Taylor Jenkins Reid is an author I love, so I was actually surprised it took me this long to sit down and read Carrie Soto Is Back. Once I did sit down to read this book I honestly couldn’t put it down. I’m really trying to get to me eARCs and this one was on my Netgalley backlist. So today I can finally tell you what I thought about Carrie Soto Is Back. Keep on reading to find out more!
A big thanks to the publisher for providing me with an eARC to read and review.
Carrie Soto is fierce, and her determination to win at any cost has not made her popular.
By the time Carrie retires from tennis, she is the best player the world has ever seen. She has shattered every record and claimed twenty Slam titles. And if you ask her, she is entitled to every one. She sacrificed nearly everything to become the best, with her father as her coach.
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, British 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 a story about the cost of greatness and a legendary athlete attempting a comeback.
Review
“Some men’s childhoods are permitted to last forever, but women are so often reminded that there is work to be done.”
So far I’ve loved every Taylor Jenkins Reid book and loved it, so I had high hopes for Carrie Soto Is Back and I was not disappointed! I actually read this book in one day, because I just couldn’t put it down. Besides Carrie telling her story I loved the articles and interviews we see throughout the story about the competitions and other athletes.
I honestly know nothing about tennis, but that didn’t bug me while reading this book. I learned a lot along the way and was invested in all of these competitions! I probably wouldn’t have been that invested in actual tennis honestly, haha. I think we also saw the double standards when it came to sports and men vs. women and how it’s hard to overcome certain aspects in that world.
Okay, so let’s talk about the story! I personally didn’t like Carrie for quite awhile. I’m all for being proud of yourself and not letting anyone take away your worth, but she’s a bit much. Her story kept me reading though and I’m glad I did. When she’s 37 and wants back into the sport, you start to see a change. Competing is different and there are some players who are better and Carrie has to deal with this. I also like how we see her relationship with her father grow and how she slowly opens herself up to love and maybe new career possibilities.
Carrie Soto Is Back is a book that made me care about sports and that’s not something I do! These characters felt real and I couldn’t get enough. I also appreciated to the pop culture references from those years and even a mention of one of the author’s previous books! I can’t wait to see what the author does next!
So I now only have a few books to go until I’ve finished this author’s backlist. Have you read anything by Taylor Jenkins Reid? If you have and have a favorite, let me know in the comments! I’d love to hear from you.
