Riding High By Joss Wood [ARC Review]

 *I’d like to thank NetGalley, One More Chapter, and Joss Wood for providing me with a free eARC in exchange for an honest review.

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.