I expected more from this book. The blurb had me anticipating a twisty suspense-filled plot. But it was nothing more than a toxic friendship drama with an unsatisfying end. ( )

Bye, Baby is the highly anticipated new novel by Carola Lovering. This is the first book I've read of hers, so I didn't know what to expect. What I got was a character-driven story about two friends who have drifted apart. I'm giving this 3 stars because I personally needed more plot, but I know there are a lot of people who will really enjoy this.

Billie and Cassie have been friends since they were teeneagers, with Cassie being the more dominant personality. She knows what she wants and isn't afraid to do what she needs to to get it. They've been through a lot together but now that they're grown ups, their lives have gone different directions. Billie is desperate for Cassie to let her back into her life, but Cassie just wants to move on. Then, Cassie's baby, Ella, is taken from their apartment during her 35th birthday party. Who would do such a thing, especially with so many people around? And what is Billie doing with a baby? How did she get here and how can she fix it?

Told from the perspective of both Billie and Cassie in the present and the past, I feel like some of the past was unnecessary. The chapters in the past featuring Billie and her ex, Remy, didn't seem relevant to the story. There was a romance storyline in the present, but her relationship with Remy seemed extraneous. For all of Billie's flaws, she was well-written. Cassie was rich and kind of obnoxious, so she wasn't really a character you could root for. The rest of the characters were pretty much side characters with not a lot of backstory and development. A definite slow burn focusing on just Billie and Cassie, the ending kind of left a little to be desired.

All in all, if you've enjoyed Carola Lovering's other books or like a character study, then you might enjoy this. I think since I like more plot-driven novels, I was maybe not the target audience for this. Check it out if it sounds like your type of story.

Thank you to @NetGalley and @StMartinsPress for a digital copy for review consideration. All opinions are honest and my own. ( )

I had a great time with this book! I have wanted to read Carola Lovering’s work for some time but this is the first time that I have picked up one of her books and it was a winner for me. The reader knows from the start who is responsible for kidnapping baby Ella, which is a fun way to let the story unfold. Billie and Cassie have known each other since they were children even though they aren’t as close anymore. After the kidnapping, Cassie only wants Billie around, not knowing that she is the one who took her daughter in the first place.

I was on the edge of my seat waiting for everyone to figure out what really happened and there were some pretty intense situations from Cassie and Billie’s past that we learn about as we work our way through the story. I didn’t dislike either of these 2 women but I did feel myself more drawn to Billie and hoped that she would figure a way out of the mess that she had put herself in. Billie has a lot of positive things going on in her personal life and I wanted to see her keep that momentum going.

I listened to the audiobook and thought that the narrators did a great job with this novel. Helen Laser’s and Karissa Vacker’s voices were distinctive enough so that I always knew which character’s perspective was being portrayed. I thought that both narrators did an excellent job of bringing the right amount of emotion into their reading which helped to bring the story and characters to life. I am certain that their performances added to my overall enjoyment of this story.

I would recommend this book to others. I was hooked by this story early on and couldn’t wait to see how things would work out. These two women share a long history and a whole lot of secrets and I enjoyed learning their background one layer at a time. I hope to read more of this author’s work very soon.

I received a review copy of this book from Macmillan Audio and St. Martin’s Press. ( )

Friends forever and then no more.

What happened?

We follow Billie and Cassie from their teenage years to adulthood.

Cassie is an Instagram star married to a wealthy man, and Billie flies around the world planning vacations for clients.

They haven't spoken for a while, but Billie misses her childhood friend.

The opening chapter has Billie with Cassie's baby - she had kidnapped the baby. Why? That definitely kept me reading.

I wanted to find out the reason why and what the kidnapping was for and what the non-revealed secret was that popped up from Cassie’s past.

But, BYE, BABY was not the thriller I was expecting but got good around 50% as things are revealed.

It was more about the lives of the characters and petty disagreements.

I enjoyed Ms. Lovering's other books and was disappointed in this book until half way, but it was worth the wait.

My original rating was a 3/5, but have raised it to 4/5 after all the revelations and the great ending.

Thank you to the publisher for a copy of this book. All opinions are my own. ( )

Title: Bye Baby
Author: Carola Lovering
Publisher: St. Martin's Press
Reviewed By: Arlena Dean
Rating: Five
Review:
"Bye, Baby" by Carola Lovering

My Thoughts:

"Bye, Baby" was quite a read that once you start reading [and it was a long read], you will not want to put it down until the end. From the characters, friendships, and twists and turns, wow, what a read this one was that will give one a lot to think about long after the read.

How did Cassie and Billie, best friends from high school, 's friendship turn so toxic? Well, all that is left to say is that this is what can happen when someone decides to poke in and try to destroy it all, and in the end...it happens. Was it the secret that broke them up, jealousy, or were they such opposites? Is this what happens when people grow up and change?

Be ready for a read that takes in a lot...from 'toxic relationships, messy friendships, motherhood, trauma, and toxic narcissism and much more' that you will just have to pick up this read to try to understand it all if you can.

I will stop here and say, pick up 'Bye, Baby,' and see how well this author gives it all to the reader. I didn't think this was a happy read; however, you know what you feel about this thriller. I was left shaking my head and saying what a friendship this one was. Okay, I will stop here.

I was given this book in exchange for my honest opinion. Thank you to Net Galley and St. Martin's Press for this ARC. ( )