A book from Nora Roberts never disappoints, but this one was particularly enjoyable after a very sad and tragic beginning that actually had me sobbing out loud. I thoroughly enjoyed the pace of the story.

This is probably my favorite book by Nora Roberts in the past few years. I was a little skeptical before I started it because I usually veer away from her books that have supernatural elements. I am so glad that I read it! I loved the relationship between Thea and her grandmother. It was also such a joy to read about life in Appalachia. The criminal mind in the story was chilling and yet felt very human. Throw in a little romance and this book had it all! I would definitely recommend!

I love a touch of magical realism in my books. In Nora Roberts’ latest, MIND GAMES, I really like the dash of the supernatural that was incorporated in the story. I was expecting this to be a romance (hello, it’s Nora Roberts) but this one wasn’t as much (although there is a HEA).

Thea is able to see inside the minds of others. In this case, it’s the twisted mind of a killer who murdered her parents. MIND GAMES has a cat and mouse-like setup that I enjoyed and I also really liked the family dynamic. The story is told over several years so there is a lot of buildup.

My only gripe is that Roberts spent a lot of time discussing Thea’s childhood, which is important in making this story as poignant as it is, but the real “mind games” didn’t start until much later in. Fortunately the further I got in the story the more interested I became and I did really like the ending.

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for early digital access to MIND GAMES in exchange for my honest opinion.

Nora Roberts used to be an incredibly formulaic author. Which I didn’t mind. There was something comforting about knowing that the main character would meet her love interest around the 10% mark, share a first kiss around 25%, consummate the relationship about halfway through the book, have some kind of intense argument about 3/4 in, after which they’ll make up, the plot will resolve, and they will live happily ever after. These books were incredibly predictable, but I still loved them. Nora’s lovely prose, her lovable characters, and her ability to just weave an incredibly engaging story made this predictability cozy instead of boring. Yet, since about 2017, with the publication of Come Sundown and Year One, she has thrown that formula completely out the window, and it shows no signs of returning. And her work is so much stronger for it. Her books now tend to deal with harder hitting topics and are far less predictable in their timelines. You can still absolutely trust that everything will work out in the end, but the journey to that end is much more fraught, and much more likely to take unexpected turns.

Mind Games is no exception to this. We follow our main character, Thea, from the age of 12. We spend a lot of time in her childhood and young adulthood, and that time is never boring. She’s a fascinating character. We don’t really even meet the love interest until around halfway through the book, and the progression of their relationship is slow and organic and lovely. But, while I enjoyed the romance, it definitely wasn’t the focus of the book. Instead, the focus is on Thea’s mental war with her parents’ killer as he serves out multiple life sentences in a supermax facility. For, you see, both Thea and the murderer she helped put away have a gift, and that gift links them. They are both somewhat telepathic, and I found the expressions of that telepathy, especially in Thea’s life, absolutely enthralling.

I loved following Thea through her life. I adored the Appalachian setting, where Thea and her brother, Rem, grew up, nestled in the Kentucky foothills. Their grandmother, Grammie, is a gorgeous, talented, spitfire of a woman with a touch of the same gift that Thea has in spades. I loved her so much, and she was such a wonderful guardian to her grandchildren. Though their family experienced some incredible trauma, she built a beautiful life for those kids. I also loved the relationship between Thea and Rem, and the career paths they chose for themselves. Thea’s path adds an extra layer of meaning to the title, which is fun. There are other wonderful characters in this story, but as they don’t show up until the halfway mark, I’ll leave them for other readers to discover for themselves.

Nora’s strengths are, in my opinion, her characters and her settings. She does a brilliant job of crafting characters with instant depth, who it’s impossible not to fall for within paragraphs of meeting them. The relationships she builds between them are rock solid and honestly enviable, even for those who have such relationships in their real lives. And the settings are always beautifully drawn, rendered in Technicolor and incredibly enticing. I love where I live, but the temptation to move to Kentucky and raise chickens and make soap was strong.

Even though her characters and settings and her writing itself are the big draws to Nora’s work for me, she never tells a boring story. And this one was no exception. I was completely captivated by every aspect, from the horrific to the charming. It was a really strong plot. I was reminded just a touch of Stephen King’s The Shining in terms of Thea’s and the killer’s telepathic war, but without the horror elements.

Mind Games was a solid, always engaging read, populated with a host of wonderful characters. I was completely hooked from the first page to the last, which is high praise for any book. It’s a story I will absolutely revisit, as I so often do with Nora’s work. I’m so thankful I was given the opportunity to read this early, and I can’t wait to get a physical copy in my hands and on my shelf.

I enjoy Nora Roberts’ stand-alone novels and Mind Games was an addictive book. Mind Games is an intriguing story about a special family whose bond is strengthened in the face of terrible tragedy. Themes of good vs. evil, new beginnings, and empowerment are explored. I loved the unique plot that stretched my usual fiction preference of women’s fiction/romantic suspense. Mind Games has all that but what really stood out was the psychic gift aspect. I don’t read a lot of novels with such storylines but if anyone could draw me in it’s Nora Roberts and she did. Recommended to fans of Nora Roberts and a good story.

Would it be blasphemous to say that Nora Roberts just gets better and better each time she drops a new book.

I started in on Nora Roberts as a teen with True Betrayls...falling for her writing and the way she just grabs you into the pages of the book as if you were inside of the words living the world she writes. And it's been like being welcomed home each time a crack open her books. There's just something about her writing. No matter the subject matter, there's something so comfortable in her works.

This one. Now this one gave me a bit of scream vibes. Not teen slasher flick. And I don't know that I can explain it right. But the secluded, rural area made into a sanctuary to feel safe. The Mind Games Riggs plays with Thea. It just felt a little like that type of feeling. Cat and mouse. Where the mouse turns the tables on the cat.

And while I kept waiting for some of the dreams/nightmares so become reality with Riggs stepping out of the forest and destroying Thea's peace, I love how it all came down to that final showdown at the prison. Of course Riggs wasn't going to be released or escape. But I still felt that build up and anticipation the entire story.

I will also always be down to give a female led book with strong familial ties and a family inheritance that's *more* passing down the lines a high rating. I'm such a sucker for the intelligent ways out. Rather than a physical fight. This was a brilliant book.

Great Nora Roberts book. Twists, turns, suspense and romance. You can't go wrong. It makes you think, then rethink and rethink again.

Mind Games by Nora Roberts

A powerful but tender, touching novel… when I hit the end, the word, “wow” just kept repeating in my head.

The protagonist, Thea, is everything, but her Grammie Lucy stood out to me most. So many of the phrases Lucy said in the book made me feel like those were phrases I need to be incorporating in my own life.


To be published May 21, 2024
St. Martin’s Press


#Appalachian
#ESP
#Telepathy
#Violence
#Murder
#Trauma
#Romance
#Family
#Noraroberts
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I've had this book in my TBR stack forever and ended up listening to the audio version for the sake of time. What a wonderful story. Nora has never written a bad book in my opinion and visiting Appalachia was a wonderful vacation. The characters were real and lovable. I was brought to tears more than once and hated to see it end. Nora is the best and this stand alone title isn't to be missed.

Young Thea Fox is born with a gift that is passed down through the women of her family, and this gift has a huge impact when she is awakened by a real life nightmare when her parents are murdered- and she sees it all happening real-time in her mind. Thea's vision helps ensure that the killer is locked away in prison for life. But he may still get in her head...literally.

Nora Roberts has been and likely will forever be one of my favorite authors; a book like this one is why. She doesn’t use this format very often - one that takes us through decades of a characters life in one story rather than a snapshot from a specific time, and frankly, this format doesn’t always land with me. But this time it did and I thoroughly enjoyed this book. The writing was, as it always is, excellent. Her ability to write a story that draws you in and holds onto you throughout is unmatched. The story itself was excellent and I loved the inclusion of the mental elements - it was an interesting twist that was important to the story but not all consuming. I liked all of the characters too and the way they were all tied together. But the most satisfying part for me was the end. Throughout the book you have this ongoing battle between good and evil and the way in which that resolves is so satisfying. It feels like justice, not just for the characters but for the reader who has gone on the journey with them as well. I don’t even have my usual “my only complaint is.” Absolutely thrilled to have been given the opportunity to read this, please sign me up to read every single book she writes from now until forever!

Have I mentioned how much I love Nora Roberts?! I'm just such a huge fan of her writing style, I find it captivating and easy to read. Love the strong female character that carries.a bit of magic with her. And, how she decides to settle her life. Had me on the edge of my seat and couldn't put it down. Great read.

Thank you to Net Galley and the publisher for allowing me to read this ARC.

Another incredible book by Nora Roberts. Where she comes up with these amazing ideas for her stories never ceases to amaze me. I love the way the evil man continues to have contact with the heroine until she finally determines that enough is enough. I love the way she reels him in and how she uses her "power" for good. While this isn't the typical murder mystery stand alone book that Nora Roberts normally writes this one has twists and turns, good and evil, love and loss which combines to make a great read.

I have been waiting for this book ever since I heard about it. Thanks to NetGalley, I got to preview both the ebook and the audiobook at the same time. You can’t go wrong with either. In fact, I was switching back and forth, listening in the car and while doing household tasks and then picking right up on my Kindle when I had down time. Mind Games starts out with a punch to the gut with the brutal murder of Thea Fox’s parents. Unfortunately, or maybe fortunately, Thea has the gift of sight and even though she was at her Grandmother’s house, she saw it all, including the face of the man who committed the murder.

The story follows Thea as she grows up and defines her gift, but always, lurking in the background, is the murderer, who like Thea, has the gift of sight, just not as developed as Thea’s. He haunts her dreams, threatens her happiness, and attempts to destroy her future even though he is incarcerated for life. As with all Nora Roberts’ heroines, Thea is strong, beautiful, and surrounded by loving family. And of course, there is romance in the form of her teenage musician crush. The characters are well drawn out and easy to love. The audiobook narrator was excellent!

All in all, this was an enjoyable read. Definitely not Nora Roberts’ best, but definitely engaging and satisfying. Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s press for the advanced copy in return for my honest opinion.

Nora is doing what she does best, telling you a solid story. This book has an interesting concept, where a young girl witnesses the murder of her parents, but she physically wasn't there at all. The first part of the book starts off idyllically and you begin to know and fall in love with the characters. Then boom! The big bad (Nora's favorite term for a bad guy) swoops in and shatters everyone's world. That part of the story was so emotional, I had tears streaming down my face. The book then goes on to describe how the main characters learn to live and thrive in their lives, with the ever loving support of Grammie. Side note, I LOVE GRAMMIE. She's so solid and loving. The book does a solid job of pulling you in the world of Mind Games, the entire concept of the connection between the bad guy and the main character is fascinating, as is the main characters strength. There's some romance in this book as well and it doesn't feel rushed, but doesn't seem quite realistic either. Overall, the book was good, the world Nora builds and brings you into could exist, and it was an enjoyable read.

Thea and her brother are spending their treasured two weeks with their maternal grandmother at her small farm in Kentucky. At home, their parents are murdered and Thea, in a dream, sees their murder and the face of their killer. Grammy has the same gift of vision and she helps Thea to use her skills.

The killer is caught, with Thea's help. He's in a maximum security prison, but he also has the gift and he invades Thea's mind from time to time.

Thea goes to college and becomes a game developer. She's gifted at that, too, so she is able to live in her self-designed home, very close to her grandmother. A former rock star, the crush of Thea's teen years, moves into his great grandmother's home with his young son. A romance starts to bud.

But the challenges of having her parents' murderer trying to pry into her brain forces Thea to fight him with all the talents she has.

I have the book and listened to the audio version. The narrator is great. Well written and interesting. I recommend this book for for teens and above.

After dropping Thea and Rem off at Grandma Lucy's house in Kentucky their parents are killed while driving back the their home in Virginia.
Thea has the gift of sight just as Grandma Lucy does, It is this gift that enables Thea to guide the police to the killer Ray. A few decades later Thea and Rem are all grown up after being raised by Grandma Lucy. Thea is a video game designers and has just met the lovely Ty who has moved in next door with his young son. As Ty and Thea become friends and slowly get closer, Ray starts to get into her mind as he also has the gift, Now Thea is in for the fight of her life. Will she be able to beat Ray at is own game and will Ty be able to understand her gifts end not let them get in the way of their happiness?

Nora Roberts has done it again. She has written a fabulous suspenseful book.

This is a riveting story about Thea, who is 12 years old when the story starts. She has strong psychic abilities that was inherited through her mother, grandmother, great grandmother, etc. It starts off horrifically when her parents are murdered and she "sees" who did it. She ultimately leads the police to find him. He pleads guilty in order to avoid the death penalty but forges a "connection" through "mind games" with Thea as he is also physic.

Thea moves beyond this horrible loss and thrives, along with her younger brother, when her grandmother gains custody and raises them on the family farm in Kentucky. We follow along as she moves quickly through high school, college and beyond. She becomes a very successful game developer and her brother becomes her business manager. The story doesn't give a lot of time to the romance between Thea and Ty, a former member of a successful boy band, but it does move along. I found the breakdown between Thea and Ty to be bit blown out of proportion but it does move along.

I found this to be engrossing and another Nora Roberts hit!

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book via NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Althea Fox, through her mind reading gifts, sent the man who killed her parents to prison for life. But through similar gifts, their connection, interactions, didn't end there.

The journey of Althea Fox took me on a roller coaster of emotions…immersed into the love and strength of family, the ugly tears as trauma and tragedy rip apart hearts, then have it sewn back together again through love, friendship, and discovery of who they are and how to move forward. The individual growth of heroine and hero, lessons in finding trust and allowing someone in are woven in the journey of family, including his son, her dog, and family, blood and found.

Nora Roberts is known for her amazing storylines of characters we can love and hope for their tomorrow with the strength of family and bonds of friendship and the acceptance and understanding of love from the hero…and danger of the villian, always there niggling at the back of your mind, threatening the happiness and hope found. Giving us scenes that has us reading through fingers and keeps the pages turning.

Mind Games is no exception, although I think the psychic twist between Heroine and Villian had me more on edge and had my heart racing a bit faster. As he is always taunting her, tapping at the windows of her mind, reminding her of what he took from her, toying that he will take more. And Thea finding ways to keep the windows closed to him, keeping him in his prison… Yes, she knows he is locked away, she's grown her gifts to help others,she knows she has built an incredible life and sees the future she wants…but how can she move forward, live it happily while there’s always his taunting shadow in her mind…the games have to stop. And this is all done brilliantly by Nora Roberts!

You can always depend on Nora Roberts for excellent storytelling. In Mind Games, we meet Thea, a game designer with psychic abilities. We learn how her parents were murdered, and 12 year-old Thea helps the police find the culprit. The mind games title refers to the fact that imprisoned murderer, Ray Riggs and Thea can get into each other’s minds.

Full disclaimer, I am not that fond of woo woo books. However, there is so much to like in this novel. The psychological suspense between murderer and victim’s daughter was riveting. However, my favorite parts of the story involved the day to day life in rural Kentucky and the romance between Thea and her childhood crush boy band member. I also loved the warmth among Thea, her grandmother, and brother. And finally, it was heartwarming to see how Thea’s family helped their community, especially the young son of Thea’s crush.

As usual, Roberts’ writing will keep the pages turning quickly.