I was so excited to see that B.A. Paris was coming out with a new novel. I loved, “Behind Closed Doors,” “The Breakdown,” and “Bring Me Back.” I loved that they were gripping, thrilling, and even a little dark at times. When I saw “The Dilemma” on NetGalley, I knew I had to request it.

The book focuses on spouses Livia and Adam and their perspective dilemmas. Livia has been waiting her entire life for her 40th birthday. A pseudo redo of the wedding that she was never able to have (the book will explain why). Livia and Adam have two children, Josh and Marnie. Josh was their first child that they had very young, they eventually marry and then have Marnie. Adam has a much closer relationship with Marnie, which is interesting to see unfold and why. Marnie is studying abroad and cannot make it home for the birthday party which leaves Livia relieved and Adam scheming to get her home as a surprise.

Livia has learned a secret about Marnie that would destroy Adam, their family, and their closest friend’s lives. She decides that she needs to keep this secret close to her chest and let Adam enjoy the party and one last night before all their lives change.

Adam also has a secret about Marnie that he does not want to share with Livia until the party is over and when/if he can confirm that it is true. He wants one blissful last night for Livia in case her world is turned upside down.

Throughout the book, there were times where I would be so upset and want to shake both Livia and Adam. Their communication was basically, non-existent. I did feel as though this book was lacking a bit more of the thriller aspect that I am used to from B.A. Paris. You know the secrets pretty early on in the book, and then from there, it is the back and forth of the spouses saying nothing to each other. It drove me mad. Then we have the ending which just wrecked me. I do not want to say more and spoil the ending, but I was sobbing by the end of it.

I do not want to make it seem as though as I did not like the book, I did. However, I was just expecting more thrills and twists like her previous books. The book is excellently written, the character development is there, and the plot is enthralling. Overall, I would give this a 3.5/4. Would I recommend this book over her others? It depends on what you are looking for, but I would most likely choose another one of her books so that you continue reading and following her as she is a fantastic writer.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for this ARC.

Fantastic novel! Impossible to put down. The story alternates between Olivia and her husband’s point of view. Olivia is having a big party for her 40th birthday. As the big event approaches both husband and wife have something huge to tell each other. Each person’s secret has the ability to crush the other person. Heartbreaking choices are made to hold on to their secrets until after the party even though it is extremely painful for husband and wife to not share the burden of what they need to tell each other, they are doing it to spare the other’s feelings. Extremely well written and heartfelt story of love and family and the mistakes we all make. Highly recommended.

While I wouldn’t classify this book as a thriller, it’s definitely a page-turner that I couldn’t get through quick enough. The dilemmas in the book are laid out pretty early on and the exciting part is to see how they end up unfolding. While
Adam and Livia were frustrating at points and I just wanted to scream at them, they were also human and facing some serious... dilemmas.

I thought the plot and family dynamics were excellent, but the writing sophomoric. After about a third of the way through i started skipping until the last 15%. That helped, but then there were capitalized phrases like "I HATE YOU, DO YOU HEAR? I HATE YOU!" the book ended with "THE END".

I have read and enjoyed other books by this author. I don't remember the writing being this loose. I could imagine my junior high English composition teacher rolling her eyes as I read this one.

I’ve loved the authors other books but this one just wasn’t what I thought it would be. I found myself skipping whole chapters because of the redundancy of it all. The characters were hard to like for me as they seemed quite selfish and their choices questionable.

Honestly, I didn't understand this dilemma. The answers seemed so clear cut to me, so in was confused by some of the decisions made. However, I can understand that some might be you're and some might have a more positive outlook than i... Wishful thinking and all. Still, this goes to an extreme. I enjoyed the book overall, but couldn't relate to the decisions made.

The Dilemma is psychological angst in a family dynamic revolving around secrets and white lies. Even though the secrets can be guessed before they are revealed, the different points of view are written so well that you feel each emotion. I was drawn into this story quickly and read into the night until the book was done! B.A. Paris has a mastery of words that transports you into the story line and brings the tale alive. I recommend any book written by B.A. Paris - you will live the story!

The book was well written but just didn’t push the right buttons for me. The characters and the plot both fell into the “I don’t care!” category.

The book hooked me from the first chapter. The story itself is not so interesting, a couple dealing with the decisions, regrets and secrets they had to deal with. But the writing style is fabulous and I couldn’t put it down. The suspense takes the reader out of the seat and it’s really a must read. I would definitely recommend this book for e everyone that likes a good page turner psychological triller.

The Dilemma by B.A. Paris was an unexpected read for me. Instead of being a nail biting thriller like I'm used to, it was more of a domestic drama. Did I love it anyway? You bet I did! I easily devoured this book and didn't want to put it down. This is a book about marriage, secrets, and finding the truths. B.A. Paris handled this book well!

Why did I read this whole book? After reading previous BA Paris books like Behind Closed Doors and the Breakdown, this was nothing like I was expecting. What kind of woman obsesses about her 40th birthday party for years and spends thousands of dollars like her wedding “should have been”. How selfish is she! And the man- I can’t understand why he did what he did. It reminded me of a cringy drama on TV dragged out into hours of waiting for it to all unfold. At times was painful to read because I was face palming at the character’s annoying inability to communicate with one another. It gets to 2 stars because I finished.

Had high hopes for this because I have enjoyed B. A. Paris’ other books but this one just didn’t do it for me. I was expecting more of a thriller based on the description but it wasn’t that at all. Slow and not much happening.

I've been a big fan of B.A. Paris since her debut novel Behind Closed Doors and was anxious to read her newest The Dilemma. At the beginning I was intrigued by the first person narrative in alternating chapters. However, I feel like the novel fell short somehow. I definitely felt like it needed to focus more on the story of the daughter as opposed to the party for mom. It seemed unlikely to me that the daughter would have had a relationship with her best friend Chloe's dad, Rob. Too random. However, saying that, I still felt like the novel deserves 4 stars and will be a favorite recommendation for many people.

I tried to like this one, but I just couldn’t. I gave it a rounded up three stars because I have loved the author’s other novels. This one just bored me. I found Livia self-centered and Adam weak. I felt sorry for Josh and Marnie was a brat. These opinions are my own, even though the publisher and NetGalley allowed me to be an early reader.

Thank you Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for an advanced copy of The Dilemma by B.A. Paris. Livia is planning her 40th birthday party. Since she didn't have a wedding, this event was going to be spectacular! Marnie, Adam and Livia's daughter, is studying abroad in Hong Kong. Adam has decided to surprise Livia and fly Marnie home for the big birthday party. Many events happen that will keep you in suspense. I hope you enjoy this new book as much as I did.

I read this book quickly. I couldn’t wait to see what happened. The end was very anticlimactic for me. I was waiting for a big twist or surprise but nothing happened. The premise of the book wa a good but it just didn’t deliver for me. I have read Paris’ other books and enjoyed them too, but this wasn’t a favorite. Worth the read but don’t get too excited.

Love B. A. Paris’s books!! Couldn’t put this one down once I started. Was a little slow at times but still one of my favorites of this author!

I have read other B. A. Paris books before and loved them! This one was equally as good. Such a gripping and suspenseful story that I couldn't put down! Thank you so much for the advance copy! It was amazing.

I saw B.A. Paris had a new book, and that was that. I wanted it. She is a master of psychological suspense, her writing detailed right down to the color of the carpet fibers.

Rapt with suspense at 2:30 in the morning, the book had me on the edge of my seat as I read the last chapters, but the storyline behind the book didn’t seem to support the usual astonishment after the final page has been devoured.

Misinformation between husband and wife Adam and Livvy causes “the dilemma” on the day of the 40th birthday party Livvy has been dreaming of for 20 years. The result is an agonizing, frustrating, chillingly written horror—until the information is revealed to the reader. The story had an abundant amount of potential but fell flat, with an elaborately drawn out event that seemed to leave the reader more depressed than anything.

Her method of suspense did not waver, as the investment I had in the book kept until the very last chapter. It’s a quick read, but doesn’t have the robust storyline to accompany a pristinely written, skin-crawling B.A. Paris novel.

Once I started I couldn't stop reading to find out what the wife wanted to tell her husband and also if the daughter was safe. I also was very interested in if the parents would come to the party.