• The Restaurant Critic's Wife

  • By: Elizabeth LaBan
  • Narrated by: Angela Dawe
  • Length: 8 hrs and 34 mins
  • 3.7 out of 5 stars (256 ratings)

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The Restaurant Critic's Wife  By  cover art

The Restaurant Critic's Wife

By: Elizabeth LaBan
Narrated by: Angela Dawe
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Publisher's summary

People magazine included The Restaurant Critic's Wife on their Great New Fiction list and hailed it as "thoroughly entertaining."

Lila Soto has a master's degree that's gathering dust, a work-obsessed husband, two kids, and lots of questions about how exactly she ended up here.

In their new city of Philadelphia, Lila's husband, Sam, takes his job as a restaurant critic a little too seriously. To protect his professional credibility, he's determined to remain anonymous. Soon his preoccupation with anonymity takes over their lives as he tries to limit the family's contact with anyone who might have ties to the foodie world. Meanwhile, Lila craves adult conversation and some relief from the constraints of her homemaker role. With her patience wearing thin, she begins to question everything: her decision to get pregnant again, her break from her career, her marriage - even if leaving her ex-boyfriend was the right thing to do. As Sam becomes more and more fixated on keeping his identity secret, Lila begins to wonder if her own identity has completely disappeared - and what it will take to get it back.

©2016 Elizabeth LaBan (P)2016 Brilliance Audio, all rights reserved.

What listeners say about The Restaurant Critic's Wife

Average customer ratings
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  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
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    2 out of 5 stars

Wife losing herself to her husband

I am so disappointed in his book. It’s well written but is a story of a woman losing her inner self to please a husband who can’t look beyond himself. In the book Lila allowed herself to be bullied by her husband. Lila is like a Phoenix rising from the dead after being defeated yet making excuses for the man who caused her death. Not a book I’d recommend to any woman other than a romantic who believes a woman’s job Is to reform herself to please an overbearing husband.

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2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars
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    2 out of 5 stars
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    2 out of 5 stars

So disappointing

I kept hoping Lila would come to her senses and ditch her incredibly self-centered and narcissistic husband, Sam, but no. This study in frustration wraps up tidily with Sam "agreeing" to "let" Lila work - but of course only part time.
I listened to this in my car and found myself yelling at the characters several times out of sheer annoyance. I listened right to the end in the hope that she would get it together, but I wasted my time.
And please, Lila, don't inflict your screaming children on us at any restaurant, ever.

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
  • ML
  • 05-17-16

Annoying loud child!

This was a very good book about a husband that is a control freak. I would buy a regular book to read though due to the loud annoying voice of the child. I stopped listening several times thinking I couldn't take hearing her any longer. I finally made it to the end. It was agonizing.

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  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    2 out of 5 stars

Ladedadeda

I kept waiting for something to happen and it never did. I would have left Sam many moons before this story was told. The reader was good and after a few duds I’d listened to before, she brought some life to this book I was happy to see end. I kept waiting for something to happen but it never did.

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  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    1 out of 5 stars

Unlikeable characteds

I don’t think I’ve ever disliked a husband as much as I dislike Sam. No one ever discusses how controlling and mentally abusive he is. I can’t stand him or the way his wife is such a pushover.

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  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars
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    1 out of 5 stars
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    2 out of 5 stars

Ridiculous

This story was maddening. Just when you think the wife was going to show some sense she dumbed it down again. The husband was AWFUL and the little girl’s voice was nails on a chalk board.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Great Book

This was a great book. I really enjoyed listening to this. The story line flowed smoothly and really held my interest. i evem learned a thimg or two about what goes into being a food critic. interesting.I look forward to reading more from this author


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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Good Read

I took my time getting into this story. The author has great insight into real life situations and the main character matures beautifully.

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  • Overall
    1 out of 5 stars

Imagine a flight next to I'll behaved loud children

I enjoyed not perfect so much I tried this book. It was just painful. Some people are miserable and they feel entitled to inflict their misery on people around them. The world is not your babysitter. Idiots enjoying letting their 3yr old jump off steps. The screeching spoiled children inflicted on other diners. Yes it is too soon to take your kids out of you have not taught them how not to disturb othets. You obviously don't even want to be a full time mom and it is not your strength. You are miserable in your marriage but too cowardly to move out and start a better life. I hope no one buys this book. I wish I could get a refund.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

I loved this book!

This was my first Elizabeth Laban book. since this one I've listened to all her over ones! it was beautifully written, I loved the characters and narrator. I would recommend it to anyone wanting a light read who loved food narratives. Made my mouth water!

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