😯 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐!!! I have been fortunate to receive an advanced copy of every B.A. Paris novel. The Dilemma is my absolute favorite!! I was hooked from page 1 and tore through it in 2 days. Every time I thought I had it figured out, I'd find out I was so wrong. I don't know how to write a review without giving anything away, so i will just ask you to trust me and buy this book June 30,2020! Thank you netgalley and st martins press for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

A triumph once again. I loved it, and devoured it in one sitting, as always, totally compelling and human. I plan on telling everyone.....

highly entertaining easy breezy book all the characters are pretty self absorbed and the story does require a couple instances of suspension of disbelief A good choic3 for a lazy afternoon of zoning out

A book about family drama, old wounds, and how they have the family dealing with new wounds. The family is very real and easy to like. It also reinforces how important our friends are and how betray can cause unbelievable pain . It also shows us th epos of love and forgiveness.

I read this one in a blur and it is definitely a compulsive, page turner that fans of B.A. Paris will enjoy. Though The Dilemma is a departure from Paris' typical thriller it certainly does not disappoint. I would categorize this novel as a family drama/suspense. The majority of the novel spans about 24 hours and alternates back and forth between the perspectives of Livia and Adam who are celebrating Livia's 40th birthday with an epic party at their home. Both Livia and Adam have secrets that they spend the entire day mulling over to determine how they will break the news to one another. I can't go any further into what these secrets are as I'd like to keep my review spoiler free. Suffice it to say that this novel is compelling and raw in its portrayal of human emotions. Thank you to to St. Martin's Publishing Group for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

B.A. Paris is an excellent author, and this book is a good representative of that. Her novels immediately draw the reader in and encourage us to keep reading until the very end. Unfortunately, I felt that this book was incredibly repetitive and wished the storyline had advanced more quickly, but it was an overall good book.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

Solid 4 star from me. Was a great read and the ending was the best part. Had me on the verge of tears. Seemed to drag a little throughout the middle or would have been 5 stars. Love this author.


Thanks to the publisher and net galley for a release of this book.

Thank you Net Galley and St. Martin’s Press for an early copy of The Dilemma. Needless to say I was so anxious in anticipating this book because Behind Closed Doors was my favorite book in all of my book reading years (which are many). This book was so frustrating to me because I couldn’t put it down and I totally understood why they were doing what they were doing. Unbelievable writing once again. B.A. Paris has to be one of the Best writers. This book will not go away from my memory for a very long time.

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC of The Dilemma.

This isn't a standard thriller. It's more of a domestic drama.

Livia is celebrating her 40th birthday with a huge bash. Sadly, her daughter is studying abroad and won't be able to attend. Her husband, Adam, has a surprise for his wife, but when things take a terrible turn for the worse, he must decide on how to tell her.

At the same time, Livia is harboring dark secrets of her own that involve their daughter, but she is hesitant about ruining Adam's positive and happy image of his daughter, the true daddy's girl.

When their secrets collide, it may be the end of their marriage.

Unfortunately, The Dilemma failed to capture my interest because I kept waiting for the mystery to happen.

There isn't any.

It's your usual family drama with the standard cliches of adultering and illicit relationships.

There is repetitive monologuing on the part of Livia and Adam where readers are given insight into their monotonous, inner most thoughts of, "Does he know? Does she know? Should I tell her now? Should I tell him later?"

I didn't like or connect with any of the characters, least of all the daughter, who has no say or POV in the story. Her perspective would have been the most interesting to know.

If you enjoy decent writing and family drama, pick up The Dilemma.

Tell? Or don't tell? If I tell, when?
Livia has planned her 40th birthday party for 20 years. She didn't have a fancy wedding, so she started planning this party. The party is today, decorations are going up. Guests will arrive soon.
Problem: Livia has a secret from her husband. When should she tell him?
Another problem: her husband has a secret from Livia. When should he tell her?
The chapters alternate between the two.
Best book of the year! Thanks to Netgalley, B.A. Paris, and St. Martin's Press.

I read some of the other reviews and I am apparently in the distinct minority. I have read many of her previous novels and this one was a complete disappointment. For me, it was a soap opera filled with all the cliches you usually find - sex, deception, lies, abortion, mean spirited parents, and a plane crash to add additional drama. I found I could not empathize with the characters and they certainly lacked depth. The secrets everyone were keeping were lethal and hard to believe that a long married couple would not share them. This book failed to engage. I am a fan of her previous works, but this one fizzled.

I’m a huge fan of B A Paris and have read all of this author’s pun loaned books so far. This was a little bit different from her usual books, less fast paced thriller and more domestic drama. I really enjoyed this book, found myself feeling the worry and fear and horrors of the characters.

Liv and Adam were two awful people though... making it slightly hard to follow what they were going through. I find so much secret keeping strange although it’s well explained throughout the book as to why they decided not to tell each other these major life changing events.

Overall this was a good book, moving and raw and tough to deal with but I enjoyed reading it, finding it difficult to put down, desperate to find out what was going to happen and how things were going to resolve themselves. A great read.

Thoroughly disappointed in the plot of this one. I love this author's writing, but the plot was a major dud. Not believable (from the perspective of how parents would react at any point), claustrophobic to take place over 24 hrs, and truly boring.

WOW! Having read The Breakdown and Behind Closed Doors, I will admit that I came into this book with a strong love of the author’s writing. This book was the true definition of a page turner. I finished in under 12 hours!!! I was on the edge of my seat waiting (hoping) for positive news for Adam & Liv. I fell in love with both of their characters and the story, while heartbreaking, was lovely. Thank you for the opportunity to read!

I started and finished this book in one sitting!!! I have never read such a compelling story. Being married with four children,I can see myself in any one of the characters in this book. I have had reasons for sharing information and withholding information at times in my life just like the characters in the story. It will definitely give you reasons to think. I will definitely recommend it for my library!!

B.A. Paris steps out of her comfort zone (and slightly away from the genre that rocketed her to the top of the best seller list with the publication of her first novel, Behind Closed Doors) with The Dilemma. While The Dilemma has plenty of suspense, it's not a "Whodunit?" or even a "Why did they do it?"-the major question here is: "What in the world were these people thinking???" And there's not just one "dilemma" but several-none are handled in a way that feels remotely plausible or rational. But The Dilemma gets high marks for its quick pace and masterful use of dual POV's. The plot bounces between narrators like a hot potato nobody wants to touch-combined with short, crisp chapters that often leave more questions than answers, and The Dilemma becomes a page turning thriller. Just don't expect logic to prevail. If the road to hell is paved with good intentions, the characters in The Dilemma laid the bricks.

"Behind Closed Doors" was one of my favorite books; a novel that truly brought me into the domestic thriller genre. When I saw there was a new B.A. Paris book to be reviewed, I was thrilled - and read nearly through the night to finish it! For fans of "Behind Closed Doors", this is a much different book in that there is still intrigue and suspense, but it is a totally different nature than the now-famous domestic thriller.

20 years ago, Livia fell unexpectedly pregnant. Her relationship with her parents was ruined, her new husband wasn't coping well with being a father, they hadn't gotten any education, money was tight. They had a small wedding in a pub, and all these years, she's always planned to have the party she never could. Instead of a wedding, she'll be celebrating her 40th birthday surrounded by everyone she loves. This is no ordinary birthday party; it's been planned and obsessed over for years and years, and Livia knows it will be just perfect...except for one secret she's hiding that would affect her husband badly.

Her husband, regretful of some of his past decisions, vows to make this the perfect day of Livia's life. He's arranged for a gift as well as a big surprise, but he finds out just hours before the party that one of his surprises might have gone badly wrong. There could be permanent, life altering, consequences that will forever change their entire family. Does he cancel the party?

With all these secrets and all their colleagues, friends, family, and neighbors there with them, can the party really go on? And what will be the aftermath?

This was a heart wrenching, difficult read at times. I truly empathized at times - and disliked at times - all the main characters. Isn't that true of all humans, though? That's what made The Dilemma so relatable. How do your small, every day decisions about what to disclose and what to hide, mean for your future? And when faced with doing the wrong thing for the right reason - what do you decide, and who can judge if you were right or wrong? I do highly recommend The Dilemma - it is a heart-racing, heart-wrenching exploration of what is suppose to be the best night of a family's life. We learned from "Behind Closed Doors" that B.A. Paris can explore a terroristic marriage - and we learn from "The Dilemma" that she can also explore a marriage where everyone is trying to do the most right in the most wrong of circumstances.

<blockquote>”An angel walking to the Devil’s beat.”</blockquote>
Beautiful saying for a tattoo!

Dilemma is the perfect title for this book...well maybe <b>Dilemmas</b> would have been more appropriate! It’s an emotional tear-jerker that touches on sensitive subjects and pulls at your heartstrings.

4 💔 ⭐️’s for this family drama—with more than one dilemma—that is told through alternating chapters by Liv and Adam. Parents of Marnie and Josh. They pour out their deepest feelings and private struggles to us...but not each other. Once revealed, will their secrets tear them apart or bring them closer together? Read it and find out!

It was original, intense and hard-to-put-down, but slightly drawn out. I would have preferred a shorter book, with less repetition.

<b>My Rating: </b> 4 ⭐️’s

<b>Published:</b> January 23rd 2020 by HQ
<b>Pages:</b> 384

<b>Recommend:</b> Yes! If you are looking for an emotional family drama, this is the book!

Thank you to NetGalley, HQ and B. A. Paris for this digital ARC, in exchange for my honest opinion!

@BAParisAuthor @HQstories

#familydrama #tearjerker #originalpremise #TheDilemma

B.A.Paris has done it again, written a great novel that delves deep into the psychology of a family & their close friends. Decisions were made, actions taken, healing occurs. A new kind of happiness is reached.

Read in one sitting, couldn't put it down.
I received an advanced copy, but voluntarily left this review.

I will leave 5 star review on Amazon under name of Connie
Thank you for granting me access to this book

Although I’ve loved works by this author in the past, this one went on too long- and wasn’t very suspenseful at all!