This is marketed as a thriller but it is a story about friendship and past secrets. I enjoyed the writing style, dual POVs, past and present time lines. While I enjoyed it, something was missing for me. I think the book needed an epilogue, Cassie and Billie passing each other on the street 10 years later. Or Cassie discovering something about Grant and deciding to stay or leave. The ending was a little anti climactic but I’d still recommend.

This was my first Carola Lovering book and I loved it! Thank you netgalley for my advanced copy. I was instantly hooked with this story! This story was about two childhood friends, Billie and Cassie who have gone through A LOT in their friendship. I really enjoyed the different POV and timelines. We were able to really learn about both characters and gain some depth to the overall why of the story. I don’t necessarily feel like the story had much of a thriller plot to it, but it definitely was fast paced and had some mystery.

I loved the influencer side of the book as well - gave me quite the chuckle a lot of the time. The end I felt really tied a bow on the overall story and I loved the growth of Billie to finish it off because girl had been through it. Lol

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for the advanced copy!

I was not able to finish the book and therefore do not feel that I can give an unbiased review about the book, its plot, characters, or the author's work. I might revisit this book at a later time and finish it then, but not right now.

Thank you, netgalley, for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review!

This was my first book by Carola Lovering, and it will not be my last. I did go into this thinking it would be thriller/mystery and it was more of a twisty, toxic friendship. It was a great read centered around friendship and motherhood, and I couldn't put it down. It was such a great read! I truly enjoyed the characters and storyline.

4/5 Stars

this book was definitely interesting and unique. it’s a bit confusing going through it, especially because the story starts in the middle, works backwards, and then going through until the end. however i really did enjoy the story itself and the conclusion.
grant was a tool, billie was a really bad friend needs EXTENSIVE therapy, ella deserves better, cassie was a bad friend and also needs therapy, alex deserves better but im glad he’s there to hold billie accountable i guess?

I really enjoyed this book. It was fast paced and kept me on the edge of my seat as to what was going to happen next. The dual POV was easy to follow and added to the book overall. However, I do feel maybe the book was a little dragged out and could have ended sooner. With that being said, I still really did enjoy it and would recommend it to others.

Cassie and Billie have been best friends since middle school. They’ve been through everything together. Now they’re in their mid thirties and have drifted apart. Cassie is living the influencer life as a new mom with a wealthy husband, while Billie is traveling the world without any desire for kids. Billie wishes she could connect with Cassie again, but Cassie continually pushes her away. Then one night, Cassie’s baby disappears and they rekindle their friendship.

This book was SO GOOD! I was so invested in each of these characters despite not really liking any of them. Cassie was truly horrid -so vapid and self obsessed. Billie was too hung up on Cassie and refused to let go. The character development was great-I genuinely believed in each of their actions based on their motivations. I couldn’t put this down.

Lovering has a knack for writing about flawed, mostly unlikeable characters while still keeping it engaging. I can’t say I was rooting for anyone, but I definitely wanted to find out what would happen.

Thank you Net Galley and the publisher for an ARC of this book.
Two friends have drifted apart and gone down different paths. There are a lot of twists in this book that kept me interested and reading it all in a short time. I have not read any books from this author but I plan on reading the rest of her books.

Bye, Baby by Carola Lovering is a fast paced story about two women, Cassie and Billie, who grew up as best friends. What happens when one friend “outgrows” the other and leaves her behind? But when Cassie’s baby is missing, all she wants is her friend Billie to comfort her. It’s twisted to the point where I wasn’t sure who I was rooting for even in the end as we learn more about their past and what led up to the present events. Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the ARC!

Thank you NetGalley and St Martin’s Press for this ARC of Bye Baby. Cassie and Billie are lifelong friends who share a secret trauma. Cassie marries into wealth and would like to leave Billie in the past. Billie keeps trying, eager for any little crumb Cassie doles out. And then when Cassie’s baby goes missing, she turns to Billie for help. This was a great story. I really felt for Billie and understood her desperation for love and acceptance. Great read!

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC copy of "Bye, Baby." I will admit this book was more of a story of friendship rather than a mystery/thriller as advertised. I wasn't a fan as I felt like the book was going to get better if I kept reading but was let down as I am more of a fan of the thrillers and mysteries. The book was written great, just the story wasn't for me.

I really enjoyed TOO GOOD TO BE TRUE by this author so I was excited for her upcoming release. The plot sounds so interesting, especially with the alternating POVs. Unfortunately, this one didn't work for me. I felt like I was waiting for something to happen the entire time, and it never did. It was underwhelming and the ending didn't deliver either. Someone who enjoys slower-paced thrillers would be good for this one.

I haven't decided if I'll post this review to my Bookstagram as my rating is not high, I'll decide closer to pub day.
Thank you, NetGalley & St. Martin's Press for this ARC!

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for this Advanced Reader Copy, in exchange for my honest review.

Bye, Baby is the story of two lifelong friends, Cassie & Billie.
New mom, Cassie, is an Instagram influencer. Her life is a beautiful picture of her high end boutique and all the beautiful things that money has to offer.
Billie, is a single- professional in the city, hanging on to a friendship that has clearly run its course to everyone but her.

The story begins with Cassie’s daughter being “kidnapped” and it revealing that Billie is the one to have done it.
The story jumps back & forth between their childhood and an event that bonded then and the current event that seemingly brings them back together.

I have to say that I really enjoyed the writing style. I did get sucked in and finished the book rather quickly after a slow start. The story jumps back & forth between their childhood and an event that bonded then and the current event that seemingly brings them back together, I liked getting the back story.

I would say that the book is being labeled as a mystery-thriller but I would that it is more of a women’s fiction/psychological thriller, as that mystery is immediately laid out.
I will say that the characters are not particularly likeable but you develop more of a love-hate relationship with them.

I did wish for a little more of an ending but overall, not a bad book.
Rated 3.5 rounded up to 4.

This was different than I expected. It was more about their friendship the girls than a mystery thriller it is billed as but still a good read overall
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for letting me reothe book

Overall it was an ok read and flowed easily. The story follows the friendship of Billie and Cassie throughout their childhood till adulthood. The friendship is mostly one sided and Billie is latching on with everything she has. We don't find out why Billie cares so much till the end of the book when one tragic event bonds them. I just wish Billies character was a bit tougher. She never defends herself when she is being taken advantage of.

I came into the book thinking that it was going to be a mystery/thriller but it turned out to be more about friendships and past secrets.

I really liked the switching of the POVs between Billie and Cassie. The character development is great and I loved the influencer angle.

This was a great read and I would recommend to lovers of the genre!

I always look forward to the newest Carola Lovering book and this one did not disappoint. While her other novels focused more on a romantic relationship, this one revolves around a female friendship that has had a lot of ups and downs over the years. Cassie and Billie are childhood best friends. Billie grew up with a mother who suffered from dementia and a stepfather who was less than ideal. Cassie's father lost a ton of money, so she was always in search of someone rich to love. They are linked together despite periods of time in which they have lost touch.

The story is told in alternating timelines - present day and throughout the years of their friendship. The drama kicks off with Billie hearing a baby crying, left alone at a party, and she takes the baby. The baby is Cassie's, and pretty soon Cassie is screaming when she learns her daughter is missing. While the reader quickly learns what happens to the baby, there is more to this story then this kidnapping.

It is difficult to offer up much more of a review as it would give away too much of the story. But if you enjoy reading something that is very propulsive, filled with unlikeable characters, explores female friendship, and offers a glimpse behind closed doors, then this book is for you.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press for the opportunity to read and review.

Billie and Cassie have been best friends since they were children, always being part of each others lives. So when Cassie stops returning Billie’s text messages she feels lost. Cassie on the other hand is trying to balance being a mom, wife, and influencer, and really doesn’t feel like Billie fits into her “new” life. The book goes between Billie’s and Cassie’s point of view as well as their shared past. When Billie gets pushed or her breaking point she makes an impulsive decision that changes her friendship forever.
I definitely felt annoyed with both characters but also felt compassion for what lead the girls to be the women they became. Overall I thought the story was an enjoyable one to read and I think Netgalley and the publishers for allowing me to read this advanced copy.

Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read Bye, Baby before its release.

I really enjoyed this book. The main plot is about toxicity in friendships and I think it was portrayed extremely well.

Cassie, one of our main characters, annoyed the absolute crap out of me because of her toxic ways. I think that just shows how fantastic of an author Carola Lovering is though. If you're going to write a book about toxicity, you should make it toxic, and that's what she did.

I'm not going to lie, this book was a little bit slow for me to get into, it was probably around the 30% mark once I finally got hooked. Both main characters didn't feel likable and I didn't really find myself connecting to them. The first few chapters definitely came with a lot of eye rolling. But, once I was finally hooked, I flew through the rest of the story.

I will say, this book definitely should come with blatant trigger warnings, or something in the synopsis that hints at Billie's trauma. I don't love the idea of that being a "twist" in this story. The scenes showing Billie's traumatic past honestly made me sick to my stomach, and I did think about DNFing the book because it shocked me so much. I think if I knew more of what I was getting myself into I wouldn't have gotten so jarred by it.

Overall I really did enjoy this book! Definitely one I will be recommending to my friends.