Although it seems to be marketed as a thriller or suspense book, this book is more about female friendships. It's a story about what happens when we carry teenage friendships into adulthood even as we change and mature and become different people. That part of the story was interesting and had some relatable elements. The mystery isn't tough to decipher early, and there is no suspense. I enjoyed the character development and switches in the timeline. I wish there had been more revealed or twists, but that may have just been a matter of adjusting my expectations. The writing was emotional and well-developed. This is a book that is tough to explain to someone because there isn't a lot of action. It's more of an emotional character exploration.

I expected this book to be a thriller about a stolen baby, and that was part of the story, but it was so much more than that. More than a thriller, it was a tense and slow-burn story of female friendship and coming of age. I really enjoyed the whole story and I thought the author did such a good job of developing the two main characters that even when they made objectively horrible decisions, I could still understand and feel for them.

This book is not a story of likeable characters, but still, they felt relatable and real to me. I’d recommend this book to anyone who likes a character-driven and complicated story of female friendship with a dark twist. This was the first book I’ve read of Lovering’s and I’ll definitely be reading more.

Bye, Baby by Carola Lovering revolves around the relationship of Billie and Cassie, who have been the closest of friends since middle school. But, even though their friendship has cooled since Cassie married and had a baby, Billie still has hope they can restart their relationship.

At its most basic level, this book is about toxic female friendships. Even though Billie was often disdainful of Cassie’s obsession with college acquaintances she wanted to befriend, Billie doesn’t seem to recognize that she has the same kind of obsession with Cassie. As a result, Billie just seems pathetic while Cassie, who has married into wealth, is distasteful and shallow.

I’m not even sure how to describe this book. It certainly didn’t seem like a thriller and it wasn’t very suspenseful either. Instead, it’s a cast of characters that I couldn’t sympathize or connect with. Initially, I thought it had great promise and it’s three stars for me because it’s a well-written book – just not a book that I greatly enjoyed. NetGalley provided an advance copy.

I didn't find this book to be a thriller suspenseful but definitely not a thriller. That being said I really enjoyed the book. This book takes you into the lives of two childhood best friends with a toxic relationship, that drift apart and are reunited through a tragedy. Thank you Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC in exchange for my review.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martins Press for the ARC! Carola Lovering is an auto read for me and this book was no exception. I love her strong grasp on character and context - this story explores the relationship between two childhood friends and the deception and trust in their past and present. Entertaining and highly readable!

I am a big fan of Lovering's work and this is no exception. What I enjoy about her writing is that her books are not all the same. This book explores friendship and motherhood, especially the early days of motherhood. The book follows childhood friends as they grow into adults and the shifts in life changes the contours of their friendship. One has a child and is an internet influencer while the other clings to their earlier friendship, she can't help feel like she has been left behind a little bit. All of this changes when Cassie's baby disappears one night and Billie is the only friend that she wants. Billis is excited to be back in Cassie's orbit once again. This story of friendship is interesting and thoughtful. While suspenseful at times I would categorize this more as a novel of friendship.

Loved this book. Bye, Baby has relatable characters written with great depth. I was hooked from the start and couldn’t put it down. Great twists and turns. I read this book in two days. The authors attention to detail and command of story telling has me looking forward to reading Carola’s other books. Intense, relatable , thriller resulting in the ultimate page turner! This book would be great for a book club.

Bye, Baby by Carola Lovering was a book I could not put down!

The synopsis:
On a brisk fall night in a New York apartment, 35-year-old Billie West hears terrified screams. It's her lifelong best friend Cassie Barnwell, one floor above, and she's just realized her infant daughter has gone missing. Billie is shaken as she looks down into her own arms to see the baby, remembering—with a jolt of fear—that she is responsible for the kidnapping that has instantly shattered Cassie’s world.

I love the dual POV of Billie and Cassie and their toxic relationship. It fit really well with Bye, Baby. If you're looking for a women's fiction/suspense, then I'd highly recommend this book!

I love literally everything from Carola Lovering, so I was so excited to get to this book. She has an ability to meld so many different genres to make really unique books. I really loved the mystery and liked how we knew the main event early on and spent a lot of time seeing how it would play out. I truly had no idea and it kept me guessing!

Carola Lovering’s Bye, Baby is a potent and introspective novel that skillfully navigates the intricacies of personal relationships and self-discovery. Lovering, known for her keen observations of human behavior, delivers a narrative that is both engrossing and thought-provoking.

The novel centers on the life of its protagonist, whose journey through emotional turmoil and self-realization unfolds with remarkable depth. Lovering excels in capturing the internal conflicts and vulnerabilities of her characters, offering readers a raw and authentic portrayal of their struggles.

The story’s plot is rich with tension and drama, driven by a series of events that challenge the characters’ perceptions of themselves and each other. Lovering’s storytelling is precise and engaging, maintaining a steady rhythm that keeps readers invested in the unfolding drama. Her ability to weave suspense into the narrative without losing sight of the emotional core is particularly commendable.

Lovering’s characters are multidimensional, each grappling with their own set of challenges and insecurities. The protagonist’s journey is marked by moments of profound introspection, as she confronts past traumas and seeks to forge a path toward healing. Lovering’s exploration of themes such as trust, forgiveness, and personal growth is handled with sensitivity and nuance.

had really high hopes for this one based on the description, but it was kind of messy for me. If you are seeking edge of your seat thriller, look elsewhere. Don’t get me wrong this one has great character development (even though they are crazy) and I found it provoking. I’d recommend this one, but make sure you know what you are getting into. Thank you NetGalley for an opportunity to review.

You will grow to love and understand Billie in this story of life long friendship that turns out very much one sided as the girls grow up.

Female friendship isn’t a big enough theme in literature, especially thrillers, and I loved that it was part of this. Timelines were easy to understand!

This wasn’t an edge-of-your-seat thriller, but the strong emotions and motives kept me engaged. While some thrillers make you rush through pages (or in my case, listen), this one drew me in differently. Usually, backstory can be frustrating when you just want to know what happens next, but here it made me care more about the characters. Though the plot twists didn’t surprise me, I was eager to see how the opening scene played out. The ending was particularly satisfying.

On a brisk fall night in a New York apartment, 35-year-old Billie West hears terrified screams. It's her lifelong best friend Cassie Barnwell, one floor above, and she's just realized her infant daughter has gone missing. Billie is shaken as she looks down into her own arms to see the baby, remembering―with a jolt of fear―that she is responsible for the kidnapping that has instantly shattered Cassie’s world.

I'm really ashamed to admit that this was my first read by Carola Lovering, but it won't be my last! Bye, Baby was wild. I would label this as more of a domestic suspense than thriller, and the alternating timelines and multiple POVs keep you engaged and make this a quick read. I'm not going to lie, and as weird (possibly wrong) as it is, I was really rooting for Billie. While some of her actions make you wonder if she's truly okay, it's also easy to see how Cassie has done her wrong, but this was a good example of having to learn to let friendships go when they run their course. I appreciate that the ending was tied up, and I absolutely loved Alex (or should we worry about him? :D).

If you're a lover of domestic suspense and are looking for something with a childhood friendship, motherhood, secrets, and/or lies theme, I would definitely suggest this one. Be sure to check trigger warnings though.

A longtime friendship may be in jeopardy in Bye, Baby by Carola Lovering. Cassie and Billie have been friends since they were pre-teens and shared all kinds of experiences, even some that they'd rather not relive or discuss, including a traumatic incident. Now Cassie's baby has disappeared, and Billie is the one who kidnapped Cassie's infant daughter. Why did Billie commit this crime and can their friendship somehow survive after the truth is revealed?

The writing in this book draws you in. What secrets could the two women be harboring? You learn in alternating chapters of how Cassie and Billie became friends and what drew them apart. You also get a look at their lives, which no longer intersect. Cassie marries a wealthy man and spends her days posting on social media about her luxurious lifestyle, clothing brand, and upscale store in Manhattan and a soon-to-be Hamptons branch. Billie lives alone and works as a travel agent. Cassie has shut her out like she's a nuisance to her.

Although this book sounds like a thriller or mystery, I cannot say that I totally agree. I would say that it's more like a domestic drama with some suspense thrown in. It also heavily focuses on Cassie and Billie's friendship, so you really learn why it became toxic and why the women who seemed more like sisters fell apart. Each one contributes to the demise of the friendship, which includes the crazy kidnapping of Cassie's daughter by her former best friend.

One of the villains of the book, however, seemed more like a cartoon character. The actions seem a little over the top and overtly slimy. The character is absolutely threatening, but sometimes, I felt the character was too cartoonish and some of the dialogue that comes out of the character's mouth sounds ridiculous.

I think the author perfectly captured our obsession with social media, and the life of an influencer. My daughter and I watch enough beauty bloggers to know how well the author described the influencer lifestyle. I also thought the depiction of the very wealthy in New York worked, and I enjoyed the mentions of New York because they seemed pretty authentic to me. It really made you covet the prestigious lifestyle until you realize what you must give up to obtain it.

I did find the ending unrealistic, but I liked the writing enough, and how the story panned out that it didn't matter to me. I would definitely seek out another of the author's books because this book was very engaging and written in such a way that kept me interested and intrigued throughout the book.

Billie and Cassie have been friends forever, but lately have been drifting apart. I went into this thinking it was a thriller, but it was really more about friendships, growing up, and growing apart. Honestly, I didn't like either of the main characters all that much, but I still wanted to know what got them to this point in their lives and what led to them being so far apart. I would say that I liked Billie more than Cassie, though. There were different timelines, which I thought added to the story. Overall, I liked this book, just don't go into it looking for a thriller.

I am writing to thank NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for allowing me to read a digital ARC of "Bye, Baby" by Carola Lovering. Although I finished reading this book after its March 5, 2024,  release, I'm only now reviewing it. I apologize for the delay in writing this review. 

Wow! What did I just read? "Bye, Baby" is a powerful story about the emotional journey into adulthood of two childhood friends, Bille and Cassie. Ms. Lovering effectively captures the complexities of female relationships, showing how they can be satisfying and whole, dependent and one-sided, develop or deteriorate over time, and how a single event can have a lasting impact on a friendship. This story is a rollercoaster of emotions, heartbreaking but also reassuring. I heartily recommend this book.



3.5/5 stars

Yeah no, again, not for me. I just don't love my books to give me heart palpitations and this one was definitely a weird sweaty palm story. And pretty messed up at times.

This was such a great mystery! Can't wait to see what the author comes out with next. Had me on the edge of my seat.