TITLE: The Dilemma
AUTHOR: B.A. Paris
PUBLISHER: St. Martin's Press
PUB. YEAR: 2020
Setting: UK
Format: eGalley
Rating - 2.5/5
Livia and her husband Adam have never had a proper wedding celebration. Livia parents pretty much disowned her 20 years earlier when she became pregnant before marriage, in turn, they missed out getting to know their two adult grandchildren. Now Livia is about to celebrate her 40th birthday and a huge celebration is in the works to make up for the wedding she never had .
Here's the "dilemma": both Adam and Livia have a secret they've been keeping from each other. They don't want the secret to spoil the party as the guests are to arrive within 24 hours.
The story is told over a period of 24 hours in alternating chapters from Livia and Adam's POV. Initially, I couldn't wait to find out the "big secrets" but, soon I became frustrated by how the story began to drag and by how annoying the key characters were acting. I really looked forward to this suspense thriller. I've read everything this author has written and had enjoyed both the writing style and the pace of her earlier novels. This latest offering seemed so unrealistic and, even though it got off to a good start, it ending up being a letdown for me.
That's a real bummer.
ReplyDeleteHer first book was so good and things seem to have gone downhill ever since. :(
ReplyDeleteHer books are hit and miss for me. I feel like the formula isn't working anymore.
ReplyDeleteOh what a bummer to hear this one wasn't as good as the author's previous books. I do have this one on my shelf but will have to keep my expectations low!
ReplyDeleteI find that novels that rely on suspense and surprise really need to be realistic. When such a book is not believable it does not work for me. Thus, I see why this was a bit disappointing.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Kathy. I enjoyed her first book (so good on audio!), but haven't been interested in any of her others. The Breakdown was a disappointment, so I probably won't read any more by this author.
ReplyDeleteI have this ARC waiting for me, and I usually enjoy this author too. Now I am disappointed to learn that the story fell short of your expectations. Thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteI have not read anything by this author. I am picky about psychological thrillers and don't ever seem to like the ones that everyone else raves about.
ReplyDeleteOh that's too bad this was a bit meh. I'm always a bit leery about books with a big secret because they can kind of drag or the secret is underwhelming. I probably would have picked this up because the author is so reliable but I think I'll pass.
ReplyDelete