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3.26 AVERAGE
3.26 AVERAGE
I confess I thought this book was a thriller....it was more of a contemporary book but it was very well done. I enjoyed the friend groups, the dynamic of the marriage and the way the characters were written flaws and all. Once I started reading it I couldnt put it down until I reached the end. I really really enjoyed the writing style.
dark
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I had such high hopes for this. Unfortunately, this fell a little short. I still got through it fairly quick. It kept me interested, even if I was annoyed by the choices of our MCs.
A dilemma, to me, seems like almost anything than what the dilemma was in this story. In this book, it was more like a life altering event, and I felt it was treated like something small. It wasn't having to choose which friend gets left out of the carpool because of lack of space. It was I don't get why anybody would think that shouldn't be communicated regardless of what day it was.
The other secret felt like it didn't really matter since nothing ever came of it.
Anyway, not a terrible story, but I had a hard time wrapping my head around the decision making. Plus, the two MCs weren't the most likeable.
A dilemma, to me, seems like almost anything than what the dilemma was in this story. In this book, it was more like a life altering event, and I felt it was treated like something small. It wasn't having to choose which friend gets left out of the carpool because of lack of space. It was
Spoiler
the death of a child!The other secret felt like it didn't really matter since nothing ever came of it.
Anyway, not a terrible story, but I had a hard time wrapping my head around the decision making. Plus, the two MCs weren't the most likeable.
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
This book! My god read this book! I can't even review it without giving spoilers, but man! This is such a great, emotional book! I was anxious, I was tense, I had to know!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Death, Toxic relationship
Moderate: Abortion
Even the content warning is spoilers, so just read the book if you don't want spoilers!
Solid 3.5 stars. I found this book left me wanting more.
Livia and Adam married young. She got pregnant. They got married. Put their dreams on hold. And Livia never had the wedding she dreamed of.
Livia has always dreamed of sort of a "do over". Having a 40th birthday party to make up for that missed wedding. Adam is all for it and is doing all he can to make it live up to her dreams.
He has some surprises in store for her, the biggest which takes a horrible turn and he doesn't know whether to tell her and ruin her party, or wait until the next day and her possibly hate him for keeping the secret.
Adam isn't the only one with a secret. Livia knows something about their daughter and she just doesn't know how to break it to Adam. It will crush him.
This book had a whole lot of sad. Everyone in the family - from Livia's parents to Livia and Adam, their friends, and their children are horrible communicators.
I just felt like I needed more when I finished this one!
Livia and Adam married young. She got pregnant. They got married. Put their dreams on hold. And Livia never had the wedding she dreamed of.
Livia has always dreamed of sort of a "do over". Having a 40th birthday party to make up for that missed wedding. Adam is all for it and is doing all he can to make it live up to her dreams.
He has some surprises in store for her, the biggest which takes a horrible turn and he doesn't know whether to tell her and ruin her party, or wait until the next day and her possibly hate him for keeping the secret.
Adam isn't the only one with a secret. Livia knows something about their daughter and she just doesn't know how to break it to Adam. It will crush him.
This book had a whole lot of sad. Everyone in the family - from Livia's parents to Livia and Adam, their friends, and their children are horrible communicators.
I just felt like I needed more when I finished this one!
The Dilemma is a book with a seemingly simple plot that made my heart race. As long as she can remember, Livia has been planning her fortieth birthday party the way some girls plan their weddings. Now the party is finally happening. Everyone she loves will be there, except her daughter Marnie. Adam is determined to make this day perfect for Livia, but when he learns some terrible news he will have to make a difficult decision.
As their story unfolds hour by hour from both Livia's and Adam's perspectives, secrets are revealed. The less you know going into this story the better!
This book seems to return to the style of Behind Closed Doors- a domestic thriller that lets the reader know that there is more to the story before that information is revealed. Since I prefer a slow reveal rather than a giant twist, this book was right up my alley.
I don't think fans of domestic thrillers will be disappointed by this book!
Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with an advance copy in exchange for my honest review.
As their story unfolds hour by hour from both Livia's and Adam's perspectives, secrets are revealed. The less you know going into this story the better!
This book seems to return to the style of Behind Closed Doors- a domestic thriller that lets the reader know that there is more to the story before that information is revealed. Since I prefer a slow reveal rather than a giant twist, this book was right up my alley.
I don't think fans of domestic thrillers will be disappointed by this book!
Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with an advance copy in exchange for my honest review.
This book made me want to slap almost every single character across the face and tell them to snap out of it. I don’t even know why I finished it, other than I guess hate-reading something every once in awhile is kind of cathartic. Probably not good for the blood pressure though. Please avoid this book if you’re already close to the edge, there’s a high probability that you will decide to just walk off it.
emotional
mysterious
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
This is not the thriller full of twists and turns that I’ve come to expect from this author. However, I was tense the entire time I was reading. I think this is an amazing character study, and I found myself sympathizing with (almost) every character during this dilemma and rooting for them. I think fans of the author will like this one, although different from previous books. Also recommended for fans of realistic fiction and intricate character portraits.
Read courtesy of Netgalley and the publisher.
Read courtesy of Netgalley and the publisher.
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
There’s no story. It’s just grating and dragging on and on. Nothing happens after the first 1/8th of the book until 320 pages in