Bye, Baby: A Novel

Billie and Cassie have been friends for the past 23 years. Growing up the pair were inseparable. They were bonded by friendship, and a dark secret. As they grew older, they started to grow apart.

Cassie married a wealthy man from a high society family and started a family. She has also become a fashion influencer on social media. As the years have gone by Cassie and Billie have less in common with one another. Billie is a carefree world traveler, that is single and has no children. Billie is desperately wanting to reconnect with Cassie. She would love to be able to rekindle her friendship with Cassie.

The night of Cassie’s 35th birthday, Billie hears Cassie’s infant daughter crying from the party above. As the party is going on and no one is caring for the child. Billie decides to take the child and care for her downstairs away from the loud party. Cassie is hysterically trying to find her missing daughter. Now Billie has realized what she has done and now finds a way to comfort her friend in her time of need. What follows is how these best friends, ended up in such a dark place. Now Billie needs to keep the secret that she was the one who has abducted Cassie’s baby.

Even though there is a lot going on in the plot itself this is definitely a character-driven story and I did like that about it. This wasn't so much a thriller or suspense like I was expecting, but more of a toxic friendship and motherhood between two women. It is a slow burn, so if that is something that you like, I completely recommend this one for you. I like the premise of the book, I just wanted a little more of a thriller.

Bye, Baby by Carola Lovering will be available on March 5, 2024. A massive thanks to Netgalley and St Martin’s Press for the gifted copy!!

This was one hell of a book! I was addicted to finding out what happened the entire time. Obviously the giant mystery we know about but trying to figure out not only how things were going to end but how Billie and Cassie got to where they were in the present had me sitting on the edge of my seat the entire time. At first I was so confused how a friend like Cassie could be so cruel to a friend like Billie, but really she always was... It was such a screwed up friendship and frankly if they had met in another circumstance of life, they may never have been friends. It’s a very real thing with friendships to grow apart and it’s really sad so I felt for Billie the entire time. I loved the suspense this brought and reading it as an audiobook was gripping. I think the only thing I didn’t like was Cassie but overall I thought this was really well done.

This was a book club pick that I normally wouldn’t read not have read. I did enjoy the bit of suspense and the non-linear storytelling. I feel the ending was a bit strange and not what I was expecting. I would recommend to someone who likes mystery/suspense.

Loved but the ending was not even a little believable

What I liked: The depiction of NYC’s privileged and superficial social media driven young mothers, caught up in love-hate relationships. What I disliked: Why is this book promoted as a thriller? This was a coming of age story about two childhood best friends whose lives drifted apart as adults.