Thank you to NetGalley, Carola Lovering & MacMillan Audio for an audio ARC of Bye, Baby.

I honestly did not think I was going to enjoy this story as much as I did!

Cassie & Billie have been best friends from a young age, but have kind of drifted as adults, mostly due to Cassie's rise to fame and marrying into a rich, snooty family. However, they tend to bond again after Cassie's infant daughter is kidnapped for only a few hours before mysteriously returned.

This is one of those stories where the reader will go back & forth between Team Cassie or Team Billie. Is Billie just a clingy psycho friend who refuses to let go of a friendship that is long gone? Or is Cassie just a stuck up snob now that she is uber rich and successful; and Billie just isn't good enough to fit into her life any longer? The answers to both of those questions aren't as simple as they might appear on the surface.

I will say, that I was pretty much Team Billie from the very beginning & I stayed that way all the way through, but towards the end, we're also give a little bit more insight into Cassie and why she is the way she is and does the things she does and by the end, I was also Team Cassie. I love that the author was able to redeem both MC by the end and there not be a "bad guy."

I felt that this story was very compelling & it hooked me quickly. I thought the entire story was interesting & didn't have any lulls of slow moving stories, etc. The writing was superb and by the end, everything was tied up in a neat little bow.

If I had read this story at the beginning of the year, it would have been a 5-star read for me, but here at the end of the year, I'm going with a 4.75, but obviously, that will get rounded up to a 5-Star.

I will definitely be promoting & recommending this title and look forward to seeing other readers enjoy it!

Carola Lovering is such a unique author for me because her books aren’t the most “thrillery” types of mysteries and lean more towards drama, but I absolutely love to read them. Her latest, coming out in 2024, BYE, BABY, is no different. The story is centered around two long-term friends, Cassie Barnwell and Billie West. Cassie and Billie have been best friends since childhood, but they’ve continually grown more distant as years pass. Cassie has married into a wealthy family and has recently given birth to her daughter Ella—leaning into a social media persona while her husband has become the sole breadwinner, while Billie is focused on her career and is in the midst of dating. Cassie’s new life can only be described as privileged and uptight, but Billie is destined to fix their relationship, no matter how hesitant or fake Cassie is in repairing the two. When Cassie’s daughter is taken at a party, Billie knows exactly what happened, but will she hide the truth in order to restore their friendship.

I thought I was going to hate this book. Nothing is more anti women than people like Cassie—I said what I said. I hate the idea that women must have children and get married in order to be successful. It literally drives me insane seeing this narrative. That being said, this story goes in deep about that narrative in a way I haven’t see a novel go. I hated almost everyone in this book but I loved this story and the chaos that ensued. BYE, BABY is a bingeworthy, exciting ride—Carola Lovering has masterfully told a great story yet again and I’ll tune into reading what she has for readers next.

I needed this!! I was on the verge of a reading slump and then was approved from NetGalley for this ARC. This is not a mystery/thriller like it’s marketed. If you read Tell Me Lies then this is similar in genre to that. You’ll read about the toxic relationships mainly between friends Cass and Billie as well as other dark relationships the girls are harboring.

Billie and Cassie are childhood best friends whose relationship has become toxic in adulthood. Cassie married a wealthy man, became a mother, and lives the highly curated life of a social media influencer. Billie remains single and wonders why she is no longer a central figure in her best friend’s life. Feeling more and more disconnected from Cassie, Billie’s obsession takes a dangerous turn when she kidnaps Cassie’s infant daughter.

While this is more of a treatise on relationships, jealousy, and the dangers of social media and less of a traditional thriller or mystery, there are plenty of secrets revealed throughout the book. Multiple points of view and shifting timelines bring depth and dimension to the story. Bye, Baby is a slow burn with unlikable characters that pulls you in and doesn’t let go until all the secrets are out in the open.

Carolsa Lovering is a master of building tension. The audiobook was expertly narrated and made it easy to differentiate between Billie’s and Cassie’s perspectives.

Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press, and Macmillan Audio for this ARC in exchange for my unbiased review.

I can’t remember the last time I felt this unsettled about a book. It started out great and I fell into it. I read and listened to this and Helen Laser and Karissa Vacker narrated this crazy thing and they were awesome. Each chapter pulled me further and further into the lies, disbelief and disgust. I’ve seen unhealthy relationships before but this one was especially hard to stomach.
The author did a great job writing a gripping, nail biting story that wasn’t like anything I’ve read. I recommend if you like crazy.
4.5⭐️
Thanks Macmillan Audio and St. Martins Press via NetGalley.

Friendship, secrets, lies, and one fateful night set the stage for Bye, Baby. I was fully invested in this book from the very beginning. Friendships change, people change, and that can be hard when you were once close to someone, when you spent all your time together, but time and circumstances have created a chasm in our relationship. I found this to be a thought-provoking and well written book. This would make a great book club book as there is a lot to discuss within the pages of this book.

Billie and Cassie were once best friends. They grew up together and experienced so much together. They had the tightest of bonds but one traumatic event in high school saw them slowly drifting apart. Now Cassie is a married woman with a baby, a social media following and a clothing store. She is living in the present and looking forward to her future. She is now a wealthy woman and has a new circle of wealthy friends. Billie is single and feels the loss of her once close friendship with Cassie.

From the book description readers know one thing that is going to happen in this book (Billie taking Cassie's baby) But that is only aspect of the book. I loved reading both women's POV's in this book. Both POV's are insightful and slowly readers will learn about their past, their bond, and the event that changed both of their lives forever. It's a big "AHA" moment that explains a lot about certain issues the characters have. The two timelines and two POV's really worked for me in this book. Plus, the title really worked and was a clever choice.

I could feel for Billie. It is hard when a relationship changes. Having to mourn that loss and move on. I could feel her longing and sense of loss. Her desire to reconnect with her once best friend and be close again. Cassie, I felt for her as she suffered the heart wrenching pain of not knowing where her baby was and if she would ever see her again. Other than that, I found her to be vapid, self-centered, and cruel. She thrived on the attention she received from her social media followers which had me questioning how happy she was in her life. One thing is certain, both women could benefit from therapy.

This book touches on so many things - friendship, motherhood, secrets, relationships, molestation, Alzheimer's, trauma, and lies to name a few. Some of these may be triggers for some.


I had the pleasure of having the audiobook and kindle version of this book. It made for a fully enjoyable reading experience.

Well written, gripping, hard to put down, thought provoking and riveting.

I didn’t fall in love with this one like I thought I would. I almost DNF but I did want to see how things would end between Cassie and Billie. I did like the Dual POV of the two friends. Hearing them both talk about their friendship was interesting but so much drama. They were both so unlikeable. Overall this book wasn’t for me. This book was describes as a thriller but I didn’t get that vibe at all.

4 stars

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! For my second read, I listened to the audiobook, and this made me enjoy the whole production even more.

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 content really impacted my experience, so much so that I actually rated and enjoyed the book higher with the second read. This time, I was better prepared for some of that more challenging material).

The audiobook is great, and as noted, listening made me enjoy this even more!

Another great book by Carola Lovering. I couldn’t put this one down except…. For about 40% in I did want to throw the book as there were some trauma triggers I could barely handle in that moment. Great story telling as always. Satisfying, relevant read. Autoread author. Thanks for the chance to review the ALC!

The narrators did a fabulous job with the narration of this book. I really envisioned Billie and Cassie would talk like this if they were real people.

Cassie and Billie are friends from childhood whose friendship in the present day is TOXIC. Cassie is an influencer and mom married to a rich man named Grant. Can't say I cared for Grant that much... but I definitely understood how she ended up with someone like him. Billie is an unmarried, childless woman who has a hard time letting Cassie go due to an event that could land both of them in a lot of hot water if it was ever revealed. There were so many times where I was SCREAMING at Billie to dump Cassie as their friendship clearly wasn't what it used to be.

This book is told in dual POV (Cassie and Billie's) and multiple timelines (past and present). As an audiobook, this was not at all confusing and easy to follow. As the story goes on, I definitely could understand why Billie couldn't let Cassie go and vice versa, but still, I was team Billie the entire time. She deserved better than present day Cassie.

This is a slow burn, but it kept my attention the entire time. It's not exactly a traditional thriller, though Cassie's baby goes missing and also we are trying to figure out what secret ties these women together. Either way, I loved this book and think it would be perfect for book clubs as a discussion on female friendships.

I just realized this author also wrote "Tell Me Lies" which details a toxic romantic relationship and has become a hulu show. This author clearly knows how to write about toxic relationships.

Thank you Macmillian, the author and Netgalley for the advanced readers copy (audiobook) in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Billie and Cassie are those childhood friends who exist in a world where they imagine that friendship lasts forever. But as adulthood arrives, their youthful connection fades as both women work toward different futures. Cassie is an influencer and boutique owner who has achieved all of her goals: marriage & motherhood. Billie is single and driven in her career with no relationship and no desire for children on the horizon. As the two drift apart, a crisis occurs that bring them together.

This was an interesting commentary on so many things. The impact of social media on our lives. How women without children are judged and/or seen as missing something. The shallowness that accompanies so many of the desires that we have in adulthood. The desperateness of choices when things seem bleak. The impact of losing a parent on one's life going forward. All of these topics are woven into the plot that superficially is about the kidnapping and return of an infant.

This book kept me intrigued and makes me want to read more for Lovering.

I am going to start with the performances for these two women were so well done. They’re the reason I kept going with this book. Each voice matched the character perfectly. I, unfortunately, was mislead by the thriller tag and was looking for something faster paced. This is an exploration of toxic friendship, influencer culture, and motherhood. I felt the build up of this novel was really slow and struggled to understand why it needed to be so drawn out. I understand why Billie was attached to Cassie, I just wish therapy had been explored because she desperately needed the help. I also was not expecting graphic child sexual assault. I have tried this author before and I think I’m just not the right reader for her. I’m so glad people are loving this book and will be recommending it to the readers that I know that enjoy these types of stories.

Bye, Baby
By: Carola Lovering
4 👶👶👶👶

Billie and Cassie have been best friends since they were young. Now as adults Cassie’s baby is taken in the middle of a party.
👶
Cassie and Billie share a secret from their past. Billie did not have the best life. Could the disappearance of Cassie’s baby have anything to do with their past?
👶
Sometimes friendships change over the years as people grow in different directions which is the case with these ladies. Cassie has a privileged life with a child and Billie does not have children and her life is very different.
👶
A heart pounding psychological thriller that will have you on the edge of your seat. Available March 5, 2024.

❓ Have you ever lost a friendship that you cherished?
#byebaby, #carolalovering, #stmartinspress, #bookreview, #bookstagram, #stamperlady50, #macmillianaudio, #netgalley

This is a slow-burn character study that tracks a toxic friendship from high school through early adulthood. Perfect for fans of dark women’s fiction, this may be a little too introspective and ‘ordinary’ for thriller purists, but it’s a very enjoyable read if you’re more interested in just a good story that pokes around at the human condition.

Premise - a trophy wife influencer’s 4 month old daughter goes missing at her 35th birthday party and then shows up again on her doorstep three hours later. Her ex-best friend did it. Why?

This book isn’t scary. Nothing too scary happens on page (other than a really awful, on page description of CSA) and we know whodunnit right from the start. It’s more a study of obsession, what holds friendships together, and the various ways a person can be lonely and unfulfilled.

Fans of domestic intrigue, hypocritical influencers, and toxic friendships will eat this up!

Thanks, NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press, for the gifted ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Friends since childhood, Billie and Cassie have had an on again, off again relationship. Now, Cassie is an influencer and married to a wealthy man, and she’s ready to leave childless, single Billie behind. Because Billie knows the terrible thing that Cassie did, and she’ll do anything to keep that dirty little secret buried

Addicting!!!! This book is so freaking good. I read the ebook months ago this summer and once I saw audio available I had to reread through listening and I loved it! The narrator’s did a great job portraying Billie & Cassie. I love Lovering’s writing, it’s always so well done!

Bye, Baby is an addictive suspense novel (binged it in one sitting) that examines the toxic friendship between Cassie, a NYC influencer, and her childhood best friend, Billie. Told in dual POVs and timelines, you will get a glimpse of their friendship throughout the years, learn bout the deepest secrets that bonded them together, and the events that pulled them apart in the present. I think the author did a great job writing two morally gray characters. There were times when I loved Billie and despised Cassie and others where I liked Cassie and could not stand Billie’s actions. While they both made mistakes, I was shocked when I finished the book emphasizing with Billie and really did love the side romance storyline Lovering added. Along with that, I think the social media angle was realistic and powerful. Also, being a NYC resident myself, I loved the setting and found it easy to connect with all the places and landmarks mentioned. If you like audioboooks, def try listening to this!

Read if you like:
-Suspense novels
-Toxic friendships
-Social media influencers
-Dual and alternating timelines
-Unlikeable characters
-NYC setting

Thank you SMP and Macmillan Audio for the ARC! Pub date 3/5/24

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