A Lot of Tennis with a Side of Romance
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As the book opens, Carrie Soto is a star tennis player who retired six years earlier with an amazing record. She had claimed twenty Grand Slam victories in her career! Unfortunately, the record is about to be taken away from her as Nicki Chan wins the 1994 US Open. Wanting to reclaim her record, Carrie comes out of retirement at the age of thirty-seven.
For most of her career, Carrie was trained by her father, Javier, himself a well-known tennis player. He had won thirteen championships in his eleven-year career in Argentina, earning him the title, “Javier el Jaguar.” Basically, he taught her tennis from the get go. Even when she was a baby, he brought a high chair out onto the tennis courts so she could watch him play. When she was still a child, her mother/Javier’s wife, was hit by a car and died. With the mom’s influence gone, tennis was the only focus in her life. She even dropped out of high school before graduating.
Carrie was not well-liked in the tennis community. Perhaps she lacked social skills because she had no mother to guide her. Or perhaps she was someplace on the autism spectrum that made her unable to relate to others. Or perhaps it was her drive to be the best at any cost. Whatever, the cause, she was nicknamed, “the Battle-Axe.”
Clearly, she is a very determined character, but not always a likeable one.
Still, the author makes us want to read this book which is almost all tennis all the time. We get descriptions of her practicing and we get the blow-by-blow of her matches. The only exception is that there is a love interest for Carrie in the form of Bowe Huntley. He is also a tennis player of Carrie’s generation, but a guy who has never retired and is still playing. He becomes a practice partner for Carrie and he gets coached by Javier as well. Even with this second plot line, more tennis comes our way as we hear about Bowe’s matches as well.
I enjoyed this book even though I know little about tennis. I think other non-players can enjoy it as well. As for tennis aficionados, I think they will be in heaven to be on the court and behind the scenes with these pros.
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I have reviewed other books by this author:
The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo
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If you like my writing, did you know I have four books in print? They are all available on my Etsy shop. My newest book, Love, Loss, and Moving On, is also available on Amazon. Please have a look and tell a friend!
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