Carola LoveringRecensioni

Was a great and intense storyline.

Too Good To Be True

One of my favorite things about a mystery book is trying to figure out the plot. Just when I think I have it all figured out and I'm loving and hating the so called villain to only then be thrown a curveball, well that is the understatement of the year with this book.
Too Good To be True is told from 3 different Point of views that had me so hooked I couldn't just put it down, had it not been for sleep I would most likely have finished it in one sitting. This story is so unhinged full of horrible toxic types of relationship that at one point I was questioning my own marriage. If these are things you love in mystery books, I highly recommend. I know it is also listed as a thriller but it's not a jump out of your seat - Boo type of book so for me it falls more towards mystery.

⚠️ There is a Sexual Assault scene, that I understand might have been meant to make the reader uncomfortable and believe me it made me want to hurl, so read with that in mind ⚠️

⚠️ Other warnings that may be triggering for some people:
- Substance Abuse
- Mental Illness
- Death of a child

over all this was a ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ read for me and I will look into reading more books by this author

Also Thanks to Book of The Month for having this book in their Selection.

The worst book I have read this year. By page 75 the plot goes from predictable to ridiculous. The characters are all unlikeable and one-dimensional - either golddiggers or pathetic socialites. The author seems to enjoy throwing out names of high-priced consumer goods, and repetitively extolls the beauty and glamour of the WASP lifestyle. At points, I was gagging. Really. The book was more Harlequin romance/chick-lit than a psychological thriller. It was an effort to complete it. What a disappointment! I can't believe it was chosen as a Book of the Month selection.

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.

For my psychological suspense readers you’re going to want to grab Carola Loverling’s Bye, Baby. An exploration of secure the bonds of youth that become uncomfortable as we grow older. It’s a story of privilege, the slow burn of jealousy, a curated life both mocked and craved. What would we do to get and keep the attention of someone when it’s gone?

This is the story of how 35 year old Billie West kidnaps her best friend, Cassie Barnwell’s, infant daughter. Somewhere between high school and their early thirties there’s been a shifting, a movement where Billie is no longer a priority to Cassie. While this is easily explained by Cassie getting married, having a baby, vastly different socioeconomic status, the underlying current feels like something different. Billie’s outsized reaction certainly gives a clue. Is it her unhealthy obsession, or is there something else going, perhaps both?

Told in alternate voices between Billie and Cassie Loverling expertly takes us between four POV’s: then and now for each Billie and Cassie. It’s incredible effective. I dual read/listed on ebook audio which is my absolute favorite way to read, giving me the best of both worlds! I never have to leave my stories behind. The audiobook is narrated by Helen Laser (Yellowface, The Second Chance Year) and Karissa Vacker (A Flicker In The Dark, Check & Mate). If you’re going to choose one format (and I have to choose favorites) go with audio on this one. The voice acting is so well done and adds the extra depth I’m always after in my audio experience. The nuances of this relationship is so well captured.

I binge read/listened to this one in a day. I couldn’t put it down! I recommend for weekend reading, something compulsively unputdownable. This is great to stick in your tote bag as you start to head out for sunny adventures!

Thank you so much to my friends at St Martin’s Press and Macmillan Audio for the early egalley and advanced listening copy via Netgalley.

Cassie and Billie were best friends. But as time has elapsed, Cassie has pushed Billie away. Cassie is a major social media influencer with tons of followers and Billie knows a terrible secret. Cassie just cannot risk it. Then the unthinkable happens. Cassie’s daughter is kidnapped and Billie is the only one she wants around her.

I love how the author creates empathy and compassion for Billie. Or rather, that is what I felt. Even though Billie made a mistake, my heart went out to her. I was so hoping it all turned out well…you will have to read this to find out.

If you can’t tell, I am not a big fan of Cassie. However, my heart went out to her when her baby came up missing….Genius writing, in my opinion. There were quite a few places in which my emotions didn’t know where to go. I definitely am looking up this author’s other books! I will be thinking about this one for quite a while.

The narrators, Helen Laser; Karissa Vacker…FANTASTIC! Of course, if you follow me at all, you know I love Karissa Vacker and she and Helen made a fabulous tag team for Cassie and Billie!

Need a good psychological and emotional thriller…THIS IS IT! Grab your copy today.

I received this novel from the publisher for a honest review.

1.75 stars. this was a bit much. a bit over the top, a bit i knew what was coming, a bit unhinged in a way i didn't enjoy as much as i wish i did, a bit not quite happy with the ending. it was propulsive and i didn't clock it all before it was revealed, but i wish it was better.½

I did not expect to like this as much as I did... I believe I started it shortly before bed, next thing I knew it was 2:30am and I was finishing it in one sitting. The multiple points of view worked well for the plot - if you were ever in college, chances are you'll be able to see yourself or people you knew in the characters.

I listened to the audiobook and read this title!! Thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio/Macmillan

Bye, Baby intricately explores the complexities of friendship and betrayal as Billie grapples with the guilt of kidnapping her best friend Cassie's infant daughter. Set in New York City, Lovering's suspenseful narrative/story keeps readers engrossed as they navigate the evolving dynamics between the once inseparable friends. With alternating perspectives and themes of childhood trauma, the novel offers a gripping examination of the lasting impact of women's choices on their relationships and the secrets that bind them.

This book was not exactly what I expected. It’s a psychological thriller, the story of Billie, and her childhood best friend, Cassie, told in alternating POVs between the two. Cassie was always there for Billie as she dealt with her mother's early Alzheimer's diagnosis and sexual advances by her skeezy stepfather. Cassie retreated as they became adults and Billie became obsessed with keeping them close. This book was not exactly what I expected. It’s a psychological thriller, the story of Billie, and her childhood best friend, Cassie, told in alternating POVs between the two. Cassie was always there for Billie as she dealt with her mother's early Alzheimer's diagnosis and sexual advances by her skeezy stepfather. Cassie retreated as they became adults and Billie became obsessed with keeping them close. Neither character is portrayed as particularly loveable.

I both read and listened to Bye, Baby and I recommend either format, but I lean toward the audio. Narration by Helen Laser and Karissa Vacker really drew me into the story. 4⭐️

Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press and Macmillan Audio for this complimentary ARC. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

I both read and listened to Bye, Baby and I recommend either format, but I lean toward the audio. Narration by Helen Laser and Karissa Vacker really drew me into the story. 4⭐️

Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press and Macmillan Audio for this complimentary ARC. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Warning this is a hard book to put down, you need to know how each of the events are going to turn out, and yes there there are answers forthcoming, and maybe not how you want or expected.
This page turner starts out with two junior high girls, Billie and Cassie, and the soon become fast friends, until!
This is a fast pace read, told from both girls/women's point of view, and you will soon be pulled into their lives.
Highly recommend this, if you like thrillers, this is the one! We are there for the outcome and consequences!
I received this book through Net Galley and the Publisher St. Martin's Press, and was not required to give a positive review.

This was a very good novel about a toxic friendship. I liked how it went all the way back to how Cassie and Billie first became friends and the chapters alternated between their present day relationship and its progression through the years. It was interesting to see both their viewpoints and both characters were well developed. Thanks to NetGalley for the digital ARC.

This was just bad.

Review of Uncorrected Digital Galley

While a festive birthday party for Cassie Adler is in full swing, baby Ella vanishes.

Cassie and Billie West have been best friends since they were twelve. But as Cassie pursued a life far different from her growing-up years, she distanced herself from Billie.

And Billie is obsessed with finding a way to return to that "best friend" status once again.

Cassie, married to uber-wealthy Grant Adler, is a social media influencer with some forty-nine thousand followers. She and Grant have recently had a child, four-month-old Ella. Billie, unmarried and childless [and determined not to become a mother], works as a luxury travel consultant and often jets off to far-flung exotic places.

Despite Cassie's indifference, Billie’s main concern is restoring the friendship she once shared with Cassie. But both women are holding secrets that could tear their worlds apart.

=========

Told in alternating voices and in both past and present timelines, the unfolding story examines changes in friendships as Billie and Cassie lives take them in different directions. Although the characters are well-drawn and believable, readers are likely to find it difficult to connect with Cassie in any meaningful way. She is the one who relentlessly pursues her dreams until they become reality . . . and the only person she truly cares about is herself. On the other hand, an obsessed Billie relentlessly seeks a way to take the friendship back to the one they had growing up but her dogged determination to pursue the friendship eventually becomes extremely paranoid and troubling.

The life-changing secrets held by the women, revealed bit by bit, help explain their behaviors; the backstory is most revealing as is the difference in the way each of them has coped with the past. Despite being frustrated by the behavior of both women at times, readers are sure to find themselves pulled into the telling of this tale of toxic friendship, trauma, and so much more.

Highly recommended.

I received a free copy of this eBook from St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley
#ByeBaby #NetGalley

4.5 stars- Let’s clear up the discrepancy of ratings. This book is NOT for those people who are hard laden thriller/horror junkies…if you go into this book looking for this you aren’t going to find it.

This book is more of a REALISTIC domestic suspense that would leave most people terrified if it were happening to you.

Hopefully that will help those choosing to pick this up because it’s really good and it should be picked up!

I loved the authors previous book, [b:Too Good to Be True|53137955|Too Good to Be True|Carola Lovering|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1607321994l/53137955._SY75_.jpg|75744540], and I couldn’t wait to get my hands on this one.
The power of your first true love as an adult can make people do all kinds of things and this is what you will find as the centerpiece of this story.
Love can be so many things to different people, but when a person feels that first love was stolen from them…all bets are off.

With some of my favorite narrators this was an awesome read.

This might be my new favorite book of the year! I love books told from multiple POVs and time periods and this book has 3 narratives. It reminded me of Gone Girl!

This was more of a mystery than a thriller and I couldn’t get enough of it, especially when you are hearing narratives from each character!

Heather and Burk were high school sweethearts and had made plans to get out of their small town and dreamed of being a success story.

Burk, now 46, with 3 kids nearing college gets laid off from his job and isn’t sure how to make ends meet.

Enter Skye, a 29yo trust fund kid, who has OCD and hasn’t had many relationships due to significance her disorder leaves her.

Burk and Skye fall in love and get married; however, did Burk only try to use Skye to get her married and share in her trust fund?

What does his current wife Heather do when Burk is found cheating?

This was a great light twisty book, that didn’t have any gore. It did keep me guessing though and I was shocked to find out what was behind the story!

Highly recommend!

I figured it out! I know exactly what these books are missing. . . more pages.
*sobs at how fast I read this book*

Regan's story takes us through another door, to an unknown world, teaching us that we never needed a savor in the first place. We just needed take a deep breath, analyses the situation and save our own damn selves.

It was magical, and excited. Full of character growth, and self actualization. In short, another fantastic installment of the wayward children.

I love how Seanan can take the most neglected children and give them the tool they need to become a well developed person. When each of these books are done, these kids that would have been bullies, abused, or neglected are shining brighter than they ever would have living in our modern day society.

The series is a testament to how every person has value, and a place in this world. We just need to be kind.

Note: Intersex Character. Trigger Warnings: bullying.

A lackluster thriller. Frustrating characters. The book wasn't all bad but it was nothing special. Forgettable.

Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for an ARC.

All I can say about this book is WOW.

A wild, unpredictable, twisted book. I've never read anything like this before. Just when I thought I figured it out it wasn't that.

Can't Look Away follows Molly, Nick, and Sabrina in a quirky yet crafty love triangle over multiple timelines to see how and if their worlds will ever overlap.
It was nice to have a. domestic thriller for a change where the focus is not all on "the crime". Although that aspect is very present, the timeline switch between different relationships and what happened to them was intriguing. The mysteries of what happened to these relationships were almost more solve-worthy than the crime itself and had better payoffs. 4.5 stars.

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC.

I received a complimentary digital copy of this book in exchange for unbiased review from Net Galley and St. Martin's Press.

Be prepared for a twisted, unexpected story when reading, Too Good to Be True. In March 2019, Skye Starling is a young, beautiful free lance editor of young adult fiction with a wedding to plan. She had never dreamed that she would ever find love due to her severe OCD condition which began after her mother died when she was 12 years old. It has been a source of constant stress and embarrassment for her preventing long term relationships due to her ritualistic behavior. Skye works from home which allows her to avoid people staring at her when she needs to knock on wood 8 times before exiting a room. Her father sold his profitable pharmaceutical company to J&J and so money has never been problem for the family.

She has some close, protective friends from college who understand her condition and help provide her with much needed socialization. It is on a girl's trip to Montauk Gurneys resort with her best friend, Andie that Skye meets Burke Michaels, a tall handsome, 47 year old. Despite her friends and family cautioning her not to move too fast, she falls head over heels in love with Burke after only dating 6 months. Meanwhile, there is another story being told via "Burke Michael's diary" beginning in September 2018 that proves to add a spin to the story. It seems that Burke Michaels is living two different lives in which he is also married to Heather his high school sweetheart. The question is which one is the "real" life Burke Michaels wants to live.

The story mixes the past with the present in which the truth is hard to discern. When Burke proposes to Skye she feels blessed to have found the love of her life. The couple seem to have an idyllic life when reality is exposed and everyone is unprepared for the fall out. What follows is an unbelievable web of truths and lies which are more convoluted than originally shared. If you love twisted, psychological stories then this is for you.