Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for my copy of The Dilemma by B.A. Paris. All opinions are my own!

I need to start off by saying that I went into this book completely blind. I didn't bother reading the synopsis- all I saw was B.A. Paris and I knew I had to read it. That being said, I wish I would have know what to expect because I think I would have enjoyed the book a little more. I'm so used to Paris writing thrillers that I was a little bored with this book. It really dragged on through the middle until it got to the explosive ending. I found myself crying which rarely happens when I read. The ending was so gut-wrenching and I really felt for both Livia and Adam.

I saw a new B.A.Paris book and it immediately went on my TBR list.
However , this book is very different from this author’s previous books and for me, unfortunately, I did not connect with it.
I felt the whole “dilemma “ was not warranted. ... who wouldn’t tell their spouse about a plane crash possibly involving a family member, just to enjoy a 40th birthday party that has been in the works for 20 years.
Livia has been planning her 40th birthday party for 20 years,a bit self indulgent for me. How everything revolves around this party was way to self involved for
me. Each spouse knows something about their daughter ... their daughter ... and they don’t want to tell the other until the party is over, therein lies the Dilemma.
I gave it three stars, basically for the last 3 chapters that actually dealt with the dilemma.

This book wasn’t like her others but it was well written

I enjoyed the chapters between the husband and wife. The last few chapters of the husband kind of seem repetitive but other then that this book was heart crushing and I ugly cried!

They have a daughter who is living in Hong Kong, the mom has a 40th birthday party planned and The daughter decides to surprise her and the dad is in on it.

But something tragic happens (read the book!!) and it makes you want to read all night long. I read this book within a day.

4 Stars

The Dilemma is a story about family secrets. It's extremely well written, and I could imagine the author keeping a timeline poster on the wall by her desk to track the moments the secrets are either kept or revealed.

The novel is marketed as a thriller but reads more like general fiction. I empathized with the central characters Adam and Livia, understood their reasons for keeping secrets from one another, and agreed with their logic. I would have given the book a higher rating if the pacing in the final third of the novel had not slowed in an obvious attempt to prolong the big reveal. Several pages could have been edited out and still provided a satisfactory ending. Many thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for providing an ARC of this novel.

I have thoroughly enjoyed B.A. Paris' previous books which were full of suspense and kept you reading until the explosive endings. Although I finished reading this book it wasn't one of her best books.

Thank you to NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book! I love B.A. Paris’ books, so I was really hoping I would get to read this one ASAP. I did have some trouble picking it up to read. Part of me wanted to read more and part of me was just lazy and not really drawn to the story during certain parts. When I first started reading I felt like I had to know more. Then when I knew their secrets I felt it dragged a little and then picked up again because I wanted to see how it all unfolded. In the end I am glad I read it. It was a little emotional for me at times. Adam and Livia drove me crazy with not talking to each other about stuff. This will not be my top recommendation and cannot be compared to Behind Closed Doors, but I will still read the next book by Paris!!!!

What would you do if you had a secret, that would change your love ones lives forever. Both Adam and livia each have a secret that will change their family forever. But first let have a party. If you are looking for a B.A. Paris book reminiscent of her first to books, this is not it. Though it is a good read, it did not have the twist that I loved in her other books.

I really enjoyed The Dilemma by B.A. Paris. This was one of those books where I went into it blindly, purely because I’ve read this author’s work before and loved it. This one did not disappoint.

The characters were mostly lovable and more-so, relatable. Without spoilers, this book pulled at my heart strings, kept me on the edge of my seat awaiting answers, and brought me on an emotional roller coaster. I really enjoyed it and definitely will continue to follow this author.

Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for this electronic ARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

The Dilemma by B.A. Paris is a book I have a bit of a dilemma (#seewhatIdidthere) about as I write my review. Part of that was my own expectations. Y'all, this was full of hard to digest emotions. The intensity of those were almost too much to manage. Not only that, I really struggled with the choices some of the characters made. It was all very unsettling which also aligned with the suspense of the story, so maybe that was intentional? Anyway, let me give you some plot to work with to help you understand my musings. Livia is having a 40th birthday party. She's dreamed of this party for years, and she's excited the day is finally here. Her daughter won't be able to attend, but this is actually okay with her for reasons that aren't immediately shared, but are slowly unwound. Livia's husband Adam also has a secret to start the story. However, then something happens, and what that secret is and might involve changes in a big way. The story is Livia and Adam each wrestling with these secrets individually and never having a conversation as a coupe. It was so aggravating. Having never read this author, maybe that's how things always are? Regardless, this is an extreme communication breakdown and a thriller built on the danger of secrets. This is one that's going to make you feel a certain kind of way throughout, and if getting frustrated with characters is your jam, this is for you.

Absolutely phenomenal. Read this one in one day. Could NOT put it down. I will read anything B.A. Paris writes. It's all so good! Crazy tension, killer plot twists. Highly recommend for book clubs!

I honestly can say that I don’t think I have ever read an entire book in one sitting, if you don’t count letting the cats and dog in and out as breaks. I devoured this book in one evening, it’s that good!

I have enjoyed other novels by this author by this story line just grips you from the very beginning. It is heartbreaking and will punch you right in the gut and make you feel everything the characters are feeling and more. It will crush you and make you cry.

It is a brilliant, heartbreaking story filled with love, lies and deceit to try to give their loved ones one more moment of happiness before their lives will change forever.

I usually try to avoid giving anything less than 3 stars because the authors really do put effort into their stories. This however was so very hard to get through. It felt boring, couldn't connect with the characters and just dragged for me. I'm a fan of this author but was disappointed in this one.

I love books by B.A. Paris. That being said, I was vastly disappointed with this one. Unlike previous books of hers that I have read, this one really dragged. There was no suspense. No thrill. I almost did not finish it. The whole story centers around a couple not talking to each other about things that are going on with their daughter, Marnie. What the husband knows, in my opinion, is something he should have shared right away. It’s basically about no communication in a relationship. I was sad that it didn’t have the same thrills and twists I’ve come to expect from a B.A. Paris book.

This book is much different than Behind Closed Doors or The Break Down. Surprisingly, this book is about a huge misunderstanding. Although life is full of them, they can be very irritating and tedious in nature. However, I did like this book. It contains a ton of dialogue between the characters. I liked the characters but almost feel guilty about being angry with Adam, the husband, for the better part of the book.

I found the story to be a bit longer than it needed to be but I feel that the author was trying to make the story deeper and more complicated so it called for extreme details. This books delves right into family and friend relationship complications. Livia, the wife in the story, is very emotional and an over-thinker. She loves her family and friends hugely and also feels deprived of things that she should have had in life. She sets out to give herself the best 40th birthday party ever to make up for her deprivations in the past.

As she fights to get this party planned, things begin to happen behind the scenes and she is not aware of them for the most part. The one big thing she is aware of, Adam is not. This is the Dilemma. Read on and don't stop until you finish the book. You will be glad you did. The ending is not what I would have wanted but it definitely sums up the book with complete closure.

Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC of this book. I will read all of B.A. Paris' books. They are quality with somewhat unique storylines.

I was expecting more of a thriller, but I really liked this one. This author writes in a way that makes it easy to read and the story flows smoothly. I was heartbroken for the characters and I just wanted them all to be okay, but I knew that wasn't possible. I look forward to her next book!

I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. This book takes place at Livia's fortieth birthday party. She has invited all her friends and family. The only person that cannot make it to the party is her daughter Marnie. Marnie is out of the country for school.

If there was ever a book that gave me anxiety, this would be this book! I don't experience anxiety on a normal day to day, but everything that happened in this book kept me on the edge of my seat in a constant panic. A wife that is hiding something large from her husband and a husband that is hiding something even bigger from his wife.

The "Dilemma" book is over the course of a twenty four hour period. We experience trauma with both Livia and Adam. It takes Livia awhile before she discovers a secret but she decides to put it aside until after the party. Adam discovers a horrible truth but refuses to get confirmation. He makes himself physical ill just not making one phone call he needs to make. I'm not sure I could wait on a phone call like that even though I might know the answer is not what I want to hear.

This book is very good but also very hard to read emotionally. I wouldn't suggest this one to everyone I know but it is a good read.

Paris has done it again! This was a stay up all night, read while you walk, read while you eat, kind of book!
It was full of suspense, paranoia and definitely very unlikable characters which when stirred together by BA Paris, creates the perfect thriller.
This will be a summer hit when it is published in June!
Thank you to the author, netgalley and the publisher for my free ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Before you start this book, be sure to set aside enough time to finish it in one sitting, because you will not be able to put it down. Expertly written, it pulled me in from the very first page. The character development was, from the start, so colorful and descriptive that I felt as if Livia and Adam were good friends of mine and I was prying into their lives. Josh and Marnie also became real to me, even though they were secondary characters. The story, taking place in just a little over one day, was told in a format that very successfully kept the plot moving. Alternatingly told through Adam and Livia’s eyes, we came to understand the dynamic between the two which made their dilemmas come to life. The ethical questions their dilemmas posed are ones that will be perfect for book groups to ponder, argue and discuss. Livia’s obsession with her birthday party is another topic that would generate a great conversation. The story read fluidly, with the heart and soul of the characters easily felt. One of the best books I have read in a long time.

I am a huge fan of B.A. Paris's books and The Dilemma is yet another amazing page-turner!

This all takes place in the span of a day which happens to be Livia's 40th birthday. She'd been planning this day for what feels like her whole life. She never got the big wedding or huge birthday party growing up so she's been saving and planning for a blowout 40th for as long as she can remember. Everything has been planned down to the smallest detail and her husband and children have all known this day was going to be THE birthday.

Life though, happens and we spend the duration of Livia's birthday knowing with the other characters don't and wondering what's going to happen and when the secrets are going to come out - or are they?

Told from the alternating view points of Livia and her husband Adam, the day transpires and each is holding back a massive secret from the other. Livia is secretly glad their daughter Marnie isn't coming home because of what she found out shortly before she left to go abroad and Adam has potentially devastating news he is afraid to tell Livia because it will ruin her party.

It all comes down to the myth of the "last moments of being happy" and what we are all willing to do to give that to those we love. Would you want to know? Would you rather have those last final moments of happiness to cling to?

I could NOT put this book down and tore through it in under a day. It's fast-paced and every page seems to unveil something new. If you're looking for a book to get lost in, this is it!

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for an eARC copy of this novel in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you to B. A. Paris, St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for this ARC.

I loved all of B. A. Paris's other novels, so I was excited to read this one. The story itself was good, but the characters were so unlikable. Livia seemed so self-absorbed, and Adam is just ugh. I didn't understand why a couple who has been married for 20 years could just NOT talk to each other.

That being said, this would make a great made for TV movie.