I was drawn into this novel by the beginning. The family dynamic seemed interesting. The dad feeling slightly estranged from his son while he has an intense bond with his daughter while the mom seems to be uneasy about something related to her daughter. I liked that there was a male and female narrator because so often in this genre you just hear from the woman, so the viewpoint was a selling point for me. I was also intrigued by the hints at several secrets that seemed to exist among the characters. This kept me reading at the start.

However, I was ultimately turned off after the first third of the book. First, the mom is incredibly annoying. I have never heard anyone as obsessed with her 40th birthday party than this woman. "Get over yourself," I wanted to scream at her. Although the dad didn't grate on me quite as much, he turned out to be so very one-dimensional. He loves his wife; he loves his daughter; he loves his son but feels they have a strained relationship. That's about the extent of his personality.

I also was put off by the incredibly tedious section in the middle. The party seemed to drag on, and even when I skimmed whole sections, nothing had happened.

During this part of the book, I got especially annoyed by the overlapping descriptions from the characters You'd see something from the wife's point of view and then the same thing from the husband's. Usually in a novel, this reveals a new and interesting twist on the events, but this technique fell flat in this book. It didn't add to my understanding of the characters or the plot. Overkill in an already too-long novel.

The pacing of the novel was weird, too. Almost the whole novel focuses on one really drawn-out day. But then the big reveal happens almost as an afterthought, and the ending jumps a year ahead. The characters aren't distant enough from the events revealed at the party to show much genuine growth or change.

The book just left me feeling strangely icky. I didn't like the characters. The secrets were not super interesting and were, in fact, a little disturbing. The whole novel is pervaded with a tension that never really breaks, even when the "resolution" occurs. Not a satisfying read.

When I started reading this book, I was in the midst of a reading slump. I had picked up two other books prior to “The Dilemma” and hadn’t gotten past a couple chapters of either. Nothing was holding my attention, but I have read other books by B.A. Paris and enjoyed them, so I figured I’d give it a shot. I am SO glad I did!! This book drew me in from page 1 and I was upset when I had to force myself to go to sleep halfway through. I picked it up immediately the next morning and devoured it all at once.
Without giving too much of the plot away, The Dilemma focuses on a married couple, Livia and Adam, and the weight secrets can carry. Is it ever okay to lie to your spouse? Is it okay to lie if you think you’re protecting someone you love? If you carry the burden of a secret at the expense of yourself, just to shelter someone else?
The Dilemma unfolds at a steady pace and while there are some twists and turns, they’re sprinkled throughout, keeping the reader interested all the way through. The characters are well developed and I found myself mad at them, sympathizing with them, wanting to yell at them, and hurting for them at various points of the book.
I would recommend going into this book without reading too many reviews, because the story unfolds organically and keeps the reader guessing throughout the whole story.

I was glued to this book until I could finish it and find out how it ended. A truly enjoyable read, and masterfully written. The suspense was just about tolerable. BA Paris’ best book yet, in my opinion.

Huge fan of BA Paris and The Dilemma does not disappoint. I would even say it's her most character driven novel yet. Perfectly paced and so clever in it's storytelling The Dilemma will keep you reading long into the night.

Thank you for the ARC of this book.

This was my first time reading anything from the author and I wasn't sure what to expect. I was pretty sucked into this from the first few pages and really wanted to know what secrets they were keeping. I would say this book is more about moral dilemmas, rather than a suspense book. Both husband and wife are keeping a secret from eachother and the book goes through the journey of what lengths are they willing to go to protect eachother from it; knowing once revealed their lives will forever be changed. I found it very difficult to believe that the husband could keep a life changing secret like that from his wife as well as it was hard to believe the wife's obsession with having an extreme 40th birthday party. The wife's secret didnt seem anything extreme as it was amped up to be, especially compared to what the husband was keeping. It felt like this story could have been summed up in just a few chapters and was very drawn out. I was curious to see how this ended and if there was going to be some great plot twist but there wasnt.

So much to process! Such a great read! If you've read other BA Paris novels, you know to expect suspense, twists, turns, and a darkness to the story. I would not say this novel follows the same formula as previous books but is just as enjoyable. I actually finished it in one night. Highly recommend this book if you're looking for a unique spin on suspense novels with fully developed characters and an emotional connection to the plot.

I'm still reeling.
Like really reeling..
so many emotions...

The Dilemma is B.A. Paris's 4th book. I've been a huge fan of hers ever since we read "Behind Closed Doors" for my bookclub. I was so excited to have been granted a ARC for the Dilemma from #NetGalley. It's categorized as a mystery thriller, women's fiction. The reason why I mentioned how its categorized is because at first I was super disappointed in the book. I was so disappointed, I almost stopped reading. I was expecting one of her thrillers and the book wasn't living up to that expectation. It was falling almost flat to me because I thought it was one of her thrillers. I am so so so glad I kept reading because I fell in love with it.

This was a completely different book then what B.A has ever released before, It still is full of emotions just not terror emotions but rather heartbreak. The main gist of the book takes place over the day of Livia's 40th birthday. She has spend years saving up money to throw herself a lavish 40th birthday since she never got a lavish wedding. She wound up pregnant at a young age, and her parents turned their back on her. However, Livia was one of the lucky ones, where it worked out. She married Adam (the father) and they have made a great life for themselves.
Olivia and Adam have two kids. Josh (the oldest) and then Marnie who is studying in Hong Kong. But there are secrets that are being kept. Secrets that can destroy a family. B.A slowly unravels the "dilemmas" that both Livia and Adam are faced with. There is the dilemma of confessing something that could ruin someone's opinion and view of another person and then the dilemma of telling someone somthing that will destroy them in every way possible, right away or allowing that person a few short hours of happiness first.
So, so many secrets!
My heart bled for Adam, through out the whole story. Him hating himself for the choices he was making and not being able to be honest with anyone because he needed to tell his wife first.
I don't want to give away spoilers, so that is why I'm so vague with my writing of this review!

All I can say to go into this book with an open mind and know that it is NOT a Mystery! It is not like B.A's previous books. There is so mystery, but instead there is heart, emotion and most of all love.

First - Thank you St. Marteen’s Press for the ARC of the book in return for my honest review.

So here we go....

I have loved all of B.A. Paris’s books thus far so I was ecstatic when I learned a new book was being released.

Unfortunately for me this one missed the mark. I did like the characters for the most part and felt myself compelled to continue reading to learn more of their story but about 60% of the way through the book it started to drag and carry on and if I had to listen to the wife moan and carry on for one more page about the wedding she never had I was bound to throw my kindle.

Definitely no real “thriller” to this book and definitely type of book that 75% of the “conflict” and “mystery” would have been resolved in the first chapter if the characters just communicated!!

Am I still a Paris fan? Yes! Will I re-read this particular book of hers? Probably not. Will I look forward to her next release? Absolutely!

This is the first book I've read by this author so I had no experience with other books. The story starts with Livia planning for her 40th birthday. She has been saving for many years to throw a big party to celebrate the occasion. I don't want to give away any spoilers so will not go into specific details but for me the book was very slow So much dialog about things that didn't seem to have any bearing on the story. Olivia and her family did deal with a difficult situation but for the most part I was anxious for the book to be end.

This book was very close to a DNF for me because it was boring and there really wasn't much of a dilemma. The wife. 'Livia and her husband, Adam each have a secret but they lack any sort of useful communication. Since Olivia didn't get her dream wedding, she has been planning a blowout 40th birthday for 20+ years (who the hell does that). She doesn't want her daughter there but he does, but is there this (dumb) conflict over their daughter about a party when she is in college in Japan?

As a reader, you learn of the "dilemma" early on as well the secrets. From there not much really happens. I came upon this book because I like another author whose initials are B.A. and I thought this was one of her books. IT IS NOT!!! B.A. Shapiro wrote the Art Forger, which I loved. I was willing to give this book a chance when I realized it was the wrong author. But this book was not earth shattering or a thriller. It was more a family mystery written badly.

Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and BA Paris for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The story is told from two perspectives - Livia and Adam, a married English couple. They have two young adult children, Josh and Marnie. Livia is estranged from her parents. It begins as Livia is about to celebrate her 40th birthday with an elaborately planned party. Although this book is not a typical mystery, it is a slow burn, as suspense builds. Paris is such a good writer. I have read all of her books, and her writing flows so easily. The characters are very relatable and likable. Recommended.

To readers expecting a fast-paced mystery, this novel may feel like a tense, drawn out narrative with a bit of an anticlimactic ending. While B.A Parris delights in her consequential writing style and drawn out foreshadowing, the book itself just feels like an idea that never really came to fruition. The cast of characters hold no relatable qualities and for all the tautness that the storyline embraces, it ultimately fails to deliver that blow the reader expects. 2 stars.

Thank you to #NetGalley for the ARC. It was read and reviewed voluntarily.

Having read B. A. Paris’ novel “Behind Closed Doors”, I went into this book with high expectations for a suspenseful thriller. “The Dilemma” takes place over the course of a day, during which a couple, Livia and Adam, prepare for and celebrate Livia’s 40th birthday. Each person knows a secret, and struggle with when and how to tell their partner. The novel is told from alternating viewpoints of Adam and Livia pre-party, during the party, and post-party.

Overall, the novel was okay, but did not live up to my expectations. Based on the description, I had expected this book to be a bit more suspenseful and thrilling, but felt that it fell a bit flat. While the novel kept me fairly engaged, I did find some parts to drag on, or just be a bit repetitive. I also felt the fact that the main character, Livia, was so obsessed with her elaborate 40th birthday party that her husband felt he could not share life-changing news with her a bit ridiculous.

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

I received a copy of The Dilemma by B.A Paris from St. Martin's Press and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you!

Hands down 5 stars!!! B.A. Paris has written yet another fantastic book!!! Every marriage has a secret, right? I loved the characters. I knew from the moment I picked it up I wasn't going to be able to put it down until I finished it. The Dilemma keeps the reader engaged and on the edge of their seat from start to finish. I HIGHLY RECOMMEND IT!!!

Thank you Net Galley & St. Martin's Press for this eARC in exchange for an honest review.
**
This one is a bit harder to review as I do not want to give anything away from this book. The description doesn't even begin to cover what is really going on.
Livia is throwing herself the 40th birthday party of all parties. This is in major part to make up for her not having the wedding she wanted. You see, her and her now husband Adam got married at 19, and they found out they were pregnant with their first born Josh shortly after meeting. To say Livia's parents didn't approve was an understatement. They didn't show to the wedding, and then never made contact through the years. Even though Livia sent the invitations to every family functions, holidays, as well as informed them of the birth of their second grandchild, Marnie. Livia's parents were beyond ashamed of how her life turned out but, Livia was more than happy in her perfect life she and Adam made for their family. It may have been a rough road, but god did she love the end result.
Now Marnie is 19 and studying abroad in Hong Kong. She will not be able to make the party that's been in the stages of planning since before she was born. Everyone appears to be saddened by this; except Livia. As much as she loves her daughter there is something she needs to tell Adam about his beloved daughter; and it would be so much easier without her home. However, Adam has his own secret to share and it is eating him up inside.
**
Again, I don't want to give away too much because this is something I think BA Paris's readers should live through. I've loved every book so far that she's published, and this one has sky rocketed to the top of that list. This book had me in my feelings. The last 20% of this book had me constantly on edge and in tears. To an extent I've been in this families shoes, of the just complete unexpected way life can change and make everything go from color to black. BA Paris knows how to capture her readers attention, keep us on the edge of our seat, and throw us through a roller coaster of emotions.

Ever since I read Behind Closed Doors, B.A. Paris has always been an author whom I follow and will read any book she writes. They call Paris the Queen of Suspense and they're certainly not exaggerating. All of her books keep me entertained from the first page until the very last. This book had me filled with suspense throughout and is another great addition to the collection of books by Paris.

Another great read from B.A. Paris. The Dilemma examines the inner struggle we face while trying to shield love ones from hurt and pain. Full of suspense as the reader is left on edge most of the book. I couldn’t put it down! Definitely recommended.

*I received an advanced reader’s copy of this book in exchange for my honest review

I have read and loved everything by B.A. Paris. I was actually a little unsure about this one though. The description just sounded like a Lifetime movie rather than her usual top-notch thrillers I was used to. Well, I was partially right. It is not a thriller per se, but it was still VERY suspenseful and I could not put it down. At first I had trouble relating to Livia, as I have never planned for years for a party and that seemed a little superficial, but that was just a tiny thing. Her character is extremely well written, as is her husband Adam. I raced to the end and afterwards thought a lot about what I would do in a situation like that. I'm still not sure. GREAT job with this one, Ms. Paris! I look forward to the next!

Thank you to NetGalley, B.A. Paris and St. martin's Press. I will post my review to Amazon, Barnes and Noble and Kobo on the publishing date of June 30th.

This book will more than likely be my top book for 2020, and it is only January! I was so happy to read the latest by BA Paris and feel the same kind of pull I felt when reading her first novel Behind Closed Doors. The pull to continue readying way past my bedtime and to just plow through the book to find out what happens. The Dilemma felt different from her previous novels because the husband and wife in this book actually love each other! Shocker! In general, it was very refreshing to read a story that doesn't involve the husband being a murderer, the wife being an unreliable drunk, etc. This story revolves around a family, and the secret's they are keeping to protect one another out of true love. BA's story is compelling, and gripping from the very beginning. You truly care about these characters, and find yourself asking, "What would I do?" when thinking about the dilemmas both characters are facing. This book at the very core is about protecting the people you love at any cost, and facing the consequences you may have to deal with based on your decisions. LOVED IT! 4.5 stars.

B.A. Paris knocked it out of the park again!! This book was amazing!! It drew me in right away and the tension kept me riveted so much that I could not put the book down. I HIGHLY recommend "The Dilemma".