Thank you NetGalley for the eARC of “Mother May I” by Joshilyn Jackson!

I was hooked from the beginning and did not want to put this one down. A seemingly perfect family (mother, father, 2 daughters, and a baby boy) seem to have it all! The successful lawyer father heads out of town for work & the mother is left to deal with the kidnapping of her baby boy - also, unable to tell people what’s going on. A murder follows, and soon the past comes to light - nothing is as it seems in this story!

Twisty and terrifying right from the jump, this book grabs you immediately and refuses to let up. The description of this book only covers the first 20%, and the last 4/5 of the book are action- and plot-heavy while also having important things to say about privilege, revenge, and how well you can ever actually know someone. Recommended for fans of The Chain.

Raised in violence's shadow, Bree Cabbat finally feels safe: her husband—scion to a legal dynasty—has given her a life of privilege and protection. But when her infant is abducted, the kidnapper gives the mom-of-three one small task to get her son back alive, and it shatters Bree's world. There's vengeance and mother's love aplenty in this knife-to-the-throat thriller.

Mother May I by Joshilyn Jackson is a fantastic twisty thriller.
I really enjoyed the last book by this author, Never Have I Ever.
This book was twisty with complex, fleshed out characters.
The book was perfectly paced with an intricate plot .
Highly recommend !

When I requested this, I didn't really read through the plot. Then reading the first chapter or two, I found out that it involves a kidnapping of a child (so there's that for ❗❗ trigger warning). But unlike See How They Run and The Couple Next Door, Mother May I is a revenge plot.

Mother May I follows Bree Cabbat whose child was kidnapped and was then blackmailed by an old woman to do a simple task. From there, Bree together with her long time friend, Marshall, went through things and found out things about her husband that she did not expect. She asks him about this and he may or may not be telling the entire story or he may simply be telling the story based on his own bias perspective. Either way, she may need to reassess her relationship with her husband at the end of the day.

The story didn't exactly grab me from the get go. I didn't care about Bree nor about Marshall. And Bree's trust to the old woman blackmailing her is quite interesting although it doesn't seem like a smart choice but I do get it because of her fear/worry about her child. The fear aspect for the safety of her child didn't really feel as strong as how it was in any of the books I mentioned or maybe because of how I feel right from the beginning or maybe how it is written or narrated that there really isn't a threat to the child.

It did get better for me when part three of the book rolled in. I don't want to say anything since that would be ruining your experience with the book (unless you've read it elsewhere already. lol) but it tackles a somewhat sensitive topic although it's not really graphic, in my opinion, but it was mentioned and it's a pivotal part of the ending which I am not exactly happy about (because where is justice there?). None! None at all!

OVERALL, Mother May I is a suspenseful novel that deals with an important topic. It feels that it didn't really deliver much on the suspense side though although that could just be me expecting it to really put me on the edge all the time and being too nervous for the situation. I think that the story was generally okay though but the ending/resolution for the tragedy that went on just didn't feel enough or right for me.

I'm a big Joshilyn Jackson fan and this is one of her best. Along with the mystery that kept me guessing,, comes a novel full of female empowerment and the importance of doing the right thing.

How far would you go to get your child back from a kidnapper? I know readers will just read book nonstop and I recommend this!

How far would you go to keep your idyllic life and save your son? As a mother, I would go to the ends of the earth. I could relate to Bree in that I would do anything.
Bree grew up with a single mom in a small town. Her mother always warned her that there was danger all around but Bree with her rich husband, beautiful daughters and new son did not heed the warnings. She first sees the old woman through her window and is not sure if she is truly real until she spots her again at her children’s school. In the blink of any eye, her son has disappeared and all that is left behind is a
note forcing her to hurry home alone. This woman has taken her son and in order to get him back, she is told she must do something that seems odd but not awful. But, when she performs the deed, she realizes that it is so much worse than she was lead to believe. This action sets in motion a chain of events that could leave her perfect life in shambles including the why of it all!
Action packed, didn’t see the ending coming but not disappointed! definitely would recommend!

A super domestic psychological thriller with a not surprising ending which was however cleverly developed..The novel is divided into three sections, Mother, Son, Daughter all relating to one story concerning a wealthy woman, born poor, who must endure a devastating loss. In the first section we learn of her upbringing, what has shaped her and the kidnapping of her son, In the second section the main reason for the kidnapping is revealed through painstaking investigation . In the third section more unbelievable reasons are revealed.
How much do we really know about the people in our lives? Bree knows that her mother is a fearful woman who is always suspicious of others and pessimistic about everything. We know that Bree, coming from then”wrong side of the tracks” has been able to portray herself as someone she’s not. We find out that the past never really leaves you, which eventually helps Bree in dealing with the kidnapper.
Bree wakes one morning and thinks she sees a witch at her window. She then sees her at her daughter’s rehearsal. She has a premonition that something bad is going to happen and it does. Her baby boy is kidnapped while Bree is watching her daughter’s rehearsal. She is left with a note telling her to go home. She leaves immediately asking her former girlfriend’s widowed husband, Marshall, to take her two teenage daughters to her mother’s home.. When Bree finally makes it home she finds a bag with a burner phone and 6 mysterious pills. Waiting for a ransom call she is instead told by the kidnapper that she must follow specific instructions to the letter and if she does she will get her son back. She is directed to attend her husband’s fancy cocktail party and give these pills to her husband’s partner in their prodigious law firm. Her husband is out of town on business. Bree does as she is told and gives the partner the pills which she has been told are roofies which will make Spenser, the partner forget what will happen next. However Spenser actually has an agonizing death. She had met Marshall, the neighbor who had taken the girls home on the way out of the fancy reception which had delayed her immediate removal from the event.
When she sees Spencer’s death she is traumatized and Marshall takes her home along with another lawyer at the firm. Along the way she confesses what she has done in order to save her son. The three of them plan how to proceed with her son’s kidnapping because obviously the kidnapper has lied to Bree and can’t be trusted to bring her son home. This part of the book focuses on getting that information and subsequent calls from the kidnapper. It appears that the kidnapping might be related to something in her husband’s past and they pursue that suspicion. Here the novel becomes frightening with breathtaking twists.
This is a novel of the consequences of past behavior, relationships, revenge, class distinctions, privileges, power and youthful indiscretion.. All these issues are artfully explored..
I was spellbound throughout this fast passed novel.. I read it in one sitting and can’t wait to read more of this authors work.

Mother May I gripped me from the beginning and I couldn't put it down. This book follows Bree, who is the second wife of Trey and mother of three kids. She has two pre-teen girls and a newborn boy. After thinking she sees a witch in her bedroom window, her newborn is taken while she was watching her daughter's musical practice. She panics (obviously) but the kidnapper makes contact and tells her what she needs to do to get her son back.

Bree is willing to do anything to get her child. However, what she doesn't know is the chain of reactions that any action will cause. I don't want to reveal any more but the story goes beyond the kidnapping. Why target Bree and her son? Who took her son? Did events from the past shape the future?

This book is a great thriller with a touch of domestic suspense. Everything resolved in the end and came full circle

This book cover is stunning, and it’s good too! This one will pull you in keep you gasping, and doesn’t really let up until the end. Those factors always make for my favorite books! Also so many of the things that happened in this book caught me off guard too. Full of surprises and twists definitely give this a shot if you like plot driven action packed domestic thrillers. This is a book you will love to discuss and share with your friends.

I loved this suspenseful book. This is a new author for me and I look forward to seeing what is next for her. I found this book to be a well written story that pulled me in from the beginning. This is a story that has characters that are not only relateable but also bring a realistic feel to it. This is a story about how far you will go to protect your family and what is yours. Bree is a single mother who thinks she sees a ghost of an old woman. But what will happen when her baby comes up missing? The more she looks into this old woman she realizes that she and her have something in common. What happens when a woman contacts her? Could she really have something to do with her missing baby? How far will Bree go to get her baby back? Bree is a great character and she really made the story for me. She is a strong, determined mother who seems she will stop at nothing to get her child back. I truly enjoyed this book and highly recommend it.

Oh my! I spent most of this book with my heart in my mouth. MOTHER MAY I by Joshilyn Jackson was a suspenseful thrill of a ride that didn’t slow down. I found myself staying up way too late because I couldn’t wait to see what happened next.
How far would you go for your child? How well do you know your partner? How much can you forgive? These are the questions Bree is faced with. Why was she chosen by the creepy old woman? Can she put the pieces together before it’s too late?
There is so much in this novel and Jackson keeps the up the frantic pace as the story unfolds. I flew through the pages, unable to look away. I have heard good things, but it’s the first novel I have read by Joshilyn Jackson and it definitely won’t be the last.
Thank you to the publisher for an advanced reader’s copy of this novel. All opinions are my own and freely given.
#MotherMayI #JoshilynJackson #WilliamMorrow #TheBookClubGirls #SceneoftheCrime #CustomHouse

Whoa! First Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for a digital copy of the book in exchange for an honest review. Mother May I was a treat from start to finish. A real page turner that kept me wanting to read more. It was so good that it completely made me forget about her last book, Never Have I Ever! And that one was very good too!

This book had me wondering what was going to happen. It's a story of revenge that is slowly revealed as the story progresses.

Mother May I by Joshilyn Jackson is a fast-paced thriller involving kidnapping, blackmail, and murder. Bree is a mom of three, one of whom is a newborn son. One day her son disappears and she is told not to contact the police if she wants to get him back. From there the story begins to move right along with Bree doing everything she can to get her son back while also trying to unravel the mystery behind who took him and why. Read and enjoy!

“Trey had told me he saw our family as a bullseye after Anna Claire was born. The baby in the middle. Us around the baby in concentric circles. I realized now a bullseye is a target”

This was an emotional read about every mother’s nightmare,...you look away for one second, and your child is gone. This story follows Bree and the lengths she will go to to get her son back. Bree was a very likable character who deals with some unthinkable things. It’s a story about a mother’s love, loyalty, lies and revenge.

Thank you Joshilyn Jackson , William Morrow and NetGalley for the ARC.

3 solid stars! Thank you Net Galley for the ARC copy for my honest review. I am a huge Joshilyn Jackson fan. I've read about 80% of her books and although her style has transformed slightly, she still puts out some really good stuff!

Bree is a married mother of 3. Her two oldest daughters are teenagers and her baby, Robert, is abducted one day after Bree sees a 'creepy lady, almost witch-like' in her window. Bree lives a very comfortable lifestyle. Her husband, a lawyer, is out of town when the abduction occurs and she struggles with how to tell him that their baby is missing. Bree was specifically told not to contact authorities or police and to get Robert back safely, she must drug his cousin and best friend. With this on her shoulders, Bree decides to enlist her friend Marshall, an ex-cop and detective, to help her find and save Robert. The story continues with the discovery of lies, deception, and long-forgotten bad decisions of the past.

I really enjoyed this book, but it is not my favorite Joshilyn Jackson book. The book had me hooked for about 2/3 through and slowly dwindled after the climax. I still highly recommend reading it, but it does cover some pretty intense and sometime disturbing topics, including kidnapping, rape, suicide and drug abuse.

A fun fact about this book? If you listen to the 'Audible' version, it is read by Joshilyn herself!

Three and a half stars for this one!

This was my first Joshilyn Jackson book and it definitely will not be my last. What a wild ride this one was! I had an idea of where the story was going but really enjoyed seeing how it all played out. I also appreciated the end but almost wish there was a bit more hitting home of the points being made. (Hard to describe without spoiling).

Overall I recommend!

Thank you to Netgalley and William Morrow for the opportunity to read this in exchange for my honest opinion.

Whoa friends. Just, whoa.

At the beginning of Mother May I have to admit I was feeling pretty conflicted. People kept asking me how I liked the book and all I could say was , “I’m not sure yet”. I didn’t agree with how the main character, Bree, was handling the situation. I didn’t like her choices and didn’t entirely understand her motivations. And I felt that way until we got to the final standoff. The last quarter of the book really saved it for me and it will probably be an ending I think of for a long time. And yes, the ending probably wrapped up juts a little too neatly, but honestly I can’t think of any other way it could have ended.

Some important social issues get discussed and make you think about all the ways the world could be better and the work that must be done before we get there.