B.A. Paris has a unique style of writing, and I love it! The Dilemma takes place mostly over an evening at Livia’s 40th birthday party; a lavish party she has been planning since she never had a wedding. Everyone is attending except their daughter Marnie who is away. Livia has been keeping a secret from Adam, but plans to tell him after the party. Adam wants the party to go off without a hitch, and plans a surprise for Livia, but something happens, and now he is left with a horrible dilemma and huge secret.
The story is told back and forth through Livia and Adam. You see how not talking about early issues in their marriage, continues to cause problems years later, and leads them to each make a decision that they come to regret later. I found myself reaching for the tissue box by the end!
Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and Netgalley for a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

THE DILEMMA is a domestic suspense novel with both husband and wife hiding dreadful secrets and not communicating. For me, the book was terribly sad. Most suspense/thrillers are sad or disturbing in some way, but there’s an element or twist that still makes them satisfying — not the case here.

The blurb states that Adam is throwing his wife a 40th birthday bash, but that’s not really true. Livia has been planning and saving for this party for the past 20 years to make up for her small wedding. (???) She and Adam have different secrets about their daughter, Marnie, that they want to keep hidden so Livia’s birthday isn’t ruined. (???) I just can’t wrap my mind around these people’s priorities and ways of thinking.

Though THE DILEMMA didn’t work for me, I appreciate the publisher giving me the opportunity to review this book.

When I began reading this book, I was expecting a thriller as her previous three books have been. But I was surprised to find it is actually a family drama story. I was skeptical about this genre switch and for probably the first half of the book I was waiting for that thriller twist. But the twist never came and, I am pleased to say, I enjoyed the book.

The book was a roller coaster of emotions, and the author made me feel them all – happiness, excitement, dread, fear, heart wrenching grief. The story revolves around 19-year-old Marnie, the extravagant 40th birthday party her mother Livia has long dreamed of, and the dilemma Marnie’s father Adam finds himself in. Both of Marnie’s parents have a secret they are keeping from the other. Livia’s secret will impact their circle of friends, nothing ever being the same after the secret is revealed. Adam’s secret will change his family’s life forever. But these secrets are the ones we keep to prevent hurting the ones we love. I kept asking myself “What would I do here?” Sometimes you just can’t win, whichever choice you make.

The emotional responses throughout the book were very realistic. It had a slow start as the tension built, but I thought it was ultimately worth the wait. The relationships – marriage, family, friends – felt real.

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press for the advance copy to read and review. All opinions stated are my own.

Many thanks to NetGalley, St Martin's Press, and B.A. Paris for the opportunity to read and review her latest novel. While her previous books have been thrillers, this is a slower-paced family drama but it is in no way less impactful.

Adam and Livia started their married life young and pregnant with first Josh and then Marnie so they never had the big white wedding that Livia had always dreamed of. Instead, she changed that dream to be a blow-out 40th birthday party for herself. 100 people are coming but Marnie is in Hong Kong studying and won't make it back for the party. Livia is keeping a secret from Adam and is glad that Marnie won't be there. Adam wants the party to be perfect for Livia so when he gets potentially devastating news, he keeps that secret from Livia. Once the secrets are revealed, will the marriage survive?

The story is told from the viewpoints of both Adam and Livia, so we are privy to the secrets as well as the reasons behind their decisions not to divulge them to each other. This is a gripping, tense read because B.A. Paris is a master at making you feel these characters' emotions and the inner turmoil they both experience. A great read!

Who else is a B.A. Paris fan? Her previous works of Behind Closed Doors and The Break Down were two of my faves so I was super thrilled to get an advanced copy of her newest read.

The Dilemma isn’t like her previous books. This one is not a thriller at all, but more a family drama that takes course in an entire evening. But I couldn’t put it down. It was a tad slow at times, but the anticipation of the storyline kept me turning the pages as fast as I could.

Livia has dreamed of her 40th birthday party for years. Her husband, Adam, discovers a devastating secret that he keeps to himself the entire night. Should he tell her before the party knowing it will wreck her? Or wait until the party is over and face the consequences.

This one releases June 30 and it definitely needs to be added to your TBR list! Thank you to St. Martin's Press for an early copy in exchange for my honest opinion.

Livia has planned for twenty years to have a big fourth birthday party. She saves money for years, purchases a special dress, flowers and caterer for the party. She invites family and friends and is exciting about "her" day.

Livia and Adam married young when Livia discovers she is pregnant. Like most young girls she had planned a big beautiful wedding. Livia's parents disown her and have nothing to do with her or her family. Livia and Adam have a small wedding and later have two beautiful children. Marnie is living in Hong Kong and Josh is preparing to go to school in New York. Livia and Adam have created a happy home and are very much in love.

The Dilemma ,,,Livia has discovered a secret and can not decide if she should tell her husband. The day of the big birthday party Adam finds out some news that will devastate his family. Both have secrets that they battle with, to tell, if they should tell, when to tell. The Dilemma.

I am a big fan of B.A. Paris. Read her last three mystery books, This book was very different, family drama. I enjoyed it very much. But it was not what I was expecting. It was unique but believable.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin Publication for the opportunity to read and give an honest review.
Publication date 06/30/2020
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This was much slower paced than Paris' other titles. This was not a good fit for me, as domestic family suspense is not a genre I typically enjoy. I do look forward to her next release and will continue to seek out her books. Good on her for trying something different, it just wasn't for me. I did more of a skim read so I feel it's unfair for me to truly judge this story to the fullest. Paris' previous books have been auto-buys for me and heavy on the thriller. That's the Paris I prefer, but to each their own. My favorite of the bunch being Behind Closed Doors. She really made a name for herself with that title, it was very unique and still has left an impression on me years later.

I received a digital ARC for free from Netgalley. All the opinions expressed here are that of my own.

Livia has been dreaming of her 40th birthday party for years. Everything has been planned to perfection, but when life takes an unexpected turn, will her husband spill his secret or let the party go on like nothing happened?

B.A. Paris has been my favorite new author for a couple of years. Once I discovered her, I devoured the rest of her books. I would recommend them to anyone who would listen. The Dilemma however, leaves me with my own dilemma, because I love this author, I love her writing, but I did not love this book.
I would classify Paris other books as psychological thrillers. This one is definitely not that. It’s basically a sad family tale, and honestly I’ve had enough of those in my own life. If I had known this book was all about dying and the grief that comes along with it, I never would’ve picked it up. Here’s hoping she goes back to what her first 3 books were.

The Dilemma has been mismarketed as a thriller/mystery in some places when in fact it’s a family drama. I found Livia and her friends annoying and vain. It was very hard to get through.

This book was not what I expected from BA Paris, who usually shocks me with suspenseful and twisty plot lines. This was much more marriage/relationship focused about the communication breakdown in a marriage, which made it sadly realistic. I love the way the book took place over the course of one day.

Though not what I was expecting, I'm glad I gave it a chance. I hope you do too!

Thank you to NetGalley for the chance to read and review this book!

B.A. Paris plays with the psychology part of the psychology thriller in her newest book, The Dilemma. The reader feels the distress of the characters wrestling with their dilemmas about when to tell family secrets during a highly anticipated family event. A period of a few hours feels like it lasts an eternity as we alternate the points of views of the husband and wife. A thought-provoking and agonizing novel.

Thanks to NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press, and the author B.A. Paris for an advanced digital review copy. This story will be published June 30, 2020.

4+ rating
This multi-layered domestic family drama just reeled me right in. I finished it in two sittings. The plot is unique yet believable. The story is told from the perspective of the two main characters, Adam and his wife Livia. They have two children, a college aged son and his older sister, Marnie who is away studying in Hong Kong. A supportive cast of several friends/family adds some dimension to the novel, as well as their history with their parents, and complexities that are common place in all families. Having married young and pregnant, Adam and Liv made several selfish mistakes as young people are apt to do when not ready for marriage and parenthood. Through the years they've matured and are now solid with each other. They love each other deeply. Adam wants Livia to have the party of her dreams for her 40th birthday.

When fate steps in on the day of the party, Adam is torn between telling his wife about what MAY have happened, not a certainty, but nevertheless definitely ruining the party. Does he approach her now or let her have the memory of this occasion and tell her after the party?

Livia also is holding on to a secret she learned weeks ago but knew it would destroy family and longtime friendships. They each have a dilemma. Torn between what to say and when. It was heartbreaking to witness their dilemmas as parents and to put ourselves in their places, what would we do? Not an easy answer.

What transpires gives us much to think about and helps us to understand that sometimes telling the truth is not always the best option, especially not at the risk of breaking hearts and ending relationships.

An emotional journey to witness, but well written and constructed. I finished it yesterday and can't stop thinking about it. I'm so pleased it is does not have a "secret" in the title, as that seems to be the worn out handle as of late. THE DILEMMA describes it perfectly. Definitely recommended and I intend to read more by Ms. Paris. Get your copy at your favorite retailer on June 30, 2020

My thanks to the following for my review copy and for allowing me to post my personal opinion of this immersive work:
#NetGalley #StMartinsPress #BAParis #thedilemma

Lies, deception, truths and omissions, intentions and choices. This book had it all. This is my favorite of all of the author's books. I loved this book. It is a bit different than her other books in that it really is not a thriller or a suspense. Having said that, I literally could not put it down and read it in 2 sittings. I would call it a domestic drama mystery I guess. The book takes place over a 24 hour period and is told through 2 perspectives, the wife and the husband. I don't want to get into any spoilers, but both characters were flawed and did things that drove me crazy as a reader, but I needed to find out what was going on. I could also emphasize with the characters and felt all the feels. There was such a variety of characters and personalities that it felt like a real family community. A recommended read!!

Thank you @stmartinspress and @netgalley {#partner} for gifting me with an electronic and physical advanced readers copy in exchange for an independent and honest review. Get your copy of this book on 06/30/2020!
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Review of The Dilemma by B.A. Paris:
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
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Imagine a huge extravagant event, close friends and family, years of planning. Imagine harboring secrets that would impact several in attendance. Now imagine that you discovered something so devastating, so shocking, that you knew it would change your family forever? Would you allow your partner those last few hours of happiness before shattering their life or would you tell them right away? Would you carry the burden of what you know as it tears you up inside while pretending everything is normal or would you share the burden and cancel the event? The Dilemma is about just that. The dilemma of sharing secrets or hiding them to prevent the fallout. To preserve one last moment of normalcy before your world gets rocked off its axis. In B.A. Paris’s latest novel, Adam and Livia are both harboring secrets from one another. And they’re both faced with the dilemma of if and when they should share those secrets while weighing the cost of doing so. Would you torment yourself with a dilemma like this?

This book is gut wrenching. It tore me apart. Probably because I could relate to so much of it in its own way. I’ve lived through devastating news and how it can completely change the lives of a family. The shifting to a new normal. The life before “X” and the life after. But this book mainly centers on the middle and it is as much heartbreaking as it is fascinating to understand their rationalization for their choices. Told from alternating perspectives, this book is unlike Paris’ other books. There’s certainly an element of suspense but it’s very minute as this is more a family situational drama. After reading this, I‘m sure there will be many conversations exploring how you’d respond if faced with such a dilemma. I know I will be.

This book broke my heart, to say the least. I liked how it was written from two different perspectives because we got to see two people holding horrible secrets and dealing with them on their own on a day that was supposed to be happy. First, there was Liv who'd been planning for this party ever since her wedding, which did not turn out as planned. I love how you could see how much she yearned for this day to be perfect and even though she didn't want anyone else to know it was sort of a "redo" of her wedding, she knew deep down that's exactly what it was. I liked how we saw her relationship with her parents and how that affected everything. 

Liv's secret about her friend and her daughter affected her relationship with her friends, with her husband, and with her daughter. Though no one knew she knew, everyone around her was affected somehow. The intertwining of their lives with this secret was beautifully done.

Adam's secret, on the other hand, was heartbreaking and terrible beyond words and I can't imagine how he was able to go about the party holding that all to himself. His courage in dealing with it alone just so his loved ones could share one last happy memory before their lives were turned upside down was beautiful. Even though he was keeping it together the best he could, his loved ones knew something was up and all assumed it was something different.

Finally, I loved how we got to see the reparation of Adam and Josh's relationship from the very beginning. We constantly read books about the classic father/son trope, and Paris took that to a whole new level in this book - it was beautiful.

I will say, I was surprised by how Adam’s secret turned out as I didn’t expect it (no spoilers!), but I appreciated seeing the aftermath and how Liv and Adam made decisions that were best for each other and for their loved ones.⁣⁣⁠ They thought of themselves, their kids, their friends, and all of the other people in their circle that secrets may affect. I really appreciated how when the secrets finally came out between Liv and Adam, they both assumed the other had learned of their secret, which led to a few moments of confusion and anger. 

Four stars only because I wasn’t a huge fan of the pacing of this book and found myself getting frustrated with how slowly it seemed to move at times. I think, especially towards the end, there was a lot of "extra" that took away from the story. ⁣⁣⁠
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Thanks to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for the digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!⁣⁠

This book took forever for me to get through. I didn’t like most of it, skimming even towards the end. I think some of it was realistic but too much of it was stuff they hid from each other rather than communicating with each other which is just infuriating.

The Dilemma by B.A. Paris is told over the course of a big day for Livia. She has been planning an elaborate 40th birthday party for herself for the past 20 years of her life. She has saved and planned and is anticipating the biggest night of her life. Unknown to her, her husband, Adam, and their daughter have planned to surprise her with the appearance of her daughter who has been away for several months. This book has secrets to unravel as well as a building suspense over the fate of the daughter who's en route to surprise her mom. Read and enjoy!

How do you decide when to take away your wife's happiness? Before her big party, that she's been planning for years or after it's over? This is the dilemma that Adam faces throughout this book. This was a really good fast paced story, that really made me think. There are several side stories in this book that keep it moving forward but the real dilemma is Adam's and reading chapters from his viewpoint makes you really think, and whether you agree with what he does or not, it's a really tough decision that he agonizes over until the very end.

This book had me on the edge of my seat and I was not able to put this down!

Everyone has secrets in this book and it's how they're managed and communicated that brings this story to life. The whole time I was reading, I did not know what to expect. I could easily understand and feel for the situation the characters were in and the struggle they were faced with. This is a a story that'll catch you right in the gut. One of friendship, family relationships, loss, and tough situations.

Highly recommend reading. This really reminded me of the importance of not taking anything for granted and to look at things from many different angles and perspectives.

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and Netgallley for the chance to preview this title ahead of publication on June 30. I’ve read all of Paris’s books and she doesn’t write any bad ones. If she did, they are in her desk drawer for nobody to see and the practice of writing them led to her amazing talents and abilities when it comes to novels.

Livia has dreamed of having a 40th birthday party like none other. And now the day has come and she’s spending the afternoon at a spa with two of her girlfriends to get her ready for the gala that night. Adam, her husband, has secretly planned a huge surprise for his wife: their daughter will be coming to the party after all.

Even though most of the book takes place during the day and night of the party, that doesn’t stop the action from stopping the hearts of readers like me. Adam has something to tell Livia, but debates all day whether to do it before the party, which will definitely cancel the event or wait until after.

Dilemma is the perfect title for this book. As Livia also has a horrid secret she’s keeping from Adam. This book is pitch perfect in terms of three-dimensional characters, plotting, keeping the reader engaged and anything else that goes into making a book compelling. I encourage everyone to read it.