This book touches on several genres - psychological thriller, coming of age, romance, and paranormal. And it does it well. Thea is 12 when she and her younger brother, Rem, are spending their annual two-week visit with their grandmother on her Kentucky farm when back at home, their parents are brutally murdered in their bed. Thea sees it happening in a dream because of her psychic ability to "see" what others are thinking/feeling. Problem is, the psychopath who killed her parents has a similar ability, and he knows that she saw him. She's able to help put him in prison for several murders, but because of their mutual psychic abilities, they're inextricably connected - and he's determined to destroy her life. Meanwhile, she grows up living with her grandmother (who shares her gift), goes away to college, returns to the farm when she's done, establishes a successful career as a video game designer, falls in love. Roberts paints a vivid picture of farm life in Appalachia, and made me hungry with talk of food and recipes (and had me searching for a few). I've always been more of a fan of Robert's writing as J.D. Robb than the early books I'd read from her, but the writing here is a bit tighter than those early books I'd read, and I really enjoyed it.
Thanks to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for providing copies for an unbiased review.

Billed as a mystery/triller, Mind Games starts out that way in part one, then digresses into romance/chick-lit. There is a whole lot of paranormal throughout the story which is about the only thing that saves this book and makes it interesting. I liked the rural Kentucky setting, the psychic phenomena, and the incorporation of video game design (check for Popsugar Reading Challenge prompt 22). However; "Grammie" feels like a much older character than the 47 year-old middle-aged lady in the book's beginning... I am 46 and in no way would feel like a grammie, lol. It just didn't feel authentic for me. The interesting beginning and ending unfortunately sandwiched a lot of pretty boring dialogue and repetitive recounting of what we already knew happened to other characters.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the opportunity to read and review this ARC.

I want to thank NetGalley and St Martin’s Press for the opportunity to read Mind Games by Nora Roberts. I have been reading her work for decades (oops, showing my age a bit).

The cover of Mind Games looks so adventurous and peaceful, but the story is anything but…and I was pleasantly surprised. I love when an author mixes mystery and suspense with the paranormal and Nora Roberts wove them together seamlessly.

I never used to be so interested in the romance of a story, but that has changed since I have gotten older. I love romantic suspense and paranormal romance. Nora hid the nail on the head…we have all the romance we could want in Mind Games.

The villain is a great villain, sufficiently evil and, even though he is locked up in supermax, he manages to haunt Thea. Thea made the mistake of creating an opening, but she was only twelve years old, so we can understand how her need to make the villain pay would override her need to keep a distance from him. He is more dangerous than she knew.

There’s plenty of fun dialogue, along with the grown up talk. At times, I found myself laughing out loud. Kids are little sponges and pick up those grown up words we wish they would never hear…know what I mean?

I know the book is a stand alone, not a series, but I grew to care so much about the characters, I would love to visit them again. Nora Roberts brought them to life and I don’t want to see their story end.

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Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the advanced reader copy. These opinions are my own.

Mind Games is the latest romantic suspense from Nora Roberts. It's a stand alone novel featuring Thea Fox and her family. Thea has the ability to see into the future and to know things about people. And that ability takes a horrifying term when she wakes up from a vision that devastates her family.

I found this such a unique premise for a psychological thriller. It quite literally features mind games between Thea and the antagonist. The book kept me on the edge of my seat. Just when I thought I knew the formula for how Nora Roberts writes these kind of suspenseful novels, she surprised me completely.

But there were also all the amazing aspects that I know I can expect from a Nora Roberts book. There's a great balance of tension and hopeful joy. And of course, there's a secondary storyline with a lovely romance. But most of all, I greatly appreciate Thea's amazing and supportive family. Nora Roberts is the queen who will forever remain on my auto-read list.

4.5 stars rounded up

Nora Roberts sure knows how to write a great emotional book!!!!!!!!!!!! I read this book cover to cover in two days and enjoyed every minute of it. This is another bestseller for Roberts.

I am a huge fan of the Romantic Suspense novels of Nora Roberts and have read quite a few of them. MIND GAMES is another great addition to her collection. I could not put this book down once I opened the first chapter.

The story begins when the main character, Thea, is twelve years old. School has just let out for the summer and Thea and her younger brother, Rem, are leaving their Virginia home to spend a few weeks with Lucy, their maternal grandmother, in Kentucky. Also freed for a few weeks, the parents returned home for some quiet, alone time to reconnect.

That is when the book takes a unique and fascinating turn. In the middle of the night, John and Cora Fox, Thea and Rem’s parents, are murdered by a greedy and obsessed young man. What makes this story unique is that Thea—as well as Lucy—“witnessed” the whole thing. In a dreamlike state, both women watched the whole gruesome scene. And the murderer, 18-year old Ray Riggs knew that they had seen everything.

The key to this book is that a kind of clairvoyant telepathy runs through the female side of Grammie Lucy’s family and it is by this form of ESP that the confrontations between Thea and Riggs take place. It is a well thought out and intricately formed plot that leads to a very satisfying end.

Imagine my surprise and delight when I discovered that the main character in this book was a computer game developer, one who wrote code and plots for some very successful survival, adventure, action games. When I am not reading I enjoy spending time in the game world. In MIND GAMES, Thea’s talent as a game creator plays a key role in her battle with Riggs.

I highly recommend this book and greatly enjoyed reading it. I received this book as a free gift from NetGalley so that I could serve as a volunteer, unpaid reviewed and give my honest thoughts.

4 games in your head stars

Nora Roberts is a prolific writer; it seems like she writes multiple books each year. What constantly amazes me is that each book creates fully-formed characters and a supporting cast. I grow to root for these characters. The plots and professions of the characters vary, and there’s often a mystical element. What doesn’t change is that reading her books is an escape and always works for me!

Our main character in “Mind Games” is Thea, and we start with her story as a young, almost-teen girl. Thea and her younger brother have just been dropped off with their beloved grandmother in Kentucky and will spend the first two glorious weeks of summer exploring the gorgeous countryside and helping with the candle business.

Thea and her grandmother share a family gift: They can feel and sense things others can’t. One night, a terrible tragedy occurs with Thea’s parents, and both women can see it happen although they are physically not present. Thea’s gift is even stronger, and she can get into the minds of others.

As Thea and her brother face a life without their parents, their grandmother raises them with fierce love and devotion. There are twists in the story, and Thea uses her gift to help the police put a killer behind bars.

This book has a mix of everything: a fascinating look at the life of a game designer, psychic abilities, some mystery, and a childhood romance come to fruition. Throw in some adorable dogs and strong family connections and this one is a winner. I rooted for Thea to find a way to use her gift and finally put her childhood tragedy to rest.

Mind Games is an enjoyable and easy novel to read. A great way to spend a weekend with a book. Thea has a unique ability that ultimately puts her in a heartbreaking and eventually dangerous situation. The pacing of the story was done well. Characters were believable, likable, and easy to root for. Nora Roberts does have a special knack for character development. I enjoyed the twist on the cat and mouse trope. It made for an interesting and compelling read. I didn't care so much for the romantic part of the story as much. While I appreciated the effort, the relationship felt too quick, too forced, and the conflict at the end to provide drama just a little bit too contrived. Nora Roberts does tell a story that the reader can sink into like a comfy blanket. This is how Mind Games felt to me.

I was given an advanced digital copy to read and provide an honest review.

I found "Mind Games" to a captivating read! From start to finish the author grabbed ahold of my attention and I was immersed in the storyline.

This book was a relentless rollercoaster of intrigue and suspense. The skillful pacing left me on the edge of my seat both eager and nervous to unravel the mysteries lurking within the pages.

I love when an author blends supernatural elements into their story and this author does it does so perfectly.

Thank you Nora Roberts, Net Galley and St. Martin's Press for providing me with an ARC of this book.

Thanks NetGalley for the ARC of Mind Games by Nora Roberts, published by St Martin's Press
Absolutely loved this novel. There was just enough of everything in this novel from tension, love, drama, family, kids, animals; this book had it all and it read so well
Nora Roberts has a way of weaving a tale that you don't want to put down, I'd love a sequel to this novel.
Main character Thea has a special power that allows her to "see" things, passed down from her grandmother, I loved this aspect of the book, it wasn't too much. This book had me chuckling at some of the kids comments, I loved the relationship between all the characters. The plot and setting were great, so much description, I felt like I was there.
This is a must read by Nora Roberts

This knocked my socks off, shredded my heart, had me tearing and then encompassed my heart with family and love. The lure of the Kentucky Mountains, a family with second sight passed down, woman to woman. Evil in a young kids heart, murder by his hands . Using his sight to destroy, kill, take. A strong young woman using her sight for good, wrapped in the arms of her Grammie, running through the Kentucky Mountains with her brother Rem, learning Grammies ways and oh so much more. This is a book that will stay with me, and one I will purchase in hard copy to cry on pages to run the hills, to feel Grammies arms and know, life is good when you have family and love. Thank you so much St Martins and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review. I freely volunteer my thoughts and opinions. #MindGames #NoraRoberts #StMartinsPress #NetGalley

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This was so good that I read it and then listened again on audio. I like that it was different from the typical book. So good!

Another riveting story by Nora Roberts that contains a mesmerizing mix of family, romance, and suspense. Thea was 12 years old when her parents were murdered and she saw in her mind what happened even though she was in the next state visiting her grandmother with her brother. As result, the killer was captured and locked up for life. Thanks to their grandmother, Thea and Rem managed to thrive in spite of the tragedy. The book was hard to put down, but at the same time, I did not want to rush through it to the satisfying conclusion.

Mind Games is an amazing Nora Roberts Suspense. The book keeps you trying to figure out what happens next while intertwining it with a little romance to lighten it up some.
Thea and Rem’s parents are murdered at a young age while they are visiting their grandmother. Thea has a gift and she can see it happening even though she isn’t with them. She spends years trying to make the man who murdered them blocked from her mind . While trying to hurt him and be able to maintain her own life she falls in love with her new neighbor and his little boy.
As always Nora Roberts created a book that will make you want to keep reading until the very end.Thanks NetGalley and publisher for a copy for my opinion.

I really loved this book. It had me crying, laughing and hoping. I love that in this book that family is such a big part of it. This is a must read! Pick it up today!

I've read a number of Nora Roberts' romance and fantasy romance series, but this is only the second thriller of hers I've read. I'd say this one reads much more like a fantasy romance with a few thriller elements than a true thriller, but I enjoyed it anyway. I liked the setup of the thriller elements and the way they were tied to her powers. I loved our FMC, that she was a video game designer, and how her video game work tied into the resolution of the thriller element. Like all of Roberts' books, I found the characters sounded more or less like all the rest of Roberts' characters but it didn't really detract from my enjoyment of the story.

A huge thank you to the author and the publisher for providing an e-ARC via Netgalley. This does not affect my opinion regarding the book.

If you've ever read Nora Roberts, you know that she writes an outstanding story EVERY single time. I started reading this story and was in such a lovely place. There was this beautiful loving family at grandma's for a visit in the countryside. The location and the people seemed gentle, but there was tons of exciting adventures for the kids to look forward to in their two week visit while their parents went home for some couple time.
I was raised out in the country, and it took me back. I felt the ease of no hustle and bustle. I thought I had fallen into a soft, beautiful, peaceful story.
Then I turned another page, and Roberts dove into the extreme opposite. The calm and peace were erased with such violence and darkness. It was truly jolting, just as Roberts wanted it to be. It was also all consuming as the little girl played mind games with a ruthless murderer.
The little girl grows up, and finds love with her new neighbor and his young son, but will the truth of her "sight" be more than he can handle? Will she break the murderer or will their mind games destroy her?

A fantastic psychological thriller!

Thanks to St. Martins Press and NetGalley for this book. All thoughts are my own.

This book has everything you are looking for in a Nora Roberts book. Family, mystery, drama and romance. Thea and REM get a two weeks vacation in Kentucky with their Grammie but while there tragedy strikes and their parents are murdered. Thanks to a gift that Thea has the killer is found. This book will grab you and keep you invested until the end.

Mind Games by Nora Roberts combines romance and supernatural that keeps a reader interested till the end.

The story starts with Thea as a 12 year old and a horrifying incident changes her life forever. She has a gift like her grandmother. Whether that gift is a boon or trouble, the reader has to deduce.

I enjoyed reading this story. This is very different from Nora Roberts' romantic suspense stories. The combination of her suspense elements with supernatural creates a unique story. The backdrop of Appalachian mountains, nature, and strong female characters, this book has something for everyone. The only thing I would say is that sometimes the dialogues seem a little clichéd. In every book of hers, the dialogues seem exactly the same. Overall, this book did get me out of my slump to some extent.

Nora Roberts has written another best seller that has her trademark elements with the addition of mind games. Thea and Rem are visiting their beloved grammie on her farm in Kentucky when a truly evil man kills both their parents. Thea has the “gift” and sees the whole event in her mind, including the ability to feel every thought the killer has. He is also hyper aware of her when he steals her picture from the crime scene. Her skills are the reason he is spending life in prison as he continues to sneak into her mind. What a scary “gift” to have.
So loved all of the unique characters in this book, Thea, Rem, Grammie, Ty, and most especially Bray and Bunk. Thea’s teen crush on rock star Ty was a great connection, as was Ty’s devotion to his grandmother. Roberts skills at creating characters that seemingly walk off the pages is very evident in her latest book, but the side stories added so much to this read. Thea’s career of developing video games was very fascinating as I never thought about what goes into creating them. Ty’s former rock star career has certainly molded him and I so loved the back story of Bray…very touching. Bray was so very heart melting, especially his love for Bunk. The star of the book for me was grammie. I cannot sing her praises loud enough. Her presence, kindness and caring ways extended to anyone she met, such a nurturing woman.
Mind Games was an excellent read that kept me riveted, and reading well past midnight. So thankful for the amazing ability of Nora Roberts to plunge the reader into the midst of her storyline, and this one gave me sorrow and chills, but also laughter, joy, and love.
Many thanks to the incredibly talented Nora Roberts, St. Martin’s Press, and NetGalley for providing me with an arc of this just published gem.