Nora never disappoints!!

🎮 romantic suspense
🎮 single dad
🎮 a little magical realism
🎮 setting: small town in the Kentucky countryside
🎮 singer/songwriter MMC
🎮 video game developer FMC who also has some unique abilities
🎮 found family + an adorable kiddo and dog ❤️
🎮 angsty

I DEVOURED THIS BOOK!! It swept me away from the first page and I felt like I was right there alongside the characters, that's how engrossed I was! Nora's writing always draws me right in and honestly, I loved the story telling, the plot, the characters, the suspense, the magical realism elements, and the love story. The ending was so unique and I loved it.

Rating: 4.5 stars!

A fascinating view into the mind of a psychic, and terrifying at the same time! The story begins with a very loving, successful couple with the requisite two children. While on his side the family background isn't idyllic, on hers it is very tighten it and loving and includes him in everything. The family "gift" is matrilineal and so comes down through the daughters and the daughter here is 12 and has it very strong. The young family goes on their summer sojourn to Grammie's in Kentucky, where the parents drop off the children for a two week visit, much loved by all. The parents head back to their thriving business in Virginia and home. A week into the visit, the young girl, Thea, has a nightmare that isn't and runs crying into Grammie Lucy's room to find her sitting on the edge of her bed. The nightmare wasn't a nightmare - they'd "seen" what had happened, young Thea more than Lucy, and call the police who contact the police in Virginia to go and check and find the crime. And here our tale really begins. Thea "saw" the crime happen and who had done it, was able to describe the person and where he was holed up so he could be arrested and sent to prison, but he also, in a way, "saw" her. "Let the games begin."

Thea goes on to college and becomes a successful video game designer, and with her family at her side, is able to stay near Grammie Lucy in Kentucky, working from home, with her brother Rem as her business manager and beta tester. They have a new neighbor move into a home near where Thea has bought land and built herself a sanctuary, a childhood idol, who has a child of his own. They become close, but she has learned to hold the part of her that "knows" back, as it is not always well received, until one day when the little boy, Bray, has lost one of his toys and she tells him where to find it. The idol, Ty, doesnt give her a chance to explain, his own baggage, but kicks her out and tells her to stay away and her family too. Heartbroken, ahe retreats to her sanctuary to grieve and try to deal with the continuing mind "attacks" by the criminal she helped put in prison. Meanwhile, Bray wants Thea "and her dog too", Bunk, a mountain of a dog that he's fallen in love with but Ty says no, leading to a fight between father and son, resulting in Bray running away to Thea. She brings him back, and drops him off, no words exchanged, and leaves. Try eventually goes to her and all comes out in a flood of emotion that has her in a panic/psychic attack. He's floored, hurt, and amazed. But he now trusts her and starts to follow through on the love he was feeling. She starts to plan a major " Mind Game" to end all for her freedom.

An amazing gnstory, engaging, charming. You fall head over heels for Bray and Bunk! A little boy and a huge dog, how could you go wrong! Gotta love Maddy, we should all have a friend like her! And Grammie, what more needs said. Nora did it again . Loved it, start to finish, and did not want to finish. Wish I could have read about the weddings, but I can imagine!

I really enjoyed this book. it was a little different from her normal writing, but still excellent. I highly recommend this book. Once you pick if up you won't want to put it down.
I enjoyed Thea, Lucy and Rhem relationship as much as Tyler and Bray.

Nora Roberts is one of my favorite authors. I absolutely love her books. This one is no different. One I sat down to this book, I didn't want to stop. It had me crying at times and angry at times, but it was always interesting. Thia watched her parents get brutally murdered. However, she wasn't physically there when it happened. She was able to see it through a dream. They were able to catch the person who did it, with her help. However, he now wants her dead. He has the same ability as she does. He's able to use his mind to find her and draw her in. The only way she'll able to move on with her life is to beat him at his own game.

Thank you to NetGalley, Nora Roberts and St Martin's Press for the opportunity to read this ARC.

Nora Roberts. You can't mistake her writing style for anyone else. Mind Games is a good one. Thea Fox is only a 12 year old child when her parents are murdered and she witnesses it all through the killer's eyes with her gift. She and her brother grow up in the care of her grandmother who teaches her how to control the gift. As an adult, Thea lives in Appalachia surrounded by her family and friends when her teenage celebrity crush moves in next door with his little boy. They fall in love and everything would be perfect except the killer, who is locked in prison because of her, finds ways into her head...

I loved the characters in this book, but since Tyler, the love interest, doesn't even enter the scene until 60% through and then most of them getting to know each other is actually the development of the relationship with the little boy, I felt like their romance is rushed. And the climactic ending was good, but a bit sudden.

With Mind Games, Roberts knocks it out of the park with in my opinion her best work since Under Currents.

The story begins by fleshing out a sweet, interesting family with enough complexity to feel like authentic people with real (and not overly dramatic) struggles. The parents' murders are a compelling beginning to Thea's story, which gets more and more interesting as Roberts weaves suspense, romance, and supernatural elements together with her signature deft touch.

Some of my favorite pieces of this story were Thea's relationship with Grammie, as well as the themes of the outdoors as having such healing powers.

Side note: There is I believe a grammatical typo on the top of page 92: Rem says "It our favorite two weeks of the year" which I'm guessing is supposed to read "It's our favorite two weeks of the year".

4.5 strong stars.

*I received a review copy from the publisher/author via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.*

I enjoyed this book very much. Thea, Rem and Grammie have endured a tragedy. Thea and Grammie have a psychic gift that use for the good of people. The story follows Thea, Rem and Grammie, especially Thea through childhood to adulthood. The book can be slow in spots but it does pick up. The book has a bit of everything paranormal, thriller, romance and family. Another Nora Roberts winner. Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press. This is my own opinion.

Ooh boy. This story dragggged. Many parts of it feel like I've read them before from the author, eg the being able to read minds is reminiscent of Face The Fire, and the Key trilogy, the dreams make me think of the In Death series.
The story really picked up for me when Tyler came into picture (after the 50% mark). I think maybe also because that's when the story comes more to a head? All of the before is the set-up of what to expect when Thea is an adult.
The writing style is pure NR of the later years, the construct of phrases and dialogues immediately recognizable for long-time readers.
I think I had a hard time with this one (and her most recent books) because NR writes the most memorable books, and I almost always identify elements in the story that she has already done before.
That being said, this is still NR.

Thank you to the publisher for the ARC via Netgalley. All opinions are my own.

There was a space of time where Nora Roberts was ​one of my go-to authors but over time I’ve gotten off track. Mind Games was the perfect book to dive back into one of my all-time favorite authors.

Thea reminds me a little of Tory Bodeen from Carolina Moon with her psychic gift, I kept thinking so all the way through and since that is one of my favorites by this author I really enjoyed it. ​

Thea, Rem, and Grammie endure a great tragedy but thanks to Thea’s gift the police are easily able to capture the man who killed her parents. But when Thea’s gift links her to the killer who shares the same gift and has twisted it into an ugly, cruel thing, it will open a door that Thea will battle to keep closed for years to come. ​

I love how the author always builds up a great group of supporting characters for her main character. I also loved Thea’s bond with her grandmother. It reminds me of the bond I had with my late grandmother and I got emotional reading this one at times.

I loved Thea’s chemistry with Ty and Ty’s son’s bond with Thea’s dog, Bunk. They all fit together so well. I also loved the setting of this book. It made me want to buy a cabin in the woods of Kentucky.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book. I thought it was well written, the characters were well developed, and the setting was easy to picture. My only draw back was that the showdown at the end seemed a little rushed, but not enough to ruin the reading experience.

I loved this story. I am a fan of small-town romantic suspense because the characters are so connected. I am also reading Kay Hooper's Bishop series and exploring the various psychic gifs. Thea, the heroine, and her grandmother Lucy also have psychic gifts. The gift of sight is a fascinating component of the story. The atmospheric elements of the story add insight and make the town and its inhabitants endearing.

At the story's beginning, Thea Fox and her brother Rem are off to visit her 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.

Reading Mind Games reminds me of the riptides in the Florida waters lately. It pulled me in from the start and would only let me go once I reached the end. I can't say enough how much I loved all the characters: a kind and loving heroine, support characters that add dimension to the story, a wonderfully evil bad guy, a loving and protective grandmother, and a sexy love interest. All these elements work together perfectly to make a wonderfully enjoyable story.

#Netgalley #NoraRoberts #romanticsuspense

This was a great Nora Roberts book with a twist. The normal Nora book is a group of characters who have a tragedy. Then there is an up and bow love story that is tied in a bow at the end. This book had a twist running throughout that made a great change to the typical story.

I typically do not rate DNF’s, I only made it 50% through this book. However, as it is a NetGalley ARC, I’m going to share my thoughts. This started string, about a lovely family visiting their fabulous grandmother. The children stay while the parents have an adults week. During this time the parents are murdered. Our main character Thea is 12 and has some psychic premonitions and aids the the capture of the murderer. This is written with Robert’s trademark wit and character building. Where the book lost me was 100 pages of the kid growing up and nothing really happened. It could have been summarized and by the time we got to current time I just didn’t care. I may go back and try again when it comes out, hopefully with some edits, but as is I would not recommend..

My 7th book by Nora Roberts and it was pure delight from the very first page. I could not put it down and I just loved it! Thea and Rem get to stay at their Grammies house for 2 weeks while their parents have some “alone time”. Grammie loves her grandkids and loves it when they come visit every summer. I immediately thought back to my grandparents in Ohio who we would drive to see from FL for 2 weeks every July 4th. My parents didn’t leave us kids there but some of my fondest memories from my childhood were shucking corn with my grandma, walking the trails with my grandpa, walking to the corner ice cream store from their house, catching lightning bugs and putting them in a jar we didn’t have lightning bugs in FL … so long ago now. Back to the book, along comes Ray .. the bad guy! Both Grammie and Thea seem to have a six sense about things and they dreamed the same dream and it actually was real. (I can’t give anything away) Wow! This was so clever and the story was outstanding! My new fave of 2024. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this early release in exchange for my honest review. To be published May 21, 2024. Looking forward to seeing what Nora comes up with next.

After reading the overview of this novel, I was a little apprehensive about it. Fortunately for me, my love of Nora Roberts and her books was stronger than my fears. MIND GAMES does begin with a heartbreaking painful loss for this family. Lucy (Grammie), the matriarch of this family, keeps them strong through the rough times that follow. The supernatural abilities that Grammie shares with her grand daughter, Thea, become a main story line. All of the characters in this novel are well written and Nora weaves a story around their lives. I was especially charmed by 4 year old Braydon, and his love for Thea's dog, Bunk. A special thank you to St. Martin's Publishing and Netgalley for the ARC.

I normally like Roberts’s thriller romances, but this one really falls flat on the romance for me - it was halfway through the book before we met the male lead, and their buildup felt rushed. This wouldn’t, necessarily, be a bad thing except that this is also one of the weaker thrillers, in my opinion. The antagonist felt very toothless - I never felt like he was a genuine threat to any of our cast of characters. This led to a book completely lacking urgency, and I found it hard to maintain interest.

I'm in a state of major anticipation four times each year.

Around February and September for the latest 'In Death' titles, May for the latest romantic suspense title and November/December for a title in the latest trilogy in progress....all of course served up by the amazing Nora Roberts aka JD Robb.

I've been on this particular train for nearly 40 years and remember the pure romance published by Silhouette and the like back in the day.

Romance writing, and reading, isn't comparable to that time anymore as life, society and people's experiences have progressed and developed in ways maybe only authors like NR could have imagined.

However, what that now gives us is the opportunity to develop our reader experience with authors we trust to take us to new places, knowing we'll be safe in their hands.

With Mind Games that is exactly what NR has so expertly crafted for our reading pleasure.

A little darker than pure romance, we have a tragic story of murder, intrigue and a family dealing with their new normal by grieving together.

The character development in this novel is just phenomenal taking the Fox children and their mother's family through a traumatic time. Despite this it's a time that they don't just survive but somehow thrive! Good always conquers evil (except at the start)...and sadly only guaranteed in fiction!

This novel takes the reader through many tough times experienced by Thea but we see a brave girl become a determined young lady and into a woman with the strength and fortitude of her Grammie!

Rem, Maddie, Ty and Bray all play their rightful part as do all the supporting characters, and yes there is a romantic storyline but, in my opinion, it is there as a pretty background to this amazing story and not solely for the HEA of our main characters.

A must read!

Nora Roberts may have written an unbelievable amount of books, but she has not yet lost her touch. This one has more supernatural elements than you usually find in her standalone romantic suspense, but it worked better than I expected. The murder happens very early in the book, yet Roberts is able to connect us emotionally to the characters very quickly so that we feel the pain despite the lack of page time.

It's not a perfect book. I did feel like less time could have been spent in Thea's childhood, after a point I was anxious to get to her being an adult. The romance happens late in the book, but it's a sweet slow burn. You won't find a lot of flaws in Roberts's main characters, but if you've read a few of these you should be used to that by now. I also found the final confrontation between Thea and the killer a little anti-climactic. But overall, I really enjoyed the book. Roberts has given us another sweet family to love, and a beautiful (but not all sunny) depiction of life in rural Kentucky.

I hadn’t read Nora Robert’s for a while, and this book had me wondering why. Such a great story of survival and perseverance. Yes, it had some supernatural elements, but the driving forces were the characters. Great read.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press as well as Ms. Nora Roberts for this ARC in exchange for my honest and unbridled opinion.
#NetGalley #St.Martin’sPress #MindGames #NoraRoberts

Title: Mind Games
Author: Nora Roberts
Publisher: St. Martin’s Press
Publication Date: May 21, 2024

Themes: Family, trauma, homicide, small town, psychic, grief, healing
Trigger Warnings: homicide, orphaned children, mental illness, psychic, celebrity lifestyle

Every book that Nora Roberts writes I will read. Always. This is just a fact. She writes compelling characters and wonderful stories filled with heart and drama..and animals. This is the story of a girl named Thea Fox who was born with a powerful psychic gift, as was her beloved grandmother, Lucy. Thea and her brother look forward to spending two weeks on her Grammy’s Virginia farm every summer. One summer, the two weeks become multiple years when Thea and Lucy wake up from the same nightmare. One in which her parents are murdered by a psychotic teenager. They both know, when they wake, that this was more than a dream, but a vision. The family reels from this tragedy but manage to build a beautiful new life together. Thea knows she hasn’t seen the last of this villain. What follows is a story of familial love and survival against all odds.

Nora Roberts has a gift for characters. Her books always contain a good and strong female protagonist and her equally strong male (eventual) love interest. Thea was a likable and well-established lady as was her rock star love interest. This book did follow the Nora Roberts formula that I’ve mentioned in previous reviews of her books. The story starts with a traumatic event, the female protagonist rises above all odds and makes a good life for herself until she meets a man that she doesn’t want at first, but eventually he ends up with her. Whatever event happens at the beginning raises its ugly head again and the two overcome it together. They proceed to live happily ever after. There’s also always a dog. The dog is always my favorite part. The book is always full of heartfelt and meaningful speeches. Sometimes, there’s an element of witch-like magic, as in this book. Family is often a theme. At no point will I ever say that this is a bad thing. Ms. Roberts’ books are the literary equivalent of tomato soup and grilled cheese for dinner. It’s reliable and comforting and I always love it. This book followed the usual formula although I did feel it was darker than is typical. I loved the setting. I felt like I was there with Thea in her lovely Virginia home with her sweet dog. I loved every second of it.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. If you like Nira Roberts read this book it is so much more than expected.