Carrie Soto is Back by Taylor Jenkins Reid Book Review

Welcome to my review of Carrie Soto is Back by Taylor Jenkins Reid. I have mixed reviews for Taylor Jenkins Reid, I absolutely loved The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo but didn’t really care much for Daisy Jones and The Six. When I saw this one, I requested it immediately knowing it would be popular but then was worried I wouldn’t enjoy it so it sat on my list for ages.

Click me to go to my Review

Synopsis

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.

About The Author

Taylor Jenkins Reid is the New York Times bestselling author of Daisy Jones & 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 newest novel, Malibu Rising, is out now. She lives in Los Angeles.

My Review

When I eventually decided to read this, I thought I would check out some reviews first, panicking that I had done the wrong thing and would hate it. The reviews were awesome but many mentioned taking a while to get into. I decided to go ahead but would give myself to 20%, if I wasn’t enjoying it, I could give up.

Well, I didn’t need to go through all that stress at all! By the end of the second page, I was hooked and read the whole book in less than a day.

Carrie ‘The Battle Axe’ Soto worked hard to become the greatest Tennis player of all time, mostly coached by her father from a very young age she strived to be the best and she made it with hard work and total dedication. Six years after her retirement someone is threatening to be better than her and she is determined to go back and defend her title, win one more championship and prove she is still the best. Six years is a long time to be away from the game though and at 37 years old she is the oldest female professional player ever. Will she be able to make a comeback and beat the odds?

I loved Carrie, she isn’t the most pleasant or friendly of people, but she is motivated, determined and laser-focused on what she wants. Nothing will stop her but with so many things getting in her way there are a lot of challenges along the way. I loved her almost unwavering self-belief, and how hard she worked for what she wanted, something you don’t see often these days.

Carrie’s father, Javier, was lovely. He coached her for a long time, and was just as dedicated and encouraging but he also tried to teach her some humility which doesn’t really sink in until the very end. I loved the other characters as well, particularly Bowe and Nicki Chan.

Speaking of endings, I loved the ending of this as well. It was almost perfect, my only criticism is that the relationship didn’t end as I had expected but that’s not what the book was about at all so didn’t detract from the story at all, just could have been nice. 

I have never been particularly interested in tennis; I watched a little with my Gran when I was young but never got into it. I’m not really into any sport but this didn’t affect my enjoyment of this at all, in fact, I have much more appreciation for what it takes to be a tennis or sports professional. It did speak to me as an entrepreneur though, the dedication, hard work and complete focus that makes you successful are very similar. 

This is about relationships, determination, hard work and bloody-mindedness. I would highly recommend it to anyone who is interested in sports, what it takes to be successful or who is an entrepreneur and is familiar with the struggles it takes. Likewise, though, I think many others will enjoy the relationships and journey within this as well.

My previous reviews of Taylor Jenkins Reid’s work

The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo

Daisy Jones and The Six

Rated