the setup…
John and Cora Fox take their two children, twelve-year old Thea and ten-year old Rem, to visit their maternal grandmother Lucy in the Appalachian hills of Kentucky every June. This year is extra special as the kids will spend two weeks this time in the place they love with the woman they adore. John and Cora return to Virginia, taking advantage of some precious alone time. But soon after they get home, Thea and Lucy wake from a horrific nightmare where they witness John and Cora’s murder. Thea has inherited the “gift” passed through the maternal bloodline but it’s much stronger than Lucy’s. You see, not only did Thea witness everything that happened to her parents in real time, she could see it through the mind and eyes of the killer.

the heart of the story…
Despite the tragic beginning, this felt more like a loving tribute to the spirit and beauty of an Appalachian community in Kentucky. Thea and Rem were raised with loving and kindness but with an appreciation for hard work, nature and looking out for your neighbors. They thrive as they mature and though Thea learns how to manage her gift, she never loses the connection to the inmate who killed her parents. There was always something sinister brewing in the background, even while Thea moved on with her life, finding a career and romance in the meantime. You just knew a reckoning was coming.

the narration…
LaVoy just keeps surprising me! I could have sworn there were three separate narrators…for the women, the men and the children. She’s a gifted performer.

the bottom line…
This is a moving saga covering more than a decade. Its conflation of several genres made it even more fascinating, especially Thea’s extraordinary gift of sight. I loved Lucy’s way of life that she passed down to her grandchildren who embraced it willingly. Thea’s romance was lovely, even when it hit a bumpy path. There’s so much breadth and grace here to offset the evil of Thea’s mental nemesis who is dangerous and scary. I didn’t want it to end, even after 15 hours! If you have the option to listen to the book, choose it because LaVoy is incredible.

Mind Games is truly captivating and riveting. This book has the perfect blend of suspense and romance, tension and ease, love and hatred! I enjoyed the unique plot with the main character and villain having telepathic abilities and the “mind games” they played with one another throughout this book. The narrator of the audiobook, January LaVoy is brilliant and added so much emotion to this story while seamlessly moving in and out of characters. I highly recommend reading this book via audiobook, you will not regret it!!

Thank you Net Galley and Macmillan Audio for providing an ARC of Mind Games by Nora Roberts for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.

Pub date 5/21/24

One of the highlights of summer is when Thea and her brother get to spend two weeks with their grandmother, Lucy. The Foxes leave their children behind like they do every summer and head back home, but this isn’t like every other summer.

Thea is awakened from a nightmare and knows that her life will never be the same. Lucy also knows the horror of what Thea saw. For the first time, Thea and Lucy speak of their special gift and how at times it can be a blessing and a curse. Thea uses her vision to help put her parent’s killer behind bars, where he will spend the rest of his life. The problem is that he shares the same gift and wants nothing more than to see Thea pay for putting him in prison.

This book did not disappoint. I’ve been reading Nora Robert’s books for more than twenty years and haven’t read one that I didn’t like. I look forward to continuing to read/listen to any and all novels that Nora Roberts publishes.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for allowing me to listen to an ALC of this novel. #NetGalley #MindGames

I have been a big Nora Roberts fan for years, so I was excited to get the latest audio version of her book, Mind Games. This is not the typical Roberts book though. It had an extremely slow start following all the different things Thea could see with her gift. This seemed to go on longer than necessary and got boring. There is a little love interest about 50% into the book. The ending was predictable. The narrator was enjoyable.
Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for my advanced audiobook in exchange for my honest opinion.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the ARC. Another great read by Nora Roberts. I do love paranormal romantic suspense books and this one did not disappoint. The romance started a bit later in this book than is normal for a Nora Roberts book but that was fine. It would have been nice to see Thea use her gift a little more in the community, however I do understand the route that was taken. I enjoyed the audio of this book. Definitely worth the read!

Mind Games is a mystery with a twist and a bit of romance and found family.

Thea has a gift that helps catch her parents’ killer. Her and her brother go to live with Grammie Lucy who shares the same gift as Thea. We watch her grow and mature into an amazing woman despite the horrible way her parents were taken from her while getting glimpses into how she uses her gift. When her childhood crush who is the lead singer for a famous band, moves in down the road with his young son, we see how wonderful community and found family can be. I’ve been reading Nora Roberts books for 25 years and am always immersed in her stories and fall in love with her characters. This was such a wonderful book!

This audiobook was narrated by January LaVoy who always does an amazing job portraying Nora Roberts’s characters and stories.

Thank you so much to Netgalley, Nora Roberts, and Macmillan Audio, for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review. This will be a great read for everyone on May 20th!

I have posted my review on Goodreads, in my Facebook book club, and will post a Tiktok review within the week before it releases.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC audiobook of Mind Games by Nora Roberts.

This is the second book I have read by this author. I was excited because I really enjoyed Inheritance.

I hate to say that I was disappointed by this book. If there was not so much language I would have really enjoyed this book. I was in the Marine Corps so it's not like I haven't been around a ton of swearing, but I don't want to read/listen to a book filled with foul language.

I do understand that the killer spoke this way....but when the children started repeating all of the bad words that made me unhappy.

"Mind Games" by Nora Roberts is a thrilling rollercoaster of suspense and romance. With intricate plot twists and dynamic characters, Roberts crafts a gripping tale of deception, danger, and unexpected love. The protagonist's psychic abilities add an intriguing layer to the story, keeping readers on the edge of their seats until the very end. It did get a little long but still a great read. January Levoy is one of my favorite narrators. Roberts' masterful storytelling makes "Mind Games" a must-read for fans of mystery and romance alike. Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for allowing me to listen to this early.

Thank you to NetGalley for the audio arc in exchange for an honest review.
This is my first Nora Roberts book. There were so many things about this book that I enjoyed, but I'm not sure if this is the author for me. I'm coming away from this book thinking that there are two different books going on at the same time. I enjoyed both, but the amount of time it took to set up the characters and get around to some action took forever. The way the book is described sounds like it's going to be a thriller with some sort of revenge and cat-and-mouse action. These promised fell flat for me. I did enjoy the characters and the romance aspect of the story, but the video game story line felt disconnected to me.
I absolutely love the narrator for the audiobook. January LaVoy has a gift for voicing male and female characters and children.

Nora Roberts never misses! The storytelling is wonderful and if you enjoy thrillers this is not a book to overlook. The characters were wonderfully written. All in all a great book!

Nora Robert’s does it again. I love her books! If you enjoy a thriller with a bit of fantasy and romance you will enjoy this book.. The narration was done well.

Thank you #NetGalley, #MacmillianAudio, #NoraRoberts, #JanuaryLaVoy and #MindGames for the advance audio version for my honest review.

As a young child, Thea witnesses the unimaginable. Through the love of her brother, Grammy, Ty, Bry, and a great BIG dog, Thea becomes not only a great video game creator, but a kick ass heroine. Only Nora Roberts can weave such a wonderful tale of great tragedy, great family, great friends and a great big dog and mix it with suspense, romance, and a touch of supernatural .

Thank you Netgalley and the publishers for the audio ARC. #Netgalley #Mindgames

Every time Roberts audiobooks get me! There is just something appealing about her storylines and characters. The writing style is so similar in every book, and LaVoy’s performance is always solid. This was a great mix of family drama, love story & a sprinkle of the supernatural. Very heartwarming. This book was a good time!

I have loved Nora Roberts books for a long time but this one had all of the parts I love: blooming love between two great people, a little bit or paranormal, a horrible enemy and a family that supports and loves each other. Grandma Lucy and her granddaughter Thea have an ability to see things that others are living. They happen to see the brutal murder of Thea's parents. Thea sees so much that she helps the investigators solve the murder and put him in prison. The problem is that that the murder has the same gift and gets into Thea's head. The story in this book is only better because of one of my favorite narrators, January LaVoy. Once Thea is grown she finds her self in love with someone and she does not trust him enough to tell her story. A misunderstanding happens and trust is broken. I loved the way the story was told and the ending was great. Thank you #MacMillan audio and #NetGalley for an ARC of this book.

Roberts delivers another winner with this book. I really enjoy how she adds a touch of supernatural to ordinary tales. The story's setup is intriguing: a young girl with telekinetic powers sees something terrifying. It leaves a lasting mark on her, both physically and mentally. This book blends different genres seamlessly, making it a captivating read.

Thank you Netgalley and Macmillan Audio for the opportunity to listen and review this audiobook ARC.

This audiobook was my first Nora Roberts book, but it won't be my last.

I was intrigued by the premise: we follow the life of a young girl, Thea, whose parents are murdered by a serial killer. She has the ability to read minds/feel others' emotions, and as it turns out, so does the serial killer. And he's in her head, obsessed with hurting her like he did her parents.

I was expecting a thriller, and it definitely was in lots of ways. But I was interested to find that the story was just as much a character study. We spend a lot of time watching Thea grow up, spend time with friends and family, and pursue a career. The killer is there in the background the whole time, but isn't the focus for much of the book.

I enjoyed the pace and the story — and the narrator was terrific. She did such a great job with the different voices, I really forgot it was just one person.

I got attached to many of the characters, and enjoyed the setting of small-town Kentucky. I was surprised how quickly this went, but that's probably because I was listening to it almost every waking moment once I started.

I feel like this is almost a new (or new-to-me) genre - not too scary but still thrilling, a nice comfy pace with some romance but also gruesome murders. It's like... a cozy thriller? I kept expecting horrible things to happen and they never did, which was refreshing and also made me realize just how violent many of the thrillers are that I read.

However you categorize this book, I enjoyed it a lot and look forward to checking out more from this author.

Nora Roberts never lets me down!

In Mind Games, we meet Thea Fox and her family. When Thea and her brother are young, visiting their grammy on her Appalachian farm, the unthinkable happens to her parents back in Virginia. Thea and her brother must move in with Grammy in Kentucky, and start a new life. But starting over is hard when you've got "the sight" and someone evil is breaking through the veil.

Ahhh this was soooo good!!! Mind Games is Nora at her best. Blending romance, suspense, and supernatural elements, this was utterly unputdownable! LOVED!!

Narrator January Lavoy crushed it! Her ability to portray a large cast of characters of multiple ages is nothing short of uncanny! Such a talent!

Thank you Macmillan Audio for my gifted copy.

I just finished listening to “Mind Games” by Nora Roberts. I am a huge fan of Nora Roberts and have read a lot of her books. This was such a great book! I really enjoyed reading the main character’s growth through each chapter.

I always love a Nora Roberts book and this one did not disappoint! It had great storytelling, wonderful characters, and a great family dynamic . January Lavoy was excellent as the narrator.

The publication date is May 21, 2024.

Thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the advanced digital audiobook.

Wow. This was not the book I was expecting seeing Nora Roberts as the author, but it was a great read. This is more psychological thriller than it is a romance. It places a huge emphasis on the importance of family. The narrator did such a good job of drawing me in and feeling what Thea was going through. I had to take breaks at points because of how intense parts got, but I loved the journey to the end. It was well written and well narrated. Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martins press for the audiobook arc to give an honest review.