I was given an advance copy of Mother May I by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review, and all opinions are mine.
I am a big fan of Joshilyn Jacksons' books. I enjoy her style of writing and this book did not disappoint. It kept me on my toes. I was hooked from the beginning! Just how far a mother will go to protect and save their children? Two mothers do whatever it takes for their children. Both will stop at nothing, one mother is after revenge, the other is trying to save her child. Just when I thought the book was over (I listened on audio), it kept going. The ending wrapped up almost too perfectly in my opinion.

Spoiler-free review:
How far would you go for your child ?

Bree Cabbot is living a perfect life. Married to a successful lawyer from a wealthy family, still wildly in love and raising three perfect children in their beautiful home in an upscale community. Her whole world is about to be turned upside down.
After her ten week old son is abducted, Bree is hurdled into a living nightmare and she is forced to ask herself how far she is willing to go to get her child back and if the people in her life are keeping dark secrets.

This is the first thriller I’ve read in quite some time and I wasn’t disappointed. It’s well written, grabs you instantly and keeps your attention. The narration for the audiobook is also very good. Because it’s the author narrating we get to hear the characters exactly as she meant them to sound.

Years ago this book may not have affected me as it did today. With a young son of my own, it’s a punch to the gut at times... and as a parent, I will say I find some parts made me uncomfortable; I have zero desire to connect or sympathize with the kidnapper (especially after learning other things they’ve done) and Bree did a lot of that. And spoke of it often.
There are a few things in this book that just aren’t for me (unnecessary romance, some major Stockholm syndrome, a few things that didn’t add up) but overall I found it enjoyable and would recommend it to any fan of thrillers. I can see this book being a hit upon release.

Very well developed characters and an extremely engaging story. Well thought out and very suspenseful story line that keeps the reader guessing until the final twist! This is the book to read this year! Highly recommended!

Thank you to Harper Audio and NetGalley for a copy of this audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

This book started out at the typical trendy thriller . Revenge of a scorned woman, dragging another women into her crime for the purpose of punishment . Yet, as the story continues and unfolds the plot thickens. Is it as simple as that? Revenge? Find out by reading this well delivered and plotted out Thriller Mystery of murder, revenge and romance.

I listened to the audiobook of Mother May I as I exercised, gardened, house cleaned, even ironed because I did not want to stop listening to the book. Great story and Joshilyn Jackson is a wonderful narrator!

I absolutely loved this book! Fast-paced, with relateable characters, I felt like I was right there with Brie waiting on the edge of my seat to see what would happen. I stayed up way too late to see how it would end and was NOT disappointed!

I’ve rounded up, I’m at about a 3.5 for this one.
I loved the narrator of this book. I think she did amazing with fully gathering the important aspects of the book to fully grasp you into the story!

As for the book, I thoroughly enjoyed the first half of the book and think it dragged a lot towards the second half. I felt that this was going in many circles all while saying the same thing.

The overall story was good and think I enjoyed it more than I would have if I wasn’t reading the audio.

Thank you for the opportunity!

I have started to listen to tons of audio books lately bc you can multi task. Usually this isn’t a problem for me. This book did not grab my attention and there were many times I needed to rewind the story because I was thinking about other things.. It was very slow in parts and the narration did not add to the enjoyment. I found the narrators voice too high and shrill to read several different characters and sometimes couldn’t distinguish who was speaking or having thoughts. For once I actually think I would have enjoyed it more if it were a physical copy. The story was slow moving and even the tense or exciting parts weren’t all that entertaining either.

I've been a fan of Joshilyn Jackson since Gods in Alabama and just as with her earlier works, Mother May I doesn't disappoint. It's a pitch-perfect mystery with a harrowing plot that will terrify and enthrall all readers, especially those with children.

Jackson creates characters with as much heart as backbone, but the true beauty of novels such as Mother May I is that readers will believe anything - good, bad, or tragic - may happen.

Full disclosure, I listened to the audio version of this novel and the narrator added a dense layer to the characters that heightened the story with a fragile yet tenacious spirit that shouldn't be missed.

Mother May I was the first book I have read by author Joshilyn Jackson but it will not be my last. It was a well written suspenseful mystery thriller that captured my interest from the very start. There were many twists throughout the book. It grabbed me from the beginning and held my attention and curiosity until the conclusion. Joshilyn Jackson was very successful in building the level of suspense and consequences that occurred throughout Mother May I. I listened to the audiobook that was read by the author, Joshilyn Jackson. She read her book with the brilliance one would expect. It was easy and pleasant to listen to her read her own book. The characters were well developed and believable.

Bree Cabot was living the ideal life. She had married for love. Her lawyer husband had come from old money so Bree’s life was comfortable and secure. Her and her husband had had two beautiful and talented daughters before they were blessed with the birth of their son, Robert. They lived in a spacious and beautiful home and sent their daughters to an impressive private school and were able to afford them all types of private lessons. Bree appeared to have it all. She had come a long way from her humble upbringing. Bree had grown up poor. Her new life was comfortable and complete.

One day Bree noticed someone peering through her bedroom window. She was certain that she saw a witch. How could that be? Had she been dreaming and just thought she imagined it? Bree tried to put it out of her mind and dismissed it from her thoughts. Her husband was leaving for a business trip that morning. After he had left, she proceeded to get her family ready for the day. Bree’s oldest daughter had play rehearsal at her school so she ushered both her daughters out of the house and grabbed her young son. When Bree arrived at school, she noticed her deceased best friend’s husband there. He had brought his daughter for play rehearsal as well. Bree joined him by the window where she noticed the silhouette of the same woman who Bree had thought was a witch walking through the parking lot of the school. Could it be the same person Bree had seen through her bedroom window? Bree thought she was being silly. She settled down in the auditorium to watch her daughter perform one of the songs she would be singing in the play she was in. Robert had fallen asleep so she placed him in a row a few rows back from where she was seated. He was sound asleep in his car seat. When Bree’s daughter began to sing, Bree became mesmerized by her performance. Her full attention was on her oldest daughter. Bree was so proud of her. After her eldest daughter’s song was finished, Bree looked back towards sleeping baby Robert. Bree could not see or find Robert. Could one of her daughter’s friends have taken him somewhere quiet? They all loved to help take care of him. No, Robert was missing. He had been taken, kidnapped. Bree found a note where Robert had been. The note warned Bree that if she ever wanted to see her son again she could not call the police of her husband. She must follow all the instructions she would be given. The note told her to go home immediately. She got her deceased friend’s husband to take her daughters to her mother’s gated community. Bree knew her daughters would be safe there and it would give her time to figure this nightmare out. When Bree got home there was a bag hanging on her front door. Then she got a phone call from the woman who had kidnapped Robert. Bree was given implicit directions of what she had to do and accomplish if she ever wanted to get her son back alive. Bree was about to live through the worst nightmare she could have ever imagined. Could she accomplish all the things this woman wanted from her? She had to. Bree had no choice if she wanted to get Robert back.

With so many unexpected twists and turns I was unable to tear myself away from this captivating and scary mystery thriller. The first three quarters of Mother May I deserved five stars but because I felt the ending was rushed and predictable I gave it four stars. I wished the ending could have matched the intensity of the rest of the book. This was a book about deception, revenge, the merits of honesty and integrity, family, friendship and trust. I hope to go back and read some of Joshilyn Jackson’s prior books. I highly recommend this book.

Thank you to Harper Audio/William Morrow for allowing me to listen to this advanced copy of Mother May I through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Mother May I caught my attention of a loving mother who’s child is taken. It was unlike other thrillers I’ve read following the journey of this mother’s will to do anything for her child to be returned to her. Another mother in this book will to great lengths to seek revenge on those who have wronged her daughter. Even though it’s a triller and some very psychotic behavior, love of a mother is the focus. Thanks NetGalley, Joshilyn Jackson for the fun read.

A lot of people have been raving about this book and one of the most requested items at NetGalley so I took a chance on it.

I was able to get the audiobook and to be honest, I am not impressed with the narration. There could have been a more compelling narrator for the book. I just felt that, it felt a bit vain that the author narrated her own book (unless it is an autobiography). Add to that, the story didn't grip me the way that others have felt. Maybe I am not the "market" for this particular book.

This is an honest review and still would like to thank NetGalley and Harper Audio for this. Mother May I did not work for me but will definitely try the author's other works.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Bree Cabbat was raised poor in rural Georgia. But now, she has the life she dreamed of. She is married to a loving attorney with wealth, status and power. They have 2 daughters and a newborn baby boy.

One day Bree goes to the school to watch her daughter at play practice. She turns her head for a minute and when she looks back, her baby is gone- a note has been left in his place.

Later, the person who has her baby calls her. She is told that if she wants her baby back, she better follow the instructions explicitly.....

This leads Bree on the terrifying path to find her baby
_______________________________

I both read and listened to this one on audio. The audio is excellent and I highly recommend it. It’s narrated by the author and she brings the story alive. She’s able to express it exactly the way she created it in her mind, which really enhances the experience ✨I loved it!

Another great book from Jackson this one kept me on the edge of my seat especially the last 30% or so!
Be careful of the past you never know when it will come back to haunt you and your family. What happened in her husbands past? Why did this old woman take their child? What the old woman wants Bree to do is out of the question right?!? But if the fate of your child is in the balance is anything out of question? Now Bree has to figure what is happening and get her child back safely no matter what?

I don’t want to give any more away than that this was an excellent thriller I highly recommend!

As always Joshilyn Jackson does an amazing job at narrating her own books she is one of those rare author/narrators that do a great job!

4 stars

I read three of Joshilyn Jackson's novels several years ago, and while I rated them all 3 or 4 stars, I was never quite blown away by her stories. They all started out so promisingly, but left me disappointed in one way or another. I was hesitant to give Mother May I a chance for this reason, but the synopsis made it seem like Jackson might have more success writing thrillers than the women's fiction she wrote early on in her career. Keeping in mind how prepared I was not to love another one of her books, I was pleasantly surprised by this one! I absolutely could not put it down. The story weaved every which way and the suspense and surprises just kept coming from beginning to end. I am so glad I gave this one a chance and I think fans of the mystery/thriller genre will enjoy it as well!

Bree Cabbat is the wife of a successful lawyer and the mother of three children-two teenage daughters and an infant son. Life is wonderful and problem-free until the morning Bree wakes up to see an old crone peering through her bedroom window. She can't shake the feeling that this witchy-woman was up to no good and her suspicions prove right when her son is kidnapped immediately after Bree spots the mystery woman a second time. A note is left behind instructing Bree to return home and tell no one what has happened. She does as she's told, desperate to get her son back. It turns out the woman has a plan for Bree and if she does not follow instructions to the letter, her son will be killed. The narrative continues as Bree fulfills these demands and tries to uncover why her family is being targeted by this woman. There are plenty of twists and turns to keep the pages turning and the characters are well developed.

I want to go so much more in depth with this because there's a lot more to this story, but I don't want to spoil anything. As a mother, I found Bree easy to empathize with. Just imagining being in her shoes ramped up my anxiety. The themes of this story are very timely considering the way the world views and treats women. I feel like there was an important message underneath all of the drama and suspense, which I completely support and appreciate. Long story short, go read this book!

(This book was good enough to still earn 5 stars from me despite the awful narration. Jackson's voice is far too shrill to make a decent audiobook narrator. I almost didn't continue with it after the first few chapters because I found her voice so annoying, but in the end, I'm glad I stuck with it. I would just recommend readers stick to the print version for this one!)

*Thanks to the author, Harper Audio, and Netgalley for providing me with this audiobook in exchange for an honest review!

Wow this was such a great book. I listened to it and the author, Joshilyn Jackson is the narrator and boy did she to a great job. She did different voices for the different characters so flawlessly. She was amazing. And so is the book. You could feel the emotions of Bree when she realized her baby boy was missing and right from under her nose. The witch like mystery woman that she saw lurking around her is the one who took him, she is sure of it. What she is asked to do could does not seem so bad until she realizes the horrible consequences of her actions. This revenge type novel is written so good that you have to keep reading (listening) until you the end where all the answers to the "why's" are revealed.

Thanks to #Harperaudio, #netgalley and #JoshilynJackson for an ARC of this great read.

3.75 Stars

Do mothers know best? Bree’s mother has always feared the world, never being able to trust, and now only able to relax in a guarded facility where limited people have access. Bree didn’t inherit this distrust in the world, but maybe she should have. It all starts when in middle of the night she catches a quick glimpse of an old woman standing outside her bedroom window, likely crushing her Basil plant. She shakes it off thinking it was a trick of the mind. But when she sees the women in the parking lot of her children’s school, that’s when she begins to worry. But what is there to be afraid of? She is an old lady and she is probably over thinking it. But with just one seconds glance away that older women has taken her baby and the only way for her to get her son back is to follow 3 rules, which include, do exactly as she says, and don’t tell anyone what is happening. Bree does it all for her family, but what if they are the reason this is happening?

I did really enjoy this book and flew through it. It’s not a psychological suspense where everything you thought you knew is actually wrong, but it does have a few shock moments. I love the way this story was developed. It started off right away with the women at her bedroom window and took no time for the baby to be kidnapped. I am glad that the story started off at this quick pace. As the story went on it did kind of slow down but it was still enjoyable.

I thought there were some unique aspects of the book. I am used to where the kidnapper is a completely unknown character where you only have a slight glimpse of who they are. In this book you almost feel sorry for the lady. And it’s weird but interesting the way the relationship, for good or bad, develops between Bree and her. I liked having the insight into her story as well.

There were many aspects of suspense displayed in this story that kept the book moving along. Some stuff I feel could have been drawn out more, but I loved how the backstory was developed. And this book isn’t only about the kidnapping. There is so much more to this book that adds to the plot and the whole reason Bree’s son was targeted. I’m glad that the story included more than what meets the eye.

The audio for this book is narrated by the author herself, which I love when a book does this. Only the authors themselves truly know how things should be done and the right pacing to give the desired effect. That’s one of the main reasons the narration of this book was so good. The narration stuck to a good speed and there was so much emotion and effects in the reading that it really brought the story to life. Most of the book the main character is fighting to do anything to save her child’s life and you can hear the anxiety in her voice at the heart dropping moment when she realizes her baby isn’t where he was just a few seconds ago. I, myself, held my breath because it was so easy to get lost in the story. This is just one of the many moments in the book that enhances the book by the work of the narration.

There was also differentiation in the narrator’s voice for each character. You could hear the cracking voice in the old women’s words as she spoke, her example. There were also characters with accents or a different pace or way of speaking. This made it easy to tell who was speaking.

The story was mainly told in a first-person point of view by Bree but there was also some chapter by another main character in the story which was 3rd person. I liked having these duel perspectives as it gave you insight into what the other person was thinking.

Overall, I think that it was a really good book, there wasn’t much to dislike except maybe the pacing in some parts and the overall thrill. I thought most of it was predictable and that things went too according to plan. But I am glad I took the time to read it. If you’re a fan of a dark mystery I would give it a try.

Trigger warning: Sexual Assault, Harm of Children, Suicide

I hadn't read much about this book so I didn't know what to expect before starting it, but Wow! What a thrilling ride this story was!

Bree Chabbat is pretty much living her perfect life with two teenage daughters, a baby boy, and an adoring (and rich) husband. All this comes crashing when her baby, Robert, is kidnapped right out from under her nose at the girl's school. The kidnapper leaves a note, "Don't call the police or Robert is dead." Bree is enlisted to carry out one fairly innocuous task at a party held at her husband's law firm, but things go horribly wrong. In a weak moment Bree confides in her friend Marshall, who unknown to her has a major crush on her. Marshall has an investigative background and he vows to return Robert to her safely.

The big story in the book explores things that come back to haunt us. How acts that don't seem like a criminal act in our youth can come back to bite us, and may destroy other's lives. The first half of this book I literally couldn't put it down, and stayed awake far too late in the night as the story unspooled. Things slow down a little as we get nearer the end but the story still kept me enthralled.

I listened to the audiobook and this was narrated by the author, Joshilyn Jackson. I don't know if this always works, but here it definitely did. Ms. Jackson was able to bring the character of Bree to life when she was reading her, and I totally bought into that it was Bree telling me the story. Ms. Jackson parlayed her enthusiasm for the story into her reading.

Thank you to NetGalley and Publisher William Morrow, as well as author Joshilyn Jackson, for allowing me to listen to the ARC audio of Mother May I.

I used to like Joshilyn Jackson. Her books were sweet and family-oriented and well-written. But now, I LOVE Joshilyn Jackson. This turn into writing family psychological thrillers is AMAZING! This story had me on the edge of my seat from the get-go.
Bree Cabot is a wife and stay-at-home mom. Her world is turned upside down when her 10-week old baby is stolen from right underneath her nose at her daughters' school. The kidnapper will only give him back if Bree performs a seemingly small act that reverberates with consequences. The kidnapper is a mother herself, out for justice for her child. Will Bree be able to get her baby back? Will her husband admit to wronging the kidnapper's child? You're going to have to read this (or listen! the author's voice is SO good!) to find out. No spoilers here!

* Thanks to NetGalley for the audio ARC. I enjoyed it thoroughly!!!*

What a great thriller!! I would compare this to My Lovely Wife. Who doesn't like some domestic drama? What would you do if your child were abducted? What lengths would you go to, to get them back? This mother must figure out that and more.

The narrator was great, she kept your full attention. Clear distinction between characters.

Trigger Warning: Child Abduction, College Rape, cancer, and drug use.