I first discovered the "Rutshire Chronicles" of Jilly Cooper while studying in Scotland. This fifth volume in the series is just as witty, fast-paced, and hilarious as the first four--with all the sex, snobbery, and drama you could ask for. All the best characters from the earlier books make at least cameo appearances (Rupert, Helen, Taggie, Rannaldini, etc.) and the new ones are great as well. Hardly a horse, but the classical music theme is not the slightest bit boring (despite my total lack of enthusiasm for the genre). Jilly Cooper easily buries Danielle Steele and the like... This book can be read by itself, but even though they are hard to get her I recomend getting ahold of the earlier books (Riders, Rivals, Polo, and The Man Who Made Husbands Jealous). As a final note, the whole Marcus sub-plot is great!

This book is excellent! I'm a horse lover and first found Jilly Cooper's "Riders" on a trip to the UK. Since then I've tried to read everything she's written, and I'm seldom disappointed. I know very little about the world of classical music but it didn't matter -- her books are so character-driven that it's them you get wrapped up in, not so much the subject matter. This book gave us a "fix" of our favorite characters from past books, but introduced new characters just as interesting and complex. Other characters on the periphery of previous books (like Flora from "The Man Who Made Husbands Jealous" and Marcus from "Riders") become main characters here, and you have the pleasure of seeing them grow up. You don't need to be a horse fan to love all Jilly's books!

I think by the time we finished passing it around, every girl in the music department at my university had read it. This book is well-researched (I'm a musician and only caught a couple slight errors), and written in a delightful, engaging style. Taken for what it is, "Appassionata" is a lot of fun, particularly the characters and the way Jilly Cooper deftly maneuvers them into and out of one anothers' arms. I'd read another book about the Rutminster Symphony Orchestra anytime!

Although Lysander is supposed to be the lead character being the man who made husbands jealous, it was a good idea to focus on the several couples' marriage & their respective disasters. Here we witness the various forms of marriage...those out of comfort, convenience & love. It might have been too wild with all of Rannaldinni's promiscuity & scandalous sex practices (oh morality, whert have thou gone?)but the writer tempered the scenes with humor so as not to totally appall the readers.

Some scenes were sort of weird especially that of Rannaldini's well-planned & well-executed Othello party (but of course, what do you expect of that devil!) & a bit too long for Lysander & Kitty to finally stage a courageous happy ending. But overall, it's a funny read & highly entertaining. You can't help but curse some characters but fall for others.

P.S. Meredith... is superbly witty & funny :)

I'm in agreement with the other reviewers -- it's not her best (my opinion is that "Riders" and "Polo" are). That said, I think it's an excellent escapist novel! It's not really fair comparing it to "Riders" -- the first is always the best. Lysander is a fun and different hero -- he may not be as smart or as witty as the leading men in previous works (like Rupert) but he has a charming innocence despite the "job" he's been hired to do of making womens' husbands jealous! He has a genuine sweetness that shines through. And don't skip over this book in the order of things like another reviewer suggested. It comes after "Polo" and should be read that way!

I've read many romance novels & this is one of the best authors around. As this was my first by this author, I've bought all the rest of her novels I can get. I bought this in desperation on vacation, & couldn't put it down. I thought Lysander was a turkey at first, but by the end of the novel wished I could meet him in real life.

I hope someone buys the option & makes this as a movie with someone like Brad Pitt! It would be a dynamite hit!!

A collection of fourteen Jilly Cooper short stories. They are so much fun, written and published in the 60's and 70's they might sound a bit dated as far as romances go - the women don't usually have careers except the occassional secretary or assistant - but these are written with such charm and sparkling dialogue that they are enormously enjoyable.

The 'Red Angora Dress' is one of my very favourites - about a girl whose boyfriend Andrew is going off her but takes her to a party where she makes the mistake of wearing a red angora dress. A Pressing Engagement takes a refreshingly fun look at a false engagement Cooper writes in her introduction that 'Square Peg' is one of her favourites, and it does rate as one of the funniest - its about a slightly ditsy secretary who can never quite get things right.

Lots of fun.

This book is good bedtime or beach reading. It's a collection of feel-good short stories about the beginnings of romances. Cooper's language is humorous and ironic, the characters quite charming. The only thing that bothered me a bit was the fact that there were too many secretaries falling in love with successful men. In the modern world it would be nice if the women could be successful as well.

Don't expect deep emotional insights or earth-moving intellectual revelations but in the entertainment genre it's very enjoyable. Reminds me of O.Henry or L.M. Montgomery short stories.

I had never heard of this book, originally published in 1984, and didn't know what to expect. It begins, straightforwardly enough, as diary of dogwalks and notes on local flora. But somewhere along the line, the story spins out into drama, as unpredictable as only a diary can be. Apart from the soap opera of local lives, the clash between the beauty of the common and the dark society that inhabits it is a theme that all city park-goers have to face. A caveat to dog-lovers: dogs get hurt and die in the course of this book, and some of it is hard to read. In the end, though, I was left with a story that will be turning over in my mind for many years.

I love Jilly Cooper's funny language and admire her storytelling ability. This volume contains two love stories. I gave it four stars, all o which mainly go to Emily. It's a story about a London girl who falls fast for a dashing but difficult artist, marries him and moves to Scotland. In Scotland married life turns out to be less than pleasant slightly "gothic", as Emily starts to wonder about her husband's motives. Cooper's writing is full of puns and really enjoyable.

Bella was okay as a story, and the writing is funny as well, but I don't like its naive heroine.

I am afraid I agree with the lady who said that this was rather silly, whilst I am a massive fan of Jilly Cooper and devoured the last five (Riders, Rivals, Polo, the Man who, and Appassionata)novels with relish, I was extremely disappointed at the ludicrosity of the plot.
It starts off reasonably well, what with the Marriage of TABITHA CAMPBELL BLACK to her the son of her father's long time rival jake, ISA LOVELL, and the author depicts the relations between these and others well. There are some old favourites, such as Rupert, Ranaldinni and Taggie and Flora Seymour, but the author introduces a whole new array of characters and quite frankly, there are far, far too many to be getting to know properly.

Once the sinister air of foul play starts creeping into the plot, this is when things start getting ridiculous. I see the author's point - to keep the readers guessing as to who the murderer is - but the climax, when we finally do find out, is so ridiculous and completely unbelievable that you are left wondering what the hell that was all about....??

The "love Story" part of this book is also completely unbelievable, there is absolutely no warmth or chemistry between the two characters involved, this book is nothing like the magic that she has written before but, nevertheless, if you're on holidays and there's nothing else around, then it does while away a couple of hours.

Come on Jilly, you can do much better than that.

Well I've read just about every Jilly Cooper book going (sad, I know). And I'm afraid that this one simply doesn't cut it. The heroes and heroines are as racy as ever, but the plot is frankly as lame as an overplayed polo pony, and the villain isn't up to much either. Still it's good and you want to stay up all night reading it (I did, anyhow). But you know what, "Riders" or "Rivals" or better yet "Polo" are just SO much better.

I have read nearly every Jilly Cooper novel and I was slightly upset by the unfavourable reviews. While this book is different to Riders and Polo, it is still an excellent read. It is witty, wise, and great fun. Even if it is slightly unbelievable at times, I think it is wonderful. The characters are fantastic and i hope that one day i will be able to write such an exciting novel.

Cooper wrote several romance novels like this one, which makes me think she rather aspired to be the Jane Austen of the 1970's. In addition to a standard boy-meets-girl-girl-hates-boy-girl-falls-in-love story, she offers a pretty wit, and a certain amount of social satire.

The Prudence of the title is a pretty young London party girl, playing at a career but more interested in her astonishing (as described) wardrobe and finding Mr. Right. She may have found him in tall, elegant, extremely repressed Pendle Mulholland, she's interested enough to spend a ridiculously extended weekend in the country with his family, even though he's never tried to bed her. She meets the whole family, the eccentric mother, the wastrel brother and his blowsy wife, and of course the eldest brother; a tough yet glamorous foreign correspondent and heir. Guess who captures her heart?

Prudence herself is pretty likeable for such a ditz, and the rest of the characters are all well drawn enough to interest. It never really rises above the level of fluff, but it's enjoyable, well-written, witty fluff. Good enough.