Review: The Dilemma by B.A. Paris

Title: The Dilemma

Author: B.A. Paris

Published: June 2020, St. Martin’s Press

Format: ARC Paperback, 352 pages

Source: Publisher

Summary: 

It’s Livia’s fortieth
birthday and tonight she’s having a party, a party she’s been planning
for a long time. The only person missing will be her daughter, Marnie.

But
Livia has a secret, a secret she’s been keeping from Adam, her husband,
until the party is over. Because how can she tell him that although she
loves Marnie, she’s glad their daughter won’t be there to celebrate
with her?

Adam is determined everything will be just right for
Livia and the party is going to be perfect… until he learns something
that will leave him facing an unbearable decision.

My thoughts: I’ve been a fan of B.A. Paris for quite some time now and even had the opportunity to meet her a few years ago. While she usually writes thrillers, this latest one is a bit of a departure but I loved it all the same!

I’m always a big fan of stories that focus on family drama and one that involves people keeping secrets and this one absolutely delivers on that 100%. It is told from alternating viewpoints of a husband and wife and essentially takes place over the course of a 24-hour period. I loved the build-up to the eventual reveal of what the secrets were – both Adam and Livia each had their own secret they were keeping from the other – and as the book progresses, the tension builds which just hooks you further into the story.

I also loved that because of the alternating view points, we are experiencing what is going on from each of the characters’ perspectives. Events are happening and because of the secrets, reactions are very different. We are privy to some things, but not everything and this proves to increase the readers anxiety – at least it did for me!

I really enjoyed this book. It was definitely more of an emotional read, filled with some suspenseful moments. There were times I was afraid to see what would come next, but I also could not put this book down either…I was so invested in these characters that I needed to keep reading. 

This book, while definitely not the thriller that B.A. Paris is known for, was such a great read. It’s the type of read that will stay with you long after you finish that last page as you think about what you would have done if you were to find yourself in either character’s position. I highly recommend picking this one up.