Book recommendations for Jane Austen characters, from Mr. Knightley to Elizabeth Bennett.

Features

Books we’d recommend to Jane Austen’s best characters 

Author Jilly Cooper at her home, in the Cotswold village of Bisley, Gloucestershire, UK. Photo by Antony Thompson/Thousand Word Media 03/11/20

News

Jilly Cooper, 1937-2025

Best-escapist-romance-books_Online-Desktop_Penguin-1

Reading lists

Best romance books for ultimate escapism

France_Destination-Reads_Article-header

11 of the best books set in France

Best books set in Scotland, Ireland, Wales and England

UK&Ireland_Destination-Reads_Article-header

14 books set in England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland

A photograph of Lord Anthony Bridgerton and Kate Sharma from Bridgerton.

Penguin-Bridgerton_Hero-Desktop_Penguin.jpg

What to read if you love Bridgerton

An illustration of a woman sitting on a pile of copies of Mrs Dalloway, reading Mrs Dalloway, next to a shelf of other copies of Mrs Dalloway

Website-Main-Re-reading.jpg

On the particular pleasures of re-reading

Bridgerton-CREDIT-NETFLIX-main-image-1800×1200.jpg

What to read if you’re loving Bridgerton

jilly-cooper-main-image-960×455.jpg

Life according to Jilly Cooper

jilly-cooper-snippet.jpg

Where to start with Jilly Cooper

Master the inhabitants of Rutshire with our Jilly Cooper

jilly-cooper-glossary-788×306.jpg

Jilly Cooper glossary

How to Survive Christmas

Curl up this festive season with this witty and irreverent guide to navigating the chaos of Christmas - the perfect gift for fans of the legendary Jilly Cooper! 
 
'A magnificent storyteller' Guardian 
 
'Few writers have brought such joy to the nation' Harper's Bazaar 
 
‘Jilly Cooper's non-fiction is just as entertaining as her novels’ Pandora Sykes 
 
‘Being prepared is the secret to a more harmonious Christmas. If Joseph had booked a room in advance, Jesus would not have been born in a stable.’ 
 
Christmas is looming. 
 
Will your mother-in-law present you with yet another hideous jersey this year? How are you going to cope with Granny's dog or the ghastly in-laws? Has the row about where to spend the holiday already started, though summer is not yet a distant memory? 
 
Never fear: Jilly Cooper has the answer to everything. 
 
Whether you should seek refuge in the cooking sherry or suggest a wholesome family walk, Jilly offers sound but often hilarious advice about how to get through the roller-coaster ride that is the festive season. 
 
Praise for the legendary Jilly Cooper: 
 
'Cooper was a master at serving relatability [...]. She majored on joy, pleasure, tenderness, and romance' The Standard 
 
'There is no one else like Cooper' Guardian 
 
'The queen of glamorous escapism' Woman & Home 
 
'The funniest and sharpest writer there is' Jenny Colgan, bestselling author of The Christmas Bookshop 
 
'Jilly Cooper is the very best' Daily Mail 
 
'Hilarious, witty, wise, astute [and] flawlessly entertaining' Helen Fielding, bestselling author of Bridget Jones’s Diary 
 
‘Jilly is a genius’ Clare Pooley, bestselling author of The Authenticity Project 
 
‘No one else can make me laugh and cry, sometimes at the same time, quite like Jilly Cooper’ Gill Sims, bestselling author of Why Mummy Drinks 
 
 
Jilly Cooper, Sunday Times bestseller, May 2024

The funniest and sharpest writer there is

No one else can make me laugh and cry, sometimes at the same time, quite like Jilly Cooper

Jilly Cooper's non-fiction is just as entertaining as her novels

'Being prepared is the secret of a more harmonious Christmas. If Joseph had booked a room in advance, Jesus would not have been born in a stable.' 
 
Christmas is looming. Will your mother-in-law present you with yet another hideous jersey this year? How are you going to cope with Granny's dog or the ghastly in-laws? Has the row about where to spend the holiday already started, and it’s only August? 
 
Jilly Cooper has the answer to everything. Whether you should seek refuge in the cooking sherry or suggest a wholesome family walk, Jilly offers, in her own irrepressible style, sound but often hilarious advice about how to get through the roller-coaster ride we call Christmas. 
 
£12.99 
CAN $27.99

Jilly Cooper was a journalist, author and media superstar. The author of many number one bestselling books, she lived in Gloucestershire where her groundbreaking Rutshire Chronicles series was set. 
 
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.

The laugh-out-loud funny guide to surviving the Christmas season from the Sunday Times bestselling author of Rivals. 
 
Christmas is looming. Will your mother-in-law present you with yet another hideous jersey this year? How are you going to cope with Granny's dog or the ghastly in-laws? Has the row about where to spend the holiday already started, and it's only August? 
 
Jilly Cooper has the answer to everything. Whether you should seek refuge in the cooking sherry or suggest a wholesome family walk, Jilly offers, in her own irrepressible style, sound but often hilarious advice about how to get through the roller-coaster ride we call Christmas.

the light-hearted, hilarious and gorgeous novel from the inimitable multimillion-copy bestselling Jilly Cooper

Emily

The feel-good romcom from the Sunday Times bestselling author of Rivals, now a major series on Disney+ 
 
'Absolutely brilliant' 5 STAR reader review 
'Such good fun!' 5 STAR reader review 
'I couldn't put it down . . . one of the best books I've read!' 5 STAR reader review 
 
If Emily hadn't gone to Annie Richmond's party, she would never have met the impossibly irresistible Rory Balniel; would never have married him and been carried off to the wild Scottish island of Irasa to live in his ancestral home along with his eccentric mother, Coco, and the dog, Walter Scott. 
 
She'd never have met the wild and mysterious Marina, a wraith from Rory's past, nor her brother, the disagreeable Finn Maclean; never have spent a night in a haunted highland castle, or been caught stealing roses in a see-through nightie... 
 
Yes, it all started at Annie Richmond's party. 
 
'There is no one else like Cooper' Guardian 
'The Jane Austen of our time' HARPERS & QUEEN 
'The funniest and sharpest writer there is' Jenny Colgan 
'Flawlessly entertaining' Helen Fielding 
 
[cover may vary]

If Emily hadn't gone to Annie Richmond's party, she would never have met the impossibly irresistible Rory Balniel; would never have married him and been carried off to the wild Scottish island of Irasa to live in his ancestral home along with his eccentric mother, Coco, and the dog, Walter Scott. 
 
She'd never have met the wild and mysterious Marina, a wraith from Rory's past, nor her brother, the disagreeable Finn Maclean; never have spent a night in a haunted highland castle, or been caught stealing roses in a see-through nightie... 
 
Yes, it all started at Annie Richmond's party.

Bella

The charming romcom from the Sunday Times bestselling author of Rivals, now a major series on Disney+ 
 
'Absolutely brilliant' 5 STAR reader review 
'Such good fun!' 5 STAR reader review 
'I couldn't put it down . . . one of the best books I've read!' 5 STAR reader review 
 
There was no doubt Bella Parkinson was a success: the most promising actress in London, bright, sexy - and hopelessly scatterbrained - she was taking the town by storm. 
 
Rupert Henriques, dashingly handsome and wealthy enough to buy her every theatre in London if she wanted it, couldn't wait to marry her . . . 
 
But Bella had a secret in her past - and the one man who knew it was about to come into her life again. Worse, Rupert's sinister cousin Lazlo, for some reason of his own, was trying to prevent her marriage. 
 
Before she knew where she was, Bella found herself in real danger . . . 
 
'There is no one else like Cooper' Guardian 
'The Jane Austen of our time' HARPERS & QUEEN 
'The funniest and sharpest writer there is' Jenny Colgan 
'Flawlessly entertaining' Helen Fielding 
 
[Cover may vary]

The classic romance from the bestselling author of Rivals, now a major series on Disney+ 
 
There was no doubt Bella Parkinson was a success: the most promising actress in London, bright, sexy - and hopelessly scatterbrained - she was taking the town by storm. 
 
Rupert Henriques, dashingly handsome and wealthy enough to buy her every theatre in London if she wanted it, couldn't wait to marry her . . . 
 
But Bella had a secret in her past - and the one man who knew it was about to come into her life again. Worse, Rupert's sinister cousin Lazlo, for some reason of his own, was trying to prevent her marriage. 
 
Before she knew where she was, Bella found herself in real danger . . . 
 
'There is no one else like Cooper' Guardian 
'The Jane Austen of our time' HARPERS & QUEEN 
'The funniest and sharpest writer there is' Jenny Colgan 
'Flawlessly entertaining' Helen Fielding

Harriet

The charming romance from the Sunday Times bestselling author of Rivals, now a major series on Disney+ 
 
'Absolutely brilliant' 5 STAR reader review 
'Such good fun!' 5 STAR reader review 
'I couldn't put it down . . . one of the best books I've read!' 5 STAR reader review 
 
Shy, dreamy, and incurably romantic, Harriet Poole was shattered when her brief affair with Simon Villiers, Oxford's leading playboy undergraduate, ended abruptly, leaving her penniless, alone and pregnant. Still hopelessly in love with Simon, she took baby William and buried herself in deepest Yorkshire as nanny to the children of Cory Erskine, a somewhat eccentric scriptwriter. 
 
Local tongues were just beginning to wag when a whole host of visitors began to arrive to disrupt Harriet's peaceful routine: first Cory's estranged wife Noel, hellbent on winning Cory back, then Cory's glamorous brother Kit, whose old affair with Noel didn't stop him making passes at Harriet, and finally, of all people, Simon... 
 
'There is no one else like Cooper' Guardian 
'The Jane Austen of our time' HARPERS & QUEEN 
'The funniest and sharpest writer there is' Jenny Colgan 
'Flawlessly entertaining' Helen Fielding 
 
[cover may vary]

The light-hearted, hilarious and gorgeous novel from the much-loved classic author. 
 
Shy, dreamy, and incurably romantic, Harriet Poole was shattered when her brief affair with Simon Villiers, Oxford's leading playboy undergraduate, ended abruptly, leaving her penniless, alone and pregnant. Still hopelessly in love with Simon, she took baby William and buried herself in deepest Yorkshire as nanny to the children of Cory Erskine, a somewhat eccentric scriptwriter. 
 
Local tongues were just beginning to wag when a whole host of visitors began to arrive to disrupt Harriet's peaceful routine: first Cory's estranged wife Noel, hellbent on winning Cory back, then Cory's glamorous brother Kit, whose old affair with Noel didn't stop him making passes at Harriet, and finally, of all people, Simon... 
 
'The Jane Austen of our time' Harpers 
'The funniest and sharpest writer there is' Jenny Colgan

Octavia

The unmissable romcom from the Sunday Times bestselling author of Rivals, now a major series on Disney+ 
 
'Absolutely brilliant' 5 STAR reader review 
'Such good fun!' 5 STAR reader review 
'I couldn't put it down . . . one of the best books I've read!' 5 STAR reader review 
 
As soon as Octavia catches a glimpse of Jeremy in the nightclub, she knows she just has to have him. It doesn't matter that he's just got engaged to an old school friend of hers: good-natured Gussie. His look suggested bed rather than breakfast, and made her weak at the knees... 
 
Rich and stunning, Octavia is used to men falling in love with her at a moment's notice and an invitation to join Gussie and Jeremy for a cozy weekend on a canal barge comes like a gift from the gods. How can she fail to hook Jeremy? 
 
But the other part of the foursome is whizz-kid business tycoon Gareth Llewellyn, a swarthy Welshman with all the tenderness of a scrum-half...definitely not Octavia's type! 
 
And one way and another, he certainly manages to thwart her plans... 
'There is no one else like Cooper' Guardian 
'The Jane Austen of our time' HARPERS & QUEEN 
'The funniest and sharpest writer there is' Jenny Colgan 
'Flawlessly entertaining' Helen Fielding 
 
[cover may vary]

As soon as Octavia catches a glimpse of Jeremy in the nightclub, she knows she just has to have him. It doesn't matter that he's just got engaged to an old school friend of hers: good-natured Gussie. His look suggested bed rather than breakfast, and made her weak at the knees... 
 
Rich and stunning, Octavia is used to men falling in love with her at a moment's notice and an invitation to join Gussie and Jeremy for a cozy weekend on a canal barge comes like a gift from the gods. How can she fail to hook Jeremy? 
 
But the other part of the foursome is whizz-kid business tycoon Gareth Llewellyn, a swarthy Welshman with all the tenderness of a scrum-half...definitely not Octavia's type! 
 
And one way and another, he certainly manages to thwart her plans...

the deliciously funny and upbeat novel from the inimitable multimillion-copy bestselling Jilly Cooper

Imogen

The delightful romcom from the Sunday Times bestselling author of Rivals, now a major series on Disney+ 
 
'Absolutely brilliant' 5 STAR reader review 
'Such good fun!' 5 STAR reader review 
'I couldn't put it down . . . one of the best books I've read!' 5 STAR reader review 
 
As a librarian, Imogen read a lot of books, but none of them covered what she was to experience on the Riviera. 
 
Her holiday with tennis ace, Nicky, and the whole glamorous coterie surrounding Nicky, was a revelation - and so, ultimately, was she. A wild Yorkshire rose among the thorny model girls, Cable and Yvonne, with a rare asset that they'd mislaid years ago... 
 
But the path of a jet-set virgin in that lovely, wicked world was a hard one. 
 
Imogen began to wonder if virtue really was its own reward... 
 
'There is no one else like Cooper' Guardian 
'The Jane Austen of our time' HARPERS & QUEEN 
'The funniest and sharpest writer there is' Jenny Colgan 
'Flawlessly entertaining' Helen Fielding 
 
[cover may vary]

As a librarian, Imogen read a lot of books, but none of them covered what she was to experience on the Riviera. 
 
Her holiday with tennis ace, Nicky, and the whole glamorous coterie surrounding Nicky, was a revelation - and so, ultimately, was she. A wild Yorkshire rose among the thorny model girls, Cable and Yvonne, with a rare asset that they'd mislaid years ago... 
 
But the path of a jet-set virgin in that lovely, wicked world was a hard one. 
 
Imogen began to wonder if virtue really was its own reward...

Lisa and Co

A charming collection of love stories from the Sunday Times bestselling author of Rivals, now a major series on Disney+ 
 
'Absolutely brilliant' 5 STAR reader review 
'Such good fun!' 5 STAR reader review 
'I couldn't put it down . . . one of the best books I've read!' 5 STAR reader review 
 
Lisa Aitken initially seemed impervious to Paul Buchanan's charm. Unwilling to resist such a challenge, handsome Paul set about trying to win Lisa over - even though she wasn't his usual type. But as Lisa grows more and more attracted to him, Paul finds her bewilderingly hard to resist. 
 
As well as Lisa, we meet Hester, Julia, Helen and Caroline, and a host of other devastating girls, falling in and out of love, finding, losing (and often finding again, sometimes in the most unexpected places) the men of their dreams. 
 
'There is no one else like Cooper' Guardian 
'The Jane Austen of our time' HARPERS & QUEEN 
'The funniest and sharpest writer there is' Jenny Colgan 
'Flawlessly entertaining' Helen Fielding 
 
[cover may vary]

A charming collection of love stories from the Sunday Times bestselling author of Rivals 
 
Lisa Aitken initially seemed impervious to Paul Buchanan's charm. Unwilling to resist such a challenge, handsome Paul set about trying to win Lisa over - even though she wasn't his usual type. But as Lisa grows more and more attracted to him, Paul finds her bewilderingly hard to resist. 
 
As well as Lisa, we meet Hester, Julia, Helen and Caroline, and a host of other devastating girls, falling in and out of love, finding, losing (and often finding again, sometimes in the most unexpected places) the men of their dreams.

Prudence

The charming romcom from the Sunday Times bestselling author of Rivals, now a major series on Disney+ 
 
'Absolutely brilliant' 5 STAR reader review 
'Such good fun!' 5 STAR reader review 
'I couldn't put it down . . . one of the best books I've read!' 5 STAR reader review 
 
The trouble with the Mulholland family, Prudence decided, was that they were all in love with the wrong people. She'd been overjoyed when Pendle, her super-cool barrister boyfriend, invited her home for the weekend to meet his family. 
 
But home turned out to be a decaying mansion in the Lake District, and family were his glamorous, scatty mother who forgot the mounting bills by throwing wild parties, and brothers, Ace, dark and forbidding, and Jack, handsome, married and only too ready to take over with Pru if Pendle didn't get a move on. 
 
It was only when she noticed the way Pendle looked at Jack's wife Maggie that it began to dawn on Pru that there was more to this weekend than met the eye. 
 
It looked like a non-stop game of changing partners . . . 
 
'There is no one else like Cooper' Guardian 
'The Jane Austen of our time' HARPERS & QUEEN 
'The funniest and sharpest writer there is' Jenny Colgan 
'Flawlessly entertaining' Helen Fielding 
 
[cover may vary]

The trouble with the Mulholland family, Prudence decided, was that they were all in love with the wrong people. She'd been overjoyed when Pendle, her super-cool barrister boyfriend, invited her home for the weekend to meet his family. 
 
But home turned out to be a decaying mansion in the Lake District, and family were his glamorous, scatty mother who forgot the mounting bills by throwing wild parties, and brothers, Ace, dark and forbidding, and Jack, handsome, married and only too ready to take over with Pru if Pendle didn't get a move on. 
 
It was only when she noticed the way Pendle looked at Jack's wife Maggie that it began to dawn on Pru that there was more to this weekend than met the eye. 
 
It looked like a non-stop game of changing partners . . .

How To Stay Married

From the Sunday Times bestselling author of Rivals, now a major series on Disney+ 
 
'There is no one else like Cooper' Guardian 
 
In 1969 when Jilly Cooper, then a young Sunday Times journalist, was asked to write a book on marriage, she had been married to Leo Cooper for a mere seven years. Although the institution of marriage has changed a great deal since this book was first written, much of Jilly's advice - frank, fearless, often hilarious, but always wise - still holds good. 
 
From the wedding and the honeymoon to life afterwards, including how to deal with the in-laws and how to tell if your other half is having an affair, she dispenses anecdotes, jokes, common sense and endless optimism and fun. 
 
Whether you are contemplating marriage, living together, or have been married as long as Jilly and Leo were, you will find plenty of good advice and humour in How to Stay Married. 
 
______________________ 
 
Everybody loves Jilly Cooper: 
'Joyful and mischievous' Jojo Moyes 
'A delight from start to finish' Daily Mail 
'Fun, sexy and unputdownable' Marian Keyes 
'Flawlessly entertaining' Helen Fielding

In 1969 when Jilly Cooper, then a young Sunday Times journalist, was asked to write a book on marriage, she had been married to Leo Cooper for a mere seven years. Although the institution of marriage has changed a great deal since this book was first written, much of Jilly's advice - frank, fearless, often hilarious, but always wise - still holds good. 
 
From the wedding and the honeymoon to life afterwards, including how to deal with the in-laws and how to tell if your other half is having an affair, she dispenses anecdotes, jokes, common sense and endless optimism and fun. 
 
Whether you are contemplating marriage, living together, or have been married as long as Jilly and Leo were, you will find plenty of good advice and humour in How to Stay Married.

Rivals

Now a major series streaming on Disney+, read the whole story here! 
 
Everyone wants to get on top . . . 
 
‘Fun, sexy and unputdownable – a classic’ - Marian Keyes 
'Pure, unadulterated joy' - Sophie Kinsella 
'Hilarious, witty, wise, astute [and] flawlessly entertaining' - Helen Fielding 
 
_______________________ 
 
Welcome to the 80s, the decade of decadence… 
 
The glamorous, cutthroat world of 1980s British television is all about power, a time when the affluent elite exist in a bubble of immense wealth and influence, and will use any means to get what they want. Lord Baddingham is desperate to retain his Corinium TV franchise, and to do so he’s hired Declan O’Hara, an Irish talk show mega-star. Baddingham has also enticed on board Cameron Cook, a gorgeous and brash executive, to produce Declan’s program. But Declan and Cameron detest each other, soon provoking a storm of controversy. 
 
Enter into the fray everyone’s favourite hate-to-love-him bad-boy, Rupert Campbell-Black. 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 everyone is competing—in bed and in the boardroom—to come out on top. 
 
_______________________ 
 
PRAISE FOR DAME JILLY COOPER 
 
‘Joyful and mischievous. I know of no woman my age who won't admit that Rupert Campbell-Black nearly ruined them for other men for life . . .’ - Jojo Moyes 
‘Jilly Cooper is the funniest and the sharpest writer there is’ - Jenny Colgan 
'A combination of drama, sex, and good social comedy ... unputdownable' The Sunday Times 
'Jilly Cooper is the very best ... elegant, glamourous, wonderful fun' Daily Mail 
 
Jilly Cooper, Sunday Times bestseller, May 2024

Jilly Cooper was a journalist, author and media superstar. The author of many number one bestselling books, she lived in Gloucestershire where her groundbreaking Rutshire Chronicles series was set. 
 
 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.

Welcome to the 80s, the decade of decadence… 
 
‘Joyful and mischievous’ Jojo Moyes 
‘Fun, sexy and unputdownable – a classic’ ­Marian Keyes 
 
The glamorous, cutthroat world of 1980s British television is all about power, a time when the affluent elite exist in a bubble of immense wealth and influence, and will use any means to get what they want. Lord Baddingham is desperate to retain his Corinium TV franchise, and to do so he’s hired Declan O’Hara, an Irish talk show mega-star. Baddingham has also enticed on board Cameron Cook, a gorgeous and brash executive, to produce Declan’s program. But Declan and Cameron detest each other, soon provoking a storm of controversy. 
 
Enter into the fray everyone’s favourite hate-to-love-him bad-boy, Rupert Campbell-Black. 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 everyone is competing—in bed and in the boardroom—to come out on top. 
 
‘Flawlessly entertaining’ Helen Fielding 
‘Pure, unadulterated joy’ ­Sophie Kinsella

Tackle!

From the Sunday Times bestselling author of Rivals, now a major series on Disney+ 
 
‘Infectiously joyful and funny’ – The Observer 
‘If you loved Riders, and binge-watched Ted Lasso, then this is your dream novel. Pitch perfect and utterly swoon-worthy. Jilly is a genius’ - Clare Pooley 
‘Pure escapism - who could ask for more?’ - Daily Express 
 
Rupert Campbell-Black, all-conquering racehorse owner-trainer and handsomest man in England, is in the darkest of places. 
 
His adored wife, Taggie, is about to undergo chemotherapy. His beloved leading stallion has been assassinated. 
 
Now his daughter Bianca is badgering him to buy into a failing local football club so he can sign up her superstar striker boyfriend, Feral Jackson. 
 
Rupert dislikes football and his first impressions of Searston Rovers are distinctly unfavourable. But as their new and indelibly competitive chairman, he won’t stand for anything less than an Everest climb to the top of the Premier League. 
 
With the help of the club’s ravishing and adorable secretary, and sassy Press Officer, he becomes increasingly fond of his riotous mix of players. 
 
But Rupert’s explosive arrival at Searston causes outrage, and the fights are as furious off the field as on. With glamorous WAGs looking to stir up trouble, and the rival local football team’s duplicitous and corrupt chairman, things aren’t going to be easy. 
 
Let the scandals, sabotage, and seductions begin… 
 
Praise for Tackle! 
‘A total treat’ - Daily Mail 
‘A giddy, sexy, exuberant romp of a story...a total tonic, offering the sort of glorious escapism we're all desperately in need of’ - Daisy Buchanan 
‘Bursting with fun, puns, and shenanigans’ - Jill Mansell 
‘Won't disappoint her many fans’ - Sir Ian Rankin 
‘With her talent for boisterous plots and dialogue, Cooper delivers feisty fun ... With this novel, Cooper shoots again and scores’ - Daily Telegraph 
‘A fabulous feast of fun, frolics and football’ - Jo Thomas

A giddy, sexy, exuberant romp of a story...a total tonic, offering the sort of glorious escapism we're all desperately in need of

It's pure escapism - the perfect antidote to the real world, full of warmth, wit and Rupert Campbell-Black

A breathless plot that [...] sizzles with all the scandal, scheming and saucy shenanigans a reader could hope for

Won't disappoint her many fans: bonking, balls and Campbell-Black. All present and incorrect

If you loved Riders, and binge-watched Ted Lasso, then this is your dream novel. Pitch perfect and utterly swoon-worthy. Jilly is a genius

A fabulous feast of fun, frolics and football

Jilly is back on fine form bringing the world of football to brilliant life. A read that was fleet of foot and contained plenty of last minute surprises ... I loved it

I felt my mood perceptibly improve over the few days of reading ... The only problem with Tackle! is that you have to ration yourself or you'll gobble it up in one go

A jolly jolt of Jilly on a cold autumn day

With her talent for boisterous plots and dialogue, Cooper delivers feisty fun ... With this novel, Cooper shoots again and scores

There's still something infectiously joyful and funny about [Cooper's] particular brand of very English writing

Jilly Cooper's legendary hero returns! 
 
Rupert Campbell-Black, all-conquering racehorse owner-trainer and handsomest man in England, is in the darkest of places. His adored wife, Taggie, is about to undergo chemotherapy. His beloved leading stallion has been assassinated. 
 
Now his daughter Bianca is badgering him to buy into a failing local football club, Searston Rovers, so he can sign up her superstar striker boyfriend, Feral Jackson, and he and Bianca can return home from Perth to look after Taggie. 
 
Rupert dislikes football and his first impressions of Searston are distinctly unfavourable. But as their new and indelibly competitive Chairman, he won’t stand for anything less than an Everest climb to the top of the Premier League. 
 
With the help of the club’s ravishing and adorable secretary, Tember West, and his sassy Press Officer, Dora Belvedon, he becomes increasingly fond of his riotous mix of players, despite bawling them out whenever they face defeat. 
 
Rupert’s explosive arrival at Searston causes outrage, so the fights are as furious off the field as on – particularly when glamorous WAGS flood in to stir up trouble and lust after Rupert… 
 
Nor do the rival local football team, their duplicitous chairman and their corrupt dealings make things easier – let the scandals, sabotage and seductions begin…

Jilly Cooper on sex, socialising and survival

Between the Covers

From the Sunday Times bestselling author of Rivals, now a major series on Disney+ 
 
'No one else can make me laugh and cry quite like Jilly Cooper.' Gill Sims 
'Jilly Cooper's non-fiction is just as entertaining as her novels.' Pandora Sykes 
____________________ 
 
'One truth I have learnt, as middle age enmeshes me like Virginia creeper, is that I shall never change-because my capacity for self-improvement is absolutely nil.' 
 
Jilly Cooper's observations from her days as a much-loved newspaper columnist cover everything to do with sex, socialising and survival - from marriage, friendship and the minutiae of family life, to the tedium of going to visit people for the weekend, the stress of hosting dinner parties and the descent of middle age. 
 
Entertaining and full of heart, this classic collection of journalism from the legendary author explores the highs and lows of everyday life with wit, wisdom and warmth. 
 
Praise for Jilly Cooper: 
'Joyful and mischievous' Jojo Moyes 
'Fun, sexy and unputdownable' Marian Keyes 
'Flawlessly entertaining' Helen Fielding

What better gift to give for Christmas than this wonderfully irreverent collection of the great Jilly Cooper's columns from the 60s?

Jilly Cooper's non-fiction is just as entertaining as her novels

Britain needs this jolly Jilly Cooper collection...Line after line, anecdote after anecdote is laugh-out-loud funny, the prose bouncing along like a labrador puppy

There are so many lifestyle columnists today, you forget that Cooper did it first and did it best

A collection of Jilly Cooper's vintage newspaper columns is bitchy, sexy, insightful and, most of all, great fun

This [is an] enjoyable collection of typically candid, irreverent and self-deprecating observations

'One truth I have learnt, as middle age enmeshes me like Virginia creeper, is that I shall never change-because my capacity for self-improvement is absolutely nil.' 
 
Jilly Cooper's observations from her days as a much-loved newspaper columnist cover everything to do with sex, socialising and survival - from marriage, friendship and the minutiae of family life, to the tedium of going to visit people for the weekend, the stress of hosting dinner parties and the descent of middle age. 
 
Entertaining and full of heart, this classic collection of journalism from the legendary author explores the highs and lows of everyday life with wit, wisdom and warmth.

Mount!

The glorious new novel from Jilly Cooper, featuring Rupert Campbell-Black and a raft of characters new and old, human and equine

From the Sunday Times bestselling author of Rivals, now a major series on Disney+ 
 
Rupert Campbell-Black takes centre stage once more, this time in the cut-throat world of flat racing. 
 
Rupert is consumed by one obsession: that Love Rat, his adored grey horse, be proclaimed champion stallion. He longs to trounce Roberto's Revenge, the stallion owned by his detested rival Cosmo Rannaldini, which means abandoning his racing empire at Penscombe and his darling wife Taggie, and chasing winners in the richest races worldwide, from Dubai to Los Angeles to Melbourne. 
 
Luckily, the fort at home is held by Rupert's assistant Gav, a genius with horses, fancied by every stable lass, but damaged by alcoholism and a vile wife. When Gala, a grieving but ravishing Zimbabwean widow moves to Penscombe as carer for Rupert's wayward father, it is not just Gav who is attracted to her: a returning Rupert finds himself dangerously tempted. 
 
Gala adores horses, and when she switches to working in the yard, her carer's job is taken by a devastatingly handsome South African man who claims to be gay but seems far keener on caring for the angelic Taggie. And as increasingly sinister acts of sabotage strike at Penscombe, the game of musical loose boxes gathers apace . . . 
 
Praise for Mount! 
'Packed with warmth, wit, and unforgettable characters, this is an utterly joyous read' Daily Express 
'Pure, unadulterated joy' Sophie Kinsella 
'It's Cooper doing what she does best ... it's a thoroughly enjoyable roll in the hay' The Times 
'Witty and wonderful, as always' Trisha Ashley 
'This endlessly fun humdinger of a novel is an absolute riot' Heat 
 
Jilly Cooper, Sunday Times bestseller, May 2024

Packed with warmth, wit and unforgettable characters, this is an utterly joyous read and fans of Cooper will doubtless find it a complete delight

Jilly is about bringing joy into your life: daft, silly, boozy joy . . . There is no one else like Cooper.

I couldn’t have loved this delightful doorstep of a read any more

Reading Mount! was pure, unadulterated joy and makes me want to move to Rutshire, instantly. Jilly Cooper is on top, effervescent form, and I loved every moment

Racier than ever, totally un-put-downable and tremendous fun. What a treat!

I loved it. Witty and wonderful as always

If there were a Good Sex Award, the prize would surely go to Jilly Cooper. Her descriptions of sex are glorious…this is why Cooper’s fans adore her – and it is why Mount! will most likely gallop to the top of the bestseller lists, a most deserving winner.

This tale of rivalries, sabotage - and, of course, sex - will have Cooper's army of fans galloping to the finish line

It's Cooper doing what she does best . . . it's a thoroughly enjoyable roll in the hay

You'll gallop through this brilliant, saucy romp

I devoured Mount! . . . Rupert Campbell-Black [is] older, still delicious, still obsessed with sex (human and horse)

This endlessly fun humdinger of a novel is an absolute riot

I was roaring with laughter from the very first page

A big, yummy brick of a book packed with horses, glamour, comedy and lashings of luxury sex. Divine

Warm, witty and wise, and I couldn't have loved it more.

Rupert is consumed by one obsession: that Love Rat, his adored grey horse, be proclaimed champion stallion. He longs to trounce Roberto's Revenge, the stallion owned by his detested rival Cosmo Rannaldini, which means abandoning his racing empire at Penscombe and his darling wife Taggie, and chasing winners in the richest races worldwide, from Dubai to Los Angeles to Melbourne. 
 
Luckily, the fort at home is held by Rupert's assistant Gav, a genius with horses, fancied by every stable lass, but damaged by alcoholism and a vile wife. When Gala, a grieving but ravishing Zimbabwean widow moves to Penscombe as carer for Rupert's wayward father, it is not just Gav who is attracted to her: a returning Rupert finds himself dangerously tempted. 
 
Gala adores horses, and when she switches to working in the yard, her carer's job is taken by a devastatingly handsome South African man who claims to be gay but seems far keener on caring for the angelic Taggie. And as increasingly sinister acts of sabotage strike at Penscombe, the game of musical loose boxes gathers apace . . . 
 
Everybody loves Jilly Cooper: 
'Sex and horses: who could ask for more?' Sunday Telegraph 
'Joyful and mischeivous' Jojo Moyes 
'A delight from start to finish' Daily Mail 
'Fun, sexy and unputdownable' Marian Keyes 
'Escape into an alternative universe in which all is right with the world' Guardian 
'Flawlessly entertaining' Helen Fielding

Araminta's Wedding

Sue Macartney-Snape's colourful paintings are married with a rollicking tale of country house life from Jilly Cooper.

A Country House Extravaganza Story by Jilly Cooper. Pictures by Sue Macartney-Snape. 
 
Rufus, fifth Earl of Atherstone, has no son and gloomily contemplates his vast Lincolnshire estate passing into the hands of his plain but good-natured daughter, Araminta, and her grasping cousin, Piggy Atherstone, who is determined to marry her. A serious rival for Araminta's hand, however, materialises in Bounder Cartwright, a debonair money-market gambler, whose sexual conquests are as prolific as his investments are suddenly catastrophic. By Ascot he has won the day and the wedding is fixed for September. 
 
Then, at the last minute, the events of the previous Boxing Night catch up with the Atherstones in a surprising way. Will the wedding take place or not? 
 
The combination of Jilly Cooper's irreverent tale of country house life with the colourful and perceptive paintings of Sue Macartney-Snape which inspired it, presents a wickedly funny portrait of the English upper classes at play. Araminta's Wedding is irresistible fireside reading for even the coldest of stately homes.

Intelligent and Loyal

A celebration of the mongrel. 
 
The mongrel occupies a special place in our hearts and homes. Jilly Cooper collected stories from hundreds of owners to write this engaging and affectionate tribute. She presents a delightful account of the lives and natures of a vast assortment of dogs of doubtful parentage: a fascinating, moving and entertaining chronicle of their exploits and accomplishments, their bravery, devotion and wisdom. Jilly's special method of classification enables you to tell instantly if your pet is a Woolly Whitejaw, a Borderline Collie, a Bertrand Russell or a Lancashire Hot Pet. At last, our mongrels have achieved the recognition they have so long deserved...

Angels Rush In

Over the past 21 years Jilly Cooper has written a selection of best-selling books, mixing outrageous anecdotes from the lives of her family and friends with shrewd and wicked social satire and criticism. Men and Super Men was followed by Women and Super Women and then by the devastatingly outspoken bombshell, Class; the poignantly evocative The Common Years; the indispensable How to Survive Christmas and the essential handbook for Nouveau-Rustics, Turn Right at the Spotted Dog. 
 
All these and more provide the material for Angels Rush In, a rich and sparkling selection made and introduced by the author herself.

Ebook Bundle

Jilly Cooper: Rivals and Riders

Set against the glorious Cotswold countryside and the playgrounds of the world, Jilly Cooper's Rutshire Chronicles offer an intoxicating blend of skulduggery, swooning romance, sexual adventure and hilarious high jinks. 
 
This special 2-for-1 collection features two of these classic titles: Riders and Rivals. 
 
Riders 
 
Riders takes the lid off international showjumping, a sport where the brave horses are almost human, but the humans behave like animals. 
 
The brooding hero, gypsy Jake Lovell, under whose magic hands the most difficult horse or woman becomes biddable, is driven to the top by his loathing of the beautiful bounder and darling of the show ring, Rupert Campbell-Black. Having filched each other's horses, and fought and fornicated their way around the capitals of Europe, the feud between the two men finally erupts with devastating consequences during the Los Angeles Olympics. 
 
Rivals 
 
Into the cut-throat world of Corinium television comes Declan O'Hara, a mega-star of great glamour and integrity. Living rather too closely across the valley is Rupert Campbell-Black, divorced and as dissolute as ever, and now the Tory Minister for Sport. 
 
Declan needs only a few days at Corinium to realise that the Managing Director, Lord Baddingham, is a crook who has recruited him merely to help retain the franchise for Corinium. Baddingham has also enticed Cameron Cook, a gorgeous but domineering woman executive, to produce Declan's programme. Declan and Cameron detest each other, provoking a storm of controversy into which Rupert plunges with his usual abandon. 
 
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 (delicious) head at almost every throw as, in bed and boardroom, the race is on to capture the Cotswold Crown.

Jolly Marsupial

This new set of writings will prove once again Jilly Cooper's ability to provoke, fascinate and - above all - amuse!

More infectious humour and witty observations from Jilly Cooper, whose latest collection of articles, originally published in The Sunday Times and the Mail on Sunday, includes a light-hearted and irreverent account of a visit to Australia, published for the first time in its entirety. Scenes nearer home, viewed with equal disrespect include th ediverse worlds of a vet's conference, fashionable charity balls, the London to Brighton run and Hen Night in Wandsworth. And, as always, Jilly Cooper is a devastating, hilarious and sometimes moving chronicler of the minutiae of family life, with some fascinating sidelights and side-swipes at the middle-class educational rat race along the way.

How To Survive From Nine To Five

Jilly Cooper's witty thumbnail sketch of office life - part valentine, part poison pen letter - offers a vivid evocation of the world in which many of us spend a large part of our lives. There will be few office workers, whether they are bosses, sekketries or office crones, who do not recognize the Machiavellian politics and the lunacies she describes. The topics covered by this survival guide range from 'The Hierarchy' and 'Office Happenings' to 'Extra-mural Activities' and 'The Firing Squad'. Early in her career the author worked in an office and she has many friends, including a husband, who still do: but it will come as no surprise to readers of this classic volume to learn that since its publication she has been self-employed.

Women And Superwomen

Whatever their grading, Super Woman or Slut, Jilly submits all women to remorseless scrutiny. In public and private, home, office or bed, none escapes her beady eye- from debs to divorcees, models to maiden aunts, tarts to Tory ladies, this is Jilly Cooper's brilliantly funny guide to the female sex.

Jilly Cooper

‘Fun, sexy and unputdownable – a classic’

Joyful and mischievous. I know of no woman my age who won't admit that Rupert Campbell-Black nearly ruined them for other men for life . . .

Jilly Cooper is the funniest and the sharpest writer there is. A heroine, an influence and a legend to half my generation of female authors (the fun half)

Jilly Cooper’s writing is hilarious, witty, wise, astute, flawlessly entertaining and a celebration of all that is the most fun about being British

Helen Fielding, author of BRIDGET JONES DIARY

Exhilarating, irresistible and one of our nation’s most beloved novels. If you’re about to read Riders for the first time, you’re in for a joyous experience!

It's all here: swooning romance, skulduggery in the stables and, yes, bonking; all set in the Cotswold countryside. Tally ho!

I defy anyone not to enjoy her book. It is a delight from start to finish

Has any book of the past 70 years given as much pleasure as Cooper's rumpy-pumpy, show-jumping classis?

Brooding hero Jake Lovell, under whose magic hands even the most difficult horse or woman is charmed, is driven by his loathing of the dashing darling of the show ring, Rupert Campbell-Black. Having pinched each other’s horses and drunk their way around the capitals of Europe, the feud between the two men finally erupts with devastating consequences at the Los Angeles Olympics . . . 
 
A classic bestseller, Riders takes the lid off international show jumping, a sport where the brave horses are almost human, but the humans behave like animals. 
 
‘Sex and horses: who could ask for more?’ Sunday Telegraph

Jilly Cooper

Praise for Riders

Sex and horses: who could ask for more?

‘Fun, sexy and unputdownable – a classic’

Joyful and mischievous. I know of no woman my age who won't admit that Rupert Campbell-Black nearly ruined them for other men for life . . .

Sex and horses: who could ask for more?

‘Fun, sexy and unputdownable – a classic’

Joyful and mischievous. I know of no woman my age who won't admit that Rupert Campbell-Black nearly ruined them for other men for life . . .

Sex and horses: who could ask for more?

‘Fun, sexy and unputdownable – a classic’

Joyful and mischievous. I know of no woman my age who won't admit that Rupert Campbell-Black nearly ruined them for other men for life . . .

Books by Jilly Cooper

Series by Jilly Cooper

Rutshire Chronicles

Articles featuring Jilly Cooper

Books we’d recommend to Jane Austen’s best characters

Jilly Cooper, 1937-2025

Best romance books for ultimate escapism

11 of the best books set in France

14 books set in England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland

What to read if you love Bridgerton

On the particular pleasures of re-reading

What to read if you’re loving Bridgerton

Life according to Jilly Cooper

Where to start with Jilly Cooper

Jilly Cooper glossary

Follow penguin

Follow ladybird

Follow puffin

Sign up to the Penguin newsletter