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Emily
Fall in love with Jilly Cooper, one of Britain's most popular authors, in this upbeat and unputdownable rom-com. Full of irresistible romance and laugh-out-loud moments, this is perfect for fans of Jojo Moyes, Marian Keyes, Dolly Alderton and Jane Fallon.
'Jilly is about bringing joy into your daft, silly, boozy joy ... There is no one else like Cooper' -- Guardian
'The Jane Austen of our time' -- HARPERS & QUEEN
'A rollicking good read' -- ***** Reader review
'An absolute pleasure to read' -- ***** Reader review
'A quick feel good when you feel those Sunday blues!' -- ***** Reader review
'Really loved this book, it just flowed along, its twists enthralled me, especially the ending - it was not what I expecting, well done Jilly' -- ***** 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.
'Jilly is about bringing joy into your daft, silly, boozy joy ... There is no one else like Cooper' -- Guardian
'The Jane Austen of our time' -- HARPERS & QUEEN
'A rollicking good read' -- ***** Reader review
'An absolute pleasure to read' -- ***** Reader review
'A quick feel good when you feel those Sunday blues!' -- ***** Reader review
'Really loved this book, it just flowed along, its twists enthralled me, especially the ending - it was not what I expecting, well done Jilly' -- ***** 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.
244 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 1975
38 people are currently reading
347 people want to read
About the author
Jilly Cooper
91 books859 followersDame Jilly Cooper, OBE (born February 21, 1937) was an English author. She started her career as a journalist and wrote numerous works of non-fiction before writing several romance novels, the first of which appeared in 1975. She was most famous for writing the six blockbuster novels the Rutshire Chronicles.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 59 reviews
June 24, 2015
Oh dear.
I usually like Jilly Cooper. You do have to take her with a pinch of salt - some of her books were written in the 60s and 70s, and in upper-class England (which is sort of a world unto itself, and I say that with the perspective of someone who has one foot in that world), so most of the time it's worth thinking of her books as period dramedy. The morals in them usually don't apply to life today, but they can often be quite entertaining reads, if you can get past the occasional casual racist / homophobic / misogynistic references.
Not Emily. Emily was infuriating to the point of offensive, and I am so so glad that it wasn't the first Jilly book I read, or I'd never have read anything else of hers.
I'm so disgusted by the book that I can't even write a proper review, so I'll just set out the main things that are wrong with it. (Spoilers abound.):
1) Emily is engaged to marry someone else, but meets Rory at a party one night and elopes with him, with nary a thought for the fiancé she allegedly loved.
2) Rory becomes verbally, then physically, then sexually, abusive towards Emily - culminating in rape. No condemnation of his behaviour is made (even by Emily!) beyond a couple of "oh, you poor girl"s. Emily is more upset by Rory cheating on her than by him hitting or raping her.
3) The reason behind Rory's abuse is that he's so torn up over the loss of Marina, his childhood sweetheart whom he later discovered was his half-sister. (At the end of the book it turns out she's not, but they think they're half-brother and sister for most of the book.) She married another man since they couldn't be together, and Rory married Emily to get back at Marina, but this doesn't stop them sleeping together. Of course, everyone including Rory rationalises his behaviour as being that of a tortured soul. He couldn't possibly just be an abusive shithead.
4) Rory shows no remorse for any of his behaviour. He's cut up towards the end when Em leaves him, but he's only upset that she's gone, he doesn't seem to be upset that, I dunno, he beat and raped her and treated her like dirt throughout their marriage.
5) The book could JUST have been saved if Em had left Rory and married grumpy-but-sexy doctor Finn, or even gone her own way, got a job and tried to actually be a functioning human being. But she doesn't. She goes back to him. Because, gosh darn it, she just loves him so much. And he loves her so much too, and the verbal abuse and the beatings and the rape were just his way of showing how passionate he was for her. And sure, he made a mistake, having that affair with Marina, but what's a mistake or two when there's love involved? After all, Emily made mistakes too. She kissed Finn a few times, and dyed her hair that ridiculous colour just to embarrass Rory, and never got the laundry done properly - so they're even, right?
*facepalm*
I really cannot overstate how hideous Rory, and by extension this book, is. Jilly's had some male characters who did pretty shitty things - Pendle in Prudence ran off with his sister-in-law and left Pru among strangers while she was sick, and Nicky in Imogen turned out to be a philandering bastard, and kind of mean with it. But the difference is that those men's behaviours were portrayed as cruel and wrong, and they didn't end up with the girl at the end. Rory is a scumbag in every sense of the word; he does pretty much every awful thing a man can do to a woman short of outright murder - and yet his poor battered wife continues to love him, and he walks away with the girl and the hero nametag.
Ugh. Just ugh.
I really don't think I have anything else to say about this one. The only good thing I can say is that it wasn't dull. Some books get low ratings from me because I can barely get through them without passing out from boredom. Emily didn't bore me - it kept my attention throughout, and I nearly gave it two stars for that. But I couldn't, not with a clear conscience, because even for something written in the '70s I found this deeply offensive.
I usually like Jilly Cooper. You do have to take her with a pinch of salt - some of her books were written in the 60s and 70s, and in upper-class England (which is sort of a world unto itself, and I say that with the perspective of someone who has one foot in that world), so most of the time it's worth thinking of her books as period dramedy. The morals in them usually don't apply to life today, but they can often be quite entertaining reads, if you can get past the occasional casual racist / homophobic / misogynistic references.
Not Emily. Emily was infuriating to the point of offensive, and I am so so glad that it wasn't the first Jilly book I read, or I'd never have read anything else of hers.
I'm so disgusted by the book that I can't even write a proper review, so I'll just set out the main things that are wrong with it. (Spoilers abound.):
1) Emily is engaged to marry someone else, but meets Rory at a party one night and elopes with him, with nary a thought for the fiancé she allegedly loved.
2) Rory becomes verbally, then physically, then sexually, abusive towards Emily - culminating in rape. No condemnation of his behaviour is made (even by Emily!) beyond a couple of "oh, you poor girl"s. Emily is more upset by Rory cheating on her than by him hitting or raping her.
3) The reason behind Rory's abuse is that he's so torn up over the loss of Marina, his childhood sweetheart whom he later discovered was his half-sister. (At the end of the book it turns out she's not, but they think they're half-brother and sister for most of the book.) She married another man since they couldn't be together, and Rory married Emily to get back at Marina, but this doesn't stop them sleeping together. Of course, everyone including Rory rationalises his behaviour as being that of a tortured soul. He couldn't possibly just be an abusive shithead.
4) Rory shows no remorse for any of his behaviour. He's cut up towards the end when Em leaves him, but he's only upset that she's gone, he doesn't seem to be upset that, I dunno, he beat and raped her and treated her like dirt throughout their marriage.
5) The book could JUST have been saved if Em had left Rory and married grumpy-but-sexy doctor Finn, or even gone her own way, got a job and tried to actually be a functioning human being. But she doesn't. She goes back to him. Because, gosh darn it, she just loves him so much. And he loves her so much too, and the verbal abuse and the beatings and the rape were just his way of showing how passionate he was for her. And sure, he made a mistake, having that affair with Marina, but what's a mistake or two when there's love involved? After all, Emily made mistakes too. She kissed Finn a few times, and dyed her hair that ridiculous colour just to embarrass Rory, and never got the laundry done properly - so they're even, right?
*facepalm*
I really cannot overstate how hideous Rory, and by extension this book, is. Jilly's had some male characters who did pretty shitty things - Pendle in Prudence ran off with his sister-in-law and left Pru among strangers while she was sick, and Nicky in Imogen turned out to be a philandering bastard, and kind of mean with it. But the difference is that those men's behaviours were portrayed as cruel and wrong, and they didn't end up with the girl at the end. Rory is a scumbag in every sense of the word; he does pretty much every awful thing a man can do to a woman short of outright murder - and yet his poor battered wife continues to love him, and he walks away with the girl and the hero nametag.
Ugh. Just ugh.
I really don't think I have anything else to say about this one. The only good thing I can say is that it wasn't dull. Some books get low ratings from me because I can barely get through them without passing out from boredom. Emily didn't bore me - it kept my attention throughout, and I nearly gave it two stars for that. But I couldn't, not with a clear conscience, because even for something written in the '70s I found this deeply offensive.
August 28, 2014
This book was written nearly 40 years ago and could not be classed as politically correct. The writing and the story telling are flawless. I first read this story when I was approx. 16 years old, and there has been a great change in what society sees as acceptable behaviour within relationships and toward women as a whole.
All of that said- this is a funny, angst filled story about a naive young woman who falls in love with a very temperamental man who really wouldn't get away with half the crap he pulled on Emily with a woman of today!
The characters in her books remind me of the people featured on the british reality show Made in Chelsea!
I will continue to revisit this story as I still love it! It's quite a novelty to read a book that has no cursing or descriptions of sex, but where sexual tension is still palpable.
All of that said- this is a funny, angst filled story about a naive young woman who falls in love with a very temperamental man who really wouldn't get away with half the crap he pulled on Emily with a woman of today!
The characters in her books remind me of the people featured on the british reality show Made in Chelsea!
I will continue to revisit this story as I still love it! It's quite a novelty to read a book that has no cursing or descriptions of sex, but where sexual tension is still palpable.
February 3, 2022
⭐️⭐️⭐️ three stars -
This is one of Cooper’s books that has just not held up with the passing of time…. Domestic violence, dub con (which is really a domestic rape), attempted assault/rape, lots of free-wheeling sex, and an unhealthy amount of cigarettes and alcohol. All that, and a heroine in the middle of it who’s reveling in it all, and one who takes it all at surface level. This only succeeds in making her appear weak to the modern reader, when in reality she’s anything but, and is more a product/victim of her time period.
This book was originally published in 1975, but it’s my belief that Cooper most likely penned this in the 1960’s, and that the setting is meant to be the mid to late sixties. My guess about this is due to the attitudes of the characters toward bed-hopping sex, alcohol, chain smoking, and general lack of consciousness about one’s own health, all of which we are so hyper-aware of in today’s modern age. Specifically, when our h is pregnant, she downs a shot of whiskey without a thought. I feel that by the 1970’s, it was already established about alcohol and the health of a fetus, and this is why I am leaning toward the 1960’s time period for the setting here.
Knowing all of this, it’s important to read this as a time period novel, and not compare these characters to present day mores. Even though, yes, the h is assaulted by her husband, both physically and verbally, she sticks with him, which I can’t understand, but attitudes toward divorce were most definitely more stringent in that time period.
This book is definitely 100% pure Jilly Cooper. While it’s not a romance, per se, you do get fantastic world building, fabulously entertaining side characters, a snap of wit from our heroine, a typical broody Hero; and it all makes for a fantastically un-put-downable book. I enjoyed myself (while overlooking the on-point time period snafus, as mentioned above), was thoroughly entertained, and did read this beginning to end.
In short, if you’re willing to overlook some pretty glaring, in your face, time period references and actions, it is still an entertaining read. Read it as Jilly intended - debauched tales of the upper classes as seen from the point of view of a somewhat naive and innocent heroine. It’s entertaining to see our h immersed in this world, and her struggles to fit it now that she’s broken through the class barrier and has “made it”. Shallow and superficial? Absolutely. That’s why it’s as riveting as a train wreck.
Enjoyed as an entertaining time period read. Would only recommend for those willing to overlook “flaws” that will not appeal to modern readers. Taken as a snippet in time, I would recommend as a quick read.
Struggled between two and three stars, but rested at three because no one can spin a tale of the upper class, countyside, swinging sixties folks like Cooper 😊👍📚
This is one of Cooper’s books that has just not held up with the passing of time…. Domestic violence, dub con (which is really a domestic rape), attempted assault/rape, lots of free-wheeling sex, and an unhealthy amount of cigarettes and alcohol. All that, and a heroine in the middle of it who’s reveling in it all, and one who takes it all at surface level. This only succeeds in making her appear weak to the modern reader, when in reality she’s anything but, and is more a product/victim of her time period.
This book was originally published in 1975, but it’s my belief that Cooper most likely penned this in the 1960’s, and that the setting is meant to be the mid to late sixties. My guess about this is due to the attitudes of the characters toward bed-hopping sex, alcohol, chain smoking, and general lack of consciousness about one’s own health, all of which we are so hyper-aware of in today’s modern age. Specifically, when our h is pregnant, she downs a shot of whiskey without a thought. I feel that by the 1970’s, it was already established about alcohol and the health of a fetus, and this is why I am leaning toward the 1960’s time period for the setting here.
Knowing all of this, it’s important to read this as a time period novel, and not compare these characters to present day mores. Even though, yes, the h is assaulted by her husband, both physically and verbally, she sticks with him, which I can’t understand, but attitudes toward divorce were most definitely more stringent in that time period.
This book is definitely 100% pure Jilly Cooper. While it’s not a romance, per se, you do get fantastic world building, fabulously entertaining side characters, a snap of wit from our heroine, a typical broody Hero; and it all makes for a fantastically un-put-downable book. I enjoyed myself (while overlooking the on-point time period snafus, as mentioned above), was thoroughly entertained, and did read this beginning to end.
In short, if you’re willing to overlook some pretty glaring, in your face, time period references and actions, it is still an entertaining read. Read it as Jilly intended - debauched tales of the upper classes as seen from the point of view of a somewhat naive and innocent heroine. It’s entertaining to see our h immersed in this world, and her struggles to fit it now that she’s broken through the class barrier and has “made it”. Shallow and superficial? Absolutely. That’s why it’s as riveting as a train wreck.
Enjoyed as an entertaining time period read. Would only recommend for those willing to overlook “flaws” that will not appeal to modern readers. Taken as a snippet in time, I would recommend as a quick read.
Struggled between two and three stars, but rested at three because no one can spin a tale of the upper class, countyside, swinging sixties folks like Cooper 😊👍📚
January 25, 2014
This is Jilly Cooper's first published book, and here she starts a trend of book titles with female names. This is an enjoyable read, you don't have to think to hard, there are a few twists (unexpected ones). I think though that Cooper still had to find her distinctive style (racy but never gross) which we will find in her following books. I love her books for that style. This book reminds me more of the usual short romance stories and I miss the Copper 'kick'. Saying all this, I understand from Wikipedia, Riders was written in 1970. Emily was written for a teenage magazine which may explain it.
February 1, 2018
In the mid-eighties I was a big fan of Jilly Cooper & collected this whole series ("Emily", "Bella", "Imogen" etc.) To be honest, they've been left untouched for the last twenty-plus-years, so I thought it was time to pass them to a charity shop - but you know what it's like, you've just gotta have one last read....
Well, you can certainly tell "Emily" was written forty years ago, it's not very PC at times (though that's the seventies for you) & very much of a time when girls were so often portrayed as pretty, ditsy & only expected to hold a job down (invariably as a typing temp in Cooper's books) till some rich & handsome (of course!) stranger whisks her away in matrimony to live happily ever after. However, in Emily & Rory's case the marriage comes at the start of their relationship & it would appear if it's going to be a case of "marry in haste repent at leisure"....but despite that as you'd expect from a romance things turn out well in the end. Well that's if you call being in love & married to an arrogant, patronising, unfaithful, chauvinistic pig a happy ending. At one point he rapes Emily, yet that comes over as if that's perfectly acceptable within marriage. Did I really use to find this stuff romantic? *shudder* I'm sure today's savvy teens wouldn't lap this up like us more innocent & naïve seventies teens did.
It was an amusing enough read for the most part but then as I've said, I lived through the seventies with all it's political incorrectness. I'll continue through the rest of the series is only to see if I find any of the other males are as obnoxious as Rory.
Well, you can certainly tell "Emily" was written forty years ago, it's not very PC at times (though that's the seventies for you) & very much of a time when girls were so often portrayed as pretty, ditsy & only expected to hold a job down (invariably as a typing temp in Cooper's books) till some rich & handsome (of course!) stranger whisks her away in matrimony to live happily ever after. However, in Emily & Rory's case the marriage comes at the start of their relationship & it would appear if it's going to be a case of "marry in haste repent at leisure"....but despite that as you'd expect from a romance things turn out well in the end. Well that's if you call being in love & married to an arrogant, patronising, unfaithful, chauvinistic pig a happy ending. At one point he rapes Emily, yet that comes over as if that's perfectly acceptable within marriage. Did I really use to find this stuff romantic? *shudder* I'm sure today's savvy teens wouldn't lap this up like us more innocent & naïve seventies teens did.
It was an amusing enough read for the most part but then as I've said, I lived through the seventies with all it's political incorrectness. I'll continue through the rest of the series is only to see if I find any of the other males are as obnoxious as Rory.
January 23, 2013
Takes me back to my youth - loved these books as a teenager. Very dated now though - one example of which is a pregnant woman being given a large brandy by her doctor for shock!
January 13, 2012
So I'm going through the process of trying to read books by famous authors, that I would previously never read. Unfortunately, I wish I had never read Jilly Cooper! The plot lines are weak, the content is rushed and the dialogue between characters is verging on imbecilic!
Emily is about a girl who ditches her political fiance for a rather dashing man that she meets one night and marries about a week later. In her new relationship she quickly discovers that her husband has married her to annoy the woman that he really loves (who is actually his half sister - urgh). She obviously sticks to his side though because she loves him, even when he hits her, is embarrassed by her, belittles her, rapes her and cheats on her. Emily nearly has a fling with another character in the novel, but stays true to her husband until the end because 'true love will conquer all'. Apparently rape can be forgiven if the offender had a tortured soul at the time.
This book also shows all young women how you only have to stick at a mediocre job until you can marry rich. Also, if you're bad at housework, don't worry because you can always get a little woman in to do it for you. As long as you can pull off slutty clothes and drink vast quantities of champagne you'll never need worry in life....well thanks Jilly :)
Other ridiculous parts of the plot include the Dr offering Emily a brandy after she discovers she's pregnant, her going horseriding to 'let off some steam' when pregnant and characters being in love with eachother after a short period of time in which they've barely spoken. Note to self: never ever get pregnancy advice off Jilly Cooper - this lady is a recipe for miscarriage!
Emily is about a girl who ditches her political fiance for a rather dashing man that she meets one night and marries about a week later. In her new relationship she quickly discovers that her husband has married her to annoy the woman that he really loves (who is actually his half sister - urgh). She obviously sticks to his side though because she loves him, even when he hits her, is embarrassed by her, belittles her, rapes her and cheats on her. Emily nearly has a fling with another character in the novel, but stays true to her husband until the end because 'true love will conquer all'. Apparently rape can be forgiven if the offender had a tortured soul at the time.
This book also shows all young women how you only have to stick at a mediocre job until you can marry rich. Also, if you're bad at housework, don't worry because you can always get a little woman in to do it for you. As long as you can pull off slutty clothes and drink vast quantities of champagne you'll never need worry in life....well thanks Jilly :)
Other ridiculous parts of the plot include the Dr offering Emily a brandy after she discovers she's pregnant, her going horseriding to 'let off some steam' when pregnant and characters being in love with eachother after a short period of time in which they've barely spoken. Note to self: never ever get pregnancy advice off Jilly Cooper - this lady is a recipe for miscarriage!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Read
May 7, 2016If you like the end of "Crocodile Dundee" or the bit in "Love Actually" when Jamie (Colin Firth) proposes to Aurelia, then you are an incurable romantic and you are going to love this book from Jilly Cooper. It was written in the early 1970s and is showing its age but like all treasures that just adds to its appeal. Unlike other traditional romances, our heroine marries her Mr Right at the beginning of the novel but pretty soon realises he might not be her Mr Right at all.
Written before her bonk-busters this contains no lengthy descriptions of the bedroom high-jinks and so retains a certain innocence but be warned there are quite shocking themes including incest. However with Jilly Cooper's deft touch and humour, and remembering when it is set and written, this is a thoroughly enjoyable romp that is guaranteed to put a smile on your face and make you want to look out a few others from her back catalogue.
Written before her bonk-busters this contains no lengthy descriptions of the bedroom high-jinks and so retains a certain innocence but be warned there are quite shocking themes including incest. However with Jilly Cooper's deft touch and humour, and remembering when it is set and written, this is a thoroughly enjoyable romp that is guaranteed to put a smile on your face and make you want to look out a few others from her back catalogue.
March 9, 2012
of all her short stories, this one's my favourite
June 21, 2021
I first read this when I was a teenager and really enjoyed it. Picking it up now, I still like it. A quick, easy read with characters I love to revisit!
June 14, 2014
Emily was my first 'grown up' book and I loved it. I read this one and the others in the series at least every couple of years for nostalgia. Great holiday books.
May 5, 2023
Spoiler city on this one. folks, so stop reading now if you don’t want to learn all of the worst things that happen.
There’s a laundry list of things that the typical H can do wrong in a romance novel. This H does them all.
Verbally abusive? Constantly.
Ignores her and leaves her isolated and miserable for months? Of course.
Physically abusive? At least once.
Rapist? Why, yes.
Slept with her sister? Why yes, again — oh no, wait — he sleeps with HIS sister. Yeah, you read that right.
Criticizes her appearance, cooking, personality, intellect, style of dress, values, performance in bed? Yes, all of those and a few other things that I’m sure I forgotten.
Marries her to cover up a shameful relationship? Yep.
Marries her to get his inheritance? Yes, of course.
Sleeps with the OW in their bed and is completely unapologetic? Yes. What else would you expect?
There is no joy from this book, except for the author’s writing ability and ear for clever dialogue.
There’s a laundry list of things that the typical H can do wrong in a romance novel. This H does them all.
Verbally abusive? Constantly.
Ignores her and leaves her isolated and miserable for months? Of course.
Physically abusive? At least once.
Rapist? Why, yes.
Slept with her sister? Why yes, again — oh no, wait — he sleeps with HIS sister. Yeah, you read that right.
Criticizes her appearance, cooking, personality, intellect, style of dress, values, performance in bed? Yes, all of those and a few other things that I’m sure I forgotten.
Marries her to cover up a shameful relationship? Yep.
Marries her to get his inheritance? Yes, of course.
Sleeps with the OW in their bed and is completely unapologetic? Yes. What else would you expect?
There is no joy from this book, except for the author’s writing ability and ear for clever dialogue.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 29, 2023
Emily is the most dated of Jilly Cooper's books in this series, it's also just about the only one where the main character doesn't fall in love with someone she hates at first.
Emily meets Rory, a moody, impulsive artist at a party, and they get married literally weeks later and move to the isle of Irasa. When they arrive, Emily quickly learns that Rory's in love with someone else, and married her out of spite.
Emily is as likeable and as funny as all of Cooper's other leading ladies, I just wish she had higher standards, or a backbone!
I know this book was written at a time where rape between man and wife wasn't illegal or even really acknowledged, but it really makes Rory a very unlikeable character. I honestly couldn't forget that, and wish that Emily hadn't either. On top of that, he's also mentally and physically abusive. In fact, he comes across as a spoilt, self centred piece of crap.
Later on in the book, Emily does have a fling with a lovely doctor; in fact, every time I read Emily, I hope for a different outcome in which she leaves Irasa with Finn instead.
Emily meets Rory, a moody, impulsive artist at a party, and they get married literally weeks later and move to the isle of Irasa. When they arrive, Emily quickly learns that Rory's in love with someone else, and married her out of spite.
Emily is as likeable and as funny as all of Cooper's other leading ladies, I just wish she had higher standards, or a backbone!
I know this book was written at a time where rape between man and wife wasn't illegal or even really acknowledged, but it really makes Rory a very unlikeable character. I honestly couldn't forget that, and wish that Emily hadn't either. On top of that, he's also mentally and physically abusive. In fact, he comes across as a spoilt, self centred piece of crap.
Later on in the book, Emily does have a fling with a lovely doctor; in fact, every time I read Emily, I hope for a different outcome in which she leaves Irasa with Finn instead.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 15, 2015
I really love Jilly's Rutshire chronicles and I really liked Prudence so I'm disappointed that this didn't hit the mark.
Emily is a terrible heroine, she's really pathetic. And this book is really "of it's time" in a bad way- with Emily being hit by her partner but rationalising that she had it coming because he was in a bad mood, the book's nonchalant approach to regular incest and rape without outrage "I was erm sort of raped" but don't worry there's a really happy pro feminist ending- Emily ends up with her wife beating, rapist, cheating, incest committing husband..... oh. Great message. And what makes it more frustrating is that she actually meets a far nicer none violent, none rapist, attentive, caring man who wants to be with her but sadly he just didn't have that attractive "I might kill/rape you" sex appeal going on.
Emily is a terrible heroine, she's really pathetic. And this book is really "of it's time" in a bad way- with Emily being hit by her partner but rationalising that she had it coming because he was in a bad mood, the book's nonchalant approach to regular incest and rape without outrage "I was erm sort of raped" but don't worry there's a really happy pro feminist ending- Emily ends up with her wife beating, rapist, cheating, incest committing husband..... oh. Great message. And what makes it more frustrating is that she actually meets a far nicer none violent, none rapist, attentive, caring man who wants to be with her but sadly he just didn't have that attractive "I might kill/rape you" sex appeal going on.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 7, 2011
I cried when reading Emily. The passion, the love, the romance, the heartache, all are so well done in this book. I especially liked the element of incest, where he adores the woman who is his half sister but he knows that he can never live with her. She is his muse, but then, when he meets Emily, everything changes. I especially love how she finds out that he loves her, because to see it expressed in the tiny, intimate painting he has done of her, looking not divine or sexy, but normal, ordinary just means so much more. He sees her as she is and loves that about her.
October 23, 2008
I read a lot of Jilly Cooper when I was a young teenager and learned an awful lot from her! I loved it at the time and think its about time I read them all again!
January 26, 2013
A nostalgic read which I enjoyed and I refuse to over-analyse that fact....
May 8, 2013
Dire.
July 2, 2013
Lived this one especially
July 8, 2014
Read this within a day!
I honestly couldn't put it down!
I couldn't relate to the book yet I was still fixated and slightly surprised by the ending which was lovely :)
I honestly couldn't put it down!
I couldn't relate to the book yet I was still fixated and slightly surprised by the ending which was lovely :)
May 10, 2016
A woman finds love before getting whisked off to a Scottish island.
December 21, 2014
This was the second Jilly Cooper novel I read at the tender age of 10! This is quite a gritty novel for its day, affairs, abuse and incestuous tones. Again it will only take you a day.
May 16, 2015
Brilliant!
March 3, 2025
That was new levels of toxic wtf Jilly
May 1, 2024
Awful.
Everything about this book is bad.
There is not 1 likeable character.
Everything about this book is bad.
There is not 1 likeable character.
April 26, 2025
Never thought this book was going to be so funny and light! I did have to adjust a bit since it’s from 1975. Still think it’s wonderful that it’s funny in 2025.
August 11, 2024
Yea you cant go wrong with a bit of Jilly
Read
November 8, 2025Oh dear. Dreadful, even by 1975 standards. -5 stars. Sorry Jilly. (I still love you.)
July 15, 2020
I decided to buy, this book from Kobo, and read it, as part of the modern mrs darcy reading challange, for 2020, this one was to read a book published in the decade you were born.
The book tells the story of Emily, who is engaged to a conservative politician, and is leaving her old life behind her to become respectable wife. Then one night while her fiance is away, she goes to a party at her friends house, meeting the handsome playboy Rory Balniel. Who she then decides to marry him that weekend. Then gets taken to a remote Scottish Island. However married life does not turn out to be the dream she was expecting, with Marina a woman form Rory’s past and Finn Maclean her brother.
This is the first book by Jilly Cooper that I have read, and it will not be the last. As if they are all this easy to read then it will give me something to read when I want something light to read, not that its a knock on the work, as the book does deal with some issues that where probably shocking at the time and some maybe even now.
The people in the story did not have much of a back story or much development, which could make them seem almost, 2 dimensional. However this is in keeping with the style of writing and the genre of the story. Also with the information and the Arc, of each character, being enough for the plot, this did not distract from the enjoyment of the book.
The plot of the book did deal with some issues such as incest and and abusive marriages, both mental and physical, it did seem to resolve the shelves in the book, in away that the writer Jilly Cooper, either got the story to a point that, she did not how to carry on and just shouted plot twist, or the editor told her not to take the story in that direction.
All in all this was an enjoyable story to read, for a bit of fluff, be aware of the trigger warnings. I would recommend this book if you like, stories that are a bit of fun to read, then I would suggest Jilly Cooper’s Emily is the book for you.
July 21, 2019
This was still a fun read, but not as good as Octavia, mainly because the plot is a good deal madder and the book itself is too short to develop its mad themes. Also – and I reckon after this series Cooper realised this for herself – she’s significantly limited by the first person narration. BECAUSE IT’S A LIMITED FUCKING POV IS WHY. Jilly Cooper is all drama, all the time, but you really do need a doorstop novel to accommodate it. There’s a reason you don’t cram a whole soap opera into an action film timeframe. The potential of this story bursts its seams, but it’s not a fully realised object in its own right.
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