Was really excited for this one, and it fell a little on the flat side. It had some really cute moments, and I'm a sucker for a sports romance and horses, so it ticked a lot of boxes for me. I liked Eden and Jed as characters, even if I thought their chemistry felt slightly forced at times. What really dropped this book's rating for me was that the pacing was all over the place, and the inconsistencies did draw you out of the story and detracted from the overall feeling of being lost in a book. Maybe it just needs a good re-edit. I would expect more from Harper Collins.


Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I guess I’m into polo now?!

This was a fun sports romance that was a new one for me - my first polo romance novel! I loved the chemistry here, and the horse allergy was actually so clever and worked really nicely alongside the underlying secret (no spoilers!) that was keeping them apart.

Thank you to NetGalley and One More Chapter for this eARC!

Joss Wood’s Riding High delivers a tender and emotionally layered romance set against the backdrop of a posh English estate and the unexpected world of competitive polo.

At its heart is Eden Ennis, a young woman who has spent her life yearning for a family to call her own after being disowned by her mother.

When she discovers a living relative her wealthy, larger-than-life uncle Troyden, Eden takes a leap of faith and travels to his estate, hoping to find a place to belong.

What she finds is more than just a home - she discovers an eclectic, loving, and surprisingly welcoming family.

Wood nails the found family trope with warmth and grace.

Troyden is an instant highlight: a paternal figure who envelops Eden with affection and treats her like one of his own, which adds emotional heft to Eden’s journey from isolation to inclusion.

Their relationship is one of the novel’s most touching elements, providing a steady foundation as the romantic plot unfolds.

Enter Jed - Troyden’s grumpy, polo-playing grandson who is initially skeptical of Eden’s sudden appearance.

What starts as suspicion soon morphs into chemistry, and from there, into something deeper. Their meet-cute, complete with Eden’s horse allergy in the middle of a polo-obsessed household, is equal parts humorous and charming.

That said, the romance between Eden and Jed is where the novel occasionally falters.

While their dynamic promises plenty of emotional tension, much of their development is told rather than shown. The connection between them feels uneven at times - more built on narrative exposition than lived-in moments.

When Eden’s secret eventually comes to light, both her decision to keep it and Jed’s reaction feel emotionally grounded and believable. Still, their romance never quite reaches the heights it seems to aim for, missing some of the emotional spark needed to truly sell their love story.

Where the book truly shines is in its emotional undercurrent - this is a story about identity, trust, and belonging.

Jed, in particular, emerges as a standout character. Despite his initial gruffness, he proves himself to be deeply loyal, attentive, and refreshingly honest.

His unwavering support of Eden, especially when others doubt her, provides some of the novel’s most satisfying moments. His multiple apologies and emotionally charged declarations are well-earned and deeply heartfelt.

The polo setting, while unique, feels a bit underutilised. It adds a luxurious, fresh backdrop to the story but doesn’t quite become an integral part of the narrative. A bit more immersion in the sport could have elevated the uniqueness of the setting.

Riding High is a charming, emotionally resonant read that succeeds in delivering a heartfelt story of finding love and family in the most unexpected of places.

While the romance could have used more on-the-page development and the pacing tightened, the themes of belonging, second chances, and emotional healing more than make up for it.

With thanks to NetGalley and One More Chapter for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Eden just wants to feel like she belongs. After her mom disowned her to become a nun (that was an odd detail), she’s been on her own—until she finds out she has a wealthy uncle named Troyden. He welcomes her into his blended family with open arms. Things get complicated when she meets his grumpy stepson, Jed, who’s not totally convinced she’s there for the right reasons.

The found family aspect was cute,Eden being embraced so fully was sweet. Her bond with Troyden was a highlight for me, and the fact that polo played a role in the story (even though she’s allergic to horses!) was an interesting twist.

That said, the middle dragged a bit, and the romance between Eden and Jed felt more told than shown. I understood why Eden kept her secret and Jed’s reaction made sense, but I just didn’t feel much chemistry between them. The polo setting was unique, but overall, the story didn’t leave a huge impression.

Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins for the advanced copy.

I think I need to stop reading "horsey" books from authors I don't know. After the second time the character (a champion polo player) said he was worried his horse had injured her forelock, I was ready to pack it in.

For some reason, I persisted. Hoping for a good romance at least, maybe. But the MCs didn't have much in the way of chemistry...or shame...get a room already or at least go inside.

Also, the fact that a couple of months and a few Claritin was enough to get the MC over an allergy so severe she lost consciousness seemed extremely implausible to me.

The book had a few other structural problems. So much telling instead of showing, and the bizarre and embarrassing scene at the end where all decorum is lost.

So as not to be completely down on the story, there were a few things I did like:

Multiple Star Wars and other pop culture references
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Several of the side characters were charming.

This was basically an "okay" romance.

I was pulled in by the premise of this book, the setting in the English countryside, sexy polo players, it all felt like a fresh take on Jilly Cooper's old books and seemed like something a bit different.

Unfortunately, the story didn't live up to its promise.

The first maybe half of the book was fairly enjoyable as a light romance, there was some great sexual tension at times between the main characters and although I wasn't exactly hooked, I was enjoying the story enough to keep going.

However, by about 70% it felt like the story had been told, there was no suspense, not much to keep the reader interested. It was obvious where the story was going to go and there just weren't enough stakes. We had the formulaic "third act break-up" and then the last 20% of the book felt like the author busy just trying to tick boxes and wrap everything up. The MCs worked it out, everyone somehow suddenly worked through all their trauma and history and everything tied up in a neat little package.

It felt like the author was writing to a beat sheet, which is fine, but it felt more like the events of the story were coming from this external source of "I need this to happen by page 100" rather than being driven by the story and the characters themselves.

I also really struggled with some of Eden's feelings about her mother. She felt abandoned, which was fine, she's allowed to feel that way, but her mother had her at 18, became a foster mum to other kids and then eventually decided to become a nun. While it obviously sucks that her mum wasn't there for her, it felt like her mum was written as this evil person who only did good things to make god happy, and that she didn't really want to be a nun, she felt like she had to to, again, make god happy. I actually felt a lot of compassion for her mother's situation and circumstances, but Eden couldn't seem to see any of that, it was very "about her" rather than just accepting that maybe becoming a nun was the right thing for her mother. There was hardly any mention of her dad, but her mum seemed to get all of the blame.

I found it confusing that her mother was able to become a foster mother at such a young age with a child already. I've looked into fostering myself and you need to have spare bedrooms, the ability to look after other children, etc., it felt like a weird angle to me.

I also REALLY struggled with the anti-vegetarian sentiment in the book. I think in a world where more and more people are eating less meat for their own health, animals and the environment, this anti-veggie sentiment feels like an old narrative. It's also really off-putting to readers like myself who don't eat meat. It instantly makes me not like the characters if they show zero compassion or understanding for someone choosing not to eat animals even if they themselves still eat meat.

This book had a lot of potential with it's found family, sexy polo players, a great setting in the British countryside, but it just felt too flat, too formulaic and the second half went nowhere, not enough stakes or interest to keep me wanting to turn the pages.

Thank you NetGalley for the copy
Unfortunately, DNF @ 30 percent.
The book has a nice premise but it however did not resonate with me.
I still recommend this book if you need something sweet to take your mind off things.

This book was such a fantastic read, I cannot wait to read more!
I really enjoy sports romances and this did not disappoint.

Respectfully no. This read was one huge disappointment. There are times where I will like both MC or one or the other. For this read it was neither 😞 it was giving insta love and a very unrealistic relationship. The way that the plot and narration was set called for a huge headache. I would catch myself rereading almost every page that had dialogue because I couldn’t differentiate who said what or how I was reading one scenario and the next we were at a different location. Really wanted to enjoy this read but it was a miss. Thank you NetGalley for the ARC.

Riding High by Joss Wood was such a fun, swoony escape! I absolutely loved the chemistry between the leads it's that perfect mix of flirty banter, simmering tension, and genuine emotional connection. I loved these character so much I just might reread the book.

at just over 200, ‘riding high’ is a fast paced sports romance (the sport being polo, which is not often the case and it is interesting to see a different sport at the centre) filled with characters that make for a charming found family that i personally really enjoyed it. it is the second joss wood book that i’ve read and i’m very much looking forward to read more of her writing in the future.

I really wanted to like this book, but I found the MC's to be very hard to connect with. I ended up DNF. I will try more of Joss Wood's book in the future though!

Thank you to the publisher and to NetGalley for an arc. All opinions expressed are my own.

Cute, fun easy read. I enjoyed the banter between the main characters but could never seem their relationship lasting long term with how immature they both seemed to be. While this isn’t my favorite from Joss Wood, I’m sure I’ll still pick up whatever she comes out with next!

Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Collins UK, One More Chapter for the opportunity to read this ARC!

When Eden arrives in the English countryside, she has one mission in mind: to feel out the billionaire uncle she never knew existed until a few months ago. But after fainting, discovering she’s allergic to horses, and waking up in the strong arms of Jed — the estate’s star polo player and, inconveniently, her uncle’s stepson — Eden finds herself thrown headfirst into the world of high society, a patchwork family like no other, and a whirlwind romance with the emotionally unavailable Jed.

But Eden didn’t come empty-handed. She’s carrying a secret big enough to shatter everything she’s just started to build. And when the truth comes out, she fears she’ll lose everything she’s only just begun to hold dear.

Riding High is a perfectly average summer countryside romance, generously seasoned with a “found family” vibe. Across its 329 pages, there’s not a single plot twist you won’t see coming — and sometimes, that’s not necessarily a bad thing. There were parts I genuinely enjoyed: Eden’s freshly discovered horse allergy, the constant bickering between Troyden’s stepchildren, and classic rom-com shenanigans like accidentally destroying a medieval suit of armor.

That said, some character behaviors had me cringing. I found it difficult to believe Jed was supposed to be in his thirties when he acted like a moody teenager half the time. And Eden’s obsession with Korean culture, especially when she kept comparing a British man to her favorite Korean actor, felt a little out of place and rubbed me the wrong way.

What disappointed me most, though, was the execution of the romance between Eden and Jed. I can forgive the instant attraction trope — it’s a staple in romance for a reason — but their relationship lacked any real, valuable emotional progression. One moment they’re drooling over each other, the next they’re avoiding eye contact, and then suddenly they’re making out in some dramatic, out-of-nowhere scene that launches an entire summer fling.

And when things finally heated up, most of the interesting spicy moments either faded to black or happened entirely off-page. It was a letdown that stripped away much of the tension the story had been building. Jed himself also felt frustratingly underdeveloped compared to Eden. While we follow her growth and inner conflict, Jed remains a handsome, broody prop with almost no insight into his backstory or motivations. I wish Wood had spent more time exploring his character — especially how he became so jaded about love in the first place.

It’s a very low-stakes story overall. Everyone’s rich, and every problem that arises can essentially be solved with a check signed by Troyden. No real consequences, no lasting tension.

In the end, Riding High wasn’t awful, but it wasn’t anything special either. It might be someone else’s unforgettable summer romance — but for me, it’s a book I’ll have entirely forgotten by the time the season changes.

I loved eden character but i did not really enjoy that much her romantic relationship i don’t know for me it just felt like it was too hard to enjoy or to really like them together
I loved more toryden s character and his relationship with the children than this

But maybe it will work for some people
Thank you one more chapter for the arc

Thanks so much to Joss Wood and HarperCollins UK, One More Chapter | One More Chapter for the eARC of this book. This was such a good high society romance book. The FMC was perfect. I could easily see it being turned into a tv show or movie. This was a great quick summer read by the pool for me.

I have only ever read one golf book so I was interested to read this!! It was so cute and honestly made me want to read so many more!

found family. The author clearly spent a lot of time thinking about the MC’s particular personalities, histories, and hang ups in preparation for the main conflict at the climax of the book.
However, the writing includes numerous inconsistencies and contradictions within the story. There is a moment when we’re told someone is two years younger than a side character and then a few paragraphs later that the same person is “more than a decade” younger. The same thing happens with timelines and even character names throughout.
This book really leans on telling rather than showing and the sex scenes crop up completely unexpectedly with no prelude.
Neither of the MCs are particularly thoughtful or likable and I struggle to see them forming a healthy relationship in the long-term.
I was vaguely interested in the characterization of some of the side players and would have loved to have gotten more of the step-siblings and half-sibling rather that so much internal musing from either Eden or Jed.

The book's description, especially the line "a galloping tale of love, inheritance, and lies," initially drew me in. However, as I read, the plot seemed to try to incorporate those three elements, resulting in a tangled narration. Also it's no way I'm accepted to believe Jed (mmc) was 35, given his childish behavior.

I liked Eden, especially her internal struggle with acceptance and rejection, as well as the polo aspect of the story, which I wish had been explored more. The horse allergy was a great addition, highlighting how the MMC and side characters cared for and loved Eden.

Edit: I forgot to mention that I also loved troyden and his relationship with his step kids.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC! High society romance, like bridgerton but in the modern day. Really fun.