Thank you NetGalley and publisher for this ARC. I have read other books from this author, and I enjoyed them and I also enjoyed this book as well. I really liked the characters, I like the plot that is started out as a game to win money and then turns into survival. I really felt like I could relate to the characters and I really, liked how fast paced the story was , from beginning to end. I would definitely recommend this author if you enjoy intense thriller books with great plot and good character development. I will continue to read more from this author!!

I absolutely loved this book! The idea of a social media company hosting a high-stakes game of hide-and-seek at a deserted hotel hooked me right away. It’s such a cool and unique concept. The non-linear timeline made it even more intense—every twist hit harder because you’re piecing everything together as you go.

The characters were fantastic, each with their own perspective that added so much to the story. I really enjoyed the multiple POVs; they kept me guessing the entire time about what was really going on and who could be trusted. The pacing was spot on, and the suspense kept me turning pages late into the night.

I also loved the social media aspect—it gave the whole story this modern, game-show vibe that made it feel super relevant. It left me constantly wondering who was going to make it out and who wouldn’t, especially with the eerie history of the last game hanging over everything. My only tiny complaint is that I wish we got to see more of the contestants’ struggles before everything hit its peak, but overall, it didn’t take away from how much I enjoyed the story.

This was such a fun and gripping read. If you’re into thrillers with twists, suspense, and a little social commentary, you’ll love this one!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

I have been a huge fan of Lisa Unger for a while now, so naturally being approved for this ARC from Harlequin Trade Publishing/Park Row and Lisa Unger from Netgalley I was incredibly excited! The cover art itself is beautiful, the idea of the book is also intense.

I liked the idea of the real life challenge and thought of many reality shows that we watch. I loved the description of crumbling hotel, the way that Unger chose to base it upon the real life hotel in Sao Miguel of the Monte Palace Hotel from the 1980's. Aftermath of pulling up photos there were things that I had read in the text that were captured really well. I appreciated the various characters, their flaws and thoughts, and their multiple view points and intentions throughout the book. There were a few moments where there was lack of clarity on my part of reading, from the different point of views, yet slowing down and really recapping really helped me. I was surprised on the relevance of the "influencers", which is a current time in our world and could be a real life thing.

The plot really started picking up around 50% through, but I truly think it was necessary to build understanding and character lines. I would recommend to anyone who is a Lisa Unger fan, anyone who likes intense, suspense, and thrillers with twists. Thank you again Harlequin Trade Publishing/Park Row, Lisa Unger, and Netgalley for being able to read this ARC.

Thank you to the publisher for an early copy in exchange for an honest review.

Review: This book has already went on my favorites list for 2025 and will be in my top books of the year. That being said, I'm not sure if this book will be well received across the board. It just happened to check every box for me. I think it's important to know this story isn't really about a hide n seek on an island (that doesn't happen until the last third of the book). This is the story of a failing company, a cold case murder, family drama, island protections, and just comprised with morally grey characters.

This story goes back and forth in time and place. I am not going to rehash the synopsis, hopefully you've read that before reviews. If not go read the book then come back. I'm just going to make a list of things I loved about this book because I'm not sure how else to do it.

In no particular order:
1) a single Mom fighting for children
2) teenagers back home using technology and live streaming to follow their Mom's time on the island
3) a creepy island with dedicated natives who protect and honor the land
4) morally grey characters with their villain origin stories included
5) lying, cheating, murder
6) social media and influence culture is heavily used
7) extreme sports and an interesting, new premise used within the island trope
8) mixed media, multiple POV, multiple timeline to keep the story moving at an interesting and exciting pace
9) a virtual reality game used by teenagers back home who are being bullied and live another life within it
10) book contains so much more than the premise
11) true crime podcast episodes
12) dangerous weather... cuz duh

This book was just such a hit for me. I can't wait to read it again. There is so much going on, but not too much were you feel like it's filled with things that aren't relevant. Everything feels like it's placed with a purpose and packs a punch. I hope that you will give this book a try! Gosh I loved it so much. I can't wait to read it again, even knowing the ending.

Maverick Dillan, extreme adventurer opens up a new game of hide and seek, inviting contestants to apply for the thrilling game. Set in a desolate hotel on a small island, these contestants will be competing for one million dollars. Each contestants wants that money while Maverick wants to use their fame to boost the show's ratings. When a storm settles over the island, the stakes are raised and fear is heightened. Adele, a mother of two looking to save her family with the winnings, gets sucked into a web of lies. The question shifts from who will win to who will make it off the island alive.

Lisa Unger puts together a sneaky group of characters, all have their parts like a game of Clue. It's a slow burn with several points of view and many twists. It was a little to slow in the beginning and then the end packed a punch. I could have used another 10 pages to really finish the story though. Thank you Netgalley for the advanced copy of this book.

This was definitely a slow burn locked room type thriller (which is right up my alley). I wanted to LOVE this book because it had everything I look for in a thriller. But to me this book was done in too many POVs that the story became too stuffy. This book took me too long to finish because I kept hitting walls and kept having to reread pages because the story became too confusing. I think it would have benefited the author just to write this story in one POV; it would have easily been a 5 star read for me.

Thank you HTP for an early copy of this book and for the opportunity to promote this book on my TikTok. I enjoyed this book and think it's great for anyone who loves competition style thrillers or survival. books.

I was given a copy of this book for a review.

This was not my favorite Lisa Unger book. I had trouble getting started with it and then I just never really got caught up in the story. It wasn't awful and I did finish it but definitely not my favorite of her books. You can pick up your copy and decide for yourself in February 2025.

The book is set around a realty contest story. Four contestants are supposed to hide at this deserted hotel location. If they are the last to be found by Maverick (an extreme adventurer) they win loads of money. All the contestants have the need for large sums of money so they are in for the extreme hide-and-seek game. Maverick and his team also have background issues including money woes and dissension among them. Besides all this, there is a big storm brewing and will close down the area until it passes. The storm prevents one of the players from arriving for the "game". There are a couple other story lines in the background with characters in the book; one contestant's husband embezzled money and ran and hasn't been found, another supposed killed a lion, Maverick himself is involved in a disappearance of a contestant from a previous challenge and most people think he knows where the woman is and did something to her, so a lot going on. Will any of the contestants win the "big" prize? Will Maverick come out the winner in the end? Will Chloe (the missing contestant from a previous challenge) be found? It is all ultimately revealed and an interesting story, just not real my personal favorite.

This title deals with what people will do for money or when they are backed into a corner and desperate. Good characters though some were not as well developed even though they were important to the story. Quick read that keeps you engaged.

When the contestants of Extreme Games and Insane Challenges gather on a remote island to compete in the latest hide-and-seek high adventure game , for a prize of one million dollar, trouble is brewing from the very start. The Extreme staff is facing some internal conflicts, a storm is heading right for the remote island and the islanders are none to welcoming. Who will take home the prize and who will not make it out alive?

This action packed mystery thriller is action packed. Told from multiple POVs, it had good character development which made it easy to understand the actions of the characters. With lots of lies, cheating, stealing and secrets, nothing is quite what it seems. All the twists and turns keep things interesting.

This was a good read! I enjoyed it very much. For me, it took a bit to get into the story, but once I did...it was great! I didn't see the ending coming which is great! I will definitely add this author to my TBR list. I would definitely recommend this book to my friends!

First of all, I love this book cover! Aside from enjoying the author’s other books, this artwork jumped out at me. I loved hide and seek as a kid and reading an adult version set on a crumbling abandoned island in the middle of a storm excited me and I wanted to know more. I appreciated the backstories of the contestants and it helped sympathize and root for them right out of the gate - that first chapter?! Phew! However, I felt like this was more of a pick your own adventure story with a sprinkling of suspense. There weren’t the usual surprise twists that I love from this author and I was left feeling like some things were open ended like in the beginning when Adele found that room with the “stuff” - whose was it? And who killed “beep”?! I still want to know!

Lisa Unger’s newest book is not standout and even with an interesting setup, it fails to draw me in and overall lays out a bland mystery.

Lisa Unger is one of my favorite authors. However, this was not my favorite Lisa Unger book. She did not capture my attention the way she had in the past. I was easily distracted from the book in the beginning. The middle picked up. I enjoyed the characters. The ending was very predictable.

Close Your Eyes and Count to Ten* by Lisa Unger delivers a compelling setup with an intriguing mystery at its core. The story follows a protagonist dealing with a traumatic past, blending suspense with emotional exploration. Unger’s writing shines in creating tension and atmosphere, but the plot can feel uneven at times, with pacing that drags in places. While the characters are interesting, some of the twists are predictable. Overall, it's an enjoyable read for fans of psychological thrillers, but it may not fully satisfy those seeking a tightly woven narrative.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an ARC for review.

I am such a long time fan of Lisa Unger, but I struggled with this one. In my opinion, her best work will forever be The Hollows series that blends police work with mysteries. This one felt very trendy with its premise of an extreme hide and seek competition that is live streamed across social media platforms. None of the characters are particularly likeable and they are all just in it for the shares/views/followers. There are too many red herrings that don't really lead anywhere. The book was too long and could have been edited down.

Adele feels herself sinking. Life is overwhelming her. She is divorced, raising two teens, and deeply in debt. She was the wife of a financial analyst. He took funds from his clients and disappeared, leaving her to answer for his sins. The FBI keeps close tabs on Adele because she might know more than she is showing. She is on social media posting about her life as a single parent and a woman trying to get fit after years of self-neglect. Her son is a fan of an online personality that offers one million dollars to a survivor of extreme hide-and-seek at a secluded location. Adele is selected and prepares for this grueling game. There are problems surrounding the influencer. He is losing subscribers, losing sponsors, and losing money. He is counting on the event to rescue his brand. His last event ended with one of the participants going missing, will this event end the same way? Adele's children prepare to watch their mom compete. The remote island holds secrets and death. Will Adele win or even make it off the island?

The author has an imaginative story. A broke mom needs money and goes to the extreme to win a contest. Along the way we see the family attempting to hold their heads up in a town where they are judged guilty for the husband's mistakes. Unger captures the nuanced relationship mothers have with their children during their teen years. Very realistic! The social influencer and his crew are the perfect illustrations of how fleeting fame can be. A tropical storm on a nearly deserted island is the perfect backdrop for crime and Unger doesn't disappoint. The story begins to get muddled with so many happenings. A storm, murders, a missing person, and a contest become unwieldy. Bringing all these items together successfully ends the story but misses the opportunity to move social media back from being life to being a tool to use in life.

This is a good book to grab on a rainy fall day. It moves well and is highly entertaining. Can we call it a cozy psychological thriller?

I appreciate Harper Collins books, Harlequin Trade Publishing, and NetGalley for providing early access to this book.

This book is full of action and suspense. Seeing as how the extreme game show contestants are extreme risk takers, it is sure to be a fight to the death, isn’t it? If you are excited about the premise, you may be disappointed, as the game show takes a backseat to the real drama, that comes out of nowhere. The characters are very hard to pin down and there is no guessing the end. Interesting book, but disappointed on the twist it took. Thank you to NetGalley and Park Row for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you for the ARC. I got 30 percent into this book and just couldn't connect with it. I wanted to like it. Too many books in this world to read one I can't connect to. Sorry

Here is my confession…

I am a Huge fan of Lisa Unger, have been for many a decade. I love the fast pace, twisty, and delicious thrillers she writes.

“Close Your Eyes and Count to 10,” is one of my favorite 5. Our novel revolves around a group of successful Social Media Influencers that gather for a fun and innocent game of Hide and Seek. However, it turns out not to be so fun and so innocent when it becomes a game of survival for all,of them.

Full of tension spikes and twists this novel grabs you and has tou reading long into the night. It’s a fine commentary on social media and the power it has, either good or bad.

Thank You NetGalley and the Publisher for an eARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.