Tag: taylor jenkins reid

Book Review: Carrie Soto Is Back – Taylor Jenkins Reid

Book Review: Carrie Soto Is Back – Taylor Jenkins Reid

by Nicole Sweeney ♥ 2 Comments


Release Date: August 30th 2022
Publisher: Penguin
Pages: 369
Find it: Goodreads Waterstones
Source: I received an E-ARC via Netgalley and I bought a copy of this from my local Waterstones
Rating: 4.5/5 stars

Synopsis

Carrie Soto is fierce, and her determination to win at any cost has not made her popular.

By the time Carrie retires from tennis, she is the best player the world has ever seen. She has shattered every record and claimed twenty Slam titles. And if you ask her, she is entitled to every one. She sacrificed nearly everything to become the best, with her father as her coach.

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, British 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 a story about the cost of greatness and a legendary athlete attempting a comeback.

Review

The newest release from Evelyn Hugo author Taylor Jenkins Reid, the story follows retired tennis player Carrie Soto. After retiring six years ago, Carrie holds the world record for most grand slams. When she watches the 1994 US Open and sees Nicki Chan beat her record, she makes the decision to come out of retirement and try to reclaim her record. At thirty-seven everyone is ready to count her out but Carrie will do whatever it takes to succeed, even working with Bowe Huntley.

Taylor Jenkins Reid is an author I never thought would be for me. I predominantly read epic fantasy and I have never gravitated towards books like Carrie Soto. However, I read Daisy Jones and the Six when it was first released and could not put it down. I then read The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo and Malibu Rising and thought they were both incredible. Going into Carrie Soto I had pretty high expectations and Taylor Jenkins Reid one hundred percent delivered. This book is a heart pounding, unforgettable story.

Reid has a gorgeous writing style and I loved the way she brought the sights and sounds of the tennis court to life. I really felt like I was there, watching Carrie battle for her record. The story is well paced and I was glued to the book till the very last page. This book also pulled me out of a pretty big reading slump when I was really struggling to find something to keep me hooked.

Where Reid particularly shines is with the captivating characters she creates. Carrie feels like a real person and I loved following her on this journey. I was fascinated by her relationships with her father and Bowe and the way they changed as the story progressed. Carrie Soto Is Back is an incredibly well crafted story and if you’re a fan of Reid’s other books, this is one you will not want to miss.

Book Review: Daisy Jones and the Six – Taylor Jenkins Reid

Book Review: Daisy Jones and the Six – Taylor Jenkins Reid

by Nicole Sweeney ♥ 9 Comments

BOOK REVIEW - 2019-05-18T103215.304.png
Release Date: March 7th 2019
Publisher: Hutchinson
Pages: 368
Find it on: Goodreads. BookDepository. Waterstones.
Source: I bought a copy of this in Sainsburys
Rating: 5/5 stars

Synopsis

For a while, Daisy Jones & The Six were everywhere. Their albums were on every turntable, they sold out arenas from coast to coast, their sound defined an era. And then, on 12 July 1979, they split. Nobody ever knew why. Until now. They were lovers and friends and brothers and rivals. They couldn’t believe their luck, until it ran out. This is their story of the early days and the wild nights, but everyone remembers the truth differently. The only thing they all know for sure is that from the moment Daisy Jones walked barefoot onstage at the Whisky, their lives were irrevocably changed. Making music is never just about the music. And sometimes it can be hard to tell where the sound stops and the feelings begin.

Review

40554141Daisy Jones and the Six tells the tale of world famous Daisy Jones and the Six, a rock band that took the world by storm in the 60s. After a hit record and sell out shows – the band suddenly disbanded and no one knows why. Now years later, the band recount the tale of what led to them breaking up.

Now I’m going to point out straight away that this is completely not the kind of book I would normally read. The majority of the books I read are Science Fiction and Fantasy, so this is completely outside of my comfort zone. I picked this up because of all the hype for this and another of Reid’s novels – The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo – and thought it might be quite an interesting read. What I didn’t expect was to be absolutely blown away by this book, and have it be one of my new all-time favourites.

Daisy Jones and the Six is told in a really fascinating way, the book unfolds as a series of interviews – with the band recounting their time recording music and touring. The story is exclusively dialogue, there’s not really anything in the way of scenery descriptions or anything of that nature. Despite that the story completely came alive for me and I felt like Daisy and the band were real people – in fact by the time I was finished I wanted to google the band to learn more about them. The story really makes you feel like these people were real, and brings to life the sights and sounds of life in the 60s.

Daisy Jones and the Six holds nothing back and there’s plenty of drink, drugs and the difficulty of dealing with fame. It’s a fascinating tale and you get the sense early on that it’s going to end badly, yet you absolutely cannot look away.

The story is emotional and heart breaking in the best possible way and I honestly struggled not to bawl my eyes out at it on the way home from work. I don’t think I’ve ever read anything quite like Daisy Jones and the Six, and it’s definitely a book I keep thinking about despite finishing it a while ago.

I’m so glad I took the jump and tried something out of my comfort zone, because this is absolutely a new favourite. I’m incredibly keen to try more from this author and if you’ve seen the buzz around Daisy Jones and thought that the book isn’t your cup of tea I’d definitely suggest giving it a go – you might just find a new favourite.

5 stars