Thank you to Netgalley and St Martin's Press for this eARC in exchange for my honest review.

This is my first introduction to this Author and I really liked her writing style. the story is interesting, some characters were unlikable but it added to the story and it made it impossible to put down.

Overall, 4 out 5. I will definitely recommend.

Good read, intriguing, page turner .Cast if characters were good, friendship with secrets , Friends grow apart , .

This is my very first book by Carola Lovering and it most definitely will not be my last! I became immersed from the first chapter and could not put it down until I knew what was going to happen next!

Billie and Cassie are best friends since they were teenagers. Their friendship has become lackluster as adults, but Billie cannot let go of her best friend nor how close they used to be. Both perspectives of Billie and Cassie throughout the chapters, leave you not knowing whose side you're on, what could possibly happen next, and what each character is hiding.

Throughout different lifestyles, separation, and betrayal, can friendships withstand the test of time when they share a dark secret?

Save the date and take the day off as you won't be able to put this thriller down!

#netgalley #review #byebaby #carolalovering #thriller #review #honestreview #goodreads #womensfiction #fiction #amazon

Thanks to Poisoned Pen Press and NetGalley for an eARC copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

"Bye, Baby" holds a lot of promising elements that I find so intriguing in a suspense novel; the best friends-revenge trope, the title being a one-liner catch phrase sprinkled throughout, and a strong character development navigating through double narration. There were also some key differences to really set this novel apart from the typical baby kidnapping mystery for me; including the unique travel job that Billie holds and the exploration of a woman in her thirties not wanting children and that being okay. I really enjoyed Lovering's way of bringing this topic to light. However, I feel that the level 0f the crime at hand being more on the minimal side the book kind of drug on a little more than necessary so I would rate this a 3.5-4 star. It has been one of the better first looks I've received from NetGalley and I would definitely recommend giving it a try when it's released in March 2024.

4.5 rounded up
Grabbed me right away snd I couldn't put it down. Thanks to Netgalley for the opportunity to read this book

Carola Lovering did an amazing job portraying the changes in a person's character made by the person's environment, home life, and relationships. In this novel, Billie and Cassie experience just that as their relationship as inseparable friends start to drift as they grow up and the difference in their values change. Cassie is the friend who went down the popular route and becomes obsessed with how she looks in the eyes of others whereas Billie is obsessed with her friendship with Cassie. The pages practically turned themselves as readers are left to slowly put the puzzle pieces together as chapters alternate from the present to the past.

I always love a good dual timeline! I will admit I was really frustrated with both main characters off and on the entire book and there wasn't one that I was truly rooting for. However, it was a fast read and I had to know what happened! Plus...a thriller with a satisfying end. Sign me up.

Thank you for the ARC!
This book had me hooked from the beginning ! Definitely a good story and kept me engaged. I recommend this book!

“A missing baby. A fraught friendship. A secret that can never be told.”

Bye, Baby, told from dual points of view and alternating timelines, tells the story about a legitimately jacked up “friendship”.

Listen. Women just be bitches sometimes🥴

I don’t know if I found this book thrilling at all, but it definitely held my interest with all the toxicity between two women who were once besties growing up.

As adults though, they’ve turned into something else entirely.

You have one friend, Cassie, who’s so self-absorbed and pretentious, ya just wana slap her face right off🥴😂
And then you have the other one, Billie, who clearly has obsession issues along with some ugly trauma from her past.

Regardless, we’d all be better off if we steered clear of both of these women.

It was fun to read though!

Thanks to NetGalley and SMP for this arc in exchange for an honest review.

Pub date: 3.5.2024.

Two friends. Billie and Cassie. Best friends since childhood and bonded by secrets. Some bad. Once as close as sisters, now they have their own adult lives and they have drifted apart.

Cassie is the wife of a wealthy man and has started a successful business and has a large social media following. She is busy and has a new baby and would love to forget about Billie and all they share.

Billie is still single with no children and she is almost obsessive over Cassie’s life.

When one night screams fill the air as Cassie finds her baby missing. While Billie looks down in her arms and finds said baby.

This one is told in alternating voices, which I enjoy. Always suspenseful and on trend, this author always brings the thrills.

NetGalley/ St. Martin’s Press, March 05, 2024

I highly enjoyed this one! It was engaging from page 1, and kept me turning pages to find out what was going on. There was toxicity and plenty of tea. The ending was a tad bit of a let down, but overall I enjoyed the ride and will pick up anything Carola writes.

This was so addictive! I was so invested in the friendship between Billie & Cassie…especially considering Cassie was as insufferable as someone could possibly be. The flashbacks to get the full story of their friendship was my favorite part of the book. I would have liked more from the ending.

The relationship between these two ladies is truly toxic. Yet when the hardships of life come crashing down, they are right there to support each other. That has to count for something, right? Unless they are the cause of the suffering.
I automatically bonded with Billie. Life hasn’t been kind to her, which made me feel sorry for her. It didn’t seem to matter to me that she had some questionable behaviors. Sometimes bordering on the very creepy side. However, with her background, one can understand why she behaves the way she does.
Cassie, not a fan of Cassie. Although I believed she had one great quality, being a mother. There are sections of this story where even her mothering technique is questionable. The odd part about Cassie is as soon as you decide you can’t stand her, the author makes you question that decision. Cassie is manipulative, shallow, and she seems to have an ugly soul. Once again, somehow you start to like her. In the long run the reader will have to figure that out themselves.
I enjoyed this story. It’s an easy read.

I was so intrigued by the cover and the premise of Bye, Baby by Carola Lovering that I had to read it immediately! This novel proved to be a compulsive read for me–I had such a hard time putting it away that I took it everywhere with me.

Bye, Baby uniquely addresses the harmful toxicity that can exist within female friendships and how social media excellerates that toxicity. It also addresses other issues such as childhood trauma, sexual abuse, and choosing to remain childless as an adult woman.

The novel centers around two women who were once best friends. Their friendship has changed over time, especially as one of them has moved up in society and become a mother. It is told in alternating perspectives, so the reader is able to see into the mind and motivations of both women.

Cassie is a social media influencer married to a wealthy man who has recently become a doting mother to a four month old girl. She is desperate to leave her past behind and has grown distant towards her former bestie, Billie West.

Billie, on the other hand, is a single professional who longs for the same relationship she once shared with Cassie. She spends an unhealthy amount of time watching Cassie share her day to day on Instagram while wishing she was a part of her life. She doesn’t fit into the high-class mommy world Cassie has created for herself.

Bye, Baby begins with a dramatic incident when Billie hears terrified screams coming from the apartment above her. She screams are coming from Cassie who has just discoverd that her infant daughter is missing. Billie is shaken to her core as she looks down and sees the missing infant in her own arms.

The remainder of the book is a discovering of the reason why Billie has Cassie’s baby and the aftermath of that event.

There are a lot of issues addressed in this book, but I thought it was done in a realistic(ish) way. People have lots of issues–that’s just life.

While what Billie did in the story was definitely WRONG, I somehow related to her and her struggles more. Cassie was unlikeable on so many levels.

The resolution of Billie and Cassie’s relationship seemed fair, but I do wish the author would have had a different resolution for Cassie in regards to her activity on social media. It seemed as if she was making a commentary on influencer culture that didn’t quite pan out.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book–it was an addicting read that kept me hooked and made me think.

This is labeled as a thriller but I wouldn’t call it that at all. It’s more of an exploration of long term relationships. Definitely a quick read.

How long do you hold on to a one sided friendship?

The story follows two friends Cassie and Billie who have been connected since a young age. As they’ve become adults their life has shifted and so have their priorities including maintaining the friendship - at least on one side. Cassie’s new life as an affluent wife, entrepreneur, and social media personality has left little room for her childhood friend Billie. Until the unthinkable happens.

This book hit on so many relatable topics. Friendships that are lost as we age. The role social media has in our life; how encompassing it is and how dangerous it can be. How easily a mistake can become life changing.

It was hard to know who was antagonist in this book as I felt for and related to both of them at different times.

I really enjoyed the writing style of this book. It caught me from the first page and made for an easy read. I’m excited to read more novels by this author!

Thank you to NetGalley and St Martins Press and the author for the opportunity to read and review this book!

I was a bit nervous going into this one because Carola's hit "Tell me Lies" was just not for me. That being said, I am really glad I gave this one a try. It is hard to give this book the review it deserves without unintentionally spoiling the book. I will say that I do not find this book to be a true "thriller," but it was still engrossing and worth the read.

Cassie and Billie are two lifelong best friends who have grown apart as they have grown older. On the night of Cassie's 35th birthday, Billie hears cries coming from Cassie's birthday party, one floor above her. Billie discovers that Cassie's infant daughter is crying, and no one is caring for the child while the party is going on. Billie takes the baby back downstairs to comfort her. Before Billie realizes what she has done, she hears Cassie's terrified screams as she tries to find her missing daughter. What follows is the story of how this inseparable pair, once fiercely bonded by dark secrets, has drifted apart in adulthood. Cassie married a wealthy man, had a baby, and is building a following on social media as a lifestyle influencer. Billie, on the other hand, is single, childless, and a world traveler. While Billie desperately wants to reconnect with her former best friend, Cassie desperately wants to leave her past—and Billie—behind.

Told from alternating perspectives and timelines, "Bye, Baby" explores the complexities of female friendships and the aftereffects of split-second decisions. I was completely engrossed in Billie and Cassie's stories and could not put this book down, finishing the entire thing in one day. While this book has many suspenseful moments, it is much more than just a thriller or a domestic suspense novel. This book is incredibly thought-provoking. I empathized with Billie in so many unexpected ways, and I think that many women will relate to this story. Overall, a very compelling read that I highly recommend.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I at first was very excited to read this book. I felt that things dragged on a bit with all the flipping back and forth between Billie and Cassie and their friendship story. All in all,it was not bad, just not exactly what I was expecting.
Thank you Netgally for providing me with a copy for my honest review.

It was a fine, quick read, but it was missing that little something special. The characters were okay, but not truly memorable. I'm still interested in this author's works, though, because this one was a solid effort. Glad I got to read it.