Rivals

Rutshire Chronicles, Book 2

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Rivals

By: Jilly Cooper

Narrated by: Sherry Baines

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About this listen

Into the cutthroat 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....

Jilly CooperSherry BainesW. F. Howes LtdRutshire Chronicles

Women's Fiction

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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.