Mother May I: A Novel | 
Thanks to these Litsy folks for today‘s prompt:
#WICKEDWHIPSERS
@Eggs
@AlwaysBeenALoverOfBooks
Today‘s Prompt: CHILLING
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.
FULL REVIEW: https://tinyurl.com/2emnnrrw
I‘m posting one book a day from my massive collection. No description, no reason for why I want to read it (some I‘ve had so long I don‘t even remember why!). Feel free to join in!
#ABookADay2024
so-soThis one was kind of disappointing for me. I appreciate the messages on gender privilege, status, & justice. The weird love triangle that is included between Trey, Bree, & Marshall detracted from the "thriller" element for me. I also thought that some of the situations were really off the wall & unlikely. I liked that it was dark & kind of gritty. Overall, ⭐⭐⭐.
pick5-18-22: My 46th finished book of 2022! Bree, a mother of 3, is happily married and living the high life. One day, her infant son is stolen from her. The thief, also a mother, contacts Bree to give her instructions on how to get the baby back. The instructions are simple but have a deadly consequence forcing Bree into a spiral of tragedy and haunting secrets that could end her happy life. Rough content. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️📖#️⃣4️⃣6️⃣
pickEnjoyable on audio! Kept me coming back for more.
⭐⭐⭐⭐
I feel like at least 1/2 of the books I try as audiobooks do not go over as well as they would of if I read them. This was one of the good ones!
pickI loved this. I plowed through it. I do feel like the description is a bit misleading, that's all I'll say 😀
pickWow! I loved this book, so many layers added one to the other to add to the depth and the complexity of the story. Really well done. I loved the different reveals at different times, that I never saw coming and didn't anticipate. I loved the different social commentary aspects to the story overall. Great book! Total 5 ⭐
Listening to this Audiobook, so I'll hopefully finish this, this weekend for this readathon as well as A Slow Fire Burning. I am so excited for this new Paula Hawkins Novel. She is an instant, drop everything else and read! Author for me.
I am going for number of.hours read. Let's see if I can do.24 within this weekend!
pickKept me turning the pages quicker and quicker. Didn‘t want to stop reading so I could find out what happens next. Started out slow but about 3-4 chapters in it really picked up. Lots of surprises I wasn‘t expecting.
pickBook 100
I listened to Mother May I, narrated by the author. It's a complex thriller about a mother who's newborn is kidnapped. Well-writtea and unpredictable. This is my second novel by Jackson and won't be my last. ⭐⭐⭐⭐
so-soMy first book of #20in4
61/2 hours
I am a huge fan of Joshilyn Jackson books, but this one was just so so for me.
pickAt its heart this is a story of revenge. Revenge exacted against the family of Bree and Trey Cabbat, who‘s only son, a 10 week old baby is taken from Bree at a school function. When the abductor reaches out to Bree, she promises the safe return of the baby in exchange for a favor. For Bree, she has to ask herself, why me? In a fast paced tale full of dark themes, Bree must find the truth even if her family is never the same again.
pick🎧 Crazy old lady has a bone to pick with a few men & isn‘t against harming their children to get her revenge.
Happily married woman is embroiled in this mess & will stop at nothing to protect her children including investigating the crime with a friend/PI.
We spend a majority of the story solving the kidnappings & the decade old reason for the retribution.
Lost a ⭐️ in the end for preaching.
Good psych suspense/thriller & narrator
⭐️⭐️⭐️1/2
pickIf you‘re not listening to Joshilyn Jackson‘s books on audio, you are missing out! She‘s is an award-winning narrator who brings each character to life. In this, her 2nd book of domestic suspense, privilege and power, rape culture and purity culture, income inequality and gender inequality, all come into play in a plot that completely kept me guessing. Read for complex domestic suspense with all the thrills and so much to discuss for a book club!
pickJoshilyn Jackson is an auto-read author for me. Her stories/mysteries/thrillers have become more dark lately - that isn't a problem for me, but fair warning. TW: children in danger. My only complaint was the bit of "preaching" at the very end which was a bit on the nose for me, but still very solid.
⭐⭐⭐⭐/⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Hello again, Book 🦋🦋!
Hope everyone is healthy and soaking up the rays & reads this summer! It's been quite a while! So much has happened but hopefully things are getting better.
Been having a huge reading slump. But...I just finished reading this 📕 yesterday! Yay!
Still not sure how I feel about it. Much of the book was predictable & the ending didn't feel satisfying, but there was one surprise element.
How about you? Any 5⭐ reads lately?
pickI finished this a few days ago and I‘m still processing the story. It was a strong thriller with an unusual and timely backstory that kept me reading late into the night. Some of the characters were really cringy and content warnings for drug and sexual abuse. Good story and great writing! #BookspinBingo
pickA baby disappears while the mom‘s back is turned & the story is off. The book plays out much as expected but it was well-written enough I kept reading. Really, is the perfect sort of book for an afternoon by the pool, a flight, or a day at the beach—in other words, you‘ll probably enjoy it while reading it but the memory of it likely won‘t last much beyond that. (Does that make sense?) A soft pick.
It‘s our third straight day of rain (much needed) with rain in the forecast every day for the next week. I think this is nature‘s way of telling me I should stay inside this weekend and read as much as I can. Who am I to say no? Here‘s to rainy mornings and a good book! 🌧☕️📖
pickFinished this audiobook yesterday. I was a great thriller and did keep me on the edge of my seat. And I was a bit shocked at the ending. I didn't care for the narrator's voice at first (and the narrator was the author) but it grew on me. Overall a good thriller.
pickI adore her books and this one captivated me as it‘s about a kidnapping of a baby and conditions that must be met to secure his release! Secrets, lies...you know the drill if you love thrillers! Might have to double up on my blood pressure meds though!😂😂😂
so-soMy first from this author. It muses on righteous anger when it comes to protecting the ones you love which feels quite topical. But the ending felt a little too squared up and I found myself throughout rolling my eyes at the tropey Bree & and the even more tropey Marshall. However, the writing did keep me invested in wanting to know how it ended & I give the author props for wrestling with nuance regarding #MeToo.
pickThe prose of Mother May I and the twists in its premise are a marked improvement on Jackson‘s last novel (Never Have I Ever). This time around, she veers into territory I now think of as the “#MeToo novel”, where women‘s anger and desire for vengeance is centered. The violence is not gratuitous, the sexual exploitation is not milked, but the stakes are high and women lead the charge. Full review: https://keepingupwiththepenguins.com/new-releases/
pickI loved this book! Check out my review.
https://reecaspieces.com/2021/05/19/mother-may-i-by-joshilyn-jackson-harperaudio...
pick"???? ??? ??? ??? ??? ?????. ???? ???? ?? ???? ???"
A psychological thriller. When Bree's son is kidnapped, how far will she go to get him back? And why was her child the one targeted? As the motive unravels, it's hard not to empathize with all the women in the story. There were some good twists and reveals right up until the end.
pickIts pulse racing from start to finish as you're never sure what will happen next. The main concept is fairly standard but executed well. Its a familiar story but with an interesting twist of targetting the wife first, The plot is pretty quick.. The only thing I wasn't keen on was the aftermath epilogue. I could see how it fitted with the story but I personally felt it rushed in and just didnt quite work to end the story. #Netgalley 4*
Is there anything quite as sweet and satisfying as that first sip of freshly brewed tea in the morning? 🥰☕️
(I don‘t drink coffee but I imagine you coffee-people can relate. 😀)
pick⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
This book is SO GOOD - gripping and suspenseful, but also thought-provoking and emotional. The author narrates her own books and her voice completely brings the memorable characters to life. I loved Bree‘s tenacity and empathy. This was so original, well-written, and absorbing; I couldn‘t wait to keep listening to this and now I‘m sad it‘s over! 🎧
I started this audiobook as I ran errands yesterday. I absolutely adore Joshilyn Jackson as an author and as a narrator. I was not expecting this storyline whatsoever (I don‘t read blurbs most of the time for authors I love). On top of that, there‘s a male POF in this novel as well. I‘m loving it all. Jackson does a decent job narrating Marshall. She‘s got me on the edge of my seat. Ack! Why do we have to work on Mondays?
pickThis was a page-turner for sure. A tad drawn out (I thought) at times, but well worth it for the satisfying ending!
Currently reading 📖
New books from B&N. ☺️📚💜💕 I can‘t wait to read these books. ☺️
pickI love almost all of Joshilyn Jackson‘s books, both her older ones and her most recent, where she‘s shifted to more of a suspense/thriller genre. Thumbs up for this one! 👍
so-soThis story has such a fantastic premise! Sadly, while I did enjoy it, the story didn‘t quite live up to my expectations. It took no time for me to figure out where the story was going and I ended up feeling somewhat let down by the lack of twists and neatly wrapped up ending. This isn‘t to say I didn‘t enjoy it at all. The short chapters with mini cliffhangers kept me turning the pages and the story does have an important message. 🌟🌟🌟
pickHAPPY PUB DAY!!
Bree turned her back for one minute, and her son was gone.
MOTHER MAY I will pull you in and not let you go.
FULL REVIEW: https://tinyurl.com/yfjvxwgr
@joshilyn_jackson
@williammorrowbooks
pickJoshilyn Jackson has become one of my favorite authors over the last few years, and she seems to get better with every book. She excels in writing these domestic thrillers, that will make those fine hairs raise as you read and/or listen to her stories.
pickI‘ve long been a fan of Jackson‘s writing & I especially love her new direction into domestic thrillers! I listened to this one-& found myself listening at every opportunity! It hooks you in immediately & never lets go! Bree wakes up & thinks she sees someone peeping in her window & she sees the woman later that day. Soon after, her 10 week old son is taken! Pulling in past secrets & lots of emotion, this may be her best book yet! #AudioColoring
FULL REVIEW APRIL 6.
Bree turned her back for one minute, and her son was gone.
Talk about tension...this book will have you biting your nails.
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.
You don‘t want to miss reading this book. 5/5
@joshilyn_jackson
@williammorrowbooks
This is my January Wrap Up. I have been mostly focusing on my Netgalley backlog but there were a few others I couldn‘t resist. All of these were audiobook except one-I finding that is what I can focus on best right now.
