3.5
Riders (the Prequel to Rivals)
ByPublisher Description
Before you watch Rivals—Season 2 now streaming on Hulu/Disney+—read the prequel now!
The first book in the steamy, scandalous Rutshire Chronicles series—an intoxicating blend of swooning romance, adventure, and hilarious high jinks set within the elite world of equestrian show jumping.
Welcome to the cutthroat world of international show jumping, a dazzling sport where fearless athletes, wealthy sponsors, and beautiful starlets collide. Against the glorious backdrop of the Cotswold countryside and the glamorous playgrounds of Europe, a bitter rivalry between two of the sport’s most brilliant stars is about to reach its breaking point. Jake Lovell is a brooding, prodigiously talented horseman, under whose magic hands even the most difficult horse is charmed. Haunted by a troubled past, he is driven by an all-consuming loathing for one man: Rupert Campbell-Black.
Dashing, impossibly handsome, and fabulously wealthy, Rupert is the darling of the show ring who takes what he wants, when he wants it. For years, the feud between the two men has simmered. They’ve pinched each other’s horses, competed for the same women, and drunk their way around the capitals of the world, leaving behind them a trail of broken hearts and bitter memories. Now, their rivalry is set to explode on the world’s biggest stage: the Los Angeles Olympics. As the competition intensifies, their personal war escalates with devastating and far-reaching consequences.
A timeless and beloved bestseller that has captivated generations of readers, Riders pulls back the curtain on a world where the brave horses are almost human, but the humans behave like animals. It’s a deliciously scandalous, utterly addictive story of love, ambition, and revenge that will leave you breathless.
The first book in the steamy, scandalous Rutshire Chronicles series—an intoxicating blend of swooning romance, adventure, and hilarious high jinks set within the elite world of equestrian show jumping.
Welcome to the cutthroat world of international show jumping, a dazzling sport where fearless athletes, wealthy sponsors, and beautiful starlets collide. Against the glorious backdrop of the Cotswold countryside and the glamorous playgrounds of Europe, a bitter rivalry between two of the sport’s most brilliant stars is about to reach its breaking point. Jake Lovell is a brooding, prodigiously talented horseman, under whose magic hands even the most difficult horse is charmed. Haunted by a troubled past, he is driven by an all-consuming loathing for one man: Rupert Campbell-Black.
Dashing, impossibly handsome, and fabulously wealthy, Rupert is the darling of the show ring who takes what he wants, when he wants it. For years, the feud between the two men has simmered. They’ve pinched each other’s horses, competed for the same women, and drunk their way around the capitals of the world, leaving behind them a trail of broken hearts and bitter memories. Now, their rivalry is set to explode on the world’s biggest stage: the Los Angeles Olympics. As the competition intensifies, their personal war escalates with devastating and far-reaching consequences.
A timeless and beloved bestseller that has captivated generations of readers, Riders pulls back the curtain on a world where the brave horses are almost human, but the humans behave like animals. It’s a deliciously scandalous, utterly addictive story of love, ambition, and revenge that will leave you breathless.
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Meet readers like you in the Fable For You feed, designed to build bookish communitiesRiders (the Prequel to Rivals) Reviews
3.5
“As much as I loved rivals, this book just didn’t connect with me 100%. I never ever thought i was hate Rupert but MY GOD was he awful in this book!
Sexual coercion and assault are also very prevalent in this book, and no consequences ever come of it, which was a bit jarring.
On the flip side, Jilly Cooper always writes such depth to her characters and there were many that i really loved and wished they stayed within the next book.
Overall, definitely a product of its time, with Jilly’s expectedly brilliant writing.
3.75⭐️”
“If you can ignore the blatant fatphobia and other truly horrific elements of the story (a certain sex - if you can even call it that - scene) then it is an entertaining read 😅 very clearly a product of the 80’s and not a single likeable character but as an audiobook it was amusing!”
About Jilly Cooper
Jilly Cooper was a journalist, author, and media superstar. The author of many number one bestselling books, she was lauded as “the grande dame of English romance novels” (The New York Times). Awarded honorary doctorates by the Universities of Gloucestershire and Anglia Ruskin, she also won the inaugural Comedy Women in Print lifetime achievement award in 2019, and was appointed DBE in 2024 for services to literature and charity. She died in 2025. She lived in Gloucestershire where her groundbreaking Rutshire Chronicles series was set.
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