This one is a slow burn for sure. I wanted to love this book with all of my heart but for me it dragged on so much!!

I loooved the plot. And really think it has all the makings to be great. It just took a little too long to get there and there were too many POVs.

It was super hard to invest in any characters. I didn’t hate it but didn’t love it!

Wow! This is one action-packed book! I love Lisa Unger's books and she has another big success in her hands! Adele and her family's characters were well-delineated and likeable (well, maybe not the husband, haha). The descriptions of the Extreme challenge were interesting and intense. The members of the game were also vividly described. The relationships between all changed and revealed much about their true selves and what was truly important to them. This was a fabulous read!

Close Your Eyes and Count to 10 by Lisa Unger is a gripping, high-stakes thriller that takes an extreme game of hide-and-seek to deadly new heights. Adele, a single mom desperate to win the prize money, quickly realizes that this social media stunt on a remote island is far more dangerous than expected. Maverick, the thrill-seeking influencer behind the event, embodies the dark side of the influencer culture, obsessed with attention and fame.

Fast-paced and full of twists, this novel keeps you on edge as the characters fight to survive both the elements and each other. If you’re into thrillers with intense suspense and social commentary, this one’s a must-read.

I’m a sucker for book titles with numbers in them and I have a sneaking suspicion I’m not the only one. They seem to stand out from other titles. And the numeral “10” versus the spelled out “ten,” is far preferable, even though it is grammatically incorrect. Don’t look at me, I don’t make the rules.

Basically this is some serviceable suspense as long as you are willing to suspend your disbelief at the door. Or dock.

Maverick Dillan (Lord, help us) is an extreme adventurer (what was he going to be with that name? Accountant?) with a humongous presence on YouTube, enough to make it a business with employees and such and invited a select number of players to Falcao Island (what makes me think there will be a really big storm that prevents anyone from leaving?) for a game of hide and go seek with a big prize - a million dollars.

One of the players is Adele, a single mother, whose husband, Miller is believed to have embezzled most of his company’s funds and is now on the run. She needs the money to give her kids and her some sort of financial security. However, someone disappeared from Maverick’s last hide and seek challenge so I’m wondering, a. how did he get any sponsors for this one? and, b. why was a single mother foolish enough to sign up?

AND THEN THE STORM SETS IN! Plus you’ve got unhappy, spooky locals, tons of weird stuff, a shoestring operation…it all sounds bad.

The book was too long at nearly 400 pages. There’s no actual game, and though the book is well-written the parts involving the contestants are all rather dull, while the sections about Maverick and his staff are better. Some people will like it, I found it just O.K.

4.5 Rounded up to 5 Stars

When the opportunity to review Close Your Eyes and Count to 10 arrived, I could hardly wait to start the book. For thirteen years, this reviewer has followed the author's career and devoured each one of her novels, novellas, and short stories.

The central characters in her latest novel are fully developed, enabling the reader to relate to their roles in an extreme hide and seek competition on an obscure island. The contest is bound to be a disaster, of course, since the book is a thriller. Adele, the protagonist (love her name, lol), and the antagonist, Maverick (love his name, too), an influencer who promotes extreme events, have clear reasons for participating.

Adele needs to win the million-dollar prize to help her family. Mav needs to save his gaming company from bankruptcy and feed his insatiable need for attention. His drive for social media follows, views, likes, and sponsorships has driven him to the brink of insanity. The compulsive need of influencers like him to grow their audience is at the heart of Mav's story. His unquenchable desire for attention mirrors what we see every day on social media.

Challenges to extreme hide and seek become more deadly and complex as unforeseen problems enter the mix. Fans of reality TV shows like Survivor and Deal or No Deal Island will enjoy the storyline but will soon learn that Close Your Eyes and Count to 10 hosts a far deadlier game than those we see on television.

Unger's book is deeply layered with multiple plotlines and points of view. I would have preferred fewer shifts from one character to the next but otherwise enjoyed the story construction. One thing I absolutely loved, which added immensely to my reading enjoyment, is the close relationship between Adele and her teenage daughter, Violet. I found it refreshing to follow a girl who supports her mother wholeheartedly and champions her in everyday life. This reviewer has seen too many teenage girls portrayed in books and movies as difficult, unlikable, and entitled. Violet is a fully formed character with a healthy self-esteem who loves her family and stands apart from the caricatures we too often see in fiction.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading Close Your Eyes and Count to 10. Recommended.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing/Park Row for providing an advance copy of the book to read and review. This review will post to Bayside Book Reviews.com at https://baysidebookreviews.com and its Instagram page on release day. Follow us! *NetGalley Top Reviewer*

Overall I enjoyed this book but there were a lot of pieces that felt crammed in or underdeveloped. The disappearing husband seemed as though it would be a much bigger storyline. I just felt a little whiplash trying to keep up but it was entertaining and I liked the premise!

This is a fun, suspenseful book with all the twists and turns we expect from Lisa Unger. Although it starts out a bit fanciful (mother of two flying to a far way island to participate in a social media extreme game), keep reading. The story becomes richer and the characters become more believable. I read this book in two days, start to finish because I wanted to know what was next. In true Lisa Unger fashion, it was always unexpected. I enjoyed the video game aspect as well, when I thought at first that this was a world I wasn’t interested in. Looking forward to Unger’s next book.
Thank you NetGalley for a ARC.

Thrilling in all the best ways. Unger's assessment of influencer culture and what we do for money or likes is on target. Entertaining, even if it started a bit slow.

Just finished reading Close Your Eyes and Count to Ten by Lisa Unger and let me tell you, it was one wild ride. I was lucky enough to snag an advanced copy and it did not disappoint. Lisa Unger is always an auto-buy author for me and she definitely lived up to her reputation with this one. The story follows Maverick, a daring adventurer who invites 10 contestants to a remote island for a high stakes game of hide and seek. But what they didn’t expect was the deadly weather and a potential murderer on the loose. Talk about a thrill a minute, edge of your seat read! I was completely hooked and couldn’t put it down. Who knew a simple game could turn into a fight for survival? Definitely add this one to your must-read list for this fall.

This book is riveting. Lisa Unger does it again. I couldn't wait for another book to read from her after reading The New Couple in 5B. She lived up to my expectations and I couldn't put this book down. I will continue to read anything she puts out.

The premise is so intriguing, but I found the book itself to drag. I wasn’t really invested in any of the characters either, they seemed to blend together and it was difficult to differentiate. Overall, not a thriller I would include in my recommendations.

Thank you to the publisher for the gifted ARC

For fans of Everyone is Watching by Heather Gudenkauf, Count to Ten by Lisa Unger is the story of three contestants in the ultimate hide-and-seek game.to try to win a million dollar prize. Inspired by true events experienced by the author, this book has a lot of suspense (a crumbling island and impending storm) and a satisfying ending. It was a little choppy at times, but was a fun, slow burn.

I am a huge fan of Lisa Unger and I felt the premise of this book showed promise -- a reality tv show + a game of hide and seek = the perfect thriller novel. This book had so much potential, but didn't live up to it for me. It was a slow burn that I had such hard time completing and took me over a month to finish because I just couldn't get into it and I read several books in that same span of time.
I felt like there were three different storylines going at the same time. .The actual game part of this was extremely rushed and not playing out that well at all. The other two stories were very predictable, with no real "shocker" at the end.

I appreciate the ARC and will be purchasing this title for our public library.

In this gripping new thriller by Lisa Unger an adult game of hide and seek quickly turns to a game of survivor. Despite the rumors about the Island of Falcao being cursed, contestants flock to the island for a chance to win big money. Main character Adele is one of the contestants. She is hoping the prize money will free her struggles with debt and she and her two children can finally relax about money. What was supposed to be a fun competition soon becomes dangerous. Threats of a dangerous storm along with the questionable ethics of the host, Maverick and his team, the competition turns sinister.

This was such a fun, twisty read. It was told from multiple POV'S but was well written so you knew who each character was and some of their background. Lisa Unger proves yet again she is a master at writing a thriller. I highly recommend this especially if you're into all the survivor type shows

Thanks to Netgalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for the advanced copy

Close Your Eyes and Count to 10 - Lisa Unger
Pub Date - February 18, 2025
Media - Ebook
Rating - 3/5

Thoughts - Thank you to Netgalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing | Park Row for an advanced reader copy in exchange for my honest review.
I really liked the premise of this book -- a reality tv show + a game of hide and seek = the perfect thriller novel. This book had so much potential, but didn't live up to it for me. It was a slow burn that I had a really hard time completing and took me almost a week because I just couldn't get into it.
I felt like the author had three different storylines going at the same time, which...is fine, but usually they merge into something that makes the reader gasp. That was....not the case here. I felt like the actual game part of this was extremely rushed and not really playing out at all. The other two stories were very predictable, with no real "shocker" at the end.

Overall, entertaining novel, but nothing special.

I liked this book but I didn’t love it. I thought there were too many point of views in the story and it took away from the focus of the story. I did like the idea of the story.. reality tv, stormy weather, remote island.. it is a spooky setting that I loved! I wanted to keep reading because I had to know how it ended,
Overall it was a good book but could have been better if there were limited point of views and didn’t stray for reality show theme.

Another Lisa Unger!! I had high hopes, but was very disappointed. I found it difficult to follow along with the story. I could not bring myself to like the book, despite enjoying her previous books. 2 stars

I can always rely on Lisa Unger for a great thriller read. This one is a slow burn, but I was so engrossed in the characters and story that I found it hard to put down.

I am super intrigued because there is an "Eaton House" in upstate NY as part of the story. I googled and no such places exists as far as I can tell. However, I grew up in a similar victorian home to the one described and it was in Eaton, NY. So every time this part of the story came up, the visualization I had down to the creepy basement and woods out back was very real! This was definitely a surprise bonus element added to the story that really enhanced my reading experience.

The setting was great and had definite creepy vibes. There were twists that I never saw coming. The added suspense of an impending storm and being trapped on the island really added to the story. This gave survivor vibes and I loved every second of it!

Thanks to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing | Park Row for a digital ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Could I put this book down, nope! Another Lisa Unger book that I devoured! The twists and turns kept coming all the way until the end, and it kept me guessing.

There were multiple POV, but it was easy to keep track of, which is not always the case. I enjoyed the suspense of this novel.

The only downfall for me was that I was hoping there was more to the game.

Thank you, NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing | Park Row for the ARC.

In Close Your Eyes and Count to Ten, a game of hide and seek turns deathly. WeWatch (essentially YouTube) superstar Maverick is going all out with his new challenge- a high stakes game of hide and seek where the winner takes home a cash prize and likely thousands of new subscribers. For single mom Adele, winning the game could make all the difference. But can Maverick and his cohorts keep the contestants safe? After all a storm is coming and their last hide and seek game ended with the disappearance of a young woman.
There’s a lot to like in this book. Adele and her children are easy to root for, and the twist turns keep the book engaging. For me, however, I found that there were a few too many subplots that kept me from getting fully invested in the main action. I also felt that several times along the way the plot points felt a bit unlikely (like the mysterious shaman with the private army warning Maverick and the contestants away from the island). That being said, it was an interesting read if you’re willing to suspend disbelief and go along for the ride.
3.5 rounded to 4