Plot, feels more like a commentary on what it feels like to out grow a friendship in exchange for family and a different life.

It is told in a Duel timeline POV - which I do enjoy! I hope to read more from this author soon!

This was a great read. It wasn't what I would describe as a thriller, but it had some suspenseful elements.

I initially found both Cassie and Billie to be highly annoying, but as the book went on and I learned more about each of them, they became more relatable, and their mindsets made more sense. I found myself going back and forth with whose side I was on.

I loved the way the dual timelines were written to give readers the current day happenings, as well as deep insight into their relationship as it developed in their youth. I also found the main theme of the book to be relatable in centering around people growing up and apart, regardless of how close and connected they were in a prior phase of life.

I'd recommend this book if looking for a read on friendship, obsession, and growing apart. I wouldn't recommend this if just looking for a page turning thriller.

Thank you NetGalley for providing me with this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Billie and Cassie were childhood friends, who have a dark secret. Billie feels like it still bonds them, but Cassie wants to put Billie and their history in the past. Cassie is an influencer and a new mom, using an excuse to avoid seeing Billie these days. One night, Billie’s feelings of being left behind take over a bit too much, when she briefly kidnaps Cassie’s baby.

The premise of this book immediately gripped me, starting with the kidnapping and then taking us back to how we got there. I appreciated the learning backstory and family drama that bonded the women, as well as learning how they became friends. It was easy to relate and empathize with Billie, despite her actions. I also think it was interesting how the story rounded out, with closure and no loose ends.

Bye, baby centers around two friends who have been close most of their lives but have started to grow apart in recent years. Billie is struggling with the feeling of losing her oldest friend while Cassie seems nonchalant about the whole situation. There are secrets and lies, of course. I felt that neither of the main characters was especially likeable. In fact, I would even say I didn’t care for any of the side characters either! But the plot and storyline really kept my interest. Would recommend to fans of suspense novels.

This was such a great book! We follow the complicated friendship of two women who have known each other from childhood to adulthood. They share a dark secret from their past and as they grow older there relationship becomes even more complicated and toxic. This book kept me on the each of my seat! Great read. Thank you, NetGalley.

A story of friendship from childhood to adulthood - a friendship that is toxic at times.

Billie and Cassie were inseparable as children, and Cassie helped as Billie dealt with a lot of difficult life events. But over time, they have grown apart. Cassie is determined to leave her early life behind, and Billie with it. A gold -digger or social climber as they used to be called, Cassie is now a social media influencer married to a very wealthy man, with a thriving business and a young baby.

Billie has been desperate to maintain the friendship with Cassie, despite how one-sided it has become. She is deeply hurt as it becomes apparent that Cassie has lied to her on several occasions. When Billie goes to Cassie's apartment building to feed another friend's cat, she hears Cassie's baby crying on the balcony above her. She decides to take the baby...

Told from multiple points of view, we hear from Cassie and Billie at various stages of their lives. Dramatic events that happened when they were younger, help to explain some of the details of their friendship. The ending didn't leave me feeling very satisfied, but I liked the way the plot explored the turns that the women's lives took.

A very good, if not thriller, psychological friendship drama. The stakes were high enough, the characters believable enough and the plot moved fast enough for a great engagement. I really enjoyed the friendship dynamic between the two women, as relationships are complicated and the author did a great job of describing the nuances of friendship as people grow up and apart.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for an ARC in return for an honest review! This one will be short and sweet for now - to expand later. In classic Lovering fashion, this book was filled with real, relatable emotion. It examines the messy and complicated nature of love and allows the reader to truly feel that they’re in the minds and hearts of the characters.

This book is not a fast-paced drama but a winding road with many welcome stops. I often don’t enjoy character-driven novels yet somehow Lovering always makes them worth it. If you are looking for a read into the complicated friendship and past of two friends with a little bit of mystery and love thrown in, this is your book. 4 stars! The 5th would have been granted had it been slightly faster paced and for the trigger content. Major trigger warnings for sexual assault.