Not bad but not her best work. I’ve found other books of hers 5 stars but couldn’t give more than a 3 star. The game show aspect was odd but characters were interesting.

When the real game begins, who will make it to the count of 10? Daredevil and extreme adventurer 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. This book is intense, I enjoyed reading it

Overall this book was good, but it wasn’t mind blowing. I guessed both of the twists way before they were revealed. I thought the plot was interesting and had a lot of potential. I was surprised that most of the book was more about secrets and lies than about the actual game itself.

I appreciate the opportunity to review the book. However, I was unable to finish it before it was removed. I recieved access about 1 week prior to and was ~53% through it. I am definitely interested enough to borrow a copy from my local library and will review it at a later date. The star review that i is mandatory to input here does not reflect my actual opinion. I am giving it a "neutral" rating because I have not completed it yet.

The idea of the extreme hide and seek game pulled me in. Unfortunately, it wasn't so much about the game as it was about the creators and business owners of the game. I was disappointed about that. The podcast part of the story added an interesting perspective. I felt that the other story about the disgraced father/ex-husband didn't really fit but it was finished up at the end as well.

Thanks to Netgalley and Harlequin Audio for the opportunity to listen to this story.

Narration was well done and enjoyable to listen to.

I do love some reality survival and drama television but I’m starting to realize not so much as a book. This is a survival thriller that grabbed my attention with its extreme hide and seek game.

We start off with Adele’s husband Miller disappearing as he’s accused of embezzlement, and may be on the run. His leaving has his family left to pick up the pieces in a town that hates them because of his actions.
Now needing a way to make some money, Blake, Adele’s son, convinces his mother to sign up with Extreme Games where the winner will win 1 million dollars. After signing up Adele decides that even if she doesn’t win it’s sure to up her following on WeWatch, a popular live streaming app.

I found myself bored throughout, but the audiobook was expertly narrated.
Despite this book I do love the author. Christmas Presents and The New Couple in 5B are 2 of my favorite books by Lisa.

When charismatic adventurer Maverick Dillan invites contestants to a high-stakes game of hide-and-seek on the remote Falcao Island, it promises to be a thrilling adventure. However, what starts as a social media stunt quickly devolves into a chilling battle for survival as a deadly threat emerges amidst a raging storm.

The novel is fast paced thriller, with a lot to say about our social media culture, and the personality defining need for clicks.

I was entertained from start to finish and highly recommend. Thank you NetGalley.

CloseYour Eyes And Count To 10 by Lisa Unger, I listened to the audiobook narrated by the awesome Vivian Leone whose voice I absolutely love. Now onto the book Adele has two kids and thanks to her husbands embezzlement and vanishing act she’s now drowning in debt her husband is wanted by the FBI while her two teenagers try to adjust to it. when her son Sam tells Adele about the extreme hide and seek challenge and the million dollar prize she sees this as her and her children’s way out of day-to-day living. when she arrives she is still nervous about her decision to play the game but despite knowing about the previous missing Chloe Amanda From the last challenge, nervous or not she’s determined to play and win. it’s a beautiful island but it doesn’t take long for things to get weird from the island elder warning them off the island to the guards she puts in place to keep those who want to stay on it. I haven’t even got to team math in the missing CEO of extreme because it isn’t long before someone is missing and as I said it’s the CEO and although math Angelina and Javier make the wrong decision when getting rid of his body it doesn’t tell them who killed them but everything is riding on this game if they don’t play maths business is ruined and so despite someone trying to kill them the game must go on. Cody Malinka and Adele or the contestants there’s a thunderstorm coming in a killer on the island soon they all learn it isn’t a game of hide and seek but a game of life and death and not all of them will live to tell about it. I want to say I really liked the way the book ended it wasn’t a while ending I’m talking about how everything ended for the characters but in the summary it said this was a game of cat and mouse and I thought I was in for a heart palpitating ride but it was no such thing. I still enjoyed it I like the Adel I liked her own natural blog not to mention Cody and brave Malinka but it just wasn’t the book I thought it was going to be but still a good one.#NetGalley, #HarlequinAudio, #TheBlindReviewer, #MyHonestReview, #VivianLeone, #LisaUnger, #CloseYourEyesAndCountTo10,

Liked it (rounded up)

Lisa has a way of taking you on a journey you have no idea you're about to go on. You think it's going to be one thing...all signs point to that one thing...then by the time it ends you feel stupid for thinking you were on that journey when clearly everything was leading you here where you hadn't expected to be. This book is no different.

I'm not entirely sure how to word the review, though, because there's a lot going on in my head (just like there was a lot going on in the book). I thought the book was about Adele and her kids/husband, but quickly found out she was not who this book is about. I'm not entirely sure 𝒘𝒉𝒐 this book is actually about to be honest. I did love Adele and her relationship with her kids and just her in general. The ending for her in this book was super satisfying and I loved it. I'm not sure why her husband was even in the book as a tangible character because his storyline seemed to add nothing to the overall plot of the story. Just more noise.

I really loved how seemingly everyone (minus Adele) was an unreliable narrator and I do love an unreliable narrator. In this book I got 𝙨𝙤 𝙢𝙖𝙣𝙮 of them that my heart was happy because I didn't know who to trust and that helped me connect with Adele and kept me on my toes.

Maverick and everyone else on his team (I've already forgotten their names) were, honestly, all terrible people in their own ways (some absolutely more than others as we find out). I think a lot of his team could've been cut down to remove some of the additional noise from the book as it just seemed to muddy the waters and take away from the actual plot since there were so many POVs to keep track of.

I loved how every POV we got was literally different. It wasn't just retelling the same scenes from someone else's POV. It was actual additional insight and new information that fed into the "what's going on?!" vibe of the book since we can't trust any of them. This was probably one of my favorite aspects of the book to be honest. There was no repetition and Unger didn't keep throwing the same information at us over and over.

The disappearance of Chloe mystery that was then happening beneath the surface of everything was a lot of fun at first. I felt like it was a little too drawn out, especially when it became somewhat obvious what was going on with all that.

Vivienne Leheny did a fantastic job with the narration. She managed to keep every character different and distinct. It really helped keep everyone straight in my head.

Overall, I really did enjoy this book. I don't think I quite 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘥 𝘪𝘵, but I really did enjoy it. So, thank you to NetGalley for the ALC.

Thanks to Harlequin Audio & NetGalley for providing an audio ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Lisa Unger is pretty popular at my library (not to mention very prolific) so I thought I'd give her a try. Maybe this is how all her books are, but based on reviews of people who seem to be big fans, this one is not up to her standards.

First of all, it starts off as a book about a fractured family: Adele is a single mom whose high-flying husband took off 5 years previous after getting caught embezzling millions of dollars from his successful prosthetic company, leaving many jobless in his wake and leaving his family pariahs in the town. OK cool, this is an interesting storyline! But then suddenly, Adele, who is on "Photogram" as a budding fitness influencer, takes her 14 year old son's advice and goes out for a Hide & Seek Challenge run by "Extreme" personality Maverick Dillan (JFC) and his team at a deserted amusement park called Enchantments. The prize is a million bucks, which financially struggling Adele and her kids could make good use of. THEN we are introduced to a whole new set of characters: Mav, his team, his girlfriend, a "spiritual leader" of the island on which they are filming, not to mention the other contestants AND a missing woman who was a previous contestant for the last challenge.

Look, I get that influencers are a hot topic rn, but can we just be done using them (and podcasters) as fodder for suspense novels? This shit is tired.

Unger is a capable writer, and Vivienne Leheny is all-pro with the voice acting, but since we don't have much in the way of character development for any of these folks, it's tough to care much what happens to them. Probably the most interesting character is Blake, Adele's teenage son, who is being bullied by former friends, but most of the others are cardboard cutouts. Adele could be a great characters, but there just isn't much there to hang anything on.

Ultimately, Unger delivers on plot (but there is nothing new or groundbreaking here, even the "mystery villain" is easily guessed - and I'm really bad at that, and it would be great to not have a story where the denouement happens <i>as a building collapses</i>), but falls short on relatable characters.

3 stars

3.5⭐- this book had so much potential. I went in and got hooked right away with the missing husband and the family backstory. I felt like there were a lot of playing parts that kind of got lost in translation. I would say because there were a lot of separate side stories (although these were intriguing, I felt it added to the confusion a little since it was an audiobook). Now for the narration- I enjoyed it! I feel like the voice actor (Vivienne Leheny) did a very good job changing how her voice was portrayed with the different characters.

This was one of my first Lisa Unger books and I will most likely grab another- It will probably be in eyeball reading form so I can differentiate the characters and side characters. All in all solid 3.5

Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin Audio for this ALC in exchange for my honesty opinion.

Overall, I think this was a thrilling read and the trapped setting aspect always is a win for me!

I was intrigued from the getgo on this one and it felt so fast paced but started to slow down a bit. This book had SO MUCH potential to be a great book. There were a bunch of amazing puzzle pieces I just felt like she put them together wrong? Maybe not wrong but just not 100% correctly.

I also was able to guess a lot of the twists that came up which of course a thriller reader never loves but again, I still felt like it was fun to read.

I also felt like the writing was a little confusing at times and I had to rewind a few parts for it to make some sense.

I also felt like this book started to drag on and it could have easily been hours shorter. Lots of unnessary details it felt like to me.

Overall, if the book was a bit shorter, the twists more surprising, and the story written a bit clearer, this book could have been SO GOOD.

Close Your Eyes and Count to Ten” had a compelling premise and a moody atmosphere that hinted at dark secrets and emotional complexity. Lisa Unger does a great job layering trauma, memory, and trust into the narrative, which I appreciated.

However, the pacing was much slower than I anticipated in parts, especially during the middle. The tension that was promised built only at the very end. It leaned more into character exploration than plot twists, which might work for some readers but didn’t quite land for me.

The writing was strong, and the themes were meaningful, but as a thriller, it didn’t deliver the momentum I crave in this genre. A decent read overall, definitely kept my attention but not my favorite from Unger. Still look forward to reading more of her books!!

A wild ride, indeed. This may be oddly specific, but I thoroughly enjoyed that the story was told with such relevance to today's social media craze, the virality of raging narcissists masquerading as "do-gooders" and how every-day folks get caught up in the hype. We all know a Mav, right? The building tension throughout the plotline and various subplots was exciting because I didn't know at what point there would be a sinister turn. AND TURNS, THERE WERE! The narrator was great in their undulating tones; it's important for listeners to feel their hearts racing as the story cranks up. I did, however, find that the subplots and involved character conflicts overshadowed the actual game. I was looking forward to getting the twists and turns of the game, but it fell short in that regard. I was expecting a kind of Squid Game shock value and action, but I got more drama and suspense than anything. But overall, listening to the story was entertaining and kept me on my toes. I thank Harlequin Audio and NetGalley for the book!

A few months ago, I read my first story by Lisa Unger and I was pleasantly surprised! I think this author has a lot of talent in crafting a twisty story and characters to root for. But unfortunately, I think this book wasn't right for me. I had a hard time keeping track of what was going on because it felt like so many tropes were thrown into this book to make it a more interesting story. It all felt like too much and really brought down my enjoyment of this book. I don't think the writing was bad, but I had read a short story recently and I liked how clear and thought out everything was in that much more than this full length novel. The game aspect of this game also brought down my enjoyment. I think something like that could be well done but in this case, it felt like we were supposed to care about the main character and hope for her to win but it felt like there weren't super high stakes despite the situation that made her sign up for this game in the first place. It all felt kind of out of left field. This didn't make me less interested in this author's books, but I should probably read deeper into the synopsis before I decide to pick something up from her.

In terms of the audiobook, I think this narrator did a good job. I'm not familiar with Vivienne Leheny's narration but it was a pleasant listening experience. I had a hard time keeping track of who's POV we were following sometimes, but that happens to me sometimes so it might just be a me thing.

Narration: 4/5
Overall: 3/5

I was lucky to read this both as an egalley and on audio (thanks to Park Row Books, Harlequin Audio, and NetGalley!). I was really excited because it had such a fun concept that I was sure would hold my attention. I mean cmon! A reality show hide and seek game on a remote island turned locked room mystery!? And a crazy storm brewing! Talk about location, location, location. Unfortunately, with all its potential, this book just didn’t wow me.

Let’s start with the narration: the audiobook is well done, especially in capturing the influencer vibes and adventure-seeker personas we all recognize online. I thought that brought some life to characters that otherwise felt flat on the page.

As for the story? It’s a two and half star, rounded to three-star, read for me. A lot of that rating is giving credit to the sharp commentary on influencers. A great conversation around the things that people are willing to do to be seen, obsession, and a society that feeds on that. This book felt even more relevant taking into consideration how we engage with, and ultimately pay, creators who make more dangerous content for likes and views. It absolutely made me think of YouTube stunt channels and influencers like MrBeast. There’s a pointed reminder here that the audience plays just as much of a role in the dangerous spiral for views and virality as the creators do.

Where it falters is in the depth. While the characters are interesting to a degree, they were also easy to categorize and never really surprised me. In addition to having a lot of characters with perspectives that felt unnecessary. I never felt drawn to any of the characters, including Adele, and their tropey portrayal made the book all the more predictable. I could tell some elements were meant to feel simple, but I still wanted more. Overall this book could’ve used a little more OOMPH. Too much of a slow burn that by the end the pacing is uneven.

Part of the issue, too, is that I recently read another influencer thriller that I loved—and this one just didn’t hit the same. It didn’t turn pages the way I hoped it would. Which is why I really have to give credit to the audiobook for helping me finish.

That said, I would still read more from this author. It seems like they explore entertaining concepts that are sure to draw readers in. I’m just hoping to see stronger execution in future reads.

2.5 ⭐️ Advanced Reader Review!

Adele is a single mom to two teenagers dealing with some pretty tough life circumstances. She's fallen on hard times and needs a way to turn things around. Enter Maverick Dillan, an internet sensation known for his extreme challenges. Adele applies to take part in the ultimate game of hide-and-seek on a remote island where the prize is $1 million.

Once she and the other contestants arrive, things aren't quite as they seem. They unknowingly walk into a web of deception and lies. Then, when a massive storm begins to rage around them, everyone will have to find a way to survive, and the only person they can trust is themselves.

My thoughts: There is a lot happening in this book, and I don't think it was described well. I went into this story expecting one thing and came out with something entirely different. We spent a lot of time getting to know one storyline, but then the author would shift gears and would focus on something completely different. I thought the timeline was also a bit hard to keep up with. It didn't feel like the story was moving at a natural pace, and we kept jumping between locations and characters. Maybe I'm just not a fan of internet-based stories!

I did enjoy Vivienne Leheny's narration. It definitely created a more enjoyable reading experience. Overall, I don't think this book was my cup of tea. I would have marketed it differently, focusing on just one main storyline. But, I can also see why this book is popular, especially if you like internet game shows (à la Mr. Beast). 2.5 stars.

3.5 ⭐ rounded down

I found myself with a 4ish hour round trip drive yesterday for work and decided it was time to finally start another audiobook... Then I got sucked in and listened to it during my lunch break and while I got ready for bed and then all morning as I got ready and drive to work! I was hooked! I thought this story was set up well, but admittedly, it wasn't my favorite premise.

Single mom and minor league influencer, Adele, is cast for a game of extreme hide and seek in an abandoned luxury hotel on a remote island. Upon arriving, the hiders and the seekers came to realize this was going to be unlike any kind of competition they had ever been a part of. This novel has lots of twists and turns, though I caught on to one of the bigger ones very early on, and it was revealed/confirmed sometime in the last 15% of the book. I think that the storyline on Chloe could have been wrapped up better--that left me incredibly dissatisfied. I didn't really like how that all came together at all, nor did I like where she ended up in the end--but I think maybe that jarring feeling was something that Unger intended...? I LOVED the last scene of Adele and Cody. I was rooting for them from the first time they met and I was SO here for it!!! Hehehe. I wish Miller's story and arrival on the scene had been more fleshed out. That part felt really rushed to me and I would have been willing to have the book be longer to have gotten a better story there.

Overall, a good thriller and one I'd recommend to most of my thriller-reading friends. Thanks to NetGalley and Harlequin Audio for the ARC!! 😊

This is my first Lisa Unger book. For me it was good in some ways (I liked the game concept!) and just okay in others. I will try more by this author to see if there is one that is a better fit. Thank you to Netgalley and the author for an e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

*Thank you to Harlequin Audio and NetGalley for the ARC of this book!*
Adele has fallen on hard times after the scandal her husband left behind for her and her two kids to deal with. She is in need of money and fast! She enters a contest by extreme adventurist and social influencer, Maverick Dillion by playing an intense game of hide and seek. Once the contestants have arrived, their fun game turns into a deadly reality as they face a major storm on the horizon. It also seems as if someone is lurking in the shadows trying to make this game more sinister than it is supposed to be. Can Adele survive the storm and the evils at the game and make it back to her family?

This was a great psychological thriller that I enjoyed listening to. I was hooked from the very beginning and didn’t have a clue how it would turn out. I wish the ending had more of a twist but overall I thought it was a great read. If you like clean mysteries/psychological thrillers, then give this one a read!!