Bye, Baby

What happens when you grow apart from your best friend … when life takes you in two different directions, and that person no longer makes a space for you in their world? 

For Billie, that has led to THIS moment: looking down at her ex-best friend Cassie’s sweet baby Ella sleeping in her arms as she listens to Cassie’s frantic screams from one floor above her. How did it come to this? 

Talk about a beginning! From here the story rewinds a bit, with chapters jumping between past and present.

Billie and Cassie met in seventh grade and were inseparable through young adulthood, despite coming from two different backgrounds - one of privilege for Cassie, and a more working-class upbringing for Billie. They supported each other through the good, bad and VERY bad, leading to a drastic choice that has both bonded them for life and conversely pulled them apart over time. Cassie would love nothing more than to escape her past, but for Billie, it’s not that simple.

Now in their mid-thirties, Cassie is living the dream-life she always aspired to: a wealthy, well-pedigreed husband, multiple homes, a new baby, a curated clothing boutique that bears her name, a squad of moneyed mommy friends and thousands of followers who savor her every move as an Instagram lifestyle influencer. Billie, on the other hand, is single, childless by choice, and working as a luxury travel consultant. She has a nice home, a new relationship with a cop named Alex and her own small circle of down-to-earth good friends. What she REALLY wants, though, is her best friend back. Unfortunately, Cassie is making it clearer by the day that she doesn’t want HER. 

So back to the beginning … why does Billie have Cassie’s baby and where does the story go from there? Let me just say the path to those answers is a fascinating read! 

I will warn that those looking for a mystery or thriller are not going to find that here. Honestly, it reads more like relational drama with a splash of suspense.  The story is narrated by Cassie and Billie, which was nice because, despite their character flaws (and they both had plenty!), I could see the complexity of their relationship from both POVs and understand their feelings, even if I often didn’t agree with them. I also appreciated that despite both MCs' occasional awful behavior, Lovering shows the reader two intelligent, capable women living their best lives, despite making very different choices regarding motherhood. It’s cool to see a book that gives voice to both experiences without showing preference!

All things said, this was a fun read that had me feeling the range of emotions and wanting the best for everyone by the end! Please read the content warning at the end, if you have any concerns, as the book does have a couple potentially upsetting topics for some.

★★★★

Thanks to St. Martins Press, NetGalley and author Carola Lovering for this DRC to honestly review. It’s due to be published on March 5, 2024.

 

CW: Early-onset Alzheimer’s, abortion, coercive sexual acts