Cover Image: The Dilemma

The Dilemma

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Member Reviews

Wow ! ! What an emotional rollercoaster of a book. I finished it in one sitting since I just had to see how it ended. Told from the viewpoint of Lucia and her husband Adam as they prepare to celebrate her 40th party. Both are keeping secrets. Tense, with characters who are skilfully portrayed and only too human. A moving read that will touch your heart.

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Thank you netgalley for giving me an early copy of this sad story. It was very well written and sadly you can imagining this happens mg,.
A daughter was coming home for her mother’s fortieth birthday party.
It was a surprise organised by her brother.
Her flight from Hong Kong was cancelled and there was alternative arrangements.
But a terrible airplane crash happened and it nearly destroyed her family.

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I have a Love/ Hate relationship with this book. I was desperate to finish this book and find out what happened so finished it very quickly, but really did not enjoy the characters and the situation they created.

The thing I didn't like about it is that the full family is full of secrets. That's a personal dislike for me, and my problem not the books! There are affairs, a miscarriage, a tragedy and a lot of intertwined lies and suspected lies.

The real tragedy of the book is that the event could have been prevented if everyone had been honest to begin with. The main character Livia is incredibly selfish and so focussed on the party of her dreams that she isn't really considering anyone else.

However, that doesn't make it a bad book! It builds tension, actually draws you in and makes it very difficult to put down, leaving you desperate to know what happens.

If you love a story with lots of drama this is a read for you!

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I have been eagerly awaiting this one! Quite different from the author’s previous work so I was interested to see how it would pan out. It was excellent. Truly brilliant writing that toys with you till the final 50 or so pages. What a stunning read!

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I'm already a fan of this author, this book was slightly different from some of the others I've read, more of a drama than a thriller, but gripping nevertheless and I liked the way it engaged you between the two characters. Kept me hooked until the end.

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B A Paris has done it again. The story is highly engaging and unputdownable. The perspective is split between husband and wife as the wife's 40th birthday party is looming. The story unfolds and the dilemma presents itself with plenty of twists and secrets throughout. Highly recommended to readers of the author's previous novels or if you're looking for an entertaining thriller following a husband and wife.

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Once again another great book from B A Paris!! Really enjoyed this one and read it pretty much in one go !!

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Wow. I read this book in one sitting! I love all of B. A. Paris's previous books - I find her writing style really engaging and easy to read and this book was no exception. I loved the synopsis of this book and couldn't wait to read it. I was not disappointed. I loved the characters and the plot was fast-paced. The book felt like it was over before it began and I can't wait for this to come out in paperback so I can recommend it to friends and family. Five stars!

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I’m a big fan of B A Paris and have read all her previous books. But to be honest this book disappointed me, maybe because I was expecting another edge of the seat thriller. Something that would keep me awake at night rather than putting me to sleep.

The book revolves around Livia who has always wanted to have a perfect 40th birthday party. She lives with her husband Adam and son Josh and her daughter Marnie is away studying overseas. The whole book is about the day of the birthday party with each person having secrets and facing the dilemma to reveal the secret or not.

The book did drag on for a bit and is more of a family drama than the psychological thriller I have come to expect from the author. This is why it was a let down. I kept thinking there would be a huge twist at the end, but sadly there was none and that was disappointing too.

I like B A Paris’s writing style and this book has also been written very well, so will give it 3 stars. But can I please request Ms. Paris to go back to writing psychological thrillers because she is best at writing those and I love reading them :-)

Thank you to the publishers HQ for an advanced copy of this ebook and giving me a chance to review it.

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This book surely lives up to its title. What do you do when you both know something devastating about one of your children . It could and will change everything . Should you hold back and or wait for the right moment to make your revelation . That’s what Adam and Livia face. Join them in this tale of woe , regret and recriminations.
I was spellbound by the telling of this story and just kept wanting to keep reading.

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This is an emotional rollercoaster of a read, cleverly plotted and unputdownable but perhaps not the best choice if you’re looking for something uplifting. I felt compelled to finish it and read it quickly but, without wanting to give anything away, it’s very sad at times. Livia has been planning her 40th birthday party and looking forward to it for years. It’s to make up for the big wedding she wanted but never had. Adam will do anything to make sure she has the perfect party she has dreamed of but they both have huge, devastating secrets that they are keeping from each other. The novel is well thought out with all the events taking place within a short time. There are some wonderful, kind characters - I particularly liked Adam and Livia’s son Josh and Adam’s father Mike. A good choice for those who like intense, heartbreaking books.

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Thank you to Net Galley for kindly sending me a free kindle copy of this wonderful book in exchange for a honest review.

Having read all of this authors previous books and loving them all, I was extremely grateful to get to read this wonderful book before it’s release date. I’m still struggling to decide whether or not to give this one a 4 or a 4.5 however without giving too much away I’ve gone with a 4 purely based on how the end decision was handled and my dislike to a couple of the characters. However all in all this is one of the best books that I’ve read this year. It’s fast paced, gripping and I couldn’t put it down once I’d started it. The genre is more family saga rather than crime or thriller which id originally anticipated which was a pleasant surprise. The story line is also very refreshing and unique and I loved how everything was interlinked. I didn’t fully understand how the parents reached their final decision however the story is that well written and compelling that I found this only a minor issue.

This is definitely one that I would recommend and would be a great choice for a book club read.

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⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 4 brilliant stars.

I whizzed through this book in 24 hours. So, why only 4 stars?

I’ve read all the author’s previous books and to be honest some I loved, some not so much.

This one took about 25% to get going - it’s a slow starter. But then it really kicks in. I was totally intrigued as to what was the dilemma, and what were the secrets?

And as much as I loved it once it got going there were a fe things that really annoyed me (hence the 4 stars!)

So, the main thing for me was that THERE IS NO DILEMMA for Adam or Livia! If I knew what Livia knew about Marnie, I’d be telling my husband ASAP.

AND If I even thought that what had happened to Marnie (like Adam did) might have happened, I’d be on the phone ASAP to find out and telling my husband!

There is no way in hell that a birthday party (and don’t even get me started on how selfish and self centred Livia is about the damn party she’s been planning for 20 years -really?!) would take precedence over my children.

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Livia has been planning her 40th birthday party for 20 years. When she married Adam when they were teenagers things were tough. Two children and life struggles but they have two grown up kids now but Livia is struggling with a secret she needs to share with Adam. Adam also finds out something that will undoubtedly change their lives.

This was the best book by Ms Paris and I absolutely loved it. Thank you to netgalley and the publishers for this arc in exchange for my honest review.

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Where to start with this book? It's hard to say too much about it for fear of spoilers but... We meet Livia as she is finalising her plans for her 40th birthday. She never really got her day when she was married and has been planning this moment for, well, most of her life. It's going to be a big affair with everyone there she cares about. Everyone apart from daughter Marnie who is away studying overseas. But Livia has a secret that she has been keeping for husband Adam. But that's OK cos he has a pretty big one he's been keeping too. But, as they say, secrets can damage a marriage and boy, do these secrets threaten big time.
Although this book kept me hooked, and I whizzed through it, it was really more my impatience to find out the crux of all the fallout rather than wanting to keep reading. Blow after blow of secrets, lies and duplicitous behaviour hit me throughout the book so much that, at times, I was a bit punch drunk with it all. So much that they actually overshadowed what was, for me, a relatively weaker main storyline compared to other books this author has delivered in the past. And I do need a gritty story with characters that I care about to make a good book a great read and I didn't quite find that here. Yes I found the twists and turns well plotted and executed but it came across to me that the author relied on these a bit too much rather than developing the characters and, I'm afraid that credibility was stretched a little too far on occasion. I'm probably being a bit harsh but after a cracking first couple of books the author appears to have come to rely on twists and shocks at the expense on story and characters in this and her previous book and that is not something that floats my boat. I'm not sure whether I will jump on her next book with as much gusto and enthusiasm but I am definitely not ready to part company with her just yet. Maybe I'll wait for some early reviews to come in before I take the plunge.
My thanks go to the Publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this book.

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I flew through The Dilemma. Having been a fan of the author’s previous work I knew I would be informed a treat with this and going I couldn’t put it down. It drew me in and took me on a rollercoaster of emotions. I can it recommend this book highly enough.

Thank you to NetGalley, HQ and the author for the chance to review.

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The Dilemma, told from 2 points of view from Adam and Livia, had me gripped from the start. At times I was a little frustrated with the characters, but it kept me interested and I read it all in 2 evenings! As with all other B A Paris books it did not disappoint and I’d recommend it

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I found it hard to put this book down I enjoyed every chapter. The chapter was divided by Adam and his wife Livia who is having a 40th Birthday party each has a dilemma so we see how it will all pans out. An amazing book.

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I loved Behind Closed Doors, I liked The Breakdown and was curious to read B.A. Paris' latest novel. As with her previous books, Dilemma is gripping and well written. I quickly became absorbed in the lives of Livia, Adam and their two kids Marnie and Josh and wanted to know what happened to them. Livia is turning 40 and organising a grand party to celebrate her big birthday. On the day, her husband Adam is faced with a dilemma of whether to tell her something which would ruin the party or wait until the celebration is over.

Tell or not to tell? That's the dilemma...

It sounds simple, yet it is a dark secret, one that will change their lives forever. Do you need a whole book to ponder to make a decision? Probably not and that's where my 3 stars come from. Despite the author's engaging writing, I found some bits of the story repetitive with a few fillers that are not needed. Overall, a quick gripping read with a dark reveal at the end that was not easy to read about.

Many thanks to HQ for my review copy in exchange for an honest review.

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I think the author was looking for a strong reaction from her readers and I was screaming at the book. I finished this book fairly quickly as it was very well written and I needed to find out the truth. At the same time It irritated me immensely. It was a little unrealistic at times but a good overall read with lots of twists and secrets.

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