Final Score - 5 Stars!

I have to admit, this one took a while for me to get into. But when I did, I was ALL IN and could not put it down. Much of my reading lately is done late at night and I could not let this one go until I knew what would happen to them all.

Mind Games by Nora Roberts is a hold on to you seat novel, which contains some dark subject matter. This book explores the depths of evil and how it lingers and has a lasting effect on one's soul - and their mind. The story is filled with intriguing characters, set in real world atmosphere, and is driven by a plot that will keep you gripped and gasping as you turn the page. Ms. Roberts ensnares you with her classic story telling and character driven plot. The romance was light hearted and gave a much needed balm at key points, that made it seamless to read and enjoy.

My pulse was pounding during other parts that left me speechless and my mind wondering. This is a definite must read.

Mind Games by Nora Roberts was a big hit for me.  There was murder, romance, family drama, psychic abilities, greed, and love.  It gave me all the emotional roller coaster throughout this book.  I was sucked into the story immediately.  I was shocked at the beginning when Thea’s parents were murdered as she watched it happen in her nightmare. I disliked Riggs as a character, he was chillingly creepy!  I did however love the family unit with Thea, her brother Rem, her grandmother Lucy, and the town that welcomed them in.  I enjoyed seeing Thea grow and become a master gaming designer.  That sounds like a very cool job!  Best of all, I enjoyed the interaction between her and her childhood crush, rock star, father, and neighbor, Ty.  A lot was going on in this story, but it does span about 15 years starting when Thea is twelve and ending in her late twenties.  Overall, I loved it.  I had a difficult time putting it down and found myself going to bed early just so I could read more.  I look forward to reading the next one that Nora Roberts writes.

The versatility of Nora Roberts writing is mind blowing! (No pun intended). This is a suspense thriller that has the 2 characters that use their telekinesis, one for good and the other for evil. A tragedy brings the 2 together, as Thea watches her beloved parents murder, even though she is at her Grammie’s and no where near the crime scene. During that tragic scene she connects a moment with the murderer. At the age of 12 she and her grandmother informs the police and they catch him with enough evidence that he will serve two life sentences. And now the mind games begins. Thea is putting her life back together, but she will never be free from the torment unless she faces evil.
Definitely a page turner, a bit romance but it is about family bonds and value, good vs. evil. I was drawn into the story immediately, loved the book and also the audiobook narrator was excellent. Thank you NetGalley for this eARC. I am voluntarily posting an honest review after reading an Advance Reader Copy of this story. #NetGalley #MindGames #StMartinsPress #MacmillanAudio

This was such a unique storyline and it has so many aspects to appeal to so many different readers.
I loved the characters. They have such warm and lovable personalities.
Early on, the characters dealt with a major tragedy by the hands of a monster.
Thea has the special ability to see into minds but so does the monster that killed her parents. This is where mind games comes in as he tries to get in her mind and mess with her. I wish this was most of the storyline. We did get the story of Thea growing up and how she gets to where she is today. The love interest didn’t come in until about 50% in the book. Some things dragged on and wasn’t holding my attention.
But I still enjoyed this one. And like I said it has a lot of elements that would attract to variety of readers.

I usually enjoy Nora Roberts books for light, effortless reading. I can count on a solid storyline, good pacing, semi-believable characters, and a little paranormal/fantasy element for interest. Mind Games doesn’t deliver.
The pacing here is very off. We spend the first half of the book in Appalachian Kentucky following young Thea as she grapples with the violent death of her parents and the strange psychic connection she has to their killer. There are endless discussions/inner monologues/descriptions of life on a working farm in a small inter-dependent community and how different it is from a big city. That’s HALF the book! We finally meet the love interest, Ty, at the halfway point and things pick up.

However, the characters are flat and uninteresting. The worst were Grammie and Ray. First, there’s Grammie, who never fails to add trite wisdom to any conversation and is unfailingly GOOD. Nobody is that good. She is front and center, along with Thea, during the first half of the book and is just boring. Then, there’s the antagonist, Ray, who is just BAD. Nobody is that bad for no reason, but we don’t get any backstory. I think my favorite character was actually the dog, Bunk.

I won’t give up on Nora Roberts, but this wasn’t my favorite.

Thank you the Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I am a long time Nora Roberts fan and love when a new release of hers comes out. Mind Games is no different! I know going in to a NR book these days that there will be some sort of tragedy to overcome or hardship the main character had to endure. In Mind Games, within the first few pages there is a gut punch as the young heroines parents are tragically murdered. BUT, this lends itself to set up the rest of the story and it's a great one! The story follows Thea, the young daughter, whose second sight has linked her somehow to the person who murdered her parents. She shares this second sight with her Grandmother who raises her and is told it's a gift that is passed down in their family. This gift feels like a curse to Thea though as she is somehow at times still linked to the thoughts of her parent's murderer.... Nora always adds a love element to her stories which I love and always look forward to. Enter Ty, a new neighbor with a young son. I'll leave the rest of the story for the reader to uncover, but just want to add that as with all of Nora's books- There is a light at the end of the tunnel!

Wow, what an intense, heart pounding tale of the power of the mind. The connection of Thea to the mind of her parents’ killer Ray sent him to prison but as she tries to have a normal life the connection isn’t severed. She still sees his twisted thoughts.
Nora knows how to make the reader step into the emotions of the characters, and in this case I felt Thea’s pain and determination to see the end of the inherent evil in Ray’s mind.
This is a well crafted story and I loved the intriguing characters, sense of family and community, and the depth of emotion that flowed throughout. Excellent book!
I was given a copy courtesy of St. Martin’s Press through NetGalley. This is my honest opinion of the book.

Thea Fox’s idyllic childhood is shattered forever when her parents are murdered. Though she’s in Kentucky with her grandmother when it happens, Thea can see everything as it happens and is instrumental in putting the killer away for life. But the killer has the same gift as Thea and as she grows up, he is edging ever closer in her mind. Now as an adult, successful, talented, and with a burgeoning relationship, Thea’s going to have to face down the monster she’s been waging a silent war with for years.

Mind Games is a romantic suspense with a healthy splash of the paranormal. At its heart, it’s Thea’s story. Nora Roberts takes readers from Thea’s childhood in Redbud Hollow through college and into adulthood as Thea grows and thrives in the aftermath of a horrific tragedy. I adored Thea’s grandmother, Lucy, and her brother, Rem. They have strong personalities and are as vital to her story as the hero. Thea’s career as a video game designer was also entertaining to watch and I liked that Roberts spent time on it. The killer she helped put away is always in the background, however. While he’s locked up in prison, he and Thea share a psychic talent that is increasingly intruding on Thea’s mind. It’s different having a villain who isn’t physically a threat and that makes it interesting. Thea (and thus the readers) never know when he’ll break through the barrier she puts up to keep him out.

While Mind Games is a romantic suspense, the romance doesn’t begin until the latter half of the story. Ty is a single dad who guards his privacy and whose past has made him wary of trusting others. I adored watching Ty with his son and can see why Thea falls for him. He and Thea have an easy chemistry that makes their slide into a relationship enjoyable to watch unfold. The romance is understated but I really enjoyed the story as a whole so I didn’t mind.

Mind Games kept me hooked from first page to last. The characters were interesting, the setting vibrant, the romance sweet. There was humor, heart, and action aplenty, and the climax of the story was satisfying. Roberts never fails to draw me in and this book was no exception.

Through an unlikely connection, a woman and her parent’s murderer battle it out in a dangerous duel of the minds.

Every June, John and Cora Fox drop off their two children—Thea and Rem—for a much-anticipated two-week stay with Cora’s mom, “Grammie” Lucy in Redbud Hollow, Kentucky. There, in beautiful Appalachia, the kids run free, help Grammie make soaps and candles for her business, and eat an abundance of delicious home-cooked meals. One night, Lucy and Thea awaken from a terrible real-life nightmare, knowing John and Cora have been murdered back in Virginia.

Lucy and Thea share a special kind of sight passed down through the women of Lucy’s family. Twelve-year-old Thea’s sight is particularly strong, as she helplessly watched every moment of her parent’s murder. Thanks to Thea, they catch the psychopathic killer—Ray Riggs—who gets sent to a supermax prison.

But Ray also shares the sight, and knows it was Thea that ruined everything for him. Promising vengeance, he weaponizes his own psychic ability by tormenting Thea year after year. As Thea becomes an adult, takes on a career as a successful game designer, and falls in love, Ray Riggs is always there, darkening the hope of a peaceful, happy life. As his anger and vengeance reaches a fever pitch, Thea’s life begins to fray, and she plots a perilous plan to sever their mental connection once and for all.

With MIND GAMES, Roberts once again delivers an immersive story with beloved, richly penned characters. Suspenseful and moving in equal measure, the narrative explores themes of family, grief, and love.

So good I didn’t want it to end!

Nora Roberts just has a way that draws you into a story and makes you so attached to her characters. From the first page I get drawn in and I can't put the book down and this was no exception. One of my favorite Nora Roberts book is Carolina moon. I loved the "extra" abilities that are just so believable and how the main characters have to deal with their power, deal with the issues that happening around them. I had so many Carolina Moon vibes. I loved the story of Thea link with Ray and how they played "Mind Games" with each other.
Thea and her family were so great. I don't know why I love this type of story where you get from childhood to adult. We got to see her grow into a beautiful successful person that made her dreams come true even though her life had shattered when she was 12.
Ty and Thea together is just so cute. Getting to see her fall in love with her teenage crush.
I almost feel like their falling in love is too easy. I almost wish there had been a little more conflict. ( I am a huge sucker for enemies to lovers and this story line had potential for that type of trope). She falls in love with his son, she was already half in love with him. He fit right into the small town, family dynamic and you can just see they are going to be super happy to together.
I love Nora Roberts. I love Thea. I love the story. It is a perfect read for a little bit of suspense, a little bit of family drama, a little bit of romance.

Every summer siblings Thea and Rem are dropped off at their grandmother’s farm house deep in the Appalachians for a two week vacation while their parents return home for some much needed rest and relaxation. Little did they know that following them home was a man intent on murder. Back on the farm, Grammie and Thea both wake after dreaming about the horrific event only to realize everything they witnessed had actually come to pass. Flash forward toward adulthood and Thea learns that her violent past is hell bent on not remaining in the past.

Verdict: It’s Nora Roberts. Let me repeat --- it’s Nora Roberts. I usually don’t have a hard time reading anything she writes and can usually expect to enjoy anything she puts on paper…. Except this one. I can’t tell if was due to pace, a lack of attachment from the main characters, or the overabundance of attention to detail and descriptions. While there were hints of Robert’s classic romantic suspense writing style, I think this one strayed just a little too far off the beaten path. A solid 3 stars for me.

*Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review*

This was a 3.5 star.

I was excited to get this ARC because Nora Roberts has been a fav author for YEARS and is one of my auto buy authors.

This book had amazing potential. I love how Nora incorporates little “paranormal” aspects into contemporary books. The concept of Thea seeing what happened (HOLY trauma right there) and the mental connection was super cool.

Unfortunately for me, the pacing was just OFF on this one. We spend almost 60% of the book just getting background building as Thea as a kid. If this wasn’t a short standalone this would have been great (okay still a little slow even then) but given this book is only 430 pages ish this was just too much. We only get 40-50% of her as an adult and it still took time to set up the story from there. I also felt for how much background we were getting I really wasn’t invested in the characters like I should be.

I enjoyed this book and would still recommend it but it won’t be like some of her others that I have reread many times.

Troupes: thriller, paranormal contemporary
Plot 4/5
Pace 3/5
Character Personality 3/5
Character Growth 4/5
Writing Style 4/5
World Building 4.5/5

Mind Games by Nora Roberts is a fantastic standalone suspenseful novel, that had me unable to put the book down. No surprise, as Nora Roberts/JD Robb never fails to disappoint. With school out for the summer, the Fox family travels to Kentucky, so that the kids (12 year old Thea and 10 year old Rem) can spend two weeks with their Grandmother Lucy. They love being there with the animals, gardens, mountains, and their Grammie. Their mother and father return home to Virginia, giving them their own vacation; which leads them into a terrible tragedy about to happen.

Thea awakens from a nightmare, as she saw her parents murdered, and she runs to her grandmother, only to realize that she saw the same nightmare. They both share a gift that is part of the female women in their family, which have the ability to see unique sights. Thea remembers everything about that nightmare, including the killer. The kids will be staying with Grammie now in Redbud Hollow, and thanks to Thea’s vision, the man who killed their parents has been captured and will spend the rest of his life in prison, with no parole. Thea learns quickly that the killer also has the same gift, using his gift to tie himself to her; which over 15 years becomes a continual mental battle between the two of them. Thea’s gift is very strong, which allows her to help two detectives to find a missing girl. Both of those detectives will come to Thea over the years asking for her help.

Thea was a fantastic heroine, as she was smart, strong, dedicated and determined to be one stop ahead of Riggs. I loved her relationship with Lucy (her grandmother) and Rem (her brother). It was heartwarming to see how they always there supported each other, including Lucy’s two older sons. All the characters were great, including her best friend Maddy. Ty (a well-known musician) came into the picture about half way through with his young son, Bray; and in a short time, they both had strong feelings for each other. I loved Bunt, Thea’s dog. & his love of Bray.

Thea was very good at her designing her own video games, getting hired by a firm to create those video games. She manages to stop Riggs attempts to get through to her, but she wants a life without this evil villain, who always is trying to get into her head. Thea decides to create a different kind of final game, just for him, as she knows how to mentally deal with him and closing his mind forever.
Mine Games is a fascinating and suspenseful story, that deals with drama, family, murder, psychic abilities, evil villain and romance. Once again, Nora Roberts gives us a fantastic story that has us unable to put the book down from start to finish. Mind Games was so very well written by Nora Roberts. You need to read this book, as it was great.

Another page- turner from Nora Roberts. Set in the beautiful hills of Kentucky, she takes us on a journey through the lives of Thea and her brother Rem. Included is Nora Roberts’ signature “magical” overtones. As with her last book, these overtones were not too much for me, just believable enough to make the story enjoyable. The added romance made it a perfect weekend read! I highly recommend!
Thanks to St. Martin’s Press and Netgalley for an advanced copy in return for an honest review.

I love reading books by Nora Roberts, she writes really good. I loved this one because it was both suspenseful and romantic. There was never a dull moment in this one. I loved the ending it was different from what I expected. I'm grateful that netgalley and the publishers let me read this in exchange for an honest review.

This was such an intriguing story that has a very emotional punch. Wonderful characters and a unique story line that held me captive from the start.
Nora Roberts paints a very vivid picture of events throughout this story, and I felt so many emotions as the story unfolds. It’s tragic yet filled with love. It’s alarming yet filled with light. It’s different, heartfelt, loving, and so very interesting. I truly enjoyed it.

Fantastic novel! I didn't want to put this book down to go to bed. Nora Roberts really paints a picture with words and it makes it even more suspenseful!

Mind Games by Nora Roberts has a unique concept. I have been reading Nora Roberts since I was a tween, when the author published her first book. As with all of the author’s stories, I found Mind Games to be easy to read. The main characters are likeable (for the most part). The first third of the book was spent on Thea’s childhood. I understand providing background on the main characters, but this was a bit much (and it was a tad boring). I liked the paranormal premise, but it was tame. It could have been so much more. I wanted Thea to embrace her gift, hone it, and use it to help others. The love interest does not show up until the halfway point which is unusual for a romance. The ending was a letdown. I understood the video game aspect, but it was unexciting. My favorite character was Thea’s dog. Mind Games felt like it was written by another author.

Over the years, Roberts has shown how deeply she can tug at heartstrings regardless of the genre she is writing in. And Mind Games is no
different.
When Thea and her little brother are dropped off at their Grammie's for their annual two week summer vacation in Red Bud Hollow,
in Appalachia, they had no idea it would become their permanent home. Their parents are murdered in their beds at home and
both Thea and her Grammie saw it take place in nightmares. and Thea is able to identify him through her visions and he is caught and tried and sentenced to life in prison.
Her and Grammie have the gift of "psychic vision" which is passed down only through the women
in their family and it becomes a lifelong challenge to Thea to temper it and control it so it does not control her.
Recurring nightmares in which her parent's murderer shows up to taunt her become a mission she undertakes to remove him from her mind.
The characters are easy to follow and easy to fall into immediate like with.
But the stream of evil portrayed is a bit too too for me and a little less would have gotten the same message across equally as well.
Loved the love story woven through much of it and the goodness of most of the characters.
Not found in a lot of stories these days.

Ms. Roberts never fails to entertain in her books and this story is another hit. I’ve read her books for 30+ years and always eagerly waiting for the next.

Mind Games has a paranormal aspect with Thea and the women in her family having the ‘gift of sight’ although not all think of it as a gift. What starts out as a wonderful visit with Grammie for Thea and Rem and her parents plans for a child-free time, ends in a tragedy. I can’t even imagine how terrible it was for Thea to be able to ‘see’ events, but the psychotic killer is caught and placed in a supermax prison.

Although Thea, Rem, Grammie and other family members struggle with their grief losing two special people, Thea and Rem thrive living with Grammie. Feeding the chickens, cows, goat, helping Grammie with her business of making various soaps, lotions and more. Redbud Hollow seems an idyllic place for anyone to live. We see Thea and Rem as they go to college and eventually return to Grammie.

To me this story has a romantic element to it but it’s more suspenseful with the ‘mind games’ between Thea and Ray, the psychotic killer. It’s frightening at times to see how much control each one has over the other and how Ray tries to take advantage of those in prison. I don’t know how someone so young can be so cruel but, as in many serial killer-types, Ray started at a young age, small insects, animals and moved on to people. I can understand wanting more in life, but he was a bitter person even as a teenager. So much evil in one person and to take the lives of such wonderful people and affect families without a thought.

I’ve loved her stories that were mainly romance and also the mystery/suspense stories. Meeting the male romantic lead didn’t happen until later in the book but I loved Ty and his delightful, rambunctious, young son, Brayden. As in most of her stories, most of the characters are incredibly talented, attractive, and just the best type of people you hope to meet in life. The closeness with these characters made me want to move to Redbud Hollow and be a part of the family and friends.

There’s a very dramatic ending and I was a bit tense hoping that Thea’s plan would work and happy to see that good won over evil. The relationship with Ty was tied up in a bow with an expected HEA.

I’m not normally a paranormal reader but this story kept me turning the pages to see what happened next and I highly recommend this book.

I want to thank the author, publisher and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this new work.