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: ★★★★
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.
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