In Mind Games, 12 year old Thea “sees” her parents get killed and she and her brother go to live with her grandmother in Kentucky. Magically? Metaphysically? Thea remains connected to her parents’ killer.

I thought this was a really good book. Fast paced in parts, great imagery. I liked that Thea was a strong FMC. This book also features family and connection; both within family, but with self and community as well.

I enjoyed this book and would recommend it to fans of Nora Roberts, fans of her previous book Legacy, of those that enjoy mystery/suspense.

I read Mind Games twice in 2024 and once (already) in 2025, which tells you something about how good it is. Written with Roberts’s usual skill, Mind Games pits Thea Fox, a young woman with the sight, against the psychopath who killed her parents. The suspense in this romantic suspense novel is unusual, because the murderer, whom 12-year-old Thea’s visions helped capture, is held in a maximum-security prison for well over half of the novel; he cannot threaten her physically. But the tie connecting them is on the mental rather than the physical plane, and on that level, neither bars nor distance can protect Thea. She must find a way to defeat him totally, on the playing field of their two gifted minds.

I loved how real Roberts makes this psychic battle, but even more than that, I love the way she brings Thea, her grammie and brother, and their Appalachian neighbors to life. Thea’s best friend, Maddie, is a doctor, the daughter of the sheriff and of one of Grammie’s best friends. Grammie is probably around my own age: a wise, lively, and vibrant woman, who began her family much earlier than I did. Thea’s brother Rem is equally well-drawn; he is protective of Thea when it comes to their parents’ killer, but teases her about other topics just as any brother would.

Thea is a talented video game designer, whose first game sounds reminiscent of The Legend of Zelda (not that I’ve ever played it, but now I want to.) I always enjoy how Roberts’s female characters are strong, passionate, talented women, independent but fiercely devoted to family and friends—much like Roberts herself, as far as I can tell. Thea is simultaneously very much in this mold and clearly distinct from any of Roberts’s other recent heroines.

Thea’s eventual love interest, Ty, is a musician, a single father—and her adolescent crush. And unlike the children in so many romance novels, his 4-year-old son Braydon (or Bray) is both realistic and adorable. Watching Thea fall in love with them, and them with her, was one of the joys of this book.

Mind Games has joined the ranks of my favorite non-fantasy Nora Roberts novels, along with The Liar, Whiskey Beach, and Tribute. (I’m counting it among Roberts’ “real-world” romantic suspense novels as despite the psychic aspects, it really feels more realistic than magical.) As I said, I have already read it three times, and it will remain one I turn to whenever I need a Nora Roberts fix.

NOTE: Although I originally received Mind Games as a Kindle ARC, I liked it so much that I bought a copy.

Another really solid romantic suspense from Nora! The suspense in this one was definitely unlike anything I've read from her before. I think because it was so isolated just to the heroine's mind, I didn't feel the suspense as I have from her other books because I didn't ever believe anyone else was ever really in any danger. But I think the whole psychic ability thing was so cool in this one. I would have loved the heroine using it more to help out the police, but I got why it was so emotionally taxing on her.

The romance was a bit of a slower burn, but I loved the hero and how he was a single dad! His son was so cute and I loved how they both slowly started to fall in love with the small town they moved to.

The ending was a bit anti-climactic to me, but I was still really into these characters and their story! The heroine's job was really cool and I think the first part of the book was definitely my favorite when it was all in the past and you have to figure out what they were going to do after her parents' murder. It definitely hooked me!

I have to admit, I'm one of the worst mood readers out there. This one took me a lot longer to get into than most of Nora Roberts stories. But once you're in, you're hooked. I truly enjoyed the twists the turns. Nora is one of my favorite writers and knows just how to grab you!

I love Nora Roberts' work and this one doesn't disappoint. This is another of her combined romance and thriller/mystery stories, and I didn't want to put it down.
The main character, Thea, has inherited her grandmother's gift of foreseeing, which leads to their terrible prediction of Thea's parent's murder when she is 12 and at her Grammie Lucy's for their annual summer visit. The book jumps forward to Thea's return to live with Grammie as an adult, since she can work remotely as a game devoloper and Redbud Hollow, her grandmother's town, feels like home. While there, Thea realizes that their mysterious neighbor is her childhood crush.
The secondary characters including Grammie, Thea's younger brother Rem, and the murder himself, are beautifully developed, leading to a thrilling story with, of course, a good resolution at the end for both the terrifying mind games and the relationship between Thea and the man next door.

Thea and her brother are dropped for vacation with their Grammie when she and Grammie are awoken in the night by a nightmare when her parents are murdered. Grammie calls it the gift of sight, Thea just knows she is able to see things and she is able to give the police enough information they are able to find her parents killer. The scary thing is the killer also has this sight and he can see her too while he is in prison. This is part romantic suspense and part paranormal and part thriller and all GREAT!

This book had me in tears. Nora Robert’s knows how to tug at heart strings and wish for a love that she writes on these pages. I recommend this book to anyone that loves a good romance novel with no darkness.

Sometimes you just want to revisit the rhythms of an old favorite for nostalgia purposes, and MIND GAMES by Nora Roberts served just that purpose for me. Despite some novel features (a vague telepathic/supernatural bent to the main character)--is she breaking any molds? No. Is she treading into any new writing spaces or story beats? Also no! But the setting was sweet, and secondary cast of characters well-fleshed out, and I got what I knew I was gonna get going in. Read for the famous guy/regular(ish) girl trope, the pop-star/mega-fan trope, or if you like your romance with a light true-crime edge.

I love Nora’s writing and this novel was no different.

I would describe this as a wild ride — so many ups and downs. Like her other works the characters are authentic and the relationships and romance feel honest and real which I have grown to know and love from Nora.

The touch of paranormal was refreshing and I honestly hope she works that into future works as well. It just fit in well and just, well, worked!

This book was quite the ride: ups and downs, Romance and mystery with a little side of paranormal. As is typical for author Nora Roberts, the characters were great. The relationships were realistic, and the story was quite the page-turner. In classic Nora Roberts style, this one ends with a cliffhanger. I can't wait for the next one. I highly recommend it!

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for a digital copy. All opinions are my own.

My wife really enjoyed this book and would recommend it to anyone who enjoys similar stories. You will not be disappointed

Nora Roberts is such a classic romance author. I liked this book, but there is also a part of me that feels she is using a ghost writer these days!

Nora Robert's just doesn't miss! This book just had me completely enthralled. I love that Thea wasn't portrayed as a victim of her gift or her circumstances. She was super resilient and tough from a very young age. The connections she has with her family,her bestie, Bray, and Ty are EVERYTHING.

I don't want to put any spoilers out there but I could see this playing out in my head while reading just the same as if I was watching it on TV. So good. I would read so many more books with Thea as a character.

*Thank you to Netflix, the author, and the publisher for the absolute privilege of getting this ARC.*

I have been a fan of Nora Roberts for a long time and this book is so different from her traditional books. It combines the paranormal with a suspenseful murder and family. Every summer Thea and Rem spend a few weeks with their grandmother on her farm. However, one night, Thea and her grandmother awaken at the same time from the same nightmare, the murder of Rem and Thea's parents. Thea has the psychic gift that she shares with her grandmother....and the murderer.

I loved watching Rem and Thea grow up. We see them as little kids in the beginning all the way to adulthood. I loved seeing the siblings relationship throughout the story because no matter how much they fight, they will always be there to support each other, The main thing I couldn't connect with in the story was how everything seemed to be handed to the kids, a large trust fund, a mansion, etc. I wasn't able to connect with the characters as much as I would have liked to, but I still loved them.

The plot was a great combination of suspense, family, love, growth, loss, and hope. I can"t wait to read Nora's next book!

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for this ARC. This is my honest and voluntary review

Thank you @stmartinspress and @netgalley for my #gifted copy.

I think this might have been my first book my Nora Roberts and I overall really enjoyed it! The premise was so unique and kept me intrigued.

Twelve-year-old Thea was blessed with a very uncommon ability. She has psychic powers which were passed down by the women of her family. These powers allowed her the ability to see into the minds of others. After her parents were brutally murdered she found herself mentally tethered to their killer.

I was immediately hooked by the storyline of this book. We get to see Thea and her younger brother grow up with their grandmother in Kentucky after the tragic death of their parents. The struggles Thea has mentally with the murderer kept me coming back because I wanted to see how it was resolved.

I will say that I did think this book was a bit drawn out. It was very wordy at certain times. However, overall I liked it and will be reading another by her!

Mind Games by Nora Roberts is a stand-alone read. It was absolutely wonderful story. I am never disappointed when I choose a book by Nora Roberts.

Every June after school lets out the Fox family leave their home for the Appalachia Mountains to drop of their children to spend time with their grandmother Lucy. Thea and Rem get to stay for two weeks and have the best time of their lives until this year. Thea and Lucy wakeup after a nightmare they each know to be real. Having never discussed their gift of sight before, now they must face the truth that Thea and Rems parents have been murdered.

Mind Games is dark and twisted and I loved every word of it, Nora Roberts is a fantastic storyteller. With every word she draws you in and never lets you go until she is finished telling her story. I highly recommend this story.

I received an ARC from NetGalley for an unbiased review.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

Unfortunately this was not a win for me and I chose to stop around 30%. This is a case of it’s me not you. The premise was too much for me and it ended up being too creepy! This will not be my last Nora book though and I can’t wait to check out the next one!

Sandy M’s review of Mind Games by Nora Roberts
Paranormal Romantic Suspense published by St. Martin’s Press 21 May 24

Nora Roberts’ romantic suspense stories over the last number of years have been outstanding, and when she adds that paranormal aspect too, you get one hell of a book from an author whose writing gets better every year, and that’s saying something, because Ms. Roberts has been writing for a lot of years now. For me, she’s one of the best out there, and I hope we get stories from her for years to come.


This book follows the life of Thea and her brother Rem, beginning when they are not yet teens. When tragedy unexpectedly blows their lives apart, they have their grandmother in Kentucky who will keep them safe and loved. This is where Thea begins a cat-and-mouse game with the killer who changed everything for them. And it truly is cat and mouse. The man has the same talent Thea does, knowing what others are thinking and seeing visions of warnings, and thinks he has the upper hand to win their game.

But Thea has that edge of safety and love, especially as she gradually discovers the love of a remarkable man and his child, as well as her keen mind that designs and develops video games, all of which leave that psycho in the dust when it counts most. I love those scenes when Thea uses her abilities to put him through the wringer in one of her games, all played out in her head. Talk about vengeance. Of course, he’s able to do the same to her, giving her a scare there and there, but nothing on the scale of her talent.

I also enjoyed the slow but intense romance between Thea and Tyler Brennan, her teenage crush when he toured the world in a rock band. Their meeting at just the right time is cleverly done, and the addition of his son claims the heart in an instant. The relationship with Thea and Rem’s grandmother is also so endearing. Grammie has the same abilities as Thea, so their bond is cemented with no way in the world to ever break it.

As usual, Ms. Roberts writes the family dynamic, the romance, and the suspense perfectly. I always try to slow down my reading of one of her books, but she’s the master of the readers’ “I have to know what happens next!” syndrome. Thank goodness she’s also a master at writing two or three novels a year. I don’t think her fans would survive otherwise. I know I wouldn’t.

Grade: A

Summer vacation, a time that every school age child dreams of. For Althea and Rem the best part of Summer is the two weeks they get to spend with their grandmother Lucy in Kentucky. During one such summer the unthinkable happens and now the children will stay with Lucy. A gift that is passed down through the women in Lucy’s family seems to be strongest in Althea. As Althea grows up, the man who changed their life forever now appears to be able to get into her head and she will have to fight to keep him out. Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Nora Roberts is a legendary author for a reason!!! Who doesn't love an NR Book?? Mind Games...for sure!!! I never knew which way this book was going and I was there for every page of it.
I hope both OG and new readers to Nora Roberts pick this book up! It's a great one.