Review: Close Your Eyes and Count to 10 by Lisa Unger

Close Your Eyes and Count to 10 by Lisa Unger

Publication Date: February 25th 2025 by Park Row & Harlequin Audio

Pages: 384

Audio Book Length: 11hrs 34 mins

Narrators: Vivienne Leheny

Source: Publishers

Rating: ★★★★

Links: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo | Libro.fm | Audible | Goodreads

My Thoughts:

Adele has had a tough five years. Having her husband take off and disappear after finding out he embezzled money from his company was a shock. Now she and her two kids, Violet and Blake, struggle to get by and Adele wonders how she’ll pay for college or ever be able to retire. But Adele has pulled herself up and has been building a following in her fitness challenges, reclaiming her life as a single parent. When her son Blake suggests she take part in an extreme contest of hide and seek on a remote island with a cash prize of one million dollars, Adele’s hesitant. Especially since there’s been rumors swirling about the host, Maverick Dillan and a missing girl, but the lure of that money makes it hard to say no.

 

This is the second story I’ve read where the main characters have lives centered around social media, living a life in front of the camera worried about views and sponsors. Maverick and his team were prodded on by this and it wasn’t a good thing. Makes you think about the pitfalls of social media.

 

There are many POVs here: Adele, her kids, Violet and Blake, as well as Maverick and his girlfriend and co-worker, Angeline, but at the center of this story, for me, was Adele. I was most invested in her journey, rooting for her having to pick up the pieces after such a devastating betrayal!

 

I enjoyed “seeing” true-crime podcaster, Harley Granger show up again!

 

Close Your Eyes and Count to 10 was an engrossing page-turner! A crumbling hotel, an isolated island location, and approaching storm created an air of danger. However, I felt the mystery and suspense centered more around the personal conflicts and issues each character was facing rather than the actual contest. 

I alternately read and listened to Close Your Eyes and Count to 10 and recommend either version. Vivienne Leheny’s did a great job making each character distinctive. Her narration enhanced my enjoyment of this addictive story! 

4 Stars

Book Description:

An extreme game of hide-and-seek turns deadly in this riveting new thriller from New York Times bestselling author Lisa Unger

When the real game begins, who will make it to the count of 10?

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.