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3.26 AVERAGE
3.26 AVERAGE
The Dilemma by B. A. Paris is a book about exactly what it says: a husband and wife, each keeping secrets, and not sure when to tell each other. The story is set on the backdrop of a 40th birthday party for Liz, the wife, who married Adam very young and is using the party to have the wedding she always dreamed of. But what will happen if one, or both of them, finally decides to tell the truth?
There’s a very simple plot to this book, and the secrets are revealed quite early on, so I actually think it’s much more of a family drama than a mystery-thriller as I thought. Since there’s not a lot of mystery, it relies more on the tension between characters, which comes down to the fact that all their issues are the result of not talking to each other. I hate this trope and it really annoyed me. Liz and Adam are also not particularly likeable. She has actually been dreaming of her 40th birthday party for about 2 decades, even buying a house based on how good it would be as a venue for the party. If that seems weirdly obsessive and hard to imagine to you, I agree.
I have seen other reviews say that The Dilemma would be much better-suited to a short story and I agree. Or a single conversation...the longer it went on the more annoyed I got. I couldn’t connect with Liz or Adam and the rest of the characters are pretty flat. Also having a character named Marnie and then pets named Murphy and Mimi is a bit much. Unlike the other novel I read by Paris, Bring Me Back, where the dog was the redeeming character, even the pets can’t save this one. Lastly, there’s an epilogue I did not like (primarily because of one decision that the characters make “for the good” of another character) that bumped my rating down from two to one star.
Overall, despite not enjoying The Dilemma I still feel like there’s something about Paris’ writing that has a lot of potential. I have heard one of her earlier novels (Behind Closed Doors) is fantastic so I may give that one a third and final try before dismissing her books as just not for me.
There’s a very simple plot to this book, and the secrets are revealed quite early on, so I actually think it’s much more of a family drama than a mystery-thriller as I thought. Since there’s not a lot of mystery, it relies more on the tension between characters, which comes down to the fact that all their issues are the result of not talking to each other. I hate this trope and it really annoyed me. Liz and Adam are also not particularly likeable. She has actually been dreaming of her 40th birthday party for about 2 decades, even buying a house based on how good it would be as a venue for the party. If that seems weirdly obsessive and hard to imagine to you, I agree.
I have seen other reviews say that The Dilemma would be much better-suited to a short story and I agree. Or a single conversation...the longer it went on the more annoyed I got. I couldn’t connect with Liz or Adam and the rest of the characters are pretty flat. Also having a character named Marnie and then pets named Murphy and Mimi is a bit much. Unlike the other novel I read by Paris, Bring Me Back, where the dog was the redeeming character, even the pets can’t save this one. Lastly, there’s an epilogue I did not like (primarily because of one decision that the characters make “for the good” of another character) that bumped my rating down from two to one star.
Overall, despite not enjoying The Dilemma I still feel like there’s something about Paris’ writing that has a lot of potential. I have heard one of her earlier novels (Behind Closed Doors) is fantastic so I may give that one a third and final try before dismissing her books as just not for me.
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
emotional
hopeful
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
The way to tell how much talent an author has is to read something from a different genre than what they are known for and see if the writing is just as good. Well, B.A. Paris nailed that test!! As many reviews have noted, this is a genre switch from Paris's usual fast-paced thriller - I would classify this has more of a family drama (and boy was there drama!!). The Dilemma is just as captivating and entertaining as her thrillers - she continues her great writing and storytelling in a new genre. I would recommend going in blind to this one (I wish I had!) to make the story even more dramatic!
Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.
Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
fast-paced
Well, you know what is not good? Listening to such a book when PMS is your company in these days. I was bawling my eyes out probably for 50% of this book and I was holding on to hope till the last word.
This was different than what the author is usually writing, but I still enjoyed it. It was something different and yes, I was frustrated with the characters sometimes, because WHY DON'T YOU F**KING TALK...:D But I liked the story and the characters and I liked that I probably dehydrated myself today...:D
This was different than what the author is usually writing, but I still enjoyed it. It was something different and yes, I was frustrated with the characters sometimes, because WHY DON'T YOU F**KING TALK...:D But I liked the story and the characters and I liked that I probably dehydrated myself today...:D
emotional
slow-paced
dark
emotional
mysterious
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
This should have been a short story. Don’t get me wrong, I love B.A. Paris and her talent to create suspense and to thrill, but this was such a bore. The story revolves around Livia who is obsessed with having the big 40th birthday as a compensation for the wedding she never had. Therefore, she keeps a big secret from her husband for 6 weeks so that her party won’t get ruined. Then something happens on the day of the party and the husband Adam keeps that from Livia... The problem could have been solved in 2 minutes, but no, we had to read pages and pages of indecisiveness and passivity. I cannot believe how Adam could go on without making a very crucial call to find out the truth. It took me ages to finish the book as I was really bored of this couple’s stupidity. Such a big disappointment.