The story is a slow burn that will keep you turning the pages, even when you aren’t sure you want to know the truth. If you liked The Breakdown, you’ll enjoy this.

The premise for the story was interesting and it kept my attention. However, the plot seemed to drag on unnecessarily. By the end, I was not as interested in whether the daughter was dead or alive and if the parents' relationship could be salvaged. The ending fell flat for me.

Livia’s dream party is only days away. She has been planning and saving for years in order to have an extravagant party to celebrate turning 40. The party is coming together exactly as she envisioned; one last chance for everyone to be happy before she reveals the secret that may tear them apart forever.

The Dilemma is a fantastic new novel of suspense by one of my favorite authors B.A. Paris. Livia and her husband Adam didn't start out with much; they have had their ups and downs and are finally living a comfortable life on the verge of being empty nesters. Their daughter, Marnie, has been studying in Hong Kong with plans to travel Asia after her graduation and their son Josh is about to take an internship in New York but even the best laid plans sometimes go awry. The story is told from alternate POV's, Livia and Adam, in which both parties are harboring a secret from the other, one which will slowly be revealed, involving their daughter Marnie. As expected this book did not disappoint...a fantastic and emotional story of love...a must read for 2020!

I could not put this book down. I was expecting a typical thriller, but I was not prepared for how wrapped up I got in it and how emotional it made me. BA Paris did an excellent job creating complex characters that you really care about. This was an excellent family drama and I recommend it.

Ms Paris has done it again! A stunning and chilling story with an original plot. Livia, and her husband Adam, both have secrets they kept from each other, secrets that would be devastating to many families if they were revealed. But they both know they will have to tell each other their secret at some point. Livia was pregnant at a young age but her parents disapproved of her relationship with Adam and would have nothing to do with her. Livia never had the wedding she had dreamed of, so for twenty years she planned her extravagant fortieth birthday party. Her son Josh would be there and possibly her daughter Marnie who was studying in Hong Kong. The story is told from the points of view of Adam and Livia leading up to the party. If I say anything more I run the risk of giving some of the plot away and I do not want to spoil it for readers.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I was hooked on this book after the first few chapters and hated to put it down. I read it in two days over the Christmas holiday!

This book follows Adam and Livia, a married couple, and their two adult children, Josh and Marnie. The chapters alternate between Adam and Livia telling the story. The story begins, and is centered around, Livia's 40th birthday. Livia and Adam are both keeping a secret from each other about their daughter, Marnie, who is studying internationally. This book was gripping and brought forth many emotions in my while reading. Such a great story about love, family, and making the most of each day.

This is a hard book for me to review. I didn’t hate it yet most of the book I couldn’t wait for it to end! It was definitely a different read and was just a boring family drama book. The characters weren’t very developed and hard to like. Livia, the main character, was absolutely ridiculous about her 40th bday for 2o years. It just dragged on and on. The last 1/4 of the book was when it really got to the point (no spoilers!) and was heart wrenching. Don’t think I would recommend. Thank you netgalley for letting me give an honest review of this book.

Olivia has been planning her big 40th birthday party for 20 years. She wants it to be perfect. She never had the wedding she wanted because she didn't live up to her parents expectations and they have rejected her for more than 20 years. She has a secret she needs to share with Adam, her husband but thinks it can wait until after her party. Little does she know that Adam has something to share with her also but doesn't want to ruin her party.

This book captured me from page one. It is told from the perspective of Adam and then goes to Livia. This is a hard read and different from the others I've read by Paris but is so well written, you cannot turn away. I never read a book in two days but I couldn't put this down. It is at turns, frustrating and agonizing. Very good read and thanks to HQ for allowing me to read and review this new offering by B. A. Paris.

I absolutely loved this book. This is not a traditional thriller, but I was kept on the edge of my seat the whole way through. I loved the way the chapters alternated between Olivia and Adam. There was so much suspense as to what they were going to do. The writing was excellent and the characters were so realistic. I thought the ending was perfect. I will definitely be looking forward to this author's next book.
Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for a copy of this book.

Holy moley is this book an emotional page turner! I've read every single B.A. Paris book and this one is just as edge-of-your-seat. However, this one plays on the emotions of the reader infinitely more. The book takes place in about a 24 hour time span with flashbacks filling in the spaces. It's filled with secrets from our main characters, Livia and Adam, who are married. The characters are likable and relate-able. As with the author's other books, I highly recommend this one. It was so good!

I absolutely love B.A. Paris so I was delighted to get this newest novel! But be prepared: this one will rip your heart out of your chest and then piece it together again--but not before you've been through a maelstrom of emotions! Adam and Livia are planning a huge party for her 40th birthday--over 100 of their friends and family. Son Josh will be there but daughter, Marnie is studying in Hong Kong so that poses a problem. And that's all the plot I'm going to give you. Needless to say you won't see it coming; what you will see is a family united by love, blame, secrets, grief, and ultimately, redemption. It's a simply lovely portrait of a family navigating through everyday occurrences that don't always go as planned and often have unexpected consequences that can only be dealt with through faith.

The Dilemma is a slow-moving family yarn about the complications arising from a lack of communication.

My full review here: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3056364043

The Dilemma by B. A. Paris. The story was repetitive with the alternating views and slow paced. Was looking forward to this book but was a bit let down. It was a interesting family drama but Liv and Adam were completely self absorbed and inconsiderate and hard to like. A good dose of communication would have solved many of the problems.

Thank you to the publisher, author, and NetGalley for the opportunity to preview the book.

What a great book!!! Not really a thriller, but definitely suspenseful - it's more of a family drama. I couldn't put it down and read it in 24 hours. My only complaint would be that I wish there was more of a confrontation with one of the characters (can't go into details without spoilers). But overall, amazing story!

Best B A Paris book yet! Thank you to the publisher for the advanced copy of Christmas Eve Day. Thank goodness all my cooking was finished because once I started this book, I literally could not put it down and finished this in one day. What an amazing story! I loved the storytelling between Liv's and Adam's points of view. So suspenseful and I loved the twist in the middle of the book. I will definitely be recommending this to everyone!!

There are dilemmas upon dilemmas., misunderstandings, and a very unpleasant backdrop, as Livia prepares for her fortieth birthday party - a party she’s been planning for the entire twenty years of her marriage; a party to finally get over the fact that her parents refused to throw her the kind of wedding she wanted when she was twenty and pregnant.

And then there’s a plane crash. And possibly Livia’s and Adam’s daughter is one of the deceased.

To reveal anything more gets into spoiler territory. I will say that the suspense is heart pounding. Overall, however, I thought the entire book was unnecessarily overwrought.

I received this book as an ARC from the publisher and NetGalley.

This wasn't a typical B.A. Paris thriller but it had me drawn in from chapter one. Emotionally charged and heartbreakingly unputdownable, I'm still feeling after I devoured this book in less than 24 hours. Thank you St.Martin's Press for this digital ARC.

💔💔💔💔💔

This book broke me in half!

Heartbreaking!

Damned if you do, Damned if you don’t!

Livia has been planning her 40th birthday party, since the day she couldn’t have the wedding she had always dreamed of.

But there is something she needs to tell her husband, Adam when the party is over, which will change their lives forever.

Adam has something to share too. Should he spoil the party or wait?

I expected secrets.....gossip.......lies......

But, this is about a DILEMMA.

And, by definition, a dilemma is a situation in which a decision has to be made between two or more, equally undesirable alternatives.

This is like NOTHING that B A Paris has ever written before!!

That’s all I can share....

Thank You to St. Martin's Press for inviting me to read a digital ARC in exchange for a candid review!

Available January 9, 2020.
READ it before the “spoilers” come out!

Even though I don’t think this book should be in the thriller/mystery genre and is more a general fiction/women’s fiction/family drama, I have to give it 5 stars. The emotion this book brought out of me was absolutely heart wrenching and immense. Paris really nailed this book, even though it was not what I was expecting, it truly fit the title perfectly. It was truly a dilemma, one with many consequences, which you would have to deem your own choice on to see which action best fits. I found myself tearing through the pages, tense, and with my eyes full of tears, but knowing that it’s likely an accurate portrait of someone in these dilemmas. I highly recommend to those who enjoy books that pull at the heart strings, have some lingering questions that are going to be answered in time but build suspense, and love real life portrayal of heart ache and love. If you enjoy Paris’s writing, you’ll enjoy this book, even though it’s not her normal genre, because she truly knows how to grab you and make those emotions stir! Riveting, heart wrenching, and brutal!
I will make sure to buzz this one up!!