Carola Lovering

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.… (more)

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.… (more)

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.… (more)