val_theburrowofstories's review against another edition
emotional
inspiring
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cancer, Death of parent, Grief, Sexism, and Misogyny
Moderate: Body shaming, Fire/Fire injury, and Medical content
Minor: Alcoholism and Racism
kryfrh's review against another edition
emotional
inspiring
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death of parent, Misogyny, and Grief
Minor: Infidelity
thebankofbooks's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
inspiring
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Misogyny and Death of parent
Moderate: Injury/Injury detail and Body shaming
Minor: Drug abuse, Addiction, Alcohol, and Alcoholism
naturally's review against another edition
challenging
hopeful
inspiring
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
taylor jenkins reid does the whole historical-fiction-with-a-biographical-angle thing pretty well. i must admit, i preferred the focus on entertainers (the rivas, evelyn hugo etc), however it could be argued that athletes also fit under this umbrella...and carrie soto is back presents a strong case.
whilst i thought the use of tennis terminology felt a tad too textbook-ish, my admiration of the sport and the GOAT serena williams kept me invested in the story.
there were times when both carrie and the commentary on feminism were flat and checkbox-ey...TJR tries her best, but i ultimately thinks this comes from a lack of deep understanding and familiarity of the identities she is writing.
where TJR shines is her portrayal of both familial and romantic relationships. the fate of carrie's was extremely predictable, however their relationship was easily the highlight of this book. i also enjoyed carrie and bowe's dynamic!
overall, this was a quick - and by no means perfect-- read that kept me entertained this summer!
whilst i thought the use of tennis terminology felt a tad too textbook-ish, my admiration of the sport and the GOAT serena williams kept me invested in the story.
there were times when both carrie and the commentary on feminism were flat and checkbox-ey...TJR tries her best, but i ultimately thinks this comes from a lack of deep understanding and familiarity of the identities she is writing.
where TJR shines is her portrayal of both familial and romantic relationships. the fate of carrie's
Spoiler
father. i knew he was going to die, and i STILL wasn't ready...overall, this was a quick - and by no means perfect-- read that kept me entertained this summer!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexism, Death of parent, and Misogyny
Minor: Sexual content
kfquarium's review against another edition
hopeful
inspiring
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
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent
Moderate: Cursing and Grief
Minor: Cancer, Injury/Injury detail, Racism, Sexism, Alcoholism, Infidelity, Medical content, and Misogyny
booksalacarte's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
funny
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
5⭐️ 2🌶️
Tennis
Professional Athlete
Loving the dream
Comeback
Older MC’s (mid-late 30’s)
Underdog
Unapologetic female elite athlete
Misogyny
Second chance Romance
Grumpy/sunshine
Biggest fan parent
Single father
Self discovery/rediscovery
Did I know anything about tennis before reading this book? Absolutely not.
Do I know anything after reading?….. maybe? I could probably watch it and not be bored now.
Did I love this book? Yes. Yesyesyes.
The structure was so interesting! TJR never fails to set books up to be structurally interesting in a way that enhances the story. Having the FMC’s POV broken up by sportscasters commentary about her game and competition was an awesome way to build tension and get the feel of the nature and stakes of the story.
I always love TJR’s Easter eggs for her other books. That they all live in this alternative universe together.
Carrie was an unapologetic, hard as nails, powerhouse of a character and I loved every second of balancing on the edge of her sarcasm and intensity while her inner monologue showed us exactly how insecure she is. It made her superhuman abilities more human.
The romance in the book was so interesting in how it was presented as iron sharpening iron. Both were so flawed and watching things develop was great. I thoroughly enjoyed it.
Carrie’s relationship with her father was so beautiful and my favorite thing about the book. It was dynamic, full of ups and downs, heartbreaking. I was fully invested. The grief represented in the book was so well done. I found myself adoring her father which made the arc of the story so amazing.
This is a favorite. But TJR’s books always are for me.
Tennis
Professional Athlete
Loving the dream
Comeback
Older MC’s (mid-late 30’s)
Underdog
Unapologetic female elite athlete
Misogyny
Second chance Romance
Grumpy/sunshine
Biggest fan parent
Single father
Self discovery/rediscovery
Did I know anything about tennis before reading this book? Absolutely not.
Do I know anything after reading?….. maybe? I could probably watch it and not be bored now.
Did I love this book? Yes. Yesyesyes.
The structure was so interesting! TJR never fails to set books up to be structurally interesting in a way that enhances the story. Having the FMC’s POV broken up by sportscasters commentary about her game and competition was an awesome way to build tension and get the feel of the nature and stakes of the story.
I always love TJR’s Easter eggs for her other books. That they all live in this alternative universe together.
Carrie was an unapologetic, hard as nails, powerhouse of a character and I loved every second of balancing on the edge of her sarcasm and intensity while her inner monologue showed us exactly how insecure she is. It made her superhuman abilities more human.
The romance in the book was so interesting in how it was presented as iron sharpening iron. Both were so flawed and watching things develop was great. I thoroughly enjoyed it.
Carrie’s relationship with her father was so beautiful and my favorite thing about the book. It was dynamic, full of ups and downs, heartbreaking. I was fully invested. The grief represented in the book was so well done. I found myself adoring her father which made the arc of the story so amazing.
This is a favorite. But TJR’s books always are for me.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent, Terminal illness, Cursing, Grief, Medical content, Misogyny, Injury/Injury detail, and Gaslighting
thenageler's review against another edition
emotional
inspiring
fast-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
4.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death of parent, Sexism, and Misogyny
hannahbailey's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
TJR has a way of drawing you in even when you're not convinced by the MC and their intentions. For the most part I was very engaged and enjoyed reading about each match. I love tennis, so I'm not sure I would've stuck around for any other sport, especially as I'm not a big fan of these 'I have to be the best at my sport otherwise I'm a failure' storylines. Why can't we have characters more like me; Jack of all trades, master of none LOL 🤠
That said, I did enjoy the character development, exploration of grief and insight into what it could feel like to make one thing your entire personality.
That said, I did enjoy the character development, exploration of grief and insight into what it could feel like to make one thing your entire personality.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, and Misogyny
ewalkergrace's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
5/5 gorgeous stars. my fave tjr book and my fave of the year so far :)))
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief and Death of parent
Moderate: Misogyny
Minor: Alcoholism, Injury/Injury detail, and Alcohol
strawberrytheauthor's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I loved this book! It is so heartwarming and I was rooting for Carrie the whole time even when she was unreasonable. I loved her relationship with her dad and how they had to work for a balance between father/daughter and coach/player. I lowkey wanna start playing tennis now.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cursing, Death of parent, Grief, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Alcoholism, Blood, and Medical content
Minor: Misogyny