Always on My Mind

Love Carys Green. was very excited to get her new book to review. I loved it. I couldn't put it down. thank you for the opportunity to review

Ever wanted to be inside your partner's head, able to access every waking thought? No, me either! But that's exactly what our protagonist, Anna is gifted by her husband on their 10th Wedding Anniversary.

This book had me on the edge of my seat right to the very end! The book covers some deep topics but these are handled with care and really show the depths of emotion of our protagonist, Anna. Anna is a really likeable character and you can't help but feel for her as the story unfolds. Full of twists and turns, right to the very end. This book has great pacing and a real "just one more chapter" feel to it.

Highly recommend, thank you to NetGalley and Random House UK, for this ARC. Always on My Mind publishing date is 13th February 2025.

Thank you to Netgallery and the publisher for this ARC. The publication date is the 13th Feb 2025. I liked the concept of this book I thought it was mind- blowing and chilling at the same time!

I liked the character of Anna and didn’t like her husband Elijah much at all! A great plot with many twists and twists to keep you engaged!

I’d highly recommend this book it was a great!

An invention called OneMind allows couples to read each other's thoughts. Perhaps it could be fun - imagine attending a boring dinner party and you can trade your honest thoughts about the people at the table without anyone knowing. But really, when you think about it for even a moment, you realise how awful and intrusive this has the potential to be, especially if you're already in a toxic and controlling relationship.

That's the situation Anna finds herself in. She is a full-time artist struggling to make a living, leaving her dependent on her successful husband Eli, a very paranoid man who obsessively tracks her whereabouts on his phone. He is also a massive fan of gadgets, meaning that OneMind combines his two loves - new tech and effectively stalking Anna - so he is naturally keen to have the procedure done. Except, soon after Anna agrees and they both have chips fitted, she is not only hearing his thoughts. She is sharing his memories, and they turn out to be more than sinister...

I was really excited by this concept and I quickly started reading when I was approved for the ARC. I was on the train home in the evening when I started reading. I figured I'd read a few chapters on the journey and then go straight to bed when I got home. Nope! After I got home, I kept reading, utterly spellbound, and finished it by midnight. This book really keeps you guessing with its twists and turns and Anna is a great protagonist - sympathetic, but also flawed. I don't want to give too much away, so I'm going to end the review here, but suffice to say, I highly recommend!

Thank you so much to Netgalley and and Vintage Books for the ARC!

Wow, what a ride.. This was a fantastic thriller with a sci-fi aspect. Set (I’m assuming) in the near future. This book follows a married couple together since Uni. (Married 10 years) who decide, (he decides) to use a program called Unity that connects couples thoughts using a chip implanted behind an ear. As you can imagine, things are not going well, instead of bringing the couple together, it drives them apart. I really enjoyed this book. It was nothing like I’ve read before. I can’t wait to read more by the author.

A great story but such a messed up way of life with Unity. The book was engaging, keeping you well invested into the story and how it was going to play out.

Thank you to Netgalley for allowing me to read this book in return for an honest review. I absolutely flew through this book and was gripped from start to finish. A highly intriguing yet disturbing story which really makes you think about the future of technology. A gripping edge of your seat thriller that I will definitely recommend. 5 stars

Wow wow wow what a book! Loved the idea of this book and imagining in this day and age how this could come about! I couldn't imagine having a chip in my head where i could hear my partners thoughts, its crazy! I really loved this book, the characters worked so well too!

Would you want your partner to hear your every thought? god no!! It would be incredibly intrusive but in the world of this book, that is exactly what happens.

Anna and Elijah have been married for 19 years and on the outside they look happy and loved up. Elijah is obsessed with new tech and gifts Anna the new chip that is inserted into your body that allows you and your partner to hear each other waking thoughts. Anna is against it but feels she has no other choice, will this bring them closer together or tear them apart?

Now it wouldn’t be a good story if these people didn’t have any deep dark secrets that they were hiding from each other would it! This was a fun, page turner that really made me glad that this is. It a possibility in today’s world. Grab this book and just go with it.

Thanks to Random House UK Vintage on NetGalley for my advanced copy of this book to read. Publishes on February 27th, 2025.

I was drawn to this book, hearing each other’s thoughts….I meant can you imagine! I didn’t know what to expect but it didn’t disappoint, I raced through this as I just needed to know what was going to happen. A great take on a thriller, the controlling aspect to it is terrifying. I don’t want to give anything away but I was pretty satisfied with the ending, you’ll know what I mean when you read it!

I loved this book. I enjoy an Orwellian theme and Onemind was perfect.

Leaving aside that I don’t think many would want to share their thoughts with a spouse in reality, I loved the way this book flowed through all the little things it would make easier or indeed harder.

I didn’t like Elijah much but I really didn’t need to as the plot held me in its grip.

I loved this book, it reminded me of the film what women wants but with a darker twist. Loved the characters and the pacing of the story. Saw what was going t happen but still a great read

I really loved this book, it’s my first time reading a book by this author and it certainly won’t be my last. I was in a book reading slump but I managed to read this book in two days. I’ve never read a book like this and whilst with it being set in the near future it felt far fetched it also wasn’t unbelievable. I did wish for a different ending for Anna but I’m glad that it was unpredictable.

This book had a great plot with intriguing characters. I’ll definitely be looking out for more from this author.

I loved this book! I've read many books by this author, but this one has to be the best one yet. In fact it's one of the best books I've read this year. The story just flowed right from the start. I really liked Anna, I was rooting for her, the nursery rhymes took me back to my childhood, there were many I hadn't heard for ages.
All in all I would recommend you read this book now. 5+ stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Wow do you ever wonder what goes on in your partners head, their thoughts etc? After reading this I no longer will be wondering. What a talking point between couples.

Could not put this book down. Implant behind your ear and the same with your partner and you never have a thought all to yourself again. I thought to begin with that it would be novel, but as the story opened up and the horrors started to unfold, all I wanted to do was to get the chip out of Ann's head myself.

Thank you Netgalley for letting me read this excellent book.

4.5 ⭐️
Thank you NetGalley and Random House UK, Vintage for this ARC. The views outlined are my own.

Plot

When Elijah suggests going to OneMind to celebrate their ten-year anniversary, Anna is dubious about getting the implant that enables partners to hear each other’s thoughts. However, she’s eager to please him, and to make up for the fact she can’t give him what he really wants, she agrees to take this step towards the ultimate intimacy.
What starts out great, ends up escalating as Anna tries to keep old thoughts and memories at bay. Anna's mind becomes a prison she can't escape. How long can she keep the traitorous thoughts at bay before she drives herself mad?

Review
I can see from the available reviews that everyone’s perception is vastly different. The unique plot is what struck me to want to read this book, and I felt it didn’t disappoint. My only criticism would have been that I’d liked to have seen a neater ending, but that’s me being quite petty.
I thought the pacing was excellent, the plot was exciting and the characters were intriguing. I’d definitely recommend this story and I’ll be on the lookout for more books by this author.