I was provided both an ebook and an audio ARC of this book via Netgalley, all opinions are my own.

I mainly listened to the audiobook, because January LaVoy is one of my favorite narrators. As always she does a fantastic job voicing all of the characters in the novel so you always know who is speaking and what they are feeling.

I actually really enjoyed this book! This started out as a questionable read for me, as the main character Thea is a child when the villian Ray Riggs enters the storyline. I don't enjoy thrillers where children are involved, but I really liked what the author did with the interactions between Riggs and Thea. I thought it was a creative way for them to interact, while still protecting Thea as a child and as she grows up and she is ready to face him in person. Make no mistake the interactions with Riggs are plenty ugly and at time vulgar, but knowing that he and Thea are never physically in the same space makes for an interesting plotline and easier to stomach when she is younger. There are several scenes where you are going to want to check trigger warnings for especially when Riggs is in the drivers seat or when Thea is describing crime scenes to the detectives. While short, they are disturbing.

I thought the pacing was good in this one. I sometimes find Roberts book to be a tad on the long side and the pace to be slow, but I didn't find that to be the case with this one. This follow Thea and her brother from childhood when tragedy strikes their family on their annual 2 week trip to their grandmothers Kentucky home. Grammie becomes their legal guardian and raises them into successful adults. Both Grammie and Thea have a gift, so this does delve a bit into the paranormal throughout the book as Thea has a connection with the man who killed her parents. She works hard to keep him out, but he is working just as hard to break down her walls. As we follow Thea through adulthood, we see her build a successful career and life, and when she least expects it love enters the picture. I thought all of the characters had good character development and well defined storylines. I loved all the side characters as well and felt they did a good job to support the story. I was invested in Thea and Ty's relationship as their romance developed, and thought they had good chemistry. This is pretty closed door when it comes to the spice, which I prefer. I also loved all the references to home cooked meals. This book should come with a supplemental cookbook for all of the yummy things Thea and Grammie cooked, as well as Grammie's secret recipes to her soaps, candles, and lotions.

Overall I thought this was really entertaining. Sometimes the author's work can feel a bit formulaic, and while that might have been true for this book that formula worked really well for me here. If you are a Nora Roberts fan and like a thriller with a paranormal twist this, I recommend this one!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Mind Games
By: Nora Roberts
Narrated by: January LaVoy
Publisher: Macmillan Audio
Pub Date: 5/21/24

I look forward to Nora’s stand alone each spring! In my head January LaVoy is Nora’s voice. I’ve listened to her read so many of her books! Always like going home!
Every summer begins with a trek to Grammie Lucy’s in Appalachia. Once their parents return to Virginia Thea, 12 and Remington,10 have the time of their lives. Learning all the things she has to teach but when tragedy strikes and their parents are murdered their whole worlds change. Thea comes from a long line of women who have the sight. She watched her parents be murdered and by the grace of god she saw the killer in her parents bedroom mirror. While helping the police she was able to tell them where he was and they were able to arrest them. In her grief she allowed him a connection that he will use to try to torture her for years to come. As she grows up and her life becomes more her own she becomes more comfortable with her gift but that connection to the murder is still there. When a new man shows up with a four year old in tow she knows she’s all in. What she isn’t sure about is how to tell him about her gift. Can she have a family and still protect them from the murder? What if she has a daughter will he be able to reach a descendent just cause she’s Thea’s?
This was a great read. I couldn’t put it down! Now to be patient or as patiently as I can wait for her next book out in November it’s book 2 in The Lost Bride Trilogy. #bookstagram #bookstagrammer #netgalley #booksofinstagram #netgalleyreader #netgalleyarc #netgalleyreviewer #bookworm #bookish #bookaddict #bookreviewer #bibliophile #ireadromance #instabooks #booknerd #arcopies #romancereads #advancereaderscopy #booklover #readersofinsta #igbooks #bookclub #fiction #womensfiction #historicalfiction #contemporaryromance #read #readers #bookaholic

Every summer Thea and her brother travel from Virginia to Kentucky to spend two weeks with their Grammie. During her twelfth summer when Thea and Grammie wake with a start after envisioning something terrible happening to her parents, Thea realizes that her Grammie shares her special kind of sight. After the terrible event, Thea and her brother live permanently in Kentucky where she learns to harness her sight, makes friends, grows up, and builds a career, but is still troubled by the ability to see into others minds and souls including the inmate that forever shattered her world.

A mash up of romance and suspense, the creative process with a dash of paranormal ability creates a wild ride of a story that kept me on the edge of my seat. The story spans over many years with large jumps in time that at first was slight jarring because I was unsure where the book was going, but was required to get to the destination and did not detract from the storyline. The characters were well developed and the pacing was good throughout. I loved the narrator of the audiobook and felt that she did a great job capturing the sentiments of the main characters. For me, this was a truly unique book and that I have never quite read anything similar, which is always a joy.

Mind Games was an engrossing, gripping, captivating and addictive read. First off I wasn't too sure about it, but then when things started to click into place I started to really get intrigued in the story. It was so original, different and refreshing. I loved how it was majorly based on the suspense part, but that we really got into Thea's life and with the added romance it was the perfect blend for me.

I loved the characters in this book, I felt they were extremely well developed. They had amazing personalities that truly shined, we got to know them really well through everything that happens. The love interest does appear later in this novel but I still really enjoyed their chemistry and their banter.

There is a lot going on in this book regarding the villain, the mind games between them are insane and truly I am not usually into these types of books, but Robert's did an amazing job with it. This book truly had a bit of everything and I really enjoyed it.

🎧 The narration by January Lavoy is outstanding, I recommend everyone that wants to give this book a shot to go for the audio. It truly felt like I was listening to a tv show. She was perfect at playing both female, male and kids. I just truly love how she's able to play all these characters and have such distinct voices for them. Truly amazing audiobook.

✨️ Thank you to @netgalley, @macmillanaudio & @noraroberts for my gifted ALC in exchange for an honest review.

Mind Games is by far the best Nora Robert’s book I’ve had the pleasure to listen to in a long time. And wow the narrator January LaVoy brings a voice to this book that is extraordinary bringing to life a multi layered performance to a beautiful, haunting story....

A story filled with tragedy, love and family and a lurking evil that has followed Thea since she was a child. When Leah through an powerful family gift unwittingly shared a traumatic joint vision with her grandmother during a summer visit in the Appalachian mountains forever changing their lives and linking Leah to a sadistic killer who shares the same gift of site.

The children build a an and beautiful life with their Grammie in Redbud Hollow. The killer thanks to Leah’s vision and bravery is sent to life in prison in facility. Over the years despite the amazing life Thea has built the connection with her families killer remains and she catches glimpses into his sick twisted mind. Although disconcerting he always remained in prison. But slowly something has changed his power has grown and she can no longer keep her dreams free of him. But this evil man knows her dreams and hungers for vengeance. Over the years a silent battle is waged between them—and eventually that mental battle of life and death brings them face to face, and head to head in a final mind game for the ultimate prize freedom… Can Leah win a second time? The time that matters most as she finally dreams of a real future… If Leah has anything to say about it she absolutely will to protect those she loves. Leah will risk everything to be free to love and live without fear.
An absolutely brilliant must read!

There is nothing like settling into a Nora Roberts world and getting to watch her amazing heroine live her life. I want to say it's so cozy, even when dealing with brutal murders and psychopaths. Anyway, I adored this, as I've come to expect from all Nora Roberts novels.

Thea was very likeable, what with being clever and loving and resilient. Her psychic abilities didn't hurt either. And, of course, her grammie, brother, rock star neighbor and his son were all wonderful additions to the story. This had strong family vibes, with a nice side of romance. The bad guy, well, was very bad.

Also, I say this every time, but Nora Roberts/January LaVoy collabs are perfection. LaVoy always does such a good job portraying the strong FMC. Also, her voice for the kid was really cute without being twee.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher. Getting approved for this advanced copy felt like winning the lottery.

Follow Thea and Rem Fox from a young age, a happy family, a tragedy, healing, coming of age, making their own way, finding themselves, and discovering strength. With Grammie Lucy at their side, they are willing to fight to protect each other in any way they have to.

I really enjoy Nora Roberts books, especially the ones with a touch of supernatural in it. This is not a normal romance story. The romance is a happy side story to the full story of how Thea copes with and takes care of herself and her gifts. For me, this is a perfect combination, even if it was mostly predictable. Another wonderful story from Nora Roberts.
Thank you, NetGalley, for the ARC in exchange for my reveiw

I was an avid Nora Roberts reader for many years and even named my daughter Nora. I took a break from her books but the second I started listening to this, I remembered how much I love her writing. The foundation is laid for 90% of the story and it all comes to an end really fast. Even though that format was predictable, I still really enjoyed this story. Not only did it make me wish I had mind reading powers, it makes me want to have a big dog and become an amazing gardener and cook. Well done, Nora and thank you NetGalley for the advanced copy.

I was only going to listen to a chapter or two and ended up listening to the whole book. This is the perfect example of just one more chapter. The Narrator was perfect. She uses different voice inflections and tones for the different characters.

Nora Roberts is an epic wordsmith. The story she weaves, the tragedy, the loss, and even how she incorporates “the sight” is genius. I do have to say that I wasn’t expecting the main Female character to be young for so long, but I can also say it was necessary. For me this book leans a little more towards a JD Robb novel.

I absolutely enjoyed this, but it IS Nora Roberts so of course I did.

A Suspenseful and Imaginative Story

SUMMARY
The Fox, 12, and her younger brother Rem,10, are visiting their grandmother Lucy in the Appalachian mountains of Kentucky. Each year, the kids spend the first two weeks of summer vacation in Redbud Hollow, helping their grandmother take care of the farm and make candles.

One night, Thea and Lucy wake up from a terrible nightmare They both instantly realize that something horrific has happened to the kid’s parents. Thea and Lucy, who had previously never discussed their gift, share the ability to see into the minds of people around them.

In her nightmare, Thea saw the murder of her parents as it was happening hundreds of miles away in Virginia, but she was helpless to stop it. She saw the murderer as he broke into the back door and climbed the stairs to the master bedroom. She saw his face and will never be able to forget that awful night. Even though the murderer now wastes away in a supermax prison, Thea can still hear his hateful thoughts and his desire to escape prison and find her. The deranged murderer has the same gift of vision as Thea. They both have the ability to get into each other's heads through their thoughts and dreams and mental battles ensue.

REVIEW
MIND GAMES is a poignant, thoughtful, and moving story by the renowned author Nora Roberts, who is known for her clever storytelling. The ending will leave you cheering for more.

Roberts's writing is full of suspense, imagination, and hopefulness. The narrative follows Thea, an ordinary girl, on her journey to adulthood and the extraordinary things she does along the along the way. Thea is a strong and brave character, with remarkable resilience and determination. Her battles of wits with her nemesis are captivating.

The setting of Rosebud Hollow and Grammie's farm is delightfully atmospheric. What a perfect place to grow up. Finally, we have a book that portrays Appalachia and Kentucky in a positive light.

What I love most about MIND GAMES is that I haven't read a Nora Roberts book in many years, but I decided to give this one a try since it was available as an audiobook. I was pleasantly surprised by the breadth and quality of the story. It's a fascinating blend of family drama, murder, suspense, grief, paranormal elements, and romance.

The fantastic January Lavoy does an impeccable job narrating MIND GAMES. Her performance is outstanding, with flawless pacing, emotion, and tone.

I would like to express my gratitude to Netgalley and Macmillan Audio for providing me an advance copy of this audiobook in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Publisher Macmillan Audio
Published May 21, 2024
Narrated January LaVoy
Review www.bluestockingreviews.com

January LaVoy is one of my favorite narrators. She does an excellent job bringing the story and characters to life.

I loved this story enough to give up a good night's sleep. I am a fan of small-town romantic suspense because the characters are so connected. Thea, the heroine, and her grandmother Lucy have the gift of sight. The paranormal is a fascinating component of the story. The atmospheric elements of the story add insight and make the town and its inhabitants endearing and sometimes spooky.

At the story's beginning, Thea Fox and her brother Rem are off to visit their maternal grandmother for a fun summer vacation, which turns into a nightmare for these twelve and ten-year-old children. Over the years, Thea's unique gift of sight has often been a hindrance rather than a help, and she works hard to deal with it and the fear it sometimes causes. As the story moves forward, the characters develop beautifully. We feel all their emotions, fears, love, and successes. By the end of the story, we know the characters as friends.

The family dynamics enhance the suspense, and when the love interest comes on the scene, the level of joy and trepidation increases. It wouldn't be a respectable romantic suspense if the lovers didn't have a flair-up, which is very tense in this case. Their disagreement is my only negative, as I thought the issues were resolved a little too quickly to be realistic, but then it is fiction.

I originally thought this would be more like a thriller or mystery (which is my favorite type of book right now.) I was pleasantly surprised to find out it is not a mystery or thriller. It is outside if the typical book I would read, but I loved this book anyhow! The storyline was very well written. The characters are all amazing and I really loved them all! I absolutely loved the family dynamic and the rural Appalachian setting. And it even had some romance in it! All around a feel good book (other than the tragedy at the beginning of the book.) I listened to the Macmillan audiobook and truly loved the narrator too! (The narrator can really make or break a book for me.)

If you read the synopsis you may think this is dark mystery but we all know Nora Roberts better than that🙂. Mind Games is such a rich and multi-genre story with a mix of mystery, family drama, and romance that I could not get enough of.

I was immediately invested in the beautiful writing and rolling hills of the Appalachian mountains where we follow Thea from that fateful summer when she lost her patents into adulthood. This book was subtle in the way that it starts off with a horrible crime yet morphs into this beautiful story of family, love and resilience while still keeping an eerie since of foreboding as the story progresses. I loved how Thea learned to embrace her ‘gift’ and used it to help others. Her family support was so endearing and Grammie Lucy was by far my favorite🙂. The ending was unexpected and maybe I was looking for a little more after all of the build-up but it didn’t take away from another great story by Roberts.

I listened to parts of this and would highly recommend the audiobook narrated by the talented January LaVoy.

This book was amazing! The story begins when Thea, a 12 year old girl with a gift that helps her see into the minds of others, is spending the summer with her brother, Rem, and her Grammie, Lucy (who also has the gift). Thea sees something terrible happen to her parents and she wants to do everything she can to catch the man that is responsible.
The whole story is a work of art. There's a little mystery, a little thriller, some romance, and even some magic that will keep you hooked from the first chapter. I loved seeing the characters grow throughout the story and I loved seeing Thea do so much with her gift.

Mind Games was a fantastic read. It's a scary world we live in. Narration was beautiful! I was totally engrossed with the plot and the characters were all well developed. It was quite long, but it kept me engaged and wanting to finish. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Another hit from Nora! I liked the paranormal aspect to this one- it flowed well and felt believable in the story. I liked the small town and found family and even all the video game stuff. I don’t usually love kids as main characters, but this books little guy was too stinkin’ cute and the audio narrator did an excellent job. Oh, and all the cooking made me hungry while I listened on a 6 mile run. An excellent standalone.

While I wasn't looking forward to this one via the description, it's one of my favorite books this year. Compelling, twisty, sweet and more this one hits all the feels and keeps you captivated. The narrator is fantastic to listen to1!

I really love how Nora always mixes the impossible/ supernatural elements to her suspenses!
I went in blind, and it wasn't what I expected. The plot was fun, I enjoyed the overall storyline. I was a little bummed that the romantic interest didn't show up (minus a blimp at the beginning) until over halfway through. It made their relationship feel a little rushed.
I did like both the FMC and the MMC, the Bad Guy was truly disturbing. I think she wrote him really well.
Overall, not my favorite of hers, BUT still enjoyable.
Thank you@netgalley for this eARC and ALC. the narrator did an amazing job!

I love Nora Roberts books! She has a way of just sucking you in and you're hooked. She has the ability to make the characters so easy to love and her plots are just amazing. This one, however, lost my interest about halfway although I was really enjoying it. I immediately took to the plot, and I loved it. I adored Lucy and her mama bear mentality. But then it started to become SO long and I lost interest since the peak of the plot happened early on. I thought it was a cool idea that Thea and her parents killer were able to communicate telepathically. But I didn't like how the hype of the beginning didn't get carried through the rest of the book, and we really didn't hear from the killer until he would come into Thea's dreams and obviously towards the end. The book delivered on the suspense part, but with the killer being unhinged and nuts, I wish it continued throughout the book. The ending of the book felt a bit rushed. I wish it remained more of the suspense and didn't focus on the love part of it - I think I would have enjoyed it more since that's how the beginning started.

Ok. So let me start by saying that I’ve LOVED all of Nora Roberts books. Can’t say I’ve ever read one that was bad.
Next, let me say that in my 20’s, as an ICU RN, I’d work overnights and my friends would make appts for us to go to psychics...as a group. They were never good…

Years later my friend made appts for all of us to go to a medium.
I replied…as opposed to what, a large?? Having NO IDEA what that was.
I certainly learned quick.
If any of you have ever experienced ‘Camille’ in SI, NY, you’ll know what I mean. As opposed to all the ‘psychics’…she ACTUALLY SPOKE to my parents. No kidding…and, no doubt in my mind.
Fast forward to years later when I find out that one of my friends is a medium (when my son was in pre-k, and the moms had a get-together, and my good friend’s mother came thru to her! She had only died DAYS before…which I’d heard was impossible…and yet, it happened to me!) So, I have plenty of experience with this kind of stuff and ABSOLUTELY believe it!

So now I have the opportunity to read MIND GAMES which is based on visions seen by a young woman, and her grandmother, and all the women in her family…so, I’m hooked before ever picking up the book.

Now add in that the book is PHENOMENAL, and had me gasping, choking, having a hard time breathing, and just WAITING for the other shoe to drop…
And, this is right from the VERY BEGINNING! Meaning she opens this one up with a huge bang!

We go through the life and times of one Thea Fox and her little brother Rem Fox from the time they were just 12 and 10. And their caring, loving Grammie who I want to adopt…for real!

We also travel from Virginia to the farmlands of Kentucky…and wow, does this space seem special!!

We see as Thea comes to be the strong, self-assured women she is, and how her little family unit sticks so close together…thru everything!

This one gets ALL THE STARS for me! Wonderful. Wonderful. Wonderful!!

Thanks to #NetGalley and #MacmillanAudio for an ARC of the audiobook in exchange for an honest review!
This book is due to release IN A WEEK on 5/21/24.

#MindGames by #NoraRoberts and read beautifully by one of my all time favorite narrators #JanuaryLaVoy!

5+++ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 for me!

⭐️ Starts off with a blowup of mega proportions!
⭐️ Brother, sister and grandmother who are just incredible together!
⭐️ Dogs too! 🐶 🐕 🐩
⭐️ Small town with deep roots and lots of compassion, caring and love!
⭐️ A bit of romance that is, to say the least, turbulent…
💫 Psychic visions with devastating effects!

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