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In the Mind #1
Within the Mind
Seneca is the complete package. He’s smart, sexy, and confident, much to Chevy’s annoyance. They’ve worked with each other for two years, and even though Chevy might secretly find his partner charming and attractive, playful harassment is all they have.
Chevy was born with a unique gift that allows him to go into the memories of others. As detective, he uses this ability to find peace for victims who have been hurt or attacked. He delves into their memories and can pick out minute details that will help them put the criminal behind bars.
But neither Chevy nor Seneca are prepared when they are asked to go into the mind of a serial killer in hopes of finding survivors. They are even more unprepared for the monsters they find inside the man’s mind. Drawn into a memory where it’s hard to figure out where the truth exists, they realize that there may be more to the serial killer than they originally thought. The dark world draws the two men together in a way they never dreamed.
It will take everything Chevy and Seneca can give to stop the darkness that could consume their minds. As the two are forced to face what is keeping them apart, together they realize that there’s more to the mind and heart than either of them know.
Within the Mind is a 90k word romantic suspense with lots of snark, an ominous gramophone, and finger cuddling, because we all know spooning isn’t as great as it sounds.
Chevy was born with a unique gift that allows him to go into the memories of others. As detective, he uses this ability to find peace for victims who have been hurt or attacked. He delves into their memories and can pick out minute details that will help them put the criminal behind bars.
But neither Chevy nor Seneca are prepared when they are asked to go into the mind of a serial killer in hopes of finding survivors. They are even more unprepared for the monsters they find inside the man’s mind. Drawn into a memory where it’s hard to figure out where the truth exists, they realize that there may be more to the serial killer than they originally thought. The dark world draws the two men together in a way they never dreamed.
It will take everything Chevy and Seneca can give to stop the darkness that could consume their minds. As the two are forced to face what is keeping them apart, together they realize that there’s more to the mind and heart than either of them know.
Within the Mind is a 90k word romantic suspense with lots of snark, an ominous gramophone, and finger cuddling, because we all know spooning isn’t as great as it sounds.
318 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 28, 2019
About the author
Alice Winters
45 books2,141 followersAlice Winters started writing stories as soon as she was old enough to turn her ideas into written words. She loves writing a variety of things from romance and comedy to action. She also enjoys reading, horseback riding, and spending time with her pets.
Follow me on Facebook where I put up short stories, teasers, and giveaways: https://www.facebook.com/groups/Alice...
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 260 reviews
Shelved as 'dnf'
May 29, 2019DNF @ 7%
This isn't a review, just notes to myself so I'll be able to remember why I quit:
- Nonstop on-the-job sexual harassment isn't amusing, it doesn't make for charming banter, and it's not an acceptable basis for a romance.
- Contractions. In speech. People need to use them. Or else the dialogue ends up sounding stilted.
- If you're accessing someone's memories, you're experiencing the world from their POV, not some external omniscient POV. So WTF ?
This isn't a review, just notes to myself so I'll be able to remember why I quit:
- Nonstop on-the-job sexual harassment isn't amusing, it doesn't make for charming banter, and it's not an acceptable basis for a romance.
- Contractions. In speech. People need to use them. Or else the dialogue ends up sounding stilted.
- If you're accessing someone's memories, you're experiencing the world from their POV, not some external omniscient POV. So WTF ?
January 18, 2020
I now know that there is such a thing as TOO MUCH SNARK! While Alice Winters delivers a captivating mystery which is decidedly harrowing, her lack of balance between snark and real dialogue overwhelmed me.
The two MCs—one perpetually chipper, the other always grumpy (stereotypes anyone?) —had perhaps ten sentences of dialogue that was not snark. It was sooooo tiresome! Sure, at first I found them hilarious, but soon I prayed for some normal conversation. Everything. I mean EVERYTHING was snark—even when they were in gruesome, life and death situations. Please.
I do have to give Joel Leslie kudos for his performance in narrating this book. He was undoubtedly best apart of the whole experience.
As for me, I’m as done with this book and author as I am with this “review.”
My rec? If you love snark more than life itself, go for it.
The two MCs—one perpetually chipper, the other always grumpy (stereotypes anyone?) —had perhaps ten sentences of dialogue that was not snark. It was sooooo tiresome! Sure, at first I found them hilarious, but soon I prayed for some normal conversation. Everything. I mean EVERYTHING was snark—even when they were in gruesome, life and death situations. Please.
I do have to give Joel Leslie kudos for his performance in narrating this book. He was undoubtedly best apart of the whole experience.
As for me, I’m as done with this book and author as I am with this “review.”
My rec? If you love snark more than life itself, go for it.
April 11, 2023
Well I felt as confused reading this as I did watching Inception 😂
February 8, 2019
I wanted to like this more than I did. With all of the glowing reviews, I certainly expected to. But while I liked the overall storyline and I thought the author did a good job of portraying a sympathetic villain, a few things hindered my enjoyment.
First, the world-building is nonexistent. I have no sense of geographical location, and I have to assume that that's done on purpose by the author so that the story can, theoretically, be set anywhere. But it didn't work for me because I never got a sense of place, of location. And not only that, whenever our MCs went somewhere new, we never had any description of the setting, so I literally could never place myself within the story.
I also couldn't figure out what type of organization Chevy and Seneca work for. They're detectives, and yet they don't work for the police? Who do they work for? It was never properly explained, and neither was the reason for people having these gifts.
Second, the secondary characters. Detective Collins (an actual cop, unlike our MCs) is your typical rude, abrasive, emotionless female cop. And her partner, Detective Rivens, was so useless he could've been cut out entirely and it would've made no difference to the story. I also never connected with Chevy's mother; she was a little OTT.
Third, the MCs. I liked Chevy. Chevy was honestly the highlight of the story. But the banter/snark between him and Seneca meant that I never connected to their relationship. The banter is ALL sexual, and frequently made an appearance at inappropriate times. It got old about 10% into the book, and made reading the rest of a 90K-word book feel like a chore. I had hoped that when they got together the sexual banter/snark would stop, but it didn't. And because of that, and because they never had a serious conversation, Chevy and Seneca's relationship lacked depth. The banter/snark made for a rough read, and because I didn't find it funny or entertaining, it seriously impacted my enjoyment of an otherwise intriguing plot.
First, the world-building is nonexistent. I have no sense of geographical location, and I have to assume that that's done on purpose by the author so that the story can, theoretically, be set anywhere. But it didn't work for me because I never got a sense of place, of location. And not only that, whenever our MCs went somewhere new, we never had any description of the setting, so I literally could never place myself within the story.
I also couldn't figure out what type of organization Chevy and Seneca work for. They're detectives, and yet they don't work for the police? Who do they work for? It was never properly explained, and neither was the reason for people having these gifts.
Second, the secondary characters. Detective Collins (an actual cop, unlike our MCs) is your typical rude, abrasive, emotionless female cop. And her partner, Detective Rivens, was so useless he could've been cut out entirely and it would've made no difference to the story. I also never connected with Chevy's mother; she was a little OTT.
Third, the MCs. I liked Chevy. Chevy was honestly the highlight of the story. But the banter/snark between him and Seneca meant that I never connected to their relationship. The banter is ALL sexual, and frequently made an appearance at inappropriate times. It got old about 10% into the book, and made reading the rest of a 90K-word book feel like a chore. I had hoped that when they got together the sexual banter/snark would stop, but it didn't. And because of that, and because they never had a serious conversation, Chevy and Seneca's relationship lacked depth. The banter/snark made for a rough read, and because I didn't find it funny or entertaining, it seriously impacted my enjoyment of an otherwise intriguing plot.
September 8, 2022
Are there issues in this book! Yes. Did I care? No. WHY? I was too busy laughing my ass off!!😂😂😂 The banter and innuendo between characters is off the charts hilarious, imo! I didn't agree with any of the reviews that said it was blatant sexual harassment. If Chevy had a problem with it, he would've said something as a grown ass man should. If someone makes me uncomfortable... I tell them so... See how adulting works!? I thought it was hilarious. The anti-villain's story brought some tears to my eyes. It made the story really difficult at times because I felt so badly for the villain.
April 19, 2023
This story has a fascinating and unique plot, and the detail of that plot is like nothing I’ve ever read before. Police detectives Chevy and Seneca live in a time when some people have unique mental gifts. Chevy is able to help solve crimes, searching for clues by rifling through a criminal’s mind as if it’s pages of memories in a filing cabinet. Seneca’s gift is that he can mimic another’s "gift"; in this case, it allows him to join Chevy on his mind trips. Entering the mind of a serial killer is as creepy and unpredictable as it sounds. Entering this psychopath’s mind was like navigating a twisted and depraved carnival house of horrors. Of course, working in "each other's skins" and already sharing a thus far unspoken attraction...produces something that they both think is unprofessional. However, Alice Winters gives insight into a relationship low on angst and often high on humor. Chevy and Seneca were first coworkers as well as friends before they become lovers. It takes a bit for Chevy to convince himself to move beyond the "friends" status. The story does have its share of humor...like when Seneca stubbornly insists on carrying four suitcases by himself across a hotel lobby...Chevy: "“How can I be attracted to this embarrassment, and why does he look so hot when he should look like an idiot? Who could possibly look sexy doing this besides Seneca?” Oh yes...who indeed? The book is well-written, as Alice Winters’ books always are, with an interesting cast of characters. The trip into the serial killer’s mind, and how he "built" this strange world is fascinating and intriguing, though you can't spend much time there without feeling the need for a long hot shower. It is so easy to form pictures of the dark journey Chevy and Seneca take. Thank you, Ms. Winters, for another terrific reading experience.
May 31, 2020
I’m a huge fan of this author but...
I’ve held off reading this. The reviews are mixed and I was worried it would be too dark for me. I finally decided to just put on my big girl pants and dive in.
It started well and I was kicking myself for not starting sooner. I liked both Chevy and Seneca. I found the idea of their gifts intriguing.
Why had I waited so long?
And then I found out exactly why.
The mind of a serial killer is not the place I wanted to be. It was creepy and disturbing. I considered quitting but by this point I needed to find out what happened.
This is a read through your fingers book or at least it was for me. And while it’s easy with TV it’s a lot harder with a kindle. I can tell you.
I’m taking a break and then tackling the next book. Despite the ominous title of Lost in the Mind.
I love her crazy characters. And I love the sarky banter between them but...it seemed a little OTT here at times.
I’ve held off reading this. The reviews are mixed and I was worried it would be too dark for me. I finally decided to just put on my big girl pants and dive in.
It started well and I was kicking myself for not starting sooner. I liked both Chevy and Seneca. I found the idea of their gifts intriguing.
Why had I waited so long?
And then I found out exactly why.
The mind of a serial killer is not the place I wanted to be. It was creepy and disturbing. I considered quitting but by this point I needed to find out what happened.
This is a read through your fingers book or at least it was for me. And while it’s easy with TV it’s a lot harder with a kindle. I can tell you.
I’m taking a break and then tackling the next book. Despite the ominous title of Lost in the Mind.
I love her crazy characters. And I love the sarky banter between them but...it seemed a little OTT here at times.
March 31, 2020
Alice Winters is one of my MUST READ authors. It doesn't matter what she is writing you just know it's going to be superb. Within the Mind was just another one of her stories that had me by page one. The story of Chevy and Seneca is a little different from a typical romantic story. The setting is in an alternate universe where people can have special gifts. And these two do. They use their special gifts to help people. Whether it's to find out who hurt them, who stole from them, etc. There goal is to see what the average person does not see. Throw in a serial killer with a strange mind, and now Seneca and Chevy have a whole different playing field. They have to partner up together like they never have before. I love a good mystery but to add in the Alice Winters humor into the mix and you have yourself a wonderful page turner. A definite recommend to anyone who wants to giggle as they figure out the mystery!! Here's also hoping we see more of these two!
February 2, 2019
Four things prevented me from fully enjoying this suspenseful ride. 1° The story is written in first person, indicative present, with Chevy as the sole mouthpiece; this means that we are stuck with the least interesting by far of the two leads (the kind of character who feels the need to inform the reader of countless inept details, e.g. of his mother that "her eyes are brown, similar to mine. She wears glasses, so it's hard to see their exact color until she takes the thick lenses off"), never to get any straight, unbiassed inkling into Seneca's psyche, while having to suffer through several hundred pages of unsubtle narrative, for though present tense is notorious for many literary side-effects of dubious pedigree none proves more damaging than its capability to flatten the pacing into a dry kernel of actions devoid of any temporal subtility (this watering down is best seen in small details, such as the following bit of internal discourse: "he grins at me like he's proud that I understand how brainwashed he wants me to be"). 2° The universe building, insofar as the paranormal aspects extend, has been reduced to less than the bare bones; all the reader gets are scattered tidbits of utter dryness, e.g. "it has been only in the past hundred years or so that people with gifts have been treated equally. Before that, they were seen as witches or demons and burned at the stake". Nor is this a procedural - whatever cop routine appears within these covers amounts to bland parlance of no great originality and precision. 3° While the quest for the villain has been cleverly done, with a good building up of the suspense and dramatic tension and a strong final reveal, Mrs Winters allowed it to overwhelm the romantic element by an excessive margin; to be more accurate, between the snark contest that supposedly doubles as Chevy and Seneca's expression of their slowly evolving feelings - I was actually unable to perceive any marked change in the two through their patterns of behavior and verbal volleys - and the tense chase to prevent further murders, the lads' chemistry is never concretely borne out. A slow burn that forgets to pave the way for the eventual pairing up of the protagonists, talk about a romantic read! Last but not least, 4° I have very mixed feelings about the writing notwithstanding its unfortunate choice of tense; for the style is lax, unrefined, short of breath, rather cliché (Mrs Winters loves to pile up ready-made expressions outside of the dialogue, where such parlance may safely be brushed off as the stuff of everyday life, until she obtains whole strings of wooden platitudes), and mostly repetitive. Let two small-scale samples suffice to demonstrate these different points:
"“One of my students is anxious because she has to be tested,” she explains.
Tested. I haven't been tested in years. The first time I was tested for a gift was when I was five. Gifts used to be more common. They are the mental ability that some of us have that allows us to do something beyond what is considered normal. Almost all humans have the probability of a gift, but most never develop into anything. My gift allows me to go into the minds of others. Not to listen to their thoughts or know what they're thinking but to invade their memories. I can flip through a person's memories with ease as long as I know what I’m looking for."
"I open my mouth to speak, assuming she's talking to me, when Seneca takes over as Seneca is known to do. He joined us around two years ago and is one of those guys who knew from high school that he could charm anyone into doing anything for him. It's almost like he thinks he's God's gift to mankind. He swings either way, which he doesn't mind sharing, just in case there is a possibility of getting them to fall in love with his charming personality. He is almost as tall as I am, with a body he easily seems to keep in shape by doing nothing. He wears clothes that probably cost more than my entire wardrobe."
Worse yet, nobody in the entire book ever receives a formal description. How on God's green earth is one supposed to picture the cast in one's mind when the author did not see fit to introduce them visually? Nor are the various places the action takes the leads through sketched up with anything that could conceived as precision. The whole story thus happens inside a sort of fuzzy, or rather: vague and nondescript, bubble that does little to endear the reader to the already unduly dessicated narrative, cortesy of the present tense. On the whole, my two stars are somewhat too generous.
"“One of my students is anxious because she has to be tested,” she explains.
Tested. I haven't been tested in years. The first time I was tested for a gift was when I was five. Gifts used to be more common. They are the mental ability that some of us have that allows us to do something beyond what is considered normal. Almost all humans have the probability of a gift, but most never develop into anything. My gift allows me to go into the minds of others. Not to listen to their thoughts or know what they're thinking but to invade their memories. I can flip through a person's memories with ease as long as I know what I’m looking for."
"I open my mouth to speak, assuming she's talking to me, when Seneca takes over as Seneca is known to do. He joined us around two years ago and is one of those guys who knew from high school that he could charm anyone into doing anything for him. It's almost like he thinks he's God's gift to mankind. He swings either way, which he doesn't mind sharing, just in case there is a possibility of getting them to fall in love with his charming personality. He is almost as tall as I am, with a body he easily seems to keep in shape by doing nothing. He wears clothes that probably cost more than my entire wardrobe."
Worse yet, nobody in the entire book ever receives a formal description. How on God's green earth is one supposed to picture the cast in one's mind when the author did not see fit to introduce them visually? Nor are the various places the action takes the leads through sketched up with anything that could conceived as precision. The whole story thus happens inside a sort of fuzzy, or rather: vague and nondescript, bubble that does little to endear the reader to the already unduly dessicated narrative, cortesy of the present tense. On the whole, my two stars are somewhat too generous.
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February 13, 2019A Joyfully Jay review.
4.25 stars
Wow, this story totally had me captivated and is one that I can’t stop thinking about, even now that it is over. Within the Mind is sort of a hard book to classify, as it is a thriller, a mystery, a little bit of horror, a shot of romance, and a dose of humor, all rolled into one. First, I’ll say that Alice Winters has created a thrill ride here and this story was hard to put down. It is difficult to explain too much without giving away just what happens to Chevy and Seneca or what is going on in the mind of the killer, so I am going to be a little vague here. But as they delve into his memories, they find that the killer has the upper hand and the men are thrown into his deranged mind in ways that leave them terrified and confused. It is hard to tell what is real, what is a memory, and what is fabrication, and that sense of unreality makes the case even harder to solve. Throw in a serial killer who seems to be able to manipulate people at will, and it is a dangerous struggle to figure out his motive and how to stop him. It is at times creepy and horrifying, and, as we are in Chevy’s POV, we really get to experience all the fear and uncertainty right along with him. Winters really has put together a brilliant thriller here and it is twisty and complex, without being too hard to follow. The story comes together so well and all the pieces fall into place perfectly.
Read Jay’s review in its entirety here.
4.25 stars
Wow, this story totally had me captivated and is one that I can’t stop thinking about, even now that it is over. Within the Mind is sort of a hard book to classify, as it is a thriller, a mystery, a little bit of horror, a shot of romance, and a dose of humor, all rolled into one. First, I’ll say that Alice Winters has created a thrill ride here and this story was hard to put down. It is difficult to explain too much without giving away just what happens to Chevy and Seneca or what is going on in the mind of the killer, so I am going to be a little vague here. But as they delve into his memories, they find that the killer has the upper hand and the men are thrown into his deranged mind in ways that leave them terrified and confused. It is hard to tell what is real, what is a memory, and what is fabrication, and that sense of unreality makes the case even harder to solve. Throw in a serial killer who seems to be able to manipulate people at will, and it is a dangerous struggle to figure out his motive and how to stop him. It is at times creepy and horrifying, and, as we are in Chevy’s POV, we really get to experience all the fear and uncertainty right along with him. Winters really has put together a brilliant thriller here and it is twisty and complex, without being too hard to follow. The story comes together so well and all the pieces fall into place perfectly.
Read Jay’s review in its entirety here.
February 21, 2019
This book had potential but it tried to be too cute with the MCs' banter which was juvenile and screamed of sexual harassment. The murder mystery was decent but again ruined by the MCs.
I wanted to like this. I really did.
I wanted to like this. I really did.
November 10, 2021
2.5 stars. Would make an interesting movie but the writing was like a (very) young adult book and the banter got on my nerves.
July 9, 2019
This book made me utterly happy!
Seneca and Chevy have unique gifts that help the police solve cases from the victim’s POV: Chevy can get inside someone’s mind by touch alone, and Seneca can mimic gifts from other people just the same. Only this time, the police wants them to go inside the mind of a killer.
As the case lies in their hands, they’ll have try to stop all these murders because, even though they know who is responsible, people are still getting killed. Apparently, the killer also has a gift that can manipulate other people’s will without even touching them.
Now, I rounded this to a 4/5 because I loved Chevy and Seneca’s interaction: their chemistry and banter made me laugh out loud like an idiot. I know some people mistake it as harassment, since they’re co-workers/partners, but I don’t think Seneca would ever do something to Chevy –he was just all talk, and actually, he was really insecure around him.
All jokes aside, we find out why despite working together for two years, none of them made the first move until they were in kind of a life-threating situation. And when they're finally together, we see them being sweet and teasing to each other, which is something I always live for!
In addition, the mystery is quite intriguing and some parts of the book were really dark –I was surprised that the author could write such explicit killings, since the book I previously read from her The Last Text was one of my favorite M/M novellas, and it was sweet to the core.
Now I can really say I’m in love with Alice Winter’s writing because her characters always make me have a great time when I’m sleep deprived. Her stories make me laugh and cry and I feel like I’ve known these guys forever.
I bookmarked a lot of moments and I even showed them to a couple of friends ‘cause they remind me a little bit of a couple I adore (Spideypool!). Though, I strongly believe they need to develop on their relationship a little, since in reality it’s not always that “married couple” state of mind. We need struggle in order to grow up, so I’d love to see them in difficult situations that will prove their love is true and worth fighting for.
Either way, I would totally recommend to read this book and I’ll be reading the next one ASAP!
Seneca and Chevy have unique gifts that help the police solve cases from the victim’s POV: Chevy can get inside someone’s mind by touch alone, and Seneca can mimic gifts from other people just the same. Only this time, the police wants them to go inside the mind of a killer.
As the case lies in their hands, they’ll have try to stop all these murders because, even though they know who is responsible, people are still getting killed. Apparently, the killer also has a gift that can manipulate other people’s will without even touching them.
Now, I rounded this to a 4/5 because I loved Chevy and Seneca’s interaction: their chemistry and banter made me laugh out loud like an idiot. I know some people mistake it as harassment, since they’re co-workers/partners, but I don’t think Seneca would ever do something to Chevy –he was just all talk, and actually, he was really insecure around him.
All jokes aside, we find out why despite working together for two years, none of them made the first move until they were in kind of a life-threating situation. And when they're finally together, we see them being sweet and teasing to each other, which is something I always live for!
In addition, the mystery is quite intriguing and some parts of the book were really dark –I was surprised that the author could write such explicit killings, since the book I previously read from her The Last Text was one of my favorite M/M novellas, and it was sweet to the core.
Now I can really say I’m in love with Alice Winter’s writing because her characters always make me have a great time when I’m sleep deprived. Her stories make me laugh and cry and I feel like I’ve known these guys forever.
I bookmarked a lot of moments and I even showed them to a couple of friends ‘cause they remind me a little bit of a couple I adore (Spideypool!). Though, I strongly believe they need to develop on their relationship a little, since in reality it’s not always that “married couple” state of mind. We need struggle in order to grow up, so I’d love to see them in difficult situations that will prove their love is true and worth fighting for.
Either way, I would totally recommend to read this book and I’ll be reading the next one ASAP!
March 23, 2019
So much promise and such great elements and yet, this book was not a total winner for me.
It seems that for every 'like' there is something that balances it out.
.) The scenario:
Going into victims' memories to find evidence of what happened to them is a pretty intriguing idea. BUT: surely if you jump into somebody's mind, you'll see things from their POV, not from a strange 'outside' angle?
I also wanted to know a lot more about this alternative universe. It is all kept very simple.
.) The banter:
I would say about 90 percent of Chevy and Seneca's interactions are banter, and most of it with a sexual innuendo. Chevy calls it 'sexual harassment', but it is clear from the beginning that this is the way he and Seneca communicate and that both guys thrive on it.
I think the author labels the books as a comedy which explains all of that, BUT as much I love banter, I sometimes found it a bit on the rough side and simply too much. Chevy and Seneca have hardly any serious conversations.
Tbh, there were two jokes, that made me cringe. One is very close to being ageist and the other one racist. But maybe I'm too sensitive here?
.) The case:
To my own astonishment (I was definitely not made for horror) I loved the creepiness of the 'in the mind' scenes. That is really fab writing! BUT: Some things are left unexplained at the end.
.) The relationship between the MCs:
Chevy and Seneca are very playful with each other, and from Chevy (as the story is told from his POV) we know that there are real feelings behind that playfulness. The attraction between them is clear and there is some good UST floating around, which is always enjoyable.
BUT I could see no discernible relationship development. I was totally surprised when these guys declare that they are dating now.
And then I was a bit taken aback by Chevy stating on a couple of occasions that he 'is not ready' for going all the way in the bedroom. We never find out why he is not ready or what is keeping him.
So a clear case of a 50/50 and three stars.
It seems that for every 'like' there is something that balances it out.
.) The scenario:
Going into victims' memories to find evidence of what happened to them is a pretty intriguing idea. BUT: surely if you jump into somebody's mind, you'll see things from their POV, not from a strange 'outside' angle?
I also wanted to know a lot more about this alternative universe. It is all kept very simple.
.) The banter:
I would say about 90 percent of Chevy and Seneca's interactions are banter, and most of it with a sexual innuendo. Chevy calls it 'sexual harassment', but it is clear from the beginning that this is the way he and Seneca communicate and that both guys thrive on it.
I think the author labels the books as a comedy which explains all of that, BUT as much I love banter, I sometimes found it a bit on the rough side and simply too much. Chevy and Seneca have hardly any serious conversations.
Tbh, there were two jokes, that made me cringe. One is very close to being ageist and the other one racist. But maybe I'm too sensitive here?
.) The case:
To my own astonishment (I was definitely not made for horror) I loved the creepiness of the 'in the mind' scenes. That is really fab writing! BUT: Some things are left unexplained at the end.
.) The relationship between the MCs:
Chevy and Seneca are very playful with each other, and from Chevy (as the story is told from his POV) we know that there are real feelings behind that playfulness. The attraction between them is clear and there is some good UST floating around, which is always enjoyable.
BUT I could see no discernible relationship development. I was totally surprised when these guys declare that they are dating now.
And then I was a bit taken aback by Chevy stating on a couple of occasions that he 'is not ready' for going all the way in the bedroom. We never find out why he is not ready or what is keeping him.
So a clear case of a 50/50 and three stars.
January 2, 2020
OMG I loved this book & hope that this will turn into a series. I would love to watch these two do more investigations. This is a new to me author & I can't wait to read more by her. I have read a lot of books that can be considered paranormal but I have never read one that deals with entering minds to view their memories. Chevy has the gift and Seneca, who I absolutely adored, is his partner. To a certain extent, Seneca can mimic others gifts. Seneca goes in the minds with Chevy as his back up to help get him out should something happen as well as being a back up to what Chevy sees. Two reports are always better than one. They are called in to go into the mind of a serial killer to see if there are victims left alive after he is captured. And when they enter his mind, they are dropped down a deep rabbit hole not knowing what is real and what isn't. You see Page has a gift that hasn't been seen before, he can manipulate others minds. This kept me on the edge of my seat worried that they may never get out. I have to say that when all was said and done, I felt so sorry for Page, the serial killer, and what he went through. This was a great investigation and I never figured out, not even close, why Page did what he did. Seneca cracked me up to no end with his wise cracks, sexual innuendos and flirtatious shenanigans. Chevy and Seneca made a great couple, once Chevy got out of his own way & accepted Seneca. I highly recommended this one!!
ARC provided by LesCourt Services in exchange for an honest review.
So glad this finally came out in audio. Still felt so sorry for Page!
ARC provided by LesCourt Services in exchange for an honest review.
So glad this finally came out in audio. Still felt so sorry for Page!
March 21, 2021
Whoa!!! This book completely messed with my mind! This was so interesting, intriguing, twisted, smart, and brilliant. Chevy and Seneca are cops with paranormal/psychic type gifts. Chevy can read important memories of someone, and Seneca can mimic the gifts of another. The two of them work together to solve crimes. When they are pulled to work on a serial killer, things go totally wonky. There were moments that my heart was racing for sure! The two guys had a lot of banter and were funny together. There was some definite sexual tension between them, but it worked out nicely. This book was great.
I am voluntarily reviewing an ARC provided by LesCourt Author Services
I am voluntarily reviewing an ARC provided by LesCourt Author Services
April 14, 2020
I really enjoy this author but I struggle with this book. Couldn’t get a flow of the storyline and felt off center the whole time. I didn’t really appreciate the connection between the MCs until 80% in. It was hard work but I’m hoping book 2 is easier to settle into 😊
August 9, 2020
Book Reaction: https://neverhollowed.com/2020/04/24/...
Rating: 4.5 Stars – perfection is only half a step away
Rating: 4.5 Stars – perfection is only half a step away
April 4, 2020
'Within The Mind' is a treat: intriguing mystery, friend-to-lover trope, over the top humor and romance to wrap it all up in a pretty bow.
There are mixed reviews about this story, and I myself was reluctant to read it... But after The Hitman's Guide series I knew I enjoyed Alice Winter's sense of humor and endless over the top humor. If you enjoyed that series, you'll love this!
Within The Mind is more cohesive than The Hitman's Guide. Winter's sticks to Chevy's first person point of view which makes the story flow smoothly. The story starts off with two detectives, Chevy and Seneca, both have gifts that compliment one another. The ability to enter mind's, sift through memories and solve crimes. They've worked together for two years and they're friends. Friends that endlessly flirt, tease, banter and cross so many workplace sexual harassment boundaries... if it wasn't mutual, you'd be worried.
Their 'ordinary life' goes to shambles when they're called in to help find two missing victims of a serial killer, Mason Page. The mystery in this story unfolds in bits and peaces. Unraveling Page's motivation, his drive, this is is done slowly and you find yourself just as lost and intrigued as the MC's. It's stimulating, engrossing and a total mind f***.
Their relationship unfolds right alongside. Seneca's easy banter and flirtatious nature is as true as it is a facade. One that Chevy's sees through. Hints of Seneca's vulnerability is what begins to pull you in and balance out the endless over the top banter. Chevy gives it back to him just as hard, and though he has feelings for Seneca he refuses to be another notch on his belt. The pull they have towards each other, though masked in humor, is felt through the first half of the story. Chevy fights so hard to keep himself safe for giving in to Seneca's relentlessness.
But I can't... I just can't be another one-night stand for him. I want to be something more, and if I can't be something more, than I want nothing there
What I love about this is that Chevy doesn't just roll over and give in, he makes Seneca earn it. That gives their relationship growth so much more texture and balance.
Now I'll leave you with some fun stuff:
hand licking because duh it's sexy
hand cuddling... it's a thing ok
Singing Madonna during sexy scenes? Because people do that... and it's hot
An adorable pitbull that is literally Seneca's twin
Followed by so many more moments. This story was entertaining and original. I am off to the next book in the series... ciao
There are mixed reviews about this story, and I myself was reluctant to read it... But after The Hitman's Guide series I knew I enjoyed Alice Winter's sense of humor and endless over the top humor. If you enjoyed that series, you'll love this!
Within The Mind is more cohesive than The Hitman's Guide. Winter's sticks to Chevy's first person point of view which makes the story flow smoothly. The story starts off with two detectives, Chevy and Seneca, both have gifts that compliment one another. The ability to enter mind's, sift through memories and solve crimes. They've worked together for two years and they're friends. Friends that endlessly flirt, tease, banter and cross so many workplace sexual harassment boundaries... if it wasn't mutual, you'd be worried.
Their 'ordinary life' goes to shambles when they're called in to help find two missing victims of a serial killer, Mason Page. The mystery in this story unfolds in bits and peaces. Unraveling Page's motivation, his drive, this is is done slowly and you find yourself just as lost and intrigued as the MC's. It's stimulating, engrossing and a total mind f***.
Their relationship unfolds right alongside. Seneca's easy banter and flirtatious nature is as true as it is a facade. One that Chevy's sees through. Hints of Seneca's vulnerability is what begins to pull you in and balance out the endless over the top banter. Chevy gives it back to him just as hard, and though he has feelings for Seneca he refuses to be another notch on his belt. The pull they have towards each other, though masked in humor, is felt through the first half of the story. Chevy fights so hard to keep himself safe for giving in to Seneca's relentlessness.
But I can't... I just can't be another one-night stand for him. I want to be something more, and if I can't be something more, than I want nothing there
What I love about this is that Chevy doesn't just roll over and give in, he makes Seneca earn it. That gives their relationship growth so much more texture and balance.
Now I'll leave you with some fun stuff:
hand licking because duh it's sexy
hand cuddling... it's a thing ok
Singing Madonna during sexy scenes? Because people do that... and it's hot
An adorable pitbull that is literally Seneca's twin
Followed by so many more moments. This story was entertaining and original. I am off to the next book in the series... ciao
May 6, 2021
Sometimes, snarky banter can become too much of a good thing. And it proved so as it really really distracted my attention and detracted from my enjoyment of what could have been a thrilling paranormal psycho-murder plot. Seneca's character may have been used to lighten up the relentless down-the-rabbit-hole dramatics our MCs seem to have been inadvertently dragged into; but by book's end - both MCs were beginning to annoy me with their seemingly flippant disregard of a murderous killer with a tragically distressing backstory. A who-dunnit with an interesting premise that got derailed - 2.5 star generously rounded up to 3 stars.
March 3, 2020
Audiobook review4,5 stars
Alice Winters takes to a world where some people have gifts. Chevy and Seneca are two of them. Chevy is able to go into the minds of others and witness their strongest memory, happy and horrible ones. Seneca is able to mimic the talents of the last person he touched. The two work together with law-enforcement to seek justice for victims and put the criminals behind lock and key. That is until another agency seeks their help rescuing the victims of a serial killer. A serial killer with talents of his own that will turn both Chevy and Seneca inside and out.
Within the Mind was different – in a good way. I think. It was a book that kept you on your toes, I know it kept me on mine. Constantly trying to figure out what was real, what was a game – were they still trapped inside someone’s mind, playing games with them? I mean how could they know they were out? It was a mind warp for sure, and I had a blast. At least I think I do, maybe I was tricked in thinking so… Either way, it was a fun trip.
I quite enjoyed this world, it will mess with your head just a bit. I kind of wished it was more explored and explained though, as there are things that are still unclear. I’m not looking for some huge information dump, but it would be nice to know who they worked for. How did the world react to people with talents?, What other talents existed? Why and by who was Chevy watched when growing up? There were small stuff and bigger stuff that I wanted to know more about. In the end though, I still very much enjoyed the listen.
I really liked Seneca and Chevy together. I loved the banter between them. Though, be prepared that it’s non-stop and at times really OTT. I also love the fact that when we met them they already had a history together, they knew each other. They weren’t new and their feelings weren’t new, but their subsequent developing relationship was. We were there for the changes, the progression, those tentative first steps. And I loved it.
Joel Leslie really delivered on this book. Especially the banter was on point. I saw Chevy and Seneca bantering before me, exchanging one barb after the other. He captured each character just right, brought them to life and made the listener connect with them. And it wasn’t only the main characters, but the secondary ones as well. He made you feel like you knew them and wanted to spend more time with them. Then there was this creepy feeling this book gave that he also made you feel, whenever Chevy and Seneca were trapped inside the mind or being chased by the man with many faces – and his creepy voice! Spot on.
There was one part that I find particularly telling in regards to Leslie’s talent, (minor spoilers to this particular event ahead). It was when Chevy spent time with his sister. It was the usual deal, the hellos, catching up and spending time together. At a particular point, I was so anxious to know more, what happened next, and I found myself back in that car and the hellos, repeating it all over again. I’m not going to lie to you. I was a smidgeon irritated. I mean here was this huge chunk of plot being repeated again. It wasn’t a minor slip with a word or a sentence. It was minutes! I also questioned the editor’s talent.
Then I had to eat some crow, mentally adding my apologies to both Leslie and editor I’d just cursed out. Because it wasn’t a repeating chunk of text, it was a repeating memory for Chevy. And the fact that Leslie narrated them so consistently, possibly identically is really telling about what kind of talent he has. He nails it time and again, and I can't wait to learn more.
A copy of this book was generously provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review
April 1, 2020
I've given this an A for narration and a C for content at AudioGals (and the C is probably a bit generous - the plot is really good but the juvenile humour and undeveloped relationship completely tank the book.
Alice Winters is a new-to-me author, but I’m a fan of paranormal romantic suspense stories and the synopsis of Within the Mind caught my eye. Seeing Joel Leslie listed as the narrator sealed the deal and I decided to give her work a try.
Chevy Wright and his partner Seneca Bates (Seneca? Really?) are both psychics within a special department of the Westlands PD. (Which is where? It’s never made clear.) Chevy has the ability to access people’s memories and Seneca is a mimic, able to replicate and use the gift of the last person he touched. Together, they work with victims of crime to retrieve memories of whatever happened to them in order to help the police to bring the perpetrators to justice.
So they’re surprised when they’re approached by a couple of homicide detectives and asked to enter the mind of a man – Mason Page, a well-known artist – believed to be responsible for several murders to see if they can find out where he’s holding his two most recent victims… assuming they’re still alive. This will be like nothing they’ve done before, and turns out to be a lot more dangerous than either of them had expected as they are thrown into a horribly deranged mind that leaves them scared, confused and struggling to tell the difference between reality, memory and fabrication.
You can read the rest of this review at AudioGals.
Alice Winters is a new-to-me author, but I’m a fan of paranormal romantic suspense stories and the synopsis of Within the Mind caught my eye. Seeing Joel Leslie listed as the narrator sealed the deal and I decided to give her work a try.
Chevy Wright and his partner Seneca Bates (Seneca? Really?) are both psychics within a special department of the Westlands PD. (Which is where? It’s never made clear.) Chevy has the ability to access people’s memories and Seneca is a mimic, able to replicate and use the gift of the last person he touched. Together, they work with victims of crime to retrieve memories of whatever happened to them in order to help the police to bring the perpetrators to justice.
So they’re surprised when they’re approached by a couple of homicide detectives and asked to enter the mind of a man – Mason Page, a well-known artist – believed to be responsible for several murders to see if they can find out where he’s holding his two most recent victims… assuming they’re still alive. This will be like nothing they’ve done before, and turns out to be a lot more dangerous than either of them had expected as they are thrown into a horribly deranged mind that leaves them scared, confused and struggling to tell the difference between reality, memory and fabrication.
You can read the rest of this review at AudioGals.
January 29, 2019
🌟🌟🌟🌟 4.5 stars
🔥🔥🔥 Heat Level: 3 (slow-burn)
A thrilling read with the perfect balance of suspense and steam with an injection of Alice’s unique humour, this book is a sure-fire winner!!!
Again Alice keeps you on the edge of your seat!!
Everything Alice writes intrigues me and draws me in and this book is no exception! This book is set in a supernatural style contemporary world where there are people with unique gifts. This story follows gifted detectives Chevy and Seneca. Chevy is a ‘stick in the mud’ anti-social, introvert with the gift to go into peoples memories. His partner is overly friendly, flirty and hot, Seneca who has a smile and kind words for everyone. Seneca can mimic peoples gifts, so he can mimic Chevy’s gift and travel into peoples memories with Chevy to solve crimes and help victims. When they are faced with a psychopathic serial killer/talented artist, Chevy and Seneca are thrust into a dark game of cat and mouse where nothing is as it seems, and monsters in these memories are real and feed on their fears. This book kept me guessing and on the edge of my seat until the very end. A thrilling race and an altered perception kept me guessing.
As always Alice’s writing is thrilling, humorous and easy to read, a serious page turner! The romantic elements of this book are very much second to the race to catch the serial killer and is a very slow-burn, frienemies to love type situation. I felt there was more to Seneca than we were shown and the couple, sort of fell into instant love once they agreed to start dating, which was a bit weird. I loved Seneca’s lack of tact, flirting and how he is always pushing Chevy’s buttons. They are a simple case of opposites attract and I sincerely hope we will see more of Chevy and Seneca!!
A highly recommended author and story!! Loved it!
Thanks for reading! For great stories, reviews and more please visit https://bookstattoosandtea.wordpress.com 📚
🔥🔥🔥 Heat Level: 3 (slow-burn)
A thrilling read with the perfect balance of suspense and steam with an injection of Alice’s unique humour, this book is a sure-fire winner!!!
Again Alice keeps you on the edge of your seat!!
Everything Alice writes intrigues me and draws me in and this book is no exception! This book is set in a supernatural style contemporary world where there are people with unique gifts. This story follows gifted detectives Chevy and Seneca. Chevy is a ‘stick in the mud’ anti-social, introvert with the gift to go into peoples memories. His partner is overly friendly, flirty and hot, Seneca who has a smile and kind words for everyone. Seneca can mimic peoples gifts, so he can mimic Chevy’s gift and travel into peoples memories with Chevy to solve crimes and help victims. When they are faced with a psychopathic serial killer/talented artist, Chevy and Seneca are thrust into a dark game of cat and mouse where nothing is as it seems, and monsters in these memories are real and feed on their fears. This book kept me guessing and on the edge of my seat until the very end. A thrilling race and an altered perception kept me guessing.
As always Alice’s writing is thrilling, humorous and easy to read, a serious page turner! The romantic elements of this book are very much second to the race to catch the serial killer and is a very slow-burn, frienemies to love type situation. I felt there was more to Seneca than we were shown and the couple, sort of fell into instant love once they agreed to start dating, which was a bit weird. I loved Seneca’s lack of tact, flirting and how he is always pushing Chevy’s buttons. They are a simple case of opposites attract and I sincerely hope we will see more of Chevy and Seneca!!
A highly recommended author and story!! Loved it!
Thanks for reading! For great stories, reviews and more please visit https://bookstattoosandtea.wordpress.com 📚
June 12, 2019
Review soon
March 6, 2019
I’d give this a 3.5 outta 5 stars. This book has a lot of issues, but even so, I actually enjoyed it a lot. I genuinely had a fun ass time reading this. The relationship & banter between the 2 main characters is the highlight of the book. It made me excited to read just so I can find out what funny thing they did or said next. As the kids say, that was some funny shit. I’ve read other books by this author & I think she’s really good at writing relationships where the chemistry is off the charts & just really fucking cute. Also, the action in this book was pretty great too. I found myself thrilled a few times & unable to put the book down other than when I begrudgingly had to go to bitchass work. So my issues with this book: character descriptions, diversity, & character development. The character descriptions were severely lacking. Several characters had some descriptions given, but others had little to none. So as far as diversity goes, there could’ve been more of it in this, for all I know, but because of there being little to no descriptions, I couldn’t tell. The plot line developed pretty nicely but the character development was meh. Even though I LOVED the relationship between the main characters, I wanted more depth. I wanted them to have ups & downs, arguments, etc. Not a “fairytale always happy” relationship. there are a few vulnerable moments but they don’t last long & then it’s back to the happily ever after relationship. Speaking of character development, this would’ve easily been a 4 star book for me if it weren’t for the ending epilogue. I despise insta-love stories. This book isn’t that until like the last 3 pages. The characters have been dating for several weeks & are already on “I love you” & moving into together. I can’t be the only person that finds that shit strange. That high key made me give them the side eye. Regardless, I do wanna follow up on this story so I’m hoping the author decides to continue the series
February 2, 2019
Seneca is a headache, a beautiful headache, with a smile that Chevy just doesn’t know how to handle. They are partners, Chevy can go into peoples minds and see memories. Seneca is his anchor. When they are asked to enter the mind of a serial killer, reality as they know it is imploded. The mind that they delve into convolutes reality. Leaving them searching for answers to questions they can’t even understand. Putting their lives on the line, time after time.
This was a mind bending book. The characters were rich and memorable. At times laugh out loud funny, then truly horrific. Their love story flows in and out of the story. Seneca is well versed in avoiding feelings for people. Using his considerable charm to his advantage. I enjoyed watching him realize how much he loved Chevy. There is a kernel of truth in every offhand, flirty, snarky remark he makes. Chevy on the other hand is afraid to fall for the charismatic man, knowing it won’t ever mean anything. But...Chevy’s dog does like Seneca and dogs do know good people from bad people, and Chevy’s mom already thinks they should get married. Both men are already falling down the rabbit hole so why not add love into the mix. A truly enjoyable book (if you don’t mind the serial killer aspect).
I received an arc of this book.
This was a mind bending book. The characters were rich and memorable. At times laugh out loud funny, then truly horrific. Their love story flows in and out of the story. Seneca is well versed in avoiding feelings for people. Using his considerable charm to his advantage. I enjoyed watching him realize how much he loved Chevy. There is a kernel of truth in every offhand, flirty, snarky remark he makes. Chevy on the other hand is afraid to fall for the charismatic man, knowing it won’t ever mean anything. But...Chevy’s dog does like Seneca and dogs do know good people from bad people, and Chevy’s mom already thinks they should get married. Both men are already falling down the rabbit hole so why not add love into the mix. A truly enjoyable book (if you don’t mind the serial killer aspect).
I received an arc of this book.
January 21, 2019
While I was expecting the usual M/M story...this one takes us to whole new places...within the mind. It is paranormal (ish) with the documenting of "gifts" but I, for one, believe there are some among us that have these gifts. Alice Winters takes us on a journey of not only a maniacal mind, but of two men who both for reasons of their own, live without love in their lives. Ms Winters has the ability to take a super serious, suspenseful, sometimes completely mind-bending, story and mixing it with enough snark and funny dialogue that I found myself snorting out loud at times when I knew things should be at their most serious. While not super sexy and super romantic, it had plenty of connection, both of the mind, but of the souls of Chevy and Seneca. I loved every mind bending moment of this story.
January 10, 2021
I really don't know how to rate this book.
Despite being chaotic , messy and kind of weird I kept going through it because I needded to know what the hell was going on.
I found the idea of going into crime victims' memories to find out what happened to them very engaging , even the idea of slide into a serial killer's mind was a major hook, BUT the juvenil humour and the lame banter between the characters screwed up the story. I didn't know if I was reading a thriller or a bad YA romcom.
All things considered I enjoyed the story in general but can't say I'd recommend it
Despite being chaotic , messy and kind of weird I kept going through it because I needded to know what the hell was going on.
I found the idea of going into crime victims' memories to find out what happened to them very engaging , even the idea of slide into a serial killer's mind was a major hook, BUT the juvenil humour and the lame banter between the characters screwed up the story. I didn't know if I was reading a thriller or a bad YA romcom.
All things considered I enjoyed the story in general but can't say I'd recommend it
March 9, 2021
Winters did a really great job with the case and when inside Mason's mind; even had some creepy bits which I especially enjoyed.
However, I did not like the banter. At all. It also changed with the flip of a switch once they got together whereas before it was only Seneca. I get that Chevy was interested in Seneca for a long time but was just too quick of a change.
A lot of the characters' personalities felt the same.
I would be very interested in more cases by this author, however I feel like the banter/personalities are going to be similar (if not the same) so I'm going to have to pass.
Also sexual harassment is still not funny.
However, I did not like the banter. At all. It also changed with the flip of a switch once they got together whereas before it was only Seneca. I get that Chevy was interested in Seneca for a long time but was just too quick of a change.
A lot of the characters' personalities felt the same.
I would be very interested in more cases by this author, however I feel like the banter/personalities are going to be similar (if not the same) so I'm going to have to pass.
Also sexual harassment is still not funny.
March 10, 2021
3.5-4 stars
I liked this a lot more than I thought I would. The whole getting in to a serial killers memory and not knowing whats real or not was fascinating as well as terrifying.
To me there was just the perfect amount of banter and serious since this was more of darker/scarier book from Alice Winters.
I can't wait to see what happens with Seneca and Chevy next.
Overall I would recommend this, and the audiobook, Joel Lesile did a good job with both Chevy and Seneca, as well as the creepy voices.
I liked this a lot more than I thought I would. The whole getting in to a serial killers memory and not knowing whats real or not was fascinating as well as terrifying.
To me there was just the perfect amount of banter and serious since this was more of darker/scarier book from Alice Winters.
I can't wait to see what happens with Seneca and Chevy next.
Overall I would recommend this, and the audiobook, Joel Lesile did a good job with both Chevy and Seneca, as well as the creepy voices.
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