Archives for July 7, 2020

I voluntarily read an early copy of this book.

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?

I was hooked from page one! The Dilemma by B.A. Paris was a good read. It’s attention grabbing, it keeps us wondering until the end if some miracle is going to have happened to change the course of what’s coming, it goes deep into issues that are intriguing to the reader … but it is in no way a psychological thriller like it’s being touted. It’s not even a suspense or mystery because we basically known up front what has probably happened, we just have to ride out the book to see if it’s true or not. Had it been presented as what it is (Women’s Fiction) expectations wouldn’t have been in place of what it was supposed to be and I could have rated it higher.

Livia is a bit selfish. She’s dreamed of a day all about her for all of her life and when she was denied the wedding of her dreams, she began to plan for the future and that day has now arrived. She’s going to have the fortieth birthday bash of all bashes. She won’t let anything ruin it … not the fact that her daughter is away studying abroad and unable to make it … not the fact that she’s uncovered a secret that is going to rip her family and social circle apart at the roots.

Adam is painstakingly trying to give Livia everything her heart desires and a spur of the moment surprise with their daughter is going to really top off the day. It’s the day of the party, last minute details are being taken care of, guests are set to arrive shortly … and disaster strikes. He can’t ruin this day that she’s dreamed of for forever … but how can he keep her in the dark about something so major?

I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys women’s fiction with a hint of mystery. It’s emotional and filled with friendship, family and scandal.