Bree Cabbat wakes up in the middle night, convinced a witch was peering into her bedroom window. Surely it was just a dream, she thinks, trying to get over the bad feeling the dream leaves behind. But the next day she sees the witch again--a haggard old woman--at the private school her daughters attend. Minutes later, Bree's infant son, Robert, vanishes, stolen from his car seat while she watches her oldest daughter rehearse. There's a note left behind, and Bree is told she cannot go to the police or fail to the follow instructions whatsoever. A woman contacts Bree, and Bree learns the old woman is a mother herself. She has a task for Bree; Bree agrees to do it, for she would do anything to get her son back. But completing that request sets off a series of events that Bree could have never foreseen, unleashing buried secrets and disastrous consequences. And in the end, it comes down to this: how far will two mothers go to protect their children?

"I felt more than I thought, Something bad is coming for us."

Wow, MOTHER MAY I was an excellent thriller! I was sucked in from the beginning, and this riveting page-turner never let me go. It was surprisingly captivating and so suspenseful--Bree's son Robert is taken nearly immediately, and the rest of the book revolves around her frantically trying to get him back. As she does, she learns more about the woman who stole him. The relationship the two form over the phone is fascinating. Bree is one tough cookie, as is her friend from college, Marshall, a PI at her husband's law firm.

"If you ever want to see your baby again, GO HOME"

Bree was once a poor kid, raised by a fearful mother in rural Georgia, but she's now a wealthy wife and mother, having married an attorney with family money and connections. She's worked hard to push off her mom's fears and wariness and feels like that her picture perfect life has proved her right. But with Robert's kidnapping, she starts to wonder if her mom was justified all along. The novel deftly explores the theme of class. It offers some wonderful messages on the power of motherhood--no matter how wealthy you may be. It certainly makes you think: what would you do in Bree's situation? And the old woman's?

Perhaps not everything in this tale is plausible, but I could have cared less. I was here for all of it! It was incredibly suspenseful and twisty, with information oozing out and surprising you at every turn. I truly couldn't put it down. This is definitely a winning thriller in my book! 4.5 stars.

This book hits it out of the ballpark. I listened to the audiobook, and it kept me enthralled. I was hesitant at first, because the author is also the narrator, but I needed have had any concern. The writing and the narration are both exceptionally well done.

When Bree’s infant son disappears from beside her while she watches her daughter’s rehearsal in the school auditorium, she doesn’t know what to do. Her friend, Marshall, an investigator for her husband’s law firm and a former police officer, steps in to help. When Bree makes contact with the woman who kidnapped the baby, she begins to form a connection with her.

Slowly, she and Marshall begin to unearth secrets. There are many secrets. Several of them took me by surprise. The evidence builds, and phone calls with the kidnapper help them slowly begin to figure out when young Robert might be. Can they find him in time? The kidnapper sets a deadline and makes demands. Will they be able to figure it out in time to rescue Robert?

While the book kept me involved and guessing, the ending did not. I saw it coming from early on. The fact that I wasn't surprised didn't take away any of my enjoyment in this audiobook book.

I loved this book. I highly recommend it. It will keep you enthralled.

I received a copy of this audiobook from the publisher through Netgalley. I thank them for their generosity, but it had not effect on this review. All opinions in this review reflect my true and honest reactions to listening to this book.

I really loved Never Have I Ever by Joshilyn Jackson, so I had high hopes for this one. Never Have I Ever had a crazy and wild ending, so I was hoping the same for this one, unfortunately it missed the mark for me. I will be leaving a full review for this book on my Youtube channel come April, Heathersbookreview, but in the meantime I want to give you a short synopsis.

Bree has the perfect life, but one day her infant son gets kidnapped. She thought she saw a woman lurking around her house, and now knows this woman is responsible for kidnapping her son. Why her son? Why was she targeted? Is it something she did, or an action of someone in her family that has made the kidnapper behave the way they did?

I would not categorize this book as a thriller by any means, it is more of a drama. There aren't any twists or turns that you could predict, and the ending just fell so flat for me. This book touches on rape and abuse. I felt like there was too much "filler" in this book, and not enough current development of the story. Many pages in a row dedicated to the character's thoughts, but not engaging enough to be worth the length.

Overall this is a miss for me but I will continue to read Jackson's novels as Never Have I Ever blew me away!

In this wild domestic thriller, Bree Cabbat, mother of three, is about to act out the role of her life. Bree is at her daughter’s play rehearsal when all of a sudden her baby boy, Robert, vanishes. Left behind is a note from the “witch” she saw earlier in her window saying she is being watched and gives strict instructions on how to get her baby back safely. The kidnapper gives Bree one task, one that doesn’t seem too difficult to complete but ends up detrimental and leaves her in a network of drama and deeply buried secrets.
I want to start with some trigger warnings, I will not do these on every review but this was a pretty heavy book and I feel they are needed. TW: Child abduction/ murder and rape.
You will fly though this book with all of the twists and turns that leave you wide eyed and wondering. This was a story about revenge, deception, facing your past but also friendship while also covering sexual assault, gender roles and socioeconomic status and how that can play out unfairly. Like I said above, HEAVYYYYY but necessary. I will say at one point it was hard for me to keep reading, maybe it’s the mama in me but it hurt when baby Robert was stolen among other things talked about in the book but I don’t want to give too much away.
Thank you again for the advanced copy @HarperCollins and @JoshilynJackson

Joshilyn Jackson is a wonderful writer that doesn't seem to get the publicity that she deserves. Her books have characters that are complex and multi-faceted. I love the southern charm that she brings. This book was a bit suspenseful which made me not want to put it down. I highly recommend!

MOTHER MAY I begins with a fairytale-esque vibe when Bree thinks she sees a witch watching her through the window. Then, shortly afterwards her baby boy is stolen right from under her nose! The kidnapper left a note asking Bree to complete a task, which then entangles Bree in a web of tragedy.

This domestic thriller explores the idea of how far a mother will go to protect their child. I enjoyed the many layers of this one and how the themes of integrity, morals, and motherhood were explored.

While this was a suspenseful read, I felt like the kidnapper was revealed a bit early on so I wasn’t as hooked to see how the rest would play out. I also felt like the ending was a little too neat for my liking.

Overall, I’d def recommend this one if you’re looking for a suspenseful thriller!

Joshilyn Jackson...what a great author !!! If you love suspense books this is the one for you !! This book keeps you guessing until the very end...a great story and author...very highly recommend !!

I love Joshilyn and would read anything she touched, ever, period, for the rest of my life as long as we both shall live.

Loved it. I like the direction Jackson has taken with her last two novels. She writes a terrific domestic suspense novel. Cannot wait to read her next.
Thanks to NetGalley.

I’ve read every book by this author. This, by far, is my favorite of hers. It sucked me in from the beginning. The book kept me on my toes with some surprising twists!

Mother May I by Joshilyn Jackson is a parent's worst nightmare. You turn your back on your baby, nestles safely in its stroller for one moment and turn around and your precious child is gone. This isn't your normal kidnapping though. The kidnapper is a fragile old woman you've seen lurking around, but was dismissive. Now she's given you a cell phone and has specific demands. You must keep quiet and appease her all by yourself. And this old lady is out for revenge!

Mother May I
Joshilyn Jackson
Publication date 4-6-21
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This is a bone chilling psychological thriller that will keep you reading late into the night. Fast paced, I was drawn in immediately- Bree’s life is turned upside down when her infant son is kidnapped. Bree needs to follow the instructions and she will get her precious baby Robert back. Life spirals out of control as this story unfolds, Bree is willing to do anything to get her son back but is she really capable of what is being asked of her. Mother May I packs a good punch and twists but is also deep and thought provoking. This would make a wonderful book club read!

Sending a sincere thank you to William and Morrow and Netgalley for this ARC for my honest review.

Put this on your to be read list you will love it!!

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My first book by this author. Frankly it did not live up to the hype. The story was unbelievable and the characters were very
supportive in a situation that it was hard to believe they could handle. Also, I was disappointed in the cover which I had heard was approved by the author in a talk she did.

Thank you to William Morrow and Netgalley for an ARC of this title due to be published in the first part of April.

Bree has a happy and satisfying life with a wealthy, powerful lawyer-husband, two teen girls and an infant boy. One night she sees what appears to be a witch in her yard. Then she sees this apparition again at her daughter’s school

Then with her back turned for mere seconds, Bree’s son vanishes. The woman who kidnapped him calls and demands that Bree do her a favor at an office party in order to get her son back.

This story is about revenge and pay back, family, lifestyles and discovery. Who is this woman who looks like a witch or is at least very thin with sharp edges? It takes Bree and her friend, who is a detective, a while before they figure out what motivated this woman to take Robert.

At times the reader wonders whether or not Bree will see her son again. Other reviewers said the plot was “complex.” I didn’t find it to be so. Although it was compelling.

When it comes to thrillers, I’m very stingy with five stars because I’ve read a ton of them and the book has to have that certain something I can’t really describe, but know it when I see it. But I do highly recommend this title.

I received Mother May I as an ARC from NetGalley and I was hooked from the very beginning. The suspense continued to build throughout the novel, and it had lots of twists and turns. I fell in love with the main character Bree and her strong convictions, commitment to her family and her desire to make things right.

Bree’s life started out rough, being raised by a single mom without many advantages or much opulence. Her world changes significantly when she marries into a family with power, wealth, and strong connections. Her life is “prefect” in many ways with her attorney husband, 2 daughters and baby son and the world is at her feet. However, you get the sense that Bree doesn’t completely fit into this new world and hasn’t forgotten her roots. On one fateful day, her world shatters when her son is kidnapped and the fact that she hasn’t forgotten where she came from may be to her advantage.

As the story continues to unfold, we learn that Bree is willing to do anything to protect her family. We also unravel how the actions of her attorney husband, his fellow partner/cousin and another attorney impacted the kidnapping. Bree and her friend Marshall are the main characters who take us through the twists and turns of the events that led up to the kidnapping and you feel like you are right there with trying to beat the clock and save Bree’s baby boy.

Deception, revenge, honesty, integrity, and family are key theme throughout the novel. The novel’s ending seems to pull all the pieces of the story together and put a nice bow on it. Although the ending seemed a little too perfect, it was also the ending that I was really cheering for all along.

This compelling, shocking thriller will draw you in from the start! The premise of Mother May I is a bit different than other suspense novels I’ve read, and it is full of unpredictable twists. Jackson’s book is divided into three parts: mothers, daughters, and sons. The book weaves together the stories of Bree and her family along with that of someone surprisingly tied to her family. And someone who has something Bree needs. What lengths will Bree go to in order to make wrongs right?
There are some very chilling events in the book, and much to be unraveled from those we are presented with! The book really kept my interest & I couldn’t wait to keep reading and find out what happened & how things would turn out for everyone.

I really enjoy Joshilyn Jackson's books. This one was fast paced and kept my interest It really delves into what our perspective is, and how it differs from others reality.

This thriller follows Bree, whose infant son is kidnapped just feet away from her. She's then challenged by the kidnappers to do something to get her son back and well, it all unravels from there...

The action in this book starts immediately. Where some thrillers might give you backstory or character development upfront, Joshilyn Jackson put your heart in your throat from the very beginning and then unravels the plot and characters' history along the way, which I really enjoyed.

I received this ARC through The Book Club Girl Early Reads program and it's a perfect story to discuss with others! There's a lot to unpack--about women, motherhood and the depths we'll go for our children, the mistakes we make, and the inequity of consequences based on gender and money. And on top of those deep themes, the book itself makes you question what you would do if you were in the shoes of some of the characters.

Some plot elements I saw coming, one major one I did not. Definitely worth the read! Thank you again to The Book Clubs Girl Early Reads program, William Morrow and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this in exchange for my honest review.

In addition, I'm trying to add content warnings to my reviews, so here's what I would say to be aware of in Mother May I: addiction, child abduction/kidnapping, drug abuse, gunshots, gun violence, hallucinations, murder, overdose, rape, slut-shaming, trauma, workplace sexual harassment.

This one was excellent! This is one of those books that takes a sharp turn each time you feel you have figured it out. It also tugs at your mom heartstrings and I felt rather panicked throughout the book on Bree’s behalf. I couldn’t put this one down- I read 80% of it on a flight back from mexico, and then immediately picked it up once we got home because I couldn’t wait to find out what happened.

Bree turned her back for one minute, and her son was gone.

What could have happened? She found out soon enough. It was the woman who had been lurking in her yard and in the parking lot of the school that had taken him.

The woman who had her son had Bree doing things she never would have done, but she had to do them to get her son back.

She found out that even though she did everything the woman said including murder, her son was still with this woman and in danger.

Talk about tension...this book will have you biting your nails and wondering if someone else was involved in the plot or did it have something to do with a case her husband had been on? How could an old woman carry out this devious plan?

The terror Bree felt came through the pages. Just think how you would feel if your baby had been taken. Wouldn't you do anything to get your baby back?

MOTHER MAY I will pull you in and not let you go.

All the secrets everyone had and that were being revealed will have you not being able to put the book down.

So good - don’t miss it is my final comment.

This book was given to me by the publisher via NetGalley and print in exchange for an honest review.