Carrie Soto is Back by Taylor Jenkins Reid

This book was purchased by Traveling With T for listening while walking time.

Carrie Soto is Back

Summary: 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.

Traveling With T’s Thoughts:

I absolutely loved listening to Daisy Jones & The Six. Then I got Malibu Rising. So naturally, I had to listen to Carrie Soto is Back.

You may remember Carrie as a minor character in Malibu Rising. And in that book, it was easy to root against Carrie. And honestly? Carrie in ANY book is probably hard to take at times because her personality is def brash. But what I loved about her in Carrie Soto is Back is that she is ALL the things that you have heard about her and she owns it. And that makes her so unapologetically great. Carrie doesn’t need your friendship, pity or time. She needs you to go out there and play tennis so she can dominate you on the court. She doesn’t need tears and handshakes. She knows she is the best.

What I liked:

I LOVE this cover. SO much LOVE.

Carrie Soto. I absolutely cracked up when her business manager sent her the Elton John CD and she started running to it (you can probably guess the song they mentioned 🙂

How the book ended. Loved it.

Bottom line: Listen, there is A LOT of tennis in this book. I mean, I knew Carrie was a tennis player, but if you are not open to hearing/learning about tennis- then don’t get this book. But if you are cool with that aspect and want to hear a story about a person who doesn’t take crap from anyone- Carrie Soto Is Back is your book.

*Traveling With T purchased this book for her own listening while walking time. All thoughts and opinions are mine alone.*