Love, Loss, Mallets: Is “Polo” Addictive?

In true Jilly Cooper fashion, Polo The third book in the Rutshire Chronicles is sexy, messy, heartfelt, and completely addictive.

Synopsis: Polo

Polo by Jilly Cooper

A sweeping, indulgent romp through the glamorous, gritty, and gloriously chaotic world of high-stakes polo, Polo is a quintessential Jilly Cooper saga—stuffed to the brim with scandal, passion, and fierce ambition.

At the heart of this wild ride is Ricky France-Lynch: dark, brooding, devastatingly handsome, and a polo legend. With a crumbling estate and a philandering wife, Ricky is a man torn between personal heartbreak and professional pride.

His world becomes unexpectedly entangled with that of Perdita MacLeod, a spirited, determined teenager with a hopeless crush on Ricky and dreams of becoming a polo star herself.

As the years pass, Perdita blossoms into a fiery, independent woman and formidable polo player in her own right. But her journey is far from smooth—navigating a world where money, power, and beauty rule, she must battle prejudice, heartbreak, and her own stubborn heart.

From the windswept pampas of Argentina to the luxury of Palm Beach and back to the aristocratic polo fields of England, Polo is a heady cocktail of lavish lifestyles, equestrian glamour, jet-setting drama, and steamy entanglements.

But at its core, it’s about ambition, resilience, and love—unrequited, obsessive, and sometimes redemptive.

Part of the Rutshire Chronicles but a star in its own right, Polo is thoroughly addictive, with Cooper’s trademark mix of biting social satire and heart-thumping romance. Whether you’re here for the polo, the passion, or the pure, posh chaos—this one delivers.

Review: Polo

Polo by Jilly Cooper – Scandal, Saddles, and So Much More

If you’ve ever wondered what happens when you mix high society scandal, emotional heartbreak, horses, and a cast of unforgettable characters, then Polo by Jilly Cooper will be your next obsession.

Published in 1991 and set during the early 1980s, as Polo is the third book in Jilly Cooper’s Rutshire Chronicles, bring the follow up to Riders and somehow manages to feel both gloriously of its time and timeless.

The story centres on two main characters—Ricky France-Lynch, a talented polo player battling guilt and grief after a personal tragedy, and Perdita MacLeod, a feisty teenager with big dreams of breaking into the male-dominated world of polo. Life, of course, has other plans for both of them.

But this isn’t just about horses and heartbreak. Cooper layers in a number of other storylines involving an Argentinian pilot seeking revenge against the British establishment following the death of his brother in the Falklands War—giving the book unexpected political and emotional depth. There are even appearances by the British royal family, who had a family member serve in the Falkland’s war, which adds a touch of realism to the larger-than-life drama.

If you’re worried that as a reader you know very little about the sport of polo wich forms the background to the novel will make the story hard to follow—don’t be.

Cooper does a great job explaining just enough of the sport to keep readers on track, but never at the expense of character or pacing. And like all great ensemble stories, the real heart of Polo lies in its cast of characters. From flawed heroes to outrageous socialites, every person in the book serves a purpose, and it never feels bloated despite the sheer number of names flying around.

For longtime fans of the series, you’ll be pleased to know that Rupert Campbell-Black makes a return, though it’s worth noting this book picks up after the events of Rivals, so there are a few major spoilers if you haven’t read that one yet.

Conclusion

In true Jilly Cooper fashion, Polo is sexy, messy, heartfelt, and completely addictive. It’s a story about redemption, resilience, and how people fall apart and rebuild their lives. Whether you’re here for the sport, the romance, or the drama, this one is a five-star, can’t-put-it-down kind of read.

Highly recommended—just don’t be surprised if you immediately want to dive into the next book in the series.

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