Mind Over Matter (ASI, #1)

Mar 02, 2012 Melanie rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: paranormal-romance, rom-suspense, hey-look-what-i-can-do, prophecy, ibooks, men-in-uniform

4-4.5 stars.

I really liked this book. The first in a new series of paranormal romantic suspense by S.J. Clarke, 'Mind Over Matter' was well written and unfolded at a great pace. I particularly enjoyed how different points of view were introduced as the story progressed.

Set in a small town outside of Phoenix, Arizona, we first meet Rebecca, a grieving mother whose daughter has been missing for three years. Rebecca, understandably, is emotionally fragile and refuses to accept the possibility that...more 4-4.5 stars.

I really liked this book. The first in a new series of paranormal romantic suspense by S.J. Clarke, 'Mind Over Matter' was well written and unfolded at a great pace. I particularly enjoyed how different points of view were introduced as the story progressed.

Set in a small town outside of Phoenix, Arizona, we first meet Rebecca, a grieving mother whose daughter has been missing for three years. Rebecca, understandably, is emotionally fragile and refuses to accept the possibility that her daughter is dead, even though many in her town ridicule and frown upon her inability to let go. After experiencing two visions (it turns out that Rebecca is psychically gifted), one of which shows her daughter aged three years older from the last time she was seen, she is even more convinced her daughter is alive and she turns to the former FBI agent, Dan Cooper, who headed the missing persons case for help. Now a member of a Anderson Security, Inc. (ASI), Dan agrees to help Rebecca and a story of gripping suspense involving a large-scale cover up and a sinister cult ensues.

One of the great things about this book was the "need-to-know" basis in which Clarke keeps the reader. Apart from speculation, very few details are given away before they become relevant to the plot. For instance, an attraction is implied between Dan and Rebecca, but we don't know anything about how long-standing it's been is or serious it is until well after their first "in-book" meeting. Also, we are given hints about a previous marriage that Rebecca was in at the time of her daughter's disappearance but the details are released slowly and sparingly until we absolutely "need-to-know". These kinds of clever details left me in a pretty much constant state of, dare I say, suspense waiting for my questions to be answered.

The paranormal element to this book, I felt, was quite well done. Nothing was too over-the-top or overdone. It revolves around the psychic abilities of several characters, in addition to Rebecca, and hopefully the questions, involving cults and prophecies that were left hanging at the end of this book will be answered as the series progresses. I, for one, will definitely be checking out the next book!
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Nov 20, 2011 Yianna Yiannacou rated it 4 of 5 stars

The moment I started this book I could tell it was going to be good. Rebecca McKenney, a mourning mother, had never given up even three years after her daughter had been kidnapped. After a surprise vision showing her daughter was still alive brought back hope that she could find her for good this time. With the investigated help of Dan Cooper they set out to find Sabrina. The book was well written. I liked the Twilight reference. I found myself smiling at that. But, unfortunately, I felt that th...more

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Dec 09, 2011 Ananda rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: read2review, part-of-a-series, read-in-2011, mystery-thriller, paranormal, romance

I really had no expectations from this book since this is Mrs S.J. Clarke's debut novel. All I really knew was that the book contains paranormal elements. But, now after reading it, I have to say I'm impressed!
The book is actually mystery/thriller with a bit of paranormal and it's a very enjoyable fast paced read. The story follows Rebecca, who's daughter disappeared three years ago,but she is starting to have strong visions that will lead her to many discoveries. Dan Cooper, former FBI agent w...more

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Dec 10, 2011 Nicole rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Adults

Recommended to Nicole by: Read to review

Shelves: adult, december-schedule, free-read-for-review, own, paranormal-lite, paranormal-romance, sexy, r2r

This was a great read, very enjoyable.

It is an adult book, while not explicit it does contain scenes with adult material. It is not my typical genre, while I would say it had paranormal elements I do wish that was explored more since that is what I typically read. This story was an action packed mystery/thriller.

Rebecca is a mother who's daughter Bree was kidnapped three years ago. Obviously distraught that nothing seems to be happening with her case. Then an old physic ability comes back and s...more

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Nov 25, 2011 Franny (The Reader's Edge) rated it 3 of 5 stars

Rebecca's daughter was kidnapped 3 years ago and Agent Dan Cooper was the lead investigator on the case. Due to a recent vision, Rebecca believes that Sabrina is still alive. Rebecca asks Dan to help her find her daughter before it is too late.

Overall, I liked the book. It was an easy and fast read. The progression of the relationships were believable and the storyline was solid. There were a few leaps of logic the characters took that I was left behind on, but I liked the slow reveal of certai...more

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Dec 09, 2011 Samantha added it

I really enjoyed this book. I got it from Read 2 Review:)
I loved the characters and the plot. I felt that it had just the right amount of romance and they didn't just shack up right away, they built up to it, something that books now seem to lack. It was a great read, I would definitely recommend it:)

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Jul 21, 2012 Karen rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: i-own, romance

Mind over Matter by S.J. Clarke.
This is a romantic suspense story with paranormal aspects as described by the author. Rebecca McKenneys daughter was kidnapped at the age of 3. Everyone except Rebecca has accepted the fact that she is gone for good. Now she is having visions that her little girl is alive but in grave danger. Enter Dan Cooper, the former FBI agent who Rebecca claims gave up too soon. Dan is now an independent security consultant whom Rebecca approaches with new information that wo...more

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Jul 14, 2012 Masquerade Crew rated it 3 of 5 stars

BEC'S REVIEW

This story delves into the disappearance of Rebecca’s daughter, and her romantic involvement with former FBI officer Dan Cooper. However it’s not just a standard kidnapping story, rather there are supernatural elements that often provide certain clues, complete with visions. If I didn’t already know the genre, I’d classify this book more as a romance book, with elements of a supernatural detective story. And while the story was stronger on the detective story (with some elements more...more BEC'S REVIEW

This story delves into the disappearance of Rebecca’s daughter, and her romantic involvement with former FBI officer Dan Cooper. However it’s not just a standard kidnapping story, rather there are supernatural elements that often provide certain clues, complete with visions. If I didn’t already know the genre, I’d classify this book more as a romance book, with elements of a supernatural detective story. And while the story was stronger on the detective story (with some elements more predictable than others), I wasn’t entirely convinced on the romance side of things.

On the detective side of thing the story was nicely placed, with revelations coming in an orderly manner. As the reader you suspected and even found out certain things before Rebecca and Dan were even aware of them, but not before having time to create your own theories. There was enough room for there still to be things to be revealed in the chapter that last deals with the detective side of the story, with even a slight mystery coming after all has been revealed, leaving room for these particular culprits to strike again.

On the romantic side however I felt the story was rushed. While the book follows the standard 3 part model that most romantic stories follow, I felt the part where the characters develop an attraction and fall into bed together happened very quickly and was surprised, given what was written, by how quickly this all happened. I felt there was a lot of things unsaid about the couples history that may have influenced this, but since I only had the contents of the book to go off, this romantic side seemed rushed and in need of some work, which brings down the overall rating.

Overall this is a good read. Maybe I’m just being fussy about the romantic side and you’ll feel it’s completely natural. It’s a fairly light read as well, one that is easy to get through. Definitely read this book if romance, the supernatural and/or crime are some of your favourite genres, or if you’re looking for something light and fun with a little bit of mystery.
Source: The Masquerade Crew (http://s.tt/19w4m)(less)

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Feb 27, 2012 Phaedra Seabolt rated it 4 of 5 stars

This story really gave me a lot to think about in the beginning. At the start, you are faced with Rebecca, a mother who lost her daughter three years ago, approximately. She was going through the motions of life, living as if her daughter were with her, but always reminded of her absence. She stayed in contact with all the authorities in order to keep the hope alive that some day she would be reunited with Sabrina (also called Bree). I was a little confused at first because she switched back and...more This story really gave me a lot to think about in the beginning. At the start, you are faced with Rebecca, a mother who lost her daughter three years ago, approximately. She was going through the motions of life, living as if her daughter were with her, but always reminded of her absence. She stayed in contact with all the authorities in order to keep the hope alive that some day she would be reunited with Sabrina (also called Bree). I was a little confused at first because she switched back and forth with referring to her daughter as Sabrina and Bree. It took a couple chapters for me to figure out they were the same person. Once that was clear, all I could think of was how horrible it must be to lose your child. I will be honest that there were moments when I had to stop reading because thoughts of losing my own son and then my marriage falling apart would drive me to tears. My heart was breaking for Rebecca as I read about her devotion to her child. What was more surprising was that her devtoion is to an adopted child. Sabrina is not hers by blood, but Rebecca loves her as if she were. That's not the case with her ex-husband and part of the reason he is her ex.

The story, if you couldn't tell from the first paragraph, moves quickly into the meat of it. There isn't a lot of time describing the characters or their past. That can be a positive and negative depending on how you like stories to flow. I liked that it jumped right in, but I was left confused at times trying to figure out what was happening. I will say that you do get enough information as you keep reading to figure it out. Everything is explained in due time. For instance, you do not find out what the "tragic mistake" is than Dan Cooper made until about 2/3 of the way through. He is very willing to help Rebecca immediately and you feel like it is mostly the physical attraction they have for each other, but his real motivation comes later. I won't tell you what that motivation is because it is a shocker worth finding out when reading. You will be amazed at who the culprits are and why they are kidnapping small children. Sabrina was just one of many.

You are probably wondering where the supernatural comes in. Rebecca has visions and is considered to be psychic. It turns out Sabrina is too, but she did not get that from Rebecca. This is really the only supernatural you will encounter in the story except for a brief glimpse of a ghost.

Overall I really enjoyed the story. It was a quick read. I read it in about 12 interrupted hours. If you enjoy reading about families that are separated and brought back together, this is definitely for you. There is a wonderful happy ending that will definitely make you smile.(less)

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Feb 23, 2012 Beverly rated it 4 of 5 stars

My Thoughts:
Wow! I loved this book. A mother's worst nightmare is a kidnapped child. As a single mother I was on the edge of my seat for the entire book. Well-written with wonderful characters, a chilling plot, lost love, betrayal on a number of levels, and a little bit of romance too!

The author has created a world in which Rebecca has isolated herself and her grief. A world where she struggles to stay focused on the present and not dwell too much on the past. She has few friends, a lot of anger...more

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Jan 05, 2012 Judy & Marianne from Long and Short Reviews rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: contemporary, action-adventure, non-erotic, paranormal, suspense-mystery

Originally posted at: http://www.longandshortreviews.blogsp...

The townsfolk say Rebecca isn't right in the head after the loss of her child a few years ago. Often times they'll find her in the same places, acting as if her daughter is still there. It's sad and heartbreaking. She just can't let go.

As a mother myself, I can't imagine the pain this heroine endures. To suffer such a loss and never get over it is an unthinkable horror. When she begins having strange visions, I wondered if it was all...more

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Dec 10, 2011 Urban Fantasy Reviews rated it 4 of 5 stars

To see this review and others like it check out my site www.ufreviews.com

I think this book was exactly what I needed today. It was one part mystery, one part romance, and one part supernatural. The supernatural in this book is not nearly as heavy as it is in a lot of the urban fantasy or paranormal romance that I review, but that isn't to say it isn't there. The supernatural in question is psychic abilities.

The book deal with some pretty heavy subject matter, the main character Rebecca is tryin...more To see this review and others like it check out my site www.ufreviews.com

I think this book was exactly what I needed today. It was one part mystery, one part romance, and one part supernatural. The supernatural in this book is not nearly as heavy as it is in a lot of the urban fantasy or paranormal romance that I review, but that isn't to say it isn't there. The supernatural in question is psychic abilities.

The book deal with some pretty heavy subject matter, the main character Rebecca is trying to just exist after her daughter was kidnapped nearly three year prior to the beginning of the book. Rebecca does however get visions, and one day while at the neighborhood diner gets a vision about another missing girl. And then almost as suddenly she gets a vision of an aged version of her daughter, Bree. This vision gives her the push to really pick up the search for her daughter and leads her to Dan, the FBI agent who was the lead on Sabrina's case to begin with.

Part of the reason why I like this book is because I like mysteries, and this book reads like a mystery book with all the added flare the supernatural elements bring to it. I really like the characters, Rebecca is a very strong woman who is willing to do anything to find her daughter, but that doesn't mean that having her daughter being kidnapped hasn't taken its tole on her. From the beginning of the book it is clear Rebecca is doing whatever she can to hold on to the idea that her daughter is alive and pushing herself to continue on with her search.

Dan is a great character too. He is really kind and caring towards Rebecca, and you can tell her has an honest desire to find Sabrina and help Rebecca. I also find it refreshing that he didn't just buy into the "Rebecca having visions" but instead of being just a complete skeptic he listens to her and even goes out with her to help her prove her vision one way or the other.

The book is a really good read, and a great mystery to follow along with. Clarke gives you just enough hints to the culprit as it goes along to let the reader form their own ideas about who did it but still leaves the reader hanging enough to make them want to know and understand the whole plot behind it all. I would say that if you are looking for a good mystery this is definitely a book you want to consider. I also think if you are someone who likes romance or urban fantasy this is also a book you would like. I hope you check it out. (less)

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Nov 25, 2011 KK rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: romance, suspense, paranormal

Mind Over Matter is about a woman, Rebecca, who faces every mother's worst nightmare, the abduction of her child. She lives in a small town where she knows most people. It has been a couple of years and most people believe that her daughter is dead and that it is time for her to accept it and move on with the rest of her life. Rebecca refuses to lose hope that her child is alive and will be found. Paranormal events lead her to believe that she is right. She turns to the FBI agent that led the or...more

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Nov 25, 2011 DeDe rated it 3 of 5 stars

I think for a first novel it wasn't bad, I think the author does have potential as there were elements that I liked. The concept of the book and the writing later in the book pulled me in at times. I really liked the actual paranormal/cult part of the book but that didn't start until much later in the book. I was actually wondering why this was in the paranormal romance/urban fantasy Read to Review until I got farther in.

The very beginning of the book was the hardest to get into and I almost pu...more I think for a first novel it wasn't bad, I think the author does have potential as there were elements that I liked. The concept of the book and the writing later in the book pulled me in at times. I really liked the actual paranormal/cult part of the book but that didn't start until much later in the book. I was actually wondering why this was in the paranormal romance/urban fantasy Read to Review until I got farther in.

The very beginning of the book was the hardest to get into and I almost put it down. The writing was very short and choppy like the author was trying to get as much information into the beginning as possible and it didn't seem to flow naturally for me. When I looked at the author's bio it didn't surprise me at all that she was a columnist as it felt very much like newspaper writing at the beginning. The writing did smooth out farther into the book and I was able to get into it later on.

My biggest issue with the book was that I just couldn't bring myself to care about the main character, Rebecca. There were a few instances where I did feel for her but overall I just couldn't get there. I was interested to find out about Dan but he seemed pretty flat most of the book. The same can be said for the relationship between Rebecca and Dan. They had something several years ago when Rebecca's daughter was first kidnapped and there was still a spark there but I just really couldn't bring myself to care about them as a couple. Rebecca just seemed too whiny or too unsympathetic to me. To be fair, it's possible my lack of sympathy for her could have to do with the fact that I don't have kids and couldn't sympathize at all for her angst over her child's kidnapping which did consume her life. I just wanted her to get over it and move on with the relationship with Dan.

Where I think the book did get interesting was further into the book when Dan's friends were brought in, the paranormal aspect was more in the forefront, and Rebecca's daughter Sabrina was more of a focal point. Even though there wasn't much said about Dan's friends I did want to know more about them, which means the author did pull me in...if she hadn't I just wouldn't have cared about the friends.

Similarly, there wasn't alot of book devoted to what Sabrina was doing but she was the main focus I was interested in what was going on. I would have liked to know much more about what was going on with her and how she spent much of her time in captivity. I wanted more details on her, particularly about the things that were revealed about her later in the book. I sympathized with her and her circumstances in a way I just couldn't do with Rebecca.

I would read another book by the author in hopes that she would be able to capitalize on the parts of the book I really liked. (less)

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Jan 15, 2012 Cocktails and Books rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012-reading-challenges, blog-tour, paranormal

I liked the story, but I really wanted to love it. The potential was there, but at times I felt like I was missing some important piece of information that was crucial to understanding what was happening.

The whole back story with Dan and Rebecca played a huge role in their relationship, but we only got brief glimpses of that. And their romance had me scratching my head at times. She hates him, he's cautious. Suddenly their engaging in a sexual relationship and just as quickly she's back to hati...more

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Nov 27, 2011 Becket Morgan rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: e-book, own

Rebecca McKenney has spent the last three years grieving the loss of her daughter, Bree, who vanished without a trace. Now she is shocked by a vision of her daughter looking older and still very much alive. She turns to the FBI agent who was assigned to her case three years earlier and hopes that his connection to Bree will be enough pull him back into the search. Dan Cooper, haunted by a mistake he made during the original investigation agrees to help Rebecca and they are swept into a strange a...more Rebecca McKenney has spent the last three years grieving the loss of her daughter, Bree, who vanished without a trace. Now she is shocked by a vision of her daughter looking older and still very much alive. She turns to the FBI agent who was assigned to her case three years earlier and hopes that his connection to Bree will be enough pull him back into the search. Dan Cooper, haunted by a mistake he made during the original investigation agrees to help Rebecca and they are swept into a strange and unpredictable battle where no one is quite who they appear and there is a very real risk that if they don’t find Bree quickly enough more than one of them will not survive.

Full of engaging characters and an unpredictable plot, Mind Over Matter is an enjoyable read that drew me in from the very first page. I found myself connecting to the main characters, particularly because they are depicted with a realistic blend of endearing qualities and negative personality traits. Rebecca’s determination and tenacity is tempered with the demons she battles on a daily basis. Dan’s passion and consistency are balanced by his tendency to let his emotions define his decisions.

Later in the story, the interrelationships between residents of Rebecca’s town and the geography of the area become paramount. I think this would be enhanced by more exposition earlier in the story to clearly situate Rebecca and Dan among the lesser characters and also the town as a whole. Additionally, once the reader starts to learn more about the nature of the kidnappers, I found myself wishing more time was devoted to the bigger picture leading up to Bree’s kidnapping. Perhaps this will be covered in future books in this series, but I think more details in this book would greatly enhance this story.

Even though the characters make some debatable intuitive leaps and there are some gaps in character development, the main criterion for me when reading a book is how engaged I am in the story and how eager I am to keep reading. In this, Mind Over matter is definitely a win and I am excited to read more by this author.
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Nov 11, 2011 Julie rated it 5 of 5 stars

Kiki & Jules Reviews

Jules Rating : 5 Stars

Mind Over Matter is book 1 in the Anderson Securities Series, and first book for author S.J. Clarke, and a fabulous start to a series!!

Rebecca McKenney is a mother whose daughter was abducted, and 3 years have pasted with no trace or clue, until her psychic visions re-start. Rebecca turns to the Agent Dan Cooper, who led her case with the FBI, but left and has started his security firm. You feel the loss and pain, the helplessness Rebecca feels abou...more

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Nov 09, 2011 Jacqueline rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: psychic-ability, romantic-suspense

I enjoyed this book in general. The story was interesting and kept me reading. There were a few spots where I felt the scene changes were too abrupt and a few spots where the characters made intuitive leaps that I didn't quite buy into.

I liked that the H and h had known and been attracted to each other before (at the start of the investigation 3 years before) so that their developing relationship didn't seem to be happening too fast. However, I thought that the thing that broke them up 2/3rds o...more

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Nov 27, 2011 Sheri rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: r2r, reviewed

Mind Over Matter is a book filled with cover up, secrets, lies, betrayal, and heartache, but also hope and love.

The book is about Rebecca who has been looking for her missing daughter for the last three years. While everyone else, even Rebecca's (now ex) husband, has given up hope of finding Sabrina, Rebecca has reason to believe that she is still alive. As the story begins Rebecca is seeking help from Dan Cooper, the FBI agent originally assigned to Sabrina's case.

I liked the pace of the book...more

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Sep 17, 2012 Lisa Markson rated it 5 of 5 stars

Lisa's review of
Mind Over Matter
By S.J. Clarke

I was given a copy of Mind Over Matter by S.J. Clarke in exchange for an honest review. I was not sure I was going to like the book at first since it dealt with a child abduction. But let me tell you this is no ordinary story of a missing child it is so much more. Rebecca's story is so sad her daughter Sabrina went missing almost 3 years ago and the whole town seems to be waiting and watching for her to move on. But how can a mother just forget thei...more

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Sep 21, 2012 Gina Butler rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012

I read this book for Promotional Book Tours

This book proves that a mother's love is an undying love. Everyone wanted Rebecca to just accept the fact her daughter had died and move on. How does one really move on from the death of a child? Rebecca never gave up hope. She knew her daughter was alive somewhere and was determined to find her no matter what it took. That is a mother's love.

While Rebecca and Dan were following all the clues to finding Sabrina they were also fighting their attraction t...more

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Nov 25, 2011 Tana rated it 4 of 5 stars

Mind Over Matter is a story about a woman named Rebecca McKenney , we find out fast that Rebecca is grieving the loss of her daughter Sabrina who was abducted 3 years ago and is still missing. She knows people in her small town think she should admit defeat and come to the realization that Sabrina is most likely dead, Rebecca knows her daughter is alive.

Having breakfast at a local restaurant one morning she sees a picture on a milk carton of a missing girl seeing this is a catalyst that brings...more

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Dec 11, 2011 Tugcenin rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: read-to-review, mystery-crime-thriller, 12-2011-december-books

3,5 stars

I must say I am not a mystery/thriller fan, especially I can't stand the ones with a perfect hero, cardboard characters and a cliche plot where in the end everything is HEA. But this was nothing like that, these characters were really strong and well developed. I easily felt the struggles and pain of Rebecca which hooked me up immediately. I am a goner for character driven plots.

Rebecca lost Bree, her daughter, three years ago and there was no trace of her. Dan was the FBI agent in the...more

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Dec 07, 2011 Terri ♥ (aka Mrs. Christian Grey) rated it 4 of 5 stars

Recommended to Terri ♥ (aka Mrs. Christian Grey) by: R2R

Shelves: reviewed

I received this book as a part of Read 2 Review.

This story happens to be in the genre I love the most, mystery and thriller. It was a little of each with what I would say had a dash of paranormal to spice it up. As a crime/police procedural/mystery/thriller enthusiast, I would have to say this book was a little predicable to me. However with that said, I still enjoyed it.

I find a lot of time I have a problem with the development of romance in indie novels. This story edged the borders of that f...more

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Dec 07, 2011 Midu Hadi rated it 3 of 5 stars Recommends it for: readers who like suspense+ paranormal

Shelves: serial-killers-and-other-murderers, romance, hauntings-and-ghosts, crime-fiction, abuse

I got this book to read and review from Paranormal Romance & Urban Fantasy Fanatics! I just want to start by saying I liked this book a lot. It was like a breath of fresh air. But I had some problems with the way the author sprung things on us. I just started reading when I was plunged into a vision. The romance between the main characters came the same way. The Indian spirit, Bree's powers, Carrie's abilities-they all left me reeling. The other issue I had was the lack of detail on Dan's te...more

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Dec 09, 2011 Shieka( Doctor's Notes) rated it 3 of 5 stars

I got this book as a read to review. I was sucked into this book from the beginning. This book starts out with us meeting Rebecca who is looking for her daughter who was abducted. We get a little background on Rebecca and find out that she has visions. The story progreses with her getting help from Dan an investigator who worked on her daughters case. The story continues on with us seeing more of her visions and learning their is a cult type group that uses girls to gain more power. I liked this...more

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Dec 18, 2011 Faye {Daydreaming_Star} rated it 3 of 5 stars

In all honesty, I struggled with the rating of this novel as, for me, it simply didn’t inspire much of anything. I thought the book was okay but it certainly wasn’t a winner in my personal opinion. The main problem I had with the novel was that I didn’t connect with the story. I believe this was marketed wrong as, while it does have paranormal elements it certainly isn’t first and foremost a paranormal story and this certainly threw me. It looks like the next few books in the series will go into...more In all honesty, I struggled with the rating of this novel as, for me, it simply didn’t inspire much of anything. I thought the book was okay but it certainly wasn’t a winner in my personal opinion. The main problem I had with the novel was that I didn’t connect with the story. I believe this was marketed wrong as, while it does have paranormal elements it certainly isn’t first and foremost a paranormal story and this certainly threw me. It looks like the next few books in the series will go into that side of the story more but this book just didn’t dive into the paranormal enough for me to enjoy that side of it.

That being said, this is not a bad book. It is not one that I simply could not finish because it was too horrid. It had an interesting, and somewhat, engaging storyline and it is possible to see that it has been well thought-out. It is also possible to see that it is a necessary ground-building book. One that is leading on to something bigger and better (or at least, this is something I hope it is doing!). I am definitely intrigued enough to say that I would read the second book in the series as soon as it becomes available, even if I didn’t particularly enjoy it, my curiosity has peaked.

The characters in this novel are fairly well-written and for the most part are believable. There were a few times, however, when I cringed over the actions of some characters as it just seemed too unbelievable that, that would happen. But, for the most part, and especially most importantly, all of the main characters seem realistic enough and work well together. It is clear to see how the romance between the tow main characters isn’t too forced as the pair have a history together (even if it does sometimes feel a little incredible that, that history would have happened) but, at least there was a back story for without it, this romance would have surely failed.

Generally speaking, this novel was well-written. It had the odd scenario here and there that went over my head and those few adult-only sections which secluded it from being a young-adult read, but it wasn’t a hard read. It just wasn’t particularly enjoyable, for me. I would not stop others from reading it as while I may dislike it, another may love it. This is the way the cookie crumbles, yes? I just hope that in the next novel of this series that it fills up some of the plot holes and confusing parts of the paranormal side of things as this was never fully explained and had to sort of just be taken as it was told.

All in all, this is a novel for adult readers who like mystery/thriller/crime novels but want something that bends those rules slightly to involve paranormal instances as well. It is an interesting read and one that could lead on to something better. A good, build-up novel.
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Dec 18, 2011 Michael (Tattoogirl Reads) rated it 4 of 5 stars

Mind Over Matter is something different from your normal paranormal romance. (See Parajunkee’s article:The Paranormal Romance Dilemma) First off this book isn’t about a 20 something virgin with special powers. Thank God. That always gets me in this genre. I know very few people who make it past their teens with their “V card.” It’s about a mother. How often do you see that? And doesn’t have one vamp or werewolf in it. NONE. While I do love vamps and virgins (?), it was really refreshing to not h...more Mind Over Matter is something different from your normal paranormal romance. (See Parajunkee’s article:The Paranormal Romance Dilemma) First off this book isn’t about a 20 something virgin with special powers. Thank God. That always gets me in this genre. I know very few people who make it past their teens with their “V card.” It’s about a mother. How often do you see that? And doesn’t have one vamp or werewolf in it. NONE. While I do love vamps and virgins (?), it was really refreshing to not have those cross the pages of this book.

What did it have? A woman who has not tapped into her psychic powers and a former FBI agent. Rebecca gets visions, knock her over in public, visions. They are about her little girl who has been missing for three years. These visions drive her to go back to the FBI agent that she thinks has abandoned her and her search. This is where Dan comes into the picture. Instantly, we know they have/had a thing for each other. And this is truly when Rebecca’s search for her little girl starts.

I really liked S. J. Clarke’s creativity. I didn’t once think, “oh I’ve read this a million times.”

What I didn’t like was the beginning. I’m sorry to say but it just didn’t grab me for a long while. And Dan and Rebecca’s relationship at the beginning was too fast and easy. I got tired of Dan’s cheesiness. But thankfully I kept reading and really enjoyed what I found from the middle on. At times there was a little bit of clumsiness with the sentences which made them hard to read. This didn’t happen all that often but enough for me to notice.

I would really like to see a prequel short story like so many authors are doing now days. I think if we had a short story about maybe the day after Dan left the first time or about the day Rebecca found out Sabrina was missing would make the beginning so much better.

I’m also going to continue reading the series. It seemed like everything was wrapped up nicely at the end of this one so I’m interested to see how she’ll turn this into a series.

Because of the beginning I’m giving this a shaky 4 stars. But it doesn’t deserve less than 4.(less)

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Oct 01, 2012 Kathie rated it 4 of 5 stars

Promotional Book Tours provided a copy of Mind Over Matter in return for my honest review.

I really did enjoy this book. It was a quick read that kept my interest well, so much so that, at times, I really hated to put it down...which wasn't good because the only time I had to read it was at work during my lunch hour. Had a few longer than normal lunches!

I thought that the characters were well developed and, for the most part, the protagonists were likable...and the antagonists were pretty darn cr...more

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Apr 23, 2012 M-E Girard rated it 4 of 5 stars

This book was a fast read. It's not the usual stuff I read, so I was pleasantly surprised. However, there were some things that tripped me up along the way. At times, I felt the main character's reactions were not believable with what was presented to her. Three years thinking her daughter is dead and now the plot unfolds, yet she pulls back, is tired, or feels sexual toward her love interest, when everything I knew about this woman told me she'd be kicking and screaming to find her daughter asa...more

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Creative Reviews: MIND OVER MATTER GIVEAWAY	2	4	Dec 05, 2011 01:27pm
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Announce/Brag/Sho...: MIND OVER MATTER GIVEAWAY	1	3	Dec 05, 2011 08:15am
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