Close Your Eyes and Count to 10 by Lisa Unger

Thank You @Netgalley and @Herlequin Audio for my audiobook copy!

Adele, a mother of two, had her life imploded when her husband disappeared with millions of dollars embezzled from his company. Hundreds of people lost their jobs, and the FBI is after him. Five years later, Adele is still struggling to make ends meet and keep her kids happy: Blake, an introverted gamer, and Violet, a fiercely independent young woman. After her husband vanished, Adele got back into fitness and decided to become an online fitness influencer. So, when a game of Extreme Hide and Seek is offering a one-million-dollar reward, she applies.

Maverick Dillan, the founder of Extreme, sets this game of Hide and Seek on Falcao Island at the site of an abandoned and decrepit hotel. Many have warned Maverick this site is not safe but he refuses to back down. He has something to prove after one of his last games resulted in a contestant, Chloe Miranda, going missing.

Unger tells this story from Multiple POVs: Adele, Maverick, Violet, Blake, Angeline (Maverick’s girlfriend), Malinka (another contestant), and Chloe. For me, having this many POVs made it confusing, especially because I listened to the audio book and it was only one narrator, Vivienne Leheny. Unfortunately, this story felt clunky to me and some of the resolutions by the end didn’t seem necessary. I was left with more questions than answers. I loved the idea of the book and the set up was clever and fun. Unger effectively wove the real and virtual worlds together nicely in this slow-burn thriller.

This was a little different than I expected. There was a lot going on. Maybe a little too much at times. I did enjoy the different story lines but overall this fell a little flat for me.

This one had potential, but the execution was weak in the end. I liked the idea of an extreme hide and seek game in a remote, decrepit location. In the end, the plot had very little to do with the dynamics and mystery of the game, but rather the drama among the owners of the company running the game. The character development was also weak, and I never felt like the reader could get to know any of the characters. Overall, not very believable and not well executed.

This book was not for me for several reasons. It took entirely too long for the plot to pick up, and I didn’t find myself feeling very invested in the characters or the overall plot. I have also yet to experience a book surrounding about social media influencers that doesn’t annoy me. It’s just not something I enjoy reading about, and the talk about followers and sponsorships and brands bores me.

Regarding the audio and narration itself, this was well done! I think the audiobook could have been made better has there been a full cast, or at least a male narrator for the male POVs.

Lisa Unger stories are always entertaining. Close Your Eyes and Count to 10 brings a lot of recent book subjects together-true crime podcast, reality TV, influencers, people who live their lives online, women left behind by a man who had committed crimes, a group of people stuck somewhere remote with a storm coming in-and makes them into one wild story. I went back and forth between reading the ARC and listening to the audiobook. I preferred reading it. The narrator had some interesting choices for a few characters that made it hard for me to listen. Most of the characters were thinly written so it was difficult to think about whether or not their decisions made sense for their characters, because they didn't make sense for anything else sometimes. Overall, it was enjoyable and quick on a snowy morning.

Thank you to NetGalley for the advanced audiobook.

Lisa Unger is a go to author for me so I was excited to get an advanced audiobook. I really enjoyed this book. This book is atmospheric and she paints a clear image of the hotel. There are plenty of twists that keep you on the edge of your seat.

I enjoy the narrators and look forward to reading more from Lisa Unger.

While I was initially intrigued by the concept of this book, it lost me with the Mav storyline. There were so many people involved in the beginning that it was a bit hard to keep it straight. I felt the story was a bit disjointed and it wasn’t interesting enough to keep my attention. It took me a lot of resolve not to just DNF 😬

The narrators did an amazing job with the accents and bringing the different characters to life.

There was some mystery and some intrigue in this book, but overall missed the mark as a psychological thriller for me. I was excited that the blurb mentioned an extreme game, and although the plot did have this element in some chapters and the setting in some chapters. it was put on the back burner. There were a lot of characters and PoVs, and I was a bit confused and then a bit bored with all of their issues. I do appreciate the ability by the author to have developed a story with so many complex elements, and was invested enough to finish…but it pains me to say this wasn’t a favorite of mine.
I started as an audio read-the single female narrator was fine, perhaps I am spoiled listening to audios with a full cast when there are multiple characters and their PoVs. I did need to switch to the ebook to be able to try to keep things aligned and try to understand better:
Thank you to NegGalley, Harlequin Audio and HTP Hive for an advanced copy and offer my honest thoughts.

The concept of this book pulled me right in from the start. It did feel like the book was a lot of build up for the final scene which fell a bit flat. The extreme hide and seek game does not start until you are about 60% into the book. I would have enjoyed the book more if it had spent less time on the build up and more time on the action. There are some really interesting and unexpected twists that did catch me by surprise. The added element of one of the participants husbands being on the run from the law was a great element. One piece I didn’t love was that the book had a lot of POVs but not all were well flushed up or visited often. For example, and FBI agent has a brief portion where they describe following the wife of the man on the run. I feel like when you have different POVs in a book each POV needs to have a character that is flushed out and developed instead this was more of there to add a piece of plot. The audio book was done really well, different elements, and perspectives were done really well.

A fun and fast paced mystery that is classic Lisa Unger. I love the setting and plot and pacing. Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin Audio for the ALC. A group of internet influencers at an extreme game of hide and seek on a secluded island experiencing a hurricane. Pretty intense!!

Maverick is a Logan Paul/Mr Beast type, not a great person but seemingly in love with his partner at work and in life, Angeline. He is 51% owner of the company, between the CFO Alex, Angeline, and Hector they own the rest. They have an offer to sell to HBO and to keep involved. He has his haters, a group of moms against Maverick who have kids who have gotten hurt and killed imitating his tricks. Also there are questions surrounding a missing former guest/influencer Chloe.

We are also following Adele, who is a small time fitness influencer and mother of 2. Her husband split a few years ago and is on the run from the FBI having defrauded millions.

There are other interesting characters in the game and good voice acting on each to tell them apart.

I appreciated the setting and pacing of the book, good reveals all the way through. It is a fun mystery with unreliable narrator, some open ended questions at the end, and love and life to root for. I liked the setting of the mysterious island and combining the culture of influencers, their lifestyle and what is real and how they need to curate their image.

This is a fast, fun audiobook for mystery and thriller lovers.

Close Your Eyes and Count to 10 by Lisa Unger is a gripping psychological thriller that masterfully blurs the lines between the virtual world and reality. The story revolves around an extreme game of hide-and-seek orchestrated by internet sensation Maverick Dillan on a remote island in the Atlantic. What begins as a social media stunt quickly devolves into a chilling test of survival as contestants find themselves trapped by a storm and facing hidden dangers within an abandoned hotel.

At the heart of the novel is Adele Crane, a single mother struggling to provide for her two teenagers after her husband's disappearance and alleged financial crimes. Adele's journey is both relatable and inspiring, as she navigates the treacherous game with a fierce determination to protect her children. Unger masterfully portrays Adele's internal conflict and her desperate need for the prize money versus her instinct for survival.

The novel's setting adds a fascinating layer to the story, as the remote island and abandoned hotel create an atmosphere of tension and suspense. The characters are well-developed, each with their own unique motivations and secrets that drive the plot forward. The pacing is perfectly balanced, with moments of intense action and quieter, reflective scenes that provide depth and insight into the characters' motivations.

Close Your Eyes and Count to 10 is a compelling and thought-provoking read that will captivate fans of psychological thrillers and suspense. Lisa Unger delivers a masterful tale that explores the complexities of human nature, the consequences of our online obsessions, and the ultimate quest for survival.

3.5 rounded up

This was an interesting premise and definitely felt timely and very current pop culture. Overall that was the best part? The book was good, audio was good, and was overall enjoyable enough.

Advanced listener copy provided by Harlequin Audio but all opinions are my own.

This audiobook was action packed! Being a reality TV show lover I had to get this one and it disappoint! A deadly game of hide and sick on a deserted island, be the last one to be found and win a million, sounds easy right? Not so fast! Everyone here has there on agenda and plenty are livestreaming! Adele was the perfect heorine, after her husband left with all their money and his company's money, she thinks winning this game will solve her money problems. But when it's all said and done Adele found more than money. "We're worthy of life and love because of who we are, not because what we do" "the only true prize in this world is living another day."

Thank you Netgalley and Harlequin audio for providing the audio arc in exchange for an honest review.

I went in expecting a full-fledged, edge-of-the-seat survival thriller but got just drama. The game doesn’t even start until 70% into the book. I didn't connect with any character. There are too many POVs, including Adele’s kids, for no clear reason. The chapters jump between Adele’s life and the team members, making the story feel chaotic.

The story dragged on a lot. The plot had great potential but, for me, it missed the mark.

While I've typically enjoyed Lisa's other works, this particular novel fell short of my expectations. The story left me craving more development of the game elements, and several supposed 'twists' felt predictable. Maverick's character arc seemed too focused on business dealings rather than the more intriguing aspects of the game world. Overall, the narrative emphasis felt misplaced, leaving the most compelling elements underdeveloped.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Harlequin Audio for gifting me a digital ARC of the latest thriller by Lisa Unger, narrated by the wonderful Vivienne Leheny. All opinions expressed in this review are my own - 4 stars!

Extreme adventurer Maverick Dillon is hosting the ultimate game of hide-and-seek. Set on a remote island, the game quickly turns into a game of survival instead of a social media stunt. As a storm threatens, and everyone has their secrets, Adele is a single mother of two teenagers, desperate to win the prize money to offer them the stability they need. But has she made a mistake coming to this island that may cost her everything?

I always look forward to Lisa Unger's books, and this was a perfect escape book. Plus, I always enjoy an atmospheric, locked room mystery, and this one ticked off those boxes in spades. There's some warnings here about social media and influencers, and how blurry the lines are between gaming and the real world. A bit implausible at times, I still was thoroughly invested to figure out everyone's secrets and just how things would end up. Tense and full of thrills!

Lisa Unger does it again! I really enjoyed listening to "Close Your Eyes and Count to 10"! The island and game strategy story line was great, and kept me at the end of my seat. Full of suspense you won't be able to stop listening!

Maverick Dillan invites you to the ultimate game of hide-and-seek. But as the players gather on Falcao Island, the event quickly spirals into a chilling test of survival. A storm rages as a deadly threat stalks the contestants, turning the challenge into something far more sinister than the social media stunt it was intended to be.

Adele is a great character, even if she makes some dumb decisions…heck the whole book is full of dumb decisions. I wonder why I finished it? Because there is something about the location and the build up that kept me reading. I loved the intensity surrounding the storm and I enjoyed the remote location.

Lisa Unger has some really great books. However, this one is not my favorite. I, apparently, am not a fan of adult games. This is the second book I have read with this premise and I did not like that one either. In other words, take what I say with a grain of salt. Not everyone can like every book and this one fell short for me.

Another reason I stuck with this novel is the narrator. This is narrated by Vivienne Leheny and I like her! She kept this book moving for me.

I received this novel from the publisher for a honest review.

Close Your Eyes and Count to 10 is a twisty, multi-layered psychological thriller that kept me second-guessing until the end! It weaves together multiple POVs, creating an immersive, unsettling mystery in which no one can be fully trusted. The shifting perspectives kept me hooked, and the audiobook narration by Vivienne Leheny made the tension even sharper.

However, some storylines felt unfinished, which left me wanting more closure. Whether intentional or not, this added to the lingering effect of the story.

⭐ 4 stars! A slow-burning, suspenseful read for thriller fans—especially those who love unreliable narrators, dark secrets, and psychological twists.

📖 Want my full breakdown? Read my in-depth review here: https://thesoftandslowlife.com/close-your-eyes-and-count-to-10-audiobook-review/

I do enjoy Lisa Unger thrillers and was thrilled to be approved for the audiobook of Close Your Eyes and Count to Ten. It was a fantastic escape from the world read, very much out there and wild but it was fun to listen to.

Extreme hide and seek, who can resist that! A single mum and fitness influencer who has been going through a rough time signs up for the challenge. The prize, $1 million is hard to pass up. An isolated island full of people who all want the money, and a dodgy crew of staff that are hiding plenty of secrets from each other. Add to that a storm brewing and it becomes a game of survival.

I did enjoy the narration from. Vivienne Leheny, but I do think that a book with this many characters would benefit from multiple narrators to help keep track of which point of view is being told. There is a lot to follow.

Thanks so much to Harlequin Audio for my copy of this book to listen to.