It seems that the thrillers lately haven't been exactly...thrilling. This was the first book I read by this author, and I found it to be quick paced and engaging, with characters that you loved to hate, and I easily binged it in a few sittings. But I wouldn't call it a thriller at all, knowing what happens up front, but more of a friendship gone wrong story.

Billie and Cassie have been friends since childhood, when Cassie's family moved to blue collar Red Hook, NY in disgrace after being cut off from the family matriarch's money in Greenwich, CT. Eager to claw her way back to the status she once had, Cassie is a social climber at best, gold digger at worst, but fiercely loyal to Billie, coming to her aid in an unspeakable way when it mattered the most. Once she is firmly ensconced in the upper classes of NYC, enjoying her status as an influencer, boutique owner, and finance wife and new mother, Cassie tries to distance herself from her friendship with Billie, who is still enamored of Cassie and doesn't want to let their friendship go. The final straw is when Cassie lies about not having a birthday party, and coincidence brings Billie to her building the same night. When she hears the cries of Cassie's infant daughter on her balcony, being neglected in the chaos of the party, she acts on instinct and takes her to calm her down, but then realizes what she did amounts to kidnapping. This was more a story of how far you will go for a friend and realizing when it is time to let them go than any shockingly twisty thriller, but enjoyable in its own way.

This was a page turner, I couldn't put it down. So many twists and turns that will keep you guessing! Toxic female friendships, alternating POVs, secrets, loss, and more!

I was given this book in exchange for my honest opinion. Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for this ARC.

Thank you to @netgalley and St. Martin's Press for my gifted copy in exchange for my voluntary review.

Cassie and Billie have been best friends since childhood, that is until Cassie snags her successful, rich husband and lavish life. Cassie tries to leave Billie in the past until one day when Cassie's baby disappears. Billie is Cassie's person to run to in times of distress and need. Cassie's baby shows back up on her doorstep, leaving Cassie full of anxiety and paranoid that it'll happen again. Putting her life on hold, Billie comes to Cassies rescue and gets her best friend back, but Billie is hiding a terrible secret, one that she knows will end their friendship for good if found out.

I really enjoyed this thrilling read! Fans of Daniel Hurst and John Marrs will like this one!

I was immediately sucked in by Lovering's writing but what I thought would be a gripping thriller about a kidnapped infant turned out to be more of a look at a friendship gone wrong. Although I love a story about the NYC rich, the characters were hard to relate to or root for and the ending was a letdown. 3.5 stars

Thanks to St. Martin's Press for the copy to review.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for a review. As a big fan of Lovering’s Tell Me Lies, I was very excited to get my hands on a copy of this one. This is a really great long term friendship perspective that shows how the different paths you choose in adulthood affect your pre-adult relationships. It’s hard to write a ton about this without giving away plot details but if you’re looking for a book about the rise and fall of a female friendship and the choices we make to try to resist change, this one might be for you.

“Bye, Baby” written by Carola Lovering earns 4+ stars for me. The beginning of the book was riveting. The descriptions of the relationships were heartfelt and I could feel the emotions as they played out. There were some unexpected twists but the ending was a bit predictable for me. It was an enjoyable story and written well enough where I could relate to the characters.

I absolutely loves this one. Probably in my top 10 books for 2024. I would give it 5 out of 5 stars. Great ending and loves the twist at the ending

Bye, Baby by Carola Lovering delves into the idea of what you would do for a friend. It reveals the depth of jealousy and what can happen when emotions overcome thoughts.

Billie and Cassie were best friends for as long as they both could remember. That was until Cassie escaped the life she had come from to a life of wealth and influencer lifestyle. As Cassie worked to do everything she could to escape her past, Billie struggled to hold on to their friendship. Despite her efforts Billie and Cassie drifted. Cassie had a life now that didn't fit a place for Billie. Cassie was not only a social media influencer but now she was a mom. Both of these being things that Billie could not be and had no desire to pursue.

When Billie finds out by happenstance that Cassie is having a birthday party she wasn't invited to Billie can't help but feel upset and angry. It almost seems like fate or karma when her boss moves into the apartment below Cassie. Even more so when her boss asks Billie to feed her cat.

It only took a baby's angry wails and hungry cries for Billie to react. Billie does something she never expected to do. Take her best friend's baby. What happens next is a spiral of events that brings the once best friends closer again and Cassie to fall into an obsessive despair. Even when things begin to work out and the baby safely returned Cassie believes the only person she can trust is Billie. Billie understands everything especially after the past they both escaped. Especially since Billie knows Cassie's dark secret.

However, the truth has a way of coming out and even as Billie is joyous to have her best friend back it is only a matter of time until things fall apart all over again. It's on the reader to find out what path this story of friendship and friendship betrayed takes.

Until next time, happy reading!

This was my very first book from this author as I’m going from new to old reviewing. It was not the most twisty thriller as I guessed how everything was gonna end from half point. I kept wondering if I was going to be wrong but sadly I wasn’t. It is not a very good sign when you guess early on what it’s happening. If you’re a reader that this doesn’t bother your experience then you would enjoy it.

This book explores how friendships and other relationships change over time and thru traumatic events. The main characters were best friends when they were younger but have begun to grow apart. I did not find either of the the main characters to be very relatable at the start of the book but I still enjoyed reading learning about how their friendship started and grew and how their friendship had impacted their lives.

Best friends, Billie and Cassie share a secret from Billie’s traumatic past. After high school and attendance at different universities, each woman makes new friendships and begin to develop separate interests. While Billie feels somewhat indebted to Cassie and desperate to keep the friendship close, Cassie has become a wealthy social influencer with motherhood and fashion as her areas of focus and she has no room for Billie in her life. When Billie discovers that Cassie has excluded and lied to her, she becomes overwhelmed and acts impulsively in an incident that will not only destroy the friendship for good but could also endanger her career and other relationships.
I found this book to be very enjoyable and engaging. I couldn’t imagine how things could possibly be resolved and this made the book difficult to put down. While I found myself rooting for Billie, she wasn’t really a likable character and her desperation was difficult to understand. The past influences on the friendship definitely collided with the women’s present lives making the story complicated and compelling. Cassie and her new friends were easy to hate which gave the situation a moral dilemma. The author did a terrific job of making the reader feel the conflict. A great read!

Billie and Cassie are childhood friends bonded through struggling together in small town America. Cassie's family was cut off from the money they once had. Billie's struggling with watching her mom lose her battle with early onset Alzheimer's and a repulsive stepdad. While traumatic for both in different ways, it always kept them together.

Fast forward to adulthood. Cassie has everything she's ever wanted in life - a rich husband and beautiful daughter. Billie has struggled to find love and happiness, her past hindering her future. They grew apart somewhere along the way until one fateful night.

Bye, Baby had me on the edge of my seat, as do all of Carola Lovering's books. It was a quick read once I got into it and I'm already looking for her next. A big thank you to St. Martin's Press for a free copy of this novel in exchange for my honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I really enjoyed this book and could not put it down! It was a great storyline and I followed the characters like I was there. I would definitely recommend this book to all my family and friends!

Honestly, this took me a while to read. I felt like every time I picked it up to read I would get no where. I thought I was at the end only to find out I was about 50% through. I’m not a quitter so I hung on until the end. Overall, I was pretty disappointed. Bye, Baby is marketed as a thriller/psychological thriller but everything was predictable and really there was no suspense. (Like I mentioned, the storyline was resolved at about the halfway point.) This book was more of a domestic/contemporary/women’s fiction by diving into the complex relationship of females through different stages of life and the hardships women can face. Also, quite frankly both lead FMC were unlikable. Billie is easier to sympathize with and I wish there was more of her current storyline (and Alex) than selfish, shallow Cassie. The “ending” was so drawn out and unsatisfying.

Thank you to St Martin’s Press and NetGalley for the opportunity to read in exchange for a review of Bye, Baby.

The opening of this book had me hooked and reading into the night. I loved the dual timelines and you could really see the friendship from both sides and why they each thought the way they did. A good amount of suspense- love a good thriller between friends!
Great read! Thank you NetGalley for this ARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Two unreliable narrators in a toxic, co-dependent friendship should make for an interesting, twisty plot.

There are two timelines in addition to the two narrators, Billie and Cassie. We get a look back at their childhood in addition to present day where Cassie is a influencer and new mom with a rich husband and Billie works at a boutique travel company. This friendship should have faded away after high school but it's hanging on by a one-sided thread. Will they be able to reconnect as adults?

The opening chapter is definitely an attention grabber. The rest of the book didn't really deliver on that fantastic promise. There is so much back story going on before the story gets back to the opening chapter in the timeline. It's much more a drama than a thriller; there weren't any big twists and the ending was more of a fizzle than a sizzle.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for this advanced reader copy. I am required by law to disclose this.

Dual-timelines are an auto-read for me, and I loved what it contributed to the storytelling in this one. The timelines, intricate friendship dynamics, and raw, occasionally startling revelations kept me completely engrossed, simultaneously loathing and admiring these flawed characters. Yet, therein lies the essence: at the heart of it all were these flawed individuals forging their own destinies. While their decisions might not garner unanimous approval, they undeniably revealed the depths of their character, a testament to the skill of a seasoned author. Highly recommended!

Carola Lovering’s latest book offers a satisfying read with its multiple points of view and past-present timelines, delving into the complexities of women’s friendships and motherhood rather than a straightforward thriller. The unraveling of the toxic friendship’s secrets adds depth, though some aspects like Billie’s mother’s illness feel underdeveloped amidst the multitude of themes explored, including sexual abuse, classism, Alzheimer’s, and influencer culture. Despite the plot’s complexity, the characters drive the narrative, particularly Billie, whose journey evokes empathy despite her flaws. While the social media aspect adds to the plot, it may not engage all readers. Overall, an engrossing, thought-provoking read that merits a rounded-up four-star rating, a testament to its lasting impact. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the Advance Reader’s Copy.

Cassie and Billie were inseparable growing up in their small hometown. But after they moved to New York, things changed and they have grown apart. Cassie has moved into the "it" crowd and is married to a family with old money and has a new baby. While Billie has a wonderful job traveling the world, she feels like she isn't good enough for Cassie anymore. How far will Billie go to get back to being Cassie's best friend again? Will the secret that they have kept since childhood bind them together or push them further apart?

A great story with great characters that makes you stop and think. Thank you to the Publishers and NetGalley for the ARC in return for my honest review.

Ok what an opening!!! Loved how this was set up with timelines and different viewpoints of a fizzled friendship. A domestic thriller in a new light that focuses more on a friendship than a romantic one, usually it’s the latter.

Also, this cover. Obsessed.

Domestic thriller, coming of age, dynamics of trauma and complexity of female friendships. This was a genre bending book that had be hooked right away with that wild opening! Loved it.