CARRIE SOTO IS BACK and so is Taylor Jenkins Reid!

After Carrie Soto made an appearance in TJR's Malibu Rising, I was skeptical as to whether or not her character would win me over. Within a few pages of her book, however, I think I would have given my life for Carrie Soto.

The book begins in Carrie's childhood, and we get to know her as her father helps to shape her into a legendary tennis player. After winning 20 grand slams and setting a record as well as sitting as the number one player for a significant amount of time, Carrie retires in 1989 at 32 years old.

Cut to 1994. Five years have passed and Carrie's record has been tied. Making a risky decision, Carrie decides to come out of retirement for one last season, in an effort to regain her record. We follow Carrie as she gets her body back into playing condition with her father as her coach. This season is not the same as the others- Carrie is now 37 years old and will have to play the best tennis of her life. Can the Battle Axe take back her title?

I can't say enough good things about this book. A central theme in this novel is Carrie's relationship with her father and coach, Javier. After the catastrophe that was Mick Riva's parenting, the father-daughter relationship in this book was like peanut butter smoothing the cracks of my broken heart. I thought it was beautiful, I can't gush about this aspect enough.

The Carrie I was introduced to in Malibu Rising gave me a look at Carrie's reputation as "the bitch" from the outside, but in this book the layers are stripped away and I really got to know Carrie. I really really loved her, and I completely understand what Taylor Jenkins Reid meant when she said Carrie was her favorite character- she's mine now too. What an amazing book about growth, humility, opening your heart to love, and self acceptance.

Thanks so much to Random House Ballantine as well as NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest thoughts. I can't wait for everyone else to come to love Carrie the way I have.