Lisa Unger delivers another pulse-pounding thriller with Close Your Eyes and Count to Ten. The story kicks off with a chilling premise: a group of strangers finds themselves trapped in an isolated, remote location, forced to play an extreme and deadly game of hide-and-seek. As the stakes escalate, dark secrets come to light, and survival becomes a desperate, all-consuming focus.

From the first page, Unger grips you tight and doesn’t let go. The novel is relentlessly propulsive—just like the deadly game at its center, it’s teeming with drama and tension, and you simply can’t look away. Unger’s mastery of atmosphere adds an extra layer of dread to this locked-room mystery, making every chapter feel claustrophobic and urgent.

Told through multiple perspectives, the story cleverly unfolds in a way that constantly shifts your perception of who can be trusted. Each twist feels earned, and the sense of unease only deepens as the characters' personal histories and motives are slowly revealed. This is a psychological thriller that doesn’t just entertain—it gets under your skin.

If you’re looking for a fast-paced, high-stakes read that blends psychological suspense with a chilling survival scenario, Close Your Eyes and Count to Ten is one you won’t want to miss.

When adventurer Maverick Dillan invites contestants to a high-stakes hide-and-seek game on Falcao Island, it quickly turns into a battle for survival amidst a deadly threat and a raging storm. Adele, a single mother and influencer, joins the game for a million-dollar prize to support her children. The atmosphere becomes tense with warnings about the island’s curse and sinister events unfolding.
Adele’s determination to protect her children drives her through the chaos, as contestants vanish, and danger escalates. The novel effectively portrays her resilience, while the plot intensifies with adrenaline-fueled action. Although some subplots, like Adele’s absent husband, remain unresolved, the story excels in vivid characterization and a chilling atmosphere.
The blend of reality show dynamics and survival horror creates a captivating narrative, highlighting social media’s impact and exploitation of personal struggles. Despite minor pacing issues, the novel offers a thrilling and satisfying read, perfect for fans of suspenseful survival stories and those intrigued by the dark side of reality TV.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing & Park Row for providing this digital copy.

First of all- Thank you to Net Galley for the ARC of this title.

This book was packed with twists and turns in the last 30%. But the beginning was a bit boring and hard to stay connected to. I could relate to Adele, the other characters were not relatable or lovable. I had an idea during the entire book of who was behind the mystery (trying not to spoil). The ending was a bit satisfying.

𝚁𝚊𝚝𝚒𝚗𝚐: 4⭐️
𝙶𝚎𝚗𝚛𝚎: thriller/myster📚

𝙼𝚢 𝚃𝚑𝚘𝚞𝚐𝚑𝚝𝚜:
I love a good secluded island setting and while this one was intriguing I was hoping for a little more.

𝚁𝚎𝚊𝚍 𝚒𝚏 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚕𝚒𝚔𝚎:
Extreme survival games
Social media influencer dynamic
Isolated island settings
Psychological thrillers
Reality TV-style competitions
Character-driven narratives

𝚃𝚑𝚒𝚗𝚐𝚜 𝙸 𝚕𝚒𝚔𝚎𝚍:
Unique game concept
Atmospheric and eerie setting
I feel like the motherhood aspect made the FMC more relatable
I really enjoyed the narration

𝚃𝚑𝚒𝚗𝚐𝚜 𝙸 𝚍𝚒𝚍𝚗’𝚝 𝚌𝚊𝚛𝚎 𝚏𝚘𝚛:
Pacing felt slow at times
I didn’t really connect with any of the characters
Some predictable plot twists
It wasn’t as creepy as I was hoping it would be

𝙵𝚊𝚟𝚘𝚛𝚒𝚝𝚎 𝚀𝚞𝚘𝚝𝚎𝚜:
★ “When the game starts, the masks come off.”
★ “Survival isn’t just about staying alive—it’s about who you trust when everything’s stripped away.”
★ “The island keeps its secrets. It’s the players you have to watch.”

I was excited to receive this as an ALC! Thanks to Harlequin Audio. I am in a thriller era and loving these types of reads.

The premise of this book is an extreme game of hide and seek in a dilapidated hotel with a million dollar grand prize, all widely publicized over social media. Enter Adele, mom of two teenagers, who is one of the contestants.

When we switch between POVs, the timeline could become disjointed. We would end up either before or after the previous POV in the narrative timeline.

Gen Alpha and video game language was prevalent throughout: "brah", "FUBAR", etc. We also see some fun nods to social media with We Watch, which seems like an Instagram or YouTube equivalent.

This could feel like a commentary on out of touch influencers doing dangerous and dumb things that have serious and life threatening consequences.

I especially enjoyed the ending monologue by Adele where she talks about the societal pressures on women.

Narrator is amazing, i would listen to more by this narrator.

There was way too many characters for the audiobook. I listened to 40% and liked what i heard but i was lost. I have no idea what was happening after 25% and thought i would keep going to maybe figure it out. I have a physical copy of this book so i am going to try that format and see if i can get unconfused.

Rating the star generously since I did like the beginning of the book.

Lisa Unger writes many thriller stories. This Close Your Eyes and Count to 10 is milder than her others. I enjoyed it and was especially grateful for the narrator's ability to keep the characters separate by her voice changes as there were a lot of characters. I felt there could have been more to the book but it was entertaining and a totally new concept. A tough and ready woman raising two children on her own going after a million-dollar prize to get back on her feet after her husband disgraced them all and disappeared with ill-gotten gains from their friends leaving them financially in ruin. It seems desperate as it was but lessons are learned and the pace and events kept you listening. It was easier listening than reading just for the constant character changes. It is worth your time and it has a good ending so I do give it a 4. I think it could have been more cohesive and deeper character development on some of the more important characters. Thank you, NetGalley and Harlequin Audio for this audio edition of the book this is my honest opinion.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an audio copy to listen to in exchange for an honest review.

I was in need of a good thriller and this one more than delivered! I'm a huge fan of stranded/weather/locked room type books. This was exactly what I was looking for. I liked how there were multiple points of view, and how we hopped back and forth in time. I'm sure some of it would have been easier to follow in print format, but I never really felt lost listening to the audio.

3.5/5 stars

I enjoyed the premise of the story but was not interested in any of the characters. The twists were predictable and I just thought it was just ok.

Overall, I would say that I liked this audiobook. There are so many elements to this story whose connections don't seem readily apparent, but whose connections start to weave together throughout the story. I loved the use of the extreme hide-and-seek competition as the catalyst for this book. There was so much drama-fueled action throughout the story and so much happened in the last 100 pages that I couldn't walk away.

I really like the narrator for this book. She had a great way of changing her voice to differentiate between the characters.

I will start this review by stating the obvious, I LOVE Lisa Unger. I consider her one of the best suspense authors that I read. I really enjoy the way she looks at society and her gears start turning. This novel takes on our obsession with TikTok and social media challenges. I do feel like the story could have been stronger. Usually her plots are a little more enthralling. I think focusing on one POV could have made this feel more cohesive and less predictable.

Thank you Netgalley for this ARC! I’ve never read a book by Lisa Unger before and I had high hopes. Unfortunately this was a huge disappointment. A slow and boring story, I expected way more to happen

5 out of 5 stars

Thank you to Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I love a good Lisa Unger book and this was definitely good. I was thrilled to see this on Netgalley. Single Mom Adele has been struggling to raise her sone and daughter alone ever since her now ex husband Miller abandoned her and the kids. That is until her son finds out that extreme show creator is Macerick Dillan is doing another one of his extreme hide and seek games and he suggests that she on ahead and applies since she has made her self a fitness influencer. Though Adele is not sure she really can't turn down the million dollar prize if she wins. Things are not as they seem on the island and she and the other contestants are in danger.

"Close Your Eyes and Count to Ten" is another great novel by Lisa Unger. I was so excited to read this after all the ARC reviews! I found the concept of this book to be clever and different. It was thrilling with lots of twists and felt like a deadly version of Survivor that kept me guessing. I listened to the audiobook, narrated by Vivienne Leheny, who did an excellent job. However, I felt lost a few times and had to rewind.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin Audio for this audiobook.

Overall, I enjoyed the premise of this book - and the audio narration. At first, I struggled with the narrator but she definitely grew on me throughout to the point that I did end up having a positive feeling by the end of the book.

There were seriously spooky vibes and I loved all the pop culture references and the plot points surrounding this current YouTube culture. The ending was a letdown and I feel like there were some serious holes and questions unanswered.

Fun ride, but ultimately left me wanting more.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Harlequin Audio for providing me this ALC.

Characters with questionable motives, missing persons, a true crime podcast and influencers galore.

I am enjoying the new thrillers looking into the influencer lifestyle, they’re a lot of fun. How realistic they are I have no idea but speculation is part of the charm.

Narrator did a solid job in spite of so many characters to keep track of.

4 stars, do recommend.

I had the chance to read the book before diving into the audio, and I’m so glad I did. It was a totally different experience—reading and listening gave me two distinct feelings. This audiobook was a fantastic escape, wild and out there, but so much fun to listen to!

Vivienne Leheny did an amazing job capturing the tension right from the start, giving each character a unique voice. The multiple POVs and rich backstories had me completely hooked.

This was such a fast-paced, fun mystery audiobook, classic Lisa Unger style! The setting, plot, and pacing were spot on. I felt like I was competing in an extreme game of hide and seek on a secluded island, all while a storm raged on.

I was also thrilled to attend @launger author talk at Oxford Exchange. It was such a great experience, and I can’t wait for her next book!

I was given an ARC for audio book. The narration was great. The story line was good as well. It had so many stories wrapped in 1 book. Of course I knew who was giving maverick all the trouble and knew which one of them was to blame for a murder. Other than that definitely a good listen/read. So much going on that u needed to know who did what and how it all correlated.

Close Your Eyes and Count to Ten by Lisa Unger is a propulsive story about a mother who will do anything for her children, including becoming an influencer, and signing up for an extreme competition that’s risky in the best circumstances. But this certainly isn’t a best circumstances situation…

I really enjoyed the multi POV approach to this novel, which allows the reader to see things from other POVs aside from the main character. They deliver pertinent information at just the right time, leaving the reader beyond curious, and turning the page.

I listened to the audiobook version of this story, which was narrated by a single narrator, Vivienne Leheny, who did a great job. I listened at 1.75x speed (my normal audiobook listening speed is 1.75x).

Thank you NetGalley and Harlequin Audio, and Harlequin Trade Publishing for this advanced copy.

Intriguing concept. Love the strong female lead and the fact that she was older. The writing and background for each character was strong and you definitely become invested in their lives and stories. This was a solid adventure and a thrilling ride to be on.