I am disappointed to have written the words hit or miss for this review. Malibu Rising was one of my favourite novels of 2021 and I have been eagerly waiting to read other works by this author that are not solely romance based. When I saw her newest novel was about sports, a return, and a fight - I was over the moon. I am such a sap for underdog stories and even if Carrie isn't technically an underdog, I wanted to see her win in a spectacular fight or at least learn an important life lesson. What I wanted was not what was delivered and I think this novel is a hit or miss because for a novel about a journey, it was mainly tennis.

I don't think it matters if you enjoy the game of tennis, it is still too much tennis. You don't watch The Blindside for the football, you watch it for the journey and in Carrie Soto is Back, there is barely a journey, just tennis! There is so much focus on the physical sport that the story is pushed aside. I think if you were to take away the tennis, there is about ~25% remaining of story and character development. This percentage is sadly not enough to immerse you in the story and more importantly, doesn't make you want to root for Carrie because you barely know her and truly, she is a character you probably will not like as she is tough to root for as a protagonist.

Carrie Soto is Back is written well and is engaging when the story veers away from tennis but it lands itself in the hit or miss category as it truly will go either way for you if you decide to read Carrie Soto is Back. You may enjoy the drive of the story and analytical tennis descriptions or you may be missing the emotional depth typical in these types of stories. Is it worth your time? It's up to you to decide if Carrie Soto is Back is worth an hour of your time.

The plot is slow and contains an inordinate amount of game play and tennis strategy - maybe too much tennis. In my opinion, a fictitious novel about sports doesn't need to explain the sport more than the basics unless a certain play or move is prevalent to the plot. There were a few moments in this story where extensive tennis strategy was necessary and helped propel the plot forward but overall, it is too much. The story is mainly about how tennis is played on different courts, with different people, with different weather, etc. and it detracts away from the rest of the story. It's a plot about tennis with a dash of story, one maybe worth your time.

I don't think Carrie Soto is a good protagonist. My dislike of her is a strong reason why I classified this a hit or miss, and you may also dislike her. Carrie is a polarising individual, and you will be able to tell immediately what I mean by that if you read this novel. Moving on from Carrie because I want you to form your own strong opinion about her - the supporting characters are fantastic. Carrie's father is a top tier character whose warmth and dedication will draw you to him. Bowe is a delight, so is Nicki Chan, and so are the competitors she plays against. The story is also interspersed with news anchors providing commentary and I think they add levity and outside perspective to Carrie's return that increase the enjoyability of the book. If only Carrie was a better protagonist, then maybe the amount of tennis could have been looked over and made this novel worth your time.

A wonderful final match concludes a so-so story. Carrie Soto is Back is a novel about tennis with a dash of emotion and growth. Is it worth your time? I think there are strengths in the supporting characters and emotional passion for tennis but also weaknesses in Carrie and the unemotional parts of tennis which make this novel only potentially worth your time. A hit or miss, one you will decide is worth your time or not.

Looking back on my tidbit in New 2022 Novels You Must Read | July - December discussing Carrie Soto is Back, I was extremely excited for this novel about both historical fiction and sports! I adore sports movies: Miracle, McFarland, The Blindside, etc. - these are stories that warm my soul and I expected Carrie Soto is Back to earn a spot on that list and it didn't. I am crushed. I am stupidly crushed by this novel not living up to my expectations more so than other reads that have let me down because I was desperate for this to be a meshing of my passions and it wasn't. Carrie Soto is Back is not a novel about an old legend returning, learning, and re-embracing the game. I expected Carrie wouldn't win and that the end would be about how tennis can still be her passion and her soul without her being a winner. There were snippets of that: when her father passed and when she started training Nicki, I saw soul but two moments cannot carry a story.

Carrie was a hotheaded and powerful player. I wish the story had delved into her learning how to harness that power and how to let it go. Yes, Carrie was a bi*** and in the sports world, good for her but her winning attitude spilt into her personality off the court and Carrie was standoffish and mean. She had no long-term friendships and I don't think her relationship with Bowe was portrayed as healthy. She never compromised with him and truly was quite rude to him outside of tennis talk. Again, there were moments where her compassion shone through but they were fleeting and it made her seem like an overpowering and dominating personality regardless of who she was with or what she was doing.

I wish the talk of how Carrie changed tennis was expanded upon. To me, that is a strong selling point as to why it was important for her to return to tennis and also potentially why she was so harsh with the people around her. Carrie meant something to tennis and I wish Carrie had discussed that impact more and embraced the power of her playing tennis during that era, and what it meant for the future and who she was in relation to tennis.

The end was all about a great game of tennis and it was. But where was the great game of emotion? The release from pressure. The release into comfortability. The release into confidence. The story in short was too much about tennis and with an unlikeable protagonist, I couldn't enjoy this read as much I wanted too. I am disappointed and is why I believe Carrie Soto is Back is a hit or miss read, and for me, a miss.