This book was well-written in style, but had almost no substance. Which was weird. It felt like it was a book with a lot going on where nothing actually happened. There was a lot of set-up with different storylines and characters, and there was an attempt at building suspense by doing timeline flashes (which ended up being completely ineffective because they built up tension for events that never really transpired into anything). But in the end, almost everything that "happened" occurred off the page and the reader was finding out about it after the fact. It led to a really unsatisfying reading experience. The book feels like a strong premise but maybe too much got edited out?

I was excited to read this book based off it being an ultimate hide and seek game but I feel that storyline feel flat compared to all the other storylines going on. This story was very choppy and didn’t flow easily and often times I found myself a bit confused.

Happy Friday sweet peas! Are slow burn thrillers your thing? They are hit or miss for me and I struggled with this one for the first half of the book.

This one takes us to a secluded island, it involves a reality TV game show surrounding a high stakes hide and seek game in a decrepit falling down hotel.

The premise sounds amazing right? And I really wanted to love this book, I was so excited to get the NetGalley approval. But alas, I toiled with the first half of this book, there were POVs coming out in spades while at the same time nothing was happening. My mind was drifting and I was having to reread pages.

But, the second half of the book grabbed my attention much more and I enjoyed it so much better.

So here’s the gist of what’s going on: We’ve got Adele, a single mother, whose husband, Miller has flew the cuckoo’s nest after embezzling his companies money and is on the lamb. It’s been 5 years and Adele lives from paycheck to paycheck and signs up for a reality TV gameshow. The reality TV show is very questionable with someone disappearing from the last game never to be found. She leaves for the secluded island and meets up with the other contestants and the team behind the Hide and Seek show. Everyone has an agenda, none of them are trustworthy and the game never really takes place. Throw in a storm and some local folks trying to spook them all off of their island and you’ve got yourself an utter calamity while nothing was actually happening.

Even though this book wasn’t what I was hoping it to be, the pacing and character focus was wishy washy, it did redeem itself somewhat in the last quarter. And I really like how the author got her inspiration for this book – that is always intriguing to me.

3.25 ⭐️

Thank you @netgalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

LOVED this book. So much going on but so well woven together. A great read and keeps you guessing until the end!

This book was really interesting and kept me turning the pages. It was an enjoyable read and I was surprised some of the time. At times it felt a little predictable. Overall, I'd recommend it to friends!

Ok listen I would have died in this book lol. I am not miss wilderness girl and i already know. Meanwhile these ordinary folks kicked butt out there trying to survive this crazy ass game. I loved this

If you're into slow burn thrillers, this novel is for you. I liked the premise of the book but found it overall dull with a very predictable ending.

“Close Your Eyes and Count to 10” is a thriller/mystery by one of the queens of this genre - Lisa Unger. I’ve read a number of Ms. Unger’s books - and like her others - this has a fantastic plot. An extreme adventurer, Maverick, sets up an ultimate “hide and seek” at a deserted hotel on an island. Four people are selected - all just happen to be either influencer (of course) or famous. The winner gets $1M US - which for at least two of the people could help change their lives for the better. Right before the games start, complications arise - from issues with the contestants, issues with the local people, issues with the weather - basically a plot with things under the right conditions coming to an exciting head. Although I find Ms. Unger’s plots incredible - and quite often binge read her books (staying up way too late) - while this book held my attention, I felt there were a number of issues. It was long with a lot of backstory information. I felt that Adele’s backstory could have just been a single-Mom raising two kids - instead we got her POV (and backstory), POVs from her kids (which didn’t add much), and POVs from people connected to her (which also didn’t add much). Around the 50% mark, a new POV is added - which would have been fine, if that POV had continued interwoven into the book, but it wasn’t. I think the overall idea for this book was good - but between a number of characters, a bit of too many things happening at the same time, a bit of confusing action, and an open ended ending - for me this wasn’t her strongest book. However, I did stay up way too late reading it and it did hold my attention. If you like Ms. Unger’s books, this might not be your favorite, but it was a pretty good ride of a read.

this is an interesting fast moving book. It has a lot of storylines that will appeal to my students, gaming, Extreme sports, a missing woman, a mysterious island, lots of people with lots of secrets. It also looks at what one would do for followers and how being watched constantly affect us. Throw in a missing husband, who conned people and his counterpoint, the man running Extreme and family and relationship issues. The author wove a lot of stories together and kept it interesting 4.5 rounded up

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Life is full of games in many aspects -its truly how you play with others. This gave us family problems and how we are “unaware” of whats going on under our noses. It gave ups and downs of social media and influencers and how its not all the wonderful life as its made up to be. Then once they are all together is when the true games begin. Who is going to expose what and where and how far will one go keep it not exposed while we are rooting for the one who is doing this thing for family. It’s a must read because I just gotta find out what is happening. Thank you NetGalley for the ARC #LisaUnger #CloseYourEyesandCountToTen #NetGalley

This was another wild and twisted novel by the author.

Extreme Games is hosting another challenge, led by Maverick Dillan. Maverick and his team are offering one million dollars to the winner of the challenge, held on Falcao Island. Cue Adele, a single mother supporting her children, in desperate need of that one million dollars.

But as the contest begins, it is clear the islanders are not happy with their presence, nor is the run down destination for the challenge. Lies, deception and twists are all part of this treacherous game and there is only one person each contestant can trust - themselves.

So many twists and turns and I really enjoyed Adele's backstory. I really enjoyed reading each of the characters and the part they had to play, even the unlikeable ones and the author created such an interesting and hostile environment on the island, it was hard to put down.

Title Close Your Eye Count to 10
Author: Lisa Unger
Publisher: Harlequin Trade Publishing-Park Row
Genre: Mystery Thriller
Pub Date: February 18, 2025
My Rating: 3.5 Stars
Pages: 352

Extreme adventurer Maverick Dillan invites contestants to a challenge of a game of hide-and-seek on the remote Falcao Island, No not the children’s game we are remember but a survival game with high stakes.

Of course, I was following Adele, who is trying to provide for her two children- Violet and Blake. Adele’s husband Miller (who does come back into their lives) is a fugitive who had abandoned them. Young Blake saw the info regarding the challenge. He tells his mom she is perfect. The l million-dollar prize is tempting enough that Adele decides the prize money is worth trying.

When Adele arrives on Falcao Island, things change once she learns of the island’s curse, Soon Adele worried not about winning but surviving.
Although this story isn’t that long is seems long as it is slow – there are a lot of so-so characters and I was anxious to move on. Once it moves on I was turning pages as fast as my eyes could focus.

Although I am not a fan of reality TV- I am a big fan of Lisa Unger.
She tells us in her ‘Acknowledgements’ that one of her big inspirations for this story came when she and her family - husband Jeffrey, and daughter Ocean Rae traveled to the Azores, a chain of islands in the Atlantic. Near the end of their trip they were rained out so on their way back to the hotel they hiked the rim of the volcanic lake. They came upon the abandoned ruin Monte Palace Hotel that had giant sign stating “DANGER – DO NOT ENTER”.
Needless to say this fascinated her and thus this experience was the seed for this story!

Want to thank Harlequin Trade Publishing/- Park Row for this early eGalley.
Publishing Release Date scheduled for February 18, 2025.

Maverick Dillan, a popular gamer creates an exciting game of hide and seek. Locations vary from game to game and this one is on a remote island, Falcao Island. Invites for contestants are sent out promising to be the adventure of a lifetime.

Adele, a struggling singer mother of two became an influencer by need. Her son has brought to her attention this competition with a million dollar prize. The prize is too much for her to ignore.

Being chosen as a participant Adele becomes anxious about the competition. Something feels chilling.

This novel starts slowly but builds to a nonstop read unable to put down.

This novel is a gripping thriller that proves how a mother’s love is protective and boundless.

Thank you NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing Park Row for providing me with this ARC for an honest review.

Who didn't love hide-and-seek as a kid? Well, step right up and get ready for an extreme game of hide-and-seek where your survival is at stake. Perfect for the thriller fans out there, and in typical Lisa Unger fashion, she weaves an epic tale of cat and mouse.

3.5 stars rounded up to 4 soley because it took me time to try to figure out all the characters and was slow in some parts which should never happen in a thriller book, hence thriller.

Thank you, Netgalley, and the publisher for the ARC of this book!

pretty fun thriller, I LOVE lisa unger and this one is super cool, worth the recommendation. tyssm for the arc, would suggest

Lisa Unger does a great job of writing a variety of books. I find every book I read by her feels very different from her other books.

I did not like this book as much as I liked The New Couple in 5B.

I really enjoyed the secluded island setting and the premise of the Hide and Seek game with influencers. I also liked the POVs of Adele's children. I was very interested in reading their POVs to find out what was happening back 'at home' while Adele was competing on the island.

I didn't like the jumps in the timeline. For example, one moment the influencers were just getting to the island, then it would jump to a contestant POV while playing the game, then it would jump back to a memory of Adele's with her husband.

I also think that covid and the pandemic were mentioned way too often. It seemed like there was mention of it in every chapter.

Overall it was a solid thriller, and I will recommend it, but it was not one of my favorites.

Ah, locked room thrillers or thrillers set in secluded settings are some of my favorites. This one also dabbled in a fun survivalist type aspect with them playing the hide-and-seek game. Ah it was fun. Lisa Unger always delivers fast paced, high-octane thrillers, and this one was no different. Her thrillers keep me on the edge of my seat wondering what is going to happen next, and I absolutely love them. This one is told through several points of view, and while there were more than I usually read, I didn’t get confused or lost at all, it was great. The setting of this book is what really captivated me. It’s based in an old, abandoned crumbling hotel on a secluded island. I also love books about reality tv. While I don’t watch it, I sure do love reading about it. This one focused mainly on the money side of reality tv versus how scripted it is, which was rather interesting. I loved how the pieces of this thriller slowly came together, and I didn’t see all the twists coming.

If you are looking for a fun, fast-paced thriller, then check this one out.

Available February 18, 2025
Lisa Unger

Adele is a mom of two teenagers. Five years prior her husband of many years stole from his company, left the company and his family high and dry and dropped off the face of the earth.

Now Adele finds herself on a reality show trying to win a million dollars and trying to save her family.

It’s SQUID GAMES meets SURVIVOR, with tons of twists and turns.

A great thriller from Lisa Unger, a slow burn at first but then as tension builds more & more is revealed to a climax that will satisfy your questions!

This book has it all. Mystery, games, family drama, and more. The struggle is it almost has too much going on to follow the plot. The characters are enjoyable and the game aspect is solid. It was difficult for me to get into because it started off rather slow. This book will be a hit, it just wasn’t my cup of tea.