Omg! I think how can Nora Roberts write a better book than the last one and believe me she just did. Thea and her brother Rem are headed to Grammy Lucy’s house in the Appalachian mountains in Kentucky for part of their summer vacation. Lucy sold herbs, candles and remedies to the locals and she also had some physic powers and little did they know but so did Thea. Thea actually witnesses the murder of her parents while they are back in Virginia in their home. She became obsessed with this killer and he definitely played mind games with her.
This book will keep you on the edge of your seat for sure and you will not want to put it down.

I received this ARC from Netgalley for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Every summer the Fox’s drop off Thea and Rea to spend two weeks with their grandmother in Redbuck Hollow, Kentucky. Little did they all know this would be the last time this family would be whole. Thea, Rea and their grandmother Lucy about to endure a devasting loss, the loss of their parents at the hands of a psychopath. Thea and Grammie have a very rare gift .. the ability to see into other people’s minds and so on this ill-fated night they witness through a nightmare the murder of their immediate family. Because of Thea rare ability, she helps with the catching and imprisonment for life the man called Riggs. Unfortunately, Riggs shares Thea and Grammie’s gift.

Minds Games follows Thea from the age of twelve through twenty-seven .. through this tragic family loss, through college and becoming a successful independent video game developer but always with Riggs permeating her mind. Minds Games is what Roberts does best; family drama, overcoming heartbreaking loss, finding love and believing in yourself all set in the town of Redbuck Hollow in the Kentucky Appalachian Mountains.

Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press and author Nora Roberts for this ARC to read and review!!

What an amazingly crafted book! It’s got it all! Small town mountain life, close family ties, life after loss, romance, mystery, a dash of supernatural and edge-of-your-seat suspense! I was all over the place in my emotions … my heart felt like it was on a rollercoaster ride between heartbreak and hope with every turn of the page!

Nora brilliantly gave us a storyline that is so unique with characters that were so easy to fall in love with … I was absolutely hooked from the chilling beginning to the very satisfying ending!

Mind Games by Nora Roberts
Romantic suspense, thriller. Slightly paranormal with mental telepathy.
Cora and John Fox drop their children off with their Grandmother in the Appalachia countryside where they can play, do chores and basically have a vacation. The children love their time with Grammie Lucy. Thea and Lucy wake up one night after witnessing via nightmare, the brutal killings of Cora and John. Lucy is only twelve but she’s able to give the police enough details about the killer that he’s soon found and put in jail. But putting him behind a locked door won’t keep him out of Thea’s thoughts. He knows that somehow she saw what he did and he won’t rest, or leave her alone, until she’s as dead as the others.

🎧 I alternated reading this between an ebook and audiobook. The audiobook is narrated by January LaVoy who has narrated many books by this author. After listening to the audiobook, I’m was surprised it was a singular narrator as there a distinct voices for several of the characters. The performance was tense when it needed to be and had me in tears during the emotional scenes. I was drawn into the story immediately which is usual for this author. Between reading an ebook and listening to the narrative, I would recommend going with whichever format is your preferred. For me, I hear the accents better in audio which makes it less visual bit more impactful.
I listened to this at my usual 1.5 speed.

Both media formats are equally thrilling and absorbing. Get your homework and tasks done first. Once you start this book, you’re not going to want to put it down until the very end.
Gripping and enthralling.

I received this book from NetGalley and publisher Macmillan Audio.

Nora Roberts masterfully crafts a captivating tale of family bonds, intrigue, excitement, and love set against the backdrop of Redbud Hollow, a quaint Kentucky mountain town. In "Mind Games" we follow Thea, a young woman endowed with a special family legacy, her brother Rem, and their grandmother, Lucy, as they navigate the aftermath of a profound family tragedy.

Roberts' vivid descriptions transport readers to the heart of Kentucky, immersing them in the rich tapestry of its landscapes and culture. I loved Thea, Lucy, and Rem and how well the characters are written and the seamless integration of Thea and Lucy's extraordinary abilities into the narrative added an extra layer of intrigue that kept me utterly engrossed. I couldn't put the book down.

Then I was delighted to experience it all over again through the captivating narration of January LaVoy in the audiobook version, who knocks it out of the park! I absolutely love the way LaVoy performs. Her character voices, impeccable timing and pacing, and engaging storytelling are riveting. I couldn't listen long enough and hated having to even pause. Terrific narration!

"Mind Games" is a refreshing and satisfying read, offering a perfect blend of compelling storytelling, memorable characters and situations, and a very happy ending. Whether in ebook or audio format, I highly recommend this for anyone seeking a delightful escape.

"You've turned one of the hardest days of my life into one of the most beautiful. This is what I want, and now, now I can have it."

Mystery & Thrillers | Romance | Women's Fiction

This was a wonderful romantic suspense book. The characters were well developed and the pace kept my interest. This book deals with paranormal visions, which are not normally something I read, but I found it really interesting. Nora Roberts made it seem like a normal thing so much that I really enjoyed it. The ending was not something I saw coming and I loved it.

Nora Roberts always does such an exceptional job of placing you inside the setting of the book. I loved the general vibe of the book, the slightly ominous tone, the land. I loved the connection between Lucy and her grandkids, and it is woven so well throughout. This book covers a lot of timeline, and it moves at a steady pace. There aren’t flashbacks, but we get the full picture of Thea’s life starting in her teen years. I thought it was really interesting how Roberts incorporated Thea’s gift into her life and into her job, and how it all interconnected. If you’re looking for a strong romance to lead the story, you won’t find it - this is really a book about Thea, her family, and her life, with a sprinkle of romance. I found some of the interactions with the police, with her gift over time, to be a bit repetitive so I think it could have done with a little less of it. However, as usual this was very easy to read and very enjoyable. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to provide my honest review.

I enjoy the romantic suspense novels that Nora Roberts writes and thought this one about a young girl dealing with the murder of her parents sounded intriguing. I liked Thea's relationship with her grandmother and that they each have psychic abilities. However, I didn't realize Thea would also have a psychic connection with her parents' killer, and I didn't enjoy that aspect of the story.

The book was suspenseful and sometimes creepy. The pace is somewhat off and it takes a while for any hint of romance to occur in the story. Roberts is a wonderful storyteller, but this one wasn't for me, but I would rate it as 3.5 stars because I liked the character of Thea.

I received an advance copy of this ebook at no cost from NetGalley and St. Martin's Press. My review is voluntary and unbiased.

I had a big chunk of time to read, and I was so correct that this book would keep my attention from first to last. The synopsis has a pretty detailed summary of the book, so I won't do that here. But here are some of the things I liked:

Lucy (the grandma) and her love and compassion to all those around her. Goals! I really loved the whole family. I also liked the character of Thea, and the descriptions of her game design. Ren made me laugh. I loved the descriptions of the food, the gardening and farm work, the soap making, and the beauty of the Appalachian mountains.

The psychic gifts were interesting, and often creepy. The whole story kept me turning pages - just what I wanted!

I'm one of those reviewers who always reads the ARC close to when the book comes out. With Mind Games I got sick and had to spend Monday reading it. I might have to rethink this waiting till the last minute. Probably not but it's a thought. I so loved this book and couldn't stop reading it. I resented having to stop to make dinner and do anything else that was grown up related. All I wanted to do was reading this wonderful story.

Mind Games like everything Nora Roberts writes is done so well. She has a way with words that makes your fall in love. I spent so much of this book crying which for someone who still had a stuffed-up nose wasn't a great idea. I have so much I want to say about the story but don't want to ruin it for anyone else. It's one of those stories that need to be read to really understand all that went within the story.

I love Thea and her family. Both Lucy and Rem are a big part of the story and play important roles in it. I will say it's part what I would say women's fiction and romance. It's starts off with the story of how Thea and Rem have come to live with their grandmother Lucy. The second part is how the family deals with their past and Thea falls in love and the interactions of her and Ty and his son.

This is a family that loves. They draw people in and hold them tight. You can't help but wish you were part of them. The wonderful relationship between them really enhances the story. You want to know more about them. The heartache they experience and share with us just makes them more really. You can't help but no feel something while reading this story.

I was so happy with Thea fell in love with both Ty and his son. Some of my favorite parts of the story is with them. You need them to add more layers to the story. Showing Thea moving on with her life and falling in love is like coming full circle from the girl who lost so much when she was nothing but a child.

There isn't much I didn't like about the story and will say I liked the family so much that if they showed up in someone else's story I won't mind that. This was the perfect story to get over my cold with and as much as parts broke my heart it made me feel so much better for having read it.

I love books that are contemporary with some sort of a paranormal element to them. In this one, the main female character, Thea, is psychic. Something that all the women in her family have been, but this one starts off when while her brother and her are on a vacation visiting her grandmother, her parents are murdered by another psychic with young Thea connecting and seeing her own parents murder. I became completely sucked in to this story early on and really enjoyed it. It has a little of everything in it and is very emotional in certain places.

The mystery/thriller aspect was completely different from anything I've seen in other books and I was definitely surprised at how that part of the story played out. I struggled a little with the romance in the story - although it's there and I loved seeing Ty's son and his relationship with Thea and her family - it was a little tricky connecting to them when they are first together and it's only when we hit the conflict between them towards the end of the story that you really feel the emotions between them. Mind Games was an entertaining story that plays out very differently from books with similar plots and is very aptly named!

Nora Roberts is one of the few authors who manages to take some of the most outlandish storylines and make them work. This is a saga of a tale as we meet our main character as a child and get to watch her grow. The first part of the book follows Thea as she experiences the moment that changes the trajectory of her life. Thea and her brother suddenly wind up living with their grandmother on her farm after the tragic murder of their parents. Grammie Lucy is a delightful soul who loves on the two children and helps Thea as she comes to a discovery about herself that she comes to feel she must always hide after she is able to help with catching her parents' killer. As we see Thea grow into herself and handle her special gift, we watch her experience loss, revenge, college, and love. This book has tragedy, romance, joy, inspiration, friendship, and family. I enjoyed every moment. There are definitely dark parts to this which bring in the suspense factor. Thea's story borders on the paranormal and requires a suspension of disbelief that I came close to struggling with. However, Roberts knows how to tell a story and writes characters that you come to care about and accept. Because of her masterful writing, I was able to sink into Thea's world and enjoy my time in the country with her brother, grandmother, and those she came to love. I highly recommend Mind Games for those who like a good revenge story or a book about healing and fighting back for the life that you want. 4.5 stars!

Based on the description alone, I thought I would enjoy this book. While I am not normally a paranormal/fantasy reader, I have always been able to enjoy the paranormal-light that is in Nora Roberts’s book. But unfortunately, I did not like this one and struggled through finishing it.
I did enjoy the Kentucky setting and I feel like I could be friends with Lucy and would probably want to work at her store! But that was the only character that I could connect with.
I found the story a little disjointed and felt like all the different story lines didn’t quite fit together. The time jumps had me flipping back a few pages to see if I missed something. I also did not feel any kind of chemistry between Thea and her neighbor.
Nora Roberts is usually an immediate yes on my TBR, but this one for me was a bit of a miss.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this book.

thank you endlessly to @netgalley & @stmartinspress for the opportunity to read this story as an arc, months in advance. I’ll never be over getting to read my favorite author’s book early. 🥹

mind games: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I will never know how she does it but Nora Roberts has the most incredible brain to me. She manages to put bits and pieces of myself into the pages of her stories and she doesn’t have the faintest idea of who I am. 😅

This one is for the girlies who love to cry while they read, for the girlies who grew up loving boy bands, for the girlies who love criminal minds & for the girlies who’s favorite person is their grandmother.

Oh, also for the single dad trope lovers 🤪

Nora’s grandmother characters & four legged companion friends will always be the standard to me. 🥺 (and we got hounds this time, one of my personal favorites since I am a hound mom 🐾).

No Nora I’ve read before has had me in tears like this one did. The first 100ish pages took me so long to get through because I couldn’t finish a chapter without stopping to cry- it hurt so bad but it’s so good.

Since starting my reading journey with Nora books, I have adored the way she goes all in for her main character and that main character’s profession. This one was no exception- you could tell me Nora herself studied video game development for a year before writing this and I’d believe you. (She might have, I have no idea.) The way she brought Thea’s games to life was incredible and played out just like a movie in my mind as I read. Speaking of which, this is going on my list of books I want to see adapted to the screen.

The sweet, precious boy that captured my heart in this book will always bring me back to this story.

And lastly- you just can’t beat the setting of this one, it felt so cozy and like a warm hug.

Twelve-year-old Thea’s parents are murdered. It’s a senseless and cruel act by a no-good, evil man, but his plans to get away are thwarted by Thea’s unusual gift. It’s heartbreaking, but thankfully she has her loving grandmother and brother. They band together and try and live a good life while remembering their loss. I adored both her brother and her grandmother, Lucy, who was a big-hearted, salt-of-the-earth kind of woman!

Unfortunately, Thea captured the killer’s attention, as they share the same psychic gift and he’s bent on vengeance. He is a dark presence on and off throughout the story, but Thea’s gift is stronger, and she has her family and loved ones for support. I enjoyed how she fought back!

Mind Games wasn’t a fast-paced story, but it captured and held my attention from page one! I loved the world Ms. Roberts created: family, friends, animals, gardening, cooking in the small, tightknit community of Redbud Hollow. The slow-burn romance was just icing on the cake!

I alternately read and listened to an audio copy of Mind Games and recommend either version. January LaVoy is one of my favorite narrators! She has a rich, pleasing voice, and nailed the wide range of ages, male and female voices here!

An enchanting yet dark tale of romantic suspense with endearing characters and a beautiful setting in rural Kentucky. I liked the alternating perspectives and the narrative descriptive, combined with an intricate plot. If you're a fan of slow-burn romance and drawn-out suspense, then this is the book for you. I've always been a massive fan of Nora Roberts and her latest definitely didn't disappoint.

Mind Games will blow your mind. Nora Roberts has delivered an edgy suspense thriller. The women in Thea Fox's family have a gift; others may call it a curse. Although she is miles away at the time, the young girl is a silent witness to her parent's murder. The murderer is also a psychic and the two create a twisted bond that haunts Thea throughout the years. Each character can push their way into the mind of the other, inflicting a pain that feels real. Thea can build stories in her dreams and she later grows up to turn the stories into video games. Hence the title of the story.

The beginning of this story grabs the reader with a gutpunch and the taunt suspense story keeps the reader turning pages. Thea and her close knit family and friends are people who I would want know. Their likable characters make her an empathetic protagonist. The only thing that I didn't like in this story was the late introduction of the romance element. The book is advertised as a romance. Loyal readers expect nothing less. But halfway through the book, I was still questioning that label. When the main male character is finally introduced, he comes straight from central casting complete with sweet romance tropes. Because the romance begins so late in the story, it doesn't have time to evolve in a natural pace and feels rushed. However, romance lovers will be more than satisfied with Robert's trademark love scenes that can always get the reader's heart racing.

I received an advanced copy from the publisher, but the opinions in this review are completely my own. This Fantastic psychological thriller combines with a fun romance to provide a novel you won't want to miss.

Nora Roberts can literally do no wrong!

Every book this woman puts out is like an offering from a story telling God that I can’t begin to try and put down. This book is no exception to that very tiring rule. Why tiring you might ask? Well because Nora has stolen yet another night of my sleep being I didn't go to bed just so I could read further on. And, when I finally passed out from sheer exhaustion my kindle hit my face and I now have a bruise on the bridge of my nose that makes it look like I got into a bar fight. But instead of sayin, “you should se the other guy”, I have to look down and say, “I go beat up by an e-reader.” LMAO Don’t yo worry it is a wound I wear like a badge of dyslexic reading honor!!

Thank you NetGalley and ST. Martens Press for this 5 star ARC read!!

The Fox kids look forward to spending two weeks at their grandmother's house every summer. Thea, age twelve, can savor many childhood treats here, like the mountain air and their grandmother's food. Her parents, however, are unaware of the horror that awaits them when they return home.
Thea and her grandmother Lucy wake up from the same nightmare in Kentucky. Although the two have never talked about the unique sight they share, as soon as their sorrowful eyes contact, they both know that something horrible has happened.

This is the second book by Nora Roberts that I have read, so I wasn’t quite sure what to expect. However, this story is definitely not what I expected. I thought the author generally wrote romantic suspense and didn’t know that this book was more of a paranormal book. I’m giving it three stars because I like the book's main character and setting. However, her love interest arc and her parent’s killer's story were too much for me.

I’m sure you'll love this one if you regularly read her books. If this is the first Nora Roberts book you’re reading, you may want to choose another title by Nora Roberts as your first.

Wow!! I love Nora Roberts books, I discovered her during the pandamic. I read just about all of her romantic suspense books.She is one of the most favored authors. This book I'm speechless , but I will try. I will tell you this made me cry and root for these characters! It is definitely one of her best. I don't want to give to much away but Theas second sight was extraordinary. I've read a few books with a character that have this but the way Thea handled herself was amazing at 12 years old. The whole book was very emotional and suspenseful and it came around to a great ending. I need to thank Netgalley for the advance copy they gave me for my honest review!!!