What's more juicy than a domestic thriller? The ultimate thriller - where everyday miscommunication destroys an entire family. Thank you St. Martin's Press for this advance reader's copy of The Dilemma. B.A. Paris came along with the rest of the "Gone Girl" authors, but she's pulled ahead with her novels that bring suspense and play with my emotions.

The characters in The Dilemma are well developed even though you only meet them for one day. Livia has been dreaming of her 40th birthday party for years, making up for the grandiose wedding she never had. She's been keeping a terrible secret from her husband, but little does she know, he has one too. Both Adam and Livia are being slowly consumed and destroyed by the secrets they carry but they're trying to protect their family. I liked that these characters are essentially good people rather than the typical "evil spouse" trope. It's a fast paced read and I couldn't put it down!

Not the typical novel you can expect from this author but a good quick read.
It’s very much a book about family and secrets. Everyone’s got both which is why this book should appeal to a wide variety of people.
Seeing the inner workings inside two peoples thoughts is always fascinating.
Extra points for the lack of bad language which is always nice.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC!

I had a hard time rating this book and coming up with how to review it. Had I not read and of BA Paris other books I would have found this one creatively unique and while it was not filled with action or suspense it did capture my attention and held it till the last page. So I recommend this with caution, do not expect a thrilling page turner like “Behind Closed Doors”. This book is glimpse into the inner workings of a close knit family and one traumatic event that will change their lives, while simultaneously showing us family turmoil and drama unrelated to the devastating event. This book is so creatively written I can’t even guess if one of these characters was meant to be a protagonist and one an antagonist and each character has both qualities about them. Regardless this was very well written with richly woven characters and a heartbreaking scenario playing out over the course of the story.

I started B.A. Paris‘s new novel The Dilemma with the expectation that it was going to be, a thriller, similar to her other novels. I was happily wrong. Please don’t misunderstand me, I adore all of B.A. Paris’ previous novels. But I also truly enjoy the subgenre of literary suspense. This book is a wonderful mix of family drama and intrigue. It begins slowly, but builds beautifully. The Dilemma felt like a character study at times. I was fascinated and often in disbelief at each character and the choices they made. I empathized with each of their dilemmas, yet I also wanted to shake them half of the time. As the story unfolded, I realized I was also faced with my own dilemma. B.A. Paris had built the storyline in such a way that I did not want any of the “dilemmas” to end unhappily. That said, I am also a realist, and I abhor book endings that wrap up too tidily. With this in mind, I almost winced with every page turned knowing that I was getting even closer to the resolution. Regardless of my hesitation, I flew through this novel in two sittings. Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for an advanced reader’s copy in exchange for my honest review.

I loved this book. From the very beginning, I was immediately hooked. Stayed up all night to finish it and am glad I did!

When I picked up this book, I was expecting it to be a domestic thriller along the lines of B.A. Paris's previous suspense novels. But what I got was something completely different than I anticipated. While this book is definitely suspenseful, it's not a traditional mystery. There is no murder or crime plot, per se, although there is plenty of scandal and a dead body involved. Once I realized this was not going to be a typical thriller with husbands, wives, et al trying to destroy each other, I was able to relax into the story about a fairly typical family on the verge of falling apart because of secrets they have been keeping from each other.

The majority of the book centers around the events of Livia's 40th birthday party. She has been dreaming of this party for years because she never got to have the wedding party that she wanted, and this celebration is meant to compensate for what she missed out on all those years ago. Now entering middle-age, Livia has two grown children. Her daughter Marnie is living overseas, and Livia's husband, Adam, is going to fly her to London to surprise Livia for her birthday. But Livia doesn't really want Marnie there because she has a secret about Marnie and knows it will lead to problems if her daughter attends the party. Everything falls apart from there.

I enjoyed this book, even if it wasn't what I expected. I appreciate a writer taking a different approach to building suspense. The premise was grounded in believable family dynamics. Ever since Gillian Flynn published her breakthrough novel, Gone Girl, everyone has been trying to mimic her style, with varying degrees of success. The domestic thriller has become almost a cliche in the past ten years, and this book tries to break the mold. I am already looking forward to Paris's next book.

I loved this book! thank you to net galley and st martins for the advanced copy. I loved Behind Closed Doors by this author so I had high expectations for this one. It kept me on the edge of my seat which I love! It wasn’t a huge mystery full of twists by any means, but a family drama unraveling with death, affairs, etc. I recommend this if you like books like Little Fires Everywhere or The another in Law. 5 stars!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for my copy of The Dilemma by B.A. Paris. All opinions are my own!

I need to start off by saying that I went into this book completely blind. I didn't bother reading the synopsis- all I saw was B.A. Paris and I knew I had to read it. That being said, I wish I would have know what to expect because I think I would have enjoyed the book a little more. I'm so used to Paris writing thrillers that I was a little bored with this book. It really dragged on through the middle until it got to the explosive ending. I found myself crying which rarely happens when I read. The ending was so gut-wrenching and I really felt for both Livia and Adam.

I saw a new B.A.Paris book and it immediately went on my TBR list.
However , this book is very different from this author’s previous books and for me, unfortunately, I did not connect with it.
I felt the whole “dilemma “ was not warranted. ... who wouldn’t tell their spouse about a plane crash possibly involving a family member, just to enjoy a 40th birthday party that has been in the works for 20 years.
Livia has been planning her 40th birthday party for 20 years,a bit self indulgent for me. How everything revolves around this party was way to self involved for
me. Each spouse knows something about their daughter ... their daughter ... and they don’t want to tell the other until the party is over, therein lies the Dilemma.
I gave it three stars, basically for the last 3 chapters that actually dealt with the dilemma.

This book wasn’t like her others but it was well written

I enjoyed the chapters between the husband and wife. The last few chapters of the husband kind of seem repetitive but other then that this book was heart crushing and I ugly cried!

They have a daughter who is living in Hong Kong, the mom has a 40th birthday party planned and The daughter decides to surprise her and the dad is in on it.

But something tragic happens (read the book!!) and it makes you want to read all night long. I read this book within a day.

4 Stars

The Dilemma is a story about family secrets. It's extremely well written, and I could imagine the author keeping a timeline poster on the wall by her desk to track the moments the secrets are either kept or revealed.

The novel is marketed as a thriller but reads more like general fiction. I empathized with the central characters Adam and Livia, understood their reasons for keeping secrets from one another, and agreed with their logic. I would have given the book a higher rating if the pacing in the final third of the novel had not slowed in an obvious attempt to prolong the big reveal. Several pages could have been edited out and still provided a satisfactory ending. Many thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for providing an ARC of this novel.

I have thoroughly enjoyed B.A. Paris' previous books which were full of suspense and kept you reading until the explosive endings. Although I finished reading this book it wasn't one of her best books.

Thank you to NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book! I love B.A. Paris’ books, so I was really hoping I would get to read this one ASAP. I did have some trouble picking it up to read. Part of me wanted to read more and part of me was just lazy and not really drawn to the story during certain parts. When I first started reading I felt like I had to know more. Then when I knew their secrets I felt it dragged a little and then picked up again because I wanted to see how it all unfolded. In the end I am glad I read it. It was a little emotional for me at times. Adam and Livia drove me crazy with not talking to each other about stuff. This will not be my top recommendation and cannot be compared to Behind Closed Doors, but I will still read the next book by Paris!!!!

What would you do if you had a secret, that would change your love ones lives forever. Both Adam and livia each have a secret that will change their family forever. But first let have a party. If you are looking for a B.A. Paris book reminiscent of her first to books, this is not it. Though it is a good read, it did not have the twist that I loved in her other books.

I really enjoyed The Dilemma by B.A. Paris. This was one of those books where I went into it blindly, purely because I’ve read this author’s work before and loved it. This one did not disappoint.

The characters were mostly lovable and more-so, relatable. Without spoilers, this book pulled at my heart strings, kept me on the edge of my seat awaiting answers, and brought me on an emotional roller coaster. I really enjoyed it and definitely will continue to follow this author.

Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for this electronic ARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

The Dilemma by B.A. Paris is a book I have a bit of a dilemma (#seewhatIdidthere) about as I write my review. Part of that was my own expectations. Y'all, this was full of hard to digest emotions. The intensity of those were almost too much to manage. Not only that, I really struggled with the choices some of the characters made. It was all very unsettling which also aligned with the suspense of the story, so maybe that was intentional? Anyway, let me give you some plot to work with to help you understand my musings. Livia is having a 40th birthday party. She's dreamed of this party for years, and she's excited the day is finally here. Her daughter won't be able to attend, but this is actually okay with her for reasons that aren't immediately shared, but are slowly unwound. Livia's husband Adam also has a secret to start the story. However, then something happens, and what that secret is and might involve changes in a big way. The story is Livia and Adam each wrestling with these secrets individually and never having a conversation as a coupe. It was so aggravating. Having never read this author, maybe that's how things always are? Regardless, this is an extreme communication breakdown and a thriller built on the danger of secrets. This is one that's going to make you feel a certain kind of way throughout, and if getting frustrated with characters is your jam, this is for you.

Absolutely phenomenal. Read this one in one day. Could NOT put it down. I will read anything B.A. Paris writes. It's all so good! Crazy tension, killer plot twists. Highly recommend for book clubs!

I honestly can say that I don’t think I have ever read an entire book in one sitting, if you don’t count letting the cats and dog in and out as breaks. I devoured this book in one evening, it’s that good!

I have enjoyed other novels by this author by this story line just grips you from the very beginning. It is heartbreaking and will punch you right in the gut and make you feel everything the characters are feeling and more. It will crush you and make you cry.

It is a brilliant, heartbreaking story filled with love, lies and deceit to try to give their loved ones one more moment of happiness before their lives will change forever.

I usually try to avoid giving anything less than 3 stars because the authors really do put effort into their stories. This however was so very hard to get through. It felt boring, couldn't connect with the characters and just dragged for me. I'm a fan of this author but was disappointed in this one.

I love books by B.A. Paris. That being said, I was vastly disappointed with this one. Unlike previous books of hers that I have read, this one really dragged. There was no suspense. No thrill. I almost did not finish it. The whole story centers around a couple not talking to each other about things that are going on with their daughter, Marnie. What the husband knows, in my opinion, is something he should have shared right away. It’s basically about no communication in a relationship. I was sad that it didn’t have the same thrills and twists I’ve come to expect from a B.A. Paris book.