Book Review for Carrie Soto Is Back by Taylor Jenkins Reid

 Carrie Soto Is Back by Taylor Jenkins Reid 

Genre:  Sports, Historical Fiction

Hardcover, 384 pages

Published August 30th 2022 by Ballantine Books

 

Taken from Goodreads:  In this powerful novel about the cost of greatness, a legendary athlete attempts a comeback when the world considers her past her prime—from the New York Times bestselling author of Malibu Rising.

Carrie Soto is fierce, and her determination to win at any cost has not made her popular. But by the time she retires from tennis, she is the best player the world has ever seen. She has shattered every record and claimed twenty Grand Slam titles. And if you ask Carrie, she is entitled to every one. She sacrificed nearly everything to become the best, with her father, Javier, as her coach. A former champion himself, Javier has trained her since the age of two.

But six years after her retirement, Carrie finds herself sitting in the stands of the 1994 US Open, watching her record be taken from her by a brutal, stunning player named Nicki Chan.

At thirty-seven years old, Carrie makes the monumental decision to come out of retirement and be coached by her father for one last year in an attempt to reclaim her record. Even if the sports media says that they never liked “the Battle-Axe” anyway. Even if her body doesn’t move as fast as it did. And even if it means swallowing her pride to train with a man she once almost opened her heart to: Bowe Huntley. Like her, he has something to prove before he gives up the game forever.

In spite of it all, Carrie Soto is back, for one epic final season. In this riveting and unforgettable novel, Taylor Jenkins Reid tells her most vulnerable, emotional story yet. 

 

My Thoughts:  I never knew anything about tennis until my daughter played during high school.  Now I watch all the big tournaments and recognize the names.   When Carrie Soto is Back was released, Serena is announcing that she is evolving away from tennis after playing in the 2022 US Open.  I thought this is the perfect book to read during this time.  Truly it is the perfect book to read anytime.  

 

Carrie Soto is a fast read.  I could not stop reading.  I was pulled right into Carrie’s world and never wanted to leave.  The training, the traveling, the lack of friendship, the tournaments, and the injuries all are true to the world of competitive sports.  I was living that world right with Carrie.  I felt emotions that I never felt for a fictional character before.  Her father Javier pushes her to be the best in the sport, not just the best that she can be.  His expectations are high, and she pushes herself to meet every expectation he has for her.  It is no wonder to me that their relationship was sometimes rocky but through it all he is her father and he supports her through it all. 

 

Taylor Jenkins Reid has cemented herself on my must-read author list.  Everything she has written has been something I have enjoyed and I cannot wait to see what comes next. 

**I picked up this book for my own personal reading.  These are my opinions only.

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Meet Taylor Jenkins Reid (Taken from her website):  Taylor Jenkins Reid is the author of the New York Times Bestselling novels Carrie Soto Is Back, Malibu Rising, Daisy Jones and the Six and The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo, as well as One True Loves, Maybe in Another Life, After I Do, and Forever, Interrupted. Her books have been chosen by Reese’s Book Club, Read with Jenna, Indie Next, Best of Amazon, and Book of the Month. Her novel, Daisy Jones and The Six, is currently being adapted by Hello Sunshine into a limited series for Amazon. She lives in Los Angeles.