The book was well written but just didn’t push the right buttons for me. The characters and the plot both fell into the “I don’t care!” category.

The book hooked me from the first chapter. The story itself is not so interesting, a couple dealing with the decisions, regrets and secrets they had to deal with. But the writing style is fabulous and I couldn’t put it down. The suspense takes the reader out of the seat and it’s really a must read. I would definitely recommend this book for e everyone that likes a good page turner psychological triller.

The Dilemma by B.A. Paris was an unexpected read for me. Instead of being a nail biting thriller like I'm used to, it was more of a domestic drama. Did I love it anyway? You bet I did! I easily devoured this book and didn't want to put it down. This is a book about marriage, secrets, and finding the truths. B.A. Paris handled this book well!

Why did I read this whole book? After reading previous BA Paris books like Behind Closed Doors and the Breakdown, this was nothing like I was expecting. What kind of woman obsesses about her 40th birthday party for years and spends thousands of dollars like her wedding “should have been”. How selfish is she! And the man- I can’t understand why he did what he did. It reminded me of a cringy drama on TV dragged out into hours of waiting for it to all unfold. At times was painful to read because I was face palming at the character’s annoying inability to communicate with one another. It gets to 2 stars because I finished.

Had high hopes for this because I have enjoyed B. A. Paris’ other books but this one just didn’t do it for me. I was expecting more of a thriller based on the description but it wasn’t that at all. Slow and not much happening.

I've been a big fan of B.A. Paris since her debut novel Behind Closed Doors and was anxious to read her newest The Dilemma. At the beginning I was intrigued by the first person narrative in alternating chapters. However, I feel like the novel fell short somehow. I definitely felt like it needed to focus more on the story of the daughter as opposed to the party for mom. It seemed unlikely to me that the daughter would have had a relationship with her best friend Chloe's dad, Rob. Too random. However, saying that, I still felt like the novel deserves 4 stars and will be a favorite recommendation for many people.

I tried to like this one, but I just couldn’t. I gave it a rounded up three stars because I have loved the author’s other novels. This one just bored me. I found Livia self-centered and Adam weak. I felt sorry for Josh and Marnie was a brat. These opinions are my own, even though the publisher and NetGalley allowed me to be an early reader.

Thank you Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for an advanced copy of The Dilemma by B.A. Paris. Livia is planning her 40th birthday party. Since she didn't have a wedding, this event was going to be spectacular! Marnie, Adam and Livia's daughter, is studying abroad in Hong Kong. Adam has decided to surprise Livia and fly Marnie home for the big birthday party. Many events happen that will keep you in suspense. I hope you enjoy this new book as much as I did.

I read this book quickly. I couldn’t wait to see what happened. The end was very anticlimactic for me. I was waiting for a big twist or surprise but nothing happened. The premise of the book wa a good but it just didn’t deliver for me. I have read Paris’ other books and enjoyed them too, but this wasn’t a favorite. Worth the read but don’t get too excited.

Love B. A. Paris’s books!! Couldn’t put this one down once I started. Was a little slow at times but still one of my favorites of this author!

I have read other B. A. Paris books before and loved them! This one was equally as good. Such a gripping and suspenseful story that I couldn't put down! Thank you so much for the advance copy! It was amazing.

I saw B.A. Paris had a new book, and that was that. I wanted it. She is a master of psychological suspense, her writing detailed right down to the color of the carpet fibers.

Rapt with suspense at 2:30 in the morning, the book had me on the edge of my seat as I read the last chapters, but the storyline behind the book didn’t seem to support the usual astonishment after the final page has been devoured.

Misinformation between husband and wife Adam and Livvy causes “the dilemma” on the day of the 40th birthday party Livvy has been dreaming of for 20 years. The result is an agonizing, frustrating, chillingly written horror—until the information is revealed to the reader. The story had an abundant amount of potential but fell flat, with an elaborately drawn out event that seemed to leave the reader more depressed than anything.

Her method of suspense did not waver, as the investment I had in the book kept until the very last chapter. It’s a quick read, but doesn’t have the robust storyline to accompany a pristinely written, skin-crawling B.A. Paris novel.

Once I started I couldn't stop reading to find out what the wife wanted to tell her husband and also if the daughter was safe. I also was very interested in if the parents would come to the party.

What I expected: A twisty psychological thriller much like B.A. Paris' previous books.
What I got: An emotional, character driven novel that left me with all the feels.

The story is told from the alternating perspectives of Livia and her husband Adam. Both have concerns for their daughter, Marnie, coming to Livia's birthday party but for completely different reasons. For a character driven novel to work (at least for me), the characters must be likable (which is rare) and also relatable. I found both to be true of Livia and Adam. I became so immersed, not only in their story, but also in their emotional journeys that I too felt that raw, real emotion of these characters. I was swept into this emotional roller coaster ride and, yes, a few tears were shed along the way. This won't be a book I'll forget for awhile, and I strongly recommend it!

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

BA Paris is a gifted suspense writer. I literally read most of the book in one sitting and I wasn’t even that riveted by the plot. She has a way of keeping my interest and enticing me to keep going.

Now, the plot - it doesn’t seem that complicated. The Dilemma is unlike Paris’s other works. It’s not really a whodunit mystery, but a study of a family on the verge of unimaginable challenges. The main characters, Livia and Adam, are portrayed as a happily married couple, who didn’t start that way. But, they beat the odds of teenage marriage failures.

However, if these characters are as happily married as the book says they are, they truly are awful at communicating to each other. And if you’re bad in that department, you probably wouldn’t have good relationships. Much of the book would have been cut by 75% if this husband and wife just openly talked.

Though I wasn’t captured by the mystery, it did drive me to introspection. Like Livia and Adam, my husband and I also have a 19yo studying college halfway around the world. I can relate to the worry and heartache of being so far away from their child.

One question I kept asking myself while reading the book - is there anything my child could ever do that would make me hate, not forgive, or distance myself from them? It is hard to imagine I would ever stop loving my child, especially as a Christian who has tasted the forgiveness of God. But then I think of history’s most evil people - could I keep loving a Hitler or a Stalin?

The ending is somewhat anticlimactic, but with its dramatic real-life storyline, I couldn’t have conjured up a more satisfying-to-me conclusion, without making it fantastical

*Thank you to netgalley and publisher for the free advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

I was given an ARC of this book by NetGalley in exchange for my honest review. With that said- here we go.
I was very excited to see a new book by BA Paris. I’ve read her three other books (all psychological thrillers) and enjoyed each of them. Going in- I wish I had set myself up for the fact that this was a departure from Paris’ typical genre. This is more of a family drama.
I did not relate to the characters and their relationships with each other. I find it so unbelievable that a husband and wife who had been together for over 20 years and have 2 children together would be such poor communicators and keep such important information about their child from each other. I also found Livia and Adam having such huge character flaws that it was hard to really LIKE either of them. (And I really don’t think you need to like characters in a book to like the book- just have characters you can relate to. This book had neither). Livia seemed so self centered and immature executing her 40th birthday party. As an almost 40 year old woman myself I could not imagine myself or anyone I know acting like her. And Adam. Forgiving his behavior in the beginning of his married life (which is so incredibly awful I can’t even imagine why Livia stayed with him), I cannot fathom why he wouldn’t immediately call the hotline to find out the status of his daughter. It’s beyond me. And the fact that he let this party happen knowing his daughter was likely dead- again, it’s beyond me.
All in all- 3 stars from me because I did finish it and I feel like this story could go have gone somewhere with some serious character editing. I’m sorry BA Paris! I promise I still love ya!

B.A. Paris has an interesting premise in her new book, Dilemma. The sudden tragic death of a child and its effect upon a marriage and family. Livia and Adam married young when they found out she was pregnant and it has been a good marriage with two grown children. Livia, who is completely estranged from her parents over the pregnancy and marriage, feels she missed out and has been saving for an over the top fortieth birthday party. Their daughter as a surprise is due to fly from Hong Kong to Cairo to Amsterdam to the UK. Only Adam knows that she was on the Cairo flight that crashed three minutes after take off killing more than 200 passengers. How the family copes with the loss of Marnie is complicated by the fact she was having an affair with a family friend who is the father of her best friend and whose wife is suffering from MS. The characters lack of communication and the decisions they make often leave the reader frustrated and at loose ends. What could have been a taut psychological work is just too much for this reader. This was an ARC.

I always look forward to this author's books, and despite this one, probably still will. However, this particular novel was so stressful to read. I've come to love Paris' creativity and the tension she builds up to make excellent thrillers. But, I can't really say that this one was a thriller. It was more or less some family drama that was allowed to grow out of hand. The "dilemma" was whether or not to cancel a party based on secrets that different characters knew. There's also a phone call that one of them could have made pretty early on which would have cleared up some of the "unknown" bits. All in all, this was a really sad book about a family who kept secrets which caused them all even more pain and suffering than they were already going through.

I loved ‘Behind Closed Doors by B.A. Paris, and could not wait to get my hands on her newest novel, ‘The Dilemma.’ This story stayed with me long after I finished it, and I could feel the rollercoaster of emotion harbored by Adam, who is keeping a dark secret from his wife Livia throughout her dream 40th birthday party. The entire book took place throughout the course of one fateful day - and the amount of twists, gut wrenching emotion, and secrets revealed throughout this 24 hours had me captivated. It followed not only Adam and Livia, but their best friends, 2 children, parents, and extended family members. The story itself was a bit unbelievable and far-fetched, especially as more people became involved, but I was intrigued by the suspense and drama throughout. B.A Paris does it again!!

For Livia's fortieth birthday, she (and her husband Adam) just want to have a perfect day. A perfect party, one that has been planned for a long time, to make up for the fairytale wedding that she never had. But, when is anything ever perfect? Livia is keeping a secret from Adam in regards to their daughter Marnie, but, Livia isn't the only person keeping a secret.

I was not expecting this book. Having read B. A. Paris' other books, I thought I knew what I was getting into, but I was so wrong. And you know what, that's okay with me! I loved reading about the family dynamic that Livia and Adam have.

A big thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for an early copy in exchange for an honest review.