Andy Jones (7)

I absolutely loved Andy Jones' debut novel, The Two of Us, so I didn't need to think twice before reaching for a copy of Girl 99. There's something so very refreshing and appealing about Andy Jones' style of writing; it's so honest and genuine that it feels like the book is talking to you. Although you don't need to have read The Two of Us to enjoy Girl 99 (but seriously you NEED to read The Two of Us), I was thrilled to see the inimitable character of El make another appearance and welcomed show more him as if he was an old friend of mine rather than Tom's.

Tom is a very multi-faceted and hilarious character. On one hand he is a lad's lad but on the other he is a loving part of a very close knit family, a family that is stronger than ever after suffering the devastating loss of Tom's mother when his sister was very young. Tom has almost taken on the mother role as he acts as intermediary between his Dad and his teenage sister, Bianca.

Tom gets himself into trouble and ends up breaking up with his girlfriend, Sadie, when he admits to kissing a colleague, Holly. When Sadie is collecting her things from the flat she finds Tom's diary (I know, a man with a diary!) but it's more of a notches on the bed post record than a diary as Sadie sees she is number 85 on Tom's list of conquests. Furious, she then makes plans to get her revenge and it ends up in a superb custody battle over the Mini Cooper!

When Tom meets his friend, El, for a night out to drown his sorrows, El encourages Tom into a bet that he will make it to 100 ladies before a set deadline. It's a gamble that Tom willingly accepts and sets off on his quest to hit that magic number, but he didn't gamble on falling in love along the way.

So warm, witty and all-round good fun, Girl 99 is as charming as it is hilarious. Seeing so many sides of Tom, I thought I would despise him for treating women like a number but that's not who he is underneath. The way he acts with his family and his elderly neighbour, Doug, shows the strength of character he really has. Add to this Andy Jones' ability to make me laugh on almost every page and you have a winner of a book; I should have known not to read it whilst eating as I almost choked on my rice salad when reading at lunchtime about Tom's first 'dorty book'. With hilarious quips about Brighton and Paul Daniels, I could not contain my laughter and I was gutted that I had to stop reading to wipe the tears of laughter from eyes.

Another fabulous book from Andy Jones, who is fast becoming one of my favourite authors. A recommended read for anyone who loves a good romcom with an emphasis more on the realism of lad-lit than the mushiness of chick-lit.

I chose to read an ARC and this is my honest and unbiased opinion. show less

After discovering Andy Jones when I read The Two Of Us, I've kept a keen eye out for further releases from him. He's one of those authors that can make you laugh and cry; in fact one of the things I always remark on when reading his books is the humour. Just like real life, there are ups and downs in Andy's books but one thing I can always count on is that there is sure to be a laugh right around the corner.

The book starts with stories of two separate lives, two people who haven't met each show more other yet: Henry and Zoe. Henry is having second thoughts about marrying his childhood sweetheart, April. Unable to sleep on the eve of his wedding, he makes the decision to run for the hills preferring to ruin April's day rather than her life. Meanwhile, Zoe is waking up next to her boyfriend, Alex, and wondering if he is the one for her. Zoe has noticed that Alex has been a bit off lately so she is surprised when he wants to treat her to breakfast in bed, he just has to pop out to the shops for a few provisions. Zoe's world is shattered when Alex doesn't return. As both Henry and Zoe pick up the pieces of their lives, the last thing either of them wants is to jump into another relationship...until fate brings them together.

The Trouble With Henry and Zoe is another fabulous book by Andy Jones. He has taken two completely separate devastating events and shown how people cope with love, loss and everything in between. The characters never failed to surprise me from Henry's love of old movies and secret hairdressing skills to Zoe's keen interest in photography and her bravery at planning a solo trip to Thailand. I read a lot of this book with a lump in my throat, especially when certain email transcripts made an appearance, but never more so than in Zoe's final act of love as she lets Alex go and says hello to the rest of her life.

I really can't recommend Andy Jones highly enough if you love a bit of humour in your books but want to read something that deals with real life events and tugs at your heartstrings. I may have only known them for a short time, as I couldn't help but race through this book, but the characters are so full of life that I felt so very bereft when I turned the final page and wished them well for the future as if they were old friends. All in all, a simply wonderful book. If you haven't read an Andy Jones book yet, what are you waiting for?

I chose to read an ARC and this is my honest and unbiased opinion. show less

I didn't take too much notice of the synopsis of this book before deciding to read it. I love Andy Jones's writing and would read anything he writes so The Last Act of Adam Campbell was a must-read for me. Books about death and dying wouldn't necessarily be the first books I would seek out but the author writes such poignant scenes that he turned what could understandably be a very sad subject matter into something that, as a whole, is incredibly uplifting and beautifully written.

Whilst Adam show more is a major character this is actually an ensemble piece and it's a brilliant one at that. Adam joins a support group for people who are terminally ill and along with getting to know him, we also meet Tom, Laura, Pat, Vernon, Erin and Raymond. They are a disparate bunch, a variety of ages, temperaments and backgrounds, but the one thing they have in common makes them into a tight-knit little group and they have fun together when they embark upon producing a play based around deaths in Shakespeare plays.

Jones is such a wonderful writer and he's produced something really special with this book. There are lots of lump in the throat moments, and tears were shed several times too, but it also made me smile and it made me think. Each of the main characters has their own way of approaching their fate and I thought they were all portrayed perfectly (although I must admit to a particular soft spot for Pat) and in such a way that when the action changed from one to another I was never disappointed to leave one behind as I knew that each individual strand of the story was strong and powerful in its own right.

This is a book that is raw and honest and at times the way each character's illness affects them is hard to read, but at the same time I felt enriched by it and moved by the legacy that we have the ability to leave behind. I love a book that makes me cry because I know that it's really affected me and The Last Act of Adam Campbell certainly did that. This is a book and characters I won't forget. show less

I read and enjoyed a previous book by Andy Jones, Girl 99, so when I saw he had a new book coming out with such an engaging cover, I was immediately tempted. The cover is very clever and hints at some of the conflicts contained in the pages within.

I thought Four got off to a fairly slow start. The main action takes place very early on, but there's also quite a bit of scene-setting and introduction to the characters. I did keep getting the two couples muddled up (perhaps this was prescient show more given what was about to take place!). But what that slow start did was draw me into the action bit by bit until I was thoroughly engrossed in what the two couples were doing and feeling.

Those two couples are Sally and Alistair, married for seven years, together for ten, and Mike and Faye whose relationship is very new. But Sally and Mike have known each other since university and have shared more than just a friendship over the years, and Mike and Alistair work together. So things are complicated when the three friends set off to see Faye in a play in Brighton. A game of Never Have I Ever leads to far more than any of them could have anticipated, and the consequences are potentially far-reaching.

I thought Four was a very intelligent piece of writing about relationships, feelings, regrets and life's complications. Andy Jones completely hits the spot and has written such an emotive and thoughtful story. His ability to write about flawed characters and difficult situations is something that I saw in Girl 99 too. I was able to immerse myself in the individual predicaments of each character in Four and see it from all sides and although none of the characters comes out unscathed, I thought the conclusion was fitting.

Four perfectly portrays the dynamics between friends, lovers and rivals. The characterisations are so well-drawn that I felt like I was on the rollercoaster of emotions with them. I got to the end of the book and felt satisfied. It's such a human story and I found myself caring about what happened to the characters and wondering how on earth matters could be resolved.

Give it a go. After all, as the characters say a lot during that fateful night in Brighton, 'you only regret the things you don't do' and you'll definitely regret not reading Four. show less