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.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ -NetGalley ARC

Description:
Charismatic 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. A storm rages as a deadly threat stalks the contestants, turning the challenge into something far more sinister than the social media stunt it was intended to be.
Enter Adele, a single mother with a fierce determination to protect her children at all costs. When she begins the game, she unwittingly enters a twisted web of deception and intrigue. Can she maneuver through the treacherous storm and the relentless competition and get home to her family? In a ruthless battle for survival where the stakes are higher than ever, the blurry line between the virtual and the real proves that the only person we can trust is ourselves.

Review:
Bear Grylls meets Survivor in this new tale from Lisa Unger.
Four strangers meet on Falcao Island, at an abandoned hotel set for demolition, to take part in an extreme game of Hide and Seek. The winner will win One Million Dollars. The question is, will anyone be left alive to collect it? This atmospheric thriller had me guessing until the end.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin Audio for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.
Published:02/25/2025

CLOSE YOUR EYES AND COUNT TO 10 by Lisa Unger

A multilayered thriller about a single mother who joins a high-stakes hide-and-seek influencer competition on a remote island, only to realize the game has deadly consequences. This eerie, atmospheric story is equal parts mystery and commentary on influencer culture. While it's not my favorite from Unger, it's still highly entertaining and definitely worth the read!

Narrator Vivienne Leheney is exceptional! Voicing such a large cast of characters, providing a different voice for each of them, just showcases her immense skill. Well done! 👏🏼

Lisa Unger’s Close Your Eyes and Count to 10 takes the classic childhood game of hide-and-seek and turns it into a pulse-pounding fight for survival. What starts as a thrilling, social media-fueled challenge on a remote island quickly becomes a nightmarish battle against an unseen, lethal force.

The novel’s premise is irresistible: Maverick Dillan, an extreme adventurer and influencer, gathers contestants for the ultimate high-stakes game on Falcao Island. But as a storm descends and the players disappear one by one, it’s clear that this is no mere competition—someone is hunting them. At the heart of the story is Adele, a single mother whose survival instincts kick into overdrive. With every moment, the line between game and reality blurs, forcing her to make impossible choices to ensure she makes it back to her children.

Unger expertly weaves tension and psychological suspense, crafting an atmosphere thick with paranoia and uncertainty. As the contestants fall victim to the island’s unseen dangers, the novel explores themes of social media spectacle, the limits of human endurance, and the primal fight for self-preservation. Adele’s perspective grounds the novel, giving it emotional weight beyond the thrill of the chase. Readers will root for her as she navigates a world where trust is a liability, and every decision could mean life or death.

Fast-paced and filled with twists, Close Your Eyes and Count to 10 is a gripping thriller that will keep you guessing until the final page. Fans of survival horror, locked-room mysteries, and psychological suspense won’t want to miss this harrowing, adrenaline-fueled ride.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (5/5) – Perfect for fans of Riley Sager, Ruth Ware, and Squid Game-style survival thrillers.

This was such a good read! I love her books!! It was a five star read! I loved they way the game played out.

I requested this book because I really enjoy Lisa Unger's work! I've read several of her books and like trying to figure out the twists. In "Close Your Eyes and Count to 10" there were so many little threads to follow between characters and I was wondering how they were all connected. I liked having the perspectives of multiple characters and getting different takes on the events - even the perspectives from folks in real life vs when they were streaming live online. It kept me wondering what was going to happen next, who was telling the truth, and who was going to surprise me.

I like Lisa Unger and her slow burn thriller style of writing with a few twists added in. This novel didn't have the same effect, though. I didn't like the narrator so that distracted from the character development, but even with that aside, I couldn't connect to any of the characters. The whole premise of influencers going to a deserted resort to play hide and seek for a million dollars seemed far-fetched. The liability of this endeavor would automatically prohibit it, combined with a tropical storm that just happened to come in during the small time frame of the game, made this a non-starter. And there is no way a mom who was in debt and the single parent to teenagers would spend more money to attend this game, leaving her children in a precarious situation. I didn't buy it.