Previous books by B.A. Paris have been thrillers, this one is not a thriller, it's a family/relationship drama. I'm not sure why it's categorized as a thriller in Goodreads.

Livia and Adam had a baby when Livia was just 17. As a result, her parents wanted nothing to do with her so Livia didn't get the wedding she always imagined. Instead she started planning for her 40th birthday party as a replacement to the wedding celebration. Now they have 2 kids, Josh (22) and Marnie (19)and have been married over 20 years. Marnie is studying in Hong Kong so can't make it back for the party. Adam has something he should share with Livia but doesn't want to ruin the party for her. Livia also has something to share with Adam but plans to keeps it to herself for a little longer.

I thought the writing was great and the tension was huge throughout. I was really hoping for a different ending though since it hit really close to home having gone through this myself. If I'd known that's where it was going, I don't think I would have read the book. It really bothered me after finishing and still hurts my heart when thinking about it.

Family drama of couples and their grown children. The dilemma both parents of Mandie have are different but both are reluctant to reveal the situations to each other. The consequences of their withholding information are startling.

Thank you Netgally and St Martin's press for an ARC of this book for an honest review.

This book takes told in two d perspective of a husband Adam and Wife Livia. Livia is excited about her 40th birthday party and Adam is excited to be surprising his wife by flying their daughter home early. This book is filled with secrets and lies. It was a quick read with a lot of emotion.

I went into this book expecting a thriller and this is not that. It is more of an emotional suspense novel (is that a genre?). Adam and Livia are a married couple planning a huge 40th birthday party. Over the course of one day the story unfolds to reveal that each character is holding onto a big secret. At times it is frustrating to read the details of the day when you know the huge issues going on under the surface. I cannot imagine knowing the things these characters know and holding them in for even minutes, much less a day. I was interested in the emotional fallout once the secrets came to light and the end of the book wrapped everything up in a way that felt very real to me. I think I almost would have preferred to have the secrets exposed earlier on so we could see more of the ripple effect for each character. All in all, I flew through this book and was invested in the story until the final page.

Thank you to B.A. Paris, St. Martin’s Press, and NetGalley for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Livia is singularly focused on making sure her upcoming 40th birthday party is the best day of her life. Having recently uncovered some startling information, Livia is relieved her daughter won’t be able to leave her study abroad program to join the festivities. Not realizing there is underlying tension, Livia’s husband Adam is hoping to pull of the surprise of a lifetime by bringing Marnie home to surprise her mother. The day of the party, Adam sees a concerning headline on the news, and must decide how to handle the sudden troubling dilemma he finds himself in.

This all just seemed WILDLY unrealistic. I can’t imagine anyone placing so much importance on a birthday party… let alone a forty year old woman with two grown children. Also, as soon as a parent feels their child is in danger, in my mind there is only one option, and inaction ain’t it! I was interested in the secrets at play in this book, but felt the levels of miscommunication between characters creating this drama was unrealistic. Overall, while this seemed juicy, I couldn’t get behind this silly premise and felt the ending was abrupt and somehow anticlimactic.

I really enjoyed this book. There was a tension that was established from the first chapter and maintained throughout the book. I devoured it in about a day. I had to keep reading. I found the alternating narratives interesting and each of the protagonists dilemmas thought provoking. I would highly recommend this book. Thank you for the advanced copy in return for an honest review.

Well, B.A. Paris has done it again. Another great suspense story that kept the reader guessing until the end. A couple's college daughter was flying home to surprise her mom on her birthday when there was a plane crash. Was she or wasn't she on the plane. Did she make the connecting flight? The story takes the reader through a roller coaster of emotions. The Dilemma is a very engaging story that I finished in one sitting because I had to know the outcome. The published title is available on June 30, 2020.

You think your daughter might have been in a life threatening accident, and you decided not to tell your wife so that she can enjoy her 40th birthday party that she's been planning since she was in her 20's?! Unbelievable, with egotistical characters. The repetition allows you to skip parts and not miss anything. And once the long drawn out dilemma is reveled, everything goes back to normal after a short time. Highly disappointing. This author is hit or miss with her books, this is definitely a miss.

Thank you to NetGalley, B.A. Paris and St Martin’s Press for the free e-book in exchange for an honest review.

I don’t know exactly what I expected from this one, but I was pleasantly surprised by the premise and how different it was from my usual thrillers. I really enjoyed thinking about what I would do in this instance and how easy this one was to read. I really felt for these characters and I enjoyed waiting to see when the secrets would all be revealed and was shocked by one of them. I really enjoyed Livia and Adam and how each of them is hiding a different secret about their daughter. I had to sit down and read this in one day, as the writing was so addictive!

Out June 30th!

Different from B.A. Paris' other books, The Dilemma brings up the age old question....do you hurt the one you love? or do you keep things from them because you don't want to hurt them? Adam and Livia both have something to tell the other but Livia's party is today. Do they wait and tell later or do they ruin a party that was 20 years in the making? I'm not sure what I would do but I enjoyed reading about how the characters worked through their issues.

The Dilemma was a step away from the standard B A Paris fare. Once I cast off my preconceived expectation of a thriller, I successfully emersed myself in the story. The Dilemma is a cautionary tale of good intentions with tragic consequences. The alternating POV between husband and wife provides an omniscient perspective on the miscommunication between the couple, adding to the mounting tension of the plot. When the couple's most anticipated dream and worst nightmare intersect, the potential fallout is unimaginable. Heartache and suspense abound in this riveting family drama.

I have read and enjoyed all of B.A. Paris previous books. I was excited to start this one.

However, I struggled with this one. Its a very slow moving, family drama story. There isn't much suspense to this story. It goes back and forth between two characters, husband and wife,, Livia and Adam.

The only suspense to this story is what may have happened to another side character. The father is the only one who knows of this potential incident but says nothing to no one for over half the book. Like what?! You don't talk to your own wife about this situation?! This made me angry for Livia.

I'm sorry to say that this book didn't hold my interest and this makes me sad. I'm sure some will love it but it just didn't work for me. I was looking for a more suspense read than a family drama.

Livia has been planning for years to have a huge party for her 40th birthday, and the day has finally arrived. All of her nearest and dearest family and friends will be gathering in her backyard to help her celebrate, all but her daughter Marnie who is doing study abroad in Hong Kong. Livia is fine with Marnie not being there, because she is pretty ticked off at Marnie and isn't sure yet how to handle the secret she is keeping from her husband about his "sweet little angel". Meanwhile, Adam and Marnie cook up a surprise visit for Marnie to come home in time for the party. She will have to come via Cairo and Amsterdam in order to make it more affordable, but it will be worth it to see the surprise on his wife's face. But shortly before the party Adam hears some terrible news and now he has to decide whether he should tell Livia and spoil the party or keep the secret until afterwards.
This had me on the edge of my seat the whole time, wanting to see how it would all play out. This is an excellent emotional family drama with a tear-jerker ending. I highly recommend it!

Another great read by B.A. Paris! The Dilemma pulled me right into the story. The suspense kept me turning the pages into the we hours of the morning. I knew I wasn’t stopping until I got to the end. I have to admit at times I was irritated by both characters Adam and Livia for not just coming out with what each was hiding. Livia with this weird obsession for this party and Adams reasoning behind why he should wait to call the number drove me nuts. I did enjoy the book and it gave me the feels for sure!

I loved Behind Closed Doors and have been eager to read each new B.A. Paris book since then, but I feel like it would have been a great idea to alert the reader early on that this isn't really a mystery in the same vein as the previous books.

Oddly, I felt like I got to the end of the book asking "What is the point?" Liv and Adam each have a secret that for reasons (some arbitrary, some well-intentioned) they are going to wait until the end of Liv's party to share. But the breakdown of the secrets starts feeling repetitive quickly, and the ultimate revelations feel surprisingly thin given the stakes that have been set up.

Unfortunately, I requested this book thinking it was a thriller, but it’s more of a novel relating to family drama. While it’s a good story, it’s just not my cup of tea or what I was expecting. I appreciate the opportunity to read and review it.

What an amazing author. Each book has been just as good as the last and The Dilemma certainly holds it own against the 3 previous books by this author.

How much can a person endure for their loved ones? These characters have the love and strength to go the distance for those they love. Thank you to St. Martin's Publishing Group and NetGalley for the ARC and the opportunity to provide my honest review.

After reading The Dilemma, I can understand why it has gotten some mixed reviews. I found this to be very different from her previous books and I personally don’t think this book should be under the mystery/thriller category.
Livia has been looking forward to her 40th birthday party for what seems like forever. Feeling that she has missed out on her dream wedding, this party will be her “big day”. With the preparations in place, everyone she loves will be in attendance with the exception of her daughter Marnie, who is studying abroad.
Livia has recently uncovered a secret her daughter has been keeping from them but she’s waiting to confide in her husband Adam, until after the party. Adam also has some terrible news to share with Livia and is now faced with the dilemma of whether to ruin her big day or let her enjoy herself one last time before their lives change forever.
The entire book is set in one day from both Livia’s and Adam’s POV. I found it hard to read not because I didn’t like it, because it honestly made me sad. “But there’s this huge sadness welling up inside me, filling me with sorrow I don’t understand” This basically sums up how this book made me feel.
Did I like it? Yes. Did it frustrate and depress me? Yes. Is this even remotely a thriller? No.
This would be a great book club selection.
3.75⭐️

Argh! This is such a hard one to review.

It’s compelling, in a couldnt put it down, raced through it, easy to read way, but I also didn’t enjoy it!

The biggest problems for me is that most of the characters were all thoroughly unlikable, particularly the central couple, Liviva and Adam.

There’s some spoilers coming because there is no way I can explain my frustration with this book without them.

Despite repeatedly emphasising how much they love each other, one of their actions would suggest that. They are selfish and lie to each other about life changing things.

I found the basic premise of the story quite ridiculous. Livia found herself pregnant and married in a registry office at 17. Having never had the wedding of her dreams she spends the rest of her live saving for her future 40th birthday party! Who does this!?

She even chooses her family home based on which has the best garden for a party over fifteen years away.

Livia also keeps the secret that her daughter Marnie is having an affair with her best friend’s father. A man she calls ‘uncle’ and the father of her own best friend. Horrid! I don’t understand why on earth Livia failed to confront her daughter or the friend after seeing him walking around naked in the background of a video call.

And then there’s Adam. How he and Livia have remained married for so long I don’t know.

When he realises that their daughter may indeed have died in a tragic plane crash on her way home for the party he doesn’t mention it! Wtf! He doesn’t mention it at all Let’s them all smile and drink and celebrate.

He waits until the next day so he doesn’t spoil the long awaited party.

And then there’s the estranged mother who randomly turns up for 10 minutes. She hasn’t seen her daughter for over 20 years, pops in, says hello and leaves again.

And Livia just goes back to the party and smiles.

The more I think about this book and the characters the more I dislike them all. They should just all talk to each other.

This one wasn’t for me I’m afraid. Not because it wasnt well written – just implausible and utterly unlikable characters.

Thank you Netgalley for the advanced copy in return for an honest review.

I am so nervous for the readers of this book! I was so stressed out by the setup that after a few days of reading a chapter here or there, I finally made myself sit down and finish it in one sitting. A married couple is keeping secrets from each other, and everything they haven't said is all coming to head at a party that that the wife has been planning for the last twenty years. That's about all I can say without saying too much. The good news about my vagueness is the author wastes no time in getting right to the central conflict of this novel.
This is so, so different from the other B.A. Paris novels that I've read (Behind Closed Doors and Bring Me Back) that I am recognize some readers of her past novels will not be fans of this. It is not really a domestic thriller but a family drama. It is very familiar to the stylings of Lisa Jewell, as the suspense in this novel comes from an extreme version of a real life scenario. I still couldn't put this book down, and I respect when authors try something new, although my finger are crossed her next book is another crazy thriller one!