Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for the opportunity to review this novel.

Carola Lovering is back with another compulsive read. I finished this in one day; I couldn’t put it down if that says anything.
The POVs added to the story, not to mention the character development of the MCs. Lovering always writes in modern contexts and flawless settings. Her characters are always fleshed out (even minor side characters). Since "Tell Me Lies" Loverings books are an immediate "want to read" for me.
This story is about two best friends who meet as youths and spend the better part of their teens and twenties together, losing touch rather harshly in their thirties. Do they grow apart? Does something happen to make their bond snap? The book starts with one of the MCs baby being kidnapped…by the other MC. Should I say more? That alone drew me in!
The alternating timeline of their present state and the past is excellent. It adds meat to the story and has the reader picking a side in this friendship. Lovering also adds well-done real-life issues within the novel. This had me constantly reflecting on my reactions to social and personal conflicts. I love a book with so many layers that I am thinking about it long after the final page.
This was a win, and I can't wait for the next Carola Lovering book!

Billie and Cassie have been friends since they were teens. Old friendships can be comforting and easy, but they can also become strained as both people grow and change through the years. Once Cassie is engaged to a rich guy, she starts edging Billie out of her life. Things take a turn one night when Cassie’s baby goes missing. A twisted road begins unwinding as the characters navigate the aftermath of this traumatic event. A great read about relationships!

I was so excited to get an ARC of a Carola Lovering book. I loved Can't Look Away. I buddy-read this with someone who also enjoyed that book. We schemed all the way through the first half expecting some giant twist that would make sense of the events in the book and significance of characters who played very minor roles. Given we both read thrillers regularly we expected a big reveal. And that's not what happened. There was no giant twist. I absolutely respect the messaging the book set out to share but the thriller aspect was not well enough developed.

Wow, what a story! I can always count on Carola Lovering to sweep me away to a captivating and compelling place where I can escape the world for a time. I wouldn’t call this a thriller necessarily since nothing was really a shock, but I was never bored as I was drawn into the world of Billie and Cassie, two childhood friends, now navigating their adult lives. This story is about so many things; friendship, coming of age, starting a career after college, trying to find someone to marry, having children, social media and the world of influencers. It’s also about obsession, jealousy and finding peace. Well done Ms. Lovering, can’t wait for your next book! Thank you Netgalley, St. Martin’s Press and the author for this eARC in exchange for my honest review. This book will be available for purchase on March 5, 2024

I received an advanced copy of this book through NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review. I had read one of Lovering's books before and didn't love it, but the premise of the book Bye, Baby was so interesting, I asked for it.

Cassie and Billie meet at 11 years old and become best friends. However, from the beginning, we see Cassie is the alpha girl. Billie's upbringing from a loving, single mom changes when her mother brings in a new stepfather for her and gets diagnosed with early dementia.

As adults, Cassie and Billie are no longer friends. Billie is still trying to make an effort, but Cassie married 'f u rich ' and has a 4 month old daughter with her husband, Grant. Cassie is an influencer and owner of a clothing boutique. She ignores Billie's texts and decides not to invite her to her 35th birthday party. The book starts off on a bang with the missing baby. Then we go back and see what leads to that night and what happens afterward. The format does a great job of adding suspense. Even though this book can't be totally classified as a thriller as it's about 2 best friends. We find out a lot of things about their past friendship as teenagers and the toxic nature of friendship. They loved the movie Dirty Dancing and called each other baby.

TW for teenage sexual abuse /molestation, kidnapping, a sick parent. The book is out 3/5/24. Sorry, my thoughts are a little scattered right now as I was interrupted while writing this review by a very condescending person. Too bad they don't have a baby to steal away. JK. Obviously.
Unfortunately the characters weren't that likeable - particularly Cassie but there are so many issues that are popular in this book it took away from the plot and action as well as pacing. Trigger warning for sexual abuse in the past and trauma bonding.

Bye, Baby is a domestic drama novel that follows two childhood best friends who have grown apart in recent years. One of them kidnaps the other's child, and the first half of the book is what leads to the kidnapping, while the second half deals with the aftermath. It alternates between the two women's perspectives and there are also chapters that tell us the story of their friendship in the past. It has influencer culture, toxic female friendships, and rich people behaving badly.
I really enjoyed this book, it was honestly so juicy, like watching your favorite drama show. It isn't a thriller, but it does have the pacing of one, and I found it to be so engaging that I didn't want to put it down. I thought the author did such a good job of writing the experience of being the friend who is dumped, and making a character who normally would've been villianized pretty relatable and sympathetic. I was slightly disappointed by the ending but the first 95% of the book was so great, and its not technically a thriller, so I can overlook it.
Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC.
ARC was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Bye, Baby review:

Admittedly, the first half of this book was a little repetitive and slow-moving. For some reason the first half felt SO LONG. I felt like I had been reading and reading and then realized I was only at 25%. I enjoyed the dual POV and the flashbacks to learn more about Cassie and Billie's past. Billie's past was definitely dark and troubling and anybody in her situation would've been traumatized for a long, long time. I felt like I couldn't really connect/understand Billie's obsession with Cassie. It started to get on my nerves because I loved her life outside of Cassie -- her new beau, her cool job, where she lived, etc.

I'm sure it was the author's intention to make Cassie SO unlikeable but my goodness, so much cringe between her and her friends I almost couldn't stand it. I've also started to figure out that I'm not a fan of the "catty girl trope" where these girls are just awful to each other. Even all the "motherhood" talk grated my nerves.

Lovering obviously organized this book where right off the bat in the prologue you read that something bad has happened. And then it back tracks and we slowly get the build up to what went wrong. I liked how she did that but then when we get to the climax again where we find out exactly what went down, we were still at 50% and I didn't know where it would go from there. But, surprisingly I think I liked the second half of this book more so than the first. I felt like some things came together and it didn't drag as much as the first half.

I was happy to see that Alex was working to forgive Billy and move forward at the end because I loved his character!

3.5/5 stars

Cassie and Billie were the very best of friends growing up. As they grew up, they drifted apart. Billie still wants to be friends but Cassie doesn't. Billie kidnaps Cassie's baby but why? This book was more drama than thriller but it definitely kept me reading! I received an advanced readers copy and all opinions are my own.

I really enjoyed this book, but not as well as her last one I read. As a woman and mom I definitely identified with the very codependent, messed up female relationship that was central to the plot. At times it seemed even a bit too farfetched. But, overall, very enjoyable.

// 𝐑𝐄𝐕𝐈𝐄𝐖 - 𝐁𝐲𝐞, 𝐁𝐚𝐛𝐲 //

Rating: ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆
Genre: Thriller

𝑹𝒆𝒂𝒅 𝑰𝒇 𝒀𝒐𝒖 𝑳𝒊𝒌𝒆:
🥴 Complicated Friendships
↔️ Then and Now Timelines
👀 Stalker Vibes
✌🏻Dual Perspectives

𝑶𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒂𝒍𝒍 𝑻𝒉𝒐𝒖𝒈𝒉𝒕𝒔
This book opens up with a glimpse of what normally would be a major twist. It hooks you immediately into reading the rest of the novel. The author then takes us on a journey of what lead up to that moment…because honestly you’re wondering how the heck did the main character get there. It was a fun way to start the book, and I was invested quickly.

Billie and Cassie have a rather unique and toxic relationship. I initially couldn’t understand the very weird obsession that Billie had with a friend who clearly didn’t reciprocate the relationship. It was very unhealthy. However as we become privy to the past between them, things start to become more understandable and clear. Billie’s character starts to make more sense. We grow to see that Billie is actually a very is a loyal person - to her friends and family, often to a fault and at the expense of herself. So the mistake she makes is devastating and her choices are out of desperation to rekindle and protect her most valued friendship. Cassie is completely the opposite - her choices and choices of who keeps in her orbit are completely self-serving. Her friends are snobby, she posts on social media constantly for attention, and she pushes away the one person who loves her despite it all. I still don’t understand Cassie, and was a little disappointed by her lack of character growth. I have many more thoughts but don’t want to spoil anything on accident.

⚠️: Kidnapping, Sexual Assault/Harassment, Pedophilia, Parent with Dementia

Thank you St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for this ARC. I am going to proceed with this review assuming the final copies will have a trigger warning for sexual assault. If that is not the case, I will certainly change my review to 1 star as there is NO excuse to omit this information.

Despite the synopsis, I do not believe this is a thriller. It reads more like Women's Fiction exploring a toxic friendship between two mid-thirties women who have been friends for over 20 years. With the dual timeline and POV, Carola Lovering touches on themes of trauma, trauma bonding, growth, motherhood, and the influence of social media.
Honestly, I do not know what I want to rate this book. If I rated it as a thriller I would give it 2 stars, if I rated it as fiction, probably 4 stars. So maybe split the difference and say 3 stars? I think the author did a great job with the setting and character cast but there was absolutely no thriller/mystery plot to it whatsoever. Overall, I think the publishing house should have reconsidered the synopsis and marketed this as Women's Fiction, then my marks would be much higher for this novel.

Did you have a chldhood best friend who was there for you during the toughest moments of your life? Someone who had your back no matter what?

“People come into your life for a reason, a season, or a lifetime.”—Brian A. “Drew” Chalker

This character-driven story revolves around two besties, Cassie and Billie, who meet at a young age. As the story unfolds, we see how their friendship evolves. They're as different as night and day, however, they serve a purpose in each other's life. As adults, they want different things. Cassie settles down with a wealthy man and starts a family. Billie has no desire to be a mother, but is desperate to hold onto a friendship that has run its course.

The author's writing is so engaging that I couldn't stop listening to the audiobook, which was narrated by the talented Karissa Vacker. I must admit, her voice is so captivating that I would probably listen to her read an owner’s manual with the same level of interest! She has done a fantastic job of bringing this story to life.

This is an emotional story that is truly heartbreaking at times, and it's impossible not to become emotionally invested in Cassie and Billie’s journey. I can't wait to read more books from this author and get lost in another captivating story!

Thanks to the Macmillan Audio / St. Martin’s Press this complimentary ARC provided through NetGalley. As always, all opinions are my own and are left voluntarily.

#ByeBaby #CarolaLovering #MacmillanAudio #comingMarch2024 #justfinished #ARC #fiction #honestreview #bookreviewer #thrillerbookloverspromotions #thrillerfriendsunite #thrillerobsessedbookishclub #ReadersOfTheLateArc #TalkWordyToMeTeam #lovetoread #bookworms #lovebooks #booknerd #readaholic #bookstagrammer

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for providing this book, with my honest review below.

Bye, Baby was an absolutely beautiful story about friendship and motherhood and those things we want along with those we think we need. Carola Lovering has gotten to the heart of the matter, spanning the female experience and I am so glad to have read a book that brings to light that not every woman wants what she sees around her.

Billed as a thriller and mystery, as well as women’s fiction, I’d say this is more suspenseful women’s fiction with some mysteries that don’t act as the end goal for the story but help drive the plot by better understanding Cassie and Billie’s friendship. This one resonated with me as I think it will for all readers, because it speaks about what occurs outside of the traditional mould. I highly recommend this, and while it will be appreciated by women of all ages, if you’re in your late twenties and beyond it may speak to you just a touch more.

I had so much hope for this. Actually, it kept me engaged until the end. The end just really didn't do it for me. I don't want to spoil anything. I feel like the author had too much going on in the backstories. Am I still glad I read it? Sure.

I absolutely love Carola Lovering ever since reading Too Good To Be True and Bye, Baby totally delivered for me!

This story had so many elements I love - social media influencer, frenemies, catty women, and secret pasts. It also had some elements that I can even relate to which was fun, i.e. new motherhood! I loved the format of the story with the flashbacks, dual narrators, and the buildup to a momentous scene that was previewed in the prologue. I also loved that the buildup escalated about halfway through and that there was so much more to the story. Often, the opening scenes are tied to the very end, but the fact that it wasn't the case here made this unique and totally bingeable.

Billie and Cassie's friendship was complicated and felt authentic in so many ways. We all can relate to clinging to parts of our past, or alternatively, doing whatever we can to separate from them. I could also relate to desperately trying to keep a failed relationship alive, while all the signs point to it being in the rearview.

Having the dual narrators worked so well for this story. I empathized with Billy and felt her pain at being rejected by Cassie and her shiny new life. I also connected with Cassie and felt her terror at her baby being briefly kidnapped and feeling like she couldn't live in the present with her past still knocking on her door. Both characters were so human and raw and the audio enhanced that for me even more. I really enjoyed both narrators and thought they did a stellar job. The voices were well done, the theatrics were spot on, and they kept the pacing really moving forward.

Overall, I absolutely loved this novel. Lovering has quickly made herself an auto-read author for me and Bye, Baby is definitely one I highly recommend!

Thank you to MacMillan Audio, St. Martin's Press, and NetGalley for the copy.

I absolutely loved this psychological thriller. Completely embodying the term ‘popcorn thriller’, you’re not going to want to put this one down; it’s a bingeable read that you’ll have no problem getting through in 24 hours if time allows.⁠
The story itself is juicy; Billie kidnaps her lifelong friend Cassie’s baby, but it’s what unfolds prior to (and after) the kidnapping that really draws you in. Told in dual POV’s between Billie and Cassie, both present day and past, we trace their friendship back to itsit’sorigins, and get really deep into the psychology of female friendships. Lovering did a fantastic job of creating layered characters and relationships that really make you pause and think about how we change as people, what drives us to make the decisions we do, and how our experiences shape us. ⁠
I highly recommend you add this one to your TBR for the spring when it pubs!

This book has multiple POV perspectives and both past and present timelines. The storyline follows Cassie and Billie who are childhood best friends. It follows them as they grow up, grow apart in their high school years, and becoming two very different people as adults. When Cassie's baby is abducted witnessed by her ex best friend Billie- what will happen? The author goes back and forth between the days leading up to the kidnapping (showing the differences in the two women's lives) and flashbacks to their childhood which shows us the basis of their friendship and how it started. (I loved the back and forth and multiple POV writing). Will their friendship last? Will they heal their toxic friendship? Will there be consequences to their actions?

Their friendship has many layers and makes you as the reader feel emotionally invested in them. This book covers issues of sexual abuse, friendship, motherhood, Alzheimer's, and influencer culture (which honestly felt like A LOT of topics to cover).

This book didn't really feel mystery like to me and reads more like women's fiction.

You'll love this book if you like psychologically complex characters, stories of friendship and secrets,

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martins press for an ARC in exchange for a review. This book is set to release 3/5/2024.

The way I binged this book. I couldn't put it down. No matter that I knew the crime that was committed. No matter that I knew who committed the crime. I couldn't put this down. It's like a train wreck where you can't peel your eyes away as you watch the tragedy happen. I felt so invested in the book. I simply could not put it down. This book felt very relevant to the times as they stand now. And quite a testament to how dangerous and unbalanced codependent relationships are. Even in platonic relationships. It's been a few days and I'm still unsure about how feel about the ending. I may need to discuss this with someone. Truly. LOL.

Thank you, St Martin’s Press, for the gifted copy of Bye, Baby.

I rated this novel 3.5 stars. This was my first novel written by Carola Lovering and while this book didn't pull me in as much as I had hoped, the eloquence of her writing encourages me to read more of her work.

Bye, Baby mainly revolves around the friendship of Billie and Cassie and I would not necessarily define this novel as a mystery or thriller. However, how Carola navigates the complexity of their friendship and really dives in to how being friends in your childhood does not always look the same in your adulthood. The story lacks a heavier punchline, but the characters bring enough to the table to make up for that in some ways.

I am huge fan of dual timelines and multiple POV's and this book had both, so that's a plus. There are some potential trigger warnings for this book, i.e. sexual assault, motherhood. But the way they are handled, in my opinion, was just right.

All in all, I would recommend this book for a palate cleanser when you need a break from heavy reading or just want something that is considered a quick read - which I feel this book is.

After realizing that her baby has been stolen from her stroller, influencer Cassie Barnwell stands in her apartment, screaming for the woman who used to be her best friend. In the apartment downstairs, Billie stands with the baby in her arms, thrilled that after pushing her away for so long Cassie finally wants her. This is the best domestic thriller I've read in I don't know how long. As the plot moved in unexpected directions, I found myself aching for both characters and hoping that things would somehow turn out okay.