Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the free early copy in exchange for my honest review

3/5 stars

Not my favorite from B.A. Paris but still had a solid pacing to it. Still an auto-buy author for me. Full review to come

I received this book from the publisher through Netgalley for review and all thoughts and opinions are my own.
One family celebration is overcome with the tragedy which secrets brings. When given a choice, so you keep the secrets of others when you know they threaten the fabric of your family harmony? This is the premise of The Dilemma. B.A. Paris has done it again! Another blockbuster family take of secrets and lies.

Once again, here is another book full of secrets. That seems to be a theme in a lot of books lately, at least in ones that I have been lucky enough to read. And secrets can definitely keep a book interesting, that's for sure.

The Dilemma has secrets, but these secrets are being kept for good reasons—not to hide bad things from the past, but to keep loved ones from being hurt. As the 'perfect' birthday party approaches—the party of a lifetime—we see how the stress of keeping these secrets impact the main characters. What a roller-coaster ride of emotions this author put me through.

While The Dilemma had a different feel to it for me from B.A's other thrillers—it didn't feel quite as intense—it was still an exciting and enjoyable read. And as always, I look forward to the next book by B. A. Paris.

Thank you to Netgalley and publisher for the opportunity. I always love a good BA Paris story and this one was a quick read. I liked it but at the same time just wanted to shake all of the characters and shout at them to just spill the beans!!! Gah. I would definitely not call this a thriller as I would other Paris books. It is more of a family drama that sucks you in and won’t let go. Three and a half stars.

I absolutely flew through this book until I was about 40 pages from the end when my heart broke and I almost didn't want to keep reading. I had to see how it wrapped up of course, but not without a few tears.

This is my first B.A. Paris book and we're off to a great start. I enjoyed this one so much and I'm going to have to look up more from this author.

⭐⭐⭐⭐💫 for this read that keeps you on the edge of your seat waiting to see what will happen.

This book is a bit of a departure from others that I’ve read from this author. That’s not to say that I didn’t enjoy it. It’s a very emotional story that kept me interested from beginning to end. I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley and am voluntarily leaving this review

So many secrets! And all because the secret holders don't want to cause another person hurt or pain. But what is more hurtful - finding out someone has kept something important from you that would impact your life. Or that person caring enough about you to let you have one more happy moment?

Those are the questions that torture Livia and Adam as they both hold onto knowledge of events until those events become so intertwined, even the secret holders can't unravel them fast enough.

This story was very emotional for me on so many levels. I cried (there - I said it) (several times). I feel as though the book was a little drawn out, and somewhat repetitive in parts, and, without spoilers, I'll just say I'm not sure where the ending could have gone, but it seemed like it could have ended sooner.

Having said that, Paris once again keeps that haunting sense of anticipation of what happens next - thus, the suspense is taut and true Paris style.

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for an advanced reader's copy for review.

*3.5 stars. This is a very poignant family drama that delves into how we treat the people we are closest to in life. I suppose 'the dilemma' of the title is when to reveal knowledge that will forever change their lives. The story is alternately told by Livia and Adam, wife and husband, beginning on the day of her 40th birthday when they are throwing a party that she has dreamed of for most of her life. Adam receives news that will change everything--should the party be allowed to go on?

I thought the story was well-written but I could not warm up to the characters. I didn't like the basic reasoning behind throwing a big birthday bash: Let's celebrate ME and invite a hundred or more of my closest friends! And don't forget to bring gifts! Oh no, no, no! Maybe if it hd been a 25th anniversary party, THEN I could understand wanting to have the celebration they missed when they quietly married. Sorry--this just seemed too self-important by half.

I received an arc of this book from the publisher via Net Galley in exchange for an honest review. Guess I was expecting a suspenseful thriller from this author

(3.5/5) The Dilemma was an interesting story about family, secrets, loss, and guilt, but the characters, Adam and Livia, frustrated me. I just didn't get why Adam wouldn't make "the call" to check on Marnie to at least know or to tell Livia about what might have happened. Once you read the book, you'll know what I mean with "the call." And Livia's obsession with her over-the-top 40th birthday party was a bit much, plus she had her own secret about Marnie that she'd kept from Adam. I had a difficult time rating The Dilemma. I did enjoy the book and it was a fast read, but it just didn't wow me like her previous books.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the review copy.

I went into this book knowing I wasn’t reading a traditional thriller like Paris’ previous books. I think that allowed to appreciate this book for exactly what it was, a tense and suspense filled family drama!

I’ve read many reviews that say that this wasn’t a thriller, the book wasn’t good, it wasn’t like her other titles and IT WASN’T. I don’t think that is what she was going for.

Please see Goodreads for the synopsis, I don’t want to be redundant.

I read this book in one sitting. It was fast paced. I think many found issue with Livia’s obsession with throwing a massive parry for her fortieth birthday. It may seem trivial but from her perspective she didn’t get the wedding of her dreams and wanted to experience a celebration of her life. I understood and I related. Livia grew up in a wealthy dysfunctional family that disowned her for getting pregnant and marrying young, I also understand that…I had Jon at 19 years old. I related to Livia as a mother, fiercely loving her family and wanting to protect them all. I ached for Matt as he tried to allow Livia her perfect day despite enduring great emotional pain himself. As a character study this book was very well written. It was not meant to be the same as Paris’ other novels and it wasn’t.

This book reaches deep into family secrets and lies. Studies what makes and breaks marriages and friendships. Questions what we do to protect our spouses and our children. Asks us to consider what we would do if our own child did something terrible that affects everyone around us?Can we forgive them? How can we make it up to those we love? This novel was heartbreaking, and kept me awake, thinking about all of these questions. I enjoyed it and would recommend it. It is a 4 star read in my opinion.

Thank you @netgalley and @stmartinspress and @baparis for an advanced copy of the book in exchange for my honest opinion.

When I first picked up this book, I thought it would a suspenseful mystery as were the other books I have read by this author. It turned out that was not the case.

The story is about secrets which are being kept between a husband and wife which have huge impacts upon their family. It takes an awful tragedy to get this two to consider sharing with one another.

The story is told from alternating points of view, husband and wife. I didn’t have trouble keeping track of the narrator even when the story went back and forwards in time.

While it wasn’t what I expected, it was still a very good book. It reminded me that a burden shared, is a burden halved. I was left wondering what the future might have been, if only these two individuals had been willing to share their thoughts, issues and problems throughout their married life.

I look forward to reading more by this versatile author in the future.

Another great story by B.A. Paris!! I wasn't sure what to expect when I started this one but it was an incredible book. It was angsty and emotional. Kept me on the edge of my seat the entire time. I couldn't wait to learn what was going to happen with each new chapter but at the same time dreading what I was going to discover with each new chapter.

Livia has been looking forward to her fortieth birthday party for a long time, a party that she has been planning for forever. The only person on her guest list who won't be able to make is her daughter Marnie, but if she is truthful Livia is kind of happy she won't be there. You see Livia has a secret, something she has been keeping from her husband Adam for a while but she doesn't want to tell him until after the party. If Marnie were there she isn't sure she would be able to be open and honest with him about what.she has been hiding. Adam wants Livia's party to be the best she has ever had and hopes all will go off without a hitch. He has a huge surprise for her and thinks it will make her party in the end perfect. The only problem facing Adam is that he has learned something he did want to know and isn't sure how he will handle it in the end. Follow along as both Livia and Adam struggle with the secrets that they know, will they be able to let the truth set them free or will finding out everything ruin them in the end?

Drop whatever it is that you have going on because you're going to be busy reading this awesome and twisty book. Amazing is such a poor word to describe a thriller that's so engaging that it grips you from the very first page and it's so rare when that happens. So yeah it's an absolute must read and it deserves the top spot on your TBR stack. Happy reading!

Livia and Adam married when they were quite young. They are the parents of Josh and Marnie, both college students. Marnie has been studying in Hong Kong and Josh has been closer to home.

When Livia became pregnant with Josh before they were married, her parents literally disowned her. She has not heard from them for many years. But Adam’s parents have been very loving to them.

Livia has always wanted a huge party to celebrate her 40th birthday and it’s finally here. They will have it in their garden with food catered, lots of lights, music, and all of their friends. So much planning has gone into this event and Livia is thrilled.

Livia had wanted Marnie to attend but her studies are not over quite yet and the money for the flight would be very expensive should she come just for the party. But, unknown to Livia, Adam has arranged for her to take a series of flights to arrive on Livia’s birthday.

Livia and Adam love their children dearly, but both of them are not keeping a secret from one another about Marnie and plan to disclose them after the party. Adam’s secret is devastating but he is torn as to whether he should keep his secret for a few hours until after the party so Livia can enjoy some happy hours. Is he right or wrong to do so?

This is a nice drama with a lot of anguish that the author has managed to express very well in this book. The emotions are real and heartbreaking. Readers, take a deep breath when you read this and relish what the words family and love truly mean.

Copy provided by NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

This is one of my all-time favorite authors. I’ve loved every one of their books and will continue to have them as an auto buy author. I’m always amazed at how this author takes their books one step further every time and they get better and better as time goes on. I love that this book was told in different characters perspectives each chapter.

I thought Livia‘s was very selfish and I found myself getting so annoyed with her throughout the whole book. She may be one of the most annoying characters I have ever read. Fortunately for this book it works out perfectly. I really thought Marnie was a great character and her whole storyline put everything into perspective for Livia and the rest of the characters . Adam as a character really seemed to save the whole story for me, he was by far my favorite, even though his communication skills were the absolute worst he always had this way of trying to make everyone feel as happy as they possibly can.

Overall if you were looking for a very character driven read that plays out pretty slowly, but gives you so much character this is the book for you. The fact that the story itself was very unique and told in a wonderful way by switching from characters perspectives just makes it very put together. I will continue to read every book by this author and probably love them all.

Thank you @stmartinspress and @netgalley for the advanced ebook of The Dilemma by B.A. Paris. I am a huge Paris fan like I still think about Behind Closed Doors and get chills. But I will say if you’re expected that same vibe from this book, you may be disappointed. Paris is known for the twisty wtf domestic/family thriller and this book to me was more family drama (not that there’s anything wrong with that).

She has a knack for the suspense and because this story takes place over 24 hours it’ll definitely keep you following along. Livia has been waiting to have the party of her dreams her whole life and her 40th is the perfect chance! Her husband Adam knows the importance of the day so he’s working to make it great. Problem is these people have all the secrets in the world and they all start sneaking out in the 24 hours of this big day. The story alternates between Livia and Adam as they both are trying to share the perfect night, and put off all the bad stuff until the day is over.

It’s never that simple though... tbh there wasn’t much of a twist but the secrets were decently juicy. If you’re in the mood for a quick drama with people you’re not sure if you like, I definitely recommend this one!

Thank you to netgalley and the published for an advance copy of this book for an honest review

I started this book expecting a typical mystery/suspense novel but I wouldn’t really put this in that category. . Sure there is a little suspense - did she / didn’t she - but it’s pretty predictable and not that suspenseful - although still sad . For the most part I view this as a book about a marriage - the secrets you may keep from your partner and are they justified or not .

Generally speaking I really enjoyed this book and would give it 4 ⭐️. Adam did get on my nerves a bit - just make the phone call ! And I wish the author had explored Rob’s character a bit more .but over all an enjoyable read

The Dilemma by B.A. Paris is a family drama.

First, let me thank NetGalley, the publisher St. Martin’s Press, and of course the author, for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.


My Synopsis: (No major reveals, but if concerned, skip to My Opinions)

Livia is celebrating her 40th birthday by throwing a party that she has planned for over 20 years. This is going to compensate for her lack of a real wedding. Everyone will be there, everyone except her daughter Marnie, who is studying in Hong Kong.  However, Livia is actually glad her daughter cannot attend, although she can't admit that to anyone.  It would lead to questions that she doesn't want to answer.

Adam, Livia's husband is a little nervous about this big party, but feels Livia really deserves it.   On the day of the party, Adam finds out something that horrifies him.  He knows he should tell his wife, but he just can't.   He has to let her have this one good day, even if it costs him his marriage.


My Opinions:

This book is about lies, secrets, guilt, and selfishness. It is also about friendship, and family and love.  The story is told through the eyes of both Livia and Adam, and it is really about their relationship.  We often saw the same scene from both of their perspectives, and while that could have lead to a repetitive narrative, it actually made the story more interesting, more real.

I found the characters believable, even if I didn't always like them.  The plot was really compelling, and had me turning the pages without fail.  I was surprised to find that I didn't want to put it down.

It was a very emotional read, and although I knew where this was headed, I also hoped I was wrong.  It was actually a very sad sorry, and it really made me think.  People often refrain from sharing information on the premise that it is to protect the other person...but is it always the best decision?

Overall, I loved this book, and definitely recommend it.

I felt like time was somehow suspended while I was reading this. Since the entire story takes place in such a short time, but it still felt drawn out since there was so much tension, so many secrets, just waiting to explode! The book was not what I was expecting at all, in fact, it was gut-wrenching.