Although classified as a thriller, this is not a thriller. It’s definitely character driven and a dive into friendship, grief, sexual abuse and growing up. It kept me hooked and wanting to know what was going to happen. The dual POVs and timeline jumps kept the story moving at a good pace. I’d be interested in reading more from this author.

I really enjoyed this domestic thriller/suspense from Carola Lovering. Even then we knew what the crime was and who did there was so much suspense leading up to the initial incident and then dealing with what comes after. This was really well written and loved the dual POV and seeing how different each character perceived their relationship with each other. Giving Bye, Baby 4 stars and would for sure recommend. I want to thank NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the arc in exchange for an honest review.

What happens when you grow apart from your best friend … when life takes you in two different directions, and that person no longer makes a space for you in their world?

For Billie, that has led to THIS moment: looking down at her ex-best friend Cassie’s sweet baby Ella sleeping in her arms as she listens to Cassie’s frantic screams from one floor above her. How did it come to this?

Talk about a beginning! From here the story rewinds a bit, with chapters jumping between past and present.

Billie and Cassie met in seventh grade and were inseparable through young adulthood. Now in their mid-thirties, Cassie is living the dream-life she always aspired to: a wealthy, well-pedigreed husband, multiple homes, a new baby, a curated clothing boutique that bears her name, a squad of moneyed mommy friends and thousands of followers who savor her every move as an Instagram lifestyle influencer. Billie, on the other hand, is single, childless by choice, and working as a luxury travel consultant. She has a nice home, a new relationship with a cop named Alex and her own small circle of down-to-earth good friends. What she REALLY wants, though, is her best friend back. Unfortunately, Cassie is making it clearer by the day that she doesn’t want HER.

So back to the beginning … why does Billie have Cassie’s baby and where does the story go from there? Let me just say the path to those answers is a fascinating read!

I will warn that those looking for a mystery or thriller are NOT going to find that here. Honestly, it reads more like relational drama with a splash of suspense. The story is narrated by Cassie and Billie, which was nice because, despite their character flaws (and they both had plenty!), I could see the complexity of their relationship from both POVs and understand their feelings, even if I often didn’t agree with them.

All things said, this was a fun read that had me feeling the range of emotions and wanting the best for everyone by the end!

★★★★

Cassie and Billie were inseparable as teenagers, hanging out all the time, talking in code, sharing secrets, and always having each other’s backs no matter what. But Cassie always wanted more than their small town offered. Her family had to leave NYC when her dad lost all of their money, and she was determined to find her way back to the city and on top no matter who she stepped over or on to get there.

Despite some setbacks, both women find their way to the Big Apple and work to reinvent themselves. Cassie ever the social climber finds herself a trust fund baby to marry and quickly leaves Billie in the dust. In her new world, with her boutique bankrolled by her husband and her social media groupies following her every move, nothing can go wrong…right? Billie, carrying around some serious trauma, struggles to move forward with her life without Cassie in it. With the help of her boss and a new guy in her life, Billie tries to find a way in the world without her old friend, but one rash decision might bring her glass castle tumbling down.

Bye, Baby starts out with a bang, grabbing the reader’s attention, and slowly flashes back, building to the moment both Cassie and Billie’s lives change forever. Alternating between the two best friend’s perspectives, we see how one became obsessed with her social media persona and the other felt a debt of gratitude and an inability to let go. The novel reads less like a psychological thriller, and more like women’s fiction as we learn about each woman’s approach to friendship, family, career choices, and motherhood. Trigger warning: there is a sexual abuse by an authoritative figure that is pretty hard to read.

Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press, and the author Carola Lovering for the advanced copy of the book. Bye, Baby is out on March 5th. All opinions are my own.

Thank you NetGalley,publisher and author for this arc. Poor Billie what a life she had, Cassie just had no clue of her wrong doings in anything, only worried about about herself. Cassie was written in such a way that no matter how she made you, you always wanted her to be happy still. Is there not a little in everyone. Such a good read!!!

This starts out with a bang, a baby has gone missing!!

Meet Cassie and Billie, friends from childhood bonded by trauma and secrets. As the years have gone by, they have started to drift apart. Cassie is a wealthy influencer focused on family and status, Billie an unmarried travel consultant, obsessed with the old version of Cassie. To what lengths will one go to in desperation?? I don’t want to give much away, think toxic manipulative friendships.

There was a little bit of suspense and tension, but I wouldn’t call this a thriller primarily, there isn’t much mystery either. The elements of drama (toxic) and women’s fiction were more prevalent than any mystery aspect. I could not sympathize with any of the characters, they were each unlikable in their own way. Every character at some point or other made me shake my head in frustration! I went into this one thinking it would be more of a faster paced read, which it was not and that left me feeling slightly disappointed. Ultimately, it was an entertaining read, that kept me turning the pages. This is perfect for readers looking to escape into a toxic friendship, with superficial drama and unlikeable characters, entertaining for sure!!

There are a few TW, check them out if you are sensitive to them.

Thank-you to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for the ARC!

I absolutely LOVED Tell Me Lies by Carola Lovering, and I feel like Bye, Baby was written in the same vein. Billie and Cassie have been best friends forever, since growing up together in less-than-glamorous Red Hook. But now that Cassie's life has become Instagram perfect, Billie no longer fits into her upper crust social circle. Billie, harboring understandable resentment for being kicked out of her BFF"s life (and wedding) still knows all about Cassie's every move, thanks to her social media stalking habit. When Cassie's infant baby goes missing off of her Upper East Side terrace, Cassie only wants one person by her side....Billie, Bye, Baby unwinds the dark past and trauma bond that Cassie and Billie share and tests the limits of loyalty. I found this novel to be engrossing, and was totally caught up in the toxic relationship between Cassie and Billie. Lovering does a magnificent job exploring millennial relationships, the pressures of being an "it girl," and what happens when we outgrow our childhood friendships.

Many thanks to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for an ARC of this title in exchange for my honest feedback.

I liked the thriller aspect of this book but also loved the tale of friendship and motherhood! There is a really good hook to what Billie is doing with Cassie’s kid and that got me not able to put it down!! I love a duel POV because I like to see the thoughts happening from two different people! Not my favorite but would recommend because I love Carola!

This isn't a triller, but it's written like one. What I mean to say is, it's full of tension and it leans towards the dark moments of friendship, those moments when you expose yourself maybe a little more than you mean to. There's a desperation from each side of the friendship to pull the other closer when things are rocky and push them away when times are good. From beginning to end, it's a haunting breakdown of a friendship where as a reader you wonder where the fractures began or if they were always there.

This is a book that turned a great friendship into hopelessness.

They were two best friends for years. And then, the connection between Billie and Cassie changed. Why? Because they were so different in many ways. Yet, Billie didn't want to let go and that’s what went wrong.

Cassie had toxic traits: manipulative, unkind in many ways and totally self-absorbed. Billie was a follower and they both needed a good therapist. Sadly, Billie’s mother had Alzheimer’s, her stepfather was sexually abusive and Cassie turned into a superficial, maddening friend. Cassie was a gold-digger and image was important to her. Many of us know someone like her.

I enjoy the way Carola Lovering writes. She makes the words flow and sets the tone for a good dialogue. Yet, this plot was disturbing with unlikeable characters. It makes you want to get to the end quickly in hopes that something will change. It’s certainly a story that would appeal to those that love reading about complicated families and friendships.

My thanks to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for allowing me to read this advanced copy with an expected release date of March 5, 2024.

Bye, Baby by Carola Lovering explores all the wonder and dysfunction of female friendship. How likely are you to remain close with your childhood best friend if your choices take you on different paths? What if you share a traumatic secret? Will that ensure a lifetime of loyalty? Bye, Baby explores what happens to a couple of girlfriends as they grow up and grow apart, and the desperate, insane things one of them will do to try to rekindle their friendship. It's a fascinating look at female friendship and growing up, and a reminder that all that glitters isn't necessarily gold. It also delves deeply into the world of social media influencing, and the toll it takes on someone's life to always be struggling to please and entertain thousands of strangers online.

I really liked this book, it was different than anything else I've read which was a breath of fresh air. I will be recommending this to my friends, and auto buy this author!

Totally ADDICTIVE! This is not a fast paced, heart pounding thriller but it is jam packed with suspense and juiciness that you won't put it down. This is a great tale of female friendship - genuine turned toxic with a secret to be taken to the grave.

I loved this so much. I enjoyed the past and present friendship, the money and the social media aspect. I hated Cassie, well, the new Cassie but still could not imagine losing my child. BIllie was a great character, flawed but human.

Thank you so much for this ARC!

I really enjoy this author’s books, but unfortunately this one was a little bit of a miss for me. Honestly, I know I’m in the minority on this one!

If you like a toxic friendship drama/suspense, I would definitely still tell you to pick this one up! I love her character development & storytelling!

From the first page I was pulled right into Billie’s story line. I wanted to know everything I could. I couldn’t stop reading and wanted to know what was going to happen next. I loved the duel timeline and perspective! The writing was smooth and each chapter had a little snippet of info that kept me wanting to find out what it meant. Definitely will be looking for more reads from this author in the future.

This was such an interesting take on a thriller! We get a classic opener, where the reader is dropped in the middle of the plot, and we know "whodunnit," as the saying goes. The build-up and relatable anxiety of adult friendships in your thirties kept me coming back to read more. I'll be suggesting this book to younger millenials looking for a thriller.

I enjoyed this book, although it wasn't the intense thriller I anticipated. It started really strong but was more a slow-burn suspense that dragged on at points. I didn't really connect with the main characters, but drama kept me reading. Overall I enjoyed it, just not really what I was expecting!

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for this ARC!

I enjoyed this book. I was expecting more of a thriller, but it was more of a slow burn suspense and drama between friends. I didn’t care for either of the main characters, but the dynamic kept me reading.

This novel was truly unlike any other suspense novel I have read. I mean that in the best way possible. This is one of those rare works where the writer manages to make you feel something for and sympathise with unlikeable characters. Despite their faults, you can’t help but feel for them. This was the first book I’ve read by this author and I was truly surprised by how much I loved the writing style. It was well crafted. I loved how the chapters alternated and thought there was tons of suspense throughout that had me on the edge of my seat waiting for a plot twist or turn in the plot. I think the books ending was well fitting and plausible given the circumstances of the book. This was a really great read for me. And a big thanks to Netgalley for allowing me a digital copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

Old friends Cassie and Billie have an interesting friendship. Once inseparable best friends, the two have grown apart over the years and are now leading completely different lives.

Billie is a luxury travel consultant. After a series of failed dates her only two constants are her job and watching Cassie's insta-stories.

Cassie Barnwell married well and enjoys all the perks. She's curating her high-end shop and the media influencer status that goes alongside it.

One the night of Cassie's 35th birthday, her infant daughter disappears and the two women's lives have a shattering collision. Told from both women's viewpoints, the reader is left in shock and awe at the secrets that are revealed.