Book Review Wednesday: Carrie Soto is Back

 Taylor Jenkins Reid has quickly taken the world by storm and everyone is obsessed with her writing, including me. I cannot get enough of TJR and I think she is a mastermind; I put her in the same category as Taylor Swift because of the way she intertwines her characters and stories into one another. 

When I read Malibu Rising last year it quickly became one of my favorites of the year and that still stands. It's definitely in my top favorite books ever so when I saw that TJR was releasing her next novel, Carrie Soto is Back, this summer I was over the moon.

I was lucky enough to receive an ARC of Carrie Soto is Back and devoured the book within a few days. It was a slow start and there's a learning curve when it comes to understanding the world of tennis, which is what the book is about. Thankfully, I've read a few books where tennis is the main focus (strange flex but I digress) so I understand the sport more than I used to. But once you get used to the sport and past the slow part, you will be golden.

If you love TJR and have enjoyed her other books, you are going to love Carrie Soto is Back. 

Publisher's Summary 

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 read this book in a few days which has been rare for me lately. Once I was in the story, I was riveted. I wanted to know if Carrie Soto won her matches, how she was excelling and what she was going to do next. I want to find out how she got to the top of her game, what happened with Nicki Chan and everything in between.

It was a slow book but at the same time, exciting. You were drawn into Soto's world, you were connected and she jumped off the page. She wasn't the most likeable character and you were willingly her, through the page, to be softer or more humble but at the same time, what was so wrong with how she acted? She was the best and she should act that way.

Because of that, it felt like an eye opening book. It made me think and change my first jump judgement. I also liked the hidden message that it is never too late; Carrie was 'too old' to get back in the tennis game but she didn't listen. She went for it. It was awesome.

Also, as I was reading, I had no idea that Carrie Soto was featured in Malibu Rising. I actually went back to Malibu Rising to find her name and there she was; she was the women Nina Riva's husband cheated with... so a big role. And with that, Mick Riva made an appearance and it is my favorite inside joke of TJR's books. I love that they all exist in the same universe, it's so much fun.

I liked Carrie Soto is Back more than Evelyn Hugo but less than Malibu Rising. I haven't read Daisy Jones so I can't compare it to that just yet. It was some of TJR's best writing; it was thoughtful and important while also being entertaining and real. It had all the elements of a great book.

Taylor Jenkins Reid never misses and Carrie Soto is proof that.

xoxo

B