Livia is planning a big blow-out for her 40th birthday. Feeling somewhat cheated out of a huge wedding many years ago, this party will make up for it.

The only person who will not be attending is her daughter, Marnie. And she's made it plain to her daughter that she is not to attend. Livia has a secret ... one she plans on telling her husband, Adam, after the party is over.

Adam does everything he can to make this party a perfect time for his wife. But during the party he learns something that will change their lives forever ... and he makes the decision to keep it secret from his wife .. until the party is over.

Great character development kept me glued to the story. It's a real page turner with enough suspense to keep the tension high. This is well written with a theme of love, loss, friendship and family. Haven't most of us been guilty at one point or another to keep something secret from a loved one? Is there ever a 'good' time to share?

This is classified as a thriller. While I wouldn't call it a thriller, it nonetheless held my attention from start to finish. I couldn't wait to see what the secrets were .... and how it would all end.

Many thanks to the author / St Martin's Press / Netgalley for the digital copy of THE DILEMMA. Read and reviewed voluntarily, opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own.

I enjoyed this book. It wasn't a new concept since I have read stories like this one before. I think people new to the genre would enjoy it more than someone like me who reads these kinds of books regularly.

I would recommend this book for new readers of the genre.

I've been a fan of B.A. Paris since I read Behind Closed Doors almost five years ago, and to this day it is still one of the most chilling, haunting books I have ever read. It was one of the first novels I read that I'd consider a domestic thriller, and it really pulled me into the genre. It's still a book that I highly recommend, though it is truly sickening and should be approached with caution. Since then, I've read every B.A. Paris novel, and while none compare to Behind Closed Doors, I still immensely enjoy reading her novels. And I enjoyed The Dilemma very much.

Livia's 40th birthday is coming up and she's ready for the party of a lifetime. She and Adam got pregnant when they were young, and got married without a proper wedding celebration. Her birthday celebration will make up for that. She cannot wait to be surrounded by her family and friends. Her daughter, Marnie, will still be away in Hong Kong, and she's okay with that, because she's disappointed in her daughter right now. Though nobody knows about that, and no one knows why. And what Livia doesn't know is that Adam has planned a huge surprise for her party - he's bringing Marnie home. But the day of the party, the flight Marnie was supposed to be on has crashed. Good news is, she probably missed that flight. But if so, why can't Adam get in touch with her? Both Livia and Adam are keeping secrets, but they're both bound for the party to happen - they'll share their secrets once the night ends.

I love a book where you know there are secrets, you know something has happened but it's slowly revealed to you what it is. It's the classic case for a Liane Moriarty novel (think: Big Little Lies), and it was the case in this novel. It's one hell of a slow burn. The chapters are broken down by hour and divided into a chapter from Livia and a chapter from Adam during the same hour. So little by little, secrets are spilling out to the reader, but are being held back from the other characters. At the same time, the reader also doesn't have all the answers, so it leads for an enthralling read. I had no idea what to actually believe, and since the point-of-view is that of the two main protagonists, and they're both holding secrets, the story spins this dark, frustrating web that keeps wrapping you up and pulling you in.

It's also interesting to really see the dynamics of both Livia and Adam. One is holding secrets out of denial and this overwhelming sense of kindness, while the other is holding secrets for a more selfish reason. So it's intriguing to see how it all plays out and how the story ends.

This is not a happy book. It deals a lot with grief and hardships, the secrets being kept are dark and haunting. Honestly, the overall theme of the story kind of reminded me of Hereditary, though not quite as terrifying. But I was satisfied with the ending, because it seemed honest and real.

"Adam and I are dancing, and I'm so close to crying I can hardly hold back the tears. I know that anyone watching would take them for tears of happiness. But there's this huge sadness swelling up inside me. It's coming from Adam, seeping from his pores into mine, filling me with a sorrow I don't understand. I can feel that he's barely hanging on, that all he wants is for this party to be over and everyone to leave." - The Dilemma, B.A. Paris

If you've never read Paris, all her books are quite dark in a way that is very much real-life hauntedness. These aren't supernatural scary stories, but more so stories that creep into your psyche and force you to put yourself in the shoes of the characters. While this book wasn't quite as sickening as Behind Closed Doors, I can imagine it's quite horrifying for someone with children. It definitely tugged on my emotions, but I would have felt it all a lot deeper if I had kids of my own. The Dilemma is another solid choice from B.A. Paris.

I have read every novel by B.A.Paris - The Dilemma is in my top 2 favorite. While I do admit, the book started a bit slow for me. It also was a little hard at first keeping the character plot lines staring (normally this is not an issue for me). I ended up being really intrigued by the story and couldn’t put the book down. I think this is a great summer read and definitely will recommend to all of my friends.

The Dilemma is my fourth book by this author.

It is quite different from the author's previous books. I was expecting this book to be a thriller. But it's not. It's more of a suspenseful domestic drama.

This book does not have a mystery where there is a guilty party. But there is a lot of suspense as the reader is at times left in the dark about certain aspects of the story. And also we discover other things with the characters.

The story takes place in the UK. The narrators are a husband and wife: Adam and Livia (both 1st person POVs). They have two children: Marnie (19) studying in Hong Kong and Josh (22).

The book takes place mostly over 2 days. But it feels like much longer. But the first chapters show us something that happens the second day. And then we go back to see how it all played out.

The beginning was a bit slow for me. But it quickly picked up. And once it did I could not put the book down.

The book is centered around Livia's 40th birthday party. She never had the wedding that she wanted. So she planned an elaborate birthday party for herself. Many of her friends and family are at this party. So there is a lot happening.

I enjoyed this party. Even though it seemed overly extravagant for a birthday I thought that it was the perfect set-up for having so many friends and family in one location. I enjoyed the interactions between so many of the characters. There was really so much happening.

This book is about secrets. At the beginning I was curious what the title meant. But it is actually perfect for this book. Because Livia has a secret. She has a dilemma and does not know what to do. And Adam has a secret. And he has a dilemma and does not know what to do. I was so curious to see how everything would play out. I couldn't read fast enough.

I was so invested in both of their problems. I was fascinated by what Livia knew. And as that part of the story was revealed it was shocking. I was also in complete shock over what was happening in Adam's part of the story. I was desperate to learn more.

From 1/3 on I was on the edge of my seat completely riveted by this story. Overall, this book was definitely different from what I was expecting. It wasn't a thriller. But it was intense, moving and emotional and I really liked it.

Seems like I am the minority in this one. I just didn’t like this book at all. I actually could not finish it it was so bad. To me it read like a soap opera and I hate books like that.
I could not relate to any of the characters. Didn’t even like any of them. I thought it fell way short of it’s possible potential. Nothing about it grabbed me or held my attention. I found myself skimming through so decided it was not worth it. There are just to many books to settle for this one or any other that is this bad.

Thank you to #NetGalley, #BAParis, #StMartin’sPress for this ARC. I’m so sorry this book just didn’t do it for me. My own review.

I’ll give it 2 stars and I do not recommend it at all.

Livia has been dreaming of her 40th birthday party for years - twenty years, in fact. Now that it’s finally here, she knows that everything will be exactly as she dreamed it would be. Everything except that her daughter won’t be there to celebrate with her. Oddly enough, Livia is actually happier that she won’t be there, because Livia knows something she shouldn't know about her daughter, something that has changed her view of her. Meanwhile, Adam, Livia's husband, is prepping for the party his wife deserves when he discovers something that will put him in an impossible dilemma.

If you are a BA Paris fan, please note that this a departure from her normal style. This book is not a thriller but instead a family drama. If you go into it thinking it's a thriller, you'll be disappointed; if you go into it knowing it's a drama, you'll be glued to your seat. While I did have some issues with this book, overall it was a riveting read. I needed to know what happened so I had to keep reading (much like all of Paris's other books). My issue was with the main characters, whose alternating POVs tell the story, and how they did not speak to each other about major things going on in their family's lives. Is this a real thing in the world? Does this happen often enough in marriages that it has become an overdone trope in literature? There were many times when I wanted to shake my Kindle and yell at the characters, "just talk to each other!" but, alas, if they did, the story would have ended after fifty pages and we wouldn't have a book to be discussing. Despite that (or because of it, depending on how you look at it), I was invested in the dilemma and needed to see how it all played out. If you are going to read this one, go into it knowing it's a slow-burn drama and not a fast-paced thriller, and you'll be satisfied.

Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher, and the author for my eARC.

I admit to reading long swaths of this book and wishing it were better. Neither Liv nor Adam is particularly likable, and while I typically enjoy books featuring characters I don't like, I feel like you have to kind of sympathize with at least one of these two. And you probably won't.

Liv and Adam got married as teenagers because they had to, and Liv has spent the ensuing 23 years wistfully longing for the big wedding she dreamed about as a child. The wedding is a stand-in for her parents, who disowned her and cut her off financially. Liv wants that dream wedding because if she'd had it, her parents would have been a part of her life.

Because she can't see that, though--she can't make the connection between the lost wedding and lost parents--she has narrowed her focus on her fortieth birthday, planning a huge bash. It feels silly, but I'm not sure it is. She misses her mother and father, and maybe they will come to this party and she can reunite with them. I get that part. She wears a white dress, has a cake, has pretty flowers. It's all very obvious, except to Liv. The hitch in the plans is the secret she's keeping from Adam. She's known this bombshell for six weeks but has yet to divulge it because she worries it will diminish the importance of her party.

And that, friends, is where I am unable to justify Liv's behavior. The party isn't for Adam, it's for HER. She doesn't want him to know this thing because if he does, he will prioritize it over her hootenanny. Unfortunately for Liv, Adam has his own secret, something he learns on the day of her party. I guess you could excuse him keeping this from her because it truly will wreck her party, but the nature of Adam's secret is so painful and life-changing that you can't forgive him. Consequently, he spends the party being consumed with worry, fear, and heartbreak.

By the time you get to the epilogue, you feel like a balloon that has flown around the room as it deflates. You're sad but hopeful, and you're also relieved to be done with Liv and Adam.

I wanted to like this book far more than I did. I found Liv and Adam to be so unpleasant, though, and, as I said earlier, you need to be on their side for this story to work. I just wasn't.

I'd love to know your thoughts. Please hit up the comments and let me know if you liked Liv, Adam, and their story.

Book: The Dilemma
Author: B.A. Paris
Genre: Drama, Suspense
Rating: 4 ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Positives: Short chapters, great heart-wrenching family drama that brings out ALL the emotions
Negatives: A tad but draggy and repetitive.
Recommend?: Yes, be prepared to have quite a few emotions.
Plot: Livia is planning the 40th birthday party to remember. She is so obsessed with this party because she is using it as a replacement for a wedding she didn’t have. This wedding doesn’t occur because of an unplanned pregnancy. All of Livia’s friends including her husband, Adam, and 2 children Josh and Marnie, know how important this day is to her.
The problem is that Livia has a secret that she has been keeping from Adam and as it turns out Adam learns something as well that he decides to keep from Livia. What is the secret? All we know is that it has something to do with their nineteen-year-old daughter, Marnie.
Thoughts: This book is nothing like Paris’s other books. But not in a bad way. This is definitely NOT a thriller like Behind Closed Doors (5 stars), The Breakdown (4 stars) and Bring Me Back (4 stars). I would classify this as a family drama with suspense added. I loved the dual narrative from Adam and Livia. I loved the short chapters packed with so much emotion. I have to tell you I went through some emotions as I read this. I wanted to scream and strangle both of the narrators quite a few times and I wanted to cry for them during others (and actually I did).
Final drinking thoughts: I definitely think you should read this book. Do not pick it up looking for big reveals and twists. But pick it up for the drama filled chapters surrounding a family that is based off love, communication (or lack thereof), and the pursuit of what to do with a secret…hence The Dilemma…What would you have done in Adam’s or Livia’s situation?
Thank you to @NetGalley @StMartinsPress @BAParis for the advanced copy of #TheDilemma.
#Books #Wine #LitFiction #NetGalley #BookReviews #ILikeBigBooksAndICannotLie #Bookstigator #GoodReads #WinerRead #Kindle #AmazonReads #Drama #Booksofinstagram #readersofinstagram #bookstagram

The Dilemma is such a suspenseful book the reader will have a tough choice finding the right time to put it down. Yes, this novel's plot is different and less creepy than B.A. Paris' other books. The Dilemma is about a family and is very relatable. The story revolves around Adam and Livia and their young adult son and daughter. Livia is giving herself a lavish fortieth birthday party and she is intent on enjoying every minute of her big day. What begins as an exciting day soon turns into a nightmare when Adam chooses to keep something terrible a secret from Livia until after her party. Livia is also struggling with a horrible secret she has been keeping from Adam. Each secret is life altering. You will not be disappointed by choosing to read The Dilemma.

I went into this book thinking it was going to have some thriller aspect going on. Maybe that was my mistake as I was a bit disappointed in the story. I would classify this more as a family mystery drama read. Basically a story about secrets.
I could not wait for the “big party” to happen and be done with the book🤷🏼‍♀️. The obsession over the 40th birthday was way extreme.
All in all, a pretty frustrating and confusing read for me.
I received this free ebook through NetGalley and in no way did this affect my review. Thank you for the opportunity to read and review this book for my honest opinion.

Every driven by a car accident and slowed down to rubber neck? This book is like that except you know far in advance that the car accident will happen so go in advance and camp out to watch it happen. I am not sure what I was expecting but I thought everything would be revealed at the end with the reader wondering what all the secrets were. Instead you know very early on and you are just an observer watching everything unfold.

Hold onto your hat for this emotional ride. While not a thriller, and not at all like Behind Her Eyes, B.A. Paris serves up the first book in a long time that I simply couldn't put down. The book happens all in the space of a day, hour by hour, as the planning of a big 40th birthday takes place. Throughout the day, you find out disconcerting secrets about the family and friends of the household (wife, husband, son, daughter), and these secrets leave you feeling an anguish for every character as the days events unfold. I can't say more than that without giving it away, but you really FEEL for these characters. Tough topics, tough decisions, tough choices, and life events leave you with an emotional hangover like none other. Very well done!

The Dilemma by BA Paris is quite a bit different from the other books that I have read by this author. Her previous books were psychological thrillers, and The Dilemma is more family drama and not really a thriller at all. The whole book takes place in a 24 hour period. Livia is turning 40, and she has dreamed of having a huge 40th birthday party since she married young and did not ever get to have her dream wedding. Everything is set for a perfect party, except Livia's husband Adam has a secret that would ruin not just the party but their lives as well. And Livia has secrets of her own.

I liked the idea of having this story take place in a 24 hour period, and I appreciated that Paris took a different approach with this book from previous novels. But I'm not sure if the idea completely worked. There certainly was a "dilemma" in this story, and as I read from both characters perspectives, I could feel the tension and the burden that they carried because of the secrets they were harboring. But while I thought it was interesting, the dilemma just was not big enough to sustain an entire book. So this story felt really stretched out and inflated over 352 pages. Much of the book is spent describing the characters inner monologues and turmoil about the secrets they were keeping. And it felt very repetitive as there was a lot of thinking and very little action in this story.

I was surprised by the depth of grief I felt at the end of this book. Again, this is not a thriller. It's about a family and a marriage, and I think it's important to understand that before reading it. As I was reading, part of me was expecting some big twist at the end as is so common in many thrillers But this book is different and more character-driven rather than twisty plot focused. Despite some long, repetitive moments throughout the book, I did grow attached to this family and I mourned with them through all the struggles and felt deeply for them as the secrets were revealed.

I would say this book was a hit and miss for me. I liked the concept but I also don't think the concept quite worked for this length of book. I connected with the characters but also grew weary of their repetitive, internal turmoil through much of the middle of the book. I do appreciate the approach and attempt at a different kind of story from BA Paris!

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for sending me an advance copy in exchange for my honest review. This one is available on June 30!

My Two Cents: A couple preparing for a much-anticipated party each carries a secret that they know will destroy the other. The entire novel alternates between the two perspectives to determine how and when to confront the truth that would ultimately shatter their family and friends.

I immediately knew I’d enjoy reading this book because I’ve read a couple of books by B.A. Paris, including Behind Closed Doors and Bring Me Back. I was first introduced to B.A. Paris through a book club I ran when we selected Behind Closed Doors. I will admit it took me a while to try another of her novels because I wasn’t a fan of the writing style (mainly because grammatical mistakes drive me nuts). However, her creativity and twisted stories continue to capture my attention. I’m so glad I gave her books another chance because each one has only gotten better than the last (although I think Bring Me Back is the fave so far).

I love stories with alternating perspectives because I feel like I get a better picture of the characters and “the truth” as it were. I enjoyed shifting between Livia and Adam as I tried to figure out what the secret was, but also to break up the monotonous monologue they each had carrying their guilt while trying to enjoy this big bash that had been planning for twenty years.

Personally, I have a hard time keeping my mouth shut when I have something to say, so I can’t imagine having to keep a secret from my husband. I had trouble not just giving him his first Father’s Day gift before the day! In Adam’s case, I completely understood why he was stalling because everything happened so fast for him. He wasn’t sure and couldn’t fathom it, but it’s also all unfolding on the day of the party so in his case, I felt like what can you do? How do you blow up your wife’s party as it’s happening when it’s all she’s wanted for twenty years?

I sympathized less with Livia because she had held onto her secret for weeks. She had noticeably been alienating friends and changing weekend plans. I would have told my husband why I didn’t want to see a certain person, but again I know it’s such a tricky circumstance. I understand that obviously not everyone is going to process things like me and everyone has their own method for management. Still, Livia’s reasoning was selfish in my opinion – wanting to celebrate and have her party sans drama before dealing with what was happening within her family.

As a couple, Adam and Livia seemed to fit well and balance each other. It definitely worked for the story and I loved their relationship. It translated well on paper and was so relatable. I hope they can stop punishing each other for the mistakes they made in their first few years (because obviously, they live on as a real-life couple, right?). They rushed into marriage because of a pregnancy and ended up hurting and neglecting each other in so many ways. Life isn’t perfect, but if you keep holding onto the old hurt, how can you ever get past it to new happiness?

Overall, the story was engaging and so easy to read! There were a couple of discrepancies that bothered me. For instance, after Livia gets home from the spa, her husband hides her cell phone and the scene goes through her looking for it and assuming she left it behind. A few paragraphs later though she takes her phone out of her bag to look up a location on Google Maps… but her phone is supposed to be misplaced. I will happily continue reading B.A. Paris’s ARCs and welcome her and her publishing team to have me and/or a couple of select bloggers read these earlier on to help catch some of these things.

I, for one, know that it’s nearly impossible to revise my own writing because I already know the content too well to catch the little things, and I imagine it’s a similar case here. I feel like this could be a really great partnership/side hustle for book reviewers and bloggers to work with authors and publishing companies!

I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. I have to say I was sadly disappointed in this book. There was a great deal of extraneous verbiage that the story definitely could have done without. The plot was original but the characters could have been expanded. Paris generally writes a better book than this. I limped through this book and it did get somewhat better toward the end. Others may enjoy it so don't take just my word. 📚

I will leave a review on Amazon or B&N on June 30, 2020

I have read several of this authors books in the past, but I must say this one had me wondering whether this was a book that I would enjoy as much as I finally ended up liking it. I was constantly asking myself how could they each be keeping such huge secrets from each other. This wasn't one of my favorites but I also realize not everyone enjoys the same thing. Overall I would suggest those that enjoy this genre read the book for themselves and make their own decision about how they feel about the book.

I received an ARC of the book from NetGalley and the publisher and this is my fair and honest review.

First off, thank you NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This is a quick family drama read that was my first of B.A. Paris. Husband and wife Livia and Adam are both keeping secrets from each other that slowly unravels during Livia’s 40th birthday party.

This drained me. I had so much anxiety throughout the entire book. The “dilemma” Adam is faced with is so much more tragic than just a dilemma and the way he dealt with it drove me nuts! The whole thing centers around a party that is way too superficial and trivial to me.

If you are already a B.A. Paris fan, I would say go for this when it comes out on June 30th. If you haven’t read anything of hers yet though, I wouldn’t start with one. I’m now so interested to read Behind Closed Doors because I hear it is very very different from this and is a 5 star thriller for many!

Short Take: The most depressing episode of Three’s Company EVER.

(*Note: I received an advance copy of this book for review.*)

Hello my nerdlings! I’m back after a long-ish absence, which I don’t have any good reason for other than a general lack of motivation, and maybe a bit of CERM (Current Events Related Malaise, wherein everything is terrible all the time and blathering about whatever I’ve read seems equal parts pointless and disrespectful to the people who are Dealing With Real Stuff). But I’m physically incapable of keeping my opinions to myself for any substantial length of time, so here we are. Let’s dive in, shall we?

We meet Livia and Adam, happily-ish married for a couple of decades, on the morning of Livia’s FORTIETH BIRTHDAY PARTY, and yes, it must be shouted from the rooftops, because this is LIVIA’S PERFECT DAY. She didn’t get to have a wedding that young girls dream about so she’s going all-out for this party. She’s saved for years, planned every detail of the catering and music and whatnot, and it has to be PERFECT.

Her family and friends humor her a lot more than I probably would. I just couldn’t relate to a 40 year old woman who demands to be celebrated to that extent. Maybe because I’m old, and birthdays don’t feel like a Big Thing anymore, maybe because I don’t like being the center of attention and the thought of dozens of people staring & taking photos while I just want to eat the cake that’s currently covered in tiny flames is the stuff of nightmares. With a great husband, smart healthy kids who’ve made it to adulthood, a decent income, and a lovely home, why so much focus on the one thing you’ve been denied? There was just something so childish and bratty about Livia’s IT’S FINALLY MY DAY attitude.

Anyway.

Because The Dilemma is billed as a thriller, there needs to be some kind of great big Thing Going Wrong, and we are actually handed two of them: in the titular storyline, Adam finds out something horrible that may or may not be true. Sure, he could probably just contact someone who knows and find out for sure but this is the kind of thing that would destroy Livia’s life, or even worse, her FORTIETH BIRTHDAY PARTY. Should he find out for sure? Because if it’s true, he would have to tell her, but the longer he stays dumb, the less responsibility he has to take for telling or not telling Livia.

Meanwhile, Livia ALSO has a secret that may not ruin Adam’s life, but will definitely upset him a whole lot if he finds out which could also throw a wrench in the FORTIETH BIRTHDAY PARTY extravaganza of perfection. So of course she can’t tell him, at least not till after the party, because PRIORITIES, PEOPLE. Again, this is a forty year old woman.

So as we follow Jack & Larry… er, Adam & their son Josh readying the house, or Livia heading to the Regal Beagle for pre-party drinks with Chrissy & Janet (ok, FINE, going to a local spa with some of her friends for massages and whatnot), the miscommunications pile up, and more of the troubled early days of their marriage are described. And both Jack and Livia fret over their own secrets and coverups, and it’s blatantly awful. Because the things they are carrying are bleak and grim and it’s just a big pile of unrelenting misery without even the charm of Mrs. Roper’s flowing caftans to break it up.

In the end of course, Everything Is Revealed, and all the terrible stuff comes out, and Livia’s perfect FORTIETH BIRTHDAY PARTY is served up with a side order of life-destroying awful. So, yay?

I just couldn’t find anything to like about this book. As I said earlier, Livia is a Bridezilla without a wedding, and Adam is a wishy-washy wimp who pretends that he’s doing his wife a favor by letting her have her dream party that will be forever tied to the worst events of her life. That’s some next-level passive-aggressive cruelty. Their friends are all equally terrible in differing ways, and the kids are basically props. The one adult child who makes their own decisions is vilified for it.

I believe Ms. Paris was trying to build suspense by not letting the truth out till the very end, but the final result is an ultra-depressing deep-dive into the minds of a narcissist & her enabler. It’s not fun or enjoyable, there’s no payoff other than finally knowing what actually happened, and the people who started the story unhappy and dissatisfied end it even more so.

The Nerd’s Rating: TWO HAPPY NEURONS (and some vodka on the patio. I am ready for some sunshine and peace, for a few minutes, anyway.

This was a great read but it was more of a family drama than it was an actual suspense thriller. I’m a little confused as Behind Closed Doors was the opposite and maybe the author is wanting to spreading her writing wings a bit but if you’re into emotionally driven family dramas with a little twist, then this book so for you :)