4 STARS

I was HOOKED from the beginning. This was an excellent thriller that grabbed my attention and held it until the end. I listened to the unofficial audiobook narrated by the author, Joshilyn Jackson. (She nailed it.)

After Bree's son is kidnapped, Bree is given directions to follow by the kidnapper, who she believes resembles a witch. Bree does anything and everything the kidnapper tells her to do to get her son back. Eventually, Bree turns to her friend Marshall, a former policeman, for help. I couldn't wait to find out what happened.

I've read previous reviews that this book was slow, or not as great as Ms. Jackson's other books, or not worth 4-5 stars. This was my first one by the author, so I can't vouch for that yet ("Never Have I Ever" IS on my shelf, though!) I think this one was well-done, and I plan to read more from this author.

Thank you to William Morrow, Harper Collins, Harper Audio, and Joshilyn Jackson for the ARC in exchange for my honest review. This book will be released on April 6, 2021.

I am a big fan Joshilyn Jackson and was thrilled to get this advance copy of Mother May I. The tension in this story is palpable and steady. There were parts of this book that felt a little unbelievable-like character choices. I also felt the ending was a bit too neat with a bow wrapped neatly around it. That being said I was consumed when reading it and anxious to see how everything would work out in the end. It isn’t my favorite book by Jackson but still an entertaining story. There are several trigger warnings. 3.5 stars rounded up to 4.
Many thanks to William Morrow, Harper Audio and NetGalley for the ARC.

This book started off slow for me but really started to pick up about 15% in. I’m not sure what I expected from this story. It was a good paced story and I enjoyed the narrator but I felt like the story just ended. I for sure will read another book by this author.

I was eager to listen to this book, as I’ve heard great things about the author’s narration. Mother May I did not disappoint—I was hooked to the point of being antisocial until I finished it. Beyond Jackson’s excellent narration that brought the characters to life, I couldn’t pull myself away from the plot twists and turns. I can already picture this as the next popular HBO series. Highly recommend to those who enjoyed Big Little Lies and Little Fires Everywhere. Trigger warnings for kidnapping, sexual assault, and drug addiction.

Bree Cabbat hasn't always been wealthy. As a child, she was extremely poor and her mother made sure to drill into her head that the world was a dark and scary place. Now a mother to two talented daughters, a new baby boy, and as the wife of a successful lawyer, Bree's biggest stress is focusing on interactions with her former best male friend and making sure to get her daughters to their practices. When her baby boy is kidnapped while Bree is sitting right next to him at a school play practice, the day right after a woman dressed in all black appeared in her garden, Bree finds herself in a panic. Her only clue is a note that tells her to go straight home and to call no one. Soon Bree is caught in a plot to take out a string of people, or risk never seeing her child again. Could Bree's husband's past be the secret that puts all the pieces into place?

Author and narrator Joshilyn Jackson is stellar in the book Mother May I. Not only does her writing capture the absolute panic of a mother separated from her young child, but her delivery of the audiobook captures the voice as well. I found myself absolutely on edge with this book, listening until the wee hours of the morning to get to the very end. Jackson's writing is creative, hard to predict, and the kind of original that makes reading a thriller (or in this case listening to it) an absolute blast.

Mother May I is available on audiobook April 6, 2021.

I am usually a big fan of Jackson's novels. I find the pacing, the character development and the plot intriguing and engaging, so I was really looking forward to this one.

And while I did read it all pretty quickly, this wouldn't be at the top of my Jackson novels. It's almost as if it's two books. The first one is the plight of a mother whose baby is kidnapped and she's doing what she needs to do to get her baby back and then the second book is the backstory of the kidnapper and the event that led her to it.

Either story, fully fleshed out might have been interesting but together it felt disjointed.

There are also several trigger warnings that go with this story, so please do look up those before you read it. I am not usually easily triggered but because the second part of the story felt so disjointed for me, I didn't see it coming.

Even with all that, I still read this story fast and wanted to keep reading to see what happened and why. As with many Jackson novels, the characters were real and the story moved at a pace that made it hard to put down.

with gratitude to Harper Audio and netgalley for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review

I absolutely loved this book. I couldn't guess the ending at all! I kept wanting to keep listening and in fact I did every chance I got. This is not the first book I have read from this author. I will continue to follow and read her.

Wow! This was my first Joshilyn Jackson book and I can’t wait to read every other one by her.

This book is a five star reading experience that should not be missed.

The cover is beautiful and catchy that made me want to read before I even knew the story.

I read this as an audiobook read by the author. This was the best audio experience I have ever had. Joshilyn Jackson is someone I now want to read all my future books to me! She was remarkable.

The story follows Bree who has her toddler Robert kidnapped while she looked away at her older daughter’s school.

Bree and her search for her child and answers keeps you wanting more and more. She is a very likable character that you just want her to find peace and comfort throughout the book. There is nothing a mother won’t do or trade for her child’s safety and happiness.

Thank you so much to William Morrow, Harper Audio and NetGalley for the ARC and such an enjoyable reading experience!

Thank you Netgalley for the opportunity to listen to this audiobook, it was utterly amazing. I think it will be one of my best books in 2021! It's the first book I've read by Joshilyn Jackson and it won't be my last. A life lesson that your past follows you into your future.
#goodreads

The narrator of this audiobook did a great job with the variety of character's voices and I was hooked from the start. Thank you for the opportunity to listen to this book in advance!

The main character, Bree Cabbat, was easy to connect with. She married into a wealthy and privileged family, which was very different from the way she was raised as a child. She is an understanding, cautious, gentle woman who cares deeply about her friends and family. When her son was kidnapped, she was forced to make difficult decisions to get him back. I really enjoyed how her character developed throughout the book as she navigated danger, fear and tough choices.

There were some dark parts (kidnapping, murder, rape) and lots of twists that kept me needing to know what was going to happen to Bree and her family.

While most of the book kept me on my toes, I thought the relationship between Bree and Marshall was predictable and the happily-ever-after ending fell a bit short for me after just finishing another thriller that had a very unexpected ending. I really enjoyed the character development, the unique setting and the plot twists throughout this book. I’m looking forward to reading more Joshilyn Jackson!

I liked this book a lot. I think it was different in the way the main character Bree connected as a mother through this and the bond between mother and child. The question of being defined for one mistake in the past to all the other positive things in your life is something that stuck with me. What would I do if I was in her spot? Would I be able to play all the different rolls she did? The reason I gave this a 4 over a 5 star rating is as much as I enjoyed the book I don’t think I would pick it up and read it again unless I have forgotten the story line. This story line is also hard to forget. Great book overall not your average thriller.

Review posted on goodreads.

Have you ever read a book that makes you think, Wow that's messed up? But also, what would I do in that situation? No? Well, here's your chance. Bree's son is taken, and to get him back, there are....conditions. My heart was racing for most of the book, but the ending was a bit too neat for me. Overall, though, this was a great read.

I was quite intrigued with the cover and premise, but unfortunately this one fell flat. I felt there were two stories; the first half lead right into Bree’s baby boy, Robert, being kidnapped. It was suspenseful and twisty because of the rules & tasks she had to follow. What extremes would mothers go to to get there kids back?! The second half felt different with new characters and mystery. It’s a bit confusing to follow and a bit long. Thank you to William Morrow, the author, and NetGalley for a gifted copy. This is my honest review.

I love books by Joshilyn Jackson, and Mother May I was no exception. She is generous with details and giving the plot fairly early in the story. The tension build is steady and does not feel rushed. And the twist is good, one I did not figure out. The characters are multidimensional and remind me of someone who could be my family or friend. The narrator for the audiobook did a great job of capturing the emotions of the characters and engaged the reader through the entire book.

***** I received an ARC from NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for my honest review. *****

Well written with good character development but very predictable to me. A woman’s baby is kidnapped and she is encouraged to do some unspeakable acts to get her baby back. But why? It honestly was a struggle to get through this. Too many twists and turns I was getting whiplash and confused. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced readers copy in exchange for an honest review.

4+ stars

Bree wakes up one morning convinced a witch was peering into her bedroom. Later on her infant son is kidnapped and Bree must do something in exchange for getting back her son.

I have read several Joshilyn Jackson books and she has a great way of building characters. Mother May I was a solid mystery that made you want to keep reading.

I ended up reading half and listening to half with an audio book. I liked listening to the author reading her book.

Bree Cabbat is secure in her role as the mother of three and wife to a successful lawyer. Everything in her life feels so solid, until her world comes crashing down. Her ten week old baby is kidnapped right from under her nose and the lady who took him isn't looking for ransom money, the way Bree had hoped she was. What this lady wants will require a lot more. Bree will stop at nothing to get her baby back but the price the lady demands will cost the people around her greatly.

uhhhhhhhmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm, this book was crazy. I requested this book from the publisher without even reading the synopsis because I loved Jackson's last book Never Have I Ever soo much... I maybe should have took a peak at what this was about before requesting it. I was driving my children around town when I got to the part where Bree's baby is missing and I had to shut it off until I could listen at home, with the children fully in my sight. Zero of my three children have ever gone missing, and how I would feel if this were to happen is something I only explore in my worst nightmares. I spend as little time as possible picturing this kind of scenario because I CANNOT IMAGINE but if I try hard enough I definitely could get close. This book fueled some of that imagining in a way that left me feeling anxious and barfy. No spoiler's, but this book does not take its foot off the gas until the very last little bit and even then it is a very slight decrease in speed. You have been warned!!!!!

Mother May I had all of the dynamics that made Never Have I Ever so good. Two women participate in a high stakes battle of wits and they both risk something. The similarities between these two books pretty much ends here, so don't worry! This did not feel like a recycled plot line to me. Where Never Have I Ever Explored two characters that the reader often struggled to empathize with due to their ruthlessness and shadowy pasts, Mother May I explored a completely different dynamic. I felt myself having empathy for both characters despite knowing better! I think the interesting part about Mother May I comes with the complicated understanding these two mother's share. They understand what it is like to have your heart flayed open by motherhood and in this vulnerable place, they find the common ground that equalizes them.

This is a fast paced page turner with some bite to it. I really enjoyed the journey I went through with these characters. If this were a horror movie, I would have watched it between the gaps of my fingers anxiously but this only added to the thrill! I received this on audio book and you should know, even if audio books aren't usually your jam, you might give this one a shot. Joshilyn Jackson narrates her own audio books, and she is a spectacular narrator. I love getting to hear audio books narrator by the author's it adds so much more to the story! Give it a try and let me know what you think!

4/5 stars

Content warning: content warnings may include spoilers so read at your own risk!!!
infant kidnapping, child death, murder, scenes of sexual assault and rape, drug use, addiction.


Thanks to Netgalley and Harper Audio, for providing a copy of this audio book in exchange for an honest review!

You can find Mother May I on shelves near you on April 6th!!!

Summary: Bree Cabbat has the perfect life; a loving husband, beautiful children and a nice home. But one night she sees a witch at her window and the following day her baby son is stolen from her car with a mysterious message containing instructions on how to get her little boy back. As she follows “the mother’s” instructions she finds that there is more to this diabolical plan than she first thought. Racing against the clock Bree tries to find the secrets that could lead them to her son and “the mother”.

My Thoughts: This is my first book my Joshilyn Jackson. I really enjoyed it. It started off with a bang and continued to have the same high drama throughout which can be hard to maintain. As the story progressed I didn’t know how the author was going to continue because the end seemed so imminent but then whole new mystery appeared. As more layers were added the suspense got even higher until the last chapter. I will finally read her other thriller, Never Have I Ever, which I have checked out numerous times but never read yet.

Listening to the audiobook I was a little annoyed at the readers voice. It was rather whiny but that could be because of the playback on the app. I liked the reader’s interpretation of “the mother’s” voice. It was witchy and creepy. And you need to stay focused while listening or you may miss something.

FYI: Great thriller!

TW: sexual assault/rape, death/murder, child abduction

Yeah. As you can see above, this is a HEAVY book. Much heavier than I expected, considering my first introduction to Jackson was The Almost Sisters and it was much more tame than this.

All that considered, this was still a good, intriguing, compelling mystery/thriller. The characters were developed well and I felt connected to each of them, whether it was through rooting for them or wanting justice to be served to them. There are many twists, turns, and developments during this story that I did not see coming, but very few of them felt unrealistic. I was hooked the whole time wanting to see how the story would resolve and that, to me, is a sign of a good book.

The ending felt a little too perfect, if I'm being honest. I'm not sure that that part was realistic, but it still gets a solid 4 stars from me and I will continue working my way through Jackson's backlog of books.

I listened to the audio version of this book and had such mixed feelings. The first half of the book really sucked me in and I couldn’t get enough. The second half however feel pretty flat for me. I got bored with it, and honestly it had so much potential but I was ready for it to be over. The narration was wonderful, and I thought the narrator was absolutely flawless in switching between characters. While this was by no means a bad book, it wasn’t great in opinion either.