Another great read from B.A. Paris!!! The Dilemma introduces us Adam & Livia, who have 2 children, Josh & Marnie. Told in alternating voice, we learn that each have a close circle of friends, and secrets. The Dilemma is, at what point, if ever, should a secret be shared? While it’s easy to say keeping secrets is never a good option, Adam knows he needs to tell Livia, who thinks that probably Adam should know, and Marnie plans to share on her next school break. What is the price of delaying telling the truth, even if you justify it is in another’s best interest? Thank you NetGalley & St. Martin’s Press for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

HATED the ending. I was so hoping this book was going to end differently. Disappointed when it didn’t. Aside from that, it was a quick, light mindless read.

The Storyline for The Dilemma, surrounds a family and the planning of a 4oth Birthday Party.

The Mother Livia, is just waiting to see if her daughter Marnie will be making the event

It was a well written book, with an interesting concept for the storyline, with some twists, and turns along the way

I did enjoy the book, but found it a little slow moving in some parts

Thanks to NetGalley, Author B.A. Paris, and St. Martin's Press, for my early copy of The Dilemma for my review

#TheDilemma #NetGalley

I received an ARC of The Dilemma in exchange for an honest review. I was so excited to receive this book. I love B.A. Paris. She is one of my favorite thriller authors and always look forward to a new book from her. However, this book was not what I would classify as a thriller. There was suspense and it definitely catches your attention. In fact, I read this book in a very short period of time. Livia and Adam both have a secret that they are keeping from each other. Each one knows that their secret will change their family's life. I want to give this book a 4 star rating since it wasn't a thriller but I had too much trouble putting the book down to do that. Any book you have trouble putting down is a definite 5 star.

Many thanks to St. Martin's Press for allowing me to read an advance copy of this book in exchange for an unbiased review.

The Dilemma drew me in and I did not want to put it down. Livia and Adam are preparing for Livia's 40th birthday party and they both have a secret. We know Adam's secret early in the story, but Livia's is a mystery for much of the book. I liked the plot and characters, but felt it began dragging on a bit about halfway through. It seemed like the character's internal dialogues were repetitive and it was frustrating that none of them would really talk to one another. Overall, I enjoyed the book and would recommend it.

The Dilemma, by B.A. Paris, is very different than previous releases by this  suspense author.  The Dilemma has some very sad undertones.  Although a good story, it was not as expected.   The Dilemma was a quick read, with no real surprises.  It provided depth in some characters, with many extraneous characters that could have been done without.  

So, is it possible to love someone so much that you keep secrets to spare their feelings.?  Not just secrets, but life changing secrets or information.    Are some secrets better off being kept?  Some information is necessary to expose.  How and when is the right time to do so is a difficult decision.  Does withholding this information wear on you, your conscience and cause feeling of guilt?  When the one being protected finds out the news withheld, we see the many possible reactions of sadness, lack of trust, shock, guilt, anger, and sadness.  The Dilemma is packed with these emotions and many more.
As a fan of B.A. Paris and her other books, I don'[t feel this book was up to par  Maybe it was a preconceived notion of what her writing would entail, but it just wasn't all that.  Readable but not recommendable.

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A very clever suspenseful story. A daughter away at school with a secret, a mother planning a huge 40th birthday party for her self, a son detached from his father and a father who loves his family but still feels a hint of regret for the life he wanted. The book has the reader asking, what secrets do we keep and what do we share. Do we keep quiet about the truth to save the one we love, or is it a selfish act to protect ourself? The anticipation was high while I was trying to figure out the secret the daughter had.
A story that makes you think about how we share information or withhold information from those we love as well as why.
As in all B A Paris books I could not put it down. Her stories are detailed with well developed and like able characters and the plots are flawless.

Thank you netgalley for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

I’ve read all of B.A Paris’ books and was so excited to have gotten the opportunity to read The Dilemma! It was everything you’d expect from Paris - suspenseful, emotional, and just down right can’t stop reading type of book!

We hear from two characters in this book - Livia and Adam. They have two children, Marnie and Josh who are both embarking on their adult lives - Marnie in Hong Kong and Josh ready to start college and move in with his girlfriend.

Livia has been planning her fortieth birthday party for over twenty years and the day has finally come to celebrate. They had Marnie at 19 and didn't get the fabulous wedding Livia dreamed of, so this party means everything. Marnie and Adam plan to secretly surprise Livia who thinks Marnie can’t attend due to exams. They book her a flight with three layovers just to come. This is the party Livia has been saving for and talking about forever - it has to be perfect. And everything is until Adam sees that a plane has crashed that Marnie may or may not be on. She texted him letting him know her first flight was delayed so she would miss her connector - which turns out to be the plane that crashed. Did she actually make it on? Regardless, for the sake of Livia to enjoy her day, the party must go on.

Highly recommend and hope this turns into a movie!

As with all of Paris’ books, this is an engaging, readable story with a compelling writing style. It involves secrets between a husband and wife, Adam and Liv, and the dilemma of whether to disclose a life changing secret before Liv’s 40th birthday party. Liv has been planning this party for two decades and it raises the question of whether it’s better to give the gift of ignorance if circumstances can’t be changed or the right to know even if it will ruin the person’s dream. The whole story takes place in one day. It alternates between Adam and Liv’s POV each hour.

The story itself was not so much a thriller, but rather a psychological family drama. Aside from the secrets themselves, there weren’t any reveals or mysteries to be solved. And although I appreciated the dilemma that the author was trying to create, for me, it didn’t work because of the imbalance of priorities in this plot situation. It wasn’t realistic in my mind because of the gravity of the secret.

In all, although it was my least favourite book written by Paris, it is a fast paced read with a slow burn feel. There is no twisty surprise ending but rather a resolution.

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and Netgalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The Dilemma is about a family that is keeping secrets. Who will tell the first secret? How will the impending news affect all those involved?
Livia is celebrating her 40th birthday with a large celebration with all her friends and family. This has been in the planning for almost 20 years, since she never had a wedding. The story is told in alternating views from Livia and her husband Adam. Each one is keeping something from the other on the day of the big celebration. They don't want to spoil the party for each other so they hold onto their secret until the party is over.
I loved how the author alternated the chapters and used a time line for Adam. The writers writing style is so easy to read and follow. This is a fast page turner because you want to find out when the impending news will be broken. You hope that the truth is not really true. You want the characters to have their special day without the dark cloud hanging over it.
This is my fourth book by B.A. Paris. If you love a good mystery be sure to read "The Dilemma".

Wow! This book was amazing!! Both shocking and suspenseful!! I was hooked from the first page that I couldn’t put it down!! Definitely different from the authors other previous works, but excellent none the less!

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This book was hard to put down. I read this book in two sittings, wishing it could have been done in one.

I both hate and loved this book. If you are reading thinking it would be similar to the authors prior works, it’s not. However, I couldn’t put it down because I hated the characters so much.

Thanks NetGalley for the ARC

This is a great new book from suspense queen B.A. Paris, and is filled with all of the intricacies that fans have come to expect from her novels.

Suspense and thriller fans will love this, even though it is admittedly different from Paris’s previous novels. A four star read, for sure. This will be a huge summer hit!

Huge thanks to the publishers and NetGalley for providing me an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I just finished BA Paris's newest book 'The Dilemma', and although it is nothing like Behind Closed Doors, I thoroughly enjoyed it. Paris has a knack for executing suspense throughout the entirety, and she had me tearing through pages to finish this domestic drama. This book reads more like a character study, following two POV's, Livia and Adam. And although the story takes place over a 24 hour period, it is expertly crafted and hard to put down. I'm not sure why these types of books are being marketed within the 'thriller' category... it's not. And don't go into it thinking it is. It's more domestic drama/mystery/womens fiction. With that said, mark it on your calendar because The Dilemma comes out June 2020.

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"The Dilemma" will hook you and not let you go; you will want to finish the book in one sitting. Livia has been planning her fortieth birthday party for twenty years, wanting a big party to make up for the big wedding she never had. However, her excitement on the day of the party is tempered by the secret she has been hiding regarding her daughter, Marnie; a secret that will tear apart her family and their closest friendships. Livia wants to tell her husband, Adam, but cannot figure out how to tell him because of the ramifications of the secret. Keeping the secret has already affected her interactions with some of their friends. Livia plans to wait until after the party to break the news.

Adam has his own secret regarding Marnie, who is currently studying in Hong Kong, far from their London home, and Livia's 40th birthday party. However, on the day of the party there is a plane crash in Cairo killing all passengers; the plane that Marnie was supposed to be on. Her flight from Hong Kong had been delayed, so there is a possibility she was not on the flight, but Adam's attempts to contact Marnie are unsuccessful. Adam, hoping for a miracle and not wanting to accept what he knows is true, delays calling the airline's emergency line to determine if Marnie was on the flight. He also decides to avoid telling anyone, including Livia, until after the party, giving her this night of happiness before their world comes crashing down. However, keeping this secret, especially not knowing for sure, is difficult for Adam, affecting his behavior before and during the party. The party itself brings its share of surprises, some more positive than others, adding to the stress that Livia and Adam are feeling from keeping their respective secrets.

The author does a great job at portraying the internal turmoil that Livia and Adam are feeling, especially Adam, and how it colors their interactions with each other, family and friends. While most of the book focuses on the events the day and night of the party, there are also sections that discuss the history of Livia and Adam's marriage, the dysfunctional relationship between Adam and their son Josh, the development and nature of Adam and Livia's closest friendships, as well as the events that resulted in Livia learning Marnie's secret. The dilemmas that Livia and Adam face are difficult ones; I am not sure what I would do if I faced their dilemmas regarding one of my children.

I received a copy of the e-book from NetGalley in exchange for a review.

This was a great suspenseful read. The author builds up the story about the culminating event, the party that has been planned for years. The husband and the wife each have a secret about their daughter they are trying to hide. Great read!

Quite a departure from BA Paris's first few books, and readers should know what they're in for -- not a psychological thriller but a slow-burn family drama, with one main question driving the story: the dilemma. Paris is masterful at drawing vivid characters and sketching out a plot where you think you know what is happening, only to flip things on their heads halfway through. A domestic drama that packs an emotional punch.

This book was not a pleasant reading experience at all. I hate, hate giving one star ratings, but this book deserves it. The reason why? NOTHING HAPPENS. I spent the whole book waiting for a twist or a flip of some kind and was left sorely disappointed. Trust me when I say, as a seasoned book dragon, to give this one a miss.

This book had the capacity to be more interesting but I did love it anyway. I thought all of the dilemma's you encountered were fairly interwoven and I think this book has the perfect title. The ending was simply "blah" but overall it was a fairly decent read that I enjoyed.