June 2023. Said goodbye to this old Island Girl #byebaby #islandgirl_jku #bluejeep
April Reads! 📚🤓 Her Secret Life was my favorite read last month- an estranged family drama with a lot of twists and emotions. Her Daughter being a close second though- a secret kept from your childhood best friend, a secret that holds many many other secrets!! 😱 Honestly though the other books were all very good!! My least favorite was probably After The Rain- it’s heavy on religion and sort of made my blood boil at moments, but it wasn’t bad by any means. #aprilreads #goodnightbeautiful #aimeemolloy #aftertherain #lailaibrahim #hersecretlife #annaecollins #herdaughter #jencraven #byebaby #carolalovering #booksbooksbooks #bookworm #bookstagram #book #booklover #read #readmorebooks #reading #reads #goodreads #goodreadschallenge
BYE, BABY by Carola Lovering This is a story about two friends, Billy and Cassie, and how friendships change overtime. Friends who were inseparable when they were younger end up, living very different lives when they are older. The story is told with different points of view and partially in the past and partially and present day. There was a lot going on, but I did like the character driven story. I am determined to read more from this author. Thank you to @stmartinspress and @carolatlovering for the advanced reading copy. #smpinfluencers #byebaby #byebabynovel #newbooks #bookstagram #mbbookies🦬 #justread #booksbooksbooks #friendship #womenauthors #changingfriendships #booksiread #booksiread2024
𝑲𝒆𝒆𝒑 𝒊𝒕 𝒔𝒊𝒎𝒑𝒍𝒆 𝑨𝒍𝒍 𝒅𝒂𝒚, 𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒚𝒅𝒂𝒚 🖤 • #alphababe #alphaaesthetics #keepitsimple #allday #everyday #flexup #hatersgonnahate #keepgoing #fitnessmotivation #fitnessaddict #gymjunkie #lovemygym #owemylife #thankyou #alwaysandforever #fitmom #musclemommy #ibleedredandblack #icon #loveya #kisses #byebaby 💋
▫️𝐁𝐘𝐄, 𝐁𝐀𝐁𝐘▫️ 𝐓𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐤 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐭𝐨 @stmartinspress 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞 #𝐠𝐢𝐟𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐜𝐨𝐩𝐲! 𝗔𝗨𝗧𝗛𝗢𝗥: Carola Lovering 𝗣𝗨𝗕𝗟𝗜𝗦𝗛𝗘𝗥: St. Martin’s Press 𝗥𝗘𝗟𝗘𝗔𝗦𝗘 𝗗𝗔𝗧𝗘: 3/5/2024 𝘖𝘯 𝘢 𝘣𝘳𝘪𝘴𝘬 𝘧𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘯𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘪𝘯 𝘢 𝘕𝘦𝘸 𝘠𝘰𝘳𝘬 𝘢𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵, 35-𝘺𝘦𝘢𝘳-𝘰𝘭𝘥 𝘉𝘪𝘭𝘭𝘪𝘦 𝘞𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘴 𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘳𝘪𝘧𝘪𝘦𝘥 𝘴𝘤𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘮𝘴. 𝘐𝘵’𝘴 𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘭𝘪𝘧𝘦𝘭𝘰𝘯𝘨 𝘣𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘧𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘥 𝘊𝘢𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘦 𝘉𝘢𝘳𝘯𝘸𝘦𝘭𝘭, 𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘧𝘭𝘰𝘰𝘳 𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘷𝘦, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘴𝘩𝘦’𝘴 𝘫𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘭𝘪𝘻𝘦𝘥 𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘪𝘯𝘧𝘢𝘯𝘵 𝘥𝘢𝘶𝘨𝘩𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘩𝘢𝘴 𝘨𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘮𝘪𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘨. 𝘉𝘪𝘭𝘭𝘪𝘦 𝘪𝘴 𝘴𝘩𝘢𝘬𝘦𝘯 𝘢𝘴 𝘴𝘩𝘦 𝘭𝘰𝘰𝘬𝘴 𝘥𝘰𝘸𝘯 𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘰 𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘰𝘸𝘯 𝘢𝘳𝘮𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘴𝘦𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘣𝘢𝘣𝘺, 𝘳𝘦𝘮𝘦𝘮𝘣𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨—𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘢 𝘫𝘰𝘭𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘧𝘦𝘢𝘳—𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘴𝘩𝘦 𝘪𝘴 𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘱𝘰𝘯𝘴𝘪𝘣𝘭𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘬𝘪𝘥𝘯𝘢𝘱𝘱𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘩𝘢𝘴 𝘪𝘯𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘯𝘵𝘭𝘺 𝘴𝘩𝘢𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘥 𝘊𝘢𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘦’𝘴 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘭𝘥. 𝗠𝘆 𝗧𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵𝘁𝘀: Overall, this was a fantastic story. While not exactly a thriller, it had very similar vibes as Lovering’s previous book Can’t Look Away. This digs into the nitty gritty of friendship, and how they can change as we grow. The way my allegiances changed so frequently throughout the book did an incredible job of proving how nuanced relationships can be and how complex we are as humans. I truly could not put this book down! I found the ending to be perfectly imperfect, giving a satisfying conclusion while also being realistic. My only small issue is to do with the cultural references included. Billie and Cassie are written to be 35 years old, graduating high school in 2006. I am exactly the same age, so it was easy to know what was popular and relevant during different times in the book. I can only speak for myself, but Alanis Morissette, Prince, and Working Girl were popular well before I came of age. I feel like these references took me out of the story, because I could think of things that would have fit better. Otherwise, an absolute smash! #byebaby #carolalovering #stmartinspress #simonandschuster #thrillerbooks
Book review of Bye, Baby by Carola Lovering 👼🏼👯 Details: - Adult, female friendships - Set in New York - Multiple POVs - 352 pages This book bounces between two female friendships - present and past tense. Childhood friends are learning to navigate growing up and not being as close to one another anymore. Cassie’s baby goes missing which forces Billie to be there for her friend… MY REVIEW ✨ Bye, Baby was a quick easy read. I loved that this book was set in NYC and was up to date with today’s world - mentioning influencers, popular brands, etc. The characters were pretty hard to love. Everyone had their own thing that made me dislike them 🙃 I was hoping for some character growth during this book, but that didn’t really happen. There is a good plot with this book but I’d say it’s mostly character driven. Overall this was an average book for me! It was a good read, but nothing I’m obsessing over. Let me know your thoughts if you’ve read this book! #carolalovering #byebaby #botm #bookreview #readingreview #bookrecommendations #readwithme #readingtime
📖 BOOK REVIEW: Bye, Baby 📚: Contemporary Fiction? Suspense? Women’s Fiction? (352 pages) ⏰: pub. March 5, 2024 ⭐️: 3.75 for me, 3.80 on GoodReads 🎁: thank you to @stmartinspress and @netgalley for my digital copy! A story of fraught female friendships, deceit and distrust, and trauma bonds - there were some pretty interesting psychological layers to Bye, Baby! I definitely enjoyed the read, and there are definitely elements of suspense that propelled you along. I will say though that I have seen it billed as a thriller, and I do not feel like that is accurate at all 😬 Good book, but fair warning on that front so thriller hounds aren’t disappointed! I think one of the things I appreciated most about this one is that it didn’t drag on or return to the same “what ifs” over and over — or at least not nearly as much as a lot of these types of stories. It moved along at a nice clip all throughout. Have you read this one? #bookreview #bookstagram #bookrecommendations #byebaby #booksbooksbooks #booklove #booklover #bookloversofinstagram #readerlife #readersofinstagram #bookreviewer #bookreviews #bookrecs #bookrecommendation #bookstagrammer #bookstagramfeature #bookfeature
Starting to clear my backlog of book reviews in a short n sweet, but honest way, that is true to me. Also, every time I read the title of this book I can’t help but sing this song 😅 #bookaholic #bookwormlife #moodreader #whattoreadnext #needtoread #mustread #neverendingtbr #LynsiereadZ #thrillerbooks #byebaby #carolalovering
It's been 3 months since Bye Baby was released!! 🤯 It's my only tune on spotify to crack 1000 streams, and on its way to 2000!! You guys are amazing for listening to all of my tunes! And every stream helps the artist's dream!! PLEASE add me to your playlists so I can crack 1000 streams for my other songs, too!! 😇 I'll love you forever 😘 Bye Baby- Kailan Available NOW!! ❄️ https://open.spotify.com/track/60HqZWlogKj4M7QgXBjnAT?si=KbBDEk2MTdC0VL81xwshQA #kailan #byebaby #newmusic #breakupsongs #originalmusic #finalgoodbye #originalmusic #artist # #singersongwriter #singer #songwriter
📖Book Review📖 💭What are you up to this weekend? 🌼 … Bye, Baby by Carola Lovering 👶🏻 This mystery revolves around Billie West and Cassie Barnwell, two lifelong friends who have drifted apart in adulthood. When Cassie’s baby, Ella, is taken the night of Cassie’s birthday party, chaos ensues. It turns out Billie is the one who took (and returned) Ella…but why? Will Cassie find out what really happened? 🥀I really enjoyed this novel! It is categorized as mystery/thriller, but I would say it’s more of an exploration on toxic female friendships, motherhood, and dysfunctional relationships. I felt that all of the flashback scenes from the earlier days of Billie and Cassie’s friendship worked so well - I loved learning more about their complicated relationship, and many secrets were revealed as well. This was my first book by Lovering, and I was so pleasantly surprised by her style of writing. It’s very rare that the writing really stands out to me, but with this novel I would at times read a page and just think to myself about how good it was 😂 so fluid and captivating. The character development was also top notch. I felt so much empathy for Billie even though I disliked her actions. And I loved rooting for Billie & Alex’s relationship (even when Billie made it hard to!). I also liked all of the Dirty Dancing references 💃 Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ / 5 🌷My bookmark is from @alicia_marks_it! I loved being a rep for her this winter/spring 🥰💛
🎶Cue Bigger Than the whole Sky by Taylor Swift 🎶 Bye Baby by Carola Lovering ⭐️⭐️⭐️/5 This book was just okay for me. It fell flat and could’ve been 100 pages shorter. I did like how it highlighted the complexities of friendships as you transition from age to age, but other than that I agree with 2/4 @thereadheads on this one. What are you all currently reading or stitching?!? #byebaby #booksbooksbooks #kindle #kindleunlimited #booklove #booklover #bookaddict #bookaesthetic #needlepoint
Happy May! it’s been a chaotic couple of weeks 😵💫 and I honestly haven’t read that much! I’m trying to get back on the bandwagon && get better at taking the train because any of my Chicago friends joining me on a 2 hour drive to the city — rough right now… even with an audiobook or two! no power this morning, wet hair and missed the first train but we made it! 🤍🙏🏻🙌🏻 (have to practice timing 🚊 train schedules, lol) and finally sitting to read Bye, Baby by @carolatlovering my last @bookofthemonth pick. Which I’m also so so excited about my May pics from BOTM- will share soon! What are you currently reading? Share below! ⬇️ #chicagobookstagram #reads #readwithme #recommendations #bookreview #bookstagrammer #bookblog #readinginchicago #chicagoreading #chicagopubliclibrary #goodreadschallenge #bookofthemonth #booksparks #booksharks #readingchicagomay #2024books #2024bookreleases #carolaloveringauthor #byebaby
• A p r i l W r a p • It’s May already y’all! It’s officially summer now, and also time for those winter clothes to be packed up. Bay Area needs to really step up with its unpredictable weather!! 😭😭 I ended up reading 10 books (my TBR was too ambitious y’all, swipe to see 🤣) and pushed everything else to next month. 4 stars and above ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ : 📖 A Love Song for Ricki Wilde (𝟺.𝟻) 📖 Bye, Baby (𝟺.𝟻) 📖 Funny Story (𝟺.𝟸) 📖 Cleopatra and Frankenstein (𝟺.𝟸) 📖 The Great Divide (𝟺.𝟸) 📖 Mother Daughter murder night (𝟺.𝟸) 3 stars and above ⭐️⭐️⭐️ : 📖 The Broken Marriage (𝟹.𝟾) 📖 A fate inked in blood (𝟹.𝟻) 📖 One by One (𝟹.𝟸) Memoir : 📖🎧 Grief is for people QOTD : What was your favorite book from April? 📚 #aprilwrapup #aprilwrap #aprilbook #aprilbooks #apriltbr #griefisforpeople #cleopatraandfrankenstein #byebaby #alovesongforrickiwilde #afateinkedinblood #onebyone #funnystory #thebrokenmarriage #motherdaughtermurdernight #thegreatdivide #aprilrelease #aprilbookreleases
The books I’ve read so far this year ✨ I started the year strong reading wise and that all went down hill the last few months 😆 These are the books I’ve read so far this year. I loved: Maybe, Next time First Lie Wins One in a millennial Bye, Baby Listen for the lie Have you read any of these? What did you think? P.S. Scroll to the last pic for Tallula’s obsession 🎾 #bookstagram #bookrecommendations #booklover #booksanddogs #reesesbookclub #gmabookclub #bookstagrammer #firstliewins #oneinamillennial #maybenexttime #annpatchett #listenforthelie #byebaby #xoxocody
Bye, Baby by Carola Lovering Tell Me Lies is one of my all time favorites, so I was super excited for this one to come out! You won’t be able to put it down—it’s tense, relatable, and compelling. The story of friends who have grown apart has a lot of thrilling elements in it—including a briefly “borrowed” baby. For fans of best friend stories and tense secret-filled thrillers. Follow up with Before We Were Innocent (Ella Berman), What Lies In The Woods (Kate Alice Marshall), or by checking out Tell Me Lies!
🫖Caitlyn's Review💌 Genre: Suspense/Drama Overall Rating: 3.5/5⭐️ "And isn't that a requisite of loving someone-to grow complacent to their most fatal flaw? To suppress the urge to change them until it all but disappears?The practice resembles acceptance, but the process is more painful. It's more like sacrifice." Yay: This story did a fantastic job showing how a friendship forged in childhood can slowly rip at the seams in adulthood through awkward conversations, changing priorities, and different life paths. Amazing character depth to Cassie and Billie. I felt like I completely understood these very opposite characters to their core and how this misaligned friendship was very one-sided from the get-go. One character chose to overlook the fraying clues and kept attempting to repair the friendship while one was actively trying to tear it down. I will read more by Lovering simply for her character development skills alone. Nay: I wanted more comeuppance with Cassie's mean girl behavior. Billie trudges through life and never has her "breaking point" moment and I SO wish she did. Ultimately, the characters didn't change/learn anything and the climatic moment started very engrossing but faded fast in intensity and never picked back up.
Parole preferite ? Beh… follia e trasgressione ovviamente #lukewinwar #luke #longhair #longhairstyles #longhairboy #longhairguys #model #modelboy #modellife #modellifestyle #modeling #blueeyes #yesdaddy #underwear #underwearmodel #welcomemay #may2024 #like #a #diva #letsgo #everywhere #may2024baby #ck @calvinklein #calvinkleinunderwear #byebaby #inmy #pijama #sweetie
Hi guys! I’m Allison 👋🏻 welcome to my book corner! I want to use this space for any & all book talk - reviews, current reads, new releases, etc! I’m currently reading A Court of Silver Flames and Bye, Baby by Carola Lovering. Hopefully finishing up ACOSF this week! What are you currently reading? #booktalk #bookstagram #booklover #sarahjmaas #carolovering #byebaby #acosf
A perfect {sun burnt} April day 😎 along with my new facial spray by @sunbum which was such a refreshing treat that I just know I’ll be buying this on a weekly basis and a nice @modelousa because why not 🤷🏻♀️ it’s my day off! Started and about to finish @carolatlovering latest #byebaby and as per usual I’ll finish her book in a day 🥵👏🏽
Bye, Baby ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Might be a hot take, but I thought this book was far more sad than suspenseful. Life long best friends that drift apart as they grow into their 30s, while one of them is way more invested in the friendship than the other? Tragic 😭 I really liked the format of this book. It jumps between two different perspectives, as well as moving between the present and the past, but I didn’t find it hard to follow at all. And ending the first chapter with some drama before we even get into the story was genius. I HAD to keep going after that! It’s not the best book I’ve ever read, but it’s an easy read and kept me entertained the whole way through. ✨
𝐓𝐢𝐭𝐥𝐞: 𝐁𝐲𝐞, 𝐁𝐚𝐛𝐲 𝐀𝐮𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐫: 𝐂𝐚𝐫𝐨𝐥𝐚 𝐋𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝘍𝘰𝘳𝘮𝘢𝘵: 🎧 ⭐️⭐️⭐️ /5 The prologue, the prologue, the prologue! To say it sucked me right in would be putting it mildly. Childhood best friends, Cassie and Billie, have seen each other through everything, until Cassie leaves Billie behind for her fancy new life. Feeling Billie doesn’t fit into her life, Cassie focuses on her new baby, influencer status and fancy friends, until tragedy strikes and Billie is the only person she wants by her side. I was immediately invested in this story, the evolution of Cassie and Billie’s relationship, and how would all play out. Certain parts could have moved faster, and I didn’t think I loved the ending, but the more I sit with it, the happier I am with how it turned out. The audio was so well done, and I highly recommend investing some time into it, even if it’s just part time. This was my first Carola Lovering novel, but I’m excited to check out more. 𝐇𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐝 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐨𝐩𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐨𝐧 𝐚𝐧 𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐟𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐲𝐨𝐮’𝐯𝐞 𝐬𝐚𝐭 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐢𝐭 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐚 𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐭𝐥𝐞 𝐰𝐡𝐢𝐥𝐞?
🍼 bye, baby 🍼 Genre: Domestic Suspense Format: E-book/Physical 5🌟 - I loved it! Thank you to the tagged publisher for the #gifted copy! Expectations are everything, and I went in knowing Carola’s style of writing. I think that set me up for success for loving this one! Character-driven with poignant commentary on female friendships, influencers, jealously, loss, and full of buried down secrets from the past. I was eating this up when I was reading! I was so obsessed and sucked into the story that I NEEDED to know where it was going! I love the way she writes her characters, full of complexity and depth. Being dual timeline and POV made this story so much more dynamic and built the tension throughout the book. There was so much going on with the characters beyond the shocking plot, and that was masterfully done 👏. I am a fan of Carola Lovering! I am caught up on her backlist, and truly have enjoyed all of her books! Here is my current list of her books! 1. Bye, Baby (5🌟) 2. Can’t Look Away (4.5🌟) 3. Tell Me Lies (4.25🌟) 4. Too Good to Be True (4🌟) Have you read anything by this author?!
🌷Book•Review🌷 📖 Bye, Baby ✍️ Carola Lovering 🗓️ Available Now ➡️ swipe for synopsis With hardly anything in common, Billie and Cassie are connected by a gripping bond from their past. The two have known each other for most of their lives but have drifted apart; each living a different lifestyle. One is fully immersed in her life as a wealthy wife and mom and the other is happy to remain single and childless. This toxic yet comforting friendship made for an entertaining read. I’ve read my fair share of thrillers and the inclusion of a kidnapping brought this to a new level! Having read the author’s previous two books, I was expecting another devious thriller. While this storyline is captivating, it leans more towards a domestic suspense than the thrill ride I had hoped for. With that said, I loved the development of the characters and how the story unfolded. I’m looking forward to reading more from this author! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Thank you @stmartinspress for the e-galley and audiobook. 📸 flower pic taken in Santander, Spain earlier this month. QOTD: Are you good at keeping secrets? #byebaby #bookreview #suspensebooks #smpinfluencer #bookinfluencer #whatiread #bookreader #booknerd #alwaysreading #keepreading #readingcommunity #ebook #audiobookstagram #onmykindle #groundedinreads
Thank you St. Martin’s Press for the gifted copy of Bye, Baby by Corola Lovering! This book is available now. Wow. I liked this book a lot more than I was expecting! At first, I thought this was going to be a mystery/thriller, but I read several reviews that said it wasn’t, so I went in with different expectations. I am normally not a fan of character driven books, so I was hesitant, but I was blown away at how attached I got to both of the main characters, their friendship, and the story that unfolds as I read. Billie and Cassie are childhood friends, although their lives are very different in the present. Billie is single, and Cassie is married with a new baby. Cassie has other friends, and Billie is a bit of a loner, and doesn’t really fit in Cassie’s world. When Cassie’s baby goes missing in the middle of a party, Billie is the person she wants there. But Billie is hiding something... The chapters also flash back to the past, to fill us in on Billie’s past and why her and Cassie have such a strong connection even though they’re very different people. This really adds a layer to the plot that I wasn’t expecting, but I think it is necessary to the story. Bye, Baby is filled with lies, secrets, and toxic friendships/characters/relationships. It sucked me in from the first chapter and I flew through it faster than I expected. Tell me something fun you did this weekend! #byebaby #bookreviewtime #bookrecommendations #contemporaryfiction #bookstagramfeature #bookfeaturepage #booksandblooms #bookphotos #lovetoread
Bye, Baby by Carola Lovering 2.5⭐️/5 #byebaby #carolalovering #reading #review #journal #bookjournal #bookreview #friendship #toxicrelationship
⚡️𝗙𝗟𝗔𝗦𝗛 𝗥𝗘𝗩𝗜𝗘𝗪𝗦⚡️ I'm behind on reviews again so here's a round of quickies to help me get caught up. 💍 THE MARRIAGE SABBATICAL: With such a provocative premise - empty nesters give each other a pass to separately pursue their dreams and potentially other people for nine months - I expected more out of this one, but it was still an entertaining read. 👶🏻 BYE, BABY: I was immediately sucked in, but what I thought would be a gripping thriller about a kidnapped infant turned out to be more of a look at a friendship gone wrong, and the ending was a letdown. ✍🏻 FINDING MARGARET FULLER: Margaret Fuller lived a fascinating life and I'm glad I learned about her but the pacing of this book kept me from really enjoying it. 🎒 COME & GET IT: There's something about the snarky, observational way Kylie Reid writes that I love ("𝘎𝘪𝘳𝘭𝘴 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘣𝘰𝘺 𝘯𝘢𝘮𝘦𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘬 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺'𝘳𝘦 𝘴𝘰 𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨."), and this character-driven story set predominantly in college dorms smartly examines race, money, and friendship. 🏢 NOSY NEIGHBORS: I enjoyed the a curmudgeonly snoop in flat #2, the quirky pets and the cozy mystery in this heartwarming story of found family in a London apartment building. 🎙️ LISTEN FOR THE LIE: A thriller that totally lives up to the hype - a must-listen if you enjoy audiobooks! Thanks to @putnambooks, @librofm, @celadonbooks, @berkleypub, @williammorrowbooks, @stmartinspress and @randomhouse for the #gifted copies. 📖𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗼𝗱𝗮𝘆?📖 #bookstagram #bookstagrammer #bookreview #audiobookreview #byebaby #comeandgetit #nosyneighbors #findingmargaretfuller #mysery #themarriagesabbatical #listenforthelie #romance #historicalfiction #thriller #contemporaryfiction #romcom #booksbooksbooks #mustread #amreading #apringbooks #readingismycardiobookclub
Two reviews in one, both by the same author. One good, one not so much. [gifted | Thank you @stmartinspress] BYE, BABY by Carola Lovering Published March 5th ✨ 4 stars ✨ This was my first Carola Lovering book and I really liked it. It kind of puts off thriller vibes, but it’s a drama, a story of friendship gone awry. The big “mystery” is explained in the first part of the book, you just get the why and the aftermath as you read the book.. There are some heavy triggers, so check those if you need them. I enjoyed both main characters, flawed as they were. I couldn’t quite decide who I was “rooting” for, if you will. TELL ME LIES by Carola Lovering Published in 2018 Now a show on Hulu ✨ 2 stars ✨ Swipe to see my lovely photoshop skills with the cover of this one. Gawd, I hated this book. I decided to DNF it at 50%, but then an hour later the idea of not finishing bugged me too much so I pushed through. Every single character was so awful and unlikeable. I get that college is the time for a bit of experimenting and finding yourself but this book was nothing but toxic relationships, cocaine galore, eating disorders, and just ugh. I was NOT into it. And honestly the odds of the situation that ties this whole thing together, so ridiculously low. Ew, and StoryGraph put this in my romance genre column and that is gross. Anyway, that’s enough hate. I’ll never watch the Hulu show but I will continue to wear my Baird College sweatshirt. 🤪 All of this to say, I will absolutely try more of her books! I like her writing style, even if I hated Tell Me Lies
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ you know it’s good when you start and finish on the same day! I haven’t read a good thriller in awhile and this was just what I needed to get me out of a bit of a reading slump. Page-turning, suspenseful, and at times stomach churning, I thoroughly enjoyed this thriller about two childhood best friends whose relationship has seen better days. The commentary on class and the role social media plays in our society was particularly thought provoking and a harrowing reminder that what we see from others on Instagram is never the whole story. Read this one ASAP! 📚💔👯♀️
Ben je er ook bij de aankomende dagen? Bij de gallerie @naaiatelierhaarlem mijn eerste expositie met de tentoonstelling Rediviva. Verschillende werken zoals #byebaby , maud, dieneke, etc. De werken kaarten verschillende moeilijkheden aan die wij doormaken als mens en hoe dit zich kan uiten. Vormgegeven in sculpturen, fotografie, en performance. Ben je nieuwsgierig om mijn werk nu eindelijk in het echt te zien of wil je gewoon gezellig langskomen voor een drankje:) Kom dan aankomende dagen, 25, 26 of 28 april van 12:00 tot 17:00 langs bij mij in de gallerie in Haarlem! Hopelijk zie ik je daar;) #exhibition #sculpture #event
💙 Bye, Baby 💙 4 1/2 ⭐⭐⭐⭐💫 "The truth I've tried so hard not to see for so many years has finally forced me to look straight in the eye. Cassie isn't mine. She's never belonged to anyone but herself" This is by far my favorite Carola Lovering book. Once I started getting into Billie and Cassies friendship, I was hooked. The synopsis does this no justice. There is so much more then Billie kidnapping Cassies baby. The chapters go back from the very beginning of their friendship, and a secret they have kept from the world for so many years. With these girls, one friend cares about the other so much more. Its almost painful to see a very onesided friendship. Cassie is an influencer, and I love reading about that, but personally I thought she was insufferable. It was very accurate, talking about the validation one feels from hundreds of thousands of people "liking" "loving" and following your every word. The ending felt a little anti climatic, but not bad. Overall this was a really great book that talks about some serious issues, and two lifelong friends hitting their breaking points. Go into this expecting way more than what you think. There are no Trigger Warnings listed, but there is some heavy stuff talked about. This book had so many of my favorite topics: Toxic Friendships, influencers, stuck up rich housewives, past and present POV and my all time favorite, terrible people doing terrible things. #byebaby #library #librarybooks #books #newbooks #tbr #toberead #read #bookclub #bookworld #fiction #bookish #bookstagram #igbooks #booksofig #instabooks #instaread #bookphotography #blog #review #bookreview #bookcommunity #recommendation #bookrecs #bibliophile #booktalk #booksonbooks #bookthings #novel pppp00
🍼🍼🍼 Contrary to what the book flap might lead you to believe, “Bye, Baby” is definitely not a thriller and definitely a layered, psychological dive into friendship, motherhood, and childhood trauma. “Bye, Baby” centers around longtime best friends, Cassie and Billie. Trauma bonded from adolescence to adulthood, Billie desperately tries to hold onto a friendship as the two drift apart in their 30s. Billie is a single, middle class travel agent who is unsure if she wants children. Cassie is a new mom and influencer, enjoying the wealth and opportunity that come along with marrying into old money. As Cassie grows more involved with her group of mom friends, Billie sees Cassie less and less despite Billie’s continued efforts. Her hurt grows, culminating in Billie taking Cassie’s baby. This book was honestly somewhat triggering for me. As a 30 year old woman who is unsure if she ever wants kids, I really felt for Billie as she was watching her best friend move on in a sense. Cassie was consistently cruel to Billie in my opinion… but Billie does end up kidnapping her baby. 😳 Truly both Cassie and Billie were unlikable characters in need of a lot of therapy. I don’t know how I feel about this book & even more conflicted after listening to @thereadheads who were largely #teamcassie. Definitely let me know your thoughts if you’ve read this one! #byebaby #carolalovering #fiction #bookofthemonth #botm #bookclub #reesesbookclub #thereadheads #newbook #bookstagram #goodreads #greatreads #bookreview
Review: #ByeBaby Cassie’s baby is missing and the one person she wants to comfort her is the one person she’s been avoiding, her best friend Billie. I flew through this book! It is twisty, suspenseful and overall a really fantastic book! Definitely Recommend 🥑🥑🥑🥑 What are you reading this week? I’m hoping to finish a few books this week.
✨Bye, Baby✨ 🩷New favourite author alert!! I don’t know how it’s been so long, but this is my first book by Carola Lovering and definitely won’t be my last! I’ve actually already started another book by her! Shoutout to @thereadheads podcast for choosing this book!! I don’t even know how to describe this book, but it was so addicting! I feel like I say this a lot but there were times where all I wanted to do was read this book and sneak in a chapter or two whenever I could! If you like complicated friendships, drama, secrets, unlikeable and unreliable characters and multiple POVs then this book is for you!! There are also chapters that are told in flashbacks to get the full scope of Billie and Cassie’s friendship from a young age to navigating adulthood, relationships and motherhood. There were also a lot of pop culture and music reference, which I loved! The title alone is a reference to one of my favourite movies, Dirty Dancing 💃🏻❤️ my rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️✨ #bookstagram #booklover #🇨🇦reader #whatkaylareads_ #bibliophile #booknerd #bookcommunity #bookish #readmorebooks #alwaysreading #readersofinstagram #2024reads #ireadcanadian🇨🇦 #bookstagrammer #crimewithaclaw #byebaby #dirtydancing #readheads
bye, baby by carola lovering 4.5/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Wow, couldn’t put this one down. It actually got me out of a little reading slump. I absolutely loved the show Tell Me Lies, so was super excited to read this one. Definitely recommend!!! Cassie & Billie have been best friends since they were young girls. However, ever since Cassie became a wealthy social media influencer in NYC, Billie has been on the back burner and on the outskirts of the friend group. However, one night could change everything when Cassie immediately calls out for Billie, her truest, longest friend. Read to find out what happens & if these two will have a lifelong bond.
Bye, Baby Carola Lovering Rating: 2.5 ⭐️ Genre: Psychological Thriller (was not at all) Page Count: 352 Goodreads Summary: A missing baby. A fraught friendship. A secret that can never be told. On a brisk fall night in a New York apartment, 35-year-old Billie West hears terrified screams. It’s her lifelong best friend Cassie Barnwell, one floor above, and she’s just realized her infant daughter has gone missing. Billie is shaken as she looks down into her own arms to see the baby, remembering-with a jolt of fear-that she is responsible for the kidnapping that has instantly shattered Cassie’s world. So begins the story of Billie and Cassie’s friendship—both in recent weeks, and since they met twenty-three years ago, in their small Hudson Valley hometown the summer before seventh grade. Once fiercely bonded by their secrets, including a traumatic, unspeakable incident in high school, Cassie and Billie have drifted apart in adulthood, no longer the inseparable pair they used to be. Cassie is married to a wealthy man, has recently become a mother, and is building a following as a fashion and lifestyle influencer. She is desperate to leave her past behind—including Billie, who is single and childless, and no longer fits into her world. Hurt and rejected by Cassie’s new priorities, Billie will do anything to restore their friendship, even as she hides the truth about what really happened the night the baby was taken. My thoughts 💭: I hated it. Sorry but not sorry. The writing was fantastic and the storyline was pretty entertaining but the characters were unbearable. This was not a thriller at all, it was a story about toxic friends. I hated the amount of stress and anxiety it gave me (for no reason) and I hated Cassie. Carola Loverings story telling, writing-style, and flashbacks were AMAZING, that was the only reason I didn’t stop and throw the book away. The story was just horrible. I’m still having feelings of anxiety because of it, I hated the cringe and stress it gave me!! Not worth the read at all. #byebaby #thriller #books #bookstagram #newrelease #bookstagram #reading #bookaddict #librarybookhaul #bookworm #readmorebooks #bookstagrammer #ilovebooks
✨AUDIOBOOK REVIEW✨ What an exciting ride this tale was. This author knows very well how to write a tight and engrossing story. I love her writing style. This story is about two friends and their toxic relationship. This is a good mystery that kept my attention until the end. It goes back and forth from past to present. I can’t say that it’s a thriller but more of a drama suspense novel. I listened to the audiobook and the narrators did an excellent job. This was a very bingeable read and I highly recommend picking up this book if you like drama. 4.5 ⭐️ Short Summary On a brisk fall night in a New York apartment, 35-year-old Billie West hears terrified screams. It’s her lifelong best friend Cassie Barnwell, one floor above, and she’s just realized her infant daughter has gone missing. Billie is shaken as she looks down into her own arms to see the baby, remembering—with a jolt of fear—that she is responsible for the kidnapping that has instantly shattered Cassie’s world. So begins the story of Billie and Cassie’s friendship—both in recent weeks, and since they met twenty-three years ago, in their small Hudson Valley hometown the summer before seventh grade. Once fiercely bonded by their secrets, including a traumatic, unspeakable incident in high school, Cassie and Billie have drifted apart in adulthood, no longer the inseparable pair they used to be. Cassie is married to a wealthy man, has recently become a mother, and is building a following as a fashion and lifestyle influencer. She is desperate to leave her past behind—including Billie, who is single and childless, and no longer fits into her world. Hurt and rejected by Cassie’s new priorities, Billie will do anything to restore their friendship, even as she hides the truth about what really happened the night the baby was taken. #byebaby #carolalovering #audiobook #bookrecommendations #bookblogger #reader #readmore #bookreviewer #booksofig #bookpost #mystery #newbooks #bookaholic #bookreviewersofinstagram #canadianbookworm #thrillerbooks #suspensebooks
Another multi-timeline, mystery, trauma, friendship one for me, and wow, is it good? (Rhetorical question: it is good, yes!) I loved the author’s earlier book, #TellMeLies, and am equally hooked by this one, with its exploration of friendship, identity, status and motherhood in the digital age. What’s it about? On a brisk fall night in a New York apartment, 35-year-old Billie West hears terrified screams. It’s her lifelong best friend Cassie Barnwell, one floor above, and she’s just realised her infant daughter has gone missing. Billie is shaken as she looks down into her own arms to see the baby, remembering - with a jolt of fear - that she is responsible for the kidnapping that has instantly shattered Cassie’s world. Once fiercely bonded by their secrets, Cassie and Billie have drifted apart in adulthood, no longer the inseparable pair they used to be in their small Hudson Valley hometown. Cassie is married to a wealthy man, has recently become a mother, and is building a following as a lifestyle influencer. She is desperate to leave her past behind - including Billie, who is single and childless, and no longer fits into her world. But Billie knows the worst thing Cassie has ever done, and she will do whatever it takes to restore their friendship… #book #reading #mystery #bookstagram #ByeBaby #NewYorkCity #fiction #audiobook @carolatlovering
🎧 Bye Baby 🎧 Genre- Domestic Thriller. Length- 352 pages. My thoughts- Bye Baby was a fun audio listen, but I think calling it a thriller is a stretch. It’s not very twisty or fast paced, but full of secrets, family drama and toxic relationships. Do you ever sit down to write a review and realize you didn’t like a book that much? My immediate instinct was four stars, but after thinking about it— I’ve decided this one was a little meh! It was entertaining enough on audio, but I don’t think I’ll remember it. Three-ish stars! ⭐️⭐️⭐️ Do you have any childhood friends you still see? I’m close to two of my friends from junior high! #byebaby
Bye, Baby by Carola Lovering ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ QOTD: Can you read in the car? We are going to drive to Rehoboth today after school to spend the weekend. While I am not able to read in the car, I do listen to audiobooks. This book isn’t quite what I expected, but that ended up being ok. I thought it was more of a thriller. But you know pretty early on what is going on and what is happening, so that was a bit of a let down. But, what I enjoyed were the multiple perspectives and the multiple perspectives in different time periods. I loved that. I also liked the depth and the realization of the title of the book multiple times throughout the book. Just when you think you know what it means, another meaning is revealed. Such a good idea! Thank you so much to @stmartinspress for a gifted copy! #byebaby #carolalovering #thrillerbooks #newbook #arc #suspense #doublemeaning #bookstagram #bookstagrammers #bookstagrammers #readers #reader
I got this book from a #botm add on. I swear everyone was picking it and so I had to grab it last month. Old best friends Cassie and Billie go way back. As time has gone on their friends has faded some. During a party Cassie’s infant daughter goes missing and Cassie’s immediately wants Billie around as her comfort. Things start to unravel and the past get brought up. ⭐️⭐️⭐️ I enjoyed the book and it kept my interest but I also thought it was pretty anticlimactic. #byebaby #carolaloveringauthor #myster #reading #book #readingchallenge #bookofthemonthclub #bookstagram #goodreads
A new @carolatlovering book will always have me immediately drop what I’m doing so I can dive into another juicy story! With BYE, BABY the first chapter had me gone like a thief in the night. I couldn’t put it down and I absolutely loved this tale of a toxic friendship! The timeline of the friendship between Billie and Cassie had me completely immersed and like usual, Carola Lovering added that hint of mystery to the story that was executed brilliantly. I have loved every single book she’s released and this one is no exception. Carola, you’re always going to be an auto-buy author for me and I am so thankful that your stories keep me wanting to be a reader! Special thanks to @stmartinspress for this review copy! My casting choices would be: Haley Bennett as Billie West Rachel Matthews as Cassie Adler Cody Kearsley as Grant Adler Beau Mirchoff as Alex Jensen Justine Lupe as McKay Adler Morris Rachel McAdams as Lorraine Colin Farrell as Wade and Jon Bernthal as Detective Barringer
BYE, BABY by Carola Lovering When I read TELL ME LIES in 2019, I fell hard for Lovering’s storytelling. It’s gripping, anxiety-ridden, and compulsively readable. Since that first read, I’ve read all of Lovering’s books. While they’re often classified as thrillers, I feel like they’re more aptly described as books about relationships with a mystery element. Bye, Baby is the first book where the mystery was kind of flat, in my opinion. I found the story engaging and it held my attention, but the mystery was kind of secondary and didn’t feel totally believable. That being said, I think this book is an interesting take on what happens when friendships run their course and when something happens to draw a friendship-ending line in the sand. I also appreciated that the story is told in two perspectives — the friend who is desperate to get the friendship back and the friend who is ambivalent and kind of hopes the friendship quietly ends. Overall, I enjoyed this one but it wasn’t my favorite Lovering book (Tell Me Lies still has a tight hold on that title, followed by Too Good to Be True and then Can’t Look Away). I’d recommend it to readers who enjoy her work and like quick, engaging stories that have some mystery while focusing on interpersonal struggles. Have you read this one? What’d you think?! 💋
REVIEW Genre: drama, suspense Length: 352 pages My Rating: 4 stars Read If You Like: books about toxic friendships, you find influencer culture interesting, domestic suspense Any girl who has experienced a friendship breakup will enjoy this book. It’s messy and felt like a train wreck I couldn’t look away from. Bye, Baby follows the friendship of two women, leading to a shocking incident that brings things to a head. The book alternates POVs between the two friends: Cassie and Billie. The story alternates timelines between the present day and their high school years. The women, now in their 30s, have been best friends since childhood. Cassie is a new mom and married into a very wealthy NYC family. She’s also a lifestyle influencer. Billie is unmarried and feels left behind by Cassie. The toxic friendship storyline was so cringe but I loved reading it. It was…toxic. I kept flipping back and forth between which character irritated me more, Cassie or Billie. But all in all, I found it much easier to sympathize with Billie. I ended up liking this book a lot! For a character-driven story, it made a great beach read. Bye, Baby felt well-paced and chock full of moments that made me gasp and blanch. It explores the changing nature of childhood friendships, motherhood, and social media. There are some TWs (trigger warnings), DM me if you’d like more info on them!
Book Review 📖✨ Bye, Baby by Carola Lovering Thank you @netgalley and @macmillan.audio for the ALC and the chance to review it honestly. ** I read this before it released and never posted my review so here is it is… even if it’s a little late** I loved this book so much! I will not give anything away but I am kicking myself for not choosing this for my March BOTM box. *UPDATE: I bought a copy* I listened to this book every chance I got until I was finished. The whole time I felt bad for Billie, even if she made some reaallll poor choices. She actually ended up being my favorite character! I was completely entranced by this story and all of the drama! The female friendships are ridiculously relatable and I think readers and listeners will connect with this book on some level. Plus!! Anything Karissa Vacker narrates, I will 100% listen to. Both Karissa Vacker and Helen Laser did a fantastic job bringing this story to life. Bye, Baby is out 3/5/24. You’ll want to get your hands on this one! ❓if you review books, do you post every review? Happy reading 📖✨ #bookstagram #bookstagrammer #bookreview #audiobookreview #bookreviewersofinstagram #bbeccamarie #netgalley #macmillanaudio #stmartinspress #byebaby #carolalovering #bookrecs #bookrecommendations
🌟🌟🌟🌟Bye, Baby by Carola Lovering This multi POV dual timeline psychological thriller centers around a long-standing friendship that has changed with time. It starts with a reveal, but you won’t totally understand it until the story unravels. Sadly, I think so many of us will see people we know in Cassie and Billie, just not this extreme. But Lovering has captured the sadness and resistance to accepting a withering friendship. Two very flawed characters who are hard to like but perfect for this story. They exemplify the extreme but capture the essence of that messy friendship that so many of us have experienced. And while at times all the characters seemed petty and immature, the storyline had me glued to the book!! I listened to this one on audio as well. The narrations by Helen Laser and Karissa Vacker were superb! I loved these two together and they totally added to the enjoyment of the book! Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the #gifted e-book. Do you read more than one book at a time? What determines which one you pick up at a given time? 📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚 #ByeBaby #CarolLovering #NetGalley #AprilReads #DawnsReviews #womensfiction #thriller #psychologicalthriller #suspense #clearyourshelfchallenge #2024netgalleychallenge #audiobook #MacAudio2024
This one is in the LFL now! Stop by and check it out. #byebaby #freebooks #littlefreelibrary
It's been a WHILE but I'm going to try to get back into this #bookstathing. And what better book to mention the life change that stopped me from reading for awhile than #ByeBaby. Aren't those chubby little hands the absolute cutest? . I was too tired to read during pregnancy and I swear I started so many books and didn't finish any of them but I think I'm finally back! . I loved #mommydrama books even before I became a mom so this one didn't disappoint. Easy, quick read that was a little bit of a "thriller" but not too much because I'm really not a thriller fan. The book gives you the "whodoneit" fairly early which is interesting because then you the reader get to debate whether you want get to get caught. So fun! And so juicy if you like influencer drama. . I really enjoyed it and now this one is going in the @mozyonover.lfl to share with the neighborhood. I love when I finish one quickly enough that it's pretty new when it goes in. 🥰 . #bookofthemonth #booksandbabies #domesticthriller #domesticthrillerbooks #babyhands #bookishpost #booksaboutinfluencers #byebaby #carolalovering #bookishbabiesclub
Bye, Baby ⭐️⭐️⭐️ Released: March 5, 2024 Initially I was intrigued and wanted to get to the part where the baby was taken, but ultimately this fell flat for me. •unlikeable characters •toxic friendship •NYC based A missing baby. A fraught friendship. A secret that can never be told. On a brisk fall night in a New York apartment, 35-year-old Billie West hears terrified screams. It’s her lifelong best friend Cassie Barnwell, one floor above, and she’s just realized her infant daughter has gone missing. Billie is shaken as she looks down into her own arms to see the baby, remembering-with a jolt of fear-that she is responsible for the kidnapping that has instantly shattered Cassie’s world. So begins the story of Billie and Cassie’s friendship—both in recent weeks, and since they met twenty-three years ago, in their small Hudson Valley hometown the summer before seventh grade. Once fiercely bonded by their secrets, including a traumatic, unspeakable incident in high school, Cassie and Billie have drifted apart in adulthood, no longer the inseparable pair they used to be. Cassie is married to a wealthy man, has recently become a mother, and is building a following as a fashion and lifestyle influencer. She is desperate to leave her past behind—including Billie, who is single and childless, and no longer fits into her world. Hurt and rejected by Cassie’s new priorities, Billie will do anything to restore their friendship, even as she hides the truth about what really happened the night the baby was taken. Told in alternating perspectives in Lovering’s signature suspenseful style, Bye Baby confronts the myriad ways friendships change and evolve over time, the lingering echoes of childhood trauma, and the impact of women’s choices on their lifelong relationships. #byebaby #carolalovering #pubday #newbooks #marchreads #reading #readingallthetime #readmorebooks #bookstagram #booksofinstagram #readingforfun #readingforpleasure #bookreviewer #books #bookish #bookclub #goodreads
BOOK REVIEW ✨ Bye, Baby goodreads rating: 3.82⭐️ my rating: 4⭐️ genre: domestic drama *this is not a thriller/suspense about the book: -alternating perspectives w/ dual timelines -mainly focuses on character development -toxic, obsessive friendships -characters that aren’t always likable -childhood trauma -influencer main character -NOT A THRILLER 📢 -check trigger warnings or DM me ‼️ what i liked: -friendship dynamic -pacing: i was never bored and kept to pick it up -the deeper messages woven into the story -growth/development in the characters this book is probably not what you’d expect; it’s not a thriller so please keep that in mind if you pick it up! the author writes with a mysterious tone so you’re always kind of on the edge of your seat, waiting for the next thing to unravel... Bye, Baby tackles the aftermath of childhood trauma, how childhood friendships change and evolve into adulthood, and the choices women are faced with. i recommend going in as blind as possible. . . . #carolalovering #byebaby #newreads #newreleases #bookrecommendations #fortwayneindiana
Girly, you rushed through the baby phase in the blink of an eye. Just seven months ago, you couldn’t even walk, and now you’re calling us by our names and telling me to lift you up. Even my tuts have names now 😭🍒 #byebaby #hellotoddler
Bye, Baby. By Carola Lovering. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ I loved this book! I’m not sure what I was expecting when I started this one, but it was completely different than I thought it would be. This might be my favorite of the month so far. #byebaby #carolalovering #carolaloveringauthor #kindle #kindleunlimitedbooks #kindleunlimited #carolaloveringbooks #byebabybook #bookreview #bookstagram #books #kindleoasis #bookreviews #bookrecs #bookrecommendations #bookrecommendation #fivestarbook #fivestarbooks
✨Bye, Baby✨ Bye, Baby was not exactly what I thought it would be, but I still ended up really enjoying it! I was hooked from the first line and felt like this one was bingeworthy. I enjoyed the topics of friendships, relationships and social media influencers that were at the forefront of this one. I also loved the past and present timelines where we got to learn more about Cassie and Billie’s friendship and what ties them together. The ending wraps up things pretty neatly but I didn’t mind it! I was also kind of expecting more twists in this one but after reading it, I would say this is less of a thriller and more drama / suspense. Overall, I enjoyed this one and rated it 4 stars! If you are looking for a character driven domestic suspense book that focuses on female friendships and social media influencers with past and present timelines, check out Bye, Baby (out now!). Thank you to @stmartinspress for the advanced copy! #byebaby #carolalovering #SMPInfluencers #bookthoughts #bookstagrammer #bookblogger #bookfluencer #booksofinstagram #booksofig #booklover #readersofinstagram #bookcommunity #courtneysbookstack
So excited for my @bookofthemonth box! I got The Husbands as it is THE hot topic book on #bookstagram right now, and couldn't help adding several others as well. 🫣 I definitely need to institute a book buying ban, but we'll see haha. 😅 Have you read any of these? . #booksubscriptionbox #bookofthemonthpicks #bookofthemonth #botm #botmpicks #thehusbands #hollygramazio #killformekillforypu #stevecavanagh #byebaby #carolalovering #thewindfall #dikshabasu #newreads #newbooks
• A p r i l H o p e f u l s • * Swipe to see the list * I created this list in the beginning of April and just got around to posting it. So, even though the post is 12 days late, my list isn’t. 😂 Also, 12 days in, I know for sure there’s no way I’ll be able to get through this. 😭 I have been in a slight reading slump and my reading pace has been super slow. 😭😭😭 Anyway, with 18 days still left, I’m most excited about reading Funny Story! @berkleypub were amazing enough to provide me with an eARC and I’m so excited! 😍😍😍 Also, looking forward to The Husbands! It was a ‘Read w Jenna’ pick and the premise sounds too good! 😍 QOTD : See any favorites here? What should I pick next in this list? 📚 #aprilhopefuls #april #aprilbooks #aprilbook #alovesongforrickiwilde #funnystory #thehusbands #afateinkedinblood #tombsweeping #byebaby #anitademontelaughslast #motherdaughtermurdernight #themayorofmaxwellstreet #cleopatraandfrankenstein #wildergirls
Bye Baby by Carola Lovering mystery, suspense • ⭐️⭐️⭐️ Read this one along with @thereadheads! At its core, Bye Baby is a story about how friendships change over time. But there’s a LOT more going on, as we learn the story of Billie and Cassie’s relationship from middle school to mid-thirties. One night, Billie hears the terrified screams of her lifelong best friend, Cassie, coming from one floor above. She looks down to find Cassie’s baby, that she has kidnapped, in her arms. This book was definitely suspenseful and I was curious to find out what happened, but I personally felt like it was trying to do too much at once. I didn’t find any of the characters super likeable or want to root for them, and some parts of the storyline were a little too unrealistic. #bookstagram #bookreview #byebaby #carolalovering #mystery #mysterybooks #suspense #kindle #kindleunlimited
A story about childhood friendships, motherhood, being an influencer, but most of all it’s about a kidnapping. Billie and Cassie have a complicated friendship. Billie seems to be obsessed with Cassie and wants to go back to the way things were. Cassie is a new mom with new friends and feels as if her and Billie have drifted apart. Things take a turn when Billie acts on impulse and kidnaps her friend’s baby. The first half was a chore to get through. I struggled to read about Cassie and her frivolous friends. Billie also annoyed me with her obsession with Cassie. I wanted her to move on with her life. Things pick up in the second half and I actually looked forward to what would happen next. ⭐️⭐️⭐️ #byebaby #carolaloverling #bookstagram #readersgonnaread #readersofinstagram #bibliophile #booklover #booknerd #bookworm #fiction #fictionbooks #botm #bookofthemonth #avidreader #moodreader #readeveryday #thereadheadsbookclub
This is a great suspense drama surrounding a twisty, toxic friendship. Billie and Cassie have been friends since childhood. It is only recently that the two began to grow apart after Cassie got married and had a little girl. Cassie always knew she wanted to live a life of luxury but now she seems to be leaving Billie out of everything as she becomes immersed in the life of a wealthy, socialite mom. She has a following on social media that only continues to grow the more she posts her outfits, outings, and swanky events. One such event is Cassie’s birthday where her daughter somehow goes missing. It’s at this point that Cassie doesn’t want anyone but Billie. I loved the way this story jumped back and forth from the present day to their childhood so we could see how the two girls met and grew their friendship. They had one bonding experience in particular which has kept them close ever since. As we learn more about their past, we see how power structures shifted from one person to the next. Billie goes from seeming completely sane and normal compared to Cassie to appearing to be the crazier one of the two. Lovering had me wondering how everything would wrap up in the end. I was highly entertained the whole way through. In particular, I enjoyed the social media aspect and the discussions around the idea of opening up your life to thousands of people. The female friendship was sweet at times and toxic at others. It was a lot of fun to read from beginning to end. There is a different narrator for each woman and both did a fantastic job with the characters. They brought to life their very different personalities and helped to keep all timelines straight with zero confusion. I think having the two narrators enhances the crazy friendship these two had and would recommend it on audio. I had not read any of Lovering’s books before but will certainly have her on my radar from this point forward. I recommend this one to anyone looking for good suspense with a crazy story to go along with it. Thank you to @macmillan.audio for an ALC of this book. The opinions here are my own.
Bye, Baby was a suspenseful drama and captured the complexities and dark side of female friendships. The book follows two women who were best friends as teens and young adults who grew apart with time but were held together by a secret that both saved and ruined them. Thank you to @stmartinspress and @netgalley for the electronic copy. #bookstagram #byebaby #suspense #kindlepaperwhite #stmartinspress #netgalley #netgalleyreads #netgalleyreviewer
🌼 March Reading Wrap-Up 🌼 March was a decent reading month for me with 16 books read. I caught up on many gifted arcs and books and didn’t have any duds. I was on a big thriller kick last month… school kicked my butt and reading was my stress relief. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 📖🎧Not Your China Doll (Memoir)🌀 📖📱Ella (Fictional Biography) 🌀 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 📱After Annie 🌀 📱Dominoes 🌀 📖Hard By A Great Forest (HF) 🌀 📱A Great Country 🌀 📱Like Happiness 🌀 🎧Listen For the Lie 📚 ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 🎧Annie Bot (Sci-Fi) 🌀 📱Bye, Baby (Suspense) 🌀 📱The Woman on the Ledge (Thriller)📚 📱Hidden Pictures (Thriller) ⭐️⭐️⭐️ 🎧The New Couple in 5B (Thriller) 🌀 🎧The Followers (Thriller) 🌀 📱The House on Biscayne Bay (HF/Thriller) 🌀 📖The Inheritance 🌀 2024 Total Books: 39 🎧 Audio | 🌀 ARC/ALC/ #gifted book 📖 Print | 📱Ebook | 📚Book Club/Buddy Read Many Thanks to the publishers who gifted me print, digital and audio versions of this month’s reads. ❓Any favorite reads in March that I should add to my ever growing TBR? How was March (reading-wise) for you? #monthlywrapup #bookstagram #readersofinstagram #idratherbereading #bookishlife #theinheritance #thenewcouplein5b #agreatcountry #byebaby #listenforthelie #thefollowers #dominoes #hiddenpictures #thewomanontheledge #likehappiness #thehouseonbiscaynebay #notyourchinadoll #afterannie #anniebot #ella #hardbyagreatforrest #bookishlife
🍼Book Review🍼 ⪢ Bye Baby by @carolatlovering ⪢ Pub Date: 3/5/24 ★ 4/5 Is it a mystery? No. Is it a thriller? Also no. Is it a suspenseful, suck you in, can’t stop reading at 1 AM book…..YES! Add to your TBR is it’s not already there. 😉 Literally at 50ish%… I was like what 👏🏻 is 👏🏻 going👏🏻 to 👏🏻 happen!?! We get two points of view, two timelines, and two very different characters. Billie & Cassie have been besties since childhood but adult life,(and also the highlight reel of social media), has changed things. This toxic drama filled friendship is hanging on by a thread. One is desperately trying to hold on and the other wants nothing to do with her past. Like all relationships, they have to choose to grow together or walk away. 👉🏻Read if you like: •Childhood Friends •Friendship Drama •Secrets •Influencers •Dual Timelines •Suspense •NYC Setting •Trauma Bonding Thank you to @netgalley and @stmartinspress for this #gifted eARC in exchange for my honest review. 🤔 Ok…..gimme some book recs that are similar to this one! Also….do you love 🥥? I will swipe every Almond Joy I see. 😂 —————————————————— Bookstagram | Reader | Hobby | Book Review | Recommendation
✨ Book Review ✨ Bye, Baby by Carola Lovering! ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 / 5 stars Read this book if you: - enjoy dual POVs and dual timelines - ever had a childhood best friend you’ve drifted away from - watched Dirty Dancing a thousand times ✨ My Thoughts: This was well-written and hard to put down! I love the look into the life of an influencer, so I enjoyed that aspect to one of our central characters. I will say to go in prepared for more women’s fiction than a thriller - I wish we weren’t given the first chapter and left to wonder about the kidnapped baby as the story progressed. But I did enjoy this look into the dark side of women’s friendships and the bonds you gain and lose over time. Both characters are very flawed, so I could see the issues they had with each other, which made the story very realistic. Thank you @netgalley and @stmartinspress for the digital copy in exchange for my honest review! (I purchased the BOTM copy myself because I wanted it on my shelf 😉) 🌹📚
Bye, Baby by Carola Lovering - Review 📖 Genre: Drama/Mild Suspense ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ TW: yes, DM me! Read if you Like: 🏙️NYC 🫶🏼Relatable themes 🗣️Multiple POV ⏰Alternating timeline 🧍🏻♀️Character focus > plot focus 📱Influencer MCs ✨ This is another I rec. going in blind for! ☁️ Thoughts 📣 THIS IS NOT A THRILLER OR A MYSTERY. I think it’s super important to go into this one with correct expectations regarding genre. I still thoroughly enjoyed it, but think it has been marketed wrong, & I would’ve loved it even more had I know that. There is no mystery- the plot tells you exactly what happens, there’s no guessing. There is mild suspense, but other than that, this is mainly a drama about friendship, how friendships/relationships inevitably change as we age (especially for women), & how hard/devastating that can be at times. Though I had heard this book was wild/anticipated more thrill, & therefore was waiting on more dark & twisty turns, I did still enjoy the story & found it honestly so relatable. I understood part of how Billie felt; I had a hard time myself when certain relationships changed after college/when some of my best friends & I moved to cities hours apart, & therefore our relationship had to change a bit. The change of seasons can be so difficult, & I FELT for Billie in that way! It also hits on that feeling of “I’m behind in life” based on comparison to the lives of friends; again, I think this is something that SO many people, women especially, deal with all the time. This book was unique in that way it explored these topics, while also throwing in a bit of a crime/suspense plot line. Both female MCs were unlikeable, but Lovering does SUCH an amazing job with character development (her best writing feat. IMO!) that you find yourself rooting for both of them, in very different ways. I enjoyed the descending timeline of how the “present” was leading up to the day of the crime, & also equally enjoyed the past chapters that provided so much insight into their many years of friendship. I also loved how it touched on the influence of social media/the effects having a large “following” can cause. I recommend this one if you like a female drama!
💟Book Stamps💟 💭Do you own a book stamp or embosser? … Thank you so much @pickledstamps for my personalized book stamp! I love it so much, and there are so many beautiful designs to choose from 💚 I highly recommend checking out their Etsy store! Book stamps make great gifts for book lovers 🎁 🔖The fox & penguin bookmarks in this photo are from @alicia_marks_it! Use code ❄️TWIN15❄️ to save 🦊🐧 (they’re so adorable)
Bye, Baby by Carola Lovering. 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 When you just need a really good readable thriller- this is it! Super juicy, a few twists and turns, and as always… toxic friendships where nothing is as it seems! #byebaby #carolaloveringauthor #bookstagram #booksofinstagram #booksofig #bibliophile #booksbooksbooks #bookcommunity #readercommunity #bookaesthetic #bookphotography #bookishladiesclub #bookbabe #booklover #bookworm #thrillers #readmorebooks #readersofinstagram #bookish
Bye, Baby by Carola Lovering Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ On a brisk fall night in a New York apartment, 35-year-old Billie West hears terrified screams. It’s her lifelong best friend Cassie Barnwell, one floor above, and she’s just realized her infant daughter has gone missing. Billie is shaken as she looks down into her own arms to see the baby, remembering―with a jolt of fear―that she is responsible for the kidnapping that has instantly shattered Cassie’s world. Once fiercely bonded by their secrets, Cassie and Billie have drifted apart in adulthood, no longer the inseparable pair they used to be in their small Hudson Valley hometown. Cassie is married to a wealthy man, has recently become a mother, and is building a following as a lifestyle influencer. She is desperate to leave her past behind―including Billie, who is single and childless, and no longer fits into her world. But Billie knows the worst thing Cassie has ever done, and she will do whatever it takes to restore their friendship. #bookreview #bookstagram #booklover #clt #minibookreview #byebaby #carolalovering
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ {domestic drama} Thank you @stmartinspress for the #gifted copy of this book! A propulsive psychological drama with an added layer of complicated, fractured female friendships, this novel had me hooked right from the start and all the way through to the final page. Bye, Baby By: @carolatlovering ⭐️: 4 🌶️: 0 Pub date: March 5, 2024 On a fall night in a New York apartment,Billie West hears terrified screams. It’s her lifelong best friend Cassie Barnwell, one floor above, and she’s just realized her infant daughter has gone missing in the middle of her big birthday party— the birthday party Billie wasn’t invited to. Billie is shaken as she looks down to see the baby in he own arms, remembering—with a jolt of fear—that she is responsible for the kidnapping. Once best friends, fiercely bonded by their secrets, Cassie and Billie have drifted apart. They’re no longer the loyal pair they used to be in their small hometown. Cassie is married to a wealthy man, recently became a mother, and is building a following as a lifestyle influencer. She’s desperate to leave her past behind—including Billie, who no longer fits into her carefully curated world. But Billie knows the worst thing Cassie has ever done, and she will do whatever it takes to restore their friendship… Whewww. There is a LOT going on in this book. It uses dual POV and dual timelines to give the reader insight into both Billie and Cassie, not to mention their relationship of the past, and the one they have now. I loved this part of Lovering’s writing, because just when you thought you understood someone’s perspective, something else was thrown in to make you question things. There was a lot of bad behavior and was painful to read about the unraveling of their friendship, especially because I really despised Cassie and her terrible new friends! In fact, I wish them nothing but the worst in their future endeavors! Friendship, secrets, lies, jealousy, revenge… this has it all. It’s a fast read with sharp writing and excellent character development that’ll have you pulling your hair out! Read content warnings before you start! 🙋♀️ What are you reading right now?