Carrie Soto Is Back: A Novel
#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • “An epic adventure about a female athlete perhaps past her prime, brought back to the tennis court for one last grand slam” (Elle), from the author of Malibu Rising, Daisy Jones & The Six, and The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo
“A heart-filled novel about an iconic and persevering father and daughter.”—Time
“Gorgeous. The kind of sharp, smart, potent book you have to set aside every few pages just to catch your breath. I’ll take a piece of Carrie Soto forward with me in life and be a little better for it.”—Emily Henry, author of Book Lovers and Beach Read
ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR: Time, NPR, PopSugar, Glamour, Reader’s Digest
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.
“A heart-filled novel about an iconic and persevering father and daughter.”—Time
“Gorgeous. The kind of sharp, smart, potent book you have to set aside every few pages just to catch your breath. I’ll take a piece of Carrie Soto forward with me in life and be a little better for it.”—Emily Henry, author of Book Lovers and Beach Read
ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR: Time, NPR, PopSugar, Glamour, Reader’s Digest
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.
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Community Reviews
I absolutely loved this book! Carrie Soto is my favorite Taylor Jenkins Reid character now! This book follows a minor character from Malibu Rising and delves into her tennis career and comeback. Reid is amazing at crafting realistic characters and setting them in historic moments.
While I love this book I do see how others might not. Tennis and sports in general are a huge focus, so if you’re not into tennis, sports, or character driven stories I could see how this book could be a struggle. Fortunately for me I love tennis, sports, and all the characters in this story so it was a blast. I highly recommend the audiobook, it made the matches feel so real and the rivalries come to life with the sportscaster dialogue.
It was. Fine. I think Carrie is supposed to be an unlikable character. I think the line between bitch and boss is purposefully blurred when it comes to her. That being said, the book felt predictable and unexciting to me. I do love that Carrie ends up a coach but beyond that. Itâs not worth it.
Carrie Soto aka "The Battle-Axe" retired from tennis when she was 31. At the time, she was the best player in the world. Winning several titles and setting numerous records, Carrie has changed the way the sport is played. She's earned her nickname due to her attitude and fiercely competitive spirit. As you can imagine, she hasn't made many, if any, friends in the world of tennis.
Now at age 37, Carrie has decided to make a come back. She's watched a young, new hotshot, Nicki Chan, break her record. It's time to take her record back and hopefully win a couple titles in the process - specifically, the US Open. With the coaching of her father, Javier, who also was professional tennis player, and help from her agent and training partner/male tennis star, Bowe Huntley - Carrie is ready! Can and will she make her come back?
Oh man, I swear Taylor Jenkins Reid has THE BEST audiobooks. The narrators/commentators for this one were fantastic! I know NOTHING about tennis, but this story totally drew me in and I could not stop listening. I loved the relationship that Carrie and her father had and how he always wanted what was best for her, even if it meant dishing out some tough love. I was on the edge of my seat listening to every "match" to find out if Carrie was going to win titles and take her record back. The matches are described so well, you feel like your actually watching a game.
I highly recommend this book, especially as an audiobook! The one issue that I have with it is that if you can't understand Spanish, there is a bit in this book and it's not translated. At times, it was difficult to figure out what Javier was saying. Some of it I could figure based on my limited high school Spanish vocabulary and context... but other times I was totally lost. I cannot say whether or not the book has translation or not.
Thank you Libro.fm and Penguin Random House Audio for the opportunity to listen to this ALC in exchange for my honest review.
Now at age 37, Carrie has decided to make a come back. She's watched a young, new hotshot, Nicki Chan, break her record. It's time to take her record back and hopefully win a couple titles in the process - specifically, the US Open. With the coaching of her father, Javier, who also was professional tennis player, and help from her agent and training partner/male tennis star, Bowe Huntley - Carrie is ready! Can and will she make her come back?
Oh man, I swear Taylor Jenkins Reid has THE BEST audiobooks. The narrators/commentators for this one were fantastic! I know NOTHING about tennis, but this story totally drew me in and I could not stop listening. I loved the relationship that Carrie and her father had and how he always wanted what was best for her, even if it meant dishing out some tough love. I was on the edge of my seat listening to every "match" to find out if Carrie was going to win titles and take her record back. The matches are described so well, you feel like your actually watching a game.
I highly recommend this book, especially as an audiobook! The one issue that I have with it is that if you can't understand Spanish, there is a bit in this book and it's not translated. At times, it was difficult to figure out what Javier was saying. Some of it I could figure based on my limited high school Spanish vocabulary and context... but other times I was totally lost. I cannot say whether or not the book has translation or not.
Thank you Libro.fm and Penguin Random House Audio for the opportunity to listen to this ALC in exchange for my honest review.
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