Rivals: Rutshire Chronicles, Book 2 cover art

Rivals: Rutshire Chronicles, Book 2

Rutshire Chronicles, Book 2

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Rivals: Rutshire Chronicles, Book 2

By: Jilly Cooper
Narrated by: Sherry Baines
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Into the cut-throat world of Corinium television comes mega-star Declan O'Hara. Declan soon realises that the Managing Director, Lord Baddingham, has recruited him merely to help retain the franchise for Corinium. Baddingham has also enticed Cameron Cook, a gorgeous, domineering woman executive to produce Declan's programme. As a rival group emerges to pitch for the franchise, reputations ripen and decline, true love blossoms and burns, marriages are made and shattered and sex raises its head at almost every throw…©1988 Jilly Cooper (P)2018 W. F. Howes Ltd Women's Fiction Fiction Funny
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I was so looking forward to hearing my all time favourite JC novel but I’m so disappointed with Sherry Baines reading style....she sounds like a Sat-Nav! All the bits I was looking forward to hearing most - JC’s incredible descriptions of nature, wildlife, social observation and (most importantly) the introduction of each and every wonderful character, not least of all Taggie, all flattened by a robotic, monotone reading style. Shame.

Die hard fan of the book, but not Sherry!

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What a difference 3 years makes! JC's previous book, "Riders", was almost comically anti-social-consciousness. Like a deliberately inflammatory love letter to Thatcher, Reagan, anyone of that time period and ilk. And her "bad boy" main character was a repeated rapist and a bully.
In this novel (published 3 years after the first one, but set in a more modern Britain) Rupe redeems himself in an only slightly icky way, by falling in love with a teenager and--in the bit that actually redeems him--trying to overcome his passion for her. I loved Taggie too, although at nearly Rupert's age, I'd consider myself too old for her... still. It was the 80s. We knew less about adolescent psychology, then. Besides, Tony Baddingham makes a much more villainous villain.
Selfish as he was, my own favourite character in this was Declan O'Hara. Geniuses are allowed to be selfish, as long as they're also kind to others, and Declan is kindness personified to the people who work for and with him. I didn't feel the same admiration or liking for Maude, but I thought she made an excellent chaacter, and I could see how she and Declan belong together.
Overall, I enjoyed this book exponentially more than the 1st book in the series. I'll start "Polo" soon, and IIRC, it's rather good, as well.
Final note: I'm so sorry to say it, but I overwhelmingly preferred the narration by GH. SB sounds every bit as monotone, and reads with extraordinary odd pauses, as other reviewers have said. If I didn't get a free credit each month, and these books weren't so long, I'd never spend another credit on her narration.

The Redemption of RCB

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Fantastic book for a bit of escapism.

Good story line, well paced. Narrated well.

Just what you would expect from Jilly Cooper.

Brilliant

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i had to listen to this book again as they are filming an adaptation for Disney+ at the moment. it's gripping and hilarious. Not a fan of the reader. Her accents were kind of off-putting, but didn't detract too much from the story.

I love this book

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Just love this story. Been reading & listening to it over & over since the 1990's. Enjoy! xx

Fab-U-lous!

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