Many thanks to my friends at @stmartinspress and @macmillan.audio for the #gifted copies of this book. 

 

Suspenseful and easy to get lost within. 

 

🤨 If you walk off with your best friend’s baby, is it really kidnapping?  

 

That’s not a spoiler.  It’s the attention grabbing first scene in Lovering’s newest drama infused domestic suspense.  

 

Bye, Baby is a character driven novel that explores the gritty details of a friendship turned toxic.  

 

With dual narrators and timelines, the complexities of the relationship are examined in thought provoking detail.  From loyalty to obsession.  From devotion to superficiality.  There’s much to glean from this exposition, and I think that many will find it relatable in some capacity.  

 

Neither character is particularly likeable.  Early on, I found myself frustrated with Billie.  But at some point, the frustration melted away, and I began to feel empathy for her situation, even understanding her impulses and motivations.  Cassie, though…I found no redeeming qualities in her. But that amplified the intricacy of the situation all the more.  

 

The short chapters brimming with drama made this a quick read.  And the deeper themes regarding the impact of living with a sick parent (and eventual grief) alongside the trauma of sexual abuse created a thoughtful commentary.  

 

This was an addictive plot with a stark reminder: not everything is worth holding on to.  

 

🎧 With dual narration by Karissa Vacker (a fav!) and Helen Laser, both characters are distinctly brought to life.  The separate narration amplifies the best and worst within the friendship and harnesses the tension within the unraveling.