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.

A great letter book, perfect for a day at the beach, worn an afternoon by the pool

Thank you to NetGalley and the Publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

Eden Ennis longs for a family who makes her feel loved and included. When her mother disowned her in order to become a nun, she felt incredibly alone in the world. Having discovered that she has a living relative, she makes her way to his estate to determine if he would accept her into the family fold. She doesn’t have to wait long as Troyden, her wealthy uncle, immediately envelops her into his eclectic family of step children. Though excited to be welcomed into the family, Eden has a secret she’s not ready to share. When Troyden’s grumpy grandson, Jed, meets her for the first time, he’s suspicious of her motives. But as the summer goes on, they quickly start to develop feelings for each other. What will happen when Eden’s secret comes out?

There’s a lot to like about Ms. Wood’s novel. I really loved the found family trope (it’s one of my favorites), and it was lovely to see Eden warmly welcomed into the family. I thought it was funny that Polo was an important part of the family’s life and that Eden was allergic to horses. It made for a humorous meet cute. I loved Eden’s relationship with Troyden, it was lovely to see the warm, fatherly affection he had for her and the way he showed her she was an important part of the family.

I did think the story lost its pacing in the middle, and felt myself losing interest. I also think the relationship between Jed and Eden was a lot of telling and less showing. I didn’t quite feel the connection between them. The reason for Eden keeping her secret is very reasonable and made sense. I would even say that Jed’s reaction when it came out also made sense. And yet, there was something missing for me. I just didn’t really buy into the love they had for each other.

While an original idea to set the story with polo as a back drop, it wasn’t quite memorable.

Cute, fun easy read. Did they switch sides a little too quick, maybe. But did I still enjoy reading their banter, yes.

A nice pallet cleansing read between fantasy or deeply emotional books!

Rich families, inheritance, lies, scandals and the English country side. Rich families are just like any families but they have more money problems and lies.

Such a cute romance read but with angst and family drama all wrapped up together! Characters are likable and sweet. Enjoyable read.

This book was adorable! It was very well written, the plot was well thought out and I really enjoyed the characters.

I was so intrigued by the premise of this book, and it started off strong, but the plot quickly got messy.

I will say that all of the characters are likeable, and I really loved the found-family dynamic Troyden had created with all of his step-children. But the insta-love between Eden and Jed felt off to me! One minute he's highly suspicious of her, the next they're hooking up with family nearby.

It was hard to me to follow the flow of the narration. The long chapters made it hard to push through, which caused the pacing of the story to suffer. Honestly, I think this would be better as a television series than a book!

A fun romp through British high society. A fish out of water tale with a secret looming in the background and sports! A polo player is new for me but definitely a lot of fun.

This is a cosy sports romance, involving gorgeous polo players, wealth, found family, acceptance, secrets, and belonging.

Eden, the female protagonist, after spending much of her life seeking acceptance, manages to trace her paternal uncle, Troyden, who happens to also be fabulously wealthy, as in billionaire wealthy.

Troyden, having been married and divorced five times, has a blended family of step-children. One of them is the male protagonist, a very sexy and successful polo player, Jed.

The two protagonists are immediately attracted to one another, but will do their best to fight the appeal.

Meanwhile, amid the splendour and luxury that goes hand-in-hand with the world of polo, there are secrets fighting to remain hidden. Secrets that could tear apart the happiness and family alike.

I really enjoyed Joss Woods' Riding High, and this was my first sports romance. The plot, characters, setting and dialogue flowed seamlessly, with no one element dominating the others. The characters were believable, witty, intelligent, and easy to relate to. There was a strong focus on family and belonging, and understanding and accepting the role you hold within it.

While the writing flowed for the most part, I did feel the use of compound structures within sentences, was excessive and could be distracting at times.
I also would have preferred the change in POV to have been marked by a new chapter, headed with whose POV it was being told from.

All in all, this was a lovely, cosy read, with a HEA. I would love to see romance for Mick, Troyden and Henry.

Either way, I'll be seeking out more of Joss Woods books.

sigh, unfortunately, this was a DNF for me. The formatting was really difficult to look past, and there was too much about the story I did not enjoy.

Yeah, no, I actually can’t with this. And by that, I mean this was a STRUGGLE. A HEADACHE-INDUCING STRUGGLE.
2

Eden Ennis discovers she is the niece of a billionaire Troyden Castle and in an effort to connect with her only known family member, she is thrown into his elite lifestyle full of family drama and polo. While staying at Troyden’s estate, she is infatuated with Troyden’s stepson and well-known Polo athlete, Jed. Eden’s goal is to form a connection with Troyden but her own secrets and her feelings toward Jed further complicate her situation.

At first, the plot really piqued my interest and things quickly got messy. I was not a fan of the familial relations between Eden and Jed and the tension between the two characters had potential but quickly dissipated out of nowhere. The Castle family has a very unique dynamic which was funny and entertaining but ultimately, I could not connect with the writing style and had difficulty enjoying this story.

Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins UK for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harpercollions UK for letting me read this as an arc. I’m going to be honest I don’t know how this is getting published by a top 5 publishing company. It’s not even formatted correctly. Which is very annoying and takes way to long to get used too. As well everything is so random like one minute he opening a door for her and then they are making out on said door as his family is behind the door and neither are drunk. The characters are very unreliable and are also stupid. For example the FMC has an allergy to horses but she continues to be around the stables and people that ride horses all day. She “falls in love” with a polo player. I don’t for one second believe that once this book ends they won’t divorce or breakup again. Also the FMC dosent follow police orders like she is told to do meaning she should be in jail. Also this book has very little to do with polo. No explanations on anything polo related the author just assumes you know. Don’t get me started on the love bombing happening between these two. You’ve known each other for 2 months have been hooking up for maybe 1 month and you make your relationship official by saying I love you. It’s very unrealistic. The parts that are good are very clearly meant to be put in social media as marketing strategy and no effort was put into anything but those parts. Overall this wasn’t good and I wish I could get my time back from reading this.

Riding High by Joss Wood is a captivating story of love, secrets and family drama set amidst the picturesque English countryside. Eden Ennis arrives at the grand Elmsleigh House estate with a bold claim – she is the niece of the reclusive billionaire Troyden Castle. Yet, navigating the elite world of high society proves a challenge for Eden, who is very much out of her element.

At the heart of the tale is Jed Harris, the estate’s charismatic polo star and Troyden’s stepson, who unexpectedly captures Eden’s attention despite her horse allergy. Their interactions spark a tension that is both tender and thrilling, as Eden struggles to prove her identity while managing her complicated feelings for Jed.

This book blends romance and intrigue effortlessly, offering readers a stirring look at what it means to fight for family, love and belonging.

Read more at The Secret Book Review.

I am obsessed this was so fun! The fmc was so funny and I love her. This book was so great! I highly recommend!!

Jed was the kind of person who made it easy to fall for him—gentle, dependable, and quietly tender. I truly loved him. He might’ve played it off like it was all “just for fun,” but the way he acted around Eden told a different story right from the start. When things got serious—especially with the Bancrofts trying to create doubt—Jed never once lost faith in her. The way he consistently had her back, kept a protective eye on her, and eventually poured his heart out in that love confession? Completely unforgettable. His heartfelt apologies, his commitment to putting Eden and their relationship above everything else, and the fierce loyalty he showed were so deeply satisfying. And that moment when he stood his ground with his family and said, without hesitation, “she’s moving in”? That was everything.

✨ DNF Review: Riding High by Joss Wood ✨
(Stopped at ~60%)

This one is a bit tricky for me, because I loved the premise. The setup had so much potential and totally pulled me in—I could really see where the story was trying to go, and I wanted to be along for the ride. But ultimately, the writing style just didn’t click for me.

I found myself getting lost in the flow of the narration—not in the dreamy, swept-away kind of way, but more like I couldn’t always tell whose thoughts I was reading, or where scenes shifted. It made it hard to stay grounded in the story. That said, if you’re someone who vibes more with looser prose or you’re here for a compelling setup, this might work better for you than it did for me. I might even circle back to finish it someday, because I really do want to see how the plot wraps up!

Just wasn’t quite the right fit for me right now. 💛

4.5 ⭐️

Riding High was such a sweet, feel-good read, and I honestly didn’t expect to love it as much as I did! It was my first Joss Wood book and now I totally get why people keep recommending her.

I really enjoyed the English countryside setting and the whole polo/estate vibe. It felt different in the best way. I love when the MMC does a unique sport, and Jed being a polo player just added something fresh and fun to the story.

Jed completely stole my heart. He had this gruff, confident energy, but underneath it all he was such a softie. The way he supported Eden, even when he didn’t have the full picture, was so genuine. He never made her feel small or crazy for what she was trying to do, and his love confession at the end? So emotional and perfect. I loved how open and honest he was when it really counted. He just kept showing up for her.

Eden was also super relatable. You could really feel how nervous and out of her depth she was, but she didn’t give up. Watching her try to navigate this complicated situation while also slowly falling for Jed made the story fly by.

Also, the theme of found family really hit home. I loved how it wasn’t just about the romance. It was about choosing the people who choose you.

Definitely a 4.5 star read for me. Sweet, warm, and just enough spice to keep things interesting.