Description:

Every friendship has its shadow.

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 anything to restore their friendship.

Adele’s Review:

I knew when the advance copy of Carola Lovering’s Bye, Baby arrived that I was about to read another exceptional novel by this gifted author. I could hardly wait to open the book. Lovering did not disappoint.

Bye, Baby brings us on the deep, dark psychological journey of childhood best friends, Billie and Cassie, whose codependent relationship is tested by time and circumstance. As teenagers, the friends are deeply scarred by shared trauma that alters their paths to adulthood. In their thirties, their friendship is tested again, and that test brings us to the heart of the story. Here, our ability to empathize with these women likely determines our enjoyment of the book. Even when we question their choices, Lovering does an outstanding job of showing readers how to understand Billie and Cassie. Whether or not we like them or agree with them misses the point of the novel. It’s our job as readers to see the world through the eyes of the characters.

Bye, Baby is largely set in Manhattan, where Lovering’s skillful use of setting and dialogue to shape her characters is nothing short of masterful. The dialogue sounds so real one can actually see and hear the characters speak inside our imagination. Lovering’s writing is that good.

As readers, we all know how important a satisfying ending is to a story, no matter the genre. I have to say that I *loved* the ending to Bye, Baby. It’s perfect. Carola Lovering gives us every reason to look for her next novel. Recommended.

Goodreads Link: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/5947319797

Amazon Link: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0C1X6VTTB