This isn't the first book of Paris' that I've read - and while I went in expecting a bit more of a thriller based on that, this was certainly a riveting read in its own right. Honestly, it was a genuine one-sitting read! The book alternates between the husband and wife, covering hour by hour the lavish 40th birthday party that Livia has been dreaming about throwing for herself since her own twentieth birthday. But when the day finally comes, both Liv and Adam have burdens surrounding their 19 year old daughter, Marnie. It's easy to share in their anxieties and concerns once it becomes clear just what the secrets are that so preoccupy both of them. The sections move quickly, and honestly, I just couldn't put this down at all! I thought that the characters all came to life - though some are more developed than others. Plus, the soap operatic dramas only added to deepening the drama. I didn't expect to get so emotionally attached, either! I really did enjoy it and felt a bit like I spent my evening watching an excellently casted ensemble film. I still have one of Paris' earlier novels in my TBR, and now I am more excited than ever to pick it up!

I read this book because of the author's other books, but found his one incredibly sad. This is ne reason that i don't appreciate ebooks--it is too hard to read the end, where in a print book, the last chapter can be read. But I suppose that is the point of the book--to keep the reader on tinderhooks wondering and marveling at all the stories swirling around. I really thought thought that Marnie would show up and just a little dose of reality, wouldn't the airline conact the family. I will say this--The Dilemma would be a hard book to put down--I read it in one sitting.

OᐯᗴᖇᐯIᗴᗯ: Olivia is gearing up for her big 40th birthday party that she’s been planning forever. Her husband, Adam, is planning the perfect surprise to bring their daughter, Marnie, home from Hong Kong. But in a twist of events, both Olivia and Adam know a secret about Marnie that they are keeping from each other until the party is over.

ᗰY TᕼOᑌᘜᕼTᔕ: I really enjoyed the “backwardness” of this novel. Throughout the entire novel, the readers knew the secrets and watched the uncomfortable miscommunications Olivia and Adam have keeping the secrets. Since we knew the entire time what was happening, there were none of the major twists that I have come to love in thrillers. But, for me, it was a interesting take on the genre.

ᖇᗩTIᑎᘜ: ★★★★

Thank you to St. Martin's Press, Minotaur and NetGalley for a digital ARC of this novel in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

The Dilemma by B.A. Paris is a suspenseful book that keeps you wondering and digs deep into family dynamics. The concept is intriguing and the characters are compelling, although sometimes hard to root for. This is a perfect book for a summer afternoon for anyone who enjoys a dramatic story that keeps you on edge.

While I was expecting this novel to be a thriller, it did keep me on my toes and had me guessing throughout. The family is one that is easy to relate to and they have their share of struggles. This 40th birthday party for Livia is one event that has been in the works for years and they are determined to make it a success. What could go wrong?

❀ ENJOYABLE STORY

The novel is told from the perspectives of Livia and Adam and takes place over the course of one day. There are flashbacks that help to fill in the gaps and give depth to the narrative. It is really enjoyable to read about the party preparations and discover how the much planned for event unfolds.

❀ LIVIA IS INTERESTING AND RELATABLE

Livia is a really interesting character to read about, as she has had quite a few obstacles to overcome in her life. This big birthday party seems extravagant and over-the-top at first, but as more is revealed about her life it makes sense for her to self-indulge. Her character definitely has some flaws, but she is very relatable. Adam, on the other hand, is hard to understand because of his actions. I found myself wanting to shake some sense into him throughout most of the book.

❀ FULL OF SUSPENSE AND DRAMA

It is hard to review a mystery novel without spoiling too much of the plot. If you are in the mood for a novel that is full of suspense and lots of drama, then The Dilemma by B.A. Paris is one to try. I look forward to reading more of this author’s works.

The Dilemma is the third novel by Paris that I have read, and while it is different than the previous books, it still sucked me in.

I'm going to be pretty vague about this story because I think it is required. Livia has been preparing for her 40th birthday party for most of her adult life. She was robbed of the fairytale wedding she desired, so this party will make up for it.

The only problem is that her daughter, Marnie, will not be able to travel home for the party. But Livia knows something about Marnie that will devastate her husband, so she's secretly glad Marnie isn't coming home.

Meanwhile, her husband, Adam, has pulled strings and made it possible for Marnie to attend. He's so excited about surprising Livia. But as the party approaches, he knows something that he should tell Livia, but he doesn't want to ruin the party, and besides, he isn't sure about his information.

So they both know something horrible about their daughter. Is it the same thing? Should they tell each other? When? So that is The Dilemma.

There isn't a huge amount of tension, like Paris' other books, but the reader can just see this huge trainwreck coming. And you want to see how it's going to come about and who the casualties will be.

I thought it was weird that this woman was so obsessed with having this huge party for herself. I guess I just don't have that attention-seeking personality. Because Livia was really something when it came to this party.

I cared about these characters and wished there was some way to make it all go away. Nicely told from multiple perspectives, The Dilemma will keep you turning pages.

Unfortunately, I did not enjoy this book. The writing was good, but the situation was one that completely frustrated me. I could not see people actually acting like this, any of them. I think the author tried to push a thought experiment too far, and for me, it didn't work. The characters were all unlikable, unrelatable, and unbelievable.

This book was EXTREMELY suspenseful which I kinda liked, kinda didn’t. You kinda figure everything out fairly early in this book & you’re just waiting for everyone else to find out. Since you find out so early, there really is no big surprise or plot twist towards the end of the book, which I would’ve liked. It was a good story though & definitely not like any I’ve read before.

The premise of this book is that it’s told from a husband and wife’s point of view throughout a day of big celebration but they each have secrets they’re keeping from each other. As the day goes on it’s just a question of how and when their secrets will be revealed.

I loved this storyline and thought that it was different from other B A Paris books in that it’s not the typical thriller type of book but it still has that suspense aspect where you’re trying to figure out the secrets and how they’ll be revealed. I also loved how the book really focused on different family relationships and I found it very relatable.

This was the third book I have read by this author and the third one that I didn’t care for, which means I won’t be reading her again. This one was the worst of the bunch though. The ENTIRE premise was based on the simple fact that Livia and Adam REFUSED TO TALK TO EACH OTHER. Seriously, if they had just communicated, there would be no book and that pissed me off. Both Livia and Adam know a secret and they keep putting off telling their spouse. So each chapter was just one of the characters going on and on and on about why it was fine to put it off for a little bit. So annoying. The book was slow, there was too much extraneous information and there was zero suspense, only irritation. I would not recommend this one at all.

Paris has done it again! I'm a fan of her previous books and her latest lives up to the suspenseful story her readers expect. Although a cliche, I truly could not put this book down.
The plot is riveting and I couldn't help but imagine how anyone might handle such a situation. To know your child is gone and not be able to reveal it immediately conjures up quite a state of mind. To compound that loss with discovering a secret of such magnitude is doubly discouraging. Paris so masterfully weaves this story.

It's very hard to write a review about this book without any spoilers. This book was very good, but very different than I expected it to be. It wasn't really a thriller, but more a family drama. This family has got so many secrets. It was a bumpy and emptional ride. This book is very well written and you can feel the tension between the characters. It was so hard for me to put down the book. I'm looking forward to see what else this author is going to write.

Life. It’s complicated. On her fortieth birthday, Livia has a secret—maybe more than one—to share at her birthday party. What is The Dilemma that has Livia so frazzled?

Adam and Livia are dating the summer between high school and college when Livia ends up pregnant. Livia’s parents disown her ending her dreams of the perfect white wedding. Instead, Adam and Livia have a civil wedding and Josh is born a few months later. Adam must put down his dreams of attending university. But he hasn’t quite become a mature father—leaving for days at a time to hang out with his best friend, Nelson. Having their daughter, Marnie, a few years later sets Adam on the right course. But will he ever be able to make up his poor fathering to Josh? To Livia?

The less you know going into The Dilemma, the better. It is even hard to write a review without spoiling the excellent and heart-wrenching plot. Therefore, I will simply state that this book is the must-read book of the summer. 5 stars and my favorite book so far this year!

Thanks to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for a copy in exchange for my honest review.

I loved BA Paris’ previous novels, which were all suspense thrillers. This one is more of a relationship drama, with the husband and wife each keeping significant secrets from each other. It was fast-paced, with well developed characters. I found it a little predictable but also found that I couldn’t put it down. Recommended.

This was a little different than B. A. Paris' previous books. It's not really a thriller (at least not my definition of a thriller) but it was definitely suspenseful!! This is family drama at its best that had me almost dreading the ending but couldn't wait to get there and find out what happened!

The writing is good (as always) and the characters are realistic. This is a thought-provoking scenario. What would the reader do in a similar situation?!

I found this latest book by B.A.Paris to be frustrating and annoying. It is a domestic drama with several dysfunctional human beings who miss every opportunity to communicate honestly about their relationships, their friends, their family, and their lives.

Livia has planned her 40th birthday party for 20 years. The build-up to it has everyone all thrilled for the big event she has meticulously arranged for herself. Yes, everyone she knows is meant to be in attendance -- except for her daughter, Marnie, who's away studying in Hong Kong. That's OK, though, because Livia doesn't really want to see her daughter and needs to tell her husband, Adam, all about it. She'll discuss the situation with him after the party is over.

Adam is quite excited about the special surprise he has planned for Livia's party and is having a tough time keeping the secret. While getting everything arranged for the evening, he hears some terrible news. Telling himself that it's better that Livia just enjoy her special day, Adam decides to keep it to himself. He decides that he will share all when the party is over.

NO SPOILERS. But, I just wanted to smash some dishes throughout most of this book. The narrative is told from the points of view of both Livia and Adam as they struggle to keep in the extremely life-changing information that each holds separately. Neither knows the thing the other knows. Have they ever heard the phrase, "Sharing is caring." Well, eventually it all comes out and is just as bad as you'd expect when people withhold stuff from their partners. I was sick of both of them by then and so irritated by the missed opportunities that I was just glad to get to the end.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for this e-book ARC to read and review. I've read all the previous books by this author and now I don't know if I care to try another.

This book was not what I was expecting. In both a good and bad way. I've read prior novels by this author and this was different (not a bad thing).

I don't know how to label this,but I think if you like thought provoking fiction you will enjoy this.

There is so much say about this novel but I can't because of one word- SPOILERS.

I will say that once I started this book, I didn't really put it down. The pacing and plot are riveting despite my disliking almost everyone, especially Livia, and Adam wasn't much better.

Again, if you are looking for a book to generate conversation this is a sure bet!

I give it 4 hearts(out of 5).

Unlike B. A. Paris's previous works, the Dilemma packs up less thrill and more relationship/family drama.

Told throughout the course of a day, the story follows Livia who saved for years to have her perfect fortieth birthday party and Adam, Livia's husband, who felt he owed Livia that perfect day to make up for the wedding party they never had. But both Livia and Adam have a secret to tell one another. Because of their secrets, the party becomes an internal hell brew within both of them.

Paris works her way throughout the day of Livia's 40th birthday party with equal parts intrigue and irritation. The non-communicative couple is to many a trope, but Paris manages to keep me somewhat interested in how it will turn out. Some of Adam and Livia's reasoning was relatable and some of it was implausible. Their reactions to some of the details uncovered throughout the plot was a bit ludicrous and the simple fact that they went on with the party regardless was mind-boggling. Paris tried to convince us of the importance of the party, but that only led to repetitions that defeated her purpose. But there was also sympathy for "the dilemma" of secrets they both faced.

It wasn't Paris's strongest work, but I can see its appeal to many.

Many thanks for St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the opportunity to review this book.

“The Dilemma” by B. A. Paris is the story of Olivia and Adam Harman on the day of Olivia’s birthday, a glorious celebration and a terrible day. The story is told in first-person narratives, and each chapter notes the time and perspective so readers can follow along as events unfold. Readers follow the Harmans through the excitement, the joy, the reminiscences, the disappointments, the uncertainty, the dread, the fear.
Paris created a dynamic family, Olivia and Adam Harman and their adult children, Josh and Marnie. Their past has been somewhat troubled, and yet all things have been set aside for this elaborate birthday gala. Little did they know that a dark cloud, something unthinkable and foreboding, would hang over the day. Intricate details pull readers into the story and the document the raw emotions as the day progresses. Readers find out that this family has many secrets, and the weight of those lies has exacted a heavy toll on those who know the truth.
“The Dilemma” is about family, communication, and a communiqué that no one expected. I received a review copy of “The Dilemma” from B. A. Paris and St. Martin’s Press. It was compelling, thought provoking and tragic. It has advice for everyone; “Life’s too short. Just do what makes you happy.”

This book clearly wasn't for me. I thought it was too drawn out and the pacing was slow. I need to have someone to root for (unreliable and unlikable characters are just not my jam) and this book left me wanting more,,,
I know that fans of BA Paris will love it, however.

It's Livia's 40th birthday and to make up for the big wedding she never had, she is throwing herself a huge birthday bash. However, in the midst of it all, she and her husband Adam are each desperately trying to keep devastating secrets from each other about their daughter. Even though keeping important secrets from one's spouse is probably not the best course of action, Livia and Adam's love for each other clearly shines through in their actions. You can't help rooting for them. This book is completely engrossing and absolutely heart-wrenching.