Carrie Soto Is Back

A Novel

By: Taylor Jenkins Reid

Narrated by: Stacy Gonzalez, Mary Carillo, Patrick Mcenroe, Rob Simmelkjaer, Brendan Wayne, Max Meyers, Reynaldo Piniella, Vidish Athavale, Tom Bromhead, Heath Miller, Julia Whelan, Sara Arrington

#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.

Meh

Taylor Jenkins Reid is one of my favorite authors and I couldn’t wait to listen to this book. I was very disappointed in the story; it doesn’t come close to the other books she has written.

The story was uninteresting, there was no climax, and was mostly predictable.

A Fun & Entertaining Listen

It references and fits nicely in the Taylor Jenkins Reid’s fictitious world of her other recent books. Please keep these coming!

Another knockout title by Reid

I devoured this book in just a few days. It matches the great bar set by Daisy Jones and Evelyn Hugo and soars past Malibu Rising. The narration is excellent and the story has momentum from pretty much the first few minutes. An absolute stunner that shows more restraint than usual.

Why Did It Have to End??

TJR does it again. The story, the narration, the hangover you get when it's over. Ugh. If you want a fast feeling for the characters, the storyline, and then beg for more, this is your next listen.

Not my favorite, but unique

Carrie isn't the nicest person, but this is certainly a great reminder of how successful women were both pressured and belittled in the 70s and 80s (not that that's stopped). The only person I wanted to spend time with as the story progressed was come-back rival Nicki Chen/Chan (the narrator kept going back and forth with the pronunciation).

If you've never listened to an Audible by the fabulous Taylor Jenkins Reid before, start with Daisy Jones and The Six. If you're a fan like me, you'll read or listen to anything she puts out!