Oh, how I love messy friendships and complicated relationships – especially when they involve characters you love to hate, and I got plenty of all of this in Carola Lovering’s gripping novel, “Bye Baby.” The story revolves around Billie West and Cassie Barnwell (now Cassie Adler), two women whose bond has been tested by time, secrets, and, ultimately, a devastating event that threatens to tear them apart.

Cassie and Billie became fast friends when they met at the pool in seventh grade. They were always there for each other, no matter what. Their friendship grew stronger during their senior year of high school when they faced a tragic event together, which they have not discussed since. Even in college, they attended schools close to each other and remained close. After graduation, they moved to New York and lived together in a small apartment. However, over time, their friendship began to fade. Cassie got married to an extremely wealthy man, had a child, and made new friends. She is now a successful influencer and business owner, with little time for her old friends. Unfortunately, Billie no longer fits into her life.

Billie works as a travel consultant and spends most of her time traveling to amazing destinations, putting together itineraries, and booking travel for her wealthy clients. It’s a great job, and even though she’s still single, she holds out hope that maybe, one day, she’ll meet the right guy. As far as her friendship with Cassie goes, Billie has no idea why Cassie started giving her the cold shoulder. She hopes that Cassie will eventually come around and things will be like they used to be. Surely, it’s just the stress of having a new baby -right? Her thoughts change, though, when one night, Cassie goes too far, and Billie – in a fit of rage – takes Cassie’s baby, and when she realizes what she has done, it’s too late to make things right – or is it?

In the very first chapter, we are plunged into the heart-wrenching moment when Cassie realizes that her daughter is missing, and the truth of what she has done comes crashing down on Billie. As the story unfolds in alternating perspectives, we are taken on a rollercoaster ride through the past and present as we witness the evolution of Billie and Cassie’s friendship from childhood to adulthood.

The narrative is bold and unapologetic, drawing the reader in with its raw honesty and emotional depth. Lovering’s writing is sharp and poignant, painting a vivid picture of the intricacies of female friendship and the lasting impact of childhood trauma. Lovering expertly captures the raw emotions, the unspoken resentments, and the fierce loyalty that can define a friendship. Through Billie and Cassie, she explores the ways in which women can both lift each other up and tear each other down, often without even realizing it. It’s especially sad to see here because the two shared a very special friendship and survived some harrowing experiences together – I wanted them to reconcile. I wanted them to find a way to make their friendship work.

One of the most compelling aspects of the novel is the way in which Lovering doesn’t shy away from the darker aspects of her characters’ lives, instead choosing to shine a light on them and explore the ways in which our dark sides help shape who we are. No one is perfect, and that fact is on full display here. All of the characters are rich and complex. I absolutely adored Billie, and I could feel her sadness over losing Cassie’s friendship, as well as the horror she felt when she realized what she had done in her moment of weakness. What’s even more delicious is that I knew I needed to feel bad for Cassie – and I almost did a few times – but deep down, she was such a horrible and shallow person that it was difficult to do so. I loved to hate her – and then we have Mackay – Cassie’s sister-in-law and new BFF. She embodied everything that I detest when it comes to privileged, shallow, rich, white women. I hated her so much! That just goes to show how skilled a writer Lovering is – when an author can make you feel so much about certain characters, you know you’re in good hands.

Ultimately, “Bye Baby” is a riveting exploration of the complexities of friendship and the profound effects of childhood trauma. While I felt things sort of fizzled out in the last three or four chapters (I was really hoping for a nice twist or a shocking conclusion), I was okay with how it all wrapped up because the ride was so much fun. Lovering’s narrative is bold, her characters are vivid and flawed, and her writing is both heart-wrenching and tense. This is a book that will stay with you after you’ve turned the final page.