Reviews with content warning for Racism - Carrie Soto Is Back

I have been having a time with 3.75 ratings, recently.

This is not my favourite nor my least-favouring TJK! It's a solid read and reliably intersects with the rest of the literary universe. I always appreciate this author's deep-dives into specific subcultures/topics, and this is no exception when it comes to the tennis industry of yore, especially with how it may have intersected with sexism and racism. The father-daughter relationship is particularly well-written and interesting and, as per usual, I could really take-or-leave the romantic relationship that's tacked on. I loved that the Spanish isn't translated, I don't think it needs to be.

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rachlincs's review against another edition

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emotional medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.75

In my opinion this is one of the weaker books by Taylor Jenkins Reid. The story is dull and predictable. The motivations of the characters are either explored poorly or really are as vapid as they seem. There were so many issues and topics that those book could have explored in some complexity - ageism, sexism, xenophobia, pride, parental loss etc - but instead it felt like it just ticked them off with a shallow acknowledgement that was so unsatisfying.
The book also really fails Bowe - the character gets so little depth, there's a wasted opportunity to explore the parallel paths of Bowe with the lead character.

It was impossible to believe the romance, there was no chemistry between them.

Ultimately it's an easy read or listen. You won't be any the worse for reading it, but don't expect any impact on your life. In the future this will be the book on your shelf that you can't quite remember whether it's read or not.

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itsheyfay's review

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emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

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eib_21's review against another edition

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challenging emotional hopeful fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

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bgirl_jazz's review against another edition

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emotional reflective tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

Started off really strong, but felt like it faded for a while in the middle. I think there was some lost focus trying to give enough attention to side characters, but solid writing overall.

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