SIGALOFF, Jane 1973-

PERSONAL:

Born April 16, 1973, in London, England. Education: Attended Oxford University.

ADDRESSES:

Agent—c/o Author Mail, Red Dress Ink/S. Bell, Eton House, 18-24 Paradise Rd., Richmond, Surrey TW9 1SR, England.

CAREER:

Writer. Nickelodeon, London, England, began as coffee and tea coordinator, became assistant producer; worked for Music Television (MTV) and the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC); personal assistant, 2000—.

WRITINGS:

Name and Address Withheld, Red Dress Ink (Richmond, Surrey, England), 2002.

Lost & Found, Harlequin (New York, NY), 2004.

SIDELIGHTS:

Jane Sigaloff's experience as a researcher for a talk show provided her with insight into relationships and human behavior, which carries over into her debut novel, Name and Address Withheld.

The protagonist, Lizzie Ford, is what's known in Britain as an agony aunt. In the United States, she would be called an advice columnist. Lizzie, who shares an apartment with friend Clare, meets advertising copywriter Matt, and they end up in a relationship. Matt, however, doesn't bother to tell Lizzie that he is married. His wife, Rachel, is a workaholic who intends to devote more time to Matt when things slow down a bit, but Matt thinks Rachel finds him lacking in ambition. He has thought about divorce but has taken no steps in that direction.

Matt falls for Lizzie, but he can't break with Rachel, who writes of her marital problems to Lizzie. Booklist reviewer Kristine Huntley wrote that "although some readers may find the adulterous Matt an inadequate, if sympathetic, hero, Sigaloff's first novel is without doubt an engaging romantic comedy."

Ellen D. Micheletti reviewed the novel for About Romance online, saying that "normally I don't care for Chick Lit, and I don't like adultery stories, but I did like Name and Address Withheld. The characters were adults, not arrested adolescents, the story was engrossing, and if I missed about ninety percent of the British pop culture references—well I guess I can't have it all."

BIOGRAPHICAL AND CRITICAL SOURCES:

PERIODICALS

Booklist, December 1, 2002, Kristine Huntley, review of Name and Address Withheld, p. 651.

ONLINE

About Romance,http://www.likesbooks.com/ (May 7, 2003), Ellen D. Micheletti, review of Name and Address Withheld.

Romance Reader,http://www.theromancereader.com/ (May 7, 2003), Susan Scribner, review of Name and Address Withheld.*