I am a huge fan of Nora Roberts (and her alter ego J.D. Robb) but this book was mostly a miss for me. The premise is interesting - a psychic serial killer and a psychic child sharing a connection into each other's minds that continues as the child grows. But the execution fell a bit short. The story dragged at times, and the romance felt almost superfluous. I never felt super connected to adult Thea, and I never felt like the villain was a serious threat once he was in super max. I also felt like the video game in the mind aspect was too close to one of J.D. Robb's books, and that pulled me out of the story as well.

I did love the integration of STEM, and Thea's relationships with her grandmother and brother are family goals. Ms. Roberts' writing style remains lovely. 2.5 stars rounded up to 3. Thank you to NetGalley and SMP for a complimentary ARC of this book. These opinions are my own.

What a family and set of characters! Grammie, Rem, and of course Thea just grabbed my attention and interest from their first moments. The love they have for family and their town, the trauma they experienced, and as the story progresses what they do with their lives is moving. Thea and Grammie have a gift, it is a creative one, but it also brings sadness and too much knowledge at times. The story is broken into three parts which allows a great deal of attention and development to this history and characters and helps ensure a richness of the community, family and emotions. The crimes are shared graphically, but fittingly, to convey the tragedy and the gift. The romance is sweet and fairytale esq, but definitely in addition to the story, not the focus of the story. I loved the progression and outcome and hope for more books with this crew of characters!

Roberts


Fast paced and thrilling MIND GAMES by Nora Roberts has a surprisingly heartwarming undertone. After a heinous crime orphans Thea and her brother, they start a new life with their loving grandmother. But for Thea it is impossible to move on from the awful circumstances of her parents’ death. Thea was born with a psychic power that allows her to remain in contact with her parents’ murderer. When this power turns out to be a threat to Thea’s safety, she must find a way to rid herself of the connection with the monster who has shadowed her life for fifteen years. 5 stars #netgalley #mindgames

Mind Games by Nora Roberts is the first book in a new trilogy. The book has the usual Nora Roberts characters. Strong woman, strong man, and several great side characters. I really enjoyed the story. I have always enjoyed Ms. Roberts’ writing and plots. Being part of a trilogy, it does not wrap up the book.
Thea the main character has inherited the ability to read minds. She can put the killer of her parents in jail, but they are linked by their ability to read minds.
The story is good. I liked the way Thea grew up and has a great life. I am waiting for the next one in the series, so I learn more. Thank you for the book.

Thank you @stmartinspress and @netgalley for my complimentary digital copy. My thoughts are my own.

Twelve-year-old Thea has a gift. She has a special sight, that allows her to see into the minds of others. She can discernwhat they think and what they see. But one night, while young Thea is visiting her grandmother in Kentucky, her parents are murdered in Virginia. Thea wakes from a nightmare in which she had watched her parents’ murder. Thea is able to give the police detailed information that enables them to catch the killer. Thea and her brother live with their grandmother in Kentucky, but meanwhile, the killer, who also has the same sight as Thea, haunts her mind and threatens her.

I loved the overall storyline in this one, but it is definitely a slow-burn, as A LOT of time is devoted to twelve-year-old Thea and her younger brother as they grow up in the mountains. However, Nora Roberts tells a great story and I was enthralled from the beginning. Just as I was beginning to wonder if the characters would EVER grow up, they finally did, about halfway through the book! I enjoyed the adult Thea as she comes into her own and meets her childhood crush, rock star Ty Brennan, who happens to move in next door. Ty has a young son, Bray, and Thea’s relationship with Bray is developed extensively as well. I would definitely have preferred less time to have been devoted to Thea’s childhood as she made soap and candles and learned how to cook at her grandmother’s hand, but I did enjoy the story.

Read this if you enjoy:

*Strong family ties

*Descriptive stories

*Strong female main characters

*A touch of romance

I’ve read several Nora Roberts books and enjoyed them all. To say Mind Games is a very different type of book for her is an understatement. It has all the romance and suspense she is known for but with a pretty intense murder scene, a truly evil antagonist and a main character with psychic abilities that make this story quite different. At first I wasn’t sure I was going to like it, but it’s such a compelling story and great writing that it made me want to finish. It’s definitely worth the ride. Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for this advanced copy in exchange for my honest opinion.

I didn't read anything about Mind Games when I requested an advanced reader's copy so the only thing that I knew was that it was written by my favorite fiction author. What I found was a book that reminded me of when I was a child spending time with my grandmother on my grandparents' farm in Vermont.

The book begins with Thea, our 12 year old main character, getting ready to head to her grandmother's, along with her younger brother, Rem, for the best two weeks of the summer in Redbud Hollow, Kentucky, where Thea's mom was born and raised. Her parents plan to take the two weeks to be together sans children. Redbud Hollow sounds like the idyllic kind of place that a kid could go off exploring all day for two weeks and never do the same thing twice. Grammie, Ms. Lucy to everyone else, sounds like the best grandmother ever. She knows everyone in town, can make an amazing apple stack cake, and runs a candle, soap, lotion, and Appalachian medicinal business.

After her parent's tragic death at home, which while it was occurring woke Thea from her slumber, she learns of the gift that she shares with her grandmother and that her mother rejected. Unfortunately for Thea, because of the vision she had of her parent's deaths, this connects her to their murderer, Ray Riggs.

Thea and Rem are raised by their grandmother and the book follows Thea through high school and college as she learns to use and hone her gift all the while she remains connected to Ray Riggs. Ultimately, Thea has to come face-to-face with Ray to get him out of her head so that she can move on with her life. I really wish that I could tell you more, but that would give away all the juicy bits of the story. What I can say is that I highly recommend Mind Games and it's another great book by Nora Roberts available May 21, 2024.

Thea Foxe is twelve and her brother Rem is 10; their parents are taking them to Kentucky for two weeks. They kids will spend two weeks with their Grammie; Lucy, they love it. Their parents will never return to pick them up. Thea and Lucy dream the same dream about the parents' murder. It seems they can see visions. Thea help find they man that killed her parents. The young man is also a seer and knows Thea watched him murder her parents.
Over the next few years Thea and Rem grow up in the Appalachia mountains. The local folks all know about the family's ability to have visions; so, it's not an unusual thing for them.
Thea is having problems with the killer trying to get into her mind and she is also getting into his mind at times. She wants to make sure he is suffering in supermax prison. He wants to terrorize her; but he's not as strong as she is.
This is a wonderfully written story of growing up with a loving Grammie. They kids make a wonderful life in the mountains and due to their parents' business, they will want for nothing.
Nora has done a wonderful job of keeping you from putting down this book.

A titch scary. A little hard to believe. A lot sappy. But dang it all, I didn't want to put it down.

The scary part comes early on with the gruesome murder of 12-year-old Thea Cox's parents - a horrible incident that Thea and her grandmother, Lucy, both "see" as it happens. Thea and her younger brother, Rem, then go to live in Redbud Hollow in rural Kentucky, Thanks to Thea's visions, the killer was caught, convicted and sentenced to life in prison - and since then the children have for the most part thrived. But it seems the killer himself has the vision - and from his prison cell, he uses it to torment Thea by entering her mind. Over the years, she's learned to shut him out for the most part, but he finds new ways to burrow in again.

While in college, Thea learns how to develop computer games, which she turns into a highly profitable business. Grandma Lucy is a businesswoman as well, making handmade soaps and similar items from her home workshop in Kentucky. Over the years, Thea keeps her gift alive by helping police solve otherwise unsolvable cases - much as she did to bring her parents' murderer to justice.

Things take a new turn when an elderly neighbor passes away, leaving her property to an on-hiatus rock star and his adorable young son. As chance would have it (yeah, right!), Thea once had a huge crush on the guy, which of course is rekindled when they meet. The romance heats up - until her gift collides with his way-over-the-top reaction (at which point I'd have kicked the idiot to the curb, but then that's just me).

Finally, Thea reaches the limit of her tolerance and vows to bring the head games to a halt - hopefully without losing herself in the process. It all makes for an exciting ending. Definitely worth reading, and for the record, I wouldn't be opposed to reading more on the adventures of Thea and her grandmother. Meantime, I thank the publisher, via NetGalley, for allowing me to read and review a pre-release copy of this one.

Another amazing story from the one and only Nora Roberts. I was a little worried that the portrayal of Kentucky would be that those of us who live here are all poor and backward. I was so happy that that wasn't the case. I appreciate a good, well-written female protagonist who isn't afraid to ask for help or accept help when needed. Total winner for me.

After trying to start this book multiple times, I have determined that Nora Roberts is not for me.

The story is great, the premise is there... I'm just not a fan. I'm not the correct audience.

I believe I have found my new top favorite Nora Roberts book ever! My list has not changed in years, years I tell you. Then I read Mind Games and it quickly took the top spot. I absolutely loved Thea, Lucy and Rem. They were amazing characters, as was Riggs in his own way. I was so drawn into this story from the first chapter to the very last. I was so captivated and engaged with this story.

Thea’s family headed to Kentucky for their yearly trip to visit her grandmother, Lucy. Her parents stay for a few days before they head back home so the kids, Thea and her brother, Rem, can spend two weeks with Lucy. Thea and Rem love this time with their grandmother and have so much fun, even as they help her in her business. Thea shares a gift her grandmother shares as well. They are able to see what others cannot. When her parents are murdered, Thea sees everything and is able to help the police find the man who did it. This is not a spoiler, as it is in the blurb. What follows is their new life with their grandmother and we see them grow and live their lives, however, Thea now has a connection with the murderer. A connection she does not want but cannot stop.

The suspense in this one was a bit different. We know who the villain is and what he wants, but I really enjoyed that during this story. I absolutely loved Thea. She was so strong, determined, but also caring and protective of those she loved. She was a bit reserved due to her gift and yet she was true to herself. I loved how protective and caring Lucy and Rem were. They were all so good together. Then, when we are introduced to her love interest, I was blown away. What a great surprise. Like I mentioned above, this is now my top favorite Nora Roberts story ever and I am so excited to listen to the audiobook.

Happy reading!

Mind Games By Nora Roberts is a roller coaster of emotion. Thea has psychic abilities which she inherited from her mom's family. Mind Games follows Thea from 12 into her late 20's and the challenges she faces with the psychic connection she has with a killer. Will Thea win the mind game? Read and find out for yourself!

This is the life of Thea Fox, growing up from age twelve to twenty-seven. Each summer Thea and 10 year old brother travel to Kentucky to spend time with grammie on her small farm. This summer the visit turns tragic when they learn their mom and dad have been murdered in their own bed.. Now they will be living with their grandma in Redbud Hollow.

Thea has the gift of sight that has passed down through generations of women in her family and she is able to use it to help police capture her parent’s killer and subsequently other criminals as well a kidnapping victim. Yet Thea tries to keep her gift as private as possible. The killer has the same gift, and he uses it to stay connected to Thea. You see, she saw in her mind, even thought she wasn’t present, her parents deaths. A mental battle wages between victim an murderer over the next fifteen years until they become face to face and Thea is ready for a final game! Oh yeah!

I enjoyed this book although I found myself skimming over much of the romance parts of the book.

The gift killer Riggs and Thea possessed, to me was very implausible, but still a good story of suspense. It also made the story it a bit unique without going into the fantasy genre.

Although I shouldn’t have, I really enjoyed the revenge parts of the book…

Examples: it was quite juicy when grammie tells the other selfish, rich grandparents what they can do with their grand parental rights. Obviously they didn’t care because they never again tried to contact Thea and Rem even though these children were their son’s offspring.
Then the way Thea used her words and actions to get back at Ty when he falsely and unfairly accuses her. I can’t say what the accusations were.
And the best of all… the prison visit Thea made 15 years later to Riggs.

Be interesting to see this played out on a big screen. It would require some very passionate acting.

Nora Roberts has done it again. She has given her readers a book that none of us could put down!
Mind Games is a story that is centered around characters that you can feel in your soul as you are reading.
This starts a story of the parents taking the children to stay with their grandmother for the annual two week stay every summer. Little did anyone know how this year everything in their lives is going to change. Mind Games is one you must read to get this book into your mind where it will stay long after you have read the final word and closed the book.
Thank you NetGalley, Nora Roberts and St. Martin's Press for the ARC of Mind Games. This is my personal review.

🖤 Romantic Suspense
🖤 Serial Unaliver
🖤 Emotional
🖤 Small Town
🖤 Timeline Jumps
🖤 Psychic Abilities
🖤 Single Dad
🖤 Closed Door Romance
🖤 Canine Friends
🖤 Multiple POVs - Third Person

I have always loved Nora Roberts' books and was super excited to get an arc of her newest one! This book is a little different than her previous novels as the love interest in this book doesn’t come in until about halfway through the book. This newest novel is more emotional, suspenseful, and more about healing rather than the romance aspect. Thea Fox is a young girl who comes from a long line of women who have psychic abilities. One night while she is at her Grammie’s house for the summer, she is woken from a deep sleep to the terrible vision of her parents being murdered. She soon realizes that she has a special mental bond with the killer and helps put him behind bars. As the years pass, the mental connection between her and the killer continues and eventually comes to a breaking point where only one will survive.

This book hooked from the beginning but I was unprepared for all of the intense emotions! Be prepared for tissues in the beginning because this goes into some detail about murders and the affects it has on a small girl witnessing it. The author did a fabulous job of letting us see in the mind a serial killer and how being in a super max prison affected his mental health. The back and forth we get between him and Thea via their connection was so suspenseful and I LOVED how Thea was able to get into his mind in the end.

Thea is such a strong character and we got to see her personal growth and character development as she grew up over the years. She was forever affected by her visions and that made her wary to fully connect with those outside her small town (who know about her family’s psychic abilities), but she persevered and became successful in her chosen career field. She is a very relatable character and I loved her healing journey and her desire to do what’s right. I’m also glad we got to see Thea in a romantic relationship as an adult. I had an inkling of who it might be and was kicking my feet over their cute interactions! We also get to meet an adorable little boy and his love for dogs in this book! Those parts melted my heart.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book and believe it will be another smashing success!

Thank you so much to St. Martin’s Press and Netgalley for the gifted ecopy in return for my honest review.

Such a beautiful story about the complexities of the mind, but set in a laid back country setting. Lots of love, family, friends, FOOD 🤤 and of course some murder. There’s a video game loving/designing heroine and a rock star, too. I love how the ending played out so much. Definitely a must read if you’re a fan of Nora Roberts!

Incredible read! It is 2 am, and I just finished Mind Games. I could not put it down. It is edgy and creepy and totally fascinating. The characters feel so real, and I simply had to find out how/if Thea would win the final game. Hopefully, this is book one of a new series.

This book was enjoyable. I fell in love with Thea's story and how she grew up. The developing story with her and Ty was genuinely sweet. I was disappointed with the ending . It for me just didn't match the fullness of the book.

This book follows a woman who experience’s a horrific event in childhood and is tormented throughout her life by the perpetrator. Author, Nora Roberts adds a psychic/ paranormal element to this tale which I found different from anything I have read from her before. There is a romance put in during the second half of the book which was nice.

Thanks to Netgalley and St Martin’s Press for this eArc for my honest review.