Dilemma
A woman's birthday party takes a dark turn in a poignant, heart-stopping new novel from the reigning queen of suspense, New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of Behind Closed Doors, The Breakdown, and Bring Me Back.
"A heartbreaking page-turner that will have you up at night reading just one more chapter." --Catherine Steadman, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Something in the Water "The phenomenal B.A. Paris has done it again! I devoured The Dilemma in one sitting--it grabbed me from the very first page and wouldn't let go until I'd finished. Secrets, guilt, shame and heartbreak--this story has it all in spades."--Sandie Jones, New York Times bestselling author of The Other Woman Knowing the truth will destroy her. Keeping it secret will destroy him.It's Livia's 40th birthday, and her husband Adam is throwing her the party of a lifetime to make up for the wedding they never had. Everyone she loves will be there, except her daughter Marnie, who's studying abroad. But Livia is secretly glad Marnie won't be there. Livia has recently uncovered a secret about their daughter which, if revealed, will shake the foundation of their family to its core. She needs to tell Adam, but she's waiting until the party is over so they can have this last happy time together. Adam, meanwhile, has his own surprise for Livia: he's arranged for Marnie to secretly fly back for the party. But before Marnie arrives, Adam hears some terrible news. Now he too is faced with a dilemma: Does he share what he's learned with his wife? Is hiding the truth the same as telling a lie? And how far are Adam and Livia willing to go to protect the ones they love--and give each other a last few hours of happiness?
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Community Reviews
What can I say about this one? I'm the type of reader that isn't bothered by spoilers. In fact, I actively search them out when I start a book. When I was looking for reviews and spoilers, I saw that many readers didn't quite enjoy The Dilemma due to the pacing being excruciatingly slow. It made me second-guess my choice. But being that I got it off Kindle Unlimited, I didn't pay for it, so I didn't feel too guilty if I DNF'd it.
I enjoyed Behind Closed Doors by B.A. Paris, and was expecting something similar in The Dilemma, but, boy, was I wrong.
The Dilemma is a family drama that can really set one's teeth on edge. Like I said, I scoured the net for the spoilers, and when I got them, I had to give this a try.
Adam Harman's secret about their 19-year-old daughter, Marnie, doesn't come close to the secret his wife, Livia, has about their beloved daughter.
It's Livia's 40th birthday. Ever since she was in her twenties, Livia had always wanted a huge birthday bash. It was mainly to make up for the wedding she didn't get after her parents disowned her for getting pregnant out of wedlock. While Livia is busy getting the house prepared and her friends taking her for a spa treatment before the party, Adam is setting up the biggest surprise of the year for his wife.
Adam and Marnie have planned for Marnie to come home as Livia's surprise gift. With Marnie being at school in Hong Kong, it was meant to be special. But bad news strikes when the flight Marnie was meant to be on crashes, Adam is stuck with the dilemma of what to do. Does he allow the party to go forth to give Livia one last happy moment before he tells her that Marnie might be dead, or stop it so they can mourn for their possible loss?
While Adam is fighting his inner demons throughout the night, Livia is keeping something from Adam that could ruin not just him, but all their friendships. Adam's precious angel, Marnie, is having an affair with their 38-year-old friend, Rob. Rob is married to Jess, who was diagnosed with MS (multiple sclerosis) the year prior and is the father to Marnie's best friend, Chloe. Livia only learns of the affair when she is FaceTiming with Marnie and catches a glimpse of Rob in the background of the video, walking out of the bathroom naked. For Livia, she wants to have this party as a way of saying goodbye to her friendships. She knew once Adam learned of the affair, they would most likely pull free from their old group.
Now, who tells who and when?
The news is broken after the party. Adam goes to tell Livia. Both think the other knows what is going to be said. Livia thought Adam knew about Marnie's affair with Rob, and Adam believed Livia knew about Marnie's death. So the surprise to both is icy.
The first seventy-five percent of his book was an extremely slow burn. Ms. Paris leaves the reader aggravated with the lack of communication between the married couple. There were times I wanted to toss my Kindle out the window! JUST FUCKING TELL THEM! I screamed on more than one occasion. I understood Livia's delay, but not Adam's. As a mother to an 18-year-old, I can't see myself ever forgiving my husband if he had that dark of a secret and didn't tell me until almost twenty-four hours later. That is unforgivable.
Regardless, the last quarter of the novel had me in tears. I hardly ever cry while reading. Maybe books don't get me that sentimental, but this one hit. The reactions of Livia and Adam when both their secrets are revealed bruised my heart in a way that perhaps only parents would understand.
I enjoyed Behind Closed Doors by B.A. Paris, and was expecting something similar in The Dilemma, but, boy, was I wrong.
The Dilemma is a family drama that can really set one's teeth on edge. Like I said, I scoured the net for the spoilers, and when I got them, I had to give this a try.
Adam Harman's secret about their 19-year-old daughter, Marnie, doesn't come close to the secret his wife, Livia, has about their beloved daughter.
It's Livia's 40th birthday. Ever since she was in her twenties, Livia had always wanted a huge birthday bash. It was mainly to make up for the wedding she didn't get after her parents disowned her for getting pregnant out of wedlock. While Livia is busy getting the house prepared and her friends taking her for a spa treatment before the party, Adam is setting up the biggest surprise of the year for his wife.
Adam and Marnie have planned for Marnie to come home as Livia's surprise gift. With Marnie being at school in Hong Kong, it was meant to be special. But bad news strikes when the flight Marnie was meant to be on crashes, Adam is stuck with the dilemma of what to do. Does he allow the party to go forth to give Livia one last happy moment before he tells her that Marnie might be dead, or stop it so they can mourn for their possible loss?
While Adam is fighting his inner demons throughout the night, Livia is keeping something from Adam that could ruin not just him, but all their friendships. Adam's precious angel, Marnie, is having an affair with their 38-year-old friend, Rob. Rob is married to Jess, who was diagnosed with MS (multiple sclerosis) the year prior and is the father to Marnie's best friend, Chloe. Livia only learns of the affair when she is FaceTiming with Marnie and catches a glimpse of Rob in the background of the video, walking out of the bathroom naked. For Livia, she wants to have this party as a way of saying goodbye to her friendships. She knew once Adam learned of the affair, they would most likely pull free from their old group.
Now, who tells who and when?
The news is broken after the party. Adam goes to tell Livia. Both think the other knows what is going to be said. Livia thought Adam knew about Marnie's affair with Rob, and Adam believed Livia knew about Marnie's death. So the surprise to both is icy.
The first seventy-five percent of his book was an extremely slow burn. Ms. Paris leaves the reader aggravated with the lack of communication between the married couple. There were times I wanted to toss my Kindle out the window! JUST FUCKING TELL THEM! I screamed on more than one occasion. I understood Livia's delay, but not Adam's. As a mother to an 18-year-old, I can't see myself ever forgiving my husband if he had that dark of a secret and didn't tell me until almost twenty-four hours later. That is unforgivable.
Regardless, the last quarter of the novel had me in tears. I hardly ever cry while reading. Maybe books don't get me that sentimental, but this one hit. The reactions of Livia and Adam when both their secrets are revealed bruised my heart in a way that perhaps only parents would understand.
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