Name & Address Withheld [Paperback]

Jane Sigaloff (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 1, 2002

Lizzie Ford is an urban sexpert, and her hip London magazine column and radio show are bombarded with romantic casualties on a daily basis. What a relief that after years in the dating jungle, Lizzie herself has finally leapt off the shelf and into the arms of Matt Baker. But little does Lizzie know this will catapult her into a scorching scandal, forcing her to confront some compelling truths....

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

As an agony aunt (the British version of an advice columnist), Lizzie Ford has helped people through all sorts of problems, both in her column and on her radio show. She shares a flat with her best friend, Clare, and has just met Matt Baker, who might be the man of her dreams, at a work party. One big problem: Matt is married, and he doesn't know how to tell Lizzie. Matt's wife, Rachel, is a workaholic who has been neglecting her husband, assuming she'll be able to win him back once she lands the big advertising campaign she's been lobbying for. But Matt has fallen in love with Lizzie, even though he can't quite bring himself to leave Rachel. Sensing the distance growing between her and Matt, Rachel decides to write to an agony aunt and chooses Lizzie, leading to a showdown that will shake all three of them out of their complacency. Although some readers may find the adulterous Matt an inadequate, if sympathetic, hero, Sigaloff's first novel is without doubt an engaging romantic comedy. Kristine Huntley
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Review

"4 stars. This book is the perfect antidote to Christmas get-togethers. Escape to a comfy chair and enjoy." -- Company magazine

"A hilarious first novel" -- OK! magazine

"Highly rated" -- The Bookseller

"Moving and cleverly written...a great present for a girlfriend needing love advice (we all have one of these)" -- handbag.com

"Witty, juicy and romantic - a clever, controversial comedy about finding love in all the wrong places" -- Sarah Mlynowski, bestselling author of MILKRUN and FISHBOWL

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 344 pages
• Publisher: Red Dress Ink (December 1, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0373250223
• ISBN-13: 978-0373250226
• Product Dimensions: 7.8 x 5 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (29 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,940,513 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Mildly Entertaining, Poorly Written, Very Diasppointing, January 4, 2003

By 

Kate (Burlington, VT) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Name & Address Withheld (Paperback)

I must confess that I've read the bulk of the Red Dress Ink books. I don't expect something deep when I read them, but I do expect for them to provide some easy-to-read and at least fairly well-written.

While I won't say this book was an entire waste of time, the first problem I had with it was an editing issue. I think I counted 10 grammatical/spelling problems within the first 20 pages, that any spellcheck could/should have caught. Considering who Red Dress Ink's parent company is, I would think they can afford some pretty good editors, so I'm not sure what happened there.

The plot itself kept me interested for the first two-hundred pages or so and I'm pretty sure that's how many pages it should have been done in. The story itself is simple enough -- an agony aunt (never heard that term here in the US...but she's similar to a Dear Abby type columnist and hosts a radio show) named Lizzie gets a letter from a woman asking for help in saving her marriage. Lizzie and the woman begin to correspond and develop a textual friendship. Meanwhile, Lizzie meets a man and begins to date him and, seemingly within a matter of seconds, is madly in love with him. Of course it turns out Mr. Perfect is actually married and while I may be giving a little too much away, the book is equally unsubtle in its foreshadowing.

In terms of character development, some are very well-developed, some are very poorly developed, and some the author makes a VERY strong attempt at trying to show different perspectives of a character, but falls short.

A great literary work? Not even close -- terrible spelling, poorly done foreshadowing, and some pretty whiny, weak characters. Entertaining? For the first couple-hundred pages, perhaps. If you're an avid reader you'll probably find yourself picking this book apart (as I did) more than enjoying it. If your primary choice of reading is a paperback romance novel, you may like it just fine.

I DO think the author has potential, though, so if you like this genre keep an eye out for her =)

12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Wickedly funny and intelligent -- RDI's best book to date!, December 9, 2002

By 

CoffeeGurl - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Name & Address Withheld (Paperback)

I have read most of Red Dress Ink's books and roared with laughter and sometimes recognition, for smart and single women are RDI's target readership. However, despite the fact that I have enjoyed RDI's books, I couldn't help but notice that said novels are a bit too lighthearted and predictable -- that is until I got my hands on Name and Address Withheld.

This latest installment touches on the delicate and complex issue of infidelity -- and it's done with wicked humor and intelligence. Lizzie Ford is London's hottest agony aunt -- a "sexpert" in a glossy women's magazine and radio chat show. Her life takes a quantum leap forward when she meets the man of her dreams. But little does Lizzie know that her Prince Charming -- otherwise known as Matt -- is stuck in an unhappy marriage with an ambitious woman named Rachel. To make matters worse, Rachel has sought out Lizzie's help -- unaware of the fact that Lizzie is Matt's mistress. Now Lizzie is torn between love and professional ethics. What will happen to Lizzie? Should she follow her heart and pursue her happiness, or should she help Matt and Rachel rekindle their marriage? There are some twists and fun surprises throughout the novel.

Jane Sigaloff addresses the controversial issue of wives and mistresses with brilliance and insight. This is by far Red Dress Ink's best book to date. Buy Name and Address Withheld for every woman you know with a brain and a sense of humor. I await this talented British author's next work with anticipation...

14 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars May be the worst romance novel ever published, January 6, 2003

By 

jumpy1 (New York, NY) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Name & Address Withheld (Paperback)

I sincerely believe this book was a bet -- that someone could write a completely formulaic, dry, badly-written novel with ridiculous dialogue, and people would still buy it. Well, I was one of the chumps who did! Aiyiyi. Here are some examples: "Lizzie's voice rumbled and squeaked into action and her first syllable came out grudgingly. Her tones were definitely less dulcet than normal, and she could only just hear what she was saying." ... and that was just when talking to her roommate!

How about after a date: "As they turned into her road Lizzie looked at her watch for the first time since one o'clock. It was nearly seven.
'Thanks, Lizzie. I've had a great afternoon.'"

And, her best friend jokes: "Sorry to have bothered you in the middle of everything. I always forget the times of day when everyone else has time to talk are when you are at your busiest."

...if this kind of thing can get published by Red Dress Ink, I wonder who can't?? This is honestly the first time I've felt I deserve my money back!