The Dilemma

Treachery and blackmail shake up a real estate mogul's marriage in this debut novel by the #1 international–bestselling author of Sheer Abandon.


All Francesca Channing must do in order to keep her marriage alive, her children safe, her life intact, is to tell a lie. One simple, straightforward lie. But it isn't that simple or straightforward at all.



Her husband is charismatic, powerful and rich—and he adores her. He's also manipulative and scheming, with a family as large and complex as his business—Francesca is his third wife, after all. But it was an emotional crisis of her own which finally put Francesca's dilemma into perspective, that made her wonder if she loved him enough to lie for him, that made her wonder how far she could go . . .


Praise for Penny Vincenzi

"Penny Vincenzi is poised to fill the gap in the American realm of Cinderella fiction. With so few current writers able to summon the quaint allure of such women's fiction without stooping to sensation." —Janet Maslin, The New York Times

"Penny Vincenzi writes with verve and heart, immersing the reader in a world of engrossing and unforgettable glamour and passion." —Dominick Dunne

"Nobody writes smart, page-turning commercial women's fiction like Vincenzi." —USA Today

"Satisfaction guaranteed." —The Washington Post Book World