Where ‘Rivals’ Show Fits into Jilly Cooper’s ‘Rutshire Chronicles’ Timeline and Book Order

Rivals, the second book in Jilly Cooper’s 11-part Rutshire Chronicles, is being adapted into a Hulu original series, and we have all of the information you need to know before you dive into the new show.

Now, luckily, the book series was released in chronological order and can actually be read as standalone novels. However, if you are new to the Rutshire Chronicles, we will break down each book for you.

Rutshire Chronicles and When They Were Released

The first book in the series, Riders, was originally released in 1985, with the last book, Tackle!, being released in 2023. The Rutshire Chronicles is a series of romantic novels that tell the tales of British upper-class families, as well as the show-jumping and polo crowd. Throughout the series, characters become intertwined in love triangles, rivalries, scandals, and sometimes even death.

See the order in which the books were released below:

1. Riders (1985)
2. Rivals (1988)
3. Polo (1991)
4. The Man Who Made Husbands Jealous (1993)
5. Appassionata (1996)
6. Score! (1999)
7. Pandora (2002)
8. Wicked! (2006)
9. Jump! (2010)
10. Mount! (2016)
11. Tackle! (2023)

Riders, the first book in the series, follows the rivalry between two show-jumping competitors, Jake Lovell, and Rupert Campbell-Black, that erupts at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics.

Rivals is set in 1986 and follows the rivalry between Rupert Campbell-Black, an Olympic horse-rider, and Conservative MP, and Lord Tony Baddingham, the controller of a fictional regional TV station called Corinium. Baddingham is desperate to keep his franchise and hires Irish talk show star Declan O’Hara and Cameron Cook, a brash executive, to produce Declan’s program. However, Declan and Cameron highly dislike each other, which throws a lot of controversy into the mix.

The third Rutshire Chronicles book, Polo, revolves around a new character named Ricky France-Lynch who is a polo star who is on a mission to win back his wife until his life unfolds with tragedy.

The Man Who Made Husbands Jealous, the fourth book in the chronicles, follows Lysander Hawkley, who was convinced by his friend Ferdie to make money by helping unhappy wives make their husbands jealous and to make the husbands remember why they fell in love with their wives.

Appassionata, released in 1996, follows classical violinist Abigail Rosen, nicknamed Appassionata, who becomes a conductor after a suicide attempt destroys her violin career.

Score!, the sixth book in Cooper’s Rutshire Chronicles turns into a murder mystery and follows Sir Robert Rannaldini who is the most successful but detested conductor in the world.

Pandora follows the story of a painting of Pandora that was stolen during a firework party that takes readers on a hunt through Vienna, Geneva, Paris, New York, and London.

Wicked! follows Janna Curtis, a young, attractive teacher who becomes tasked with saving the failing school of Larkminster Comprehensive.

Jump! follows the story of a widow, Etta Bancroft, who nurses a young female horse back to life only to find out that the horse is a very talented racehorse.

Rupert Campbell-Black makes a return in Mount!, the 10th book in the Chronicles series. He becomes determined to beat his rival in the world of flat racing, which means that he is willing to do anything to get there, including abandoning his racing empire and his wife Taggie.

Rupert Campbell-Black’s story continues with the 11th book in the series, Tackle! where he is dealing with the struggles of his wife who is undergoing chemotherapy.

Where Can I Stream Rivals the Series?

Rivals is set to hit streaming services on Friday, October 18. International fans can watch the series on Disney+ while the United States can catch new episodes on Hulu on the same day.

Where can I purchase the Rutshire Chronicles books?

If you would like to read the book before you watch the new series, you can purchase Rivals on Amazon. The entire Rutshire Chronicles is also available to purchase on Amazon, which consists of 11 books. But, if you’d prefer to jump right into the series, mark your calendars and get your Hulu subscription ready for Friday, October 18!