I really loved Carrie’s character development and determination. And I learned a LOT about tennis. I will always devour anything TJR writes!

Carrie Soto Is Back is a fierce, emotional, and unflinchingly honest portrait of a woman who refuses to go down without a fight. Taylor Jenkins Reid delivers another knockout with a story that’s as much about personal redemption as it is about athletic glory. Carrie is unapologetically ambitious, sharp-edged, and complex—and watching her navigate aging, legacy, and vulnerability is both riveting and deeply human. The tennis scenes are electric, but it’s the relationships—especially the raw, complicated bond with her father—that give this novel its heart. It’s a story about the price of greatness, the pain of reinvention, and the fire it takes to reclaim your place in the world. Carrie Soto doesn’t just come back—she comes back swinging.

Reading about Carrie and her father's relationship made me cry in some scenes. They had such a beautiful bond. Plus Bowe deserves everything, he was so sweet and I wish there was at least one more chapter about him and Carrie at the end. I like all the women written by Taylor Jenkins Reid — at least the ones I've met so far in the stories I've read from this author — but how could I not, since they are all strong and unique individuals, but I have to admit that Carrie Soto will probably be one of my favorites.

Carrie Soto has set her records and made her mark in the very competitive world of tennis, now she's retired, watching the younger players come up the ranks. Then, her most prized record is broken. Now, she's made the decision to come back to prove herself one more time. But at her age, she's not considered a contender. I've read a few books centered around the world of tennis, but Taylor Jenkins Reid has made her own mark in the literary markets by giving readers excellent reads and keeping them coming back for more.

Only Taylor Jenkins Reid could make me enjoy a sports book like this! I never cared about tennis and all of a sudden I did when I read this book. I was so invested. I really liked how Carrie was unapologetically herself, it was refreshing to read about a character like her. She knows she’s good and she’ll talk about it. The middle did drag a little bit but then it picked up and I LOVED the ending. It was so perfect! Highly recommend!

As a longtime TJR reader, I was not disappointed. It’s super well-written, clearly well-researched, and Carrie Soto is the perfect abrasive, complex, flawed character you can simultaneously root for and hate in equal measure. I’d been nervous as I’d not loved Malibu Rising, but I loved this! Highly recommend.

Another snappy, character-forward read from consistently fun Taylor Jenkins Reid. Though not my favorite of hers (Daisy Jones & the Six takes the title), I nevertheless raced through this and would recommend it as a beach read or a follow up to her other celebrity-centric novels.

I loved this one! TJR is a master at creating strong female characters. I never thought I'd like a book about tennis, but this one drew me in from the start.

Loved it, as I've loved all the books by this author.

Carrie climbs back up to the top after 6 years of retirement. She is a badass character!!

I'm not a tennis fan at all - like not even one tiny bit - but the way TJR writes the matches had me visualizing everything in my head.

I really love this author and was so excited to read this one. But I am gonna have to go against popular ratings here and say it wasn’t a fave of mine. Don’t get me wrong, it was good, but boy was there a lot of tennis. I know, I know. It’s a book about tennis. And what I didn’t know about the game, I sure do now. Every step, every swing, every hit. So much tennis. In fact, in my opinion, the tennis was the story and not the characters. And speaking of characters, I really didn’t like Carrie Soto one bit!! What a spoiled brat.

I did enjoy this read and liked the storyline. It was entertaining and enjoyable. It will not deter me from reading more of her books. In fact, I’m off to read Malibu Rising!!

Carrie Soto Is Back by Taylor Jenkins Reid is an engaging read with a unique take on the world of competitive tennis. While the story of Carrie’s comeback is compelling, some parts felt a bit repetitive. Overall, it’s a solid read for those who enjoy sports dramas and strong, complex characters. 🎾📚

I received this for free through netgalley for my honest review. I found this book extremely uninteresting until maybe the end. Too much detail about tennis, which is a sport I know nothing about, so it made absolutely no sense. There was a lot of Spanish as well with no explanation of what the words meant which really started annoying me. I do love the turn in character at the end where she came to terms with what it meant to play tennis and that it was more than just winning.

I love everything by Taylor Jenkins Reid. It was nice to see Carrie pop up in another story but unfortunately Tennis isn't necessarily my favorite topic. I loved the comeback story and the underlying love story but it was a whole lot of Tennis.

I would like to thank Ballantine Publishing and NetGalley for the chance to read Carrie Soto is Back in return for an honest review.
Carrie Soto Is back revolves around Carrie Soto as she becomes the greatest tennis player of her time. When a younger player threatens to break her record Carrie comes out of retirement to show that she's still got it. We follow Carrie as she starts her tennis journey until the very end.
I am a big Taylor Jenkins Reed fan and every book of her's, that I've read, has been a page turner and have made me cry. This one was definitely a page turner for me, but there were no tears. Still giving this a 4.5 stars!

This was amazing! I read it a couple of years ago now, but it still is one of my favorites of hers! I loved her growth through the book and the way tennis was included. It truly had me on the edge of my seat!

I’m aware of the controversy around this one, but I do love tennis and really enjoyed Malibu Rising so I gave it a try. I don’t know why she really had to make the character Latina to begin with, it is not a major plot point. I think she could have written just as strong a book without appropriating Latino culture. It was an enjoyable read and I enjoyed all the tennis commentary. I listened to the audiobook and they used real tennis commentators which was fun.

Thank you #Netgalley

This read follows the tennis journey of Carrie and how she decides to come back into the game after someone is threatening to break her records. We then bounce back to her childhood and her athletic progress mixed with relationships and family dynamics.

I was so excited to read this new novel by Taylor Jenkins Reid, as I absolutely loved her previous novel, The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo. I also read her other novel, Malibu Rising, and enjoyed that one as well. I liked this new novel, Carrie Soto is Back, as well but I did not enjoy it as much as I enjoyed Reid's previous novels mentioned above. The protagonist of the novel, Carrie Soto, goes on an emotional journey throughout the book as she comes to terms with what the sport of tennis truly means to her and how integral it is to her life. I really enjoyed reading the parts of the story that depict the relationship between Carrie Soto and her father and found these parts to be truly touching and emotional. This book definitely made me cry at times, and I felt like the characters really came alive through Reid's writing. I am not a big fan of tennis or sports in general but I found myself invested in the sports aspects of the novel. I am such a huge fan of Taylor Jenkins Reid's work and I am excited to read the next book she comes out with! I think a lot of people will truly enjoy this novel just as much as I did.

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review!

I forgot to give feedback for this book when I read it, but I adored it! It's Taylor Jenkins Reid's best book so far, and I stand by that a full two years later.

I loved the character of Carrie Soto when she was first introduced in Malibu Rising. This book is a deep dive into the world of tennis, but readers who aren't interested in sports will still enjoy the complex and relatable characters that Taylor Jenkins Reid is so adept at creating. For anyone who has pushed themselves (or who has been pushed) to a goal of being the best, this book will read like a love story to the parts of your heart that had to be sacrificed along the way.