3.5 Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This novel focused on the changing trajectory of a toxic friendship between two women. I found it engaging but was missing a bit of depth I would have appreciated.

Oh, me, oh my! I could NOT PUT THIS ONE DOWN! BYE, BABY by Carola Lovering should be considered up there on the lists of the top domestic thrillers on the shelves today! If I could give more than 5 stars I would, without doubt or any reservations.
Billie West, luxury travel agent and Cassie Adler, social influencer, have been friends forever but now that their lives have taken decidedly different paths, they have drifted apart. Well, really, Cassie married into money and has a newborn and for the last three years she has been pushing Billie away as she doesn’t seem to fit into her new socioeconomic circle in life. But Billie just can’t seem to write her off and continues to reach out. Then, during a lavish thirty-fifth birthday party, one Billie was NOT invited to, the unthinkable happens and Cassie’s infant is abducted. As Cassie’s ‘better’ friends gather round to offer support, she wants only one person. She wants Billie, the one person who knows her deepest darkest secret. Has Karma come back to bite Cassie for a long ago decision?
While Billie basks in the renewed friendship, she is holding secrets of her own. She is also struggling with a new relationship, which suddenly takes a backseat when Cassie is dangling friendship in front of her once again.
This one had me hooked from the beginning and I was dangling on that line so long that I finished it in one sitting. I really enjoy the author’s writing style. I could feel myself walking through the windy streets, standing on the terrace at that party (of course with the most expensive champagne), and nervously anticipating when all of the secrets would be revealed. I loved this one and look forward to more from this author. Put this one on you TBR, clear your schedule, sit back and enjoy!
Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for this ARC opportunity. All opinions are my own and I am leaving them voluntarily.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book in exchange for an honest review. Bye, Baby by Carola Lovering will be released on March 5th, 2024.

This was a fun book. I was hooked from the very first sentence, so eager to find out how the story was going to unravel. It is a story that focuses on friendship, the ones you form when you are young, and how people grow apart and change. Billy and Cassie, our main characters, met when they were young and became inseparable. They remain this way until Cassie becomes engaged and they begin to drift apart as Cassie settles into life surrounded by wealthy people. This is all I feel comfortable telling you about the book, it is definitely more fun to go in blind! I was constantly trying to figure out the motives of the characters.

Bye, Baby could definitely be a one-sitting read! I found myself nearly unable to put the book down when it was time for bed.

I was excited to get an advance of this book from NetGalley since I was a fan of "Tell Me Lies" by the same author. "Bye, Baby" - a great title with multiple meanings as you will see when you read the book - was very entertaining and I love the author's writing style. This book was about the friendship of Billie and Cassie, dating back to their childhood through present day. Cassie is now married into a wealthy family, has a beautiful baby girl, and is an Instagram influencer - and isn't interested in friendship with Billie any more. Billie, on the other hand, stalks Cassie on Instagram to watch her life from the sidelines and misses their friendship terribly. As we learn more about Billie's past, I came to care for her so much. An action Billie takes in the first pages doesn't make sense and even when it is further fleshed out in the middle of the book, Billie's actions didn't make a whole lot of sense with what we know about her. But mostly I enjoyed this book and was definitely glad I read it. I was happy with the satisfying ending.

This book was a twisted ride. I really felt for Billie, the main character. I think we can all understand making a split second decision that changes the course of our life forever. Cassie, the other main character, I found far less appealing. Even as a mother, I found her very hard to connect with and really feel much sympathy for. She was insufferable for the most part.
I felt the book dragged a bit, but maybe that was because of the back story and multiple side characters. I'm glad to have read it overall.
Thanks to Net Galley for the book to review.

I loved this book♡♡♡ I went on not knowing what to expect and I was blown away. I loved the back and forth between post and present as well as between characters. I loved your the ending wasn't tied up on a perfect bow. Great story and character development! This book and the twist are so different than anything in this genre I have read. I will be recommending this book to everyone now and need to get a copy for for myself. I am not in love with the cover, it just doesn't grab me if I was to walk by it at a bookstore or see it on display. I like the title more more after reading the book.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for this advance copy of Bye, Baby.

Bye, Baby is a thrilling story of old friendships, life-altering secrets and insatiable jealousy. Cassie and Billie have been inseparable for years. They both grew up an hour outside of New York. Living through traumas in their childhood to sharing an apartment in New York City after college. Billie expects this friendship will last forever, but since Cassie got married and had a baby, she’s pulled back from Billie a considerable and unavoidable amount. Billie will do anything to have Cassie back in her life, but when Billie does the unthinkable, can the women ever save their relationship?

I really liked this book. It was a very interesting and original plot. It wasn’t like anything I ever read before. The dual POV worked incredibly here. Cassie and Billie‘s narratives were seamless, and I really got a feel for each woman’s perspective. They’re two very different characters, and it’s easy to differentiate between the two, which I always appreciate in a dual POV novel.

The suspense in this was also out of this world. There were times I was so anxious I had to set the book down for a moment. The author did a great job of building up to important moments. She gave each character a clear set of motives and emotions behind each decision. I think the best part of this is how the characters shined.

What didn’t work for me unfortunately is the flashbacks. They were a bit choppy and hard to follow in some places. They could have possible worked better as maybe Billie’s diary entries or something. The backstory is 100% important, and the novel would lack without, but the way it was done was slightly confusing and some parts were a bit muddled and seemed unnecessary.

Overall, this was a solid 4 star read. I’m excited to see what comes next from this author.

This book was a beautiful marriage of childhood to adult friendships, perceived wants and needs of a woman at a certain age, a little suspense, and the meaning of love and loyalty. I went into this it was going to be a deep seeded suspense of who done it, but while there was a layer of suspense it was more about relationships, expectations, motivations, and more. The ending was wrapped up in almost too near or a bow and I would have appreciated a book hangover. It’s a good engaging read, with high points and confirmations of humanity.

Thank you St. Martin’s Press for my Netgalley copy of BYE, BABY by Carola Lovering, out 3/5/24!

I haven’t read TELL ME LIES by this author, but I did watch the show so I requested this one right away. It is marketed as a thriller, but think it’s more of a deep exploration of female friendship and how it changes as people’s priorities shift and motherhood (and lack thereof) comes into the picture. There are thrilling moments (and a major trigger warning for sexual assault) but I think this book is a slow burn that does it well.

It definitely starts off with a hook, where we have narrator Billie West hearing terrified screams above her from her longtime best friend Cassie Barnwell when she realizes her infant daughter goes missing. The bang? Billie is the one who took her.

We slowly start to uncover what led to this and it’s a wild ride from start to finish. I really enjoyed Carola’s musings on motherhood and a woman’s choice to not have children. Cassie is married to a wealthy dodo-brain man and building a following as a lifestyle influencer. Billie is single and childless by choice and finding herself boxed out by Cassie and her new mommy friends.

The flashbacks were great and I was on the edge of my seat figuring out where the friendship flourished and where it faltered. While Cassie is eager to leave the past behind her, Billie knows a big secret about the worst thing Cassie has ever done, so can the friendship REALLY end? Billie is definitely a standout character for me even though she had me cringing a LOT (Cassie is insufferable).

I loved the ending, I loved all the side characters and I definitely recommend reading this one once it comes out because I’d love to hear other women’s reflections. Can two betrayals cancel each other out? Read to find out!

This book is less thriller and more a story about friendship dynamics. Billie and Cassie grew up as best friends but have drifted apart in adulthood. Cassie is a social climber and doesn't have space in her circle for Billie. One terrible decision causes chaos in the lives of both women and the cracks in their relationship become obvious. I really felt for both women in the story, even with their massive flaws. I also appreciated the view of how relationships change over time and how complex unraveling those ties can be. I will say that I found the ending very realistic, if not entirely satisfying. Readers should not be expecting thrills or twists with this book but it is a powerful psychological story. Thanks to Carola Lovering, St. Martin's Press, and NetGalley for an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

This is most definitely not a mystery/thriller, despite the blurb and the unfortunate title. Not that the story isn't without merit, just know that going into it. Best to just avoid the blurb as it gives too much away.
This is an exploration of obsession and a toxic friendship that defies understanding - until vou realize the reasons behind it.
Cassie and Billie have been the best of friends since childhood, and bonded together in inexplicable ways. Now in their 30s, Billie remains unmarried and childless, while the term "gold digger" is an understatement when it comes to Cassie. She married up in a big way, is a new mom, and is now an
"influencer" on G. With her new life and rich friends, she has cast Billie aside.
Billie is deeply hurt and can't let it go. She goes to extraordinary means to maintain the friendship, which clearly is one-sided.
I admit to being frustrated with Billie's character in the beginning, but we eventually learn why Billie is trauma bonded to Cassie and it all starts to make sense.
Let's just say Billie needed years of therapy. I would have enjoyed it more if the author had included a therapist or the psychology of her character's behaviors in the narrative. It's no secret to anyone who has followed my reviews that I love psychologically complex characters and I would have loved to have seen this theme explored further. I had to stretch my understanding of the psychology of trauma bonding to understand it.
There's a shocking incident that brings things to a head, and we finally get the backstory on what happened all those years ago, which sheds light on Billie's behavior.

YES! Carola Lovering has done it again with a page turner that I did not want to put down.

The main theme to me after reading this book was definitely toxic friendships. Holy moly, there was a lot of anger and sorrow built up over the years for Billie to kidnap Cassie's baby! And the fact that she tries to be her bff again to help her cope. It was eerie, but in a good way!

This is for sure more of a domestic suspense novel that was done very well. The ending left me wanting a little bit more, but does that mean we could have a sequel!?

Thank you for the advanced copy!

This book seemed to be more of a women’s fiction than a mystery/thriller. I didn’t really get the reaction I was hoping for with this book as there really was no thrill that happened and the big “shock” was over so fast . I think it could have been much shorter as a good majority was just filler after the 60% mark.

4.5 ⭐️ I loved this book! I can’t say what exactly didn’t push it to a 5 star read for me, but I really did enjoy it. this story is about two lifelong friends, cassie and billie, and the turn their friendship takes as they grow up into two very different people. I found this so relatable. the story starts with a kidnapping, and then you navigate between the past and present. cassie and billie both narrate, so you get both sides and thoughts. throughout. there were times I loved cassie and hated billie, but then it flipped and I loved billie and hated cassie. it was nice that the unlikeable character didn’t stay unlikeable for long. the character development was strong, especially getting to hear about the girls past and their struggles growing up. you see how that effects their lives and shaped them into who they are today. I found the book really did hook me and kept my attention. i’m weird about books involving too much of social media… I read to escape that part of life I think? but it didn’t bother me in this book, mainly because a few characters were annoyed with cassie’s influencer status and about her constantly being on her phone. I wouldn’t say this was suspenseful or a thriller. it was somewhat predictable in that you knew what would happen, just not exactly how it would unfold. regardless, I was still anxious for the ending and was happy with how it turned out. would definitely recommend!

thank you NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Carola Lovering returns with another captivating novel that delves into themes of toxic friendship, obsession, motherhood, and the superficiality of privileged social media-driven lives in the Gramercy neighborhood.

Her latest work takes a departure from the thriller/mystery genre, focusing more on women's fiction. The story revolves around two narrators who were childhood friends and faced a tragic event that altered the trajectory of their lives, ultimately leading them down different paths and causing their friendship to unravel.

The book kicks off with Cassie's emotional breakdown after her baby is abducted, witnessed by her estranged best friend Billie, who shockingly happens to be the kidnapper! The intriguing opening immediately grabs your attention, prompting you to ask questions like "why?" and "what's driving her?"

This compelling start propels you to turn the pages, eager to uncover Billie's motives behind this heinous act and what might have triggered such drastic behavior towards Cassie.

The narrative seamlessly navigates between different timeframes: the days leading up to the kidnapping, which highlight the evolving differences in the women's lives, and flashbacks to their childhood at the age of 12, shedding light on the foundation of their long-lasting friendship.

At 35, Billie West lives a jet-setting life, organizing exclusive events and experiences for people's special occasions. Despite her seemingly enviable lifestyle, she grapples with loneliness and an unhealthy obsession with following Cassie's every move through her phone.

On the other hand, Cassie is married to a hedge fund manager, has her own clothing brand, and is immersed in the world of Instagram, sharing every aspect of her life with her followers. Her newfound popularity and motherhood status create a rift between her and Billie, making their once unbreakable bond strain.

As the story unfolds, tensions rise between the two friends, leading to a confrontation that forces them to confront their shared past, their fractured relationship, and their personal struggles. Can they heal their dysfunctional friendship? Will Billie face consequences for her drastic actions? Dive into the story to find out!

Overall, I had a love-hate relationship with the characters, particularly Cassie and her friend McKay, whose behavior frustrated me. Nevertheless, the book was engaging, attention-grabbing, and offered an insightful exploration of the complexities of female friendships. I'm rounding up my rating from 3.5 stars to a solid 4 stars for this dramatic New York tale. I eagerly anticipate the author's future works.

A special thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for providing me with a digital review copy in exchange for my honest feedback.

This was an interesting story, very different from what I thought it would be. It was a little less mystery, and a little more drama than expected. It is ultimately the story of two friends, and their twisted relationship flashing between two time periods and both characters. I did enjoy it, just thought at times it went on a bit too long.
I received an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Loved the story I just wish it was a bit shorter! Some of the flashbacks just weren’t needed IMO. I did love Billie though! It was great seeing why she is the way she is.

Listed as a mystery but this is actually a domestic women's fiction about friendship, secrets and shared trauma. There is a mystery element but it only lasts a few pages and is only a small part of this story. Told by two narrators, this is the story about the friendship between Cassie and Billie, who met as teenagers and are in their mid-thirties when the story begins. The girls met in high school where Billie came from a blue collar family and Cassie came from a once wealthy family who had to downsize their life after her father made a number of bad investments. Cassie clings to her wealthy grandmother who treats her (and Billie) to a trip to Paris and expensive presents while ignoring Cassie's older sister.

Cassie is a very unlikable person and her drive to only date rich guys and have rich friends was a turn-off throughout the story. The story begins when Cassie is married to Grant, a man with family wealth, and she has a newborn baby named Ella. Cassie also has a designer clothing store financed by her husband and is an Instagram influencer who details every minute of her life for her followers. The author spends a lot of time telling us the designer who makes every piece of Cassie's clothing and it gets annoying after awhile. Billie has a job traveling the world with a luxury travel company, her boss is like a best friend and she has recently met a really nice guy who seems to care about her. But, Billie is obsessed with Cassie and keeps trying to get Cassie to notice her even though Cassie treats her terribly.

As we go back into their past we see the two women shared a traumatic incident as teenagers and Billie never received the therapy she needed to process this event. When Cassie married she chose the wealthy cousin of her husband to be her maid of honor and when she tells Billie she doesn't want to celebrate her 35th birthday, Billie finds out she had a big party and didn't invite her. There is an incident that happens during the party and it further changes the relationship between the women. There are lots of things explored in this novel and I think that the author chose too many things with the result being none of them are given the right amount of attention. I struggled to like anyone here and in the end I liked Alex (Billie's boyfriend) and Jane, Billie's boss. The endless descriptions of the superficial life that Cassie loved just made me roll my eyes. Also, Cassie was breast feeding but consuming huge amounts of alcohol and not just wine, In almost every scene she was drinking shots or having numerous martinis and breastfeeding right after. That would not be healthy for the baby. I did think the ending was well thought out and I think the book will appeal to readers who enjoy novels about friendship. Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for a copy of this ARC in exchange for a review.

Bye Baby was a symbol.of love between two teenage girls who grew up together. Cassie is from a wealthy family with one sister who she isn't close with. Their father went through his share of the family fortune. Billie grew up without her father. Her parents were divorced. The two girls were inseparable through high school and college. During Billie's senior year her and Mother was living with an abusive man. He was taking advantage of her mother who had Alzheimer's and didn't have long. This man repeatedly raped Billie. After a while she broke and told Cassie. Cassie ended his life and an end to Billie's
suffering. a secret they both swore would be kept between them. It was ruled an accident. The story goes back and forth between College years, some high school years and after College when Cassie met and Married a very wealthy man. Cassie' s circle of friends from Harvard were also wealthy which left Billie out of the circle. During a birthday party that Billie wasn't invited to left Cassie down a very dark road. Her four month old daughter was kidnapped! Billie had a promising job and met a guy who she fell in love with until the one mistake she made that almost cost her everything! A great book and kudos to the author Carola Love ring !

This was a page turner! I wouldn’t necessarily call it a thriller but it is a domestic suspense. We meet friends Cassie and Billie who have grown up close as can be. Now in New York as adults they’ve drifted. Cassie marries into an old money family and is a high end influencer. Billie is single and works for a travel company. We know there’s tension and something in the past that has broken this friendship apart but what is it? And then Billie in a moment of depravity kidnaps Billies baby foe a few hours. What?! Yeah.

I really couldn’t put this book down. Between the gross bad rich people behaving badly passages and the backstory I really found this incredibly riveting. I was hoping for a little more to happen to Cassie in the end but maybe there will be a sequel?! Or maybe there is an ominous end implied. In any event I really enjoyed this one!!