I was attracted to the concept of this novel and although it had great potential I was left feeling a bit underwhelmed and bored! The multiple POV’s were thought out well in the early development of this story only to be made insignificant as the games progressed. At around 40% the entire player POV became filler even though the story was centred around this extreme version of hide and seek!

I was hoping we would get more resolution surrounding the disappearance of Adele’s husband, did I just miss something here?? Where did he go?? Why?? What happened to him after??

The one aspect that I did enjoy was the commentary on social media and how it impacts the ways in which we perceive others! Things can look completely different on the other side of the screen. 👀

This novel was one that I was excited to read from an author I had not yet experienced. It seemed intriguing from the beginning, posing a plot revolving around adult hide and seek with extremely high stakes. For the protagonist Adele, it was an op opportunity to win a large sum of money to make up for the position her family was left in when her husband embezzled money from his company, leaving her and her two children, Violet and Blake, in shambles as well as all of the families who worked for him. Ultimately, their family was living in somewhat exiled due to his selfish behaviors. When she embarks on this journey, there are three other competitors meant to join the game, all known competitors and bloggers meant to spark viewers for the host channel’s game. Meanwhile, the people who run the event are finding themselves in sticky situations, revolving around their own drama and rumors that have been harmful to their reputation and funding. This game is an opportunity for their company to bounce back as long as all goes well, but when a girl who previously disappeared in an earlier challenge keeps popping up and people keep looking for more information about what happened to her, it becomes increasingly clear that there is some type of darkness lurking that can only come back to bite them all. Ultimately every person involved has a choice to make: should they stay and try to wait for the money or should they leave and go home where they know they’ll be safe? At the end of the day, all they can do is close their eyes count to 10 and hide.

This novel was a fun read overall. It was full of tension and depth as the characters’ backstories became revealed, and the reader becomes more aware of the past that each character has through a limited perspective, giving an opportunity to build up and develop an interesting and intense story with moments of clues for the reader to build upon and realize what is happening and what is to come. While I could figure out some of the twists and turns, there were others I couldn’t. In reading an advanced reader copy, I will say I’m not sure if some of the discrepancies were carried over in the final, however, there were a few confusing pieces of information along the ride. Overall, it did not detract from my enjoyment of the story overall and I would say this is a story that most muster or thriller readers could enjoy.

I like the concept but not really the book I think the game could have started off better. Z z z z. Z z. Z z z z

Maverick Dillan invites contestants to a high-stakes game of hide-and-seek on Falcao Island, which quickly turns deadly as a storm and sinister threats emerge. Adele, a single mother struggling financially, joins the game in hopes of winning the million-dollar prize, but soon realizes the island is cursed, and survival becomes her primary goal. This gripping thriller blends survival horror with social media commentary, offering a tense and action-packed narrative about a mother’s determination to protect her children amidst escalating danger.

I loved this suspenseful thriller! I thought the setting was very timely as well as believable. I also loved the premise of reality tv and the influencers. I did see that ending coming!! What a great book - it would make a great tv/movie adaptation!!

I normally love Lisa Unger's books, and I really wanted to love this one, but I didn't. Maybe I went in having too high expectations because I love this author. I felt the premise was decent, but there wasn’t much suspense or mystery, and it was predictable. The chapters are also long. This unfortunately was another book that took me too long to read.

I love a Lisa Unger novel, and I couldn't wait to find out what I was in store for with Close Your Eyes and Count to 10. I didn’t read the synopsis and just picked it up and let the story take me where it wanted. I was immediately drawn in by the drama as well as Adele’s viewpoint. She was probably one of the few characters I actually liked in this book, and her situation gave me Nate family vibes from Gossip Girl. I loved that this wasn’t only about the game itself, but her story as well, and there are a lot of characters to keep track of and a lot of things going on. We have a podcast element, reality TV, adventure (and not exactly safe) game, and much more packed into this 376-page book.

The audiobook is narrated by one of my favorite narrators, Vivienne Leheny, and I am really glad I went the audio route. Since there are a lot of viewpoints, I would say it would have greatly benefited from a full cast, but Leheny did such a wonderful job all by her lonesome that it didn’t bother me as much as I thought it would. There are quite a few twists packed into Close Your Eyes and Count to 10 and while I saw a couple of them coming, most were quite the surprise. A lot of readers might not like all of the characters and side stories mixed into the plot for this one, but I loved every minute of it. The last quarter of the story is especially action packed, and I thought the last chapter was the perfect ending.

Read this if you enjoy high stakes games, isolated location settings with storm elements, and lots of viewpoints/storylines.

Book Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐.25
Audiobook Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

I actually really enjoyed this book! It got me hooked from the very beginning. I loved the locked door mystery style trying to figure out who was good and who was bad. Who could be trusted and who couldn’t. I think the ending felt a little rushed and it wasn’t my favorite but up until then I enjoyed it so much!

This story has a great premise, but the execution was a little weaker than what I've come to expect with Unger. Still enjoyed!

Oooh this one was twisty! The ultimate game of hide & seek with influencers on a remote island - what could go wrong?! I’m a reality tv girlie so this book was right up my alley and I definitely enjoyed it! It was full of twists and high stakes tension, keeping me on my toes throughout the story. Quite a few characters so be sure to pay attention!

This book was a ride from start to finish!

This psychological thriller follows Adele—a single mom of two, whose husband disappeared years ago, leaving their lives (and reputation) in shambles. Adele’s son is a huge fan of the “WeWatch” channel (YouTube) and online extreme thrill chaser, Maverick Dillan. He signs his mom up for Maverick’s very live and very dangerous game of extreme hide-and-seek on Falcao Island in an abandoned hotel and if it weren’t for the one-million-dollar prize money, she would have passed it by. But taking up boxing since her husband left her, and starting her own “WeWatch” channel of her own, she wanted to prove to her kids, and her followers, that she can be an overcomer of fear and take on challenges.

Adele finds herself in situations wondering if she’ll make it out alive while making unlikely friendships, and realizing she may not know her kids as well as she thought 👀
 
This book follows Adele, Maverick, and others on the Island and part of the game, providing a multiple POV that kept me on the edge of my seat. I loved how Lisa interwove the characters, and unraveled each one’s story piece by piece as we read. This book took dark twists and surprising turns that I didn’t see coming PLUS an ending that truly satisfied.
 
Overall, I give this book ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
 
Thank you NetGalley and Harlequin Books for the advance copy of this thrilling read!

This author is truly becoming the most hit or miss author for me. I have both loved and hated some of her books. This one falls somewhere in the middle. It had a fantastic concept that could have made the plot shine but the pacing was off. I also didn't connect with the characters enough. It was just okay for me.

Close Your Eyes and Count to Ten by Lisa Unger is a fast-paced psychological thriller that kept me hooked from start to finish. The story follows Adele, a single mother who gets caught in a dangerous game of hide-and-seek on Falcao Island, organized by the charismatic Maverick Dillan. What begins as a fun challenge quickly turns deadly as a storm and a mysterious threat put everyone at risk.

Unger does a fantastic job building tension and blending suspense with psychological twists. The blurred line between the virtual and real world adds an intriguing layer to the plot. This book is perfect for fans of high-stakes thrillers and unexpected twists. Highly recommended!

I had SUCH high hopes for "Close Your Eyes and Count to 10", and while it delivered some solid tension and eerie atmosphere, it didn't fully meet my expectations. Lisa Unger's locked-room thriller, set around a deadly game of hide-and-seek on a storm-ravaged island, had all the ingredients for a gripping read. And yet, something was missing.

The multiple POVs made it hard to fully invest in any one character, though Adele, the determined mother at the heart of the story, stood out. The critique of social media's voyeuristic nature was compelling, but the game show premiere lost its tension as the story progressed. That said, the final 100 pages DID pack a punch, with buried secrets and shocking twists that kept me hooked.

While not my favorite from Unger, it's still an entertaining, slow-burn thriller. If you like survival stories with a psychological edge, this one's worth a read! 3.25/5 stars!

Such an intriguing premise—reality vs. online gaming vs. virtual game show! Which is the real world? And what and who can you trust? Close Your Eyes and Count to 10 is another great thriller by Lisa Unger.

Main character, Adele, enters the ultimate challenge contest hoping to win the million dollar prize for being the last person found in this game of Hide and Seek. Encouraged by her teenaged children, she seeks to get herself out of the debt and shame her husband left behind when he disappeared, accused of stealing his clients’ money.

The stakes are also high for game show producer, Mav, whose company has been losing advertisers and money since the disappearance of a young woman in a previous challenge. Added to that are the threats from a mercenary army led by a gypsy-type old woman who warns him and his troop to leave the island where the challenge takes place or else…

The island itself is a living, breathing entity with an abandoned hotel in ruins as the focal point. With a major storm approaching, the location is in danger of being wiped out, along with the few inhabitants remaining. But a human menace increases the terror when someone in the group is found murdered in this locked-room psychological thriller.

Relationships and individual motives are explored as the characters, each with their own agenda and struggles, embark on a journey to discover what is real, what is staged, and what is most important. The past intertwines with the present as the various points of view expose the reasons why the characters find themselves embroiled in what becomes a deadly reality show.

There’s a gothic vibe to the novel, which will appeal to readers who love an eerie atmosphere and an ominous warning that something, both natural and transcendental, jeopardizes the lives of the characters. A suspenseful survival story set in a remote location, Close Your Eyes and Count to 10 will keep you mesmerized until the truth is unravelled.

This was a dark, atmospheric read that had me at the edge of my seat. Told from multiple points of view. From a remote island that is being thrashed by a storm, in the most tragic settings, I was here for it all. The plot did have some holes, and I wish the ending answered a few more of my questions. But for a fun rainy-day activity this book ticked the boxes.

Adele and her family have been on the struggle bus since her husband disappeared. Leaving their lives in shambles. Her son is being bullied, and her daughter can blaze through anything. Adele wants to give them the world and make the sting of their father's abandonment disappear. Her son brings her a way in which to turn their lives around. Extreme Hide and Seek on the remote Falcao Island. There stands an abandoned wreck of a hotel where the seeking shall begin. If they are the last one found, they stand to win one million dollars. Adele knows she can do this; she must do this for her family. The moment she arrives at the island there is something off with Maverick Dillian's team. It seems like the entire challenge has been thrown together and there is a horrible storm slowly creeping up on them. Will they all be found in time?

I loved the detailed descriptions that brought this island to life. The hotel moaning and creaking in the howling wind. The way in which the island is shrouded in darkness. Making the creepy factor intensify. The tension and anxiety can be smelled on the stiff wind that tears through the trees. Making for a book I could not put down. Thank you to Lisa Unger and Park Row for my gifted copy.

I'm a Lisa Unger fan and loved The New Couple in 5b and Secluded Cab Sleeps Six and had high expectations going into this novel, but ultimately this one was a miss for me. The premise of this novel sounded amazing (a reality show-esque game of hide and seek?!) and at the beginning of the novel, I enjoyed being introduced to Adele, her family, and the unfortunate situation they were left in due to her missing husband. I was immediately connected to her and invested in her story, but honestly once she made it to the island it kind of fell apart for me. I enjoy a slow burn, but this book was just slow and I wasn't particularly rooting for anyone and often confused with the multiple POVs. I always stick with a thriller because ultimately the twist is typically worth it, but this felt a little lackluster and fell flat for me. I look forward to seeing the next book by the author and seeing if I find it as enjoyable as her previous works.

Close Your Eyes and Count to 10 is a psychological thriller that tries to blend suspense with emotional depth, but ultimately falls a bit short of its ambitious goals. The story centers around Hannah, a woman caught up in a tense situation involving a missing person, family secrets, and a series of increasingly dangerous events.

Unger’s writing is atmospheric, and the pacing keeps things moving, but there are moments where the plot feels a bit too predictable. The twists are present, but they don’t hit as hard as you’d expect from a thriller. The characters, especially Hannah, have potential, but their development feels somewhat one-dimensional, with motivations that don’t always feel fully fleshed out. As a result, it’s hard to truly connect with them emotionally, which can make some of the story’s more intense moments feel less impactful.

The book does succeed in creating a tense atmosphere, with well-done suspense and a sense of unease that builds steadily. However, the payoff isn’t as satisfying as it could have been. Some of the twists feel forced, and by the time everything unravels, it doesn’t quite deliver the punch readers might be hoping for.

Loved the multiple character viewpoint! I thought the social media aspect of the book was also interesting and relevant to life today. I didn’t predict the ending, always appreciated. Also loved what a bad ass Adele’s character was!

This book felt very drawn out and all over the place. There were a lot of characters and settings, which made things a little bit confusing. I was interested while reading, but it felt a little disorganized for my liking.