B A Paris is a writer that divides me. I loved Behind Closed Doors and absolutely hated Bring me Back but with The Dilemma I feel balance has been restored. It's a frustrating book in many ways, repetitive sometimes but that fits with the subject matter, two people going over and over something in their minds, trying to make the right decision. There are no great shocks or surprises, it's a family drama but it's well written and very difficult to put down.

I do appreciate the drive, determination and dedication required to write a novel and so am always loath to criticise! However, this one left me depressed and frustrated! It took forever to get anywhere, the characters irritated me, we were left hanging for nearly half of the book waiting to discover whether poor Marnie was a victim of the plane crash and then to add to the depression she was! Yes, lessons were learned in the end but oh dear, I found it all rather sad and pointless! Sorry!

What a devastatingly amazing book. I really lived Adam and Livias life for the duration of the story, which wasn't long as I couldn't put it down.
I don't want to spoil it for anyone, but was crying by the end and desperately wanted a different ending but realistically it couldn't have ended any differently. It's the first BA Paris book I've read and I'll definitely be downloading the rest!

The Dilemma is a very moving book, emotional and a real tear jerker of a novel throughout. It explores relationships, loss, love and all the emotions involved in protecting our loved ones from heartbreak.

I thoroughly enjoyed it and found it hard to put down, reading way later in bed than I should have been. I would heartily recommend this book to others, and for me, having read all her other books, BA Paris just gets better and better. Get your tissues ready!

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for my ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Another really good book by B A Paris, really enjoyed how the two stories intertwined - the ending was really sad though!

Livia has been planning a 40th birthday party for twenty years to make up for the wedding reception she never had.
Today is the day of her party and she wants everything to be perfect. She is keeping a secret from her husband Adam.
Adam has a secret of his own and he is trying not to say anything about it because he wants Livia to have her big day.

The Dilemma is a well written book with a great plotline which will make you think, 'What would I do'?

I was really looking forward to this book as I have enjoyed the previous novels. Well written. Good characters. Draws you in. . More of a drama than a thriller. Would definitely read the next offering.. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the chance to review it.

I've enjoyed B A Paris's previous novels - Behind Closed Doors, The Break Down and Bring Me Back - and really rate her as a writer. When I started reading The Dilemma I was expecting another unputdownable psychological thriller, but this book didn't grip me like the others. The story is told from the points of view of Livia and Adam, a married couple who have secrets to tell each other that will have to wait until after Livia's long awaited 40th birthday party. Everything revolves around the build up to the party. The book is well-written and enjoyable to read and brings to life messy domestic relationships. I found the characters likeable and relatable, and I was initially hooked by the hints of information that built up tension and intrigue early on. A good while into the book I still felt like I was waiting for something to happen that would leave me racing to turn the pages, and it didn't pick up pace.. I'd rate this book 3.5 stars and have rounded it up because there are many positive things to like about it, but there was just something missing for me.

I have always liked BA Paris's books so was really looking forward to sitting down and getting engrossed in her new book and I wasnt disappointed!
I read the whole book in a day! I couldn't put it down.
Livia has been planning a 40th birthday party for 20yrs since her very disappointing wedding. Her parents don't speak to her and she has two children who are grown up.
A tragedy occurs and her husband is left with the awful dilemma of whether to tell her and ruin the party she has been saving and planning for all those years or whether to wait and let her at least have the happiness of the party.
He does try to tell her at various points but fails and when he does finally break the news to her she is understandably shocked and confused.
This was a different feel to her previous books but I liked it, I enjoyed the more subtle suspense to this book and it felt real.
Thank you for the arc.

I was so excited to have a new B.A Paris book I settled down knowing I wouldn’t be moving anytime soon. I was right as soon as I had read the first page I was completely hooked and unable to put the book down.

Adam and Livia are married with two children, Josh 22 and Marnie 19. Livia has been planning her 40th birthday party for twenty years to make up for her small wedding. She has been secretly saving so that she can have a party no one will forget.

All her friends will be there apart from her daughter Marnie who is studying in Hong Kong. Livia is relieved Marnie won’t be at the party as she knows something about her that she needs to tell Adam, but knows it will ruin her party so is going to tell him afterwards.

Adam also has a secret he needs to tell Livia and this will not only ruin the party but will devastate all their lives. All he needs to do is get through the evening and then he can unburden himself to his family.

This is such a great book, it’s told from Adam and Livia’s point of view leading up and the night of party.

As always B.A Paris has wowed me with another incredible book!! My heart was pounding during the party as the tension was rising and I knew the secrets were going to be revealed. I felt every emotion possible reading this. A heart wrenching tale about friendship, relationships, loss and how sometimes we really don’t know what’s best for someone else after all!!

This book will stay a long time in my heart, makes me realise you shouldn’t take life for granted!!

This is such a great story that it would make an amazing film.

Thank you to Netgalley for my copy in exchange for a review.

Livia is having a big birthday party and her daughter is coming home from Japan as a surprise. During the day, Liv's husband hears terrible news but delays telling his wife as he doesn't want to ruin her special day. This book still contains suspense but I wouldn't class it as a a typical thriller. There are a couple of twists but it isn't overly sensational. A worthwhile read!
I will be download more by this author

Fast-paced and emotionally engaging with a well-drawn cast of interesting and believeable characters. I like BA Paris’ deft way of doling out developments and twists but my feeling here was that the much-hyped central premise that a 40th birthday is realistically a thrilling community event, anticipated for 20 years and eclipsing a major family tragedy, was a touch hard to swallow. A lot of us didn’t have fancy weddings and still managed to get through a marquee-free, 100-guest 40th with our self esteem intact ;)

I found this book to be slightly. different to previous ones I've read by the author. Livia is having a big birthday party and her daughter is coming home from Japan as a surprise. During the day, Liv's husband hears terrible news but delays telling his wife as he doesn't want to ruin her special day. This book still contains suspense but I wouldn't class it as a a typical thriller. There are a couple of twists but it isn't overly sensational. A worthwhile read!

3.5 stars rounded down. This book was packed with amazing build up and unbearable tension, but it lost a star for the ending, which came too soon and then dragged on. I expected some kind of a twist but there wasn't one, so the last 10% or so of the book felt superfluous. I was on edge the entire time I was reading, until the reveal, which came a bit too soon.

A word of advice: don't read this book if you have a busy week, because once you start it, you won't want to stop.

If you're already acquainted with Paris's work, this will feel like coming back home; similarly, if you're new to their work, you're in for a treat! As with her previous books, The Dilemma is well written, compelling and exciting. The story follows Livia and her family, as Livia prepares to celebrate her 40th birthday party. And let me tell you, the party goes off with a bang!

With a host of believable characters and compelling narrative, The Dilemma is an upcoming classic.

The Dilemma by B. A. Paris such a book that makes me have a dilemma on how to review it.
Olivia and Adam didn’t have a great wedding. She was young and pregnant, and her parents didn’t approve of Adam so much Olivia has not spoken to her parents in 23 years. They haven’t been in contact with their grandchildren. So, Olivia decides at an early age that when she turns 40, she will have a party like no other to make up for her wedding day.
Their son Josh is at home, but daughter Marnie is studying in Hong Kong. When they both find out things about Marnie and they are in a dilemma whether they will each other on what they know about her. Olivia doesn’t want to tell Adam because it will break his heart and Adam doesn’t want to tell Olivia because he doesn’t want to spoil her special day and the party that she has taken so long to plan for.
I won’t give anymore of the story away. I always look forward to a book from B.A. Paris. This is not a psychological thriller that have read previously from the author but, more of a family drama. Although I did enjoy it and gripped me, it also irritated me too. I kept shouting at my kindle and go on tell each other for pity sake. I also thought in places the story repeated itself. Not the best from this author but I thought it is still worth the read.
Thank you NetGalley and HQ for a ARC of this book.

I was so excited to read this as I have loved the authors previous books. Unfortunately it was disappointing for me. I found it very dragged out and the characters to be one dimensional. Livia has been planning her 40th birthday party for 20 years, stashing money and even choosing the property her and her husband Adam bought because the garden would be perfect for her 40th in 20 years time!! Her wedding wasn’t what she wanted so her 40th will be her “special day”. I’m finding it very difficult to imagine someone being so obsessed with their “special day” that they plan and think about it for 20 years!! Then when the day finally comes The Dilemma is whether Adam should tell her the most devastating news (that there’s no way on this earth you would keep to yourself) or just leave her to enjoy her poxy party. Not for me sorry.

For over 20 years livia has been planning her 40th birthday party, with the aim of it being the party of her life. However as party day arrives, both livia and her husband Adam are holding a big secret each about their daughter marnie one of them being life changing for the whole family. There then faces the dilemma of when to tell their secret without ruining the planned party.
I really loved this book. Told from both Adam and livias view points, the reader is left questioning their own values and beliefs as to when a secret should be kept a secret and when is the right time to share. Believable characters that really draw you in. Highly recommend.

This was an enjoyable read for me but if you have picked it up expecting a tense thriller similar to the author's previous books then you will be disappointed.
It did have suspense but more in the manner of how and when the plot would reveal itself rather than then the hold your breath tension of a thriller. The book was centred around a family on the day of a 40th birthday party and our focus family all have something to tell that will have an impact on those closest to them. As they interact with one another,we see the face that they present and the feelings that hide behind them. We see all the complexities of human relationships and are reminded of our own human frailties. I personally found it an interesting and engaging novel.

It’s finally here. The day Livia has been planning for the best part of the last two decades: her 40th birthday party. Livia and her husband Adam should be full of excitement that the long awaited event is finally here, but instead they both find themselves wrestling with dark secrets. What do you do if you know something that will change your spouses life forever? That is the dilemma.

This seems to be a bit of a marmite book, and sadly for me I’m firmly on the side of not enjoying it at all. I found it irritating, dull, and depressing. The rest of this review will contain spoilers, so please don’t read beyond this point if you’ve not read the book!

SPOILERS AHEAD!!

Ok, so the book starts on the morning of Livia’s 40th birthday party (no, not a typo, she is Livia not Olivia), an event she has been planning for years. And no, not vaguely thinking she might like a party, but actually squirelling money away each month to make sure she can have the party to end all parties. She even picks the house they move into when the kids (son Josh and daughter Marnie) are tiny as the garden would be ideal for the party. Personally, I found the whole thing completely bizarre, but hey, maybe it's just me?

So anyway, the book is broken down into time periods, alternating between the perspectives of the husband and wife (for example, 8:00am - 9:00am, Adam). Sometimes this way of writing works really well, but in this case I found it just made everything feel very dragged out. The book might only span a day, but it felt a lot longer. So a lot of the book really is filler: getting the party set up, and a lot of chat that isn’t that important. The main reason you want to keep reading is the secrets the couple are keeping, which thankfully are revealed relatively early on. Livia is reeling from having discovered that her daughter Marnie is having an affair with family friend Rob, who is also the father of her best friend. She knows she should tell Adam, as he and Rob are friends, but struggles with it, especially as Marnie miscarried Rob’s baby the summer before – another thing that Adam is unaware of.
Now, all of this pales into insignificance when you discover Adam’s plight, which is really the main dilemma of the book. As a treat for his wife, he’s arrange for daughter Marnie to fly home from her studies in Hong Kong as a special surprise. But his joy turns to horror when he finds out that the plane she was meant to be on has crashed, leaving no survivors. There is some hope though - her connecting flight was delayed, so there is a chance she wasn’t on the plane. He decides to wait to find out for certain until after he’s spoken to Livia, but then spends the whole day finding reasons to avoid doing so.

To be fair, this did have some potential at first, when you’re waiting to find out the secrets. But once you realise what they are, you know two things – firstly, its absurd to think that they wouldn’t tell each other, especially Adam: who the hell doesn’t tell his wife that their kid might be dead?! Secondly, it becomes the longest most dragged out experience ever as they both kept finding excuses not to say anything. Basically, this was one of those books where you feel like you're waiting for something to happen, and it just never does. There’s no real tension in the pacing, so it’s long and dragged out and just feels very flat. By the time you find out Marnie’s fate (she made it onto the plane) there is absolutely no surprise in her presumed death (which is confirmed in the epilogue). It sounds cold to say, but it just felt like a massive anticlimax.

Now, family dramas always include some sort of odd dynamic, and in this in book, there is a very obvious problem in the form of Adam blatantly favouring Marnie over Josh. Adam and Josh have a challenging relationship - Adam didn't cope well with the shock of becoming a father, and their relationship never fully recovered. To me, this was just idiotic. At the end of the day, Adam is the parent, and to let the fact that he was young when his first child was born still be affecting their relationship now is ridiculous, and spoke of an immaturity and selfishness that I could not understand. Especially when it is revealed that their frostiness really stems from one major event when Josh was a child, in which Adam was a complete bully, which he then followed up with years of caution and distance. And to be honest, I'm not surprised Josh took issue with his father – Adam makes his resentment towards his son clear, and at the start of the book, he basically says that, in his mind, Josh came along first and ruined his life, and then Marnie being born a few years later somehow managed to make everything perfect. I know a lot of parent's have favourites, but the way this was written just felt weird. Especially at the beginning of the book, the way Adam talks about Marnie is almost like he is infatuated with her, and it all felt a bit uncomfortable to me, especially when contrasted with the clear resentment Adam feels towards his son. If i’m honest, there were a few points when Marnie’s pregnancy was revealed that I worried about who the father could be – that’s how strong his infatuation is.

All in all, this was completely not what I expected. For an author who is clearly so skilled at creating genuinely tense and gripping psychological thrillers, I was surprised to see her turn her hand to a rather lacklustre family drama. If I’m honest, I think the real weakness of this book was the shallowness of the characters. Both parents are so damn obsessed with the party, and lets be honest, even if it has been 20 years in the making it is absurd to allow a birthday party to take precedence over dealing with your friend shagging your barely adult child, or finding out whether that child is actually alive or was killed in a terrible plane crash. Essentially, this is a book of two awful people finding excuses to avoid telling each other very important things. And it is every bit as dull, aggravating and flat out ridiculous as it sounds.

Disclaimer - I was provided with an advance reading copy by NetGalley. This has not affected my review in any way, and all opinions are my own.