The Dilemma

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Charlotte is mad when she finds out her long time boyfriend has not been honest with her month after month when she hasn't been able to conceive. She gives him the boot because she can't forgive his betrayal. When on vacation with her bff, Annabelle, she has a drunken one night stand with a fellow guest that she'll never see again, or will she?

Tiff and Charlotte are best friends through their professional connections. Charlotte gives birth to a son with medical issues. His only chance of survival may involve a life-saving transplant. Will Charlotte risk her friendship with Tiff to save her son's life? This novel made me think about secrets. Little White Lies and those Big Old Whoppers. We’ve all told ‘em. Now I wonder if they were worth it. All her friends will be there apart from her daughter Marnie who is studying in Hong Kong. Livia is relieved Marnie won’t be at the party as she knows something about her that she needs to tell Adam, but knows it will ruin her party so is going to tell him afterwards. I truly loved Livia as a character, Adam and her marriage story made me cry, affected me deeply because in my opinion you’re not growing up till you get married and spend your life with someone, discovering yourself and learning more about your partner in crime! When you get married, you learn how to share, how to fight against tremendous challenges life is throwing at your way, because your marriage teaches you to be selfless, mature, logical. Mostly marriage also teaches you to be blind, mute and listen more, act lesser. Olivia didn’t have a fabulous wedding. She’s longed and planned for her 40th birthday, what seems like, all her life. She’s saved and invested all her years focused on it.This novel consists of 42 chapters set over two parts. The chapters are short to medium in length so possible to read 'just one more chapter' before bed...OK, I know yeah right, but still just in case! There must be something in my voice, or maybe they read something in my face, because both police officers pause.

There was no tension, just irritation. This is a family drama, not a thriller, and a boring one at that. In fact, the father of her baby is only one of several dilemmas Charlotte will be facing. With her son being born with a rare disease, quite naturally, Charlotte will make the best decisions she can for her child, even if it means revealing the truth of that single night, something that could cost her dear friendships. Unlike other domestic/ psychological thrillers, this book doesn’t pertain to murders and mysteries.I have to admit, I didn’t expect a dramatic family fiction when I started reading this book. When I saw B. A. Paris’ name, I thought I was about to devour a nail biter, eyes wider, grey cell crusher thriller story. So I may have given two stars after the disappointment but... I couldn’t because this is really good written fiction. A husband and wife with secrets. Livia and Adam are protecting their secret from each other. One believes his/her secret is damaging. The other knows his/her secret is heartbreaking. Both are keeping his/her secret from the other as it is the day of Livia’s 40th Birthday party. A party she has been waiting to have for a long, long, time. Both intend to tell the other his/her secret after the party. But how? How does one keep it together? Who does one keep on a happy face when his/her world has been devastated forever? I want to start with highlighting this amazing new-ish author, Julia Roberts, who is not OUR actor Julia, but a really amazing talent in her own right.