I received an ARC of this novel from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Two young women who met as girls deal with the differences of who they were and who they have become.

This was such a great book with a glimpse into the life of influencers, a job that truly sounds made up.

I liked Billie and was kind of rooting for her the whole way, despite what you learn in the first chapter and leading up to it. I didn’t love Cassie and I’m truly unsure if that was the author’s point.

I liked the alternating chapters of the past, though it wasn’t totally necessary dive that far into their past. I was more interested in the present and where it would go.

When the midway hit, I truly wondered where the second half of the story would go. It was a bit less dramatic and engaging as the first half, and I could have done without the HEA for both. I was kind of hoping Cassie would go back to her ways (as she did) and there really was a deranged follower who was obsessed with her. But alas, it was different and wrapped up nicely.

Def give this a chance if you love influencer storied and rotten friendships.

This book has it all--complex relationships, crime, love, and it keeps you guessing! I sat and read this in one sitting. I guessed one outcome/storyline pretty early, but the story and pace still kept me guessing throughout the book. This is a good thriller!
Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for advance access to the digital copy.

Fantastic book that I couldn’t put it down. This book dives deep into complex friendships and loneliness. I found myself connecting to each of the women featured in the book despite wanting to dislike them.

Despite not being a traditional thriller, I found myself turning each page quickly while wondering what would happen next. Highly recommend.

A tale of friendship that spanned many years and the challenges that come with that. In this story there is a kidnapping and a secret ! I enjoyed this . Thank you to Netgalley, the author and St. Martins Press for the arc in exchange for my honest review.

Carola Lovering is incredibly skilled at writing characters and situations that are incredibly strong! I was sucked in from page 1 and even though I figured out the path of the book early on, I still wanted to know every bit of the story! Thank you NetGaley and St. Martin’s Press!

This is an intense story told between two women’s POVs, Cassie and Billie. They grew up together and once were the very best of friends. Their relationship changed however and over time became imperfect, toxic, and sad. I wanted to shake both main characters several times because they were so frustrating! The book also includes a social media element that is a great reflective piece for readers. I definitely recommend adding this one to your TBR list!

Billie and Cassie have been best friends for twenty-three years. They grew up together and share a dark secret about the past. But as they grew up and life changed, they slowly grew apart. Or rather, Cassie is the one who grew away from Billie. She married a wealthy man, is an influencer and a new mom. And she really seems to have outgrown her friendship with Billie. She views their time together these days as “something to cross off her to-do list”. It’s Billie who is holding on to the friendship. On the night before Cassie’s birthday, Billie shockingly realizes that she was not invited to her best friend's birthday party. As she watches the party unfold on Cassie’s lavish terrace, she soon begins to hear Cassie’s baby start to cry. So before she even realizes what she is doing, Cassie takes the baby. As she listens to Billie become hysterical, a small part of her relishes in the fact that Billie seems to need her again.

I think most women can relate to trying to hold onto a friendship that has run its course - or maybe was a bit one-sided all along. The hurt and the betrayal Billie felt was all too relatable. While she obviously went too far, I was not expecting to sympathize with her as much as I did. Billie was clearly more invested in the friendship from the beginning, while Cassie only seemed to want her friendship when it was convenient or she needed her. It’s a hard lesson to learn but I think a lot of us have been there. I can understand both sides, with friendships sometimes changing as you grow and it isn’t always easy.

Told in dual timelines, from dual perspectives, we see the awful secret of the past be revealed while in present day, Billie is scared that Cassie will find out the truth of her taking the baby. This is a very character-driven novel that shows growth and development in both women. It also took a bit for the “mystery” to come out; the beginning of the story was mostly focused on Billie and Cassie’s lives and friendships. I thought it was a very unique way to lay the groundwork and start to build the suspense that something was going to happen!

I also loved Cassie’s influencer perspective - again, its one quite a few of us can relate to.

“Bye, Baby” releases March 5, 2024. Thank you to Netgalley, St. Martin’s Press, Macmillan Audio and Carola Lovering for the ARC/ALC! This review will be shared to my instagram blog (@books_by_the_bottle) shortly.

Twenty-three years ago Billie met Cassie and the two young girls became fast friends, each others everything. The two remain bff’s throughout college bonded by a secret only the two know. When Cassie meets the rich man of her dreams, things change between them and soon Billie feels left out in the cold. Now in their thirties hurt and rejected, Billie makes an extremely poor choice, but that choice leads her back to Cassie once again, but if Cassie finds out, their friendship may never survive. A domestic drama about a deep friendship that turns toxic over time. Lovering fleshes out her characters quite well and as this was a duel read/listen the narrators bring those characters to life. A story that was hard to walk away from once started. Thank you to St. Martin’s Press, Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for an ARC and ALC of this book.

This book had me cringing, laughing, confused, irritated and at times bored… overall however the book was a great read. The plot is a little much for taking place in the current culture… Like advanced cameras would most definitely be in this building/apartment. I also almost wanted a different ending but it wasn’t an ending I was expecting so it was twist worthy. Overall I’d recommend it to friends to read!

This was addicting and actually I thought it was super relatable. I thought the author depicted mid 30s female friendship well. Where you have the one friend with a baby, the other who doesn’t want children, and the distance that grows because of different lifestyles. I was immersed in Cassie and Billie’s friendship. I hated Cassie as a person, but loooved Billie and was rooting for her the whole time. Especially with Alex hehe but was Billie an idiot about not speaking up about “kidnapping” Cassie’s baby? Absolutely lol

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC!

Title: Bye Baby
Author: Carola Lovering
Rating: 4/5 ⭐️'s

Carola Lovering's "Bye Baby" delves into the intricate layers of the toxic friendship between Cassie and Billie, childhood best friends whose bond is shattered by a pivotal event.

I thoroughly enjoyed the dual POVs and the skillful alternation between past and present, offering a profound exploration of Cassie and Billie's complex relationship. I love the author’s writing style creating strong bold characters that are mostly likable & most relatable. Add in the smooth flow of the storyline and it’s a winner for me!
While the ending was tied up nicely I found myself wishing for a bit more depth and nuance. Maybe this will pave the way for a sequel!!!

I highly recommend this novel to those readers that are intrigued by toxic friendships, suspense drama and a touch social media.

Overall this was a compelling read that held me captive from start to finish. Carola Lovering's storytelling prowess continues to impress, making her an automatic must-read author for me. Special thanks to #NetGalley, #StMartinsPress, and #CarolaLovering for the Advanced Copy. This book was a joy to experience, and all opinions are my own.

#NetGalley #carolalovering #StMartinsPress

𝔹𝕠𝕠𝕜 ℝ𝕖𝕧𝕚𝕖𝕨💫

ʙʏᴇ, ʙᴀʙʏ
ᴄᴀʀᴏʟᴀ ʟᴏᴠᴇʀɪɴɢ
sᴛ. ᴍᴀʀᴛɪɴs ᴘʀᴇss
ᴘᴜʙ ᴅᴀᴛᴇ: ᴍᴀʀᴄʜ 𝟻, 𝟸𝟶𝟸𝟺
✩✩✩✩✩

Happy Sunday! I hope everyone has had a relaxing weekend with lots of reading time!

I’ve always enjoyed author @carolatlovering’s books but I absolutely LOVED her newest upcoming thriller 𝐵𝑦𝑒, 𝐵𝑎𝑏𝑦. This is easily my favorite book by her, the story was so captivating and I was handcuffed to the pages!

The plot consists of topics surrounding motherhood, toxic friendships, child/sexual abuse, social media influencer lifestyle, murder. The author did such a good job tying all these topics into a twisted, jaw dropping story. On top of an addictive plot, I loved unreliable main character Billie.

100% reccomend! This is more of a light thriller but it’s still super twisty. Thank you @netgalley and @stmartinspress for the early copy. Put this on your TBR, you do not want to miss this one- out March 2024. ✨SYNOPSIS in comments!
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#byebaby#carolalovering#netgalley
#stmartinspress#bookreview#booksta
#bookstagram#bookstagrammer
#booklifestyle#booksofig#bookish
#booksbooksbooks#bookcommunity
#bookclub#2024bookreleases#books

A popcorn thriller with characters you'll love to hate. This thriller plays on the dark side of the influencer world and will have you on the edge of your seat until the last page.

*I received an advance copy from NetGalley.

"Bye, Baby" is unlike any mystery/thriller I've read before. I feel like most of the thrillers I've read are set in a different location, not someone's home, and not filled with so many real-life elements. Billie and Cassie have a complicated relationship, one we learn more and more about as the book goes on. Throughout the whole book, my feelings kept yo-yo-ing back and forth about each of these main characters in different ways. The summary of the book that you'll find everywhere already spoils how the book starts out — Billie (accidentally?) temporarily kidnaps Cassie's child. I won't tell you how she gets there (or how things work out, of course), but man, do they have a weird relationship. Reflecting back on how I felt while reading "Bye, Baby," I think the overwhelming emotion that comes up is "uneasy." All in all, this book didn't blow my mind, but it sure was intriguing.

If you’re looking for a book that gives some in depth look into female relationships, then this book is for you. If you’re wanting an edge of your seat thriller- then not so much. That prologue started off so great. It was all downhill from there. It was written well, and I wasn’t bored- it just wasn’t the book I was expecting.

When I read Too Good to Be True by Carola Lovering, I knew she would become an automatic buy author for me.
So you won't be surprised when I tell you that when I started Bye, Baby - I was entranced right from the start! This is a story comprised of friends, secrets, lies and an eventful night that changes lives.

Here's a bit of the synopsis:
Cassie and Billie, Billie and Cassie - their names just go together, they are that close! They have grown up together, but in high school, they face a traumatic event that slowly tore them apart. Now Cassie is married with a baby, a substantial social media following, and a clothing store. She is living in the moment and planning for her future. Billie is single and still thinks about the loss of her friendship with Cassie. So much so, Billie is bordering on obsession.

I love how this story is told from both ladies perspectives. Carola Lovering does a masterful job of moving through two timelines, two POV's, and keeping you engaged! There were times I could feel for both Cassie and Billie and there were times I felt both of them needed some therapeutic help!

This a well written book. I found myself not able to put my Kindle down and it really made me thing about friendships and betrayal and how I would react if I were in the character's shoes.

This book is set to release on March 5. 2024. Thank you to St. Martin's Press and Net Galley for the opportunity to preview Bye, Baby!

3.5★ There is just something about Carola Lovering’s writing style that hooks you in and makes you fly through the pages. While this one was more character/friendship study and less suspense, I was still equally engaged throughout. I love the exploration of toxic friendships and the role social media plays in shaping our lives. While the characters are not all likable, they *are* very well developed and I found myself invested in the outcome.

My only criticism is that this book seems to be marketed more as a thriller with the inclusion of the “missing baby” teaser, however, this is not at all a thriller and going in with that expectation may lead to disappointment. It is more of a slow burn domestic suspense that is more character driven than plot driven. All in all thought, this is still one heck of an entertaining read, as her books always are, and I cannot wait for her next one.

‼️There are views on motherhood that may be triggering to some. DM for info.

Read if you like:
•literary suspense
•domestic drama
•character driven stories
•dual timeline and pov
•bingy reads

Thank you {partners} St. Martin's Press and Macmillan Audio for my gifted copies.

**4.5 stars!**

I finished this book within the span of a couple hours last night! Learning about the twisted, toxic friendship between our two main characters was like watching a train wreck: I wanted to look away but I couldn't. Both characters were incredibly fleshed out, and I found myself waffling over who to "support" as the plot built up to its climax. The only thing I wish I got more of was, well....the story! The ending seemed to wrap itself up neatly and I found myself slightly disappointed that the conflict resolved just like that. I will definitely be looking forward to more works from this author, though!!

This was a slow building, drama filled with semi-satisfying events kind of book. We get to experience the past and present friendship/lives of the two main characters (Billie and Cassie). Billie tugged on my heart strings one minute…the next I wanted to bang my head against a wall. She was exhausting!

Overall, there were surprises from start to finish. Each character had so much going on (dare I say they were complex) and co-mingled with offset perceptions of each other.

I’d recommend and would re-read with audio narration.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the gifted ARC…as all opinions are my own.