Huge thank you to the publisher and netgalley for allowing me to access this novels as an ARC reader!!

This book was a great example of how a good horror or suspense novel should be done; because of this it was hard to put down! I feel if you like things like NYC, unlikeable characters and social media influencers, this may up your alley.

Thank you again!

: So many parts of this had the making of the perfect thriller. I loved the writing and the freshness of the character. The relationship between the two main women was top notch. The ending tanked my reading joy, but this ending may be just want everyone else loves.
Recommended For: A don’t miss for thriller fans.

Y’all! This book fully blew me away! It had me hooked before I finished the prologue. The way it’s written from the perspective of both Billie & Cassie showed how deeply beautiful and incredibly complicated friendships can be. The way the author was able to jump back and forth from the past to the present wove the story together like a carefully crafted quilt. Even at the mention of other characters who’s stories weren’t fully explained right away, I was never left confused. I only felt intrigued and excited for the story to unfold. From start to finish this book was IMO perfection. The perfect amount of thrill, love, & heartbreak. Add this to your TBR immediately!

*TW for SA.

Another really fun ride by Carola Lovering - thought the friendship was great and loved how the book shifted between timelines. Billie & Cassie both had moments that made you cringe and hate them, but thought the book was really good overall.

With Friends Like These....

Bye, Baby was a quick easy, entertaining read and is another winner by Carola Lovering. Life long friends Cassie and Billie have been through a lot. Though their friendship has waned in recent years, Billie still considers Cassie her best friend, though after the birth of her daughter, Cassie wouldn't say the same. After Cassie's daughter is kidnapped however, the only person she wants and needs is Billie. If only she knew that Billie was responsible.

What a predicament!

You almost can't make this stuff up! (Except... Carola Lovering did exactly that! HA!)

A buddy read with Kaceey that kept us both gripped to the pages.
3.65 stars.

Thanks to St. Martin's Press via NetGalley for the arc.

3.5 stars

Well, the biggest mystery/thrill related to this book is not what's going on with the characters but HOW it got labeled a mystery/thriller at all.

I've read several books by this author, and I've enjoyed them all. This is no exception; I read it in just over two days, mostly while Southern California was in our first hurricane warning in generations. It had to be somewhat gripping to keep my attention during that!

Billie and Cassie are BFFs and they KIT mostly, but at some point - like most friendships - their bond changes dramatically. They morph from extreme closeness to a one-sided relationship in which neither seems happy at all. These changes are exacerbated by the differences in their lifestyles. Cassie has a partner and a baby and is wildly image obsessed, and Billie doesn't share any of these interests, at least when readers meet her. Since the book begins with essential information - Cassie's baby is gone and Billie has her - there's no mystery at all in this realm (though the title, cover, and blurb would have us all believe otherwise). The "mystery," if there is one, is how these two fell out or at least changed the nature of their friendship, and it's this overview of their connection in both the present and past that marks the real throughline of the novel.

There are opportunities for a tighter narrative structure, less repetition, and more prudent gap filling. Readers should come to this wanting to know how and why this relationship changes, whether it might be repaired, and what it says about our individual realities.

Entertaining? Yes. Thrilling and mysterious? Less so. More of this author for me in the future? Absolutely.

TW: rape, sexual assault, sexual harassment, and grooming, including of a minor (Not my favorite, and this section is why I rounded to a 3 instead of a 4, TBH).

3.5/5 Stars

While I've never accidentally kidnapped my best friend's baby, I found myself relating to Billie in so many ways. Once childhood best friends, Cassie and Billie find themselves in a tough situation as their respective lives have left them on opposite sides of a Grand Canyon of differences. While Billie is beating herself up to keep their friendship alive, Cassie is doing everything she can to leave Billie in the past. So when Billie makes a world altering decision, the lies and consequences that follow prove to be an ultimate test in her life and the lives of those around her.

Throughout the book, I found it very easy to put myself in Billie's shoes. I think almost every woman has experienced the cruelty of being excluded and rejected by those they once called their friends. I'm almost ashamed to admit that similarly to Billie, I would probably still jump at the chance to rekindle those lost friendships, regardless of what was asked of me. Maybe that's something I need to unpack with some professional help lol.

Speaking of professional help, Billie and Cassie both need it, holy cow. Billie has mountains of trauma in her past and Cassie finds her joy and validation through strangers on the internet while actively cutting out the family and friends that don't match her dream aesthetic. I think it was very obvious to see why both may have outgrown the friendship and it was painful to see how forced their interactions were for the sake of their shared history.

"The right person fits into your life, not the other way around"

Pros and Cons

Pros:
- Billie's fight to keep their friendship alive was very relatable
- I really enjoyed the dual perspective of both Billie and Cassie throughout the book
- I read the book over 5 days and stayed hooked the entire time

Cons:
- The resolution felt pretty "happily ever after" given the circumstances. I thought the lack of consequences was a little delusional.
- While all of Billie's traumas help you understand why she did the things she did, I felt like it was a lot: sexual assault, death of a parent, evil stepmother/stepfather, major illness, abandonment, and the list goes on
- The secondary characters were difficult to keep track of at times and the non-linear timeline did not help. The cast of respective childhood friends, college friends, current friends, coworkers, exes, family members, and all of their respective spouses felt overwhelming sometimes.

All in all, a fairly enjoyable read, perfect for a stormy day

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for this ARC. All opinions expressed above are my own.

This book initially presented as a psychological thriller but it was more of a mystery. You learn from the very beginning who the kidnapper is but then it starts to unfold the story of childhood friends with a big secret. I really enjoyed the storyline and it had great character development of the main characters but I felt that there wasn’t closure on some avenues that were opened during the investigation. Some of the background characters felt stagnant and I feel their stories could have been more developed. Overall, it was a great read and look forward to more content from this author.

I received a free digital copy from NetGalley in return for my honest review.

Thank you NetGalley for this ARC. It was a 3.5 star book for me. It was dragged out for far too many parts and the plot line is literally in the blurb. There were no twists and it was just okay. The writing was captivating though and it was easy enough to want to read.

“A good friend is a connection to life - a tie to the past, a road to the future, the key to sanity in a totally insane world.” - Lois Wyse.

That perfectly describes the friendship between Cassie and Billie. Childhood besties that would do anything for one another! Fiercely loyal. But of course as time passes, kids grow up and priorities change. Cassie drifts off to find love with an eligible trust-fund husband and starts a family.
Sadly, Billie is now alone, feeling she lost half of herself.

When the worst tragedy imaginable happens to Cassie the first person she reaches out to is Billie!
But Billie’s impulsive behavior have may have just cost her the chance to rekindle this friendship.

This was such a great domestic drama as the author weaves a thought-provoking story around friendship, women and motherhood. Exploring how it feels to be a woman in todays’ society and making a conscious decision not to be a mother. With what can be perceived as a stigma, I applaud Carola Lovering for tackling this seldom discussed topic.🙌

My favorite read to date by this very talented author. Already looking forward to her next.

A buddy read with Susanne that garnered great discussions on friendships and motherhood🩷

Thank you to NetGalley and St Martin’s Press

I really enjoyed the book. It follows two long time friends, Cassie and Billie who grow apart as they get older. Billie trying to keep Cassie in her life and makes a decision that changes it all.
The author did a good job telling the story of both friends and the ending was good as well

I am obsessed with the way Lovering writes. Her writing is addictive, and she writes about women and friendships in such an engaging way. I related to Cassie in some ways and that made this book even better. Solid 4 stars

Cassie always knew she did not want to turn into her father. She spent many years securing the perfect life. But, will Billie derail her plans completely by kidnapping Cassie’s baby? Billie and Cassie have been friends since childhood, but will their friendship survive this ultimate betrayal?? This book shows you the start of a beautiful friendship and follows two girls who have been through every life event together since they were young.

Well, Lovering has done it again! This book was such a great read! Focused on a friendship that changed because of a birth of a child, and a dark secret; this dual perspective story really captures the reader making it impossible to put down!

Thanks to NetGalley for this eARC in exchange for an honest review!

Billie and Cassie have been best friends since childhood. However, since Cassie got married, had a baby and settled into the upper east side lifestyle, things haven’t been the same. When Cassie’s baby goes missing, only Billie knows the truth about what happened.
I love the way Lovering writes about women’s lives and how they intersect with each other. Friendship and how it changes over the years as women take different paths is the center of this book
Thank you to the author and Netgalley for this ARC!

Well written and interesting. A lot of the of the plot was fairly predictable but not all, so it was a good mix for a mystery/psychological thriller that overall had you guessing how it was going to all pan out.

Both friends, Cassie and Billie, are obsessive and addicted in their own way - Cassie to fame and fortune, and Billie to Cassie herself. While a lot of each character and the situations they find themselves in are super cringey and uncomfortable to read at times, you could see it playing out realistically in the current influencer-culture or in the reasons for codependent relationships.

Overall, a good read with a good storyline and characters to fill it out.

Thanks to Netgalley for the advanced copy of this book. All opinions are mine.

I can’t stop thinking about this book. It perfectly captures the cost of toxic female friendships… a common phenomenon that’s really not talked about enough.

I empathized with Billie so much, even after she made a horrifying mistake. The multiple POV and timeline was a great way of showcasing the depth of her friendship with Cassie and why she can’t let go of the past.

Cassie on the other hand was … not my favorite, but I’m glad we got to hear her side too. Otherwise, she would’ve been way too one-dimensional.

Overall, this is 4.5 stars for me — would recommend to most of my friends with the caveat that it’s not really a thriller like it’s being marketed.

Thank you NetGalley and St Martin’s Press for the early copy!

Loved this one. Another great read from Lovering mixing thriller with family drama. One you won’t be able to put down. I really enjoyed it and will make sure to recommend it.

what a twisted friendship between cassie and billie. some romance and figuring friendships after a certain age. loved the mystery and what happened when they were young. good story.

Trigger warnings: Sexual abuse
Thank you Netgallery for providing the book in exchange of an honest review. The story alternates between POV and timelines recounting the story of Cassie and Billie frienship or should I say toxic friendship. Our story start with a misssing baby, and it keeps you on the edge wondering why? Carola's characters are written so good, I disliked them so much specially Cassie, but they felt real and raw and at the end I could even emphatize with Billie. This is the first time I've read a book like this or by this author and I couldn't stop reading I wanted to finish it so quick. This story contains drama, gossip and secrets. Now, my reasoning for the 4 star review is that this is marketed as a thriller/ suspense book and a missing baby that's what drew me in, but that's not even the main theme of the book. The other reason is that I was a bit dissapointed with the last 2 chapters. In general its a great read.