This is my first Lisa Unger book. For me it was good in some ways (I liked the game concept!) and just okay in others. I will try more by this author to see if there is one that is a better fit. Thank you to Netgalley and the author for an e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

*Thank you to Harlequin Audio and NetGalley for the ARC of this book!*
Adele has fallen on hard times after the scandal her husband left behind for her and her two kids to deal with. She is in need of money and fast! She enters a contest by extreme adventurist and social influencer, Maverick Dillion by playing an intense game of hide and seek. Once the contestants have arrived, their fun game turns into a deadly reality as they face a major storm on the horizon. It also seems as if someone is lurking in the shadows trying to make this game more sinister than it is supposed to be. Can Adele survive the storm and the evils at the game and make it back to her family?

This was a great psychological thriller that I enjoyed listening to. I was hooked from the very beginning and didn’t have a clue how it would turn out. I wish the ending had more of a twist but overall I thought it was a great read. If you like clean mysteries/psychological thrillers, then give this one a read!!

Lisa Unger is a great writer, but I wanted a bit more from this book.

The reality show/social media influencer stories have been done many times in thrillers, but this setting was the absolute perfect opportunity for a ton of scares and high-stakes moments that would help this book stand out—and I didn’t feel like we got a whole lot. I wanted more creepy island happenings! There really weren’t ANY tense or thrillery moments with the main character, and the couple exciting moments in general resolved so quickly,

* Somewhat Spoilery Observation Coming: Proceed At Your Own Risk*


A fun part of thrillers is guessing who’s behind it all, and when the answer is basically “yes” to no matter who you name, it’s not all that exciting!

Lisa Unger books can be hit or miss for me. This one wasn't my favorite of hers, but it wasn't bad, either. I think the audio narration really did it justice. This was the perfect format to keep me interested through some parts of the plot where the pacing was a bit off.

Unger definitely knows how to build suspense, and the setup was full of potential: social media influencers, mysterious dangers, and a game that quickly becomes a nightmare.

I found Adele to be a really likeable protagonist. She’s not your typical thriller heroine—she’s grounded, driven by love for her kids, and totally unprepared for the chaos she’s thrown into, which made her super relatable. The action scenes were tense and cinematic, and I was genuinely invested in figuring out who—or what—was behind it all.

A few of the twists felt a bit over-the-top, though, and some of the side characters leaned a little too hard into cliché territory. Plus, while the concept was gripping, the execution occasionally felt more reality show drama than psychological thriller. Still, it’s a fun, fast-paced read if you’re in the mood for something wild and slightly unhinged.

Hands down, one of the BEST audiobooks I’ve ever listened to. The narration? Chilling. The tension? Chef’s kiss. I was hanging on every whispered word, questioning everyone, and definitely side-eyeing my surroundings like I was in the story.

Lisa Unger doesn’t just write thrillers—she unleashes them. Twisty, atmospheric, and emotionally sharp, this one had me holding my breath, forgetting time, and absolutely refusing to press pause.

If you're looking for your next audio obsession—something dark, smart, and totally unputdownable—Close Your Eyes and Count to Ten is it. Just… maybe don’t listen alone at night. Or in the woods. Or near creaky floors. 👀🔦

Close Your Eyes and Count to 10 by Lisa Unger is a fast-moving and exciting mystery. The story takes place in two locations—the U.S. and a small Portuguese island—which made it feel unique and interesting. There are two separate mysteries that slowly connect, and I was hooked trying to figure out how everything fit together.

The story moves quickly and kept my attention, but there are more than ten different points of view. That made it a little confusing at times. Some characters were really well developed, while others felt a bit flat. I found myself wanting to know more about a few of them.

Even with that, I really enjoyed the book and was eager to see how it would all end. Thanks to NetGalley for the advanced listener copy!

Close Your Eyes and Count to 10 is a bit different from other Lisa Unger thrillers I have read. It was still a good story, but had a family element, mystery and a social media aspect. Things are tough for Adele and her two teenagers. Her husband embezzled a lot of money from his company and when the police were closing in, he disappeared. The town has not treated the family well. Her son is being terribly bullied at school and Adel is have trouble making ends meet. Her son has been playing an online video game and through one of the players her learns about a livestream hide and seek game on isolated Falcao Island. The game is being sponsored by charismatic, daredevil, influencer, Maverick Dillan. Adele applies and is invited to participate to win the million dollar prize. She is sure this will solve all their problems. Once she arrives the contestants meet, but there is a vicious storm coming in. They are advised to leave, but no one wants to give up before they start. There are other influencers, a washed up children's TV star and Adele. With the help of her son's friend, who just happened to live on Falcao Island, she had a good idea where to go and hide. As the storm gets worse, they are in danger. Who will survive?

This story was a slow build up, as Adele's and her family's story took some time to lay out. Once she gets to the island, the pace picks up quickly. There are side stories dealing with the other players as well as Maverick and his partners that are all part of the suspense. When someone disappears, the tension ratchets up. The setting was very eerie and atmospheric. The hotel on the island had been abandoned years earlier and it was crumbling and nature was reclaiming the land. I liked Adele, she was realistic and helped others, even if it diminished her chances of winning. The only thing I didn't like about her was that she left her two teenagers to risk her life for money. I guess until you are in that situation, it's hard to tell what you would be willing to do. The story gets a bit sinister, with some secrets being revealed what could result in someone's death. The ending pulled everything together in a rather quick way, leaving me satisfied, but not overly so. Although I enjoyed this book, it was not one of my favourites by Lisa Unger. I was able to do a read/listen with this book and I enjoyed the narration by Vivienne Leheny. She gives voice to the various characters, and her storytelling skills were excellent. I definitely enjoyed listening to this one.

This slow burn thriller was a bit of a miss for me. I loved the premise of this one, but there were so many POVs that it was overwhelming for me, and it felt like nothing was happening for a decent portion of the book. The second half of the book was admittedly better and was much more captivating.

This one was a tad hard for me to fully commit too. It just felt like other thrillers I have read before, nothing exciting and attention grabbing. It was "just okay".

Thank you for this audio arc!

Close Your Eyes and Count to Ten by Lisa Unger was a really solid psychological thriller. Out of her last few releases, I’ve definitely enjoyed the most recent ones the most, and this one was no exception. I absolutely love stories that throw a group of people into a remote location and let the you know what unfold….and this one delivered on that front. The audiobook was also really well done and kept me engaged from start to finish. If you enjoy twisty mysteries set in secluded places with a good dose of suspense, this one is worth checking out.

That said, I do wish the book had focused a bit more on the actual game element. There were quite a few plot lines going on, and while they were interesting, I found myself wanting the story to hone in just a little more. Still, the overall pacing and tension worked, and I stayed invested the whole time. It’s a steady four-star read for me, and I recommend it to fans of psychological thrillers with that classic “strangers in isolation” setup.
Good times, good book. 🤓

Adele is a single mom barely making ends meet for her and her two kids as a fitness influencer. Her son Blake suggests that she takes part in an extreme game of hide-and-seek on a deserted island, hosted by daredevil Maverick Dillan. Social media exposure and the chance for $1 Million, what could go wrong? But when a severe storm beings to rage and another threat starts to stalk the contestants and crew alike, they all must fight to survive.

I enjoyed the twists and pace of this novel. And it was an interesting element to layer on the social media and extreme adventure elements. But I just wanted a little bit more out of this book. It feel like the structure and plan was there, but there were several unnecessary subplots and gaps, such as including Adele's husband in the story. This is a quick thriller read for those interested in thriller and social media elements. Based on the writing and structure alone, I look forward to reading other books by Unger.

Thank you to Harlequin Audio, NetGalley, and Lisa Unger for this advance listener copy in exchange for my honest feedback.

Maverick Dillon is the face of Extreme Games. He's daring, reckless, handsome and the host of a hit game show, Hide and Seek.
Adele is a single mother who is desperate for the one million dollar prize, willing to give the show a chance despite a contestant disappearing from a previous challenge. What she didn't expect was for a game of hide and seek to turn into a game of survival when a storm hits Falcao Island and the CFO of Extreme Games goes missing.

A fun way to consume this story. The narrator was great, had an even tone and read all the characters well. I would have loved multiple narrators. This would have been a great story for multiple narrators.

A abandoned manor on a remote island draws an extreme challenge show producer to throw a million dollars up for grabs- to whoever wins a dark and deadly game of hide and seek. All of this while the nation watches.

An interesting story, for sure. There were a few loose ends that could have been tied up at the end- I'm still waiting foe the rest of the Miller story. Over all 4 stars for this audio,

An extreme game of hide-and-seek on a remote island sounds like the experience of a lifetime, with one winner being promised a life-changing cash prize. Adele, a single mother determined to set up a future for her family, takes her social media presence into the daredevil adventure in hopes of winning it all. Quickly, things start to turn as the contests, and hosts, realize that things are far more nefarious than expected.

As with most locked-door thrillers, this story takes a bit of time to set up. Truthfully, longer than would be ideal as I did almost lose interest. Things started to pick up and in the last one third or so really escalated in intensity. What kept me hooked was the desire to know what was going to happen not only in this game, but also a secondary mystery from the past. How would it all connect, and who would make it out alive?

I enjoyed the audio version, and I think listening to it actually helped me stay engaged a bit more as I was able to take in the story while also being productive.

Overall a fair mystery, but not my favorite of Lisa Unger's. I feel like there was a lot of setup for not very much bang. Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin Audio for my eARC in exchange for an honest review!

The audio was hard for me to follow. I found it hard to differentiate between which character was speaking, and the story seemed to not really come together by the halfway mark. This one fell flat for me as I didn’t really relate to any but one character.

This one has a lot of twists and turns. I did have it figured out, but it had me guessing for a bit. It's relevant to today's times with social media and influencers. It touches on how, we as a society, can't seem to stop. I recommend the audiobook, Vivienne Leheny was excellent.

Close Your Eyes and Count to Ten is the first of Lisa Unger’s books that I’ve read. The reality show element was different take on a familiar topic. I found the story interesting, and the high stakes kept me listening. I enjoyed the weaving of multiple side stories which made the characters more relatable. The narration was well done as well. I will be reading more of Lisa Unger’s books.

Lisa Unger knows how to bring chills down your back with a book! Wow! I could not get over how suspenseful this book was and how intense the characters were. I loved it!

I enjoyed this latest book by Lisa Unger. Set on a remote island fiercely protected by its locals, a company sets up a reality competition and streams it live. We follow Adele as a single woman reclaiming her life after her husband walks out on them with millions of embezzled funds from his company. As Adele fights for the million-dollar prize we soon find the game unraveling amid scandal and corruption of its own... will she find herself fighting for her life? There are a few holes in the plot I will not discuss due to spoilers, but overall still a quick and intriguing listen. I received an ARC of this audiobook and recommend you check it out.

I just finished Close Your Eyes and Count to 10 by Lisa Unger and here is my review.

Adele needs something to give… After her husband disappeared, the FBI are still looking for him… She can barely pay the bills… Her son convinces her to the ultimate game of hide and seek in an abandoned hotel.. For a very large prize… The game is going to be fought with peril and something more is happening… Something the organizers were not anticipating.

OH this book was on FIREEEEEEE!!!

Adele's husband was caught embezzling from his own company. That was wild enough but the organizer of the games is shrouded in controversy after someone went missing on another game of hide and seek. The pace was incredible and the tone of the book was so dark I couldn’t see my hand in front of my face!

I wasn’t thrilled with all the POVs. I get why it was done but it made me enjoy the book a little less. I thought the ending could have been more exciting too. It fell a bit flat for me there. I thought all the messaging on social media was a really strong part of the plot. It was super clever but it was a tad slower than I normally want in my thrillers but even with having said what I said…. I really enjoyed it. The narration was top notch and I really got sucked into it. Tighten up that ending to be a bit more exciting and it would have been the best of the year.

4 stars