This book was full of twists and turns and unlike your typical thriller those twists and turns brought the reader to have to face difficult topics and before I could finish processing bam we were off in another direction completely. This book tackles gender roles, sexual assault, revenge, unfair discrepancies based on socioeconomic status, kidnapping, and murder. I loved that the chapters alternated between the perspectives of the two main characters Bree and Marshall. Bree is happily married and the mother of three. She is grateful for the privilege she has married into because she was raised by a single mother and knows what struggling looks like. Marshall is one of her oldest friends who had been married to her best friend Betsy until Betsy’s unfortunate all too early death. When the unthinkable happens and Bree’s baby boy is kidnapped Marshall is the first person she reaches out to. This book is her journey of trying to regain her son while finding secrets she had no idea were buried in her husband’s past. This was the first book by Joshilyn Jackson I have read but it will definitely not be the last!

I enjoyed the thriller aspect of this book but I thought the ending went too far. I don’t want to give away the story but their are important moral discussions in this story and an ending that I thought was too neatly wrapped up.

Bree Cabot’s baby son is kidnapped from the car at her daughters’ private school when she looks away for a minute. The woman who kidnapped the child demands that Bree perform an act of revenge to get her baby back. She receives help from her friend to track clues in a frantic attempt to find her son. She discovers dark secrets and struggles with her willingness to do anything to save her child. This thriller has suspenseful twists, deception and morally questionable dilemmas. Though the actions held my attention, I found the characters to be unlikeable and the ending unsatisfying.

Thank you HarperCollins and NetGalley for my ARC of this twisty thriller. The book is the story of Bree Cabbat when her infant son is abducted while her husband is away on business. It follows Bree into the mind of what lengths a mother will do to save her child. Along the way, we learn of deceit and what we will do to cover it up when our loved ones are involved. This book kept me on the edge of my seat. A good psychological thriller. It was my second Joshilyn Jackson novel and I will definitely be reading more. I would recommend this as a quick read for all of those suspense lovers out there. Goes on sale 4/6/2021.

Non-stop action in this thrilling novel. I feel like this would make a rear movie. I really enjoyed the twists and trying to figure out the connections in this thriller.

I was very excited about this book as I have read many other titles from this author. There were many page turning scenarios but I felt confused by the turn of events and felt it was muddled.

This is the first book that I have read by Joshilyn Jackson and I would read another. It starts as a thriller with a kidnapped child and throws in some family drama. There was a strong main character, Bree. The book had a nice pace, I never felt like it was dragging. I just wanted to keep reading. The only thing I didn’t like was the title! Just didn’t fit.
I want to thank William Morrow and NetGallery for my ARC ebook.

I just finished Mother May I and WOW! This was my first Joshilyn Jackson book and I look forward to reading more. She took a situation that is not uncommon and put a spin on it that was fantastic. The characters were smart, interesting and, like all of us, had their own issues. This is a story about family, friendship and how choices we made when we were young can come back to haunt us. I highly recommend Mother May I and thank Book Club Girls and NetGalley for my copy.

This was my first Joshilyn Jackson book and it definitely won't be my last! Mother May I was a great psychological thriller - well written and suspenseful. The characters were very realistic - both likable and unlikable. Thanks to NetGalley and Book Club Girls for the digital ARC.

Mother May I by Joshilyn Jackson is a wild ride! This is a suspenseful family drama with a strong underlying mystery that kept me invested from beginning to end. This was my first Joshilyn Jackson book and wow did it impress! I was thoroughly hooked by the story and intrigued by the characters - I didn't like many of them but I still wanted to know everything. I wanted to know the why, the how, and the what is going to happen next every turn of the page. And boy were there some twists that had me raising an eyebrow.

I was provided both the audiobook from HaperAudio and an e-copy from William Morrow for review - having both versions of this book at my disposal, I was able to enjoy it by sight and sound. Both are excellent! The narration is fantastic! The writing is quick and easy to read! I highly recommend either the audiobook or the physical book - both are great - whichever you prefer, honestly.

Thank you NetGalley, HarperAudio, and William Morrow copies of this book for review!

I did not finish the book. I hardly ever quit a book in the middle of it, even if I can't stand the book, but this one I couldn't get into. I didn't enjoy the storyline, or the characters.
Just not a book for me!

Thank you NetGalley for an arc of this book. Joshilyn Jackson does not disappoint! Once I started this book, I could not put it down.

Bree Cabat grew up poor in GA. She was raised by a single mother who warned her about how evil the world was. She is happily married to a successful lawyer from a wealthy family. They have two teenage daughters and a baby boy. While at her daughters' school one day, her infant son was abducted. He was only a few feet away from her in his car seat. Bree will go any lengths to get him back.

This book is very suspenseful and does not let up.

Bree's life seems ideal until her son is kidnapped, leading her to question who she is and what she really knows about her husband and his past. In full disclosure, the first three quarters of the book deals with her son's kidnapping and just what Bree will do to get him back, being helped along the way by her old friend Marshall - who alternates telling the story with her. This is interesting, if not feeling average for a psychological thriller, the story of what a mother will do when her child's life is put in danger. But what causes her son's life to be put in danger is addressed in the final quarter of the book, and while the adrenaline may have eased up some, this is the meat of the book for me because it addresses a gray zone that can cause an unanticipated ripple effect in people's lives. Overall, the book is a little uneven. There are times where the story feels a little inconsistent, and there are characters that could play a larger role in the story that seem to slowly just get written out. This story is good, and had promise, it could just be cleaned up more to make it a really good book.

Thank you NetGallery for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.
A very enjoyable book! Joshliyn Jacksons' novels have always appealed to me because she incorporated more than just one genre, and blends then all together seamlessly for a complete story.

This is a story of a mother who is very near when her child is taken. This is not your average kidnapping, the plot continues to thicken as more of each character is revealed. "Secrets" about everyone are brought into the light and just when the reader can see the end coming, an additional wrench is thrown in.

The characters are all likable and the story moves swiftly, keeping the reader both engaged and guessing. Guessing both what will happen in the end, and as Ms Jacksons' novels so often ask us, "what would I do"
Loved this one and will purchase when released to give as a gift.

Bree Cabbat views the world as more positive than the mother who raised her to trust no one in this scary world. Marrying into a higher status Bree believes she’s left that world behind until she feels as if she is being followed and her son is kidnapped from the private school her daughters attend. This event begins the rollcoaster ride of how far and at what cost Bree is willing to go to get her baby back. The kidnapper contacts Bree stating she is not to tell her husband or the police if she wants her child back safely and she must fulfill certain demands in order to right a wrong in the kidnapper’s mind. Bree enlists the assistance of a lifelong friend and the two of them go on a journey of discovering who the kidnapper is and the motives behind the kidnapping. This is a haunting, twisty tale that will keep you wondering what’s next and how far a mother will go to protect her baby.

Very fun read! An exciting thriller that will keep you on the edge of your seat until the very last page!

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC of this book! The story drew me in right from the start. It started out with the main character seeing what she thought was a witch outside her home, from there the story took a differnet direction and turned out to be a good thriller with twists! I finished this book in a day because I could not put it down. I will definitely recommend! Looking forward to reading this author's other books!

JJ’s newest novel doesn’t take long to engage the reader.
When Bree’s baby goes missing, it’s a race against time to find her child. Motivated by Mothers instinct, guilt and panic, she is drawn into a ransom plot that turns deadly. The stakes escalate rapidly.
What secret is Bree’s marriage built on?
Mother May I is another great read from This author.

How far would you go for your child? This haunting psychological thriller explores the choices a mother would make to save her child from a kidnapper. The realistic domestic setting and characters portray the disparity between those raised with privileges and those without and how the choices we make in life have long term repercussions.
Bree is a homemaker whose life consists of juggling the challenges of two teenage girls and the demands of a newborn baby boy. Her husband, Trey is a successful lawyer from a socially prominent Atlanta family. Their seemingly perfect world is upended when their baby boy is kidnapped from right under Bree’s nose. A race against the clock ensues with chilling twists and surprises that will haunt the reader even after you put the book down.
This was my first novel by this bestselling author but it won’t be my last!

Sadly, this was not as good as I thought it was going to be. I liked the intriguing idea of a witchy character taking the main character's baby for some unknown reason. But this book follows the typical storylines once police get involved. I did like the ending, the book was underwhelming and mediocre in my opinion. 5 days I could have been reading something else. I also liked the cover.

All thoughts and opinions are my own. Thanks to Netgalley, Joshilyn Jackson and William Morrow & Custom House for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Available: 4/6/21