I didn’t really understand what was going on because the story didn’t keep my attention. I like the idea of a tv show like survivor and even the “haunted” aspect of hide and seek but I found myself getting bored.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin Audio/The Hive for an ALC in exchange for an honest review! #hivemember


⭐️ Rating: 3 stars
🎙️Audiobook? Yes. The narration was very enjoyable.
📚 Vibe Check: If The Challenge All-Stars was set on a remote, highly controversial island and each contestant had their own reasons for being there, but the producers were actually using all of them for their own gain.

💭 My Thoughts While Reading: What Worked for Me 👍
🔹 The premise- I have always loved reality shows, so I was immediately intrigued
🔹 The backstory- The plotline of there being an unsolved disappearance of a previous contestant kept things tense throughout.
🔹 The blend of reality tv/manufactured drama- I feel like a draw for any reality show is having to determine what aspect are real vs what is being manufactured by directors. So when that was a big part of the plotline, I was quite excited.

My Thoughts While Reading: What Didn’t Work for Me 👎
🔹The many characters- I'm usually a huge fan of a multi-POV books, but for some reason, I just never felt connected to these characters.
🔹 The pacing- It felt like there were alot of tense moments that felt like they were leading to a dramatic reveal, but then it just went back to a different plotline and all tension was lost.
🔹 The ending- No spoilers here, but the ending just felt very lackluster to me.

🔥 Final Verdict: This is a decently entertaining thriller that definitely delivers on a fun and unique setting; however, as a thriller, it felt a bit more psychological to me.

nope… not what I expected from LG. Usually impressed with some psychological thriller vibes but I felt like this fizzled out a loooot. Too many characters imo. It was meant to be a survival game mode event that really just led to side drama with a character’s business and online problems. I would have loved if it really focused on the survival game instead… oh well. Thank you to Harlequin Audio for my ARC.

3 Stars! 🌟 Huge thanks to Harlequin Audio & NetGalley for the ALC! 💌🎧

Okay, first off, this thriller had me intrigued from the jump! A secluded island + an extreme game of hide-and-seek? 🤩 Count me in! Add in a storm, dangerous secrets, and a group of influencers, and you've got a recipe for suspense! But... I can't lie, it didn’t totally blow me away.

🌪️ Survival Thriller
🕵️‍♀️ Psychological Deception
🌪️ Reality vs. Virtual Personas
🕵️‍♀️ Isolation
🌪️ Unreliable Narratives
🕵️‍♀️ Motherhood and Protection

💭 Thoughts: The premise is so fun—reality TV meets a locked-room mystery with a twist. And the setting? HELLO, it’s a remote island during a storm—such a perfect thriller backdrop! 🏝️ But while it was entertaining, the slow burn pace didn’t keep the excitement constant. I expected more edge-of-your-seat thrills, but it kind of dragged in the middle. ⏳

💡 Biggest win: The social media commentary was on point! 👏 It totally made me reflect on how much we all get caught up in the virtual world. Watching these influencers trying to survive while also playing for a million bucks felt like a total commentary on how far people will go for fame, views, and money. 💸 And Adele was chef's kiss—a mother willing to do anything for her kids. ❤️ That grit really kept me hooked!

🚨 What could’ve been better: The plot could’ve had a bit more oomph, especially with the creepy island vibes and the potential cult stuff that felt underutilized. Like, COME ON, that had so much potential for some extra thrills. 😩 And the whole multiple POVs thing? Yeah, it was a bit much. I had to focus hard to keep track of everyone’s storyline! 🙄

But the last 100 pages?? Now that’s where the book finally picked up! The twists were chef’s kiss 🫣 and the ending was solid, even if the journey there was a tad slow for me.

📍 Perfect for fans of:
✧ Reality TV Thrillers 📺
✧ Isolated Settings 🌧️
✧ High Stakes Games 💰
✧ Slow Burn Mysteries 🔥
✧ Social Media Drama 📱

✨ In conclusion: If you’re into a slow burn with some secrets, twists, and a great backdrop, you’ll probably enjoy this one. Just be ready for the pacing to mess with your suspense level a bit!

I love a locked room thriller. It's my favorite genre. I also love Lisa Unger, and so I went into Close Your Eyes and Count to 10 with high hopes, but, ultimately, I wasn't able to develop a connection with it. It's totally possible that it's me and not the book, and there definitely an audience for this new release, and I will recommend it to thriller lovers, especially lovers of reality extreme games.

A fun and exciting premise that didn't quite hold up to my expectations. With a Reality TV show premise in an isolated setting, there was a lot of hope here. We were led with a slow burn and multiple POV's trying to take a stab against social media influencers. Overall, it just fell a bit flat. The narration however was fantastic- Shoutout to Vivienne Leheny! 3.5 stars rounded up to 4. Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin Audio for the ALC!

Close Your Eyes and Count to Ten by Lisa Unger involves a high-stakes game of hide-and-seek hosted by the daredevil Maverick Dillan on a remote island. What begins as a typical reality TV game quickly escalates into a deadly survival contest. Single mother Adele finds herself navigating this treacherous game, determined to uncover the truth and reunite with her family.

Narrator Vivienne Leheny does an incredible job of capturing the tension and dread throughout the story while giving each of the many characters a distinct voice. The multiple perspectives and rich backstories kept me completely hooked!

I loved the eerie setting of this book. Everyone arrives on this deserted, isolated island. And the game is played in a crumbling abandoned hotel. Creepy is an understatement!

As someone who loves fiercely protective moms willing to do anything for their children, Adele, with her determination, quick thinking, and kindness, really resonated with me.

If you enjoy multiple POV, fast-paced psychological thrillers filled with secrets and the seductive lure of money, grab this entertaining listen!

You know that feeling when you start a book, and it’s exactly what you hoped for—then suddenly, it takes a turn, and you’re left wondering where your original excitement went? That was Close Your Eyes and Count to Ten for me.

The premise? Fantastic. A struggling influencer mom, desperate for cash, signs up for an extreme game of hide-and-seek on a mysterious island. High stakes, high tension—sign me up! And for a while, it delivered exactly that. Will they find her, will they find him? But just as I was settling in for the ultimate game, the story veered off course, diving into the backstories of the event organizers and their shady dealings. While that story had its moments, I couldn’t help but feel like I’d signed up for a heart-pounding survival game and ended up going in a totally different direction. I kept wanting to get back to the game, but instead, I was tangled up in side plots I wasn’t as invested in.

Lisa Unger is a solid writer, and I’d absolutely pick up another of her books. But I felt this one tried to do too much instead of leaning into what was already working so well.

If you love thrillers with layered storytelling and don’t mind a bit of a shift mid-game, you will probably enjoy this one.

Thanks you Harlequin Audio, Net Galley and Lisa Unger for this advance listen copy in exchange for my honest review.

DeAnn @deannsreadingriot

Listening to this book as an audiobook took the tension and immersion to the next level. The narration made the game’s high stakes feel even more intense, pulling me straight into the storm-ravaged island and the deadly hide-and-seek competition.

Adele’s character really shined in audio format. She’s a single mom who’s just trying to survive—both in the game and in life—and her internal struggles felt even more raw with the right voice behind them. There’s something about hearing her fake her confidence, her fear, and her determination that made her even more relatable. It’s not often we get thriller protagonists who are older, juggling real-life responsibilities, and still proving they can hold their own.

The audiobook also made the reality-show aspect feel incredibly immersive. It reminded me of watching Celebrity Bear Hunt with Bear Grylls—except instead of just watching, I felt like I was there, experiencing every twist alongside the contestants. The way social media was woven into the story was another layer that hit differently in audio format. From the pressures teenagers face to fit in to the impossible expectations of motherhood, these themes really resonated, making the thriller feel all too real.

If you’re into survival thrillers, reality-show competitions, or books that explore the messy realities of life behind the scenes, this audiobook is absolutely worth your time. The narration enhances the suspense, the emotions, and the high-stakes game in a way that makes it impossible to pause.

Twist after twist with this one! 😮😮😮.
But, I wouldn’t expect anything less from Lisa Unger!!

The picture is painted for us of a single Mom (Adele) raising her two teenagers alone after her husband DISAPPEARED after stealing a lot of money from a lot of people! She’s desperately trying to get-by, and has even begun live-streaming portions of her life, as she’s built up a following of how she’s trying to improve herself and her family after the mess her husband left her in!

So, when her son learns of an Extreme Challenge that is taking place on a remote island, he thinks of his Mom… and pushes her to enter, in order to try to win the big prize money offered! After all, she’s been training now, and she just might be able to win! Right? Her daughter also believes she has a good chance, and begs her to take the challenge on.

So, Adele goes off and leaves her daughter in charge of her son. She gets to the island early and tries a boots-on-the-ground approach, in order to try to learn a bit about the island and just what she’ll be up against. And she begins meeting the other contestants… and, forming bonds with them.

She also meets Maverick, the guy in charge. He almost seems larger than life with his huge TV personality! As well as Angeline, Gustavo, Hector, Alex and the crew.

Along with this, we meet Petra, almost like a High Priestess of the island. She warns them all to GO HOME. It’s not safe here for you! 🤔😬😮 And her big, muscle-bound goons are right by her side…. She also warns them of the impending storm that’s going to hit the island soon…and may do a lot of damage… which would at least cause trouble for them, and at worst, may result in death!
But… no one is leaving, as they all want the prize money!! 💰

Mind you, THIS IS AN OUTLINE!! There’s so much going on in this one, your head will be spinning!😵‍💫

4 solid ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ for me!

#CloseYourEyesAndCountTo10 by #LisaUnger and narrated beautifully by #VivienneLeheny.

Thanks so much to #NetGalley and #HarlequinAudio for an ARC of the audiobook which is due to be released TODAY, 2/25/25! So, look 👀 for it on shelves now!

You can also find my reviews on: Goodreads,
Insta @BookReviews_with_emsr and/or
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Thanks so much for reading! And if you ‘liked’ my review, please share with your friends, & click ‘LIKE’ below… And, let me know YOUR thoughts if you read it!! 📚⭐️

2.5⭐️ this one had a very interesting setup with a very flat execution 😭

i thought this was gonna be high stakes, adventure game show gone wrong vibes. the premise of “tough survivalist influencers get invited to an Extreme game of hide & seek on a creepy island and everything goes wrong” sounded VERY fun

the buildup was good, with introducing all the main “players” in the “game” and starting to show the cracks early on…

but then it just lost sight of the premise completely. no exciting twists, my adrenaline never rushed, and the ending was so lackluster

i really liked the narrator however and the audio kept me interested enough to keep going!

I always enjoy Lisa Unger's books, and I was so excited to read the ARC from Netgalley - thank you!
A high stake, crazy game of hide and seek, a husband that has disappeared, social media stars and a remote island lay the background for this book, which blasts off from page one. The book is dynamic and fast paced, with writing that is gripping and insightful. The characters are well formed, and the jumping narratives are easy to follow. Overall, the book is a great read, and keeps you entertained the whole way through. I highly recommend!

I wouldn't say this was my favorite by Unger but it was definitely twisty, with a group of influencers travelling to a remote island for a reality competition only to have the bodies start piling up. Told from multiple POVs, it was at times difficult to keep track of who was who but certain characters stood out more than others and I had one in particular I was rooting for. Good on audio and recommended for fans of authors like Ruth Ware or Alice Feeney. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital and audio copy in exchange for my honest review!

Big thank you to NetGalley, Harlequin Audio & Harlequin Trade Publishing (Park Row) for the advanced copies of this new novel coming tomorrow, 2/25!!

While I did find this enjoyable, it felt like there was a ton going on. There are a lot of characters and they are all doing quite a bit throughout the story. I did also find this to be a storyline that we've read before from other authors, but I liked how Unger added a certain aspect here (don't want to give it away in my review!). It reminded me a bit of a movie, but in book form!

I think this is a fun read for sure and a little bit of a different spin for this particular storyline, but it was just overall okay for me.
It may hit you differently though so I always suggest you give every book a chance!

I am very thankful to have had the audio as well as I think it helped bring some of these characters to life for me and give me a better take on them. Great job to our narrator for that!

This was a one-day listen. I could not stop! A great story about what a Mom will do for her kids. There were so many layers and nuances. I didn't see some of it coming and that was a delight. It was about more than a mom, but a woman and a family and friends and how it all worked together to scare us to death. A great story!

Well, I will probably be in the minority here but this just didn’t do it for me. There premise was strong as I love a good game inside a thriller but ultimately it was a letdown. This suffered from too many POVs - I feel like you didn’t get to know any characters very well since it bounced around so much. The team running the game were incredibly annoying and unlikable. Adele’s backstory was unnecessary (like, what did this add to the plot?!) Maybe you will have a better time though!

Thank you to Netgalley for the ARC!

The premise of the book was so intriguing... but the book seriously fell flat. The narrator did a terrible job of trying to do different accents for various characters and wasn't successful with any of them. The book was meant to be about a survival game, but focused so much the characters trivial drama and hardly any focus on the survival game. None of the characters were likable enough to care what happened to them. This is the first Lisa Unger book I've read, and I won't be rushing to read more.

Lisa Unger is one of my favorite authors but I just think this particular title came out too close to others like it. A high stakes game of hide and seek on an island. A dive into social media as well. It would have been better if it had been edited 50 more pages. It definitely kept me reading though and that's not something I take lightly.

A thriller highlighting a secluded island and the ultimate game of hide and seek? Yes please! With multiple POVs and characters, this slow burn whodunit was entertaining from the beginning to the end. It was fun to read a story with trendy topics/specialities like social media influencers and reality tv shows. If you enjoy secluded islands, reality tv, and locked room thrillers, I highly suggest this one.
Close Your Eyes and Count to 10 is out tomorrow, 02.25.25!

Thank you NetGalley and Harlequin Audio for the ALC and the chance to review it honestly 🤗

“What did they need with a game like this? But, of course, there was only one answer ever: money. People, she learned, would do just about any asinine thing for it, especially if they didn’t have to actually earn it.”

What would you do for followers? Me? Nothing. 😂😂

Extreme hide and seek…but with influencers. Oh my haha. This book started off rather slow for a thriller. Although it did pick up as the games begin there are a plethora of characters and that may have been a deterrent. It is told from multiple pov which keeps the suspense up but ultimately I enjoy a faster paced thriller.

I did enjoy the audiobook, though. The narration keeps the suspense up quite nicely.

Thank you to Netgalley, Harlequin Audio, Park Row Books, and the author for the ALC and ARC in exchange for my honest thoughts.