Arrested Mind

by H.L. Nida

Somewhere along the way, I lost myself - my values, my goals, all the things my parents taught me. You’d think I never learned anything from them, especially when it comes to love and relationships. I tend to be insecure in relationships, which makes me horrible at choosing who I get into one with. I attract guys who only want to use me for a place to crash, for sex, or to borrow money. I’ve been allowing this type of guy into my life for way too long.

Of course, on my absolute worst day, I finally meet a real man. As I crush on him from afar, I’m nervous because he’s older, has a steady job, a fantastic smile, and my body responds when I look at his muscular physique. Could a man like him be interested in someone like me?

Minds aren’t easy to change, even when you know it’s necessary. Maybe this time, this man could change mine.

This is the second novel in the Arrested series.

251 pages, Kindle Edition

Published April 23, 2020

About the author

H.L. Nida is an avid reader and enjoys writing Fiction and Cookbooks.  

H.L. shares her life with her incredibly sexy and fun-loving husband.  She has a daughter whom she deeply adores.  Her home is filled with the smells of her cooking and baking as well as the pitter-patter of her four rescued animals.  She enjoys lazy mornings, hot green tea, cooking/baking, interior design projects, reading a book at the beach, or on her couch, and time between the sheets with her husband. 

Reviews

[Píaras Cíonnaoíth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hot sex, big hearts, crazy situations and forever friendships…perfect lockdown reading!

Arrested Mind by H.L. Nida is a wonderfully written and richly descriptive novel with brilliantly drawn characters and settings. The author weaves a well-crafted sweet and steamy contemporary romance with intriguing twists and turns that will captivate the reader from the first page to the last. The story had every element a good story should have. An exciting plot, attention to detail, but best of all fleshed out, well-written and well-rounded character development. There’s an abundance of well-illustrated scenes that make you feel you are right there in the story, and that’s something I look for in a superb book.

From the opening chapter, the reader is dramatically pulled in: “9-1-1, what’s your emergency?” “Um…Hi yes, I’m, my name is Molly Murphy.” I say, trying to remain calm while everything about what’s happening right now is freaking me the f*ck out. I tell myself to speak clearly as I say, “I’m driving down Lawyers Road heading south and I have been assaulted and the person who’s assaulted me is following me,” I spit out. “I am scared, and I need help. Now.”

I enjoyed the story, character development, and dialogue. There were plenty of plot twists that I didn’t see coming and that added to the book’s mystique. When I stopped reading to work, I found myself wondering what happened in the book, and replaying parts of the novel in my head to see if I could figure more out. It has been a while since I enjoyed a book this much. It’s a well-written contemporary romance with perfect pacing.

This was a captivating read that had me immersed from the beginning. The story flowed from scene to scene with ease, and the author shows exceptional ability when it comes to storytelling. There are plenty of attention-grabbing moments in this page-turner that will take the reader on a spellbinding journey.

There’s no doubt that Arrested Mind is an exceptionally well-written book. However, it must be said that this story is not for the faint-hearted or easily offended. The author’s script at times is razor-sharp and will cut deep into the emotions of its reader. There are scenes of a sexual nature. Nevertheless, the themes and outcome are just as affecting in the arresting contemporary landscape.

I’ll be looking forward to reading more from H.L. Nida in the future. Highly recommended and a well-deserved five stars from me. This is the second novel in the Arrested series.

[Ginny Hargrove · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed H.L. Nida's first novel "Arrested Heart" so I was anxious to read "Arrested Mind". I was glad to see that some of the characters from the first book were in this new book because it continued to build on the relationships between the characters. I also appreciated the continuity of format between the first and second novels. Additionally, I am familiar with the setting of the story, having lived in that area, so that personal connection really grounded the story for me. If you're looking for a good summer read, I highly recommend this book.

[Susan Hagler · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoy the way the author takes you through the story. She has a way of making you feel invested in the characters and keeps you wanting for more. Did not find any part to be a slow read, which is hard to achieve in my opinion. Even though it is not a genre I normally read, I would highly recommend.

[Sarah Holliday · Rating 5 out of 5]

Arc arrested minds was a story I could not put down. Charcters became a part of me. Great depth to story and surprising twists. Would recommend to everyone.

[Carolina Solano · Rating 4 out of 5]

As we begin to read this book, in the first scene, we already realize that the protagonist of the story, Molly, is not good at choosing the men she relates to. But despite having failed in their relationships, she does not miss an opportunity to meet the right man. At this point she bumps into Officer Mark. A very handsome man who captivates your attention from the first moment. Is Mark the right man?
It is a romantic novel with some hints of eroticism that can blush you while reading it. The author knew how to captivate me and keep my attention throughout the book. The quality of the details and the descriptive narrative revive the scenes in your imagination. The author takes her time to introduce us to the characters and I think this was really necessary in order to understand the rest of the story.
Arrested Mind is the second in the Arrested series by H.L. Nida. I really want to read the entire series as I really enjoyed reading this book.
It is an entertaining read and highly recommended. It will make you have a good time between smiles and tears.

[CarlitasFox · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent book to read at the edge of your sofa. A must-read.
What a book! I was glued to the pages. “Arrested mind” was written by H.L. Nida and it is the second book in her series called “Arrested”.
The plot revolves around a 22-year-old impulsive woman, Molly, who has troubles choosing her boyfriends. She might be trapped in stormy relationships because she loses her “mind” when she meets a guy. After undergoing a difficult experience with her ex-boyfriend, luckily, she finds herself attracted by a different type of man. So, it is here where Molly asks herself if that guy can be a suitable match for her. Deep in her heart she feels something inexplicable and good that might change her mind.
The writing style of the author is excellent! From the moment I read the first page I was hooked by this romantic and chaotic story. The characters are complex and well-developed. There are unexpected turns and twists that keep your attention throughout the reading. I highly recommend this novel. I enjoyed it!

[Jennifer Hines · Rating 1 out of 5]

*I received this book free from the author.*

I do not normally write reviews for books I do not finish, however, I enjoyed the first book and thought that maybe I'd at least share why I did not finish this one.

Arrested Mind is the second book in the Arrested series. The first chapter starts out from Molly's point of view, and it pretty much captured my attention. She in a car, being chased by her ex who just assaulted her and is continually ramming her car in hopes of what we do not find out. She gets the police on the phone and has them intervene before she's run off the road. Then she's assisted by Officer Washington and all it talks about is how hot he is and how turned on she is....and oh my goodness who in their right mind would even think about things like that after all she just went through. That's when I completely lost interest.


Now this book could turn out to be just as interesting as the previous one, but I did not have the patience to wait and see. If you do, then I'm curious of what you thought about it. Please feel free to let me know.

[Jessica · Rating 5 out of 5]

Molly Murphy is a sweet young lady, s sweet that her self-confidence and self-strength is nearly non-existent. The men she falls in love with are quick to take advantage of her sweetness and willingness to do almost anything for love. One evening, she is saved from a violent ex-boyfriend by a charming police officer, Mark Washington. Mark is the complete opposite of what Molly’s normal type is: he is steadily employed, self-confident and knows how to treat a woman right. But he is much older than her, so she squashes her feelings until they cannot be ignored no longer. Mark, unsure if his feelings for Molly are true or only misplaced parental feelings of concern, finally decides to find out how she feels, and sparks fly between the two.
I enjoyed this book; I’ve had a dalliance with a much older man when I was younger and I fully understand how Molly felt so conflicted about him. I am happy for their story, even if it took some rough twists, especially in the beginning.

[S Tyty · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book written in the first person and in a dialogue-based style is the second book in the Arrested Series but you don’t need to read the other book in order to be able to follow the events of this one.
What would first catch readers' attention about this book would be the cover since it is alluring and suggestive. It bares its name to the sense of unrest felt by the protagonist, Molly, who is tired of getting involved with men that only want her for sex, to borrow money or other purposes other than love. That is the reason why she keeps asking herself if the problem is actually her.
One day, Molly finally meets an apparently good guy but she feels insecure and nervous because he seems to be the perfect one and she asks herself if someone like him could be interested in someone like her.
I totally recommend this book to those who love romance novels that have a touch of hot and sexy moments.

[Pegboard · Rating 4 out of 5]

Arrested Mind by H. L. Nida will seize your attention with the flirtatious banter between Mark and Molly. Mark is a police officer that attends to a woman who was just assaulted by her ex-boyfriend. Molly sure knows how to pick terrible guys. Her last one rams her car with his until the police show up and arrests him. Mark is fascinated with spunky Molly, while she enjoys his masculine physique, plus she feels safe with him. Could there be more than attraction when there are so many differences between them?

H.L. Nida has starting an entertaining series; Arrested Series. Arrested Mind is her second book and is for a mature audience. Her characters are colorful and passionate. The ending has a different twist that I was not expecting and added a complex curve. There is a lot of action that keeps the characters on their toes. It will be interesting to see who will be the main character in her next novel.

[Pearl · Rating 4 out of 5]

There's one thing I can definitely describe Arrested Mind. It's enticing. Other than that, you can't stop reading it because it's deliciously written and it's full of action.

Molly and Mark met when Molly's ex-boyfriend chased her and threatened to kill her. Mark was the police officer in charge that time and was the one who basically saved her.

What I loved about this book was Mark's sincerity to Molly. Although I didn't like Molly at first because, well, her emotions were kind of unbelievable (shifting from being terrified because of her ex to being flirty to Mark), I somehow enjoyed her chemistry with Mark. I was also able to see a development in her character in the later chapters.

I loved how their relationship developed remarkably all throughout the book and how they were able to conquer difficult situations together. All in all it was a good romantic book to read.

[Ivana S. · Rating 4 out of 5]

The first thing that called my attention was the cover of this book; I knew I had to read it as soon as possible. “Arrested Mind” is a non-stop read written by H.L. Nida. It is the second book in the Arrested series. The main theme of this book is romance but it is mixed with hot sex and crazy situations. What’s better?

The story, narrated in first person, is written through the eyes of Molly who is the protagonist. It tells the story of this girl who is tired of being used by men. She is always asking herself what is wrong with her; she had amazing parents and a normal childhood so, why does she always make the same mistakes in relationships? One day she meets the perfect guy, but what will happen? Will he fall in love with her?

I couldn’t stop reading this book. In fact, I read it in two sittings. I really enjoyed it so I thoroughly recommend it.

[Jenny Goff · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was fun and enjoyable to read. It starts out with Molly finding herself in a very scary situation; however, this scary situation leads to her meeting Mark, a cop who she instantly has an attraction to. Due to the circumstances with how they met, their relationship with each other develops slowly after that, which I liked as I felt this was more realistic plus gave the story a great buildup to what was going to happen between the two of them. I also liked that the story involved more than just the romance between Mark and Molly, as there were also side stories about their friends, families, and careers. There were many lighthearted moments in this book but also some more serious moments as well. I thought all of this combined well together for a good story about love and romance. I enjoyed reading this book and would like to read more books by this author.

[Mia C. · Rating 4 out of 5]

“Arrested Mind” is a book written by H. L. Nida, American author, and it is the second one in a series called Arrested. It is a short book that has a few more than two hundred pages but a lot of entertainment.
It is the first book I read from this author and I liked her writing style very much. Although it is part of a series, I did not need to read the previous one before hand, but now that I am hooked with the story I will definitely read it.
The author’s writing style is simple, although there are instances of double entendres and saucy passages, and the story flows naturally. I liked the plot very much as well as how characters were constructed.
Once I started reading I could not put it down. Some scenes were narrated in such a clear and descriptive way that it seemed as if I was watching a movie. I will certainly recommend reading Arrested mind.

[B. Allen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hard to put down and well written