My last read of 2024! The premise of this book really appealled to me so I was very pleased to be approved for an ARC. I enjoy speculative thriller books and this one did not disappoint.

The idea of hearing all your partners thoughts and them hearing yours would not appeal to me in the slightest, and it was clear that the main character Anna felt the same. She felt pressured into having the new technology chip by her controlling husband Elijah.

Obviously these types of things never end well and this book was no different. An enjoyable read...I felt the ending could have concluded a bit more definitively one way or the other but this didn't impact my overall view of the book at all.

Carys Green’s Always on My Mind is an unsettling, thought-provoking thriller that delves into the complexities of intimacy, trust, and the boundaries of privacy in relationships.

The story centers on Anna and Elijah, a couple celebrating their ten-year anniversary with a bold leap into cutting-edge technology: a OneMind implant that allows them to share each other’s thoughts. Initially, the implant seems like a gateway to deeper connection, but it soon unravels their relationship in chilling and unexpected ways. Anna begins experiencing vivid memories that aren’t her own, triggering a cascade of paranoia and fear. The real tension arises when Anna realizes Elijah might also be privy to her darkest secrets.

Green masterfully balances the emotional and psychological stakes, creating a gripping narrative that explores the implications of such radical transparency. Themes of toxic relationships and power dynamics are woven throughout, offering a layered exploration of how control and trust intersect. Anna’s internal struggles, heightened by the invasive technology, make for a claustrophobic and compelling read.

The pacing is brisk and relentless, with each revelation pushing Anna—and the reader—closer to a breaking point. The concept of shared thoughts is both fascinating and horrifying, and Green’s portrayal of its consequences feels eerily plausible, adding to the novel’s tension.

Always on My Mind is not just a thriller; it’s also a poignant commentary on the dangers of sacrificing privacy for the illusion of closeness. With its sharp plotting, intriguing characters, and unsettling premise, this debut cements Carys Green as a rising star in the high-concept thriller genre. A must-read for fans of psychological and speculative fiction.

Read more at The Secret Book Review.

I requested this from NetGalley because it was an intriguing plot.  It reminded me a bit of the TV show Made For Love where a woman finds out that her tech billionaire husband implanted her with a chip to be able to track her and read her emotions.  In this book, there's an eager tech adopter who persuades his tech-avoiding wife to have chips implanted so they can read each other's thoughts.  I was not expecting so many red flags about the husband and certainly not so soon.  I think the first one was within the first couple of pages, where he said that he wanted to know where she was at all times.  I don't think I've ever read a book where I was telling the character not to continue within the first chapter!  Having said that, I didn't much care for any of the characters and found them all to be quite annoying.  The secret that Anna was so desperate to conceal was obvious within the first few pages.  It wasn't actually revealed until nearly 75% of the way through and was a total non-event.  The build-up for the ending ramped up at that point but then dropped off and the ending took a completely different turn.  I can't say that it was particularly satisfactory and I was left feeling quite annoyed by the whole thing.  It's definitely not the book I was expecting from the blurb which is a shame. 

Many thanks to the publisher and to NetGalley for providing me with an advance copy to review.

Although I didn’t like the main protagonists and was frustrated that Anna could be so bullied while being oblivious to her husband’s motivations, I actually liked this book. I was intrigued by the concept of being able to implant a chip in each person’s head so they can read each other’s thoughts. I made me wonder what would happen if this was a reality and hands up I won’t be signing up for this procedure any time soon. Having got over my dislike of Anna, with her sordid secrets allowing her husband to cajole her into having the chip, I found the story becoming more intriguing. The tension ratchets up, particularly towards the end and I was torn as to whom I was routing for. An interesting idea, well written and I’ll be looking out for more by Cary’s Green.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC. The premise of this book immediately drew me in - I love twisted stories of futuristic technology. Unity connects two minds so that one can always hear the other's thoughts - in some ways, I do see the appeal! Aside from being an interesting basis for discussion, this book was very well-written. It was a bit too much domestic and not quite enough thriller for my tastes, though the thrilling parts were incredibly tense and compelling.

The way technology is going I wouldn’t be surprised if at some point this kind of thing will exist but I for one do not want anyone seeing the thoughts in my head. In this story we meet Anna who’s husband surprises her on her tenth wedding anniversary of a chip that means they are always connected by their minds, only problem is there’s lots in her mind she doesn’t want him to know. As she starts to suffer side effects from the chip she struggles to control her thoughts and keep long buried secrets to remain buried but is there a darker side to her husband and can some secrets be deadly. This is a scary read of a future that seems far to close.

2.5 *
I couldn’t take the premise of this book seriously. All I could think was: Who on Earth would allow someone else-even someone they loved and trusted- into their head? Any marriage would be over within a week. (My husband totally agrees! :))
All the big reveals were a bit too obvious, almost from the start, so very little came as a surprise, even in the final ‘act’.
There was some nice tension built up at times, and the pace towards the end was good. Anna was, for some reason, completely incapable of seeing how controlling her husband was.

An intense book. Celebrating 10 years of marriage with an implant that allows you to read each others thoughts.
Together since the first year of university, everything paid for by Elijah. Family money and a high flying career. In competition with university friends Gavin and his wife Helen. Once so close and supportive now fractured and competitive.
Old memories are uncovered and change the dynamics.
You never truly know anyone.

This book gripped me from the very early chapters, and I found myself thinking about it during the times I wasn't reading. An intriguing plot, I certainly recommend this book and the author.

Carys Green has a hit on her hands with this book. It's absolutely brilliant. I discussed loads of it with my family and friends! One Mind is certainly a place I would steer well clear of! Absolutely brilliant.

Always on my Mind is a story of fiction that I hope never becomes reality.
Anna and Elijah are a married couple who met at university so have known each other a long time. Elijah is a tech buff who thrives on the latest invention and must have it in their home. While Anna is a simple woman and not interested in the gadgets installed in their house. On their wedding anniversary he surprises her with a brand new gift by a company called Unity. It involves the implantation of chips into both of them that will enable both of them to know what the other is thinking. Anna has reservations from the start but feels pressured by her husband so reluctantly agrees.
As both are harbouring secrets it’s now difficult to keep them hidden which leads to their relationship becoming toxic.
I can’t imagine how intrusive this would be let alone how annoying to have almost constant conversation in your head.
My thanks to Net Galley and Random House UK Vintage Books for the ARC.

The ability to read minds is something we all think about and would love, however would we really? If it meant we could hear our partner's every thought and, more importantly, that they can hear ours.

This is what Anna and Elijah sign up for in this twisty thriller. Great concept which is brilliantly explored.

I managed to get an ARC of this, and I'm so glad I did as it sounded amazing.

I wasn't disappointed.

Having read the blurb, my first thought was how bad an idea this kind of technology was. My other half doesn't need to know just how many obscenities I think about him in the average day, and I certainly don't need to know how many he thinks about me! 😂

This is a very well-written thriller with a couple of very decent twists. The characters are well thought out, and the twists I didn't see coming at all.

Elijah is the tech-obsessed doting husband who just wants them to be as close as possible. Anna is the wife, still feeling guilty that she can't give Elijah the one thing he wants more than anything, so she agrees to have the OneMind chip with him.

But is everything quite as it seems?

I loved this so much - one of the most original thrillers I've read in a long time.

I really enjoyed this book. When I saw the blurb, I knew I couldn’t resist. I’ve always wanted to be able to read other peoples minds so the concept really appealed to me. The author didn’t disappoint and I found this a gripping read. It was twisty an turnand I raced through it. I love the speculative angle and found the whole thing fascinating. I would definitely recommend this book. It is pacy with a really good concept.

When I read the premise of this I knew it would be right up my street. Imagine being able to hear your partners every thought, and they yours. Would this bring you closer together? For their anniversary Elijah gifts Anna the unity experience. Each of them will receive a chip implanted behind their ear that allows them to hear each other’s thoughts in an effort to bring them closer together and closer to unity. Anna’s not convinced. Eli’s love of technology means he’s excited, Anna can’t shake her nerves, there are things she need to keep secret. Things that would destroy their marriage… but how can she back out without looking guilty…

I devoured this in pretty much one sitting. I can’t imagine how the idea of this could appeal to anyone and it was great to see the turns that this led to. Thanks to netgalley for the arc. Publishing next year.

Imagine being able to hear everything your partner thinks, and vice versa! That’s the reality for Anna and Elijah after they join OneMind, a groundbreaking company that’s developed a chip implanted behind the ear. This chip allows them to share their innermost thoughts with each other, creating an entirely new level of connection.

At first, the concept seems intriguing, almost thrilling—until the consequences begin to sink in. What if there are things you’d rather keep private?

This book presents a fresh and intriguing concept, packed with twists, secrets, and emotional drama. It’s the kind of story that could easily be adapted into a compelling TV series. I thoroughly enjoyed it!

Would you want your partner to hear your thoughts? Able to turn in and out whenever they want? And would you want them to hear yours? How about seeing your memories? This is what this book is about, and it really got me conflicted.

What if you hear nice things, or bad things… where do you draw the line?

The concept is really interesting and not something I’ve seen before, but the more I read the book the more I erred on the side of thinking this is a controlling and manipulative situation, and I often found myself feeling uncomfortable when reading.

I really did not like Elijah’s character, and he absolutely infuriated me to the point I could have thrown my kindle across the room. His then character did not associate with his new character and I found him to be quite a troubling soul.

Anna, on the other hand I liked her, and as the story unraveled I actually felt quite sorry for her, and wished she would get the hell out of there. But love is blind so they say.

The flow of the book was really good, and I found myself wanting to keep reading to get to the bottom of the mysteries and surprises. The last 10 chapters of this book had my heart in my mouth, and loved the turn of events! Even much so that the last few chapters took this from a 3 to a 4 star read for me!

One thing I didn’t like with the current draft is the random reviews and information pieces on unity. The reviews need to be in a different font, or state “review” before they are inserted into the main body of the text, as they confused me as I thought it was part of the normal story. Additionally the info pieces add nothing to the story to my opinion and could be removed to shorten the book.

Overall a fun read, and I would recommend if you want your patience tested, heart palpitations and reeling thoughts afterwards.

This book is absolutely wild!

The premise is not only fantastic but also intriguingly complex, weaving together elements of thriller, drama, and a hint of futuristic sci-fi that kept me on the edge of my seat. It's fascinating to think about how such a concept could manifest in reality, and I can almost envision the particular types of individuals who might execute something like this in the real world.

Anna is a perplexing character to me. She harbors a deep, desperate secret that she is hell-bent on keeping. However, as the narrative unfolds, it becomes clear that her controlling husband begins to wear her down. Ultimately, she succumbs to his pressure and allows him unrestricted access to her mind, which is something I truly struggle to comprehend. The psychological dynamics at play are deeply unsettling; her husband presents himself as a loving partner, yet he constantly gaslights her, manipulating her at every turn and dictating her every movement. Given this oppressive situation, it baffles me that she willingly permits him entry into her thoughts even though she detests the extent of his control already on her through tech and apps.

I can’t imagine anyone actually wanting full access to my thoughts—honestly, I often find myself wishing I could escape from my own mind! 🤣 And I certainly wouldn't want to inflict it on my husband!

Throughout the book, certain elements stretch the limits of believability, but despite that, I found it to be a thoroughly captivating read. I was completely engrossed in the storyline, even though both Anna and Eli emerged as unlikable characters. It’s hard to find redeeming qualities in either of them. Furthermore, I didn’t connect with Helen and Gavin either. It seemed that all four of them were entangled in a web of mutual betrayal, and I couldn't fathom why they continued to maintain contact after their university days. The only character I truly resonated with was Mandie. She stood out as a genuine friend, consistently looking out for Anna’s best interests. I genuinely wish Anna had heeded Mandie's advice more often.

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed the unique premise and compelling storyline. While a few elements tested my suspension of disbelief, I can certainly see how this type of technology could be misused in various ways. I'm eager to explore more works by this author in the future.

I'd like to extend my gratitude to the author, the publishers, and Netgalley for providing the ARC of this book. This review reflects my honest opinion.

Always on my mind an outstanding futuristic thriller by Carys Green kept me on the edge of my seat.

Would you allow your loved one to hear your every thought in order to achieve the ultimate bonding experience? Elijah surprises Anna for their tenth wedding anniversary to an implant each behind their ears from a futuristic company known as OneMind. Now Elijah will not have to keep wondering where Anna is 24/7 he will have peace of mind but at what cost?

Elijah was born into money so he has everything he ever wants except for a baby but unfortunately Anna keeps on miscarrying so is very compliant to his every wish as she feels guilty in not giving Elijah a baby so goes along with their implant.

Everything runs smoothly until Anna develops side effects when she thinks she is experiencing dreams but instead they are memories which are not her own but Elijah's.

Anna has a string of nursery rhymes which she thinks will help block out her secret memories that she does not want revealing to Elijah.

Elijah is always on her mind 24/7 and there is no mute button on her implant but Elijah has not been totally honest with Anna as his implant has a mute button.

Will these implants make or break their ten year marriage all will be revealed in this roller coaster of excitement and intrigue as their story unfolds

Would you want to hear your partners every thought? Would you agree to having a chip implanted in you for this very reason???

Anna did.

This book is a mindf*ck of a plot involving technology to hear each others thoughts. Anna is so easy to relate to as a character and I loved following her journey.
I could not put this book down! Highly recommend!