This review was originally posted on <a href="http://booksofmyheart.net/2024/05/21/%f0%9f%8e%a7-mind-games-by-nora-roberts/" target="_blank"> Books of My Heart</a>
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<i>Review copy was received from NetGalley, Publisher. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.</i>

I am a fan of this author, who is prolific. I haven’t read as many of her books as I would like, but have read all the JD Robb In Death books. I loved this from the start.

The world building is breath taking with the gorgeous countryside in Appalachia. There’s also the gift which runs in the women of the family. My favorite thing in paranormal type stories is mind skills. That’s what we get here.

Thea has the skills, even more than her grandmother. She learns to use them and work with them. She did not become a police consultant or go into law enforcement. She has a different, exciting and imaginative career. I love the way she built her life around her family. In the tradition of her Grammie, who has cows, goats, chickens and makes soaps and candles. The food with all the fresh produce from the garden, and fresh eggs, is tantalizing. All these aspects of the worldbuilding elicit more emotions.

Then there’s her ongoing battle of will with the man who killed her parents. Thea tries various things to shut him out. He’s in the supermax for the rest of his life, but that’s not enough.

Thea’s romance is beautifully grown, with a childhood crush and a 5 year old boy, who is the best! I was so happy for their joy and sad for their hurts. It’s a happily ever after, where they can live their best lives.

Whether she writes under this name or as J. D. Robb, I am a huge Nora Roberts fan. I always look forward to her romantic suspense books. Some of this book is emotional, and some is heart-pounding, all wrapped up in an atmospheric setting. 

The relationships in this book are solid and heartwarming, from Thea's family to her romance with Ty. The first half of the book is more character-driven, and Roberts develops her characters well. Love them or loathe them, they are vividly depicted. Thea, the FMC, in particular, is well done. It is a strong FMC that is easy to root for.

We meet Thea at age 12. She has a psychic gift, and her visions show her something horrific and terrifying, as she can see into the mind of the man, Ray, who killed her parents as he is doing it. Law enforcement takes her description of him seriously, and he is captured. However, Ray also has psychic powers but uses them for evil and attempts to terrorize Thea—the two battle it out psychically as he's in jail. Despite the tragedy, and with the love of her devoted grandmother and brother, Thea builds a life for herself and falls in love. But the danger is just around the bend.

I love magical realism, and this storyline is unique. Literal mind games are going on as Ray comes after Thea using mental telepathy, and she learns to fight back. Psychic abilities run through Thea's family and are passed down through the women. Lucy, Thea's grandmother, also saw the horrific visions the night Lucy lost her parents. I would have loved more details about this magic system because it really intrigued me. This wasn't my favorite Roberts book, and the pacing seemed slower than some of her other romantic suspense stories, and some dialogue was repetitive. But overall, it was enjoyable, and I can't wait for whatever Roberts writes next!

Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for the free book!

*3.75 rounded up

Nightmare or reality? One night during the summer when Thea is 12 years old, she has a nightmare that her parents were murdered. She soon learns that her Grammie has the same dream and unfortunately it turns out to be true. As time passes, she has to decide whether to shut out her ability or to use it to save others. In addition, her parents' killer has the same ability and she has to learn how to cope with that. Overall I enjoyed the story but felt that the first part of the story could have been a little shorter.

Holy Nora Roberts! This book blew me away. I could not put it down and did not want to finish it. I did not want to finish it because I did not want to say goodbye to characters that I cared about.

Mind games has everything I look for in a Nora Roberts book. There was a twist of the paranormal, wonderful and relatable characters, a storyline that I became invested in, and a romance that is sweet and sexy. This book is must-read fiction.

I adore Nora Roberts and this book doesn't disappoint. I don't want to give too much detail and spoil the book, so I will just say that the twists and turns of this one are fantastic. I enjoyed all of the characters and the world that is created. Highly recommend reading this one!

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for advanced copy, and I give my review freely

🤍Book Review: Mind Games by Nora Roberts🤍

"Mind Games" by Nora Roberts is a captivating blend of suspense, tragedy, and romance.
I was instantly drawn into the story of twelve-year-old Thea, who spends her summers in Kentucky with her grandmother.
The peaceful setting quickly turns tragic when Thea's parents are murdered, a crime she 'sees' through her inherited psychic ability. This chilling gift leads to the capture of the murderer, Riggs, but also binds Thea to him in a lifelong mental battle.
I love how Roberts builds the small-town atmosphere and strong family bonds. The secondary characters, especially Thea’s grandmother Lucy and her dog, add warmth to the story. The plot twists kept me on edge, and the romance is beautifully woven into the narrative without overshadowing the main storyline.

This engrossing tale of love, grief, and resilience is hard to put down.

“Mind games” was a classic example of Nora Roberts prolific writing that I’ve come to love so much over the last couple of decades.

Very grateful to the publisher for my copy, opinions are my own.

Through its action, romance, and heavy suspense, Mind Games takes readers on a long and winding journey of magic and tension with Thea and her family. The pacing may feel a little uneven at times, but all of the ups and downs come together to tell a compelling story.

Full review published on NightsAndWeekends.com and aired on Shelf Discovery

Nora Roberts is the queen of many romantic subgenres and romantic suspense is one of my favorites. She writes great characters and her settings span the entire country. Mind Games takes place in the Appalachian mountains, which are pretty close to where I live and have driven through many times. I loved the vibe of that setting and how the evil that haunted Thea jarred with that easy country living and created this jarring note every time he entered the scene. Ms. Roberts always sets the tone so well.

I enjoyed all of the characters that made up Thea’s family and friends. The love story aspect of the book happened a little too late, to my taste, and the childhood trauma a little too long. I had wished that a little more time was spent in the current time but understand why the author chose to build upon Thea’s early childhood and build the suspense that would carry through to adulthood. I still wish we had gotten a little more romance and a little less evil prisoner.

I have read so many Nora Roberts novels and I have strong opinions about what makes a good NR story and when they are just average. I think this one falls kind of in between. Mind Games reminds me of some of her earlier novels where they feel a little less fleshed out. I still enjoyed it but it’s not one of my favorites.

Thea and her brother are visiting their grandmother in Kentucky. One evening, Thea and her grandmother both wake from a terrible nightmare. Thea actually saw her parents get murdered in her dream. Her grandmother just felt it. Because of Thea, the cops were able to arrest the guy who murdered her parents. But Thea is never free of the horrible man! He haunts her dreams!

Thea is a character which I connected with right away. She is young and traumatized but it does not stop her from achieving her goals. I also enjoy how she uses her gift for the good!

But the way these two characters connect in their dreams is creepy! Thea is definitely the stronger one and she comes up with a unique plan to stop this from ever happening again!

Psychic books always fascinate me. Nora Roberts does and excellent job with this trope. I know she has expanded her genre a bit but I have never read one quite like this. I really enjoyed it!

The narrator, January LaVoy, did a great job! I enjoyed how calm she was during some stressful situations for Thea!

Need a different thriller….THIS IS IT! Grab your copy today!

I received this novel from the publisher for a honest review.

Although this wasn't my favorite Nora Roberts novel, it was still an engrossing and unique story as Thea Fox learns and uses her paranormal visions into her parent's killer's mind. The story started with the chilling vision that at first you think is a nightmare, but soon turns more creepy and sinister. The pacing of the story after started pretty slow with a lot of background, but soon drew me in to find out what happens next. And by the end of the story she's proven yet again that she's a master storyteller and I'll always be a fan of her writing.
Thanks to St Martin's Press through Netgalley for the advance copy of this book. The opinions in this review are my own and given voluntarily.

Thea Fox has an idyllic life. Loving parents, a pesky younger brother, wonderful home, and magical summers spent with her grandmother Lucy up in the hills of Kentucky. In the midst of one of those perfect summers, twelve year old Thea’s world is shattered. She and Lucy awaken in the dead of night after witnessing the brutal murder of Thea’s parents from hundreds of miles away. Both Thea and Lucy are gifted with seeing things others can not, but Thea has an exceptionally strong talent, a talent that connects her to the murderer. Using her unusual skills, Thea helps find and identify her parent’s killer, which leads to him spending the rest of his life in prison. Thea and her brother move into their grandmother’s home and start to build new, full lives that honor their parent’s memories. As Thea grows older, she’s always aware of the mental connection between her and the man who stole her parents lives and tries to mitigate the toll his looming presence takes on her. Then Thea meets a special man and his young son. In order to make a life with them, she’ll need to sever her twisted bond with the murderer once and for all. But he has spent years alone honing his talents and he’s not willing to let Thea go without a fight.

The Queen of Romance does it again! Mind Games is an exceptional entry in Nora Roberts’ vast oeuvre. Roberts is consistently amazing and could make the phone book into a riveting work of literature. She takes the mundane and makes it magical. Mind Games is beautifully written, like a lyrical piece of poetry. But the lyricism doesn’t lead to looseness. The story is on point and sharp. It’s focused and framed out. Every word serves a purpose. Roberts is always bringing new plots and fresh takes to the table, the unexpected and twisty. Romantic suspense with a bit of psychological thriller wrapped in a magician’s grimoire. I loved the mix of ordinary and supernatural elements. It becomes a layered tapestry of words. Roberts’ characters are so distinctive and easily identified as hers. They are fully fleshed out with motivations, thoughts, feelings, hopes, and dreams. They are emotionally smart and mentally tough. Another gem to add to the Queen’s crown.

This book was not quite what I expected it to be. I was a little leery of some of the parts of the book, but overall it was a good book. It was a traumatic experience for all involved. To have such tragedy occur to children is gut-wrenching to even read about. My emotions were all over the place as I read this book, but it keep me glued to the pages.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press for this ARC. I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Mind Games is a fascinating story. Thea and her grandmother Lucy can see beyond what the natural eyes see. It is heartbreaking in ways as they see the murder of Lucy’s daughter and son in law and Thea’s parents.
The setting in Kentucky sounds inviting. I like the progression of the story, which gives time for Thea and her brother Rem to grow up and then to follow them as adults.
I love the love interest of Tyler and his son Bray. Bray is adorable.
I found Thea’s video game design and coding interesting.
The hard part of this story is the villain. He is twisted and chooses evil at each turn.
The ending didn’t feel finished. I wish the reader had an epilogue to take us farther past the resolution with the villain.

Thanks to Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for the opportunity to read this book.

Mind Games by Nora Roberts is a gripping story that I totally enjoyed!
The story was well written and engrossing. The suspense is also fantastic, as you'd expect from Nora Roberts.
The characters in this book were well-drawn. This was such a great story. I was totally engrossed all the all the way from start to finish. I loved everything about this book.

Thank You NetGalley and Publisher for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this amazing eARC!

Nora Roberts continues to be an elite author for me when it comes to atmospheric writing. No one can put me in a setting and make me see, feel, and taste everything like she can. I love her prose so much; it makes me feel like I’m watching a movie in my head and not reading words on paper. The plot was fast paced, and the pages just flip by. I didn’t expect to feel so emotional while reading Mind Games but not even 30 pages in and I was already tearing up. This book had me on a roller coaster of emotions from crying to laughing to being angry. Things get dark and heart wrenching quickly but there are so many wholesome moments sprinkled in which balances out the doom and gloom aspects. I loved that the book starts with Thea and Rem as children and follows them through their teen years and into adulthood. I will say due to how traumatic the event they experienced was, I wish their healing hadn’t been glossed over. Also, given how the book started out I was not expecting a romance to pop up halfway through the story. I honestly would have preferred this book being left as a mystery/thriller without the romance plotline. I loved learning about Thea’s abilities and her interactions with the antagonist were so intense. Thea and Rem’s grandmother Lucy was one of my favorite characters. She was so wise and the kind of loving matriarchal figure every family should have. Overall, I really enjoyed the thrilling journey this book took me on! If you’re looking for a suspenseful novel with supernatural elements thrown in you should check this book out!

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press for providing an eARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This story starts with the Foxes dropping off their two kids, Thea and Rem, with Grammie for the two week fun time with her. While the kids are having a terrific time, a killer targets their parents. Thea and Grammie have the gift of vision and realize what has happened. Thea is able to help put the killer in prison. The local community backs Grammie and the kids and supports them as they grow up without their parents. As time goes by and life moves on, Thea helps the police periodically while her parents’ killer reaches out using his gift to try to intimidate her. This story had it all: mystery, suspense, drama, and romance! Nora Roberts is one of my favorite authors and she delivers another amazing book!

A very classic Nora Robert’s book where is has similar plot lines, but with mildly different twists. Can never go wrong with a Nora Robert’s novel, just need a rainy day and warm blanket.

I absolutely love Nora Roberts. But as her trilogies have become repetitive, it's been awhile since I've read one of her standalone novels. And this one great. She is such a great storyteller. Pulling you into the story with great characters and keeping you engaged so it's impossible to put the book down.

Thea is a wonderful character that you can empathize with right from the beginning. The story follows her growth through tragedies and difficulties to become such a strong woman. And the last chapter where she confronts her parents' killer was so enthralling. Another great book.

Thea and her brother always spend summers with their grandmother. She and her grandmother have a gift of reading other’s thoughts. When their parents are murdered, Thea can read the killer’s thoughts and he can read hers. She helps put him in prison for dozens of horrible deaths. As the years pass, he gets into her mind and she decides he needs to be neutralized in order for her to live. A great Nora Robert’s novel.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for an e-arc of this book.

This is my first Nora Roberts book and I know she is beloved author. I enjoyed a lot of things in this book but I also felt it was a bit long and drawn out and could have been shorter.

We follow Thea who lost her parents at 12 years old. She and her brother were spending the start of summer with their Grammie in Kentucky, as they do every year. While her parents are back home in Virginia they are murdered in their bed. This part of the story instantly grabbed my attention and my heart. For the first 30 % of the book we learn about this tragedy and we learn some interesting facts about Thea and the women in her family. This was very interesting and a great way to get me excited. However, the middle of the book turn a slow turn. We see Thea go to college and become a skilled video game artist. She designed and crafted her first game and makes a successful career for herself. Finally at about 50% we see her fall in love. This part of the book is also interesting. I love the characters and the animals and the family relationships we see. But again, there is a lot of repeat that becomes boring and the "thriller" part is few and far between. The gaming aspect of this was pretty interesting and fun to read.

I would rate this a 3.5. I did not like the language that was used, although, it makes sense. I also did not like the casual way the Lord's name was used. It also makes sense as this is how people talk but it was bothersome to me. For the most part the romance was clean, there were a few scenes but they were not bad. I liked so much about it but it just could have been a bit shorter and still made the same impact.