Girl 99 is the new novel by Andy Jones, best-selling author of The Two of Us and The Trouble with Henry and Zoe.

After a messy break up with his girlfriend Sadie on Christmas Eve, Tom realises that she wasn’t The One, she was just The One For Now. She was also, he realises, after listing all of his previous relationship/flings/liaisons – girl number 85.

When his best friend El challenges him to bring things to a nice round number and sleep with a 100 women by a certain date, Tom reluctantly agrees – mainly to get El off his back, but also because, well he’s a man and clearly a little slutty. Without really putting much effort into his mission, he ends up sleeping with a colleague, a friend of a friend, a stranger he meets on the tube, the estate agent selling his flat and more besides. Each encounter is meaningless, messy and awkward, and leaves Tom feeling empty and alone. He then meets Verity, who is more than just a number, and is forced to face up to his self-destructive behaviour.

Girl 99 is a perfectly observed tale of relationships in all their guises, dealing with issues of love, loss, morality and degenerative illness. Andy Jones is really good at creating realism, in both his characters and their experiences, while serving it all up with a razor-sharp dose of smart wit.

Tom is an all-round nice guy. He’s popular, has a good career and is touchingly protective over his dad and younger sister following the death of his mother a few years previous, but he is essentially lonely – often, the highlight of his day is drinking tea with his elderly neighbour Doug. He also has commitment issues and a slight tendency to over-analyse. You could almost take a dislike to him and his promiscuous ways, and his selfish disregard for women’s feelings, but deep down Tom is unfulfilled and lost.

I hate to use the ‘J’ word really, but Tom does go on a bit of a ‘journey’ of self-discovery. Relationships are complicated, whether friendship, relationship or relative and mistakes are often made along the way – Tom makes many (like breaking up with a girl over email – really Tom?!). It makes for a charmingly life-affirming and relatable tale.Thoroughly enjoyable.

A fun and engaging story about falling in love. Such a great read!!

I couldn't put this book down. Andy Jones has gone where many men fear to tread and has written this brilliant book about sex vs love and has still come away with his masculinity intact. It's so good to see the flipside of the coin. After the breakdown of a relationship that was at its best a comfortable habit, Tom embarks on a series of meaningless encounters which SHOULD be fun, but ultimately aren't. I love Tom's best friend, who on the surface is completely crass and inappropriate, but has his own heartbreaking story. The developing relationship with Girl 99, unexpected to Tom, starts gently, and starts with friendship rather than a desire to add another girl to the bet with El. I love Andy Jones's writing; and this rewrite shows how much he has improved on an already brilliant book, just from experience.

I loved it!

Cute, quick read. A rom-com from a male point of view. Tom was KIND of a cad, but in the end, I found myself with a little bit of a crush.

Thanks to NetGalley, Andy Jones, and the publisher for this e-book which I received in exchange for this review.

This was another absolutely cracking read from Andy Jones. Great characters and a plot which had me gasping and laughing equal measure. I thoroughly enjoyed it and would certainly recommend.

I must admit that I was ever so slightly dubious about the content of this book. A man sets out to take his tally of conquests to a nice round 100 - what a great guy he must be. Except......Tom is actually a really nice guy and I absolutely couldn't help but like him. I'm not sure how Andy Jones managed it as it could have descended into something quite different, a very blokey sort of read, but instead it's a heart-warming and incredibly readable story.

As he lurched from woman to woman I had the urge to reach into the book and shake Tom but I hoped that he would come to his senses before I got to the end. I won't say if he does or not but suffice it to say that this sort of book usually ends on a happy note.

With a hint of the Mike Gayle to it, I thought this was a brilliant, funny read and I think most people would enjoy it, male or female. It's by no means a frothy love story but it is mostly quite light-hearted. The characterisations are spot on. In particular I loved Douglas, Tom's neighbour and Tom's dad who were quite similar characters actually. Tom works in television advertising and I presume the author drew from his own experiences there as it's described really well and in some detail.

Once I had got into this book I found myself racing through it. I couldn't put it down as I followed Tom on his collision course of a love (or sex) life. It made me smile and it made me sad (his friend, El, in particular).

Whilst I could have expected to enjoy Girl 99, it completely exceeded my expectations and I'm really looking forward to reading more of Andy Jones's work. Just the thing when you need something to make you smile.

Finally, a word for the rather lovely cover. Reading it on my Kindle I didn't spot the detail until I went back to it when I'd finished reading. I then spotted that the numbers are made up of 49 woman with another 1 standing up to make Girl 99. Really quite clever!

This is my first introduction to Andy Jones work and I really enjoyed this romcom. A modern day man’s bird’s eye view (get it!) of dating, life, relationships, families, love. I loved the honesty in the author’s writing it was real and relatable. Through all the fun elements of the story there were some very poignant moments that you could feel the vulnerability in Tom, the main character.

Tom has just recently split with his girlfriend Sadie and at the moment they both share the use of their mini car. This however, was to prove disastrous. Whilst Tom was out with his friend El the subject of his love life cropped up. El set’s a goal with Tom, a bet with a £1000 wager to bed his 100th fair lady by a certain date. El is terminally ill with Huntington’s disease, the disease is slowly taking over his body and mind which makes him talk very frankly. The relationship Tom and El have is very endearing, one minute they can be having a right good laugh and a joke the next Tom will show his caring side with El. It’s lovely but also very touching and sad.

Tom’s bet was on it’s way to the goal and at first Tom was quite complacent and enjoying himself. However, he starts to see the challenge as a chore/obstacle and it starts messing with his life with almost disastrous results. This change of thought seems to coincide with Tom’s developing friendship with Verity. Verity is different to all the girls he’s met before and he feels kind of shy around her.

Tom’s relationship with his dad and sister was wonderful, heart warming and tragic to read. These little interludes back with his family are very grounding for Tom.

This book Girl 99 was fun, heart warming, sexy, honest, it evoked real and raw emotions. I really did enjoy the story and the humour softened the sadness and blended the atmosphere of the book harmoniously. 5/5*

Am I the only one who worried about the risky behavior from both a physical and emotional standpoint? Yes it is funny but it's also sad in a lot of ways for both Tom and these women. This is well written and obviously others have enjoyed it but I'm just throwing this out not in a prudish or judgmental way. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC.

This was a great Valentine's Day read for me! Cute, funny, entertaining, at times romantic but without being overly sappy... which I can't stand. I really enjoyed it.

Let's just say Tom had been around the block. When his most recent relationship ends, he realizes she was number 85 on his "list". He kissed a co-worker while his live-in girlfriend was away, and chooses to confess to her via email. (Come on, Tom.) The relationship didn't make it. He doesn't think she was "the one" anyway. Seems like a good time to sow some more wild oats. One of his friends, a longtime buddy with a debilitating disease, encourages him to try to get to 100 partners... taking pleasure from teasing his friend and listening to his stories. With a timeline and a fairly hefty amount of money to lose on the bet if he doesn't make it, he sets off to find 86-100. His family also features in the story, a teenage sister and his widower father. They bicker back and forth and use Tom as a peacemaker. They manage to be both charming and realistic and I loved when they were involved in the story.

Despite the sort of raunchy subject matter, this was a really cute book. Very entertaining and easy to read. El was one of my favorite characters and really added something to the story. Despite his experience, Tom Is pretty clueless about women but still manages to be likeable.

I received an ARC of this book from Net Galley and Lake Union Publishing, thank you! My review is honest and unbiased.

Firstly thank you to Lake Union for the review title of this copy via Netgalley. Girl 99 is the third novel that I've read by this author and I've enjoyed it equally as much as the other two. If you've read The Two of Us you'll recognise a few names mentioned throughout and one character in particular.
The story starts with Tom's girlfriend leaving him, which on first inspection is his own damn fault. After sharing his experience with best friend El, Tom embarks on a mission to take the notches on his bedpost up to 100. In the beginning Tom comes across as a bit of a sh*thead. He has little regard for the women he's sleeping with and the way he treats them isn't exactly wonderful. He's on what is a pretty selfish mission which all becomes foiled when he meets Verity. Verity doesn't seem as susceptible to Tom's charm as everyone else and for once Tom actually has a chance to get to know her before their friendship goes any further.
If you're looking for a romantic hero, Tom isn't it. What he is though is a very real character who has flaws and makes mistakes. Throughout the whole novel Tom is faced with dilemma - his family, his neighbour and of course the women he is rifling his way through. He knows he's not the best human being and all the way through I got a sense that he was trying to correct little parts of himself at a time.
Just because this story is about a man, written by a man, it definitely does not mean that this book is just for guys. While no doubt the seemingly honest depiction of what it's like to be a single lad will appeal to male readers, female readers will enjoy the story just as much. Andy's written the story in a way which actually makes Tom turn out pretty endearing by the end. You'll laugh out loud and maybe even shed a tear at some bits of it. Again I found El's story to be bittersweet and while Tom is out sleeping his way to 100 El's life is shortening in front of him.
I will definitely be keeping an eye out for more from Andy in the future and if you've not read The Two of Us then I highly recommend it.

You've no doubt heard males (sorry guys) talking with their mates about 'notches on bedposts', right? Maybe females have their own phrasing where their sexual endeavours are concerned, who knows? After all, I've always been led to believe that it's a high-five kinda thing for guys to up their notches on their bedpost. Although notches, or even lists; they're pretty much the same thing aren't they? A lot of people have lists for their weekly shopping; Tom has a list for his sexual endeavours, and he doesn't seem to be slowing down anytime soon!

As a female, my first impression of Tom was - chauvinistic. He seemed to enjoy women as merely an object; an object to satisfy his needs before he dipped his wick elsewhere. However, whenever it comes to males getting their end away and celebrating multiple, or even triple figured amount of conquests, as outsiders, we only get to see one side. The 'manwhore' side, also known as a first impression; pretty much like mine. It took me a little while to rid my mind of my initial thoughts on Tom and his antics, I'm not going to lie. That said, being able to delve a little deeper into Tom's emotions made me stop and think 'HEY! This dude DOES have feelings', and that he doesn't always need to think with his man bits where females are concerned.

Tom's best friend was pushy yet hilarious. If he wasn't going through his own hurdles in life, I highly doubt that he would get away with half of what his character did. I did find the best friend moments a little heart breaking I must admit. Well, when I wasn't spitting my cuppa out due to laughter, obviously.

As I reached the halfway point of the novel, I began to relax and enjoy the storyline for what it was; one of a kind. There were moments throughout the storyline when I felt a teensy bit warm and needed to loosen my collar. HINT: definitely not a book to show your grandma, just saying. Some may say that the book was quite predictable; I'm not one of those! Tom first came across as such a manly man, full of sexual confidence whilst being incredibly blasé about it; as the storyline went on he grew a pair (not that he needed any extra help), and learnt what love was all about. That's why, for me, the predictable factor didn't even come into it.

As a tale of antics between the sheets and a bedpost full of notches to rival Hugh Heffner, Girl 99 is quite simply a novel like no other. Full of tongue in cheek moments, racy antics and plenty of humour; Andy Jones has written a book that will get everyone talking. Girl 99 is full of life; what with its modern-day twist quite similar to the well-known film; Thoroughly Modern Millie. Naughty but rather nice, Girl 99 is most definitely in a league of its own; alongside Tom of course.

Thank you to the author & Netgalley.

Tom is one of those heroes who will frustrate you to no end because of the stupid things he does. It's almost as if he can't help it.

On Christmas Eve, he decides to email - EMAIL! - his live-in girlfriend to let her know that he snogged a coworker the night before during a holiday party. If you think this is the dumbest move he can make, just wait. Tom is so much more self-destructive than that.

With the ending of his relationship - one that he never really felt was The One anyway - his best friend El makes a bet with him: Tom has slept with 85 women, so let's get it to 100 by the anniversary of the first time he had sex, which is about six months from now. Tom, ever the romantic moron, agrees.

It isn't so much that the bet is a bad move; it is, at worst, silly. It's more that the women Tom seems to find himself with as he endeavors to win the bet are colossally poor choices. The friend of a coworker's wife? No. Just no. The work colleague he kissed on Christmas Eve? NO.

So when Tom finally thinks he might have found The One, his romantic history - which he likens to the film title A Series of Unfortunate Events - sabotages him.

Written with Andy Jones's typical whip smart humor (see The Two of Us), this book looks at the myriad of levels of love. It is no accident, you could say, that Girl 99 is released on Valentine's Day. Tom looks at his father, a man whose life seemed to stall - certainly romantically - after the death of Tom's mother. A widowed neighbor, while not intentionally stopping himself from finding a new love, nevertheless seems reluctant. El, Tom's friend who instigated the bet, also suffers some romantic angst. Tom loves all three of these men, and it is with no small amount of irony that he can spot their weaknesses of the heart but can't stop himself from his own.

I enjoyed this book a great deal. There are a few pacing issues - Jones seems to slow down when I want him to speed up - but the story is engaging, Tom is hilariously inept, and the supporting cast is entertaining. There is a subplot involving the ease with which Tom's neighbor can hear his sexual exploits, the payoff of which particularly made me laugh.

I consider this chick lit from a guy's perspective and I found it very enlightening. There was a great deal of humor, a great deal of alluding to the penis rules, which we pretty much know, but also an understanding of the male not ruled completely by the penis. It was fun, witty, partly bittersweet! An enjoyable read.

The blurb was interesting and the book is well-written and full of sarcasm. It was fun at the beginning but looks like this one wasn't for me.

Girl 99 is way better than I anticipated. I simply loved it!
This little book is a mixture of romance and humor.

This book is written from the point of view of our main character, Tom.
Tom is 31 years old and has just been dumped by his girlfriend.

She is number 86 and Tom makes a bet with a friend that he will get an even 100 by
a certain date. Tom has some fun along the way, burns some bridges but this book isn't just about sex.

It's about Tom and who he is. He is friends with his much older downstairs neighbor and has a
really great relationship with his father and sister. Tom has a nice group friends and an interesting job. He is rather interesting and someone I could see myself being friend with.

When I first picked up this book, I thought it was going to be about a man who didn't respect women, who was always looking to fill that next need but it's about so much more!

I love British mannerisms and colloquialisms and this book is full of them! I am looking forward to reading more books by Andy Jones. Expect an easy, fast, addictive read.

I’m getting to be a big fan of this author. My first introduction to his books was The Two of Us which I totally loved. If you’re a fan also, you will actually recognise a couple of characters from that book that appear in Girl 99 also.

Tom is a typical bloke and one that I took to straight away. His mum is no longer around and in a way he is a bit of a surrogate mother to his younger sister, Bianca. The relationship between brother and sister was an especially lovely and realistic one and one that I very much enjoyed reading about. Bianca represents youth and will very much remind readers of what it was like to be a sixteen year old again.

Even though overall Tom is a really nice guy, he is a bit of a player. He already has quite a few conquests under his belt already and when best friend El has a bet with him that he can’t sleep with a hundred women by a certain date, Tom reluctantly agrees. Tom obviously has a few commitment issues and is well within reaching the goal until he falls for Verity.

It’s hard to know what genre this authors books fall into. They feel like a mixture of chick/lad lit as well as contemporary fiction. There is some humour in there but there is always an underlying more serious note in all of the books also.

Girl 99 felt very much like a story of someone who finally grows up. Even though Tom is grown up in his family and work life, his love life has always been quite childish and selfish. In a way the bet takes him on a road of self discovery and it was one that I was more than happy to be a part of.

Yet another highly enjoyable read by an author who is vastly becoming one of my favourites.

So this is what a guy's version of romcom is. Cute. Actually cute. I'm not sure what's the gender corresponding version of chicklit would be precisely, but this is it. A book about a young man with a fairly prolific sex life who gets challenged to extend his list of conquests to an even 100 and, what do you know, falls for girl 99. Sounds silly, doesn't it? And yet, the brisk pleasantly British narrative and a very likeable cast of characters elevates this to a perfectly enjoyable light quick read. For what it is, this one is actually nicely done. Thanks Netgalley.