Special thanks to NetGalley for the ARC of this book.
I read this quickly but have had a hard time trying to figure out how to review it...both characters did some awful stuff, one more than the other...I had a hard time feeling sorry for Cassie and actually liked her more after her baby was "kidnapped". I liked Billie but also got really annoyed with her for being so obsessed w/ Cassie's friendship. I didn't love the ending...it seemed too rushed and not really tied up very well. It was good enough to keep me interested but left me with an unfulfilled feeling.

Cassie and Billie have been friends for decades. But as Cassie's life becomes more glamorous and starts to revolve around being married and having kids, she starts to shut out single Billie who only reminds her of her past. When Cassie's daughter goes missing their relationship may change forever.

***

This book was one of the most frustrating reads in a long time. I ping ponged around on how I felt about every character and every motive.

By the end, however, it leaned to heavily into me disliking one character who got their perfect ending. Undeservedly.

<spoiler> Cassie is awful, and it kills me that she got her perfect ending and her bff McKay back. I would understand if she started pushing Billie away after murdering her stepdad, as she wanted to distance herself from all of that, but she only starts to dump Billie after she gets the rich life and the friend she always wanted!!! YEARS LATER!!! She deserves nothing, and it totally annoys me everything works out perfectly for her, when abused and broken Billie has to go around feeling bad about an intrusive thought gets the best of her. What she did was crazy, but Cassie drove her there. At least the brief kidnapping turned Cassie *briefly* into a better person. </spoiler>

All in all, I enjoyed the read up until the end, when I wanted to throw my Kindle at Cassie's head.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I loved this book so much. It would be a great book club pick because the characters are so morally debatable. The characters are roughly my age and it's set partly in 2023, and I thought the author did a great job of capturing us. I could picture Cassie's bougie momcore Instagram stories ... and laughed too hard at all of the relatable bitchiness, but there was some genuine suspense and horror here, too. A very good book, will be enthusiastically recommending.

3.75 stars! This book is told in multiple POV and dual timelines, which I enjoy. It’s a story of friendship over the years and how you can grow apart from those you love. It had some suspense in it, making me want to keep reading to find out what happens. All in all, it was a good book & I want to read more of this author, as I enjoyed her writing style.

TW: Sexual assault, Alzheimer’s, death of a loved one

**Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martens Publishing Group, & Carola Lovering for this ARC. All reviews are my own and not sponsored.

Oh my goodness I loved this book! Bye, Baby is all about a very toxic friendship between two women, Billie and Cassie, who have been friends since childhood. The opening chapter begins with Billie having kidnapped Cassie’s baby and that was all I needed to get hooked on this book! It’s told from both women’s perspectives in dual timelines. I loved how this book contains so many different topics such as motherhood, toxic friendships, trauma, and of course social media! Because of this, I feel most all women reading this book will be able to resonate in some way to either Billie or Cassie. This was my first Carola Lovering novel and it will not be my last! Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher, and author for an ARC of this book!

Carola does a great job of making her characters feel like real people, especially the ones you despise. This book, for me, much like her 2018 debut, “Tell Me Lies.” was full of unlikable characters… which only make the story more interesting. “Bye, Baby” is an easy-to-devour read, full of true-to-character references and details.

Wowww this book was a rollercoaster. I was trying to figure out with each chapter who I was rooting for and I didn’t really decide until the end, and it definitely didn’t end the way I was expecting. I read this in a day and would definitely recommend it if you’re a fan of psychological thrillers.

Billie and Cassie have been friends since childhood, sharing traumas and secrets. But as they’ve grown up, they’ve grown apart. Cassie has married a wealthy man and had her first baby, while also becoming a lifestyle influencer. Billie hasn’t yet met the right guy for her, and she has no interest in having a baby herself. But suddenly, Billie realizes she’s holding a baby in her arms. Not just any baby, Cassie’s baby. And Cassie is screaming for her missing child. Will their friendship ever recover?

Thank you to the publisher for the gifted ARC!

This domestic thriller about a friendship gone bad between two questionable women was both frustrating and absorbing. While I didn’t particularly like either of the main characters, wanting to know how it all played out kept me involved. The basic stupidity of the situation Billie creates for herself by taking her former friend’s baby from its crib is a bit difficult to accept, but the characters are well-written as people you enjoy hating. My biggest disappointment was Billie’s relationship with a man who was too good for her.

THIS book grabs you from the first page and doesn't let go! You will not want to miss out on this chilling story! This will be one of the hits of next spring for sure.

This was my first read by Carola Lovering. It was about two friends since high school, Billie and Cassie, and they used to be inseparable growing up, but after college & Cassie getting married, the two grow apart. Cassie gets married into a very wealthy family and has a beautiful daughter she shows off all over social media to her tens of thousands of followers. Billie is still single and gets pushed out of Cassie's "perfect" life by Cassie and her new friends. Billie is obsessed with Cassie and Cassie is obsessed with herself. Billie can't understand how it feels to be in a happy relationship and not having a great life growing up, never had any desire to be mother. Billie starts dating a detective, Alex, who I feel is patient and a great guy for Billie.The friendship soon becomes one-sided and a little obsessive at some points in the story, where it makes Billie's point of view a little uncomfortable to read! I had to get to the end just to see what happens to the characters. I would definitely try another book of Ms. Lovering's in the future!

3.5 stars, rounded down. Had not read this author before, but the description of this title, "Bye Baby" sounded interesting - centering on two frenemies & a missing child. It was just okay for me - not really a thriller, more of a domestic drama, and very character-driven. Lots of social issues in this one - maybe a few too many? Overall, an average type read, didn't hate it tho. My sincere thanks to NetGalley & the publisher for the complimentary DRC - thoughts & review my own.

This is the first book I've read by this author and I really loved it! An influencer, a kidnapping, best friends and love stories all tied into one amazing story. Sometimes I don't like dual time-lines because it can be confusing but the way this author did it flowed seamlessly and really made sense for the story. I love a twisty story especially this time of year. I had no idea how this book was going to end which I obsoletely loved. This book never got boring, there were no slow spots or boring characters. 5+ stars! I look forward to reading more from this author.

I’d never read a Carola Lovering book before and this one did not disappoint. I hadn’t read much about the book before I dove in, and I assumed the heart of the story would be about a missing baby. However, it’s much more the story of a childhood (trauma-bonded) friendship between two women, and how it evolves and fragments as the women embark on their adult lives. Carola Lovering does an amazing job of taking you inside the heads of the two main characters, Billie and Cassie. Billie works for a luxury travel company and Cassie is an influencer-slash-luxury-Soho-boutique owner, whose business (and NYC momfluencer lifestyle) is financed by her wealthy husband, Grant. Cassie has decided to let the friendship die, but Billie doesn’t realize this and her attempts to win back Cassie are SO cringe-worthy and really well done on Lovering’s part. The breaking point, as you may have expected, has to do with Cassie’s missing baby. The story opens with this moment and we’re taken back through Cassie and Billie’s live to understand how they got to this point…and where they go from here. You just may end up surprised at who you’re rooting for...

Thanks so much to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for providing me with a review copy!

Release date: March 5, 2023 🗓️

Cassie and Billie were best friends since childhood. Billie is unmarried, doesn’t want kids. Cassie married a rich man, owns a boutique funded by her husband and an Instagram influencer where she posts everything. Cassie has turned into a snub and excludes Billie. Billie is obsessed with being Cassie’s friend. When Cassie’s baby goes missing, Cassie turns to Billie for comfort and friendship.
The story told from POVs of Cassie and Billie. Cassie was superficial, self centered and only thought of herself and her image. Billie dealt with a lot in her life and was desperate to be Cassie’s friend,
The book isn’t a mystery or thriller. It dealt with toxic friendships, Alzheimer’s, rape/sexual abuse, pressure of wanting kids, motherhood, obsession with social media. The positive of the story was realizing that material possessions and social media followers or image doesn’t bring happiness. The negative of the story was I don’t care for the characters and was bored.
Thank you NetGalley and St Martins Press

I wasn’t so sure about this book when I first started it, but wow! I give it 5 stars. Billie and Cassie go through life as best friends until Cassie becomes best friends with McKay when Cassie starts dating McKay’s rich cousin. Cassie starts leaving Billie out and Billie almost seems to become obsessed with Callie. Callie is living the life of luxury, she now has everything she’s ever wanted, a rich husband, a beautiful daughter, Ella, a mansion, rich snobby friends and a huge following on Instagram. Her husband throws her a birthday party and she doesn’t invite Billie. The most unthinkable thing happens and well…you’ll just have to read the book to find out!

I absolutely loved this book from the first few lines i read. i was immediately hooked by the story and the friendship. the end left me wanting more… which is good!

Cassie Barnwood and Billie West shared an unbreakable childhood friendship, steadfastly supporting one another through thick and thin, inseparable—until they weren't. Cassie was determined to leave their little one horse town and make it into the circles of the wealthy socialites. She managed this by leaving behind her friend Billie, who she now saw as an embarrassment and liability to her new reputation built on "marrying well".,moving to Gramercy Park and having a child.

Billie, although living a life of travel and accomplishment, still wanted her friend. She would do anything to be back in her orbit. What finally brings the two back together is when Billie takes Cassies's infant who was left unattended and crying during a party (to which Billie was not invited). Billie sneaks in and takes and comforts the child. A hysterical Cassie is inconsolable,. The only person she wants is Billie, much to the consternation of her husband and new friends. Finally Billie has what she wants. Cassie needs her again.

Told in two time lines and two POVs, we learn the truths of what bonds these women as well as what tears them apart. Bye, Baby is an exploration of friendships - those forged in fire, of mere convenience, familial, toxic. Really this is the need to be loved and to be safe. Can we truly expect all of this from other person? Should we?

There are so many threads to pull on here, This is a great bookclub book where you can expect the discourse to become quite lively!

My thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you, NetGalley, for an advanced copy of Bye, Baby in exchange for an honest review.

A solid 3 ⭐️ book. Maybe it’s because I’m not a mother and have no desire for children. The whole book felt like over exaggerated feelings.

Did I like it though? Overall, yes. It took about 20% for the story to pick up, but I was excited to pick it up and read when the opportunity presented itself.

A fast paced book with good characters and good story line. I think the story line was a little unreal in this time of age. I also think the problem could of been fox right from the start.

Billie and Cassie have been best friends since high school, but they find themselves - Cassie, especially - struggling to keep their friendship going into adulthood. When near tragedy strikes Cassie, she reaches back out to Billie, to her comfort zone, and Billie is right there to help pick up the pieces... even though she might have been the one to break them in the first place.

"There's an old stubborn loyalty I can't fight, a love that lingers in my soul, that's woven into the fabric of my systemic rhythms. Like knowing how to swallow, how to cry, how to breathe. How do you forget something like that? How do you push a love like that out of your physical body?"

A few things to unpack here...

Cassie is an awful character. Straight up awful. Also, she's an influencer, and I think that trend has been a bit overdone; however, it works here and helped me to dislike her even more.

Billie was a likeable character, and I was rooting for her, even though some aspects of her storyline have been overdone as well.

I wouldn't say this was a thriller; it was more of an expose into the friendships of women. Not just any friendship, but those friendships that are woven deep into your soul, bound by shared moments, memories, and tragedies. I enjoyed this aspect of the story the most - seeing their friendship grow in the past and how exactly it fizzled out.

Like I mentioned, a lot of the plot has been done time and time again, but somehow it works here. I do feel like it was drawn out, but I really connected with the concept of this tumultuous friendship and how to know when to cut ties.

Quick side note: I wouldn't read the synopsis before going into this one. I feel like it gives everything away.

My reviews are always safe - no spoilers here! 🤐

PS: I want this to be made into a TV show & I want the same producers from Tell Me Lies to do it. Please & thank you.