Reid pulled me right inside the mind of Carrie Soto and right into each heart-pounding game of tennis. I am not a sports person, don't watch sports, but I was for the duration of this novel. The gruelling training, the ferocious competition, Carrie's need to be the best and her fear that she might not be. The story of a young girl who sees other children building sandcastles and thinks: It is hugely readable. I zhizzed through it just a couple of days and was absolutely hooked right from the beginning. I fund the characters believed and the choices they made, made complete sense. It is fast paced and whilst you kind of guess what is going to happen there is a couple of little twists at the end that made for a really satisfying conclusion. The use of the Spanish did not bother me, because I do understand it, but for those who can’t understand you will not miss that much, as there was nothing important in those dialogues, except the father’s love and tenderness. I wondered why anyone would want to build anything out of sand, when tomorrow it will be gone, and you'd have nothing to show for your day. What a story! It's exciting and uplifting and inspirational, but it never loses sight of its heart. In fact, that is a hallmark of Taylor Jenkins Reid's recent books. And it shows that she is still a master of her craft, taking us on literary journeys so intimate and exhilarating, we can't help but feel they're real.

one of the great injustices of this rigged world we live in is that women are considered to be depleting with age and men are somehow deepening."

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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 Slam titles. And if you ask Carrie, she is entitled to every one. She sacrificed nearly everything to become the best, with her father as her coach. Javier—a former champion himself—has trained her since the age of two. The topics Taylor selects to write for each novel are all entirely different, and every time she convincingly wins the heart of the readers who are fans of those specific topics. I think that is the true quality of a great writer, and I am sure we will see many more amazing books from her.

Nearly every Taylor Jenkins Reid novel reads like a survey course in some flagrantly glamorous specialty and era.... Come for the King Richard–level attention to the art of the game; stay for the more personal soap operas unfolding off the court, and the final score.” — Entertainment Weekly The books in Reid’s famous women quartet stand alone.... But each of the books centers a vibrant protagonist managing the tensions between her glamorous life in the public eye and the pressures she feels in private... with Reid meticulously collecting minute yet meaningful details to help build immersive worlds” — Time

Carrie Soto is Back

One of the great injustices of this rigged world we live in is that women are considered to be depleting with age and men are somehow deepening." biggest thing for me is that the whole ~takeaway message~ thing that TJR always goes for in her books is less obvious in this one. i feel like i haven't taken a frying pan of "THIS IS THE POINT" to the dome this time and i really appreciate that. while i think the takeaway here wasn't so in your face, it did feel like the only part of the book that mattered. half baked romance, relationship with coach/dad, carrie's reputation in the media... all things that could have been explored deeply. but weren't. just so we could watch this process of carrie slowly losing her ego. TJR's writing style is wonderful as always. She knows how to grab your attention and keep your eyes glued to her books. Her writing styles is so addictive and fast paced. You don't even feel the time flying! Perhaps you think you already know the end to Carrie's story before you begin...but when it comes to endings themselves? Through her character Gwen, Reid serves up a PERFECT outlook:

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. The author could have been easily carried away while writing this book and could have written it in a cinematic way by adding all the popular elements that readers crave. But she decided to take a different route. She took a realistic approach to the narration. Moreover, she also chose to discuss many important topics like sexism, body shaming, and many other issues affecting the game of tennis. Many thanks to NetGalley, Random House-Ballantine, and Taylor Jenkins Reid for an ARC of this book! Now available as of 8.30!**

Success!

Many thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing/Ballantine for sharing this amazing digital reviewer copy of one of the most anticipated books of 2022 in exchange for my honest opinions. I could probably go on forever. I could quote so many things and explain their meaning to me. I could write about celebrity vs expectation vs self. I'm a writer, a book lover, and a huge advocate for loving what you have and knowing what you deserve. But what this review boils down to is that you are the master of yourself. 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." It's about how swept up you can get in the momentum when winning, but also how defiant you can be when the tide turns against you."