Rivals

I first heard of Jilly, when I bought the book Apassionata at a second-hand store. I started to read it but found out that many of the characters in this story, were in her earlier books. I decided to buy all her books written before Apassionata. I wanted to read them in order. Unfortunately, Rivals (which by the way is the same book as "Players")came first and I could not resist. I started reading and could not stop. This is a first for me because I am the type of person that has to be reading 3 books at one time. With Rival, I tried picking up other books to read but could not concentrate on them. It was awesome. Unlike other reviewers, I won't give the plot away but I will tell you that the book is about 4 men vying for control of the British Televison Franchise. The villain in this book is Tony and his 3 adversaries are Declan, Rupert and Freddie. Of course the book has the usual love triangle, backstabbing and name dropping as in other books of this nature but Jilly has the awesome talent of either making you like or hate a character, no in betweens. The book up wraps up very nicely at the the end and who does not like a happy ending? Can't wait to read her other books. Way to go Jilly............

Another great book with Rupert Campbell-Black and the gang. If you haven't already read RIDERS, do so at once. That goes for POLO as well. I liked the various characters in this book-a little more interesting perhaps than those that revolve more around show jumping...Declan and Maude O'Hara are wonderful characters, and that goes for the kids as well. I would like to have seen more of Rupert's kids also...but maybe that's the next book. Jilly's books have taken me across the pond and back again. I wish they were readily available in the US!

The continuation of the saga of Rupert Campbell-Black and co. in the Cotswolds. He's given up show jumping and is now Minister for Sport in the British Thatcher Government - he's divorced and as irreverent and unapologetic as ever.Cooper takes us well away from the world of show-jumping into Campbell-Black's home territory, the Village of Penscombe which is home to the local television station run by loathed Tony Baddingham. It doesn't sound all that promising a plot - how Rupert bid for the contract to run the Television station, but it is told with the usual cast of wonderful Cooper-esque characters who brighten up the pages with their wit and verve. It is full of scheming, double crossing, clipped upper class accents, vulgar upwardly mobile shrews and romance in buckets. Rupert also finally finds out what despair in love is all about when their are no guarantees you will succeed.You can certainly read Rivals without reading the first book - Riders - it is a stand alone novel and many new characters are introduced. Still old favourites turn up like Billy and Janey.

This has to be one of my favourite books of all time. I have read it so many times I could probably do a degree in it. It is so warm and funny and wonderful without being at all corny. Some of Jilly's one liners are classics. I have persuaded all my friends to read it and none of them have been disapointed.Please read this book - you really will not regret it!

I am a true Jilly Cooper fan and this is one of her best! Rupert Campbell Black is back and teams up with other high flyers to try to win the franchise for a TV station. While a lot of the characters are new, it is brilliant and set in the same part of England as Riders. The story is full of scandal, sex and humour and quite frankly I never wanted it to end! .