Carrie Soto is Back — Books, Beauty, & Buys

By: Taylor Jenkins Reid
Published Year: 2022
Publisher: Ballantine Books
Pages: 384

Summary (Provided by Goodreads): 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.

First Impressions

Taylor Jenkins Reid is one of my favorite authors. I have read all but 2 of her books (and they are high on my list) and greatly enjoyed every one. Not only did the gold color of this novel call to me, but the summary was intriguing and I knew I immediately wanted to read it.

What I thought

This might be my favorite book of the year.

Carrie Soto is 37 years old and retired from being the world’s best tennis player. That is, until a new tennis player ties one of her records. She decides to come out of retirement and take back her title.

The book starts in “present day” of 1995. This book also lives in the same universe as her previous two novels, Daisy Jones and the Six and Malibu Rising. I haven’t read Malibu Rising yet, but there were a few references I picked up on. When Carrie Soto sees that Nicki Chan has tied her record for most Grand Slams won by a female tennis player, she decides she needs to come back and beat Nicki. She asks her dad to come back and be her coach again and he agrees. The book then flashes back to the beginning of Carrie’s career and follows all the way to her retirement where it picks back up in present day.

I was immediately hooked by this book. This book highlights how women who are strong and good at what they do are expected to be shocked by their abilities. One of the reasons Carrie is disliked is because she’s unapologetic in her talent. I was a little worried that this unlikable trait would make her an unlikable character but I loved her. I also loved her relationship with her dad. It was complex yet simple, perfect yet imperfect at the same time.

What makes this book so great is the writing. It’s not a book that is going to take you by surprise with twists and turns and unexpected plot points, but it’s done so extremely well that you just want to live in it. I was on the edge of my seat with the drama of the games and I’ve never watched a tennis match before in my life.

I need more of this world. I need a book from Carrie’s dad, Nicki Chan, and other tennis players. This book is everything that makes Jenkins Reid the amazing author that she is.