This one kept my interest throughout - it was very cat and mousey. This was my first book of Carola Lovering and I plan to read more!

Carola Lovering’s Bye Baby is an intense psychological thriller that explores the complexities of female friendships. With plenty of twists and emotional depth, Bye Baby keeps readers hooked from beginning to end, offering a look at how friendships can evolve in dark, unexpected ways.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this eARC.

Do not go into this book expecting an edge of your seats thriller. I know the cover and blurb sort of hint at it, but I felt like it was so much more.

Yes, there is a thriller aspect. There is a missing baby for crying out loud! But the heart of the story lies in its main characters Cassie and Billie and their relationship which started neither 30 years ago. It reminded me of most friendships as they grow older...one decides to remain childless and all while the other has a family and friends that she has more in common with than her old one. That sums up Cassie and Billie.

But there is more. The girls have gone through a lot together which will sort of explain or at least make you somewhat understand her behavior, especially in the beginning.

Again, go in to this book blind! Don't have any expectations.

A great, fast-paced thriller. I couldn’t put this book down! While I didn’t love how shallow the friendship between Cassie and Billie felt at times, by the end, I could see how their pasts shaped who they were. I really appreciate when an author gives an unlikeable character a bit of redemption.

Thank you to Netgalley for providing an advance digital copy!

Lovering's Bye, Baby is a captivating psychological thriller that delves deep into the complexities of female friendships and the lasting impact of childhood trauma. The novel's alternating perspectives provided a rich and nuanced exploration of Billie and Cassie's relationship, and I really appreciated both perspectives.

I thought that the plot was very suspenseful, and the twists and turns in the story were well-executed.

The focus on character development and psychological depth makes made this a very rewarding read. Fans of psychological thrillers and character-driven stories will like this one I think!

A thrilling page turner for sure. I enjoyed this one and waiting to see what would happen next. I look forward to more titles by this author.

I love books about toxic friendships, and Bye Baby was crazily addictive. While I would not classify this book as a thriller, it definitely had some suspenseful moments. It was very intense and over the top, but I couldn't put it down. I think the book could have been a bit shorter, but overall, I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys reading about female friendships, secrets, and trauma.

This book was so original. Loved the story and concept. Haven’t read any others stories similar to this lately so that was a breathe of fresh air!

This is a psychological thriller that dives into the complexities of friendship and how it grows and changes over time.

I found the friendship aspect of this story very compelling in how it all played out. There was also a way in which the story twisted in on itself and made sense in a warped way.

I wouldn't say this is a thrilling read but is a read that will create an edge of anxiety and may elicit questionable emotions from the reader.

Thank you to the publisher via NetGalley for the opportunity to respond to this book with my honest opinions.

Toxic Friendship, Missing Baby

: Bye, Baby centers around the complex and ultimately toxic friendship between Billie West and Cassie Barnwell. The story begins with a dramatic event: Cassie's infant daughter has gone missing, and Billie, who lives one floor below Cassie in their New York apartment building, hears Cassie's terrified screams. The novel delves into the intertwined lives of these two women, unravelling their friendship from childhood to adulthood and exploring the dark undercurrents of jealousy, betrayal, and the drastic actions one might take under emotional duress.

Bye, Baby is a compelling exploration of friendship, jealousy, and the lengths to which people will go to preserve their relationships. Lovering's skillful writing and deep character insights make this novel a worthwhile read for those interested in psychological thrillers and domestic dramas. Its strengths lie in its character development and the emotional depth of its narrative, though some may find the plot twists somewhat foreseeable. Nevertheless, it is a captivating story that will keep readers engaged until the very end.

This book was so real to me as I could easily identify with the FMC. Now I wouldn't go and do what she did, but I understand the feeling of being left behind by a friend and wanting a way to connect with them again. I do also appreicate that the FMC was given the possibility of having a happy ending. That was important for me.

3.5 rounded up to 4.

The book does a good job of showing the dark side of friendships. When Billie is phased out of Cassie’s life, she tries to fight tooth and nail to get back in her good graces. She checks Cassie’s Instagram posts and stories daily, she tries calling her or sending texts to let her know she’s “thinking of her!” At first you think Cassie just “outgrew” her friendship with Billie, but throughout the book more and more is revealed about what happened when they were younger and how it changed their friendship forever.

Unfortunately, this book just didn't work out for me. I was not a fan of either of the main characters.

Lovering’s writing is always a delight. However, this one Had a little too much going on at times and the plot left me wanting more - it felt like there were holes in the story.

Bye, Baby by Carola Lovering

Published: March 5, 2024
St. Martin’s Press
Genre: Women’s Psychological Fiction
KKECReads Rating: 4/5
I received a copy of this book for free and leave my review voluntarily.

This was a different-style read for me, but the use of emotions and the alternating perspectives were powerful.

This was the first novel I’ve read by Carola, and her style intrigues me. It is not a fast-paced thriller that kept me on the edge of my seat, yet I was unable to stop reading. I had to know how and why. I had to get to the end.

This would be an excellent book club or buddy read. Having someone to discuss chapters with as you go. There are a lot of things to analyze and debate.

I found this book well placed within its genre, and I would definitely recommend giving it a read.

I didn't know a lot about this book when I picked it to review and read. It is an excellent read and you don't wanna pass this one up. Take the time pick this one up.

Carola Lovering’s writing pulls you in, making it easy to fly through the pages. This book focuses more on character and friendship dynamics than suspense, yet it's still engaging. I enjoyed the exploration of toxic friendships and the influence of social media. While not all characters are likable, they are well-developed, and I was invested in the outcome.

My only critique is that the book is marketed as a thriller due to the “missing baby” plot, but it’s more of a slow-burn, character-driven domestic suspense.

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.