I tried really hard, but it was hard to get into this book. The premise is intriguing, but the execution was very predictable and flat. The internal monologues, the conversations, the relationships—everything felt stale. I decided to give up at the 40% mark (when nothing was happening), and skipped to the ending. I'm giving the star for the unexpected ending! It was also really depressing to read that even in this near-future world, most women feel the need to get this chip to feel "safe", or feel that it's okay for their (male) partners to keep tabs on them!

This was something different from what I'd normally read, and it sounded like an interesting idea.
A lot of the book was repetitive with Anna spending 3/4 of the book questioning if her partner Elijahs implant is functioning properly and him checking if she is coping OK,and then you have Anna's numerous head pains and Elijahs work thrown into the mix which didnt help me engage with the story,so this wasn't really for me.
Thanks to Netgalley and Random House UK Vintage for the ARC.

Rounding up to 3 🌟

This was one of those fun reads that I just can't take seriously.
Quick paced and perfect for packing for a day at the beach type books.
From the premise, inserting chips and hearing each others thoughts??? I just knew things were going to go wrong.
I had issues with why you would agree to this if you've got things to hide, but that's where the fun comes in.
I can probably.live without hearing about Anna having a headache ever again, she had too many from various causes, and Elijah and his big meetings seemed to be on repeat too.
Saying that, if all you're after is solid entertainment, this delivers.
It had tension, and towards the end had me smiling as things don't turn out quite how people thought they would.

Firstly, thank you to Netgalley & Random House UK, Vintage for the opportunity to read Always on My Mind in exchange for honest feedback.

Looking at other reviews, I'm definitely in the minority here but, I'm so sorry, I really didn't enjoy this book. I forced myself to keep reading, thinking it would get better, but I ended up skimming a large chunk of the book.

Up until about 80% the story was just Anna asking Elijah if his chip was on mute, Anna speaking to Mandie (who loves to say 'hon') about her chip & concerns, Elijah asking where Anna was & whether she was okay and Anna singing nursery rhymes. The end was a bit more intense but, again, it flopped for me.

The reviews for Unity in some chapters were a bit random with no pre-face to show 'Customer Review'. They just blended in to the rest of the chapter and it took a second to realise they were a Review and not just part of Anna & Elijah's story.

We think everything we say so I thought the partner would hear absolutely everything - in my head, it would be like white noise it'd be so noisy!

Nothing surprised me in this book - it was predictable with nothing that gripped me. I also didn't click with the characters which probably didn't help.

I feel bad writing negative reviews but, unfortunately, I wouldn't recommend it.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House UK, Vintage for the ARC

Such a fascinating and mind-blowing sci-fi thriller. I've always found the concept of mind reading fascinating, but I think I might reconsider after reading this haha. It was a unique concept and I loved following our protagonist, Anna. She was a real sweet heart which made it easy to root for her. A great novel

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!