The Restaurant Critic's Wife by Elizabeth LaBan

Lila is in a position that a lot of women are today. It is a first world problem! having a masters degree and an aptitude for crisis management which she has done wonderfully in the past, she and her husband now have two children. She has a work mad husband whose passion as a restaurant critic borders on paranoia and who is insistent that she does not go for work as he feels that it would endanger his own job. It sounded weird but his understanding was that by her being photographed or known he would not be able to maintain his anonymity as a critic and could be then viewed as biased. This also extended to friendships and he was against being overly neighbourly or friendly with anyone in case they were directly or indirectly connected to the restaurant business.

Lila is not happy with the situation but she is willing to go along as she is torn between being a good wife and mother and being a professional woman. Her children are very young and she feels guilty about putting them second to her career. She however feels alive when she is working and she knows that sooner or later she will have to learn to balance the two if she is to feel happier than what she is now.

The story takes us through their ups and downs of a normal restaurant critic's life eating their way through Philadelphia's myriad restaurants, having enormous meals very nicely detailed and making one's mouth water whilst reading!

Lila and Sam's story was a good one which is replicated in a lot of homes. How does one keep the balance going, feel fulfilled and at the same time provide a caring and good home for your children.

The book was sent to me by Netgalley courtesy of Lake Union Publishing for an unbiased review.