Publisher: Penguin Random House Canada, August 30th, 2022

Format: ebook

Pages: 384

Rating: 4/5 stars

Synopsis (from Goodreads):

In this powerful novel about the cost of greatness, a legendary athlete attempts a comeback when the world considers her past her prime—from the New York Times bestselling author of Malibu Rising.

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.

My Review:

First of all, I want to acknowledge that this book has been critiqued for the fact that a white author is writing about a Latinx character, and publishing needs to do a better job of publishing and marketing stories by Latinx authors. I requested and read this book without realizing the issue until I read about it online, and want to acknowledge that I didn’t see the problematic nature of this book.
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Overall, did I enjoy this book? Yes. I liked that this book was about tennis and I don’t care at all about tennis but I wanted to keep reading. I liked that Carrie was an unlikeable character. She was ruthless in pursuing her goals, and oftentimes women are critiqued for this.
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CW: death of a parent, cancer, heart attack, car accident, sexism, misogyny, sports injury, minor sexual content.