Title: CARRIE SOTO IS BACK
Author: Taylor Jenkins Reid
ISBN: 978 1529 1521 35
Publisher: Penguin UK / Hutchinson Heinemann
Pages: 368
Source: Private Copy
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.
Official Summary
22 September 2022
I have seen so much about this author on social media and have never reached for one of her books because this is not my genre of choice. However, Alicia raved about Daisy Jones and the Six and everyone seemed to love Carrie Soto is Back, so my curiosity managed to get the better of me. I also saw a post on GoodReads where someone said this book left them crying “ugly tears in a public place” – I had to find out for myself what all the fuss is about.
What a fantastic read! I order this book for Alicia, but when it arrived, it accidentally slipped to the top of my TBR and I beat Alicia to reading it. (Sorry Alicia)
When you reach for this book you are guaranteed to find yourself consumed by the drive and commitment required to make it in the world of professional sport while experiencing Carrie Soto’s emotions through every win and loss. Yes, I am an emotional reader, but this book left tears rolling down my cheeks on at least three separate occasions.
I am new to Taylor Jenkins Reid and this book left me eager to read more of her work – even if it is not my genre of choice. I enjoyed how she starts this book in 1955, sharing Carrie’s tale over the various decades. TJK had me loving her characters and left tears rolling down my cheeks during the emotional bits. All that combined with the intensity of every tennis match Carrie played made for an extremely enjoyable reading experience. I am looking forward to reading more of her books.
Carrie Soto spent her life ensuring she is the best tennis player in the world. An injury forces her to retire until another player threatens to break her record. Determined to remain the best in the world, Carrie comes out of retirement. Carrie is thirty-seven years old – way past her prime according to the sports commentators. Despite everyone’s beliefs, Carrie is determined to fight back and prove that she is still the best in the world.
This is an emotional read that left me crying while at the same time keeping me on the edge of my seat with adrenaline pulsing during the epic tennis match Carrie played. I have never been a tennis fan, but after reading this book I might just start keeping an eye on the sport. I lost myself in every game and held my breath as Carrie fought for victory in every game.
You will fall in love with Carrie while reading this book. She is strong and determined and refuses to accept anything but victory. She is not afraid to work for what she wants; what she believes she deserves. As the story unfolds you see a different side to this woman, she might be “a Battle Axe” on the tennis court, but she is vulnerable and afraid to have her heart broken.
This book consumed me from the very first page, I could not read this fast enough. While this is not my genre of choice, reading this convinced me to spend more time exploring different genres. There is no doubt that Carrie Soto is Back has flown onto my top ten for 2022. In case it is not clear – I loved this book and cannot recommend this one highly enough.
This is an emotional, gripping read that leaves your heart racing as you join Carrie on the tennis court. A brilliant work of fiction you will not want to miss.
Also by Taylor Jenkins Reid
Daisy Jones & The Six
Everyone knows Daisy Jones & The Six, but nobody knows the real reason why they split at the absolute height of their popularity…until now.
Daisy is a girl coming of age in L.A. in the late sixties, sneaking into clubs on the Sunset Strip, sleeping with rock stars, and dreaming of singing at the Whisky a Go-Go. The sex and drugs are thrilling, but it’s the rock and roll she loves most. By the time she’s twenty, her voice is getting noticed, and she has the kind of heedless beauty that makes people do crazy things.
Another band getting noticed is The Six, led by the brooding Billy Dunne. On the eve of their first tour, his girlfriend Camila finds out she’s pregnant, and with the pressure of impending fatherhood and fame, Billy goes a little wild on the road.
Daisy and Billy cross paths when a producer realizes the key to supercharged success is to put the two together. What happens next will become the stuff of legend.
About The Author
Author bio from the author’s site
Taylor Jenkins Reid is the New York Times bestselling author of Malibu Rising, Daisy Jones & The Six, and The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo, as well as four other novels. Her newest novel, Malibu Rising, is out now. She lives in Los Angeles.
Thank you to my fellow bloggers for making such a fuss about this book on social media. If you guys didn’t talk about this so much, I would probably not have read it and that would have been a shame. Apologies to my crime/thriller fans – this book does not fall into my usual genre of choice, but if you are keen to try something different, you won’t go wrong by adding this book to your TBR.
To all the TJR fans out there, which of her books do you recommend I should try next, please comment below.
Thank you for visiting the blog, your continued support always leaves me motivated to read more. Until next time…Happy Reading!
