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!