This was my first Lisa Unger novel and it won't be my last. I'm not well read in this genre, but I had a lot of fun. It was accessible to the layman like me and made me excited for more.

Thank you Netgalley and Harlequin Audio for the ALC.

Story: 🌟🌟🌟🌟
Narration: 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
Overall: 🌟🌟🌟🌟

A very creepy locked room thriller with great narration. Not my favorite Lisa Unger, but a solid read that would be perfect for Fall.

ALC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

*Thank you NetGalley and the author for gifting this ARC Audiobook!*

This was so creepy to listen to on audio and I mean that in the best way! I had to keep looking over my shoulder, thinking I was hearing something behind me.
I really enjoyed Maverick's perspective and how he had so many secrets. While in the end, his character fell flat I still enjoyed it!
I wanted more of the hide and seek aspect to the plot. I kept waiting for more, but the delivery was off.

Close Your Eyes and Count to 10 by Lisa Unger is a tense, atmospheric thriller game of hide and seek that takes place on a remote island. Told in multiple points of view we get woven a story of several influencers brought to a remote island to an abandoned hotel that is set to be demolished for a game of hide and seek where the winner is set to bring home one million dollars. Stakes are high, as players are in it for all different reasons, things begin going sideways, players are going missing, strange things are happening, a storm is developing, Will anyone make it off this island alive? If you love an adrenaline fuelled, heart pounding locked door crazy mystery thriller ride, then I highly suggest adding this one to your list.

Close Your Eyes and Count to 10 is written by Lisa Unger and narrated by Vivienne Leheny. One of the things I know with a Lisa Unger book, is that you will read a psychological thriller that will have your heart pounding and wondering what will happen next.

The narrator 's tone and flection really amplified parts of the book where your heart was pounding. The book is told from multiple points of view. This is an adult game of hide and seek. You will find your self drawn into this book immediately.

Thank you to the author, publisher and Netgalley for allowing me to read/listen of this book - all thoughts are my own.

The story was an interesting concept. The characters were built up and all played a part in the big story in the end. I enjoyed the small details of how the characters used their online video game presence to help their mother. I felt like the story dragged on a bit at times and I was eager to get to the next big part.

I enjoyed parts of this story but it took a really long time to get into the game show aspect of it. I would have loved more on the island, survival scenes than background, development. Still, a fun mystery to see how everything was connected.

After really loving Secluded Cabin Sleeps Six and loving it, I really wanted to love this one but I just couldn’t get into it. I tried but dnf’ed at 20%

I was granted late access to this book, and man I’m happy my request was granted!

I loved the narration of this book. It was easy to follow, pick up and put down for later. I finished this book in roughly a day and could hardly pause it for any reason.

I have several Lisa Unger books on my shelf, and they get better each release. I liked the island concept, I have not read a book with this idea before.

The one draw back of this book was that I found the twists and turns to be a little predictable.

Lisa Unger’s latest thriller takes an extreme game and twists it into a fight for survival. It didn’t completely blow me away, but I found it engaging, fast-paced, and easy to get lost in for a few hours.

Close Your Eyes and Count to Ten is a psychological suspense novel with the signature Lisa Unger blend of mystery, emotion, and dark secrets. The premise is intriguing and the writing is polished, as always, with Unger doing a solid job of building atmosphere and tension.

The book explores memory, trauma, and trust in a way that’s thought-provoking, though the pacing can feel uneven. The first half takes its time to build, while the second half moves much faster—sometimes a bit too quickly for certain plot points to fully land. The twists are clever, but some feel slightly familiar if you’re a regular reader of the genre.

The characters are complex, but a few felt underdeveloped or hard to connect with emotionally. That said, Unger’s prose is strong, and she creates a compelling sense of unease that carries the story forward.

Overall, Close Your Eyes and Count to Ten is a decent read—engaging in parts, but not quite as gripping or original as some of Unger’s previous work. Still, fans of domestic thrillers and slow-burn mysteries may find enough here.

This multi-POV story features single mom Adele who travels to a remote island in the Atlantic to participate in an extreme game of hide-and-seek hosted by Maverick Dillan and his company Extreme Games and Insane Challenges. So what can go wrong? This was a quick read, locked room mystery with a mysterious disappearance. I wasn’t sure what to expect with the storyline of an abandoned wife and kids and an online viewing platform of extreme adventure but the chilling setting made for a great backdrop for fear and dread. if you are looking for a heart-pounding thriller that combines the high-stakes tension of a survival game with the dark underbelly of social media spectacle pick this book up!

This was a great read! My first book by Lisa Unger and I definitely will be going back into her catalog for more! A new favorite author!

I tried picking this up a few times but could not get into the story. I really wanted to like this one - I've read many books by one of the authors and loved their books, so thought I would enjoy this one, but sadly this was not the case for this one.

Giving it 1 star because I had to give a star rating.

Lisa Unger is the author of one of my favorite thrillers, Confessions on the 7:45, so I was excited to receive a copy of this audiobook, even though it was approved after the release date.

Adele is desperate to take care of her children on her own, so when her son encourages her to join an extreme hide-and-seek competition for a $1 million prize, she signs up. But the stakes are higher than anticipated with a violent storm approaching...and people winding up dead.

This was a 3.5/5 for me. I thought the premise seemed thrilling, but there were elements that didn't work, and I was unable to connect with the characters. It's a quick read, so it would be great as a beach read, I suppose as long as the weather isn't tempestuous!

A little too drawn out for my taste, Lisa Unger's Close Your Eyes and Count to 10 tells the story of an adventure contest gone awry. The book is set on an island in the Atlantic where contests in a high stakes game of "hide and seek" vie for a million-dollar prize for being the last person found. The contestants each have their baggage and their reasons for competing - a divorced mother of teenagers in need of the money, a former TV adventure show host trying to restore his reputation and a young adventurer trying to meet her ambitious father's expectations. But none of the contestants have the baggage of the game's sponsors - a reckless self-promoting daredevil who is counting on this event to salvage his company and his colleagues, not all of whom know of the company's financial straits. There's a murder and a disappearance thrown in, some questionable ethical choices as well. All of it is reasonably entertaining. But I think the book would have benefitted from fewer plot detours-

Thank you for this early copy! I would rate this is 2.5/5. I was interested enough to finish, but had a hard time getting into it. Once I figured out who all the characters were, since there were so many, I enjoyed it a lot more. I did love the idea of an extreme hide and seek game, but I wish the story had been more focused on that instead of everything else.

The audio was done really well!

This fast paced psychological thriller will keep you enthralled and you won't be able to put it down! Close Your Eyes And Count To 10 by Lisa Unger is a fantastic read! I enjoyed every minute of it and the twist!! WOW!! Make sure to add this to your must read list! Thank you @launger for an amazing read and @netgalley for a chance to read this thrilling story!

I enjoyed this book! It was a cross between Fortnight and every suspense book on a deserted island. Maverick starts extreme and they have all of these challenges. Adele, a single mom, decides to go there to earn money for her children. Mav and his team are still reeling from the disappearance of Chloe Miranda from their last challenge. Add a storm, and old lady who doesn't want them on their property, and secrets among friends, and you have all the makings of a thriller.
I enjoyed this fast paced book and look forward to more books by this author.

Thank you to Netgalley and Harlequin Audio for my audiobook copy of Close Your Eyes and Count To 10 in exchange for my honest review. I received access to this one after the release date so it's available NOW for you to read or listen to!

The book was certainly a thriller from start to finish! This was the most intense game of hide an seek!

Enter Adele, a single mother of 2 teens who happens to need money after her husband just disappeared after an apparent money issue. Adele's teenagers are all about the latest and greatest influencers, as Adele is trying hard herself to become one. So when they stumble upon Maverick Dillon holding a game of hide and seek on Falcao Island (a place where her son happens to know thanks to a friend he online games with), they encourage her to enter. Wouldn't you know she gets picked to complete?

Bravely leaving her children behind, she embarks on what she thinks will just be a weekend chance to earn money to make all their problems go away. What she doesn't count on are people on the island warning her to leave before the game even begins. What she really doesn't know is what is happening behind the scenes with Dillon's company (he's kind of like Mr. Beast) AND a HUGE storm is approaching the island.

This is the perfect storm for a page turning thriller you cannot put down.

5 stars. I couldn't stop listening. I was so desperately trying to piece everything together (I failed, shocker). How she puts everything together is absolutely brilliant and it had parts I just could not see coming. I highly recommend this book for any thriller enthusiast, you will not be disappointed!

**Donna's Reading Chair blog is scheduled to be posted May 20th at 4am PST. It will be posted in OG on May 20th as well.