Mind Games: A Novel

by Rebecca Ugale

Anthony Hayes is lost to his philandering ways, not easily persuaded to change, except by the subtle beacon of hope illuminating from the woman he truly loves - his ex-wife, Laura. In the midst of a baffling disappearance, his true mission is not to find the whereabouts of his girlfriend, Candace, but to win Laura's heart back. To his dismay, the scandalous rendezvous of his past return to torment him, and he is all but armed with the power to get what he wants. This mystery-romance novel, set in the small, but charming town of Payson, Arizona is befittingly titled, Mind Games - for Anthony's wounded lovers emerge with masterful timing and manipulation, intent on making him suffer.

267 pages, Kindle Edition

Published April 26, 2026

Reviews

[Stacie Mayland · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book had me hooked at the very beginning, opening with a scheme to hire a babysitter known for seducing older men in an attempt to catch a boyfriend in the act of cheating. It took me a little while to keep track of all the characters, as the story is told through multiple points of view, and I'm still not entirely sure who I was supposed to be rooting for.

The MMC, Anthony, is far from likable. He constantly cheats and jumps from one woman to the next. While he shows some character growth throughout the story, it remains to be seen in the second book whether he is truly capable of changing.

The FMC, Laura, works hard to move on from her feelings for Anthony, her ex-husband, but there is something about him that seems to make her, and every other woman in his life, overlook his many flaws. I found myself wishing she would stand up for herself more instead of allowing him to walk all over her.

For me, Candace, Anthony's current girlfriend and the mother of his child, had the most compelling storyline. After discovering Anthony's infidelity, she confides in Laura, only to disappear under suspicious circumstances.

Despite my frustrations with some of the characters, I was eager to piece together the mystery and uncover who was behind everything that was happening. Overall, it was a good read, and I'm interested in the second book to see where the chaos leads next.

[Cassidy Rich · Rating 5 out of 5]

An easy read exploring the path to forgiveness but add mind games

I won’t go into spoilers, but I really like how the author took a broken man and made his character growth really shine through. This is a dual POV matching the style of Gone Girl between an ex-husband and ex-wife. The spice is low-heat, so if you’re looking for Leigh Rivers—this isn’t for you. The author has a pronounced voice with punchy beats and pacing that keeps the pages turning. I really liked the early tension between the ex-couple, the honesty about how life actually is sometimes, and the unfiltered reality of many relationships within today’s era. And there’s kids! I never read about kids like this in books and it was refreshing. Overall, this is a great pallet cleanser and quick read that leaves you satisfied after all the twist and turns. Hoping to see more from this author!

[Heather Shower · Rating 4 out of 5]

UM… EXCUSE ME?! This book had me in a CHOKEHOLD from page one. 😂🔥
We’re starting with a babysitter scheme designed to catch a cheating boyfriend, and somehow things just keep getting messier from there. Multiple POVs had me occasionally sitting there like, “WAIT… WHO ARE YOU AGAIN?” but I was WAY too invested to stop.
Anthony? Sir. 🚩🚩🚩 The man collects women and bad decisions like they’re limited-edition collectibles. Laura had me screaming, “GIRL, STAND UP!” more than once.
But the drama? The obsession? The romance? The mystery? The spice? 👀 This book had EVERYTHING and kept me turning pages way past my bedtime.
Fast, messy, addictive, and just the right amount of unhinged. And that ending?!

[D.J. Aubuchon · Rating 4 out of 5]

I will admit that I was a bit confused at the beginning of this book, but the author quickly connected the dots into a compelling thriller that kept me on the edge of my seat. I woke up at 4am this morning to finish this story. I don’t want to give away any spoilers, but I will say this book not only kept my interest, but I didn’t want to put it down to go to work or for my other obligations.

If you like a good mystery with twists and turns, and guessing who was responsible, then this is the perfect book for you. Mild to medium spice, but tastefully it fit the story line. I can’t believe that this is the author’s 1st book, it was THAT good!

[Jennifer Wiehe · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was such a fun read! Rebecca does a wonderful job of keeping us on our toes throughout the entire story. It’s a compelling look at the messy, tangled webs people weave in their lives. While I found the protagonist, Laura, to be very relatable, I definitely caught myself shouting 'Come on!' at the pages a few times—but haven't we all been there with someone who just can't seem to let go of a toxic person? The plot is filled with enough twists and turns to make it impossible to put down. I’m already looking forward to the next book in the series! I would like to thank Rebecca Ugale for the free copy of this book, it was such an awesome read :)

[Jessica Verble · Rating 4 out of 5]

So im going to be honest here. I was confused for the first 5 or 6chapters, in 1 chapter the names were not correct so I would have to go back to see who we were talking about. There was a lot of word errors as well. Mind you the book overall once i got it figured out was good, it was very edge of your seat trying to figure out what was going on, who did it and what's next. I was hooked dipite everything haha. It was crazy, scary in ways and really a good suspense/thriller!!!

[C.D. Gerard · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book will keep you up at night!!

This entertaining fast read will keep you turning the pages. The well rounded characters are relatable in their kindnesses as well as in their flaws. The theme of obsessive love runs through the story right to the end, where real love then triumphs. Great story!!

[Cheryl echols · Rating 5 out of 5]

I couldn’t put it down!

To start off I didn’t know what to expect when I started reading this book, but I couldn’t put it down. I found myself Staying up late to turn another page! This book has the romance the mystery a little bit of spice and definitely thrilling and I can’t wait for book 2 of the series. I’m sharing this book with all my book pals.

[Jessica Maristela · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book, had me invested from the beginning. Love how the author makes the characters so relatable in different aspects of life. This was one book that I absolutely could not put down. Looking forward to more from this author in the future.

[Amy Delaney · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved how the author was able to keep me wanting more with the complexity of the characters. She was able to show you that even when things are complicated that there is also good in them.