This thriller had a fantastic premise—a high-stakes game of hide-and-seek on a remote island that quickly turns deadly. The suspense builds slowly, and while it took a while to hook me, the final stretch was intense and hard to put down. Adele was my favorite character—a strong, determined mother trying to do what’s best for her kids. Maverick, the social media-obsessed game leader, was frustrating but realistically written. The multiple POVs worked well, though some felt unnecessary and slowed the pacing. The story tackled the dangers of social media in an interesting way, and I appreciated the twists, even if some were predictable. Despite some slow moments, it was still an engaging read, and the last part kept me up late to finish.
If you enjoy slow-burn thrillers with reality TV-style suspense, this is worth a read!
Very grateful to the publisher for my copy through NetGalley, opinions are my own

I was drawn to this book because I read a couple other reality TV game show thrillers and really enjoyed them. I also liked the last two books I read by Lisa Unger, so this seemed like a perfect choice. There are several point of views which I thought was great. I thought the setting was great too, and the author did a fantastic job describing it. I loved the premise and thought it had a lot of potential. Unfortunately, this was a major slow burn that didn’t hook me until close to the end. A few of the characters were unlikable as well and I couldn’t connect with them. While I didn’t enjoy this one as much as I hoped, I do recommend it to those who enjoy slow burns.

This book felt very similar to a short story that I’ve read, which made it tough to feel really invested. The way that the chapters jumped around in time felt a little disjointed. I think you’d enjoy this book if you enjoy extreme reality shows or spend a lot of time in virtual worlds and want to read a thriller related to these things.

This will easily be the worst book I will read in 2025. I hate read it. It was god awful. Truly so bad. I have never written a review this mean but who let this be published.

This story is told in multiple POVS, my fav.
We have Adele. Single mother of two whose husband is on the run after embezzling from his company and leaving his family high and dry. Her son talks her into this competition for a chance to win money they desperately need.
We have Maverick. What a mess he is. He is the leader of the “game” and all about his “views”. It is sad when you think about how messed up his life is because of this- but how accurate all of the social media is in this book. Hopefully it could be some kind of warning to people who are so sucked into the “likes” and “views”.
Angeline. Maverick’s lady. She’s dumb and should have left him, honestly. Everyone around him needed an intervention years prior. It felt like children trying to run a business and it wasn’t working for me. Where were the people with brains here?!

It was a good story though. Hard to put down. I was not surprised who the main culprit was, however, I was surprised with the “minor” ones. Overall, I would suggest it!

When a seemingly innocent game of hide-and-seek goes wrong, secrets, twists, abduction, and murder ensue.

There were a plethora of characters and their perspectives in this book, but I never had issues in keeping track of any of them. I appreciate this writing skill. Most characters were well-developed and there were some that were definitely likable. I enjoyed Adele’s character the most. A resilient mother of two teenagers whose husband is on the run from the authorities. All she wants is the best for her kids and recognizes when she needs goes to therapy to help her through certain points in her life.

However, were many moments that the plot moved slowly. This mostly happened when some characters’ backgrounds were given. Some were important to know, but others given seemed a bit much. There were also several character POVs that seemed unnecessary.

Unfortunately, there were numerous errors throughout the book. Mostly word spacing issues. I also felt the online chatting could have been formatted better. It seemed to run into the regular text, which can be confusing. Hopefully, this is because of the fact of the book being an arc versus a final edited version.

The ending was especially exciting and the author does a nice job in closing any loose ends, except for maybe one. This is one of those books that I wasn’t sure how I’d feel, especially during those dragging points, but couldn’t stop reading the last twenty percent and stayed up late to finish!

Considering everything, I rate “Close Your eyes and Count to 10” a 3 out of 5 stars.

My opinions are my own. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher (Harlequin Trade Publishing) for giving me the opportunity to read “Close Your eyes and Count to 10”.

A group of influencers is brought to a remote island to play the ultimate game of hide and seek for a cash prize. But what starts as a thrilling competition quickly turns into a fight for survival as a brewing storm rolls in. And it’s not just the weather creating tension—an angry storm of social media viewers is also watching, fueled by the mystery of a young girl who disappeared during the last game and was never found.

While the story is packed with suspense, it felt like a slow burn to me. The numerous side stories were a bit distracting and, at times, predictable. With so many directions this plot could have taken, the ending felt a little too clean-cut for my taste.

That being said, it definitely kept me on my toes—I couldn’t wait to see how it would all unfold. Lisa Unger came up with such a great premise!

Confession time: I watch and love bad reality competition shows. Did I hate Beast Games? Yes. Did I watch it with popcorn, soda, and jeering at the TV? Yes, I did. (See same for everything from House of Villains to The Mole to The Summit and more.)

And I was so disappointed.

If, like me, you picked this up because of the game, please know that the game is seriously underutilized and barely even happens in the book.

It is suspenseful and I did find myself a bit surprised at the who and the why of everything, but I wanted the game.

Had it been described differently and, therefore, my expectations different, I might have enjoyed this one more.

Thank you @htpbooks @parkrowbooks for the free digital arc and alc!

A single mom whose husband went missing after a financial scandal travels to an isolated island for a social media driven competition. With a disastrous storm looming and a girl that disappeared from the last competition, what could go wrong?

This thriller was very atmospheric with the crumbling ruins, isolated island and impending storm. The missing person aspect was also intriguing. However, I felt the plot was pretty predictable and I didn’t care for a lot of the characters and their annoying bro talk. I would recommend this one for the atmosphere/entertainment, but don’t expect any shocking plot twists.

Rating 3⭐️

In Close Your Eyes and Count to 10, Lisa Unger delivers a gripping thriller that intertwines the perils of social media fame with a high-stakes game of survival. Charismatic daredevil and extreme adventurer Maverick Dillan invites participants to Falcao Island for the ultimate game of hide-and-seek, promising a substantial prize. However, as a fierce storm descends and an unseen menace begins targeting contestants, the event devolves into a harrowing fight for life. Adele, a single mother determined to secure a better future for her children, becomes ensnared in this deadly contest, confronting a labyrinth of deception and danger.

Unger escalates tension, immersing readers in a narrative where the boundaries between virtual personas and reality blur ominously. The story evokes a sense of dread, compelling readers to question the authenticity of online identities and the lengths individuals will go to for notoriety. As secrets unravel and alliances shift, the novel maintains a relentless pace, ensuring an enthralling experience.

This novel is recommended for enthusiasts of psychological thrillers and suspenseful narratives that delve into the dark facets of human ambition and the digital age's influence. Fans of works exploring survival under extreme conditions will find Close Your Eyes and Count to 10 particularly captivating. The book leaves a lasting impression, prompting reflection on the potential dangers of social media stardom and the unpredictable nature of human behavior when pushed to the brink.

Thanks to Park Row Books and HTP for an advanced copy of Close Your Eyes and Count to 10 by Lisa Unger.

I've enjoyed Lisa's books in the past so was looking forward to this one, but unfortunately I just couldn't get into the book. The plot seemed intriguing but this wasn't for me.

I enjoyed the book. Reading it definitely made it feel like I could visualize ab action movie. I enjoyed the characters and the scenarios.

I always have a tough time with Lisa Unger; Each book I read of hers I want to love so badly but end up extremely disappointed. However, this book did not let me down. I think I enjoyed it the most out of all her books I have read. Close Your Eyes and Count to 10 was a solid and satisfying locked room thriller.

Lisa Unger continue to bring readers twisty thrillers that are fast paced and unputtdownable!

I really enjoyed this tale of a single mother who is gritty and fierce and not about to let her failed marriage and the wrongdoings of her ex-husband steer her from showing up for her children and herself. Adele may have had her world turned upside down, but she has used that experience and her female rage to create a better and stronger version of herself in the IRL and on social media. When an opportunity comes to put both strengths to use to win 1M dollars, she is sets off to a remote island. All she has to do is hide and not be found. Or, let a dilapidated building threatening to crumble and a tropical storm get in her way. Or murderers. Easy, right?

This was what I call a "popcorn thriller'" in that I couldn't put it down, paired well with snacks, and get me thoroughly entertained.

Readers who also like ultra competitions, physical challenges, and reality competitions like Beast Games, will love Close Your Eyes and Count to 10!

3.5 STARS

Contestants sign up to play an extreme Hide and Seek game for a chance to win a 1 million dollar prize. They are shuttled off to a decrepit resort that was condemned years ago, on an island in the middle of the Atlantic. Everyone involved has something to gain, and a lot to lose.

This is a quick read that captures you from the very beginning and makes it easy to keep going. The story has everything that I could want: a reality show, influencer contestants, multiple POV's and everyone is hiding something. However, it didn't flow cohesively enough for me to be blown away. The secrets were mostly predictable and there were almost too many things going on and too many characters with secrets. The result was that some characters were lost in the mix who seemed more interesting but didn't get enough page time.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC!

💭 This book was medicore to me. Nothing memorable. I liked the premise, but the execution wasn’t there. It kept my attention enough, I am glad I read it to see how it ended.

✔️exteme game of hide and seek
✔️abandoned hotel
✔️hurricane like weather
✔️$1,000,000 at stake
✔️missing girl from last live event
✔️easy to follow
✔️for reality tv lovers
✔️slow burn thriller full of secrets

📚 #BOOKREVIEW 📚
Close Your Eyes and Count to 10 by Lisa Unger
⭐️⭐️⭐️ / Pages: 352 / Genre: Mystery & Thrillers
Release Date: February 25, 2025

Adele is a single mother of two teenagers. After her husband abandoned them, she reinvented herself online, building a following based on parenting and motivational advice. Her son encourages her to enter a reality game show, where she plays extreme hide-and-seek on a remote island. All she has to do is survive the night without being found and she wins a million dollars. But then the game turns deadly when a violent storm hits the island and someone is stalking the contestants.

Besides the storyline with Adele and her family, there were the other contestants and the complicated founders of the game, so there was a lot going on and it all came across a bit disjointed. Instead of thrilling, I found it rather tiresome.

Thank you, @HTP_Hive, @Harlequin_Audio, and @NetGalley for my free copy of the audiobook. I also actually won this book in a @GoodReads contest (yay) but never actually received it (boo).

Lisa Unger seems to really mix it up, from creepy cabin suspense to a haunted NYC apartment building to this book which to my surprise, was a survival thriller with reality TV elements. It had a lot of elements: the reality show, multiple narrators, multi-generational characters, and a murder plot, but Unger meshed all these together to make a book that was a really fun read!

Rating: 4/5 Stars
Pub Date: 2/25
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A social media influencer comes up with a game of extreme hide-and-seek for 1 million dollars. Single mom Adele and two other contestants head to a remote island to play. When a storm comes in both the literal and figurative sense things start to get dicy.
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The game wasn’t exactly what I expected as there wasn’t really much to the actual hide-and-seek game as I felt like most of book focused more on revenge/exposing secrets; which lets be real - is still really awesome. Unger makes it even more appealing by adding in live feeds from the game and podcasts.
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A slow-to-steady burn with plenty of twists thrown in, you will constantly be looking from one person to the next. Buckle up because this one is a wild ride. I love that this was basically a cat-and-mouse, a psychological thriller and a locked room mystery. There was plenty of suspense throughout the story.
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I listened to this one via audiobook while reading my eARC. Vivienne Leheny was perfect for this narration. I love what she did with all of the podcasts and live streams as well. This was an easy to follow audiobook. Highly recommend if you are an audiobook fan!
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Close Your Eyes and Count to 10 was a highly anticipated read for me. I love Ungers work and this was no exception. I recommend this one to my Lisa Unger fans, to my psychological thriller fans and locked room mysteries.

I heard someone say "the first half of the book is the longest" and I never really knew what they meant until today. The first half of this book was long, scattered and left me confused as to how all these pieces fit together. In the end it was wrapped up, but still seemed like extra unnecessary pages and words.

Didn't get me wrong, the second half of the book was good. I know you have to build the suspense and characters, but it droned a little.

I loved the idea of the extreme hide and seek, but there was very little of that in the book. I wish there was more characters hiding and they were able to partially play the game.

Overall, it was good, but not a book I would go out of my way to recommend.

Thank you netgalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.