Reviewed by Kimberley
TITLE: Dilemma
AUTHOR: Noah Willoughby
PUBLISHER: Self Published
LENGTH: 195 pages
BLURB: Though surrounded by people on a daily basis, Chuck is a miserably lonely man, desperately seeking companionship and affection. Not only does his shy personality make him reluctant to approach others, but he also harbors a secret side of himself that he’s tried to suppress and forget for many years. This secret side fills him with a kind of self-loathing, and he unknowingly makes himself unapproachable to others around him.
However, this all changes when he befriends Bjorn, a charismatic and worldly young man who opens Chuck’s eyes and allows him to accept his true identity. This ultimately places Chuck in an awkward position of trying to maintain his relationship with Bjorn in a separate, hidden life while at the same time keeping up a false front in the rest of his daily life.
Dilemma is an unconventional love story that exposes the intense difficulty in coming to terms with one’s true self and the painstaking actions taken to keep a second life hidden from the world. While the truth can sometimes hurt, it doesn’t compare to the pain of living a lie.
REVIEW:
I tried to get into this story but no matter how hard I tried, I just could not like it. Don’t get me wrong, it wasn’t this author’s writing style that I didn’t like; I was okay with that. It was this character and the way he was written that made me feel some kind of way. Chuck and Bjorn were great together but separately, not so much. I disliked Chuck. Okay, I thoroughly disliked Chuck. I found him to be whiny and immature. I understood being an introvert and shy but his was just too much. I found myself saying, “fix it Jeazus, I simply can NOT DEAL with this fool!” I disliked Chuck to the point I wanted to reach through the pages and shake him until his little head fell clean off of his neck. His complete lack of concern, total disregard for those around him made me really mad. His desire to find himself at the expense of those around him made me sick. His unlikable character made it hard to really get into the story.
Bjorn was really the only thing that saved this story (and by saved, I mean not give up reading completely). He was sweet and so full of life, he was really like a breath of fresh air. He was Chuck’s savior in the sense that he showed him that hey, you can be yourself only better. He was sweet but did not allow Chuck to walk all over him. I must be honest and say with his sweet nature and age, I expected him to be.
This review comes with a caveat, though. If you are not a fan of characters lying and cheating, then pass this one by because this story is saturated with it.
Overall, the book was okay, the writing tended to lag in some places. This was a short read that was simply okay. The unlikable lead character’s personality took away some of the enjoyment.
RATING: 
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