Thanks to #NetGalley and #HarlequinAudio for the book #CloseYourEyesAndCountTo10 by #LisaUnger. Adele, now a single mom of two, has entered an extreme competition in hopes of winning money to help her family survive. The competition is on an island and severe weather and other circumstances have made things way more difficult than they should be. Can she survive this and hopefully win the money so her family can get past what her husband has out them through?

4 stars
This fast-paced psychological thriller throws readers straight into a world of deception, secrets, and a high-stakes battle for survival. From the very first page, I was hooked—and Lisa Unger kept me on edge the entire time.

Adele, a struggling single mom haunted by trauma from her ex-husband, joins an extreme game of hide-and-seek hosted by a social media celebrity, hoping to win the million-dollar prize. But the secluded island where the game takes place is anything but a safe playground. The locals are hostile, a massive storm looms, and behind the scenes, something about the game itself feels dangerously off.

The atmosphere in this book is stunning—the setting feels like its own character. I could vividly picture the eerie, abandoned hotel where the game unfolds. The integration of social media into the plot was especially interesting, the way it was included made me reflect on just how much we share online.

Told through multiple POVs and a nonlinear timeline, the story unravels in a way that kept me intrigued while allowing me to connect with the characters. However, at times, there seemed to be a few too many subplots, which occasionally made the narrative feel a bit crowded. Despite this, it’s a gripping, immersive read from start to finish!

The narration of this book was excellently done, it brought the story to life and kept me wanting to listen to more!

Thank you to NetGalley and HTP Hive (Harlequin Trade Publishing) for the digital ALC in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.

Thank you to NetGalley and Park Row Books for allowing me to listen to an audiobook ARC of Close Your Eyes and Count to 10

Final Review: 3.35 ⭐️

This book was a WILD ride! We follow our two main characters Adele, a single mom who is struggling to keep the lights on and looking for a way to provide for her family, and Maverick, a social media icon who hosts a live streamed hide and seek game, where the winner wins $1 Million dollars.

This book had so many twists and turns and so much that I didn’t see coming. This year’s game takes place on a small island and the stakes are high, not only for the prize money, but for the players lives.

I really enjoyed this read and can’t wait to read more from Lisa Unger in the future!

First I’d like to thank NetGalley and the author for my audio ARC of Close Your Eyes and Count to 10. I had a fun time with this audio. I thought it was highly entertaining. With that said, I do feel it was on the predictable side. I could see how the novel was possibly going in several different directions, but ultimately stayed the straightforward route. I did enjoy the social media component of this novel with the world we currently live in. It felt very relevant to the times. Overall I’d recommend if you’re looking for a fun and easy to read thriller.

The narrator did a wonderful job bringing the characters to life. However, I think this book could have given us more. There were still some questions I had that I thought would be answered but were not. However, the story was done really well and thank you to netgalley for letting me listen to the audio.

I would like to thank netgalley and the publisher for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review. As much as I enjoyed this book and it was a quick read, I think it could've been "more", especially with the island and it's inhabitants. We follow a mom trying to win an adult version of hide and seek for 1 million dollars. This money is much needed, her husband is on the run and left her and their children to pick up the pieces. Once on the island things start to go wrong right from the beginning. Will they all make it off the island.?

Close Your Eyes and Count to 10 by Lisa Unger is a quick, fast-paced read that kept me engaged from start to finish. The suspense and twists made it hard to put down, and Unger’s writing style kept the tension high throughout. However, there were a lot of characters to keep track of, which at times made the story feel a bit overwhelming. While this took away from my overall enjoyment, the plot was still gripping and well-executed. This is a solid thriller that mystery lovers will appreciate!

The narrator did a good job, but they didn’t add anything extra to elevate the story or keep me fully gripped.

Again, many thanks to NetGalley and Harlequin Auido for the early copy of this audiobook. I really enjoy this author and was thrilled to receive it.

DNF at 20%

I find that I am having a hard time getting into this one. The depth of intrigue into the premise was not what I had expected.

Adele, a single mom, has triumphed over a scandal that has loomed over her family thanks to her ex-husband who has disappeared. Her transformation has been documented on social media and gains her a spot on the ultimate reality show created by Maverick Dillon. This show, on Falcon Island, has a prize of one million dollars and every move is documented on reality TV.

Unfortunately, a huge storm hits and things get wild. Overall, the standout character was Adele’s fifteen-year-old son Blake. This was a fun read with a great ending. Narration by Vivienne Leheny contributed to the intensity of this book.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Harlequin Audio for the advance copy. All opinions are my own.

This is my 3rd Lisa Unger and I think she’s just not for me. This one had such an interesting premise, as did The New Couple in 5B, and I was excited to dive into both, but just like her previous books, I just couldn’t get past the unlikeable characters and overall it just fell kind of flat for me. The audiobook didn’t really work for me either - the narrator was great but I don’t think it was the right fit for this book. I know so many enjoy this author, so you may still want to give this one a chance! 3⭐️

🎧 Big shoutout to them, the author, and Harlequin Audio for providing me with an early access to the audiobook in exchange for my honest review! 🙏

The premise of this novel piqued my interest from the start—who doesn't love a good hide and seek game show set in a "haunted" location? 🏚️ Perfect for a suspenseful read, right? But, oh boy, things didn't exactly unfold as I had hoped. 😵

The story revolves around Adele, a mom whose life takes a nosedive after her husband gets involved in some shady financial dealings and leaves her with their two kids, practically broke. 😔 Her daughter stumbles upon a social media post promising a whopping million dollars for the winner of a survivalist-style hide and seek game. 🎉 Naturally, Adele, who’s also an aspiring influencer (surprise!), jumps at the chance for the cash and the followers! 📈

Switching gears, we also get Maverick's perspective—the supposed mastermind behind this Escapism game. But here's the kicker: this guy's got his fair share of skeletons, including a mysterious disappearance from a previous game that puts him directly in the hot seat. 🔥 Sounds thrilling, right? Well, sort of...

The problem is, I found the storytelling a bit muddled and hard to follow. 🤯 There were multiple viewpoints, and I often caught myself thinking, "Wait, why?" It felt like there was so much happening, but very little in terms of focus or clarity. To top it off, the hide and seek elements were much more murky than I expected—like, where’s the counting to 10 and all that suspense? 😔

While I did stick with the book hoping for a gratifying ending or a grand revelation, I felt a bit let down. The plot had plenty of potential but ultimately left me wanting more in terms of execution and resolution. 😬 So if you're looking for a wild thrill ride full of twists, maybe tread carefully with this one!

In summary, Close Your Eyes and Count to 10 presents an intriguing concept but struggles with clarity and coherence. 📉 If you're up for a read that relies heavily on various storylines without much payoff at the end, then give it a shot!

Thank you Netgalley for this arc by Lisa Unger. This was my first book by this author and I enjoyed the audio version very much. It was really good and interesting. I rated this book a 3.5 stars.

I was super excited to receive an ALC of this book from NetGalley and Harlequin Audio. I am a big Lisa Unger fan so any book she writes I’m going to read!

This newest book sadly was not my favorite. It started off strong but as the story continued I just felt myself having a hard time getting into it. The concept was fun, social media and extreme adventures and had the potential to be a suspenseful twisty thriller. However, it didn’t go that way, at least for me. There were some suspenseful parts but overall there were no real twists and the wrap up was disappointing.

Good, but not my favorite Lisa Unger book. This one just didn't have the same feel as the others one: the feeling that the author cared about this plot and can't wait to share it with you. I have found this a lot around "influencer" plots, because of the notoriety around said people.
I loved the setting and thought it was a marvelous locked room ambience with a menacing dilapidated hotel crumbling behind those fighting for their futures. The protagonist was very likable, as well as her children, and I was absolutely rooting for her and the other 2 contestants as well. The ending was very satisfying.

Thank you to NetGalley, the author Lisa Unger, and Harlequin Audio for my advance copy of this audiobook

I’m a big fan of Lisa Unger and was so excited to read this book when I first heard about it. The idea of extreme hide and seek is exciting and when you throw in a remote island with a dilapidated old hotel during a storm, you get a winning combination! The multiple POV kept things interesting and fast paced. Overall this was a really suspenseful and intense read! I loved the audiobook version of the book and finished it in less than 24 hours!

This book was not for me, as I am not into gaming or competition shows. The plot seemed lost during parts, there were a lot of characters and a lot going on. I did however enjoy the storyline of the main character and her husband, because its very real, how you fall in love and don't see things from the people you love. I also enjoyed the ending. I did not enjoy the narrator.

This audiobook had me completely hooked from start to finish- I did not want to stop listening, and got thoroughly annoyed when I had to. I LOVE a good thriller, and this absolutely hit the mark for me.
The premise was so unique- a disappearance and murder mystery, tied into an extreme live stream competition? Brilliant, and so different than anything I’ve ever read. The pacing was perfect- fast enough to keep the story moving, but steady enough to plant the necessary seeds, and build suspense. There were so many twist and turns, and I was so desperate to get to the end to figure out what the hell was going on. And not only was I truly invested in the stories, but I connected with so many of the characters, and found myself rooting for them.

If Suspense/thrillers are your thing, this needs to go to the top of your list! And even if it’s not your normal genre, you should definitely take a chance on it. I would absolutely read more from this author.

Huge thanks to The Hive & Harlequin Audio for this advanced listener copy.

With an exciting synopsis, I went into this one with high hopes. It started out well and I was fully invested until the games began. Things then started to become a bit confusing with multiple stories and many POVs. I found the pacing a bit off as well and found that the story dragged in certain areas. I was hoping for more from the ending too. This wasn't my favourite by this author but I will still read what she writes next.

The audiobook was well narrated with the narrator changing her voice and accents for different characters.

This book both confused me and excited me. I was constantly on the edge of my seat and wondering what was going to happen next. It was so good and the ending was wow!

Close Your Eyes and Count to Ten is a fast-paced locked room type thriller that takes place on an isolated island during a severe tropical storm. It features a strong Mom and a host of other characters all of whom are put in situations where they have to come to terms with what is really important in life. They have all made bad decisions (like taking part in the Extreme hide and seek game on the island) some of which are much worse than others. Those whose decisions are based on greed and selfishness are eventually made to pay.