Customer Reviews

Name & Address Withheld

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(6)

 

 

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 =)

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...

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!

I agree with the other reviews here that this novel was poorly written and edited. It was difficult reading because there were so many typos and some sentences didn't make sense. These mistakes distracted from the book, and neither the writing nor the plot were enough to make up for it. That being said, the main character is likeable, but the novel was a struggle to finish. A lot of ground that has been (better) covered by (many) other authors. I hate to write a bad review, but I cannot recommend this book, it was a disappointment!

Lizzie Ford is an agony aunt (an advice columnist for those of us in the states) and host of a popular radio call in show. After meeting many Mr. Wrongs, she thinks she finally gets it right when she meets and falls from Matt Baker. Of course, what Lizzie doesn't know is that Matt is in a loveless marriage, either too complacent or too lazy to end it with his wife, Rachel. Upon discovering Matt's deception, she tries to break things off with him, but she's in too deep. Things get further complicated when she discovers that her new pen pal seeking advice on how to save her marriage is Matt's Rachel. Also complicating matters is that her best friend Clare is a recent divorcee, whose husband was incapable of fidelity, feels a sxense of betrayal at Lizzie's actions.

What makes this more compelling than most novels about infidelity is that we identify more with the mistress than the wife. Rachel's motivation to keep the marriage going stems more from the need not to fail than love itself. It takes a lot of anguish to find out what happens, but it is worth it in the end.

I loved this book! The story of Lizzie's search for a decent man coming to an end only to find out he is married is great. The emotions Lizzie feels are very true and carry the reader through this book. The column she writes is very "Sex and the City"ish, and this book is a little like one of their shows without the do-me-anytime Samantha character. This is a great vacation/beach read.

This is a book about real life. The characters were true to life and the conflicts were original and really made you think. It was witty and funny and romantic. Dating in the 21st century isn't easy, and this will make you laugh, cry and take care at Christmas parties...Read it and then read it again.

Seems that Red Dress wanted to get out of the 20-somethings, every guy who sees me loves me pattern it has fallen into and offers this -- a story about the other woman. And the author pulls it off quite nicely. Usually you don't want to root on a cheating hero and his mistress, but the story unfolds nicely -- albeit a bit too predictably at times -- into a happily ever after. We hope.

The author's voice is fresh and although this is definitely more BritLit with it's references and terminology, it's a good, quick read.

I'm not above a little mindless chick lit, and in fact have read dozens of Red Dress Ink books, but this one just isn't very good. There are typos, and the writing style leaves much to be desired. I also feel that the "friendship" between Lizzie and Clare feels off. There's all this underlying tension and in their relationship; even before Clare gets mad at Lizzie for her actions, they don't relate to each other the way real best friends do. I also find Matt to be completely unlikeable. I have to admit: I'm no quite finished with the book, but I am not too impressed so far.

Without a doubt - one of my newest favs is "Name & Address Withheld" by Jane Sigaloff. I found this latest Red Dress book better than most of the others I have read. Some of them have been lacking - some have been great. This one jumps to the head of the GREAT line. I found the characters interesting, the dialogue witty, the story entertaining and the romance believable. I look forward to more from this author. A really nice treat! Highly Recommended.