This is my honest review of Close Your Eyes And Count To Ten by Lisa Unger. Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC audiobook. I normally enjoy this author’s stories…until I read this.

Scattered plot. No urgency in entire book. Secrets, affairs, millions of viewers for the extreme events and not enough money for the grand prize. Single mom whose husband disappeared a few years ago, she needs to make some money and applies to an extreme game of hide and seek. A previous game a female went missing.

Character development lacked. Too many characters and I didn’t care what happened to any of them. Book builds on “the game” of hide and seek but barely focused on the game compared to the real world. I hated the accents.

Missing husband returns, missing girl comes back, injuries, deaths, villain is the bankrupt business man, no big twist.

I loved the ending to this mystery! i was not expecting it to end that way and I was pleasantly surprised. This was a fun and twisty mystery that kept me guessing up to the end. I look forward to reading more of Lisa Unger's work in the future.

Vivienne Leheny did a great job narrating this novel and I will be looking for more books narrated by Vivienne in the future.

Another fantastic book from 𝗟𝗶𝘀𝗮 𝗨𝗻𝗴𝗲𝗿! Compulsive and extreme, this dark psychological thriller will have you on the edge of your seat.
Set on a remote island, contestants are thrown into a high-stakes game of hide and seek. Fast-paced and dramatic, the story keeps you guessing as secrets unravel and paranoia takes hold. A gripping, unforgettable experience.

Another fantastic book from 𝗟𝗶𝘀𝗮 𝗨𝗻𝗴𝗲𝗿! Compulsive and extreme, this dark psychological thriller will have you on the edge of your seat.
Set on a remote island, contestants are thrown into a high-stakes game of hide and seek. Fast-paced and dramatic, the story keeps you guessing as secrets unravel and paranoia takes hold. A gripping, unforgettable experience.

Lisa Unger has grown so much as a writer and her books keep getting better and better. The idea for this book including the setting, characters, and storyline were engaging and unique. I like how Unger consistently references current events and cultural discussions in her books without being overbearing or turning the book into something it isn't. I consider Unger books to be entertaining books somewhere between a basic book and literary fiction. She's grown tremendously since her first books with better, more succinct writing and less internal opining on her characters. Highly recommend this book.

I really liked Lisa Unger’s previous books I’ve picked up, but "Close Your Eyes and Count to 10" was unfortunately a miss. With the slow pace and numerous alternating POVs, it wasn’t the thriller I was expecting. The premise was fun (secluded island + an extreme game of hide-and-seek) but there wasn’t enough suspense/mystery, with some parts predictable and some even cringey. It dragged way too often and I was disappointed in the overall execution. Thank you to Netgalley and Harlequin Audio for my gifted copy! (2.75 stars)

Close Your Eyes and Count to 10 by Lisa Unger offers a gripping start with an intriguing premise that pulls you in right away. The suspense builds well in the beginning, making for an engaging read, but the conclusion feels rushed and leaves many questions unanswered, detracting from the overall impact.

Lisa Unger weaves an invigorating series of events and characters that keep you hooked and wanting more! Thank you NetGalley and HarperAudio for the audio arc in exchange for my honest opinion.

Close Your Eyes And Count To 10 by Lisa Unger.
This story has a fun premise. The story follows a group of players in an extreme game of hide-and-seek on Falcao Island. A reality game show with a huge cash prize. What a story full of twists and turns!
Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC copy.

Big thanks to NetGalley and Park Row Books for the advanced audio copy of Close Your Eyes and Count to Ten by Lisa Unger! All opinions are my own.

I really enjoyed listening to this audiobook. The story was engaging, told from multiple perspectives, and each character felt distinct and well-defined. What I loved most was how none of the characters were purely good or evil—everyone fell into shades of gray, which made them feel real and complex. It kept me hooked, and I’m so glad I read it. I’d definitely recommend it to others!

One thing that stood out to me was how this book didn’t feel like a traditional thriller. Even though there were several different mysteries woven throughout, the pacing and storytelling had a different vibe from what I expect in a psychological thriller. In some ways, it felt almost like a cozy mystery but with thriller elements mixed in. While that could have been jarring, I actually think it added to the story. It wasn’t exactly what I expected, but that wasn’t a bad thing at all.

Vivienne Leheny did a great job narrating, giving each character their own unique voice. I liked the rhythm of her narration, but I have to admit it was a little slow for my taste. I’m usually a purist about listening to audiobooks at normal speed, but I had to bump this one up to 1.25x. That small change made all the difference, and after that, I was completely immersed in the story.

Overall, this was a great listen, and I’d totally recommend it!

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: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

The audiobook was great! The story wasn't my favorite, but the quality of the audio made listening enjoyable.

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 was a solid thriller that actually had multiple mysteries in it. Where is Miller? Where is Chloe? Did Mav steal the money? Who is Mav’s blackmailer?
A lot going on for a game of extreme hide and seek. Adele does it for the million dollar prize— it would be life changing for her and her kids. Mav doesn’t even have the million but is banking on sponsors coming up. But Chloe having gone missing last time is a stain on their business, and then with all the weird stuff that happens while the Lives are happening. It turns out to be an extreme game of hide and seek but not with the players expected.

Thank you Harlequin Audio for the listen!

I’m a huge fan of Lisa Unger, so I was thrilled to get my hands on this one—and it did not disappoint! The New Couple in 5B is an absolute thrill ride from start to finish.

Adele is a single mother raising her two children, seventeen-year-old Violet and fifteen-year-old Blake. Her ex-husband, Miller, has been on the run for years after being convicted of fraud and embezzlement, leaving Adele to shoulder the weight of their financial struggles. Meanwhile, Blake is being relentlessly bullied at school but keeps it to himself out of fear of making things worse. His one escape? Online gaming.

Desperate for a way out of debt, Adele makes a bold decision—she signs up for Extreme Hide and Seek, a high-stakes competition on a remote island with a $1 million prize. Blake is terrified for her but admires her determination to turn their lives around. However, when Adele arrives, something about the island feels off. The entire competition is being live-streamed, and as the game begins, it quickly spirals into something far more sinister than she ever anticipated.

From the moment Adele steps onto the island, the tension skyrockets. The pacing is relentless, the twists are shocking, and I was on the edge of my seat the entire time! Each chapter delivers new surprises, making it impossible to put down. If you love high-stakes thrillers packed with suspense, this is a must-read!

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 Audio for the advance copy of this thrilling read!

Close Your Eyes and Count to 10 and write this review. 😳

This is my first Lisa Unger book, and I honestly don't know how I feel about it. And reading other reviews will probably not help you decide either. Reviews for this book are all over the place. So, if you're on the fence about it, just read it-

This is a little different than most suspense books I have read, mainly because the premise is unlike anything I usually pick up. I think some people aren't going to like this because it isn't a cut and dry story line, and I think that is what people are looking for. It seems people want an out of the norm story with a storyline that is more typical. But I don't think you can have both.

This book was a little disjointed for me, which is why it didn't get 5 stars, and it was really a 3.5 rounded up to 4. But I haven't read the author's other work, so I don't know what else to compare this to. Some others who have reviewed this say it was a little slow, and I would say it is middle of the road for a thriller/suspense/mystery. I wouldn't say it is a page turner, but it isn't really a slow-burn either. So it is different in the pacing of the book.

This book is for you if:
.✔ A little out there storyline/premise
✔ Multiple characters and points of view
✔ twists
✔ weird location with crazy weather

❌ weird, sometimes slow pacing
❌ sometimes confusing narration (for me anyway)
❌ frustrating/selfish characters that you want to punch

Again, if you are on the fence about this book, give it a try- we all like different stuff, and this may end up being one of your favorites.

✨If you’re a fan of Beat Games, extreme hide and seek, murder, mystery, and twists, this is a great option.
Overall I enjoyed the story. At first I thought it was going to be about Adele and her family, finding out what happened to leave them where they were. But then we get introduced to more characters, and more characters and I began to be a bit confused on who this story is really about. They’re all MCs? It was kinda fun but a bit confusing. The characters are fun and you do get to enjoy some of their backstories that lead them to where they are. The chapters are quite long which I’m not a huge fan of.

I listened to this on audio, and the audio was done well. I enjoyed the various voices to help differentiate between characters.✨

Thank you NetGalley for the ability to view this as an ARC.

How fun would it be to play an adult version of Hide & Seek? Now offer a one million dollar prize, an island location, a tropical storm, AND deep, dark secrets. Close Your Eyes And Count To Ten is the newest book by Lisa Unger, bringing a group of social media influencers together to battle it out to be the lucky winner. But it can’t be that easy, right?

I jumped into this audiobook with so much excitement! The premise for this story is like my own personal dreams coming true (minus the shady stuff). I was a little disappointed that the storyline was spread so thinly amongst an entire cast of characters. While it added a multifaceted aspect, it confused me quite a few times. And maybe it was meant to be, but the only character I enjoyed was Adele- the rest were purely unlikeable.

This story takes bits and pieces of the past and brings them together to provide a clearer picture at the end. I enjoyed how we learned about Adele’s past through breadcrumbs throughout the story. I also liked how the author provided the reader with a desire to see her win- as if we were part of her social following.

I struggled a little bit getting into the book. The first few chapters had me hooked and ready to read it in one sitting. But then the pacing fell off, we explored new characters, and it took away from what I was hoping for. It was similar to those TV shows where you get really invested in one scene- but then it switches over to a different character scene and you just want to go back to the first one.

Overall, I typically LOVE Lisa Unger’s books, but this one falls into the “like” category. I want to thank NetGalley and Harlequin Audio for the ALC.

I was excited about *Close Your Eyes and Count to 10* — an extreme game of hide-and-seek on a stormy island with a shady crew that sounded like the *Hunger Games* of hide-and-seek. But it didn’t live up to the hype.

There were too many storylines — the game, Chloe, Adele’s missing husband, and the island’s dark past — which I felt overshadowed the main plot. The long chapters and too many characters made it hard to stay hooked, and the slow pacing didn’t help. Speaking of characters, the narrator did a good job managing the different characters but this book could have benefited from multiple narrators.

The setting and atmosphere were solid, but the core game element got lost. Not one I’d recommend unless you’re patient with slow burns and complex plots.

*2.5 stars rounded up to 3 stars*