Name & Address Withheld

by Jane Sigaloff

Dear Lizzie, My marriage is in dire straits. I know you must get hundreds of people writing to you with this problem, but I think my husband may be having an affair . –Name & Address WithheldLizzie 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 leaped off the shelf into the arms of Matt Baker–an advertising genius with enough charm to win over even Lizzie's man-cynical best friend.Little does Lizzie know there's more to Matt Baker than witty one-liners and bedroom eyes. Or that this innocent, seemingly anonymous note from a reader is about to catapult her into a scorching scandal, forcing Lizzie to confront some compelling home truths about life, love–and loyalty .

Genres: Chick Lit, Fiction, Romance, British Literature, Womens Fiction, Contemporary

380 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2002

About the author

Born in London, Jane Sigaloff has always been a city girl at heart. After studying history at Oxford University she entered the allegedly glamorous world of television, beginning her career as tea and coffee co-ordinator for Nickolodeon UK.

Progressing to researcher and then to assistanct producer, her contracts took her to MTV and finally to the BBC, where she worked for several years.

Since 2000 Jane has enjoyed a double life as a part-time PA which has given her more time to write and feel guilty about not going to the gym. Jane's novels include Lost and Found, Technical Hitch, Like Mother, Like Daughter and Confessions of an Agony Aunt.

Reviews

[Chloe (Always Booked) · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was cute but nothing special and I didn't like the overall message it gave about cheating. From my perspective, this made cheating seem okay and made the wife out to be borderline certifiably crazy. The book started to go down a very female positive path and I was excited about it but then it hooked a hard left and didn't go there. I thought the relationship between Matt and Lizzie happened too quick to make it feel authentic and believable. I just didn't buy into it and thought he was kind of fickle and sleazy. This book was easy to read but struggled with some pacing issues throughout for me. Overall, this isn't a bad read but I wouldn't recommend it either.

SPOILERS AHEAD:
This book is about Lizzie. She's a woman living in London who is an "agony aunt". From what I understand, her job was to answer letters from people who are in struggling relationships and she will help them. Lizzie is a single gal until she meets Matt. He's a charming man who works in advertising and they just instantly connect and it becomes a thing. What she doesn't know is that he's married. It becomes even more complicated when his wife, Rachel, starts writing in to Lizzie. They become friends (nobody knows who anybody is) and this is where I thought maybe they'd come together when his dirty deeds were revealed, but thats not how it happened. Instead the truth came out and Lizzie is heartbroken and stops seeing him. He seems to teeter totter but still prefer Lizzie and eventually they get divorced and he goes back to Lizzie and she takes him back now that he's divorced. I think we're supposed to feel relief and joy, but I just felt yucky about Matt and had the ole "Once a cheater, always a cheater" thing in my head. I just thought it was all too fast to be real and I didn't fall for it.

[Linda Dezenski · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lizzie is an advice columnist who meets a man at a party. She falls in love with him and then finds out he is married.
I don't read romances anymore, and I thought there would be more drama. There was some drama, but not like the thriller books I usually read.
The dialog was good, really authentic.

[Ela Celik · Rating 1 out of 5]

this book was the most uneventful experience i have ever had. This book was more boring than my own life. Nothing happened - all she did was get into a relationship with a married man. Rachel was kind of an icon though low-key (except for her blaming the other woman and not her husband?).

[Bibi · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5

[Alexandra Tassoni · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a nice easy read. Following Lizzie's unexpected love triangle was a fun ride. It definitely has all of the core cheesy romantic aspects you'd expect in a romantic comedy.

[Alycia · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was amusing but mostly predictable. I read it over 6 months ago and needed to read other people's reviews and summaries to remember it - so it clearly wasn't something that stuck with me. I agree with the other reviewers that there was an issue with what it said about cheating...

[Emily · Rating 2 out of 5]

Lizzie Ford is an agony aunt, or advice columnist in London. She has a magazine column and a call in radio show, through which she dispenses advice. Never lucky in love herself Lizzie thins her luck might have changed when she meet's Matt at the company party and things heat up fast. Till a bomb is dropped that Matt is married. Now, Lizzie has some choices to make and it doesn't help that she has been giving advice and forming a friendship with a women who has gotten lost in her career and is trying to save it from the exact thing Lizzie is going through. Could her personal and private life's be crashing?

This story is the story for hopeless romantics and though I don't mind a good love story I am not a hopeless romantic. There were parts of this book that were just a little slow for me, it was a very easy book to put down and hard to pick back up. I kind of wanted to like this book, but I couldn't get into it. The characters fell a little flat for me. The wife a little to easy to see why she was in the position she was. Matt just didn't have the guts to do anything for most of it. Lizzie was a little to I was perfect and I can't believe I am not anymore, woe is me, or I am just the victim at times. The only character that seemed to have some depth and growth in the plot was Clare, Lizzie's roommate and best friend, who had been cheated on by her ex husband and still doesn't trust men at the start of the book. She grows in understanding herself and relationship to men through the book and I feel like that was the primary growth in the book. Overall, I was kind of disappointed in this book. It was a predictable and mediocre.

I will try other books by Sigaloff, looks like this is one of her daly ones. But, really this one and the characters not my cup of tea. Maybe two stars is what I would give it.

[Anne · Rating 1 out of 5]

Lizzie is an "agony-aunt" (like a Dear Abby, but in London). She falls head over heels for Matt, who just happens to be maried (though he doesn't tell her this at first). At about the same time, she starts receiving long letters from Rachel, a high-powered self-absorbed ad exec. who seems to be having a little marital trouble. Well, it doesn't take a genius to figure out how this is all going to work itself out. Badly. Almost as badly as the way this story is written and told in general. Lizzie starts out likeable -- a no-nonsense woman with a career and some perspective. But, once she meets this guy she becomes wholly divorced from reality (no pun intended) and behaves like the stereo-typical wallowing pathetic loser of a co-dependent. I keep wanting to like these chick-lit books - they start light and fun and involve girlfriends and lots of chocolate (who wouldn't like that?), but in the end, I just end up depressed -- and truly hoping with everything in me that the women portrayed on the pages are really just figments of some writer's imagination, and not a true reflection of my entire female generation.

[Preet · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's an interesting tale about "agony aunts" and infidelity. Lizzie is an agony aunt and she loves it. She's anxious about going to an office meeting and doing something to embarrass herself. she meets Matt after he moves in and saves her from the unwanted attentions of a fellow dj. They're attracted to each other and it looks as if a romance is in the works. It's too bad Matt can't bring himself to tell Lizzie he's married. Further complications arise when Lizzie responds to a letter asking for help from a woman trying to get advice to save her marriage and it turns out to be Matt's wife of five years, Rachel. Talk about messy!

I liked the story somewhat, but to me the side story of Lizzie's best friend and room mate Clare, was much more exciting. I wish there was more of her or at least a short story or another book about her. I think the most interesting thing about this book was that none of the characters were black and white. They all had shades of grey.

[Sarah G. · Rating 2 out of 5]

So I had hopes (not necessarily high hopes, just hopes) for this book, but I was really disappointed with it. Just another lame girl doing lame things over an equally lame boy. I must be a glutton for punishment, because I did check out another book from the same author, but I decided I will give her another chance. If I'm disappointed again there will be no going back for thirds. PS: Also- this is a british author and I did not care for the publisher's choice for single quotations for speech rather than double quotations.

[Carrie · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book gives me hope in that I write much the same way Jane Sigaloff does. Maybe, if I can ever finish anything, I can get published, too! This book also gives me something to think about in that I don't really think it's . . . structurally sound? I'm not sure how to say what I'm thinking (so how good a writer can I be?), but I'm going with this. Interesting story, though.

[Marcia · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is available as an ebook. It is a second novel written in 2002. Not sure the premise would work today.what with cell phones and social media, it would be pretty hard to hide a wife like Rachel or hide from her. I read this kind of novel for its travel lore and cultural references. Who knew about Angel Delight. Thanks to Jane and Google, I do!

[Deb (Readerbuzz) Nance · Rating 2 out of 5]

Yes, the book had one clever plot
idea, but, sorry, that won't
carry the ferry across the
bay. The worst book I've read
this year.

[Sararabie_]

it's not bad, although I've read much better books. I had a hard time finishing it as the plot is weak and badly organized, and the author happened to elongate scenes and sentences to the point that it gets boring.

[Molly · Rating 3 out of 5]

better than expected for chick lit, i was really engrossed with the main character

[Charity · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent book by a great author. Loved the storyline.

[Dawn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good Book - but you have to be in the mood. Easy read.

[Kim · Rating 2 out of 5]

It took me a little while to get into this one. All in all it was ok. Not my favorite RDI book but it was still enjoyable.

[Puty · Rating 3 out of 5]

another chicklit, with pop knowledges in smart dialogs.

[Rebecca]

keeping track of chick lit books i've read

[Eva-Marie Nevarez · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this much more than I thought I would. I really only even opened it to take a look because it somehow found it's way here and I ended up loving it. Fast and easy, chic-lit.

[Knotty · Rating 1 out of 5]

I hated this book.

[Meg Salome · Rating 2 out of 5]

Another recent re-read....pretty mindless chick lit....good for a quick beach read!

[Amanda · Rating 2 out of 5]

A total beach read...perfect for my vacation in Florida

[Beth · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was an easy if not somewhat boring read. I think its good for a romance book, which generally are not my favorites to read.

[Chloe · Rating 2 out of 5]

The story was probably OK - it was just not my cup of tea. I was hoping for a light hearted romance with a bit of humour ... but instead got a messy affair that was just a tad boring.

[Jenn · Rating 4 out of 5]

https://jenninsf.wordpress.com/2013/0...

[Meaghan · Rating 4 out of 5]

i loved it until the very end. i wasnt happy with the way it endd at all. the story was really good until the last four or five pages though!

[Melissa (Distracted by New Grandbaby) · Rating 2 out of 5]

Fair read. Single woman meets a great guy and learns he's married.

[Dasha Kirsten · Rating 2 out of 5]

Easy read on holiday at beach