Hide and seek reality tv game on a secluded island! It’s a fast paced book. The cast and characters were all very interesting and made the read so captivating. I loved the multiple point of view of a few of the players. Lots of secrets and twists. The storm and atmosphere of the island really amped up the experience with this story. I recommend going in blind to just experience the game and book.

The audiobook is narrated by Vivienne Leheny. Such an easy audiobook to listen to and follow even with all the various characters. I found the story really captivating.

A game of hide-and-seek where you can win $1 million? Say less, I was hooked! This read was an absolute blast, filled with adrenaline-pumping twists and turns. Not only do you have the wild game of hide-and-seek, but there's also a video game challenge thrown into the mix with Adele's son—talk about a chaotic thrill ride!

While the plot was packed with excitement, I did feel like we were left hanging on some details. Nonetheless, it was superbly written and kept me on the edge of my seat. If you're up for a rollercoaster of a story, this one’s definitely worth the ride! I really enjoyed the narrator!

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

Audio review: The audio is a fine way to take in the story. No complaints. I will say a full cast narration would have been cool but this book is so darn good it's not needed!

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.

Fight for survival ensues during a supposed to be tv show. Full of twists and turns on a very creepy island. I will recommend. But all and all kind of a forgettable read.

Close your eyes and count to 10 was a typical twisty mystery. It was Pretty easy to figure out but I enjoyed the story. It’s a good reminder everyone we see online is only letting us see what they want us to see.

3.5 stars rounded up.

I love mystery/thriller audiobooks because I feel like I get more immersed in the story if the narration is done well. I did enjoy it here. Vivienne Leheny did a great job, particularly with different accents for various characters. With how many different POVs were featured across individual chapters, I do wish there had been at least one additional narrator to help differentiate between them a bit better. If I happened to miss a chapter intro it would take me a bit to catch the context clues needed to figure out which POV I was in.

As for the story, the premise of extreme hide and seek was so intriguing to me. The location and atmosphere with a literal storm brewing as the metaphorical storm amped up was a perfect setting for the game. I wanted more of the actual game though. There were a lot of side/backstories and histories that ended up creating most of the plot. They were all interesting and I was never bored with them, but I was looking forward to some intensity surrounding the main event that never really got to play out. The way the story was told was very well done though and even for the reveals that didn’t surprise me, the lead up and execution were wonderfully crafted.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin Audio for the ALC in exchange for an honest review.

I listened to the audio book version of this book. The narrator did an amazing job bringing the story to life. Lisa Unger utterly kept me captivated with her storytelling, and the characters were so diverse and interesting. I was hooked from the beginning, and I couldn't put it down. I thought this was such a good book. And the twist... it was so well done. I am so glad I got the chance to read this book. I think that Lisa is in a class of her own. I can't wait for more from her. I highly recommend this book to other thriller/mystery readers.

Thank you Net Galley, Harlequin, and Lisa Unger

Close your eyes and count to 10

Adele is off in an adventure when she joins a reality show for influencers that is marketed as extreme hide and seek. She’s leaving her teen kids for a chance at a million dollars and a fresh start after her husband committed fraud and went into hiding 5 years earlier.

She receives text messages warning her about the reality show. The host island is where an abandoned hotel used to be and rumors of it being haunted are rampant. Not to mention the sketchy host who is over promising on the experience and was at the center of a missing girl in a different contest. His crew is following apart and his past is creeping up on him.

Oh yes, and a big storm is coming in because of course it is !!

This reminded me of One Perfect Couple, I liked the reality show thriller, corporate corruption, and paranormal sprinkled in. Would’ve liked more of the survival elements and them actually playing the game, but was still enjoyable !

It was strange the first part of the book was heavily focused on Adele and her experience and then that all pushed to the background and focus shifted to Mav, the show host and that sub plot.


Thanks to NetGalley and Harlequin Audio for the ALC in exchange for an honest review. Release date 2/25/25.

Close Your Eyes and Count to 10 by Lisa Unger
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In an old building on an island, social media influencers gather for a game of extreme hide and seek. The host is Maverick and he has recently been under stress due to threats and the investigation into a girl who went missing in a previous challenge.
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What I liked:
-There were so many secrets! I didn’t know who was telling the truth and who was lying.
-I loved the setting: an old building on an island, and what’s this? A sudden storm is coming? Loved.
-Adele’s character. She brought great mama bear vibes to the story.
-I got to listen to the audio and the narrator was great. It was easy to fall into listening to this story and forget the real world.
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4⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ This story really sucked me in and I couldn’t stop.

I love a thriller set inside a game that goes wrong and the premise of Close Your Eyes and Count to 10 is just that. This story is creepy, atmospheric, and has social media and gaming element. The jumps in the timeline and POV kept me on my toes and eager to find out more!

The narrator did a great job with a huge cast of characters.

Thank you Park Row and NetGalley for my copy!

EAdele, mother to two teens and a fitness/motivational
influencer, has been invited to join an extreme hide and seek
game, where along with other influencers, she has a chance at
winning one million dollars. Since Adele's husband went
missing a few years ago, she's been struggling financially, and
this game could be the answer to her prayers. As soon as she
arrives at the remote island location for the game, the weather
turns stormy, and honestly, the book takes a nose-dive along
with it. There were way too many sub-plots and characters in
this book (missing husband, missing influencer, controversial
adventurer, online gaming, real-life teenage bullying, murder,
stealing, adultery, etc) and most were completely irrelevant. I
tried to figure out how they'd all connect, and disappointingly,
they didn't. This thriller had potential, but it needed to tighten
down the narrative to really be a solid read. Audio was a great
way to consume this one, and I enjoyed the narrator.

A newly single mom joins an extreme game of hide and seek in a dilapidated hotel on an island in the middle of nowhere. The prize is 1 million dollars, money this mom desperately needs after her husband has absconded with most of the money from the offices of the town's major employer. The company running the contest is shady, at best, and conditions at the hotel are extremely dangerous. This is a thrill a minute, propulsive, impossible to put down book

DNF @ 50%

This was not working for me. I gave it a decent shot but at halfway through I expected something with more wow factor. I was so confused about the game and the setup of it. I didn’t really care for most of the POVs and felt like there were too many little subplots going on and none of them were compelling enough for me to care to keep going.

The narration was great despite my not liking the story.

3 stars as I did not finish but feel like it’s more of a me problem and not a book problem.

I was loving Close Your Eyes and Count to 10, and then somewhere in the middle things got a little muddy for me. I liked the way things wrapped up at the end. The narrator was great.

I found this to be a compulsive read. This is the third book I’ve read from Lisa Unger. One thing I’ve learned, is that her books always have a lot of characters and a lot going on. This book was no exception. I found It fairly easy keep all of the characters and their intertwined relationships straight. I thought listening to the audiobook was helpful because I found it easier to differentiate the POVs. The narrator did a great job bringing the characters to life, though I definitely think this could have been a multi-cast audiobook!

I enjoyed the setting and premise of this book. I thought hide and seek was a fun spin on the secluded island trope. The story did read a little YA because of the very immature influencers.

Adele was my favorite character. I enjoyed her storyline the most. I thought the subplot with her missing husband was intriguing. Plus high school kids that love their mom is nice too.

Overall a compulsive book with a lot going on. If you’re a reader who enjoys secluded islands and influencer drama, then I think you’ll enjoy this book.

Unfortunately, this story and the narration was not for me. I originally tried to read the story, but found myself struggling to get unto it. So I switched to the audio and the narrator just did not do it for me. Although the ending of the story started the draw me in, the majority of the book lost my interest and did not hold my attention.

Single mom Adele joins an extreme hide-and-seek competition hosted by daredevil social media star Maverick Dillan. But when a storm hits, the game spirals into chaos, and Maverick’s crew starts turning on each other. Cue the drama.

First off, can we talk about the cover? Obsessed.

I had the chance to listen to the audiobook and read the eBook, and I found myself leaning toward the audiobook. Vivienne Leheny’s narration is always a joy, and her performance really brought the story to life.

I loved badass mom Adele, but her son Blake was everything! What a sweetheart - this was so his story!!! I loved his growth and was easily the most likable character.

On the flip side - Maverick and his crew!! Narcissistic psychopaths - but for me, not the fun, layered kind.

The competition itself felt… off. Only three contestants, no body cameras and I wasn’t even sure of the rules. I know Hide-and-Seek online competitions exist but this didn’t appear to capture the reality.

Petra and the mercenaries brought more chaos—mainly in my mind! And Adele’s on-the-run husband was maybe a puzzle piece too many.

That said, the finale was epic! Suddenly I cared, and I couldn’t turn the pages fast enough. The final showdown was so dramatic! I loved it - but I also found the motivations behind it were kind of murky.

While this one didn’t fully hit the mark for me, fans of YA vibes might enjoy it. The ending definitely brought some fun, even if the rest felt a bit messy.

Thanks to Netgalley and Harlequin Audio for access to this audiobook ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This was my first Lisa Unger novel, and I will definitely be reading more! "Close Your Eyes and Count to 10" is an exciting thriller about influencers who travel to an abandoned hotel on an isolated island to play the ultimate game of hide-and-seek for a cash prize. I've been loving reality show thrillers, and I especially enjoyed that this book was set on a remote island. I was hooked right away and devoured the audiobook. It was a bit of a slow burn, and the buildup to the actual game took a lot of time, with a lot of background information on the characters. I liked that the story was told from multiple POVs so that you can really get inside everyone's heads. Even though there were a lot of characters and POVs, it was easy to follow. I think I've been reading too many crazy plot twists lately, because I was a tad disappointed in the ending, but I appreciate that the author didn't mislead us.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin Audio for the ALC in exchange for an honest review.

By far my fave book by Lisa Unger so far!

There was alot of bouncing around and point of views but it was all needed to tell the story and keep you interested.

So well done.

Narration was great!