Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC for my review.
This was an enjoyable listen, the narrator did good & the story kept me entertained. I would not classify this as a romance, more of a supernatural suspense. This is the first Nora Robert’s book I’ve listened to & I would listen again.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan audio for the audio version of this book.

I requested the book because I have enjoyed Nora Roberts in the past, I loved Vanishing Acts back in the day.

Nora Roberts sets up the story really well, with introductions to the characters and spends time helping you to get to know them. The first 20% was emotional, gripping with some suspense that hooked me. It took a while for the love interest to arrive, almost halfway into the book. That kind of took away from the romance aspect of the book which Nora Roberts is famous for. Her writing style is still easy to read and there is no doubt she is an amazing storyteller. I particularly like how she writes dialogue.
One issue I have was the whole psychic power and mind reading thing between Thea and RR. It got a little confusing at times and then at the end she stripped the man of his power. How? Did I miss how this was possible? Her career choice of a video game developer was kind of weird too. That seemed out of nowhere.

I was put off by all of the foul language and using God’s name repeatedly as a curse word. It just isn’t necessary and is distracting- maybe because January LaVoy did such an incredible job on the audio (as always) it’s hard to hear the swearing in her performance. The reading of the young child is a bit annoying too.

At the end of the book, Ty (the love interest) pretty much invites himself and kid to move in with Thea so he can use his house as a recording studio and house the musicians while they work. Considering they didn’t know each other THAT long it seemed the relationship advanced in a way that wasn’t that obvious to the reader. At least for me anyway.

I’m sure this book will do well, after all it is Nora Roberts, but I was expecting a bit more.

This may be one of my all-time favorite Nora Robert’s books. A strong woman, a dose of magic, a love story, a close-knit family and of course - some trouble.. Ray’s conclusion was satisfying, and of course we can’t diminish the ultimate conclusion - perfect!

Thank you NetGalley, MacMillan Audio, St. Martin's Press, and author Nora Roberts for the advance copy of Mrs. Roberts page turning novel, Mind Games. This highly anticipated novel by bestselling author Nora Roberts adds to her 250+ repertoire that fans like myself will easily devour from beginning to end. There is good reason Mrs. Roberts has a loyal following of readers spanning decades, and is one of the most successful and prolific authors of her generation. She once stated in an interview that she writes 8 hours a day, even on vacation, and I always think of this when beginning one of her books. I admire how she empowers her strong female characters, and have been hooked for decades on the imagery and trilogies she continues to gift readers with. I was a bit thrown off as a good portion of Mind Games is told from a child’s POV, but audiobook narrator January LaVoy engaged me as John and Cora Fox head to Cora’s mother home in the Appalachian hills of Kentucky with their two young children, Thea and Rem. The children look forward to their annual June visit with their maternal grandmother, Lucy, and this year is special as the kids anticipcate spending two weeks with their adored maternal grandmother, while their parents return home to Virginia. This is the beginning of the story told from alternating POVs that are at times difficult to follow. Soon after the Foxes arrive back home in VA, Thea and Lucy wake from a horrific nightmare where they witness a horrific crime (especially for a 12 year old Thea) John and Cora’s murder. Thea has inherited the “gift” the psychic ability to see into other peoples minds, passed through her maternal bloodline, but it is becoming evident her gift is already stronger than Lucy’s. Through her “gift" that generations of women on her maternal side share, Thea witnesses the horrific events occurring to her parents back home in Virginia in real time. Readers soon learn Thea also possesses the ability to see the crime through the mind and eyes of the psychopathic murderer, Riggs. Her grandmother Lucy also witnesses the murder via the same "gift,” and immediately contacts police in Kentucky hoping they are both wrong in this traumatic vision. With Thea’s supernatural memory recall, she works with a sketch artist and police are quickly able to capture and imprison murderer Riggs.
Thea becomes the main female character as the story follows her from that fateful, traumatic loss of her parents at age 12 until she becomes a video game designer at age 27. As the years go by, Briggs meets Thea via their shared mental "gift” as he plots his revenge against Thea from prison. This was a difficult premise for me. I did enjoy the character of strong willed Lucy as she raises Thea and Rem in Kentucky. Lucy is loving, hard working, and instills values in her grandchildren nobly. The storyline of Thea and Rem’s parents, and their relationships with their own parents, was devastating. I found the plot and dialogue with murderer Riggs challenging to engage with as he seeks her out mentally to torment her and she has to battle to keep him out of her thoughts. As a fully employed adult, Thea can work from home developing video games, so she decides to return to Kentucky to build her life there. She is thrilled to learn her crush Tyler, a former member of popular rock and roll band Code Red, moves into his great-grandmother's house down the lane from Thea, and their romantic relationship ensues. Ty is now writing music and raising his (annoying) son Bray, who in my opinion did not bond with Thea or bring anything to the plot. When Tyler reappears and becomes a MMC, I enjoyed his character and relationship with Thea, but things between them develop very quickly as Thea still has to deal with Ray Riggs, which in their final face off at the very end occurs much too quickly in my opinion. I adored Thea's dog, Bunk! Overall This is an easy from a well-loved author.

Thank you @macmillan.audio and @netgalley for my complimentary audiobook. 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 discern what 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.

January LaVoy, as always, does an excellent job with the narration. She manages characters of various ages and dialects with ease.

Listen to this if you enjoy:

*Strong family ties

*Descriptive stories

*Strong female main characters

*A touch of romance

This is a good story. Not exactly a thriller and not a romance either. Just a good story. Thea’s gift is pretty incredible as is her family. Her connection with Ray was disturbing and sad. The very end was a tad cheesy but otherwise an enjoyable listening experience. Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC (or ALC)

the setup…
John and Cora Fox take their two children, twelve-year old Thea and ten-year old Rem, to visit their maternal grandmother Lucy in the Appalachian hills of Kentucky every June. This year is extra special as the kids will spend two weeks this time in the place they love with the woman they adore. John and Cora return to Virginia, taking advantage of some precious alone time. But soon after they get home, Thea and Lucy wake from a horrific nightmare where they witness John and Cora’s murder. Thea has inherited the “gift” passed through the maternal bloodline but it’s much stronger than Lucy’s. You see, not only did Thea witness everything that happened to her parents in real time, she could see it through the mind and eyes of the killer.

the heart of the story…
Despite the tragic beginning, this felt more like a loving tribute to the spirit and beauty of an Appalachian community in Kentucky. Thea and Rem were raised with loving and kindness but with an appreciation for hard work, nature and looking out for your neighbors. They thrive as they mature and though Thea learns how to manage her gift, she never loses the connection to the inmate who killed her parents. There was always something sinister brewing in the background, even while Thea moved on with her life, finding a career and romance in the meantime. You just knew a reckoning was coming.

the narration…
LaVoy just keeps surprising me! I could have sworn there were three separate narrators…for the women, the men and the children. She’s a gifted performer.

the bottom line…
This is a moving saga covering more than a decade. Its conflation of several genres made it even more fascinating, especially Thea’s extraordinary gift of sight. I loved Lucy’s way of life that she passed down to her grandchildren who embraced it willingly. Thea’s romance was lovely, even when it hit a bumpy path. There’s so much breadth and grace here to offset the evil of Thea’s mental nemesis who is dangerous and scary. I didn’t want it to end, even after 15 hours! If you have the option to listen to the book, choose it because LaVoy is incredible.

Mind Games is truly captivating and riveting. This book has the perfect blend of suspense and romance, tension and ease, love and hatred! I enjoyed the unique plot with the main character and villain having telepathic abilities and the “mind games” they played with one another throughout this book. The narrator of the audiobook, January LaVoy is brilliant and added so much emotion to this story while seamlessly moving in and out of characters. I highly recommend reading this book via audiobook, you will not regret it!!

Thank you Net Galley and Macmillan Audio for providing an ARC of Mind Games by Nora Roberts for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.

Pub date 5/21/24

One of the highlights of summer is when Thea and her brother get to spend two weeks with their grandmother, Lucy. The Foxes leave their children behind like they do every summer and head back home, but this isn’t like every other summer.

Thea is awakened from a nightmare and knows that her life will never be the same. Lucy also knows the horror of what Thea saw. For the first time, Thea and Lucy speak of their special gift and how at times it can be a blessing and a curse. Thea uses her vision to help put her parent’s killer behind bars, where he will spend the rest of his life. The problem is that he shares the same gift and wants nothing more than to see Thea pay for putting him in prison.

This book did not disappoint. I’ve been reading Nora Robert’s books for more than twenty years and haven’t read one that I didn’t like. I look forward to continuing to read/listen to any and all novels that Nora Roberts publishes.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for allowing me to listen to an ALC of this novel. #NetGalley #MindGames

I have been a big Nora Roberts fan for years, so I was excited to get the latest audio version of her book, Mind Games. This is not the typical Roberts book though. It had an extremely slow start following all the different things Thea could see with her gift. This seemed to go on longer than necessary and got boring. There is a little love interest about 50% into the book. The ending was predictable. The narrator was enjoyable.
Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for my advanced audiobook in exchange for my honest opinion.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the ARC. Another great read by Nora Roberts. I do love paranormal romantic suspense books and this one did not disappoint. The romance started a bit later in this book than is normal for a Nora Roberts book but that was fine. It would have been nice to see Thea use her gift a little more in the community, however I do understand the route that was taken. I enjoyed the audio of this book. Definitely worth the read!

Mind Games is a mystery with a twist and a bit of romance and found family.

Thea has a gift that helps catch her parents’ killer. Her and her brother go to live with Grammie Lucy who shares the same gift as Thea. We watch her grow and mature into an amazing woman despite the horrible way her parents were taken from her while getting glimpses into how she uses her gift. When her childhood crush who is the lead singer for a famous band, moves in down the road with his young son, we see how wonderful community and found family can be. I’ve been reading Nora Roberts books for 25 years and am always immersed in her stories and fall in love with her characters. This was such a wonderful book!

This audiobook was narrated by January LaVoy who always does an amazing job portraying Nora Roberts’s characters and stories.

Thank you so much to Netgalley, Nora Roberts, and Macmillan Audio, for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review. This will be a great read for everyone on May 20th!

I have posted my review on Goodreads, in my Facebook book club, and will post a Tiktok review within the week before it releases.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC audiobook of Mind Games by Nora Roberts.

This is the second book I have read by this author. I was excited because I really enjoyed Inheritance.

I hate to say that I was disappointed by this book. If there was not so much language I would have really enjoyed this book. I was in the Marine Corps so it's not like I haven't been around a ton of swearing, but I don't want to read/listen to a book filled with foul language.

I do understand that the killer spoke this way....but when the children started repeating all of the bad words that made me unhappy.

"Mind Games" by Nora Roberts is a thrilling rollercoaster of suspense and romance. With intricate plot twists and dynamic characters, Roberts crafts a gripping tale of deception, danger, and unexpected love. The protagonist's psychic abilities add an intriguing layer to the story, keeping readers on the edge of their seats until the very end. It did get a little long but still a great read. January Levoy is one of my favorite narrators. Roberts' masterful storytelling makes "Mind Games" a must-read for fans of mystery and romance alike. Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for allowing me to listen to this early.

Thank you to NetGalley for the audio arc in exchange for an honest review.
This is my first Nora Roberts book. There were so many things about this book that I enjoyed, but I'm not sure if this is the author for me. I'm coming away from this book thinking that there are two different books going on at the same time. I enjoyed both, but the amount of time it took to set up the characters and get around to some action took forever. The way the book is described sounds like it's going to be a thriller with some sort of revenge and cat-and-mouse action. These promised fell flat for me. I did enjoy the characters and the romance aspect of the story, but the video game story line felt disconnected to me.
I absolutely love the narrator for the audiobook. January LaVoy has a gift for voicing male and female characters and children.

Nora Roberts never misses! The storytelling is wonderful and if you enjoy thrillers this is not a book to overlook. The characters were wonderfully written. All in all a great book!

Nora Robert’s does it again. I love her books! If you enjoy a thriller with a bit of fantasy and romance you will enjoy this book.. The narration was done well.

Thank you #NetGalley, #MacmillianAudio, #NoraRoberts, #JanuaryLaVoy and #MindGames for the advance audio version for my honest review.

As a young child, Thea witnesses the unimaginable. Through the love of her brother, Grammy, Ty, Bry, and a great BIG dog, Thea becomes not only a great video game creator, but a kick ass heroine. Only Nora Roberts can weave such a wonderful tale of great tragedy, great family, great friends and a great big dog and mix it with suspense, romance, and a touch of supernatural .

Thank you Netgalley and the publishers for the audio ARC. #Netgalley #Mindgames

Every time Roberts audiobooks get me! There is just something appealing about her storylines and characters. The writing style is so similar in every book, and LaVoy’s performance is always solid. This was a great mix of family drama, love story & a sprinkle of the supernatural. Very heartwarming. This book was a good time!

I have loved Nora Roberts books for a long time but this one had all of the parts I love: blooming love between two great people, a little bit or paranormal, a horrible enemy and a family that supports and loves each other. Grandma Lucy and her granddaughter Thea have an ability to see things that others are living. They happen to see the brutal murder of Thea's parents. Thea sees so much that she helps the investigators solve the murder and put him in prison. The problem is that that the murder has the same gift and gets into Thea's head. The story in this book is only better because of one of my favorite narrators, January LaVoy. Once Thea is grown she finds her self in love with someone and she does not trust him enough to tell her story. A misunderstanding happens and trust is broken. I loved the way the story was told and the ending was great. Thank you #MacMillan audio and #NetGalley for an ARC of this book.