So good! The narrator was excellent. The book jumps right into the action from the start and then back tracks to take you up to the present day (I love this strategy), I flew through this one in a day and you will too.

I enjoyed this book although it took me a bit of time to finish it. It was suspenseful and showcased female friendships which I enjoyed reading about it. I think this would appeal to lots of readers, I enjoyed listening to it as well.

As a new mom, this hit me different. The book otherwise was fine, less thriller than what I was anticipating.

Bye, Baby by Carola Lovering is an intense and emotional audiobook that dives into relationships and personal growth. The story follows Emory as she rebuilds her life after a difficult breakup, exploring new relationships and self-discovery.

While I didn't love the book personally, I recognize that it offers a compelling narrative with strong voice acting that enhances the experience. Lovering’s writing and the audiobook’s narration are well-executed, making it worth a listen for those interested in character-driven stories about personal challenges and transformation. If you enjoy exploring deep emotional themes, Bye, Baby is worth giving a try.

Toxic Friendship, Missing Baby

: Bye, Baby centers around the complex and ultimately toxic friendship between Billie West and Cassie Barnwell. The story begins with a dramatic event: Cassie's infant daughter has gone missing, and Billie, who lives one floor below Cassie in their New York apartment building, hears Cassie's terrified screams. The novel delves into the intertwined lives of these two women, unravelling their friendship from childhood to adulthood and exploring the dark undercurrents of jealousy, betrayal, and the drastic actions one might take under emotional duress.

Bye, Baby is a compelling exploration of friendship, jealousy, and the lengths to which people will go to preserve their relationships. Lovering's skillful writing and deep character insights make this novel a worthwhile read for those interested in psychological thrillers and domestic dramas. Its strengths lie in its character development and the emotional depth of its narrative, though some may find the plot twists somewhat foreseeable. Nevertheless, it is a captivating story that will keep readers engaged until the very end.

Although it seems to be marketed as a thriller or suspense book, this book is more about female friendships. It's a story about what happens when we carry teenage friendships into adulthood even as we change and mature and become different people. That part of the story was interesting and had some relatable elements. The mystery isn't tough to decipher early, and there is no suspense. I enjoyed the character development and switches in the timeline. I wish there had been more revealed or twists, but that may have just been a matter of adjusting my expectations. The writing was emotional and well-developed. This is a book that is tough to explain to someone because there isn't a lot of action. It's more of an emotional character exploration.

The audiobook is well done and nothing stood in the way of me enjoying the story. The timing and pacing worked well, and it was easy to follow the timeline switches and character differences. The tone was very conversational, and it felt like a friend telling me the story while we sip coffee.

This book took me months to finish. To be honest, when I choose to read a thriller, I hope to have my pulse pounding and be invested enough in the story to find out who did it and why. This book, while marketed as a thriller, was more fiction revolving around friendship dynamics and the deeply ingrained desire to be needed. It took me so long to read that I don't remember a lot of details. The story itself was nicely written and the pacing was consistent (apart from the ending that seemed a bit abrupt), and I would recommend it to anyone who enjoys women's fiction, but as far as calling it an exciting, shocking ride - it wasn't. And that's okay! Just wasn't for me!

Thank you to @macmillan.audio for allowing me access to this audiobook!

𝗠𝘆 𝗧𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵𝘁𝘀 𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗦𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆
Wow, this book was really good. I listened to the entire audiobook in one day because I just could not stop! The opening chapter goes right into the drama and then the book starts with Part One- the past. I was totally invested in the lives of Billie and Cassie and the friendship they had. Part Two starts off where the opening chapter left off, with the Now, and I was just as invested! I dont want to give away any spoilers but just know that you have to read this if you haven't yet!

𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗱 𝗶𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗲
• Childhood besties
• Twisty Thrillers
• Multiple POVs
• Dual Timelines
• Friendship fallout
• Social media influencer

𝗠𝘆 𝗧𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵𝘁𝘀 𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗔𝘂𝗱𝗶𝗼𝗯𝗼𝗼𝗸
Helen Laser and Karissa Vacker were so perfect as Billie and Cassie. Karissa Vacker has been a fave of mine forever and Helen Laser has joined the top ranks. I listened at 1.5x speed and everything was clear and easy to understand. This audiobook was fantastic and I absolutely recommend!

Couldn't put down. Great thriller with a great narrator. I highly recommend this book! This is my first book by the author, and I will definitely read more of her work.

This was good! Each part of the book individually I would hate, but it together it’s great. The characters are insufferable. Billie is obsessive and Cassie is a gold digger. But those characters’ choices in the story make it incredibly compelling

A missing baby, a crumbling friend ship. Bye, Baby is drama that had me thinking, felling and rooting for the under dog in this story.

If you are looking for an addictive thriller this one is for you!
Twisty, suspenseful, disturbing, dysfunctional characters, shocking, complex and unputdownable, loved it!

Thank you @stmartinspress for this gifted copy.

𝗕𝘆𝗲 𝗕𝗮𝗯𝘆 by @carolatlovering released January 7, 2025.

This was just okay for me. Loved the narrator. Toxic friends, slow burn. Liked it didn’t love it. Loved the idea of it but overall fell a bit flat

I did not expect to like this as much as I did. Once I started listening, I was committed as the narrators did a great job keeping me interested and their tones were perfect. While this was promoted as a thriller, it was not. It gave drama or suspense, but it was a good read/listen.

Bye, Baby is a domestic thriller that had very little thriller portions. The reader goes in knowing what happened, but not how or why. As the book unfolds the reader finds out the ins and outs of the relationship between Billie and Cassie. It did not seem at though any character was meant to be liked, making it hard to connect to the book. The entire concept of the book is unrealistic, especially with the fact that no actions had any consequences.

The narrators, Helen Laser, and Karissa Vacker, did a wonderful job of playing portraying the two friends throughout the course of their relationship.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for an advanced listening copy, and St. Martin's Press for an ARC of this book.

I adored this audio book. It instantly pulled me in and I could not stop listening. The story was so realistic and definitely made me question influencers and how much they show. The audiobook was executed perfectly. The narrators voice and inflictions were great.

This definitely felt more drama and suspense to me and not so much thriller. Regardless I did enjoy the storyline a lot. It was very engaging and kept my attention the entire time. Loved the female friendships and motherhood focal points. The ending was so well done also! Highly recommend the audio for this one. You'll fly through it in no time.

This takes place in New York, 2 adult friends and one is responsible for the kidnapping of her best friends baby. This was thrilling, emotional and really had me on the edge of my seat the whole time reading this book. I highly recommend this book.

I went in thinking this was a thriller. I wouldn’t classify this one as a thriller or even a suspense, but I found it fast paced and couldn’t get enough of the mama drama and obsessive behaviors. The toxic friendships and obsession held me throughout the book (not sure what this says about me!). I really liked the illusion of social media depicting a perfect life. Great book and would love to read more from this author!

The narration of the audio was fantastic and did more on the audio than kindle. It was hard to put down!

Although I wouldn't classify this as a "thriller", it was a tense, page-turner that I didn't want to stop listening to! You're told what happens right at the beginning, but the rest of the book really dissects the friendship and what leads up to it.

I loved the alternating POVs and both narrators of the audiobook really brought the characters to life. This book really examines how two friends become trauma-bonded, and what happens when one friend tries to sever that bond.