This book is much different than Behind Closed Doors or The Break Down. Surprisingly, this book is about a huge misunderstanding. Although life is full of them, they can be very irritating and tedious in nature. However, I did like this book. It contains a ton of dialogue between the characters. I liked the characters but almost feel guilty about being angry with Adam, the husband, for the better part of the book.

I found the story to be a bit longer than it needed to be but I feel that the author was trying to make the story deeper and more complicated so it called for extreme details. This books delves right into family and friend relationship complications. Livia, the wife in the story, is very emotional and an over-thinker. She loves her family and friends hugely and also feels deprived of things that she should have had in life. She sets out to give herself the best 40th birthday party ever to make up for her deprivations in the past.

As she fights to get this party planned, things begin to happen behind the scenes and she is not aware of them for the most part. The one big thing she is aware of, Adam is not. This is the Dilemma. Read on and don't stop until you finish the book. You will be glad you did. The ending is not what I would have wanted but it definitely sums up the book with complete closure.

Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC of this book. I will read all of B.A. Paris' books. They are quality with somewhat unique storylines.

I was expecting more of a thriller, but I really liked this one. This author writes in a way that makes it easy to read and the story flows smoothly. I was heartbroken for the characters and I just wanted them all to be okay, but I knew that wasn't possible. I look forward to her next book!

I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. This book takes place at Livia's fortieth birthday party. She has invited all her friends and family. The only person that cannot make it to the party is her daughter Marnie. Marnie is out of the country for school.

If there was ever a book that gave me anxiety, this would be this book! I don't experience anxiety on a normal day to day, but everything that happened in this book kept me on the edge of my seat in a constant panic. A wife that is hiding something large from her husband and a husband that is hiding something even bigger from his wife.

The "Dilemma" book is over the course of a twenty four hour period. We experience trauma with both Livia and Adam. It takes Livia awhile before she discovers a secret but she decides to put it aside until after the party. Adam discovers a horrible truth but refuses to get confirmation. He makes himself physical ill just not making one phone call he needs to make. I'm not sure I could wait on a phone call like that even though I might know the answer is not what I want to hear.

This book is very good but also very hard to read emotionally. I wouldn't suggest this one to everyone I know but it is a good read.

Paris has done it again! This was a stay up all night, read while you walk, read while you eat, kind of book!
It was full of suspense, paranoia and definitely very unlikable characters which when stirred together by BA Paris, creates the perfect thriller.
This will be a summer hit when it is published in June!
Thank you to the author, netgalley and the publisher for my free ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Before you start this book, be sure to set aside enough time to finish it in one sitting, because you will not be able to put it down. Expertly written, it pulled me in from the very first page. The character development was, from the start, so colorful and descriptive that I felt as if Livia and Adam were good friends of mine and I was prying into their lives. Josh and Marnie also became real to me, even though they were secondary characters. The story, taking place in just a little over one day, was told in a format that very successfully kept the plot moving. Alternatingly told through Adam and Livia’s eyes, we came to understand the dynamic between the two which made their dilemmas come to life. The ethical questions their dilemmas posed are ones that will be perfect for book groups to ponder, argue and discuss. Livia’s obsession with her birthday party is another topic that would generate a great conversation. The story read fluidly, with the heart and soul of the characters easily felt. One of the best books I have read in a long time.

I am a huge fan of B.A. Paris's books and The Dilemma is yet another amazing page-turner!

This all takes place in the span of a day which happens to be Livia's 40th birthday. She'd been planning this day for what feels like her whole life. She never got the big wedding or huge birthday party growing up so she's been saving and planning for a blowout 40th for as long as she can remember. Everything has been planned down to the smallest detail and her husband and children have all known this day was going to be THE birthday.

Life though, happens and we spend the duration of Livia's birthday knowing with the other characters don't and wondering what's going to happen and when the secrets are going to come out - or are they?

Told from the alternating view points of Livia and her husband Adam, the day transpires and each is holding back a massive secret from the other. Livia is secretly glad their daughter Marnie isn't coming home because of what she found out shortly before she left to go abroad and Adam has potentially devastating news he is afraid to tell Livia because it will ruin her party.

It all comes down to the myth of the "last moments of being happy" and what we are all willing to do to give that to those we love. Would you want to know? Would you rather have those last final moments of happiness to cling to?

I could NOT put this book down and tore through it in under a day. It's fast-paced and every page seems to unveil something new. If you're looking for a book to get lost in, this is it!

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for an eARC copy of this novel in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you to B. A. Paris, St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for this ARC.

I loved all of B. A. Paris's other novels, so I was excited to read this one. The story itself was good, but the characters were so unlikable. Livia seemed so self-absorbed, and Adam is just ugh. I didn't understand why a couple who has been married for 20 years could just NOT talk to each other.

That being said, this would make a great made for TV movie.

This was THE party that Livia and Adam had been planning forever. Livia's 40th birthday party. Everyone was invited. But Livia and Adam are both holding back because they both know something that would disrupt the party and don't want to ruin the party. But the truth has to come out...

A husband and wife with secrets. Livia and Adam are protecting their secret from each other. One believes his/her secret is damaging. The other knows his/her secret is heartbreaking. Both are keeping his/her secret from the other as it is the day of Livia’s 40th Birthday party. A party she has been waiting to have for a long, long, time. Both intend to tell the other his/her secret after the party. But how? How does one keep it together? Who does one keep on a happy face when his/her world has been devastated forever?

I found this to be a fast read, but will I remember it in six months' time? Most likely as the B.A. Paris book that I enjoyed the least. I found this to be a fast read but felt that it would have worked just as well as a novella. Plus, even though I get that one individual wanted to keep the secret until there was concrete proof but at the same time, I thought, seriously, this is something that should not have been kept secret. But as you can tell, these people are flawed. They both have their reasons for their secrets whether we agree with those reasons or not.

So how do they tell their secrets? How do the secrets come out? What happens next? How does life change for them? Do you agree with both keeping their secrets until after the party? What would you have done? I know how I would have handled things. How would you have handled them? Making the title of this book to be absolutely perfect.

I enjoyed the book, but it didn't wow me as much as her other books did. Her other books: The Breakdown and Behind Closed Doors wowed me more. The Dilemna, although a fast read, was also repetitive. It was, like her other books that I have read, well written. Even though this was not my favorite book by this author, I look forward to reading her future books.

I received a copy of this book from ST. Martins Press and NetGalley in return for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own.

I've read all of BA Paris' books and loved them. This wasn't her best. The book was very long and drawn out and completely unrealistic. It was labeled as a thriller but is more of a family drama.

I was really looking forward to reading B.A. Paris again. The "Dilemma" is the secrets that husbands and wives keep from each other and how they eat us up and break us apart. Livia and Adam both keep their secrets so as not to ruin the over-the-top 40th birthday party for Livia. A lot of the concerns and worry of both husband and wife could be believed but I just wanted it to end about two thirds of the way through, I was so tired of the self-pity, I actually had a hard time getting through that part of it. Luckily for me, I really enjoyed the secondary characters, their close friends and family.

The Dilemma had my heart racing from the start. This was not thriller as B.A. Paris’ novels before have been but a family drama. It was so well written and unfolded perfectly.

B.A Paris continues to be one of my favorite authors.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the opportunity to read , The Dilemma, in exchange for my honest review.

This was an excellent and very dramatic novel that I had a great time reading. The characters were well drawn, and the storyline flowed seamlessly. Would like to read more books by this author.

Another friend and I read this at the same time, and it was fun bouncing theories back and forth as the story progressed. Some of the plot twists were really heart-wrenching and a couple of the scenes had me crying too hard to read the words on the page. I was glued to the book, all the way to the end, and stayed up way past my bedtime to finish the last few chapters. Love this author!

I had high expectations of this book being a fan of B. A. Paris. The premise of the story is really simple: a dream birthday party for a lucky wife and a husband who's willing to do anything to see his wife happy, including keeping a devastating secret from her.

The majority of the story takes place within 24 hours and although I enjoyed the writing in this book, I felt the first half was quite slow to build and there was little suspense. As the book progressed I felt more connected with the characters however the "twist" and ending were disappointing. In fact there wasn't much of a twist at all. I would have liked to see an unexpected ending as well as a greater series of twists and turns throughout to keep me hooked.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

This is the second book I have read by this author and I really enjoyed it. It is based around family relationships and how keeping secrets can affect them. The storyline was easy to relate to and I felt like I knew the characters personally. If you are looking for an easy read that will keep you guessing, then this book is for you. I look forward to the authors next book.

A complex, many-layered story that starts as a not-so-simple family celebration and ends up reading like a combination thriller, whodunnit. For her 40th birthday, Livia has long promised herself a real party with no frill ignored. Adam, her husband, is all in, in part to make up for the wedding they never had and his early years of neglect. The only person who will not attend is their daughter Marnie, who is abroad studying. What Livia doesn't know is Marnie is en route as a surprise which Adam arranged.
As layers unfold, told alternately by Adam and Livia, it becomes apparent that the event might not take place in the bubbly spirit of a celebration. Adam decides he cannot spoil her day and weaves a wobbly web of deceit.
The reader will ricochet from one emotion to another as the story unfolds and one secret after another is revealed, each in its gripping and at times horrifying detail. There are too many over-the-top tense moments to enumerate. This is storytelling at its best.

Life is not always what it seems and B.A. Paris is a master at creating intense stories that display that.

This book is a page turner. I read it in one sitting...as I did with all of her other books. But this one is different. Trust me! I wish I could give it 10 stars.

Oh this was one emotional ride. The Dilemma is heartbreaking, and not a traditional thriller, but definitely full of suspense!!

Livia is ready for her 40th Birthday. She's been planning this party for YEARS. Everyone is invited, she's got a new dress and a big secret. Holding it in for a few more hours won't hurt, right?

Her husband Adam is gearing up for the party too. He's got a big surprise planned for Livia, but it turns out the surprise is not at all what he expected. Should he let Livia know before the party? Or let her have her big night?

B.A. Paris has written a devastating story with The Dilemma. Told from alternating points of view, this story will grab you and not let you go until the very end.

Great book. Quick read. An easy 4 stars. Thank you @Netgalley and @StMartinsPress for an advanced copy of #TheDilemma.

I was honestly kind of blown away by this book. I think partly because it wasn’t at all what I was expecting, not the typical thriller we get from BA Paris.

I hesitate to say what this story was about, for fear of giving something away. And yet, to keep to the surface and say that it felt like the most intense episode of Three’s Company, where everyone is talking in circles about different things but they think they’re all talking about the same thing, doesn’t nearly do this book justice.

It was intense, it kept me on the edge of my seat, it was gutting, it was so well done. I read it nearly in one sitting because I couldn’t put it down. I really can’t wait for others to read it as well.