Special thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing a free, electronic ARC of this novel received in exchange for an honest review. Expected pub date: June 2020
Livia has been planning her over-the-top 40th birthday party for 20 years. In part, to make up for the large wedding she dreamed of and never got to have, and in hopes that her long-estranged parents will show up and make amends. As the day of the party draws closer, Livia discovers her daughter, Marnie, is unable to come home from abroad and won’t be in attendance. Due to the secret Livia just found out about her daughter, she is partly relieved that she won’t have to face her daughter on her birthday. Adam, Livia’s husband, has secretly planned to have Marnie fly home for the party and, not knowing the secret Livia knows, thinks his wife will be ecstatic. However, on the day Marnie is expected home he finds out even more horrible news. News that he knows will completely destroy his wife forever. With both spouses keeping secrets from each other, will they be able to make it through the party, pretending everything is as it always was?
I was excited to find out that “The Dilemma”, the third novel by B.A Paris, was about to be released into the world. Having read her other novels, I was over the moon to be given an ARC of this novel.
This book belongs in the new genre I’ve created called “secret-keeping spouses”, as there seems to be piles of novels strictly dealing with the dangers of keeping secrets from your partner. Although this one fits that bill, it is true B.A Paris style, and breaks the mould when it comes to suspense, entertainment and intrigue.
The characters are relatively vapid initially, Livia focusing on her fortieth birthday party like a teenager planning her Sweet Sixteenth, but she is still likable, and creates empathy with the heartbreaking story of her parents’ estrangement and the life experiences she missed out on. Adam is charming, too, although I must say I yelled at him a few times throughout the novel (honestly, one phone call would have solved the problem for him. ONE. It’s 2020, not 1940. Technology is there for a reason). The surplus of the couples’ friends, neighbours and family was, at first, difficult to sort through, but as they each grew their own personalities and settled into the story, it became easier to differentiate between them. With the exception of the abhorrent character of Rob, there really is no unlikable character in the bunch.
Well-told and full of suspense, “The Dilemma” is narrated by both Livia and Adam, as we try to understand why they kept the secrets they did. When it all comes to a head, as these things inevitably do, the ending left me with a hopeful, bittersweet feeling (and also an intense fear to reveal each of my deep secrets to my closest friends and family…just in case).

Count me as a big fan of the author, this is her 4th novel, and just terrific. You have the multiple POVs of a family of mother, dad and son as they prepare for the mom's 40th birthday party. There is a fourth member, the daughter, who is about to return home after living abroad for several months. As the plot develops, the reader isn't sure whether or not she is on a flight that crashes with no survivors. The characters all hold secrets from each other that are gradually revealed as the plot thickens, and we see the anguish and torment as they wrestle with what they tell, when they tell it, and what their motivations are for holding the information back. This is a tremendous character study that is equal if not surpassing Paris' earlier works and a deeper analysis of a family caught in crisis. The book was all the more personal for me having once missed a flight that crashed with a similar fate many years ago. I highly recommend this book, along with the other novels that she has written -- you will become a fan too!

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for sending me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

Livia has been waiting for this day for most of her life. As a young mother, she never got to have the wedding of her dreams. Now, she is 40 and ready to make up for it. All of her friends and family will be there to make her feel special except for Livia's daughter, Marnie. Secretly, Livia is happy about this. She just discovered a shocking secret about her daughter and didn't want the day to be ruined. Meanwhile, Livia's husband, Adam, has also learned something about Marnie. Both parents are faced with a dilemma... to tell the other their news and spoil the day or keep a secret until the evening is over. Neither know which is the right choice.

I have read all of B.A. Paris' books and was excited to start this one! Unlike her previous psychological thrillers, this was more a family drama that centered around keeping secrets from one another. While it was a page-turner, I found the characters to be very frustrating. Much of the book focused on their inner dilemmas over whether to share a secret about Marnie or to save the life-changing information until after this birthday party. While the book is literally titled, The Dilemma, I had hoped more would happen. Instead, I thought the ending was predictable and without any twists.

It did describe Livia's and Adam's inner turmoil as they struggled with making the right choices. I could sympathize with the characters at these moments and the overall storyline was intriguing. Overall, it was a solid book about family drama and a traumatic event, but it wasn't the typical B.A. Paris thriller I was ready to read. Had I gone in with different expectations, I think I would have enjoyed this book much more.

The Delimma is a perfect title for this book. So from the beginning I am thinking what is he going to do? Is it true or there is still some small chance that it's not? I also teetered between "TELL HER" and "NO YOU CAN'T TELL HER". It was hard for me to put this book down, I was on the edge of my seat with every new chapter so strong if I would go d out the truth or just keep anxiously awaiting it. Well written and pulls the reader right in on the edge of their seat!

Honestly this book was a bore. I expected so much more from BA Paris after reading her previous books not this one had none of the suspense and edge of my seat action I was waiting for. The entire plot revolved around people not communicating with one another and I was waiting for SOMETHING interesting to happen the entire book but that never happened.

The Dilemma by BA Paris was pretty good, but I have to admit it wasn’t what I was expecting. While it is my first book to read by Paris, I have heard a lot about her other books. It was listed in Netgalley as a Mystery/Thriller as one of the categories so I have to admit I thought that it would be more on the thriller side. I would instead call this instead a family suspenseful drama.

The entire book takes place through a day, with many flashbacks. It is the day of Lydia’s birthday and she has planned a 40th birthday party - somewhat to make up for the big wedding she never had when they married very young. One child, Josh, is at home and has just been offered an internship overseas. The other, Marnie, is studying in Hong Kong. Lydia and Adam are alternating narrators as we hear the pieces of the day. We learn that Adam is surprising Lydia with flying Marnie in for party. He has told no one and the majority of the book centers around that. Lydia has a secret too and the entire book is a communication breakdown.
I found the drama that ensued emotional, turbulent and messy but ultimately it just didn’t seem realistic to me. I couldn’t imagine a husband and wife keeping what they did from each other. I also got a little lost at times keeping track of the many characters.
⭐️⭐️⭐️ 1/2 rounded up.

I do recommend it if a family suspenseful drama is your jam.

Thank you to Netgalley, the author and St. Marten’s Press for an ARC copy of The Dilemma in exchange for an honest review.

I have read all of B.A. Paris’ books, and I was really excited to get an ARC of The Dilemma. I was captivated by the storyline that unfolded between the viewpoints of a husband and wife who are both protecting explosive secrets. I was expecting more of a suspense/thriller, but this was more of a family drama with suspenseful elements. I still really enjoyed it, and it kept my attention from beginning to end.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest feedback!

The day of Livia’s 40th birthday party unravels hour by hour from alternating points of view in this fast-paced story of a family at a cross roads. Everyone has a secret, and nobody wants to ruin the birthday party that Livia has been planning ever since she was denied the wedding of her dreams over 20 years ago. But with her daughter studying abroad in Hong Kong and her husband keeping secrets from her, things do not seem to go as planned. Their relationships are tested and the question looms, are they going to survive the party without ruining each other’s lives, or will the secrets stay safe inside?

This did not seem like a B.A. Paris novel. Very disappointing. I wanted to know what was going on, but after a while the story just dragged and I was nowhere near as interested as I was at the beginning. There was no big twist, nothing to make it stand out and be a great read that'll stick in my mind long after. I liked the plot and I liked that it was told from the husband's point-of-view as well as the wife's. But unfortunately this is a forgettable book for me.

When I find out B.A. Paris has a new book coming out, I get giddy. When I actually get the book in my hands and sit down to read it, I'm like a kid on Christmas morning. I just have so much fun reading her books, and this one was no exception. I wouldn't say any of her books are perfect and I realize she is not everyone's cup of tea, but an amazing reading experience always counts for something and that's why I'm placing this in the 5 star category. When you can set aside your everyday life problems and get lost in a book, it's really what reading is all about, or at least that's my opinion.

I 100% agree with other reviewers who said this book is a bit different than anything she has written before. I don't want to get into spoilers and I do think the less you know going in, the better. If you can appreciate a slow paced story this might be the book for you because most of it takes place over the course of a day. Livia got married and had her kids at a young age. Now that she is turning 40, she wants to finally do something special for herself, so she throws a big party to celebrate her birthday. This party has been in the works for a long time and she doesn't want anything to ruin the day, so she thinks it's best to just wait until after the party to share a secret with her husband, Adam. And of course because Adam knows this party is important to his wife, he is going to have to decide whether or not to tell her something rather important right away or just wait until the day is over. The story alternates between Livia and Adam on the day of the birthday party.

So who is most likely to enjoy this book? Well, if you have liked other books by the author, than give this one a chance but just go in knowing that it is different from her other novels. (And yes I wish I didn't have to be so vague, but trust me, you don't want to know too much ahead of time.) If you aren't a B.A. Paris fan, than I highly doubt this is going to be the book that changes your opinion about her writing. For as many readers as I know who love her books, there's a decent amount of people who don't, and that's perfectly fine. We all have certain writers we love, and that's definitely the case for me with this author. She manages to always keep things interesting and I seriously can't wait to check out her next book! (Am I going to have to wait until 2021?)

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for providing me with an advance digital copy in exchange for an honest review!

Thank you SO much for this ARC! I have been a huge fan of BA Paris since reading Behind Closed Doors.

UGH, so I enjoyed the story, I appreciated the dilemma but really it is just not what I had hoped for. Too drawn out. I just wanted to jump into the pages and shake Livia (get over yourself!) and Adam (just tell her!).

However, I am still a forever fan of B.A. Paris and will read everything she writes! In my eyes, nothing tops Behind Closed Doors!

The Dilemma is that I really wanted to love this book as much as I loved the previous 3 books written by B,A. Paris. The Dilemma is a thriller but more of an emotional thriller brought on by Adam and Livia keeping important, life altering secrets from each other in order to protect the other. The message is that couples need to keep the lines of communication open no matter what! I don't want to delve into the plot....the summary can be read on any website. I did find the ending well worth the torture of "The Dilemma" . All in all, I enjoyed The Dilemma and had trouble putting it down. I hope that Ms. Paris continues to write as each of her books are gems.

I wasn't sure what the point of this Adam and Livia's story was but as I read I figured out the "dilemma" was different for each of them. Should they tell their spouse something that would impact their lives in an irreversible way? Should they prolong the inevitable? The dilemma they each face has the potential to tear their family apart so the reader either sympathizes with them or berates them for being cowardly and indecisive!
I had mixed feelings about each character but I felt that there was a satisfying ending even though there wasn't the typical "twist" that this author is known for.
I look forward to reading more books by this author.

Thank you St Martin’s Press and NetGalley for the chance to read this beautiful book. This is an extremely emotional book and you will want a few tissues on hand to read it. Adam and Livia are preparing for her elaborate 40th Birthday Party, the one that Livia hopes will make up for the lack of a big wedding. They married at a young age when Livia became pregnant with their son Josh. Livia’s parents disowned her and never spoke to her again. After a rocky start their marriage has become strong and they are happy and share everything with each other. Adam has arranged for their daughter to fly home and surprise her mother for her birthday. What he doesn’t know is that Livia has a secret she hasn’t shared with him. What follows is 24 hours of turmoil and pain while each person tries to keep their secret to save the other pain. The characters are well developed and I liked them all. The author blends the storyline nicely, going from one person to the other while slowly introducing more information to the reader. One can’t help but feel the pain that Adam is going through while he tries to stumble through the party. I didn’t like Livia when Adam told her the tragic news but she came around and acted loving again. The emotions were raw and real. It is a great book showing how far people will go to protect the ones they love and how one omission can change so much.

Thank you so net galley for the ARC of this book! I have absolutely loved all of B. A. Paris' books especially Behind Closed doors! But this one lacked suspense/thriller type I was looking for. Being that the book dragged throughout 1 whole day made it tough. I didn't see such a huge dilemma, just talk to your spouse! Yes, it was heartbreaking and gut wrenching at the end but I was expecting a big twist and really more to it. I'm hoping the next book will be more of a thriller like the past books.

This was quite a different book from B.A. Paris's usual thriller, and this was particularly confusing as it was marketed as a thriller, which I found a massive mislabeling of genres. It just isn't. It's maybe women's fiction/family drama, all of which is centered around one main dilemma.

For me, it fell flat and I had a hard time connecting to it. It's basically one of those books where you spend the whole book waiting for the answer to one simple question, which you're pretty sure you know anyways, and at the end realize you could've just skipped to the end to find out the answer. I did read throughout to make sure I didn't miss anything, but there were just pages and pages where absolutely nothing happened.

The entire premise of the book, the dilemma, I found not remotely plausible. Who wouldn't tell their spouse that their child is potentially dead? I couldn't even get behind it, it was so unbelievable. Readers should know this is a slow-burning drama rather than a thriller, as the marketing and packaging suggests.

Thank you to netgalley for an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

I normally really like B A Paris’ books, but this one fell a little flat. Livia and Adam seem to have a great life, 2 great kids, lots of friends and a strong relationship. Livia is turning 40 and planning a huge party. The only damper she’s feeling is a secret she’s keeping about her 19 year old daughter. It turns out that Adam is keeping an even bigger secret, one that will shatter their lives forever.
Honestly, the secret that Adam kept from Livia on the night of her party is unfathomable. No parent would be able to keep a secret such as the one he’s hiding for even a few minutes, much less an entire day and night.
All in all, it was a decent book. Not my favorite by Paris, but it kept me turning the pages.

A suspenseful, yet heartbreaking story from B.A. Paris. I could not put this book down once I started, but it read more like a very long, short story. The entire novel takes place in one night, so there was no character development, nor changing settings.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and Netgalley for this ARC!

Thank you Netgalley for the opportunity to preview THE DILEMMA by BA Paris. I have read all of Paris' books - this one is a stunner. The novel centers on a family and the two voices are Livia and Adam (the mother and father). They live a comfortable life, been married for 20 years, have two grown children, love each other; but each struggles with the past. Adam and Livia were married because they were having a baby. Livia's family disowned her so they never had the wedding that Livia so wanted. But time has past and Livia is throwing herself a 40th birthday party and this is going to be a celebration to remember. Their children Josh and Marnie, are two great kids. Adam dotes especially on Marnie who is studying in Hong Kong. Marnie wants to surprise Livia and show up at the party and she must take three planes to get back home. Adam is the only one who knows she is coming - and he is so excited to see Marnie too.
But Adam and Livia have secrets - things they have held onto - and they are about Marnie. And the day of the party there is a plane crash and it is the one Marnie "may" be on. But the secrets and the thoughts keep Adam and Livia on edge but the "show must go on". Either way, their lives will not be the same.
This book kept me on edge - the chapters go between Livia and Adam. My only criticism if there is maybe too much dialog and information that isn't necessary to the plot, but I must say the emotionally this book tore at my heart. Realistic and dramatic. I have to give this book 5 stars - This novel is going to be a best seller all day long. Recommend!

Well written with good character development for all involved. Interesting and definitely different plot and breakdown flowing between all those main people involved evolving chapter to chapter. Typical twists and turns of a Paris novel. I was kept guessing and in anticipation until the end.