Absolutely love Joshilyn Jackson's writing style. This book was so clever and well written. Really enjoyed the book. 5 stars. Brilliant read.

This was like so many thrillers to me lately, starts off like a rocket, and then stops in mid air and falls flat to the ground.
This was my first Jackson book, and whilst I would try another book by her, I won't be running to the bookshop on publication day to get it.
A little baffled by the title, but then I guess it is rather ambiguous. I wanted the book to be shorter and with a stronger second half and ending than what I got.

Utterly gripping - I could not put this story down. Tense, terrifying, cleverly plotted, I loved the main character and her unraveling back to the primal fear that drives a mother. Highly recommended!

Well this book certainly has you turning the pages. A fast paced Rea’s that doesn’t disappoint. From Bree discovering that her baby is missing you realise that isn’t your usually kidnap/ransom tale. It left me thinking what would I do in her shoes.
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to Rea’s this ARC

I received an ARC of this book via netgalley in exchange for an honest review. I have read and enjoyed on other book buy this author Never Have I Ever. The titles intrigue me me as they remind me of schoolyard games. They are both domestic thrillers.

This book follows the disrupted lives of Bree and her family when their child Robert is abducted and Bree is forced to follow instructions which ultimately lead to the death of her Husband's legal partner.
The author hurls this book into a very fast moving and totally absorbing start. There were parts that made me feel very uncomfortable as they were so realistically told. I wasn't sure I wanted to read on at one point. I think the author almost knew that the tension could not continue to be racked up in the same way and she achieves that by dressing her MC in an actor's clothing to move through the plot lines. This iso cleverly told, nuanced and captivating for the reader.

I was sold on everything up until about 3/4 of the way through but the climb down from the narrative's peak just made me wonder if a married couple could be so accepting of events past and present. The journey out seemed at times almost too smooth. The final twist did come as a shock I am still trying to work out just who or what that character really was. I feel like there was something I missed.

The absolute end is a bit schmaltzy almost as if the author is creeping into true romance but overall a really good read

A brilliant fast paced read. I really enjoyed this book. It is full of lots of twists and turns and I could not turn the pages fast enough.

Mother May I was an unputdownable book for me - a high octane thriller, where a mother must follow, to the letter, the instructions of the woman who has kidnapped her infant son.

Bree Cabbat has a storybook life. She wants for nothing, has beautiful children, and a caring, handsome husband. She has come from a life of poverty, and she knows just how lucky she is. Bree doesn’t want anyone to take this life away from her.

When a witch-like character kidnaps her son and tells her that she has to do a job for her - and that she has to follow the instructions to the letter, Bree agrees. She has no other choice. The thought of a child being kidnapped, no matter their age, is horrifying.

As the story progressed, I found myself a little unnerved to find myself empathising with the baby’s kidnapper: she has a pretty compelling reason for her actions. And Bree feels the same way. She has a similar background to the woman, and knows how hard it is to claw your way out of poverty - and how easy it is to fall even lower. The fact that the kidnapper has her baby is ever present in Bree’s mind. She doesn’t forgive her because of her life experiences. Bree just wants to do what the witch has told her to do, and to get her son back.

Bree learns that her husband has kept a pretty big secret, and it has been the cause of not just their own plight. Will their marriage survive this?

To be fair, I wasn’t much concerned with the state of Bree’s marriage for much of this book. I was more interested in the relationship between Bree and her son’s kidnapper.

This book is gripping. I’m warning you now: don’t pick this book up if you know you’re going to have to put it down soon after. You won’t want to!

Another great thriller from Joshilyn Jackson - highly recommended!

Wow what a great book. The story starts when baby Robert is kidnapped and we are then scooped up into the rollercoaster nightmare of how to get him back, obviously not involving the authorities but doing lots of investigating about who and why. The story is sharply written with well drawn characters and never flagged in pace and tempo. I’ve not read any Joshilyn Jackson books before, which is a terrible oversight, but I look forward to reading more from this new to me talented author.

I raced through this book. The pacy writing and premise kept me gripped as only a mother could be.
It's you're worst fear isn't it, someone taking your child, especially a baby.
The characterisation and plotting was what I love and expected from Jackson.
A solid read.

When her baby son is kidnapped by a strange old lady, Bree Cabbat finds a bizarre ransom note - make her husband’s partner take some pills or never see her Robert again. Without telling anyone, Bree endeavours to fulfil the demand, but when Spencer dies, and there’s no sign of getting her baby back, she confides in close friend and investigator Marshall Chase. Can he help her discover why Robert has been taken and get him back unharmed?

Unfortunately I struggled with Mother May I from the start, I didn’t find Bree a character to empathise with, in fact at times she was very irritating, and I just felt her actions weren’t believable. I know she was a distraught mother who only wanted to get her baby back, but even so, it didn’t work for me.

Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher and author for granting me this book.

Wow, this book was fabulous. I really enjoyed it. It was excellently written, the detail was amazing and it kept me hooked throughout.

Would highly recommend this!

When you can't put a book down, even for a second, you know you're onto a winner! This was completely unputdownable.

The characters were well thought out, strong and executed well, the plot was completely original and being a mother myself, the question of "what would you do if your child was kidnapped " felt relatable.

A heart pounding, fast paced thriller that sucked me in and spat me out.

A fantastically written plot that covers blackmail, wealth, privilege and motherhood and more.

The only downside (hence the 4.5*) was the ending. Even though it had a great twist and was unpredictable something just didn't click with me BUT that doesn't take away from an amazing book!

Huge thanks to netgalley and Bloomsbury Publishing Plc for the ARC.

This is a brilliant rollercoaster ride of a book and I really enjoyed it. It was really thought provoking and I couldn't help putting myself in the situation and considering what I would do. This book explores the power of motherhood and just how far a mother might go to save her child. I found the book well paced and gripping throughout. I wanted to keep reading on to find out what would happen next. This is a good recommendation for fans of dark, pacy thrillers.

Thank you #netgalley and Bloomsbury Publishing UK for sending me this e-Arc in exchange for an honest review.

This was a solid 4 stars! When you can't put a book down, you just know it's a winner. This was the kind of fast-paced, heart-pounding thriller that resembles a fast train that passes by a station and sweeps you along with it until you find yourself clinging on to it for dear life!
 
This is the story of Bree, a southern-bred young woman who has known hardship, but is now married to a successful lawyer and living the perfect life, until one day, her three-month old baby is snatched from his car seat in broad daylight. Soon after, she receives a note telling her to go home and don't involve the police. Once at home, she is contacted by the kidnapper, who gives her some very simple instructions she needs to follow if she wants her son back... alive.
At this point, the question that arises is, what would you do if your child were kidnapped? In Bree's case, the answer is... just about anything.
And just like that, her life spirals out of control, and we as the reader get the privilege to ride along with her on this roller coaster that will have you flipping through the pages, barely realising it's way after 2 am.
The beginning was a little slow but other than that, I can't fault anything about this book. The writing was fluid and the characters were well fleshed out. We are mainly in Bree's head but we also get some chapters where we get to see Bree from someone else's point of view, which was very helpful. I loved Bree's character and could almost feel her tension oozing off the page.
This was my first book by Joshilyn Jackson and I loved that she tackled some very thought-provoking subjects, like sexual harassment at work, domestic abuse and rape. I would recommend this to all thriller lovers.

A fast paced thriller that deals with many issues, motherhood, blackmail, wealth.and privilege. I found it overlong, especially the ending but I will read another of this author's books as the characters were well written and the emotion of the story felt authentic.

Bree Cabbat grew up with an anxious mother obsessed with protecting her own security and that of her daughter. Money was tight and Bree never knew her father, who was a gifted performer in amateur theatre. Bree dreams of a better life and one day she meets a man from a rich family and their mutual attraction results in marriage, children and privilege in a gorgeous house a few miles northeast of Atlanta. Bree has two daughters, Anna-Claire and Peyton, and a baby boy, Robert. Her eldest daughter is attending a rehearsal for a play at her school. Bree's lawyer husband, Trey, is to be away on business for a few days. The day started badly when Bree woke to find what she thought was a witch staring at her through her bedroom window though she’d tried to dismiss this thought as the overactive imaginings of a sleep-deprived mum. As Bree is watching the action on stage, her sleeping baby is stolen and she finds a note instructing her to return home no later than 5:15 pm without calling the police if she wants to see her son again.

Mother May I very quickly became a Big Dipper of a story - a massive emotional rollercoaster ride. With so much emotion, there were twists galore forcing me to reassess what I believed was happening. This book was thought-provoking and a taut thriller, as well as being an absorbing read from start to finish. The writing was excellent, and the plot extremely well developed. There are several characters who had my sympathy. Unmissable!

I received a complimentary copy of this novel from Bloomsbury Publishing/ Raven via NetGalley at my request and this review is my own unbiased opinion.

This wasn’t my usual type of book but it hooked me in because it’s like a mystery crossed with a police procedural.

This makes it different from a lot of mysteries and I felt, helped the story to evolve and keep moving at a good pace.

I enjoyed the story and would read others by this author.

Bree grew up poor with a single mum but her life changed when she met & married wealthy Trey. She was a happy stay at home mom with two lovely teenage daughters & Robert- the surprise baby. Whilst attending her daughter's play rehearsal Robert is taken. She sends her daughters off to stay with her mother & awaits alone for the ransom as Trey is away on business. The call she gets is nothing like she expects & she is thrown into turmoil. Along with Marshall, the husband of her dead best friend she has to follow a trail to get to the baby before it's too late.

It's difficult to say too much about this book without giving the plot away. I don't often read books set in the US much these days but for some reason this one appealed & I was really glad I'd chosen it. This book was often hard hitting & dealt with some difficult subjects. I really liked Bree, Trey not so much!

Thanks to Netgalley & the publisher for letting me read & review this book- I couldn't put it down!

Bree meets her three children after school and while turning her back to watch the girls, her baby son disappears, with a note left telling her to go home and tell no-one.

We follow the distraught Bree as she does as instructed, with spectacularly unexpected results. The trail leads on, as she discovers more about the kidnapper and why her son was taken. She then has some serious decisions to make in order to try to get him back safely.

Its a real nail biter, with some unexpected turns. Bree is a really rounded character, you feel her pain and her drive. It helps that her husband has money, so they have resources the rest of us would not, but even that is part of the coils in this twisty plot. Very enjoyable.

Thank you to NetGalley, Bloomsbury Publishing Plc (UK & ANZ) and Raven Books for allowing me access to the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

‘I woke up to see a witch peering in my bedroom window. She was little more than a dark shape with a predator’s hungry eyes, razor-wire skinny but somehow female, staring in through the partly open drapes.”

My thanks to Bloomsbury Publishing U.K./Raven Books for an eARC via NetGalley of ‘Mother May I’ by Joshilyn Jackson in exchange for an honest review.

The above is the terrifying opening to this taut domestic thriller. I won’t say too much about the plot in order to avoid spoilers, rather just some background. Bree and Trey have a comfortable settled life, which is about to be blasted apart. Trey comes from money and is an equity partner in a law firm. Bree had raised their two daughters, then was surprised as they entered their teens to find herself pregnant with Robert.

While Bree is at her daughters’ school, she thinks that she spots the witch-like woman again. Then Robert is snatched practically from under Bree’s nose. A note is left advising her that if she ever wants to see her baby again to go home and not tell anyone what has happened including the police or her husband.

This nightmare premise leads into a fast paced thriller that proved impossible to put down. A great read that took many unexpected turns.