The Dilemma

A Novel

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?


A Macmillan Audio production from St. Martin's Press

not her best

Definitely not my favorite. I feel like it could have been cut short by an hour or two with all the what ifs of the past and what ifs of the future. Still a good read but definitely not the suspense and twists that I've come to love from BA Paris

Couldn't stop listening this book.

I'm not sure what genre this fits into but it was a great story from the beginning and I couldn't stop listening!

Although there wasn't much of a plot twist like the usual thriler would have I was engaged the whole time and was satisfied with the ending, as sad as it was. Definitely one I will remember.

Not a thriller

This is the first book I have read by B.A. Paris . I thought she wrote thrillers and so I was not prepared for this one. This is a family drama . The story is ok , but also frustrating at times . It will make you want to yell at the characters to do the reasonable thing.

Good but Drawn-out

I enjoyed the listening. the narration was great. However, I got frustrated with how long it took for them to figure out what each was trying to say. I thought the objective advice given by Olivia's mom with regard to how she should handle the dilemma with her friend was insightful. Overall, I enjoyed the book.

Not what I expected 😔

I could not wait for this book to come out! I was disappointed to say the least. It’s not like her other books. It was unlike the author for it to be so predictable. Still a fan just didn’t care for this book.