I wouldn't say this was my favorite by Unger but it was definitely twisty, with a group of influencers travelling to a remote island for a reality competition only to have the bodies start piling up. Told from multiple POVs, it was at times difficult to keep track of who was who but certain characters stood out more than others and I had one in particular I was rooting for. Good on audio and recommended for fans of authors like Ruth Ware or Alice Feeney. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital and audio copy in exchange for my honest review!

Big thank you to NetGalley, Harlequin Audio & Harlequin Trade Publishing (Park Row) for the advanced copies of this new novel coming tomorrow, 2/25!!

While I did find this enjoyable, it felt like there was a ton going on. There are a lot of characters and they are all doing quite a bit throughout the story. I did also find this to be a storyline that we've read before from other authors, but I liked how Unger added a certain aspect here (don't want to give it away in my review!). It reminded me a bit of a movie, but in book form!

I think this is a fun read for sure and a little bit of a different spin for this particular storyline, but it was just overall okay for me.
It may hit you differently though so I always suggest you give every book a chance!

I am very thankful to have had the audio as well as I think it helped bring some of these characters to life for me and give me a better take on them. Great job to our narrator for that!

This was a one-day listen. I could not stop! A great story about what a Mom will do for her kids. There were so many layers and nuances. I didn't see some of it coming and that was a delight. It was about more than a mom, but a woman and a family and friends and how it all worked together to scare us to death. A great story!

Well, I will probably be in the minority here but this just didn’t do it for me. There premise was strong as I love a good game inside a thriller but ultimately it was a letdown. This suffered from too many POVs - I feel like you didn’t get to know any characters very well since it bounced around so much. The team running the game were incredibly annoying and unlikable. Adele’s backstory was unnecessary (like, what did this add to the plot?!) Maybe you will have a better time though!

Thank you to Netgalley for the ARC!

The premise of the book was so intriguing... but the book seriously fell flat. The narrator did a terrible job of trying to do different accents for various characters and wasn't successful with any of them. The book was meant to be about a survival game, but focused so much the characters trivial drama and hardly any focus on the survival game. None of the characters were likable enough to care what happened to them. This is the first Lisa Unger book I've read, and I won't be rushing to read more.

Lisa Unger is one of my favorite authors but I just think this particular title came out too close to others like it. A high stakes game of hide and seek on an island. A dive into social media as well. It would have been better if it had been edited 50 more pages. It definitely kept me reading though and that's not something I take lightly.

A thriller highlighting a secluded island and the ultimate game of hide and seek? Yes please! With multiple POVs and characters, this slow burn whodunit was entertaining from the beginning to the end. It was fun to read a story with trendy topics/specialities like social media influencers and reality tv shows. If you enjoy secluded islands, reality tv, and locked room thrillers, I highly suggest this one.
Close Your Eyes and Count to 10 is out tomorrow, 02.25.25!

Thank you NetGalley and Harlequin Audio for the ALC and the chance to review it honestly 🤗

“What did they need with a game like this? But, of course, there was only one answer ever: money. People, she learned, would do just about any asinine thing for it, especially if they didn’t have to actually earn it.”

What would you do for followers? Me? Nothing. 😂😂

Extreme hide and seek…but with influencers. Oh my haha. This book started off rather slow for a thriller. Although it did pick up as the games begin there are a plethora of characters and that may have been a deterrent. It is told from multiple pov which keeps the suspense up but ultimately I enjoy a faster paced thriller.

I did enjoy the audiobook, though. The narration keeps the suspense up quite nicely.

Thank you to Netgalley, Harlequin Audio, Park Row Books, and the author for the ALC and ARC in exchange for my honest thoughts.

What could go wrong with a game of hide-and-seek in a dilapidated building?

Death, murder, mayhem, and a tropical storm become players in this twisted game. Who to trust? Each character can only trust themselves, or trusting another could result in deadly circumstances.

Overall, it was an enjoyable slow burn. I was able to get an advanced copy of the audiobook thanks to Lisa Unger, Netgalley and Harlequin Audio. There were times I got confused listening to the audiobook, and it wasn't until about 30 seconds to a minute in did I realize what was going on. At times, I had to rewind and listen to a section over again.

For me, I enjoyed the storyline, even though I felt there were too many subplots going on, and would recommend this book to anyone who is a fan of Lisa Unger and for those who like a slow burn thriller/suspense.

Overall I would give this read: 3.5 ⭐⭐⭐

Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin Audio for the opportunity to listen to "Close Your Eyes and Count to 10" by Lisa Unger.

I had high expectations for this title going in as I have enjoyed some of Lisa Unger's previous novels. It didn't quite hit the bar for me and dragged in spots, but that doesn't mean I didn't enjoy it. It was definitely a slow burn kind until about the last 15% of the book. Some of it was really predictable, some spots were a little out there.

Maverick Dillion is a fitting name for the main character, though I fully expected it to be revealed as a stage name. I admired Adele's reasoning to want to win the challenge. There's nothing a mama won't do for her kiddos!

It seems as though the social media influencer and challenge based books are becoming more popular. I totally understand why... It's totally the world we live in at the present

I might not be quick to recommend it to others that enjoy the mystery/thriller genre. But others may enjoy it! This is just my opinion.

🎧 I enjoyed Vivienne Leheny's performance! Her narration kept my attention, she did a great job conveying the tension between the characters on the island. 4 stars for the narration.

This reminded me of Beast Games! My 9-year-old just made me watch it. 😂 Maverick Dillan (the Mr. Beast of the operation) is hosting an extreme game of hide and seek on an abandoned island. There are several contestants that make the trip to Falcao Island, Portugal to compete for one million dollars. Chaos ensues almost immediately and nothing goes as planned. This was a fun locked room popcorn thriller. The characters were a little one dimensional, but overall, this was a solid 3.5 for the pacing and the entertaining plot.

Thanks to Netgalley and Park Row publishing for this arc. I enjoyed this thriller but did feel like the premise was a bit of a stretch. Contestants from very different backgrounds come together on a remote island with a dark past to compete in a narcissistic, influencer's daring game of hide and seek. The suspense and intrigue was definitely there but the connections between the characters and their reasoning behind competing were weak in my opinion. I also felt there were certain plot lines that were given a lot of attention at the beginning of the book but were never fully resolved or were hurriedly done so at the end. An interesting idea that was a fun read but did not quite meet my expectations having enjoyed Lisa Unger's other books.

2,5 stars.

This one was a miss for me. Although I enjoyed the concept and was very intrigued before starting, I found that the book dragged and was bogged down by too much unnecessary information. I found myself bored, waiting for something to happen, and in the end it was more of a whimper than a bang, I wasn't surprised by anything that happened, nor did I have a drive to find out how it was going to end.

I was distracted by the dialogue. I found it very cringey, like it was internet speak but people talking to each other. It felt like it was written by someone who read internet speak online, heard a teenager talk like that once then assumed everyone with an Instagram account speaks like that now.

Lisa Unger just doesn't seem to be the author for me. Ive tried several times and always love the idea, but then I'm underwhelmed by the execution.

thank you @htpbooks for the gifted ARC and @netgalley for the gifted ALC!

⭐️⭐️⭐️💫
📆 pub date: 2/25/25
✍️ author: Lisa Unger
🎙️ narrator: Vivienne Leheny
⏰ length: 11hrs, 33min

Lisa Unger is one of my auto-buy authors. My collection of her books is always growing!

CLOSE YOUR EYES AND COUNT TO 10 puts a unique spin on the locked island thriller. I’ve read so many of them at this point and they’re always hit or miss for me, so I loved the concept of an extreme game of hide and seek!

I’m glad I listened to the audiobook because I felt like it put me right on the island with the characters. I enjoyed getting the backstory of Adele and her marriage, along with her children’s POVs.

As usual when it comes to island thrillers, a storm rages and traps the characters. There was a lot of action, especially towards the end, and I felt at times that too much was happening at once.

This book was all over the place. I think there were too many storylines and characters thrown in. Sadly I would not recommend but this book, but I have enjoyed this author’s work in the past and will continue to read her!

The story starts as a slow burn in the first half. Lots of characters to be introduced and their back stories to be told. Adele is a single mother to two teenage children. Adele has had a lot thrown at her the past couple of years, starting with her husband embezzling money then leaving the family high and dry for the fallout. To make ends meet Adele becomes a social media influencer. Maverick Dillan is an adrenaline junkie always looking for the next thrill. His company hosts high stakes adventures for huge payouts that are streamed live for their followers. A game of hide and seek doesn't sound that high stakes, but put it on an island property that seems to be falling down around them, add to that a huge storm that knocks out power (but for some reason does not knock out cell service, because they can still stream everything live), and friends that back stab each other for breakfast, it becomes a page turning thriller that just needs to be read. While all that is going on, there is a side story with Adele's teenagers back at home. I tended to care more about the kids than what was going on at the game on the island, but the way they all intertwined was nice.

"Close Your Eyes and Count to 10" really took its time getting into gear, but once it did? The suspense was 🔥! I’ll be honest, I wasn’t fully hooked until about 55-60% into the book, but once it picked up, I was intrigued. This one is a slow burn with multiple POVs, so it took a bit to weave everything together.

The premise had me intrigued right off the bat—an intense game of hide-and-seek on a remote island for a cash prize? Spy Kids meets Survivor vibes all the way, but I was hoping for a bit more... action, I guess? The plot is pretty busy with a ton of characters and subplots, and I’ll admit, there were several loose ends that didn’t quite get tied up. It’s one of those books where the drama keeps you entertained, but you still want more at the end.

But let me tell you, the last 25%? That’s where it truly shines. The twists came at me left and right, and there were even some emotional, heartwarming moments (maybe even a tad cheesy, but who cares, it worked).

Now, Vivienne Leheny—where do I even begin?! She absolutely NAILED the narration. Her voice work is impeccable, especially with all the different characters and perspectives. Each voice was distinct and helped bring clarity to the storyline, which honestly could’ve been hard to follow without her. She gave life to the characters and made even the slower parts engaging. Truly, I could’ve listened to her narrate for hours.

Bottom line: "Close Your Eyes and Count to 10" is perfect for fans of reality TV, multiple POVs, and isolated island settings. It’s got drama, secrets, and twists—just don’t expect a fast paced thriller. I gave it 3 stars, mostly because it was entertaining, but the story didn’t quite live up to its full potential for me.

I would like to thank NetGalley and the publisher for the chance to listen early and review.

I regret that this book did not hold my attention at all. I was bored throughout the first quarter of the novel.
I have only on other book by Lisa Unger and really enjoyed it!! This was not what I expected from this author. I have quickly discovered with some other novels, the reality game show scenario is not my jam -- should have realized this when requesting. I almost DNF'd at 30% but wanted to see it through. At 50% I was not invested. By 70% I found myself skipping to 80 and then 90 and it just did nothing for me.

I'm sorry that I was not the right audience.

What extreme lengths would you go to keep those you loved safe and comfortable?

This was an ever-moving story about a once in a lifetime competition of extreme hide and seek, but so much more hidden with people not wanting to be found out.

It was fun to get multiple points of view and different backstories, but I was hoping to get more flushed out for each characters tale. Even though there were multiple povs, it was still very easy to follow along and guess what would happen. Having this as an audiobook definitely brought different accents and tones for each of the characters and really brought it to life.

It was fairly visual in both the real world and the gaming/social media realm. Makes me wonder what inspired the author to choose such a location as a backdrop.

This is my first story read from Lisa Unger, but now I’m very ready for more! Thank you so much to the author, Lisa Unger, Harlequin Audio, and NetGalley for this audiobook arc of Close Your Eyes and Count to 10!