TJR is one of my favorite authors and Carrie Soto Is Back is a great example as to why. Why tennis? Who cares about sports? Who would ever read a book with play by play of a sporting event? Answer, no one… well, no one unless TJR is writing it. This is the magic of TJR. This is why her writing is so well loved. She can write a book like Carrie Soto Is Back and people will love it. People say TJR is back, I say, she never left.

 If you’ve been here before, you know I don’t read a book’s synopsis. So after the first chapter I immediately texted a friend and asked, ‘is this book really only about tennis?’

 The answer is yes and your unsolicited advice from me would be to keep reading. I was sucked in to the Soto world, the tennis world… the idea of being absolutely obsessed with anything was intoxicating for me. I don’t think a lot of know what this level obsession is. TJR hit on a few points: sports, obsession, sexism, race and dealing with navigating relationships as an obsessed person. 
      I’ve said this before and I’ll say it again, when it comes to reading TJR’s style works for me. Even a poorly written story (which I’m not sure she has written) I can somehow consume with ease. 

I am rating a 4.5, rounded down to 4 stars, as this isn’t a magical, soul clenching story that I will tell my grandchildren about. I’m trying to be pickier about my 5 star ratings. It has a ‘cutesy’ fairytale ending, that is predictable but not any less satisfying. Big twists for the sake of shock are not my thing. What did we want the ending? That every tennis court was bombed and Soto was the last tennis player to ever play tennis, ever again? No – we want what makes sense and this story, from start to finish, makes sense. 
     My rating is not to say this isn’t a magically written, wonderfully executed, very ‘classic TJR’ book. For readers of previous TJR books, look for easter eggs 🙂 I would 100% recommend this to all readers (sports fan or not).