Carrie Soto Is Back: A Novel

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This is not just a sports book. There are more layers hidden inside it. It is a story of true love between a father and his daughter. Their bond reminded me of the amazing bond between Richard Williams and his daughters Venus and Serena, who are true legends in the game of tennis. At one point in the novel, I felt deja vu when I read the conversation between Carrie and her father. It reminded me of the words of Maria Sharapova about her father, Yuri Sharapova, and the amazing bond they shared between them. She once said," My father Yuri believes in miracles, and so do I." This book also shows the battle of egos between the players and the race for winning grand slams and breaking records. Second, there is some depth to this book as we sort through Carrie’s relationships and feelings. Carrie unapologetically talks about how she is the greatest tennis player of all time and how much she works for her success. And people don’t like her outspokenness. A world of believable rivalries and intrigue infused with the whiplash suspense of a nail-biting tennis match. There is almost nothing I liked about Carrie but I understand that in the sports world, like other worlds, being best has nothing to do with being liked or being a nice person. Carrie is single minded again, focused only on winning another Slam or two. She'll mow down anyone in her way and if she fails to do so she'll rage at herself mercilessly. Winning is everything. Carrie's coach father is one of my favorite characters in this story but I lost much of what he was saying because he spoke so much Spanish that wasn't translated. Bowe was another favorite of mine, with a pretty amazing attitude after years on the circuit as the bad boy of tennis. Overall, I love sports and anything TJR writes. Of course, I'm giving this book 5 shiny stars! I devoured it and truly enjoyed it!

I enjoyed the crossovers from "Daisy Jones and the Six" as Carrie reads the biography and dates Nina’s husband from "Malibu Raising."

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I also have now learned so much about tennis, which is funny after watching Serena Williams all week.

I am afraid of losing. I am afraid of how it will look to the world. I'm afraid of this match being the last match my father ever sees me play. I am afraid of ending this all on a loss. I am afraid of so much." Reid . . . draws on the lives of actual tennis pros (think Serena, Sharapova) to build a world of believable rivalries and intrigue infused with the whiplash suspense of a nail-biting tennis match.” — People (Book of the Week) Reid captures the excitement of elite sports in her descriptions of Carrie’s games, as well as the struggle that women athletes face when their ambition and confidence is ‘too much.’ It’s another triumph for bestselling author Reid, and her growing number of fans . . . ” — Booklist (starred review) There is a lot of tennis in this book. And I absolutely lapped it up. Even as someone who doesn't play the game (though I do occasionally watch a match on tv), I found all the tennis jargon in here easy to follow. In fact, reading it reminds me of how riveting this game can be, and I was impressed with Reid's ability to capture not just the grueling physical aspects but also its mental facets as well.It sends a tiny thrill through me . . . staring up at a mountain I have yet to scale, each match a step toward the top. It has been so long since I have felt the perfect ache of climbing.I'm always drawn towards stories about overcoming adversity at great odds and achieving the impossible through sheer determination and hard work. So is it any surprise that this story totally grabbed ahold of me and refused to let go? Her father Javi was a great tennis player called “Jaguar” who immigrated to the USA from Argentina, finding the love of his life. Since she was a little girl, Carrie keeps visiting her father at the tennis courts where he coaches people for tournaments until she becomes one of his most important students, to be trained to be a beast who destroys her opponents! She also then decides that she was going to be the best. Period. EVERYONE will know her name. And like her or not, she's going to MAKE IT. This was my first book by TJR, and I didn’t know what to expect going in. I didn't expect to like this book as much as I did, nor did I expect to cry as much as I did. This book hit me emotionally, and I came to love Carrie, Javier, Bowe, and Gwen. I already miss them.