I enjoyed the exploration of friendship across decades. If you like rich people drama and toxic friendships be sure to give this domestic book a try. I would not categorize this as a true mystery thriller much more domestic fiction. The characters were well developed and I was invested in the story while reading. I just don't this his book will impact me in a few weeks. Thank you, NetGalley & St. Martin’s Press for an e-arc of this book in exchange for my honest review.
3.5 stars

Billie hears Cassie’s screams from the apartment above, someone has taken her baby. And in her moment of absolute fear, Cassie calls to her.
“I need Billie”
Finally, after all the unanswered texts, the screened phone calls, after constantly being pushed away, Billie’s best friend needs her, but when Billie looks down, the sleeping face of her best friend’s baby fills her vision.

This book is a lead up to baby Ella’s kidnapping, with flashbacks to Cassie and Billie’s childhood, and early adult years. With alternating POV chapters we get the full scope of Billie and Cassie’s friendship, seeing the push and pull from both parties.

When I first started the book, I had some issues with the writing style, but the story pulled me in right away. And when I am thoroughly enjoying a story, it is easy for me to over look writing quirks that are not my favourite.

While flawed, somewhat needy and, most importantly, a kidnapper, I felt for Billie. As her full story emerged it was easy to see why she relied on Cassie so much.
Cassie, was kind of awful, and seeing how her friendship with Billie started, how strong it was, it was sad to see how far their friendship declined.

This was a great read and I loved the chapter format. Despite being alternating POVs as well as multiple timelines it was easy to follow and each timeline was very clear.
This was a fast moving story about friendship, status ... and kidnapping

Rocky friendships, a kidnapping and secrets. After Cassie’s baby gets kidnapped and then later returned her world is turned upside down. She turns to her childhood best friend Billie for comfort, except she is responsible for the kidnapping.

Honestly, this book was just. I found Cassie to be insufferable and a snob, I really couldn’t stand the character and it was a dual POV between Cassie and Billie. And honestly Billie wasn’t all that better. Although she was tolerable. She was just obsessed with Cassie and catering to her every whim, which I found kind of obnoxious. This is also categorized as a thriller but it’s definitely not. At all. I found the whole book kind of lackluster.

This story had me captivated from start to finish. The turns of events, the lies and deceptions, I was on pins on needles waiting to see how this was going to play out in the end.

The scenes back and forth from past to present flow seamlessly. What intense, emotional backstory. This is a story of Billie and Cassie, lifelong friends who have been through thick and thin, how people and friendships change, and mistakes and how our choices affect us and others. It’s about insecurities, vulnerabilities, friendship, and forgiveness.
I truly enjoyed Alex and Jane. Fantastic supporting characters.

Bye, Baby is a riveting story that had me anxiously turning the pages.

Cassie and Billie were best friends, shared a deep secret from their past but now as adults, Cassie wants to push Billie far out of her life. Cassie has gotten everything she wanted, a rich husband, a successful business while being a lifestyle influencer with a large following, and a baby. At her fabulous birthday party, which Billie was not invited to, her baby goes missing. She is absolutely destroyed and instantly feels a visceral need to have Billie back in her life, but Billie isn’t necessarily who she should be trusting.

I listened to a lot of this one on audio and I found it super captivating and instantly engaging but then it didn’t go anywhere. I really enjoyed the backstory of the two women and their friendship, but Billie’s character was frustrating and her actions were not so believable and the middle and end of the book sort of didn’t deliver as I had hoped. I really enjoyed the two POVs and it worked really well on audio. Therefore, in the end a fun, quick read that kept me entertained but fell a bit flat.

3.75 stars

Thank you to NetGalley and St Martin’s Press for the ARC to review

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for this eARC in exchange for my honest review.

Based off of the title I assumed this book had something to do with a baby but surprisingly the title is an insider between the main characters, Cassie and Billie. The story is told in both of their POV’s and in dual timelines. I felt like Cassie’s character didn’t have enough to her. She’s a spoiled, shallow brat who thinks the world owes her. However, I was fairly attached to Billie. Her flaws seemed real and deep. There were a few loose ends but I thought the book was quick and addictive. It is a story of how tragedy of the past can affect your future and how people change and even your best friend can become a stranger.

"Bye, Baby" by Carola Lovering is a compelling exploration of friendship, motherhood, and the choices we make. Through the intertwined stories of Cassie and Billie, Lovering delves into the complexities of female relationships and the impact of societal expectations. Their lives take different paths, with Cassie finding success as a lifestyle influencer and Billie navigating life on her own terms. But when tragedy strikes and Cassie’s world comes crashing down, old wounds resurface, forcing them to confront the secrets and insecurities that have long simmered beneath the surface. Whether you’re drawn to domestic dramas or stories of enduring friendship, “Bye, Baby” is a must-read that will leave you reflecting on the ties that bind us and the choices that shape our lives.

This was a fun read. It was full of drama. Suspenseful and Twisty. I thought the ending could have been a little more sinister and not so nicely tied up. Overall, I really liked this book. It's binge-worthy.

Book Releases: March 5, 2024

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the E-ARC. And to Macmillan Audio for the ALC.

All thoughts and opinions are honest and my own.

This book caught me by surprise. I knew where it was going but I enjoyed how the main act if you will didn't happen right away. We had some build up which helped establish the relationship between our two FMCs and man what a relationship it is. This book is about love and loss and the things people will do to not lose people.

Billie and Cassie are best friends. At least the way girls can be best friends in middle school before boys get involved. They would do anything for each other. Billie's life is falling apart now that her mom has been diagnosed with early onset dementia. She is now stuck living with her mom and her new stepdad who gives her the creeps. Cassie proves herself during this time to Billie. She shows her how much their friendship means to each other, but at her core Cassie has always wanted more. She wants to be wealthy. She wants to be with someone who has that old wealth who can give her the lifestyle she has always wanted.

Things change between the two women when Cassie goes to Harvard and Billie ends up having to go to a state school because of cost. Cassie starts to get an in in the wealthy crowd. At the same time Billie meets her first love Remy. Fast forward to now and the women don't really talk anymore. Billie doesn't want to let it go but Cassie has found her calling. She is now an influencer on Insta and is living her dream life with her beautiful baby and friends and hubby. Billie doesn't fit in at all. Billie wants to fit in. She wants to remind Cassie what they mean to each other. So she does the unthinkable- she kidnaps Cassie's baby for all of 5 hours. It does the trick- it makes Cassie remember her.

The thing Billie didn't count on in this scenario is how much fear Cassie will have and how much she will not let this thing go. Even if the detective on the case has given her a resolution. So Billie's new BF gets involved. We all know how this is going to go but it did still surprise me at the end. This book shows how much relationships can change throughout your life and how even though you think you are important to someone they may have cut you out for whatever reason.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review! I would recommend this book if you are looking for a quick, psychological drama.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Read How: 🎧
Genre: Women Fiction
Narrator: Helen Laser and Karissa Vacker


Quick Blurb:
Billie and Cassie were best friends from childhood to young adulthood in Hudson Valley and NYC. However, Cassie married a wealthy man who would provide the lifestyle shealways wanted. Cassie has made new friends within the new lifestyle and she doesn’t want anything from her previous life including Billie. Billie is desperate to restore the friendship she had with Cassie due to their past which leads her to do something extremely stupid.
This book unpacks childhood trauma, friendship changes over the years, love, and heartbreaks.


For me, I can still enjoy a book even though the characters are unlikeable as long the writing style and plot are able to keep my interest. This book definitely was and it was the type of toxic I like. 😂

Billie and Cassie were terrible friends to each other. Cassie is a shallow and self-absorbed person but it took Billie a really long time to accept it. I understand why Billie felt loyal to Cassie but the baby girl was delusional and had no self-respect when it came to her former BFF. In the end, I did like Billie because she had some growth for example realizing she had great friends who respected and accepted her for who she was. Sometimes it is okay to lose friendships due to different lifestyles or just in general even though there's used to be a strong bond.
I also liked Alex for her even though she made decisions that fractured the relationship.
My feelings about Cassie didn’t change in the end because she was still selfish and with no depth

Narrator:
I loved both Laser and Vacker voices. I thought they did a great job bringing Lovering's words to life.

Thank you so much Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press and Macmillan Audio for the ebook and audiobook copy in exchange for an honest review

Bye, Baby is a gripping, twisty story featuring two fascinating main characters. Cassie and Billie were best friends, but now their relationship has become toxic—a development that drives this story with its feelings of jealousy, disgust, betrayal, and infatuation. The story is told in flashbacks, as well as alternating points of view. This is a fast-paced, riveting book that will keep readers turning pages!

I’ll start by saying this is definitely not a thriller. More like a combination of mystery, drama, and romance with a whole heap of situations to digest within the pages. I appreciated the look at how tough motherhood is, especially in those early months, the powerful choice some women make to not have children, and the adaptation of friendships through life.

While I respect the conceptualization that went into the crafting of this tale it was a lot different than I’d expected, another example of how important it is to manage the readers expectations. I did a combo of audio and digital and can highly recommend the audiobook, the narrators Karissa Vacker and Helena Laser did an amazing job!

*There are a lot of potential trigger warnings so if you do read this make sure you’re prepared.

Thanks to St. Martin’s Press for the arc and Macmillan Audio for the arc via Netgalley!

Bye, Baby opens with Billie comforting a baby and putting them back to sleep. Then, she hears Cassie screaming as her baby is missing. Billie and Cassie were inseparable best friends from the time Cassie moved to Billie's town after her father lost their money. Their friendship lasted through college and their first years together in NYC. But now, Cassie is married to a trust fund kid and sharing her whole beautifully curated life on Instagram. Billie still lives in a small apartment with no significant other and very few friends. Billie doesn't really fit into the gorgeous image Cassie is portraying and she finds herself hurting as she is forced to watch Instagram for updates on the person she loves most in the world.

The story is told from both Billie's and Cassie's POVs. The timeline jumps around from orbiting around the day the baby was taken and from the past when Billie and Cassie were each other's best friends. I loved the way it was told as the secrets and shared history unraveled. The characters were incredibly human and relatable (even with Cassie being an influencer). I liked the way the subject of Billie not wanting children was handled since I think all women are expected to want them and it can make a huge difference in adult friendships as priorities shift. This was my first book by this author and I'm definitely going to check out some other titles from her!

Bye, Baby by Carola Lovering
⭐️⭐️/5


Pub date: March 5, 2024.

OK, so this one lost me when it was advised as a mystery/thriller, but it feels like more of a domestic drama-type read. Unfortunately, the book itself was slow.
It opens with a great promise that makes you feel like you want to keep reading.. but then, it feels like you spend the entire time waiting for something big to happen... Unfortunately, the big thing that happens- happens at the start. And that's the big thing you wait for. Unrealizing. *sigh*

Besides the dragging story, you'll find yourself annoyed by unrelatable snobs of characters. The entire book was lackluster in my opinion, which is unfortunate because the premise sounded very interesting.

#qotd ladies, what's your favorite makeup/skincare product?
Gentleman, What's your go-to drink?

#byebaby #carolalovering #review #bookreview #bookreviewers #lacking #meh #notmyjam

I'm not entirely sure what to think about Bye, Baby by Carola Lovering. I loved that it was told in different perspectives and across time lines. I liked the exploration of female friendships and the negative effects of social media. However, I found the main story line, Cassie's baby Ella being kidnapped and returned unharmed 5 hours later, to be a fit far-fetched. Overall, this was an enjoyable read. 3.5/5 stars.

A missing baby. A fraught friendship. A secret that can never be told.
Cassie Barnwell and Billie West have been friends for twenty-three years. Recently, Billie feels as though their friendship is drifting apart and she has been desperately trying to repair it. On the night of Cassie’s birthday party, Billie, uninvited and 1 floor below, hears Cassie’s curdling screams. Cassie’s baby is missing and Billie realizes that she is the one responsible.

💭Thoughts:
The first thing I’m going to say is that this is NOT a mystery/thriller in my opinion. While part of me was disappointed by that, the other part of me truly enjoyed what the book actually was: a story of friendship. Two friends who have grown apart for various reasons, but are having a hard time accepting it because there are too many secrets and too much history.
This book was very character driven, which I absolutely loved. I was able to appreciate current feelings based on the alternate POVs and understand the history and evolvement of the friendship based on the past and present timelines. I found myself hating both Cassie and Billie for some reasons while also rooting for both of them for other reasons. They are true examples of characters you love to hate.
I had a range of emotions throughout, which was also a pleasant surprise, and I truly appreciated the wrapped bow at the end 🎀.
Utterly satisfying and I definitely recommend!

Thank you, NetGalley & St. Martin’s Press for a #gifted ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Carola Lovering knows how to write a story.. I just love her. In Bye, Baby, we are introduced to two lifelong best friends, Billie and Cassie. Theirs is a complicated friendship, as many of us with these kind of relationships can attest to. But somewhere it becomes toxic and dangerous. Lovering has a way with developing the characters in her stories that draws you in from the beginning. Bye, Baby is no exception. Highly recommend.

I think if you're looking for a true mystery or suspense, this book won't quite live up to those expectations - but if you're looking for a book explores the complexity of adult female friendships, in a suspenseful sort of way, this will be for you. The story is told both in real time and in flash backs, and you get key information about Cassie and Billie's relationships as the story builds. I think there is a turning point, at the apex of the story, and unfortunately I think we crest a bit too soon. The mystery has unfolded, and the suspense doesn't hold and instead feels a bit strung along, and the ending a bit too tidy. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to provide my honest review.

Short synopsis: Cassie married wealthy, and is now a social media influencer, her childhood bestie Billie is feeling left out because Cassie has new friends. One night, Cassie’s baby goes missing from their penthouse balcony.

My thoughts: While I expected this to be a thriller, it was more a suspenseful drama. A look into social standing, wealth, keeping secrets, and two somewhat unlikable friends. I found times where I didn’t like either character, because they both had moments of selfishness and instability. This was definitely toxic friendship at its best.

The social media influencer side was so believable and kept the story interesting. I can totally see how someone can get sucked into either side (the person sharing their life, and those watching it).

I really liked the dual POV, and the time flashbacks to get more info from their history.

I did a mix of audio and physical reading and would suggest either way! The narrators did such a great job of portraying this story, and propelled the story forward making it impossible not to binge.

Read if you love:
- Social media
- Friendships
- Dual POV and flashbacks
- Romance sub-plot
- Character driven stories

A slow paced friendship drama with very little suspense. The book was written with alternate timelines and POV's which I usually enjoy. However, at times I felt the switch was disjointed and lessened my enjoyment of the story.
Sorry to say, this one just wasn't for me.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the E ARC.