3.5 stars

Full disclosure: I LOVED _Never Have I Ever_, so I came into _Mother May I_ with very high expectations and was thrilled to receive access to the audio arc. While I enjoyed this work overall, there are a few elements that really hampered my excitement over time.

The m.c., Bree, experiences the kidnapping of her child in the beginning of the novel, and I still struggled to feel sympathy for her based on all other aspects of her personality. She is very serious about her acting life, which is...weird. I felt like she referenced it so regularly, and it actually started making me laugh with subsequent mentions. You're no Daniel Day Lewis, Lady. I don't think your acting chops are getting you through or out of some of these circumstances. On a distinct but related note, Bree and other characters spend a lot of time thinking and talking about rape. I really struggled with some of the language, portrayal of, and pontificating around this subject, so much so that it detracted from my overall enjoyment of the novel as a whole.

I do think many readers will enjoy this thriller, but it didn't give me the kinds of twists and turns I was hoping for from Jackson.

Mother May I by Joshilyn Jackson is a crazy, suspenseful thriller that will have you on the edge of your seat until the last page.

Bree’s infant son was taken from next to her when Bree looked away for a few minutes. In Robert’s place is a note saying Bree needs to fall all the instructions she will be given and not contact the police. Bree is provided a burner phone to talk to the woman that stole her baby. Bree learns the mysterious woman is a mother trying to get revenge for her daughter. Bree still has no idea who this woman is. What lengths will this woman make Bree go for revenge? What will Bree do to get her son back? Why is Bree involved?

Mother May I grabbed my attention from the beginning. This is a great thriller that I highly recommend. Bree would do anything for her family especially after an unknown woman took her son. Bree ends up doing things she would never usually do. Bree is given directions that will cause her to lose her son or someone else. Bree is struggling with what to tell her husband. Bree turns to Marshall, an old friend, for help. Marshall is a genuinely good person. He is an ex-cop so has useful skills to help Bree. I loved the story and could not put this book down.

I listened to the audiobook narrated by Joshilyn Jackson and loved it. I love when the author narrates the book because the reader really gets to experience the author’s emotions.

Thank you William Morrow, Harper Collins, Harper Audio, NetGalley and Edelweiss for Mother May I.

Bree Cabbat has come a long way from her humble beginnings in rural Heard County Georgia. She is married to a man she never could have imagined growing up. She has 3 beautiful children. She lives a charmed life until one day her whole world is thrown off it's axis. Bree's infant son is kidnapped right under her nose. How could this have happened to her in her perfectly insulated world? The woman who took her son says she can have him back... if she performs a simple task. Bree agrees. She would do anything to get her son back. ANYTHING.

We follow Bree as she sets about completing the task given to her by the kidnapper and as she tries to figure out why her? Why her son?

Joshilyn Jackson has a way of making her readers examine just how far they would go to save someone they loved. The pacing was just right. I didn't want to put it down. Would definitely recommend.

I have to say I went into this book expecting something completely different; the synopsis we are given is only a very small portion of the story and about 25% of the way in, it takes a completely unexpected turn. It got darker than I was expecting (which is not at all a bad thing) but I think readers will be misled if you’re expecting a book all about a mother following orders to get her baby back.
I had a lot of fun with this one, it was definitely very entertaining and fast paced, but there were times when I felt like there almost ~too~ many reveals being crammed in. Just when you think everything is wrapped up and solved, there’s still 70 pages left of the book.

Bree Cabbat is a Georgia stay-at-home mom who locked down what appears to be a perfect life. She married into a powerful, wealthy family much the opposite of her difficult upbringing by a fearful and struggling single mom. Her charmed life now includes a lawyer husband she deeply loves, two thriving teenage daughters, a baby boy, and the quintessential trappings of a southern woman of privilege.

That is, until the day Bree's infant son vanishes from his car seat and she is left with only a note and a set of instructions to follow. To save her son, she must do one harmless little task to satisfy the kidnapper's cryptic demands. But as Bree will discover, nothing she is being asked to do is what it seems and the consequences of her actions may destroy her family forever.

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As expected by the title, motherhood is at the heart of Mother May I. As a person who does not have children, the beleaguered and angry suburban mom trope often fails to connect with me. That's not to say I don't feel for characters put into desperate situations, but it doesn't send my anxiety into overdrive like it will for people who can relate more strongly.

In spite of the main premise not being a good fit for my personal tastes, I was engrossed by Mother May I and finished in just one day.

The author, Joshilyn Jackson, deftly kept up the pace of the story by weaving more than one mystery into the overall narrative. Yes, it's about a mother trying to get her child back from an evil person. But moreover, this is a story of the secrets people keep, the false fronts maintained and cultivated, and what revenge looks like to someone who has nothing left to lose.

There are times while reading I feared Bree would become conveniently stupid, simply to make it easier for the author to manipulate the outcome. Luckily, Jackson doesn't ever fully commit to that kind of misstep so tempting to thriller authors and their woman characters.

Instead, Bree struggles between staying in a bliss-filled lie, or confronting reality head on. The reader is drawn into her struggle and I found myself relating to her Catch-22 instead of writing her off.

At the end of this book, all readers are faced with the same moral dilemma as the main character: How much collateral damage is acceptable in the pursuit of fairness, truth, justice, and revenge? In her narration, Bree frequently reminds us that two things can be true. Mother May I lets readers weight the scales themselves about some very important and timely themes, without providing the answers.

4.5 stars, with my only quibble being parts of the conclusion. I understand it can be hard to wrap up things in a satisfying way, but the sudden stop and then a fast-forward so far ahead felt a bit abrupt. Still, a highly-enjoyable read I would recommend for anyone who enjoys fast-paced thrillers with a mystery component.

"Mother May I" by Joshilyn Jackson, Expected Publication Date: April 6, 2021.

My thanks to William Morrow, Harper Audio, and NetGalley for providing an advanced copy of this audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

Mother May I is one of Joshilyn Jackson's best! It's a dark domestic suspense novel that will have you dying to find out what happens next. It is based around the sentiment that a mother will stop at nothing to protect her child. A very unique and thrilling plot, with well developed characters and an engrossing storyline. I highly recommend this bone chilling novel!