As always, TJR’s writing is unmatched. She creates characters that are so specific and I love the timeline of this one. I don’t know much about tennis, but I’m kind of obsessed now and this book captured my attention the entire time. I honestly loved Carrie as a main character - her relationship with her dad, with success, with her place in history really made this book for me. Highly recommend.

I am a huge fan of Taylor Jenkins Reid. I loved Daisy Jones, and I loved Evelyn Hugo even more. But Carrie Soto? Ugh.

We met Carrie in Malibu Rising when she broke up Nina Riva's marriage. Now she's back with her own book, and I wish she'd remained a bit character in someone else's life.

The book follows the career of a young tennis phenom who comes out of retirement to defend her record as holder of most Grand Slam titles. TJR excels at writing about the interior lives of famous people, and I was looking forward to Carrie getting the Evelyn Hugo treatment -- learning about how different her real life is from the tabloids, learning about her as a person and not a collection of sports stats. But that didn't happen, and I can't decide if it's because Carrie is a dull character, or if sports characters are just inherently less interesting than movie stars or rock stars. But whatever the reason, Carrie's life bored me to tears.

To begin with, Carrie is a 37-year-old brat. Self-centered, immature, and with no discernible personality beyond a devotion to tennis. It's hard to write about someone's interior life when they don't have one. Carrie lost her mom at a young age and is close to her dad, but that's all the background we get. Every other thought in her head seems to be about tennis, and just as a person like that would be dull company, a character like that is dull company, too. It's like talking to that sports-obsessed boyfriend you had in high school -- "OMG can we PLEASE talk about something else?!" Carrie is obsessed with winning, to the point that she thinks anything and anyone else is worthless, including the people who love her. Carrie throws temper tantrums, pouts, gives people the silent treatment -- all things my toddler did back in the day. I lost patience with her by about the 20% mark. What kind of person COMES OUT OF RETIREMENT for the express purpose of keeping someone else from holding a record? A record that, I might add, is going to fall the following year if not this one anyway. What's she going to do? Keep playing til she's 50 in an effort to be the best? There's just nothing about the story that makes sense.

This book is all tennis, all the time. Evelyn Hugo and Daisy Jones lived in their unique worlds, too, but they were written as PEOPLE, so I was able to find common ground with them, even when their life experience differed drastically from mine. In Carrie's case, there is no common ground. I'm not a tennis fan, but even if I was, I doubt I'd care about every nuance of every stroke. At first I thought Reid was giving us a tennis primer so we could follow along better throughout the book, but that level of detail NEVER. LETS. UP. I honestly could not possibly care less about Carrie's serve beyond the point that it affects her story. But there's so much tennis detail here that there IS no story.

Carrie's love interest doesn't have much personality either, but to the extent that he does, it's hard to understand what he sees in Carrie (see also: selfish, immature brat). She treats him -- and her father -- like dirt while claiming to love them both. TJR is so talented, and I know she's capable of making a character like Carrie sympathetic. Why she didn't in this case is completely beyond me.

I would have given up on this book before the halfway point, except that I'd been given an eARC by the publisher and Netgalley, and I don't think it's fair to review a book I haven't finished. The only thing the end of the book showed me was that I wish the story had been about Nicki Chan, Carrie's nemesis, who turns out to be a much more interesting character than Carrie. Give me a book about Nicki, with less tennis detail and more heart, and I'll read it.

This won't stop me from reading TJR's next offering, whatever that is. But this one is a serious miss. Thanks to Netgalley for the opportunity to get a sneak peek.

Synopsis:
Carrie Soto is the best tennis player in the world, winning twenty grand slams before she retires. Carrie, coached by her father Javier, is unlike other players. She doesn’t make friends in the locker room and doesn’t buy into how the media wants her to act. She deserves her titles, and she’s not afraid to say it.

Six years after her retirement, Carrie’s record is about to be threatened by a new player, Nicki Chan. Carrie is thirty-seven, and doesn’t have the stamina she used to. Despite her age, she decides to come out of retirement to defend her record with her father once again by her side. Carrie decides to play 4 more slams, and must beat Nicki if she’s going to remain the best tennis player in history. Carrie Soto is back, and determined to break a new record.

Thoughts:
This story was exactly what I hoped for. I found this one to be different from other TJR books because there are less characters, so you get to know Carrie, Javier, and Bowe so well. But you still get the subtle mentions of other characters like Daisy Jones and Nina Rivas. I love that all these characters’ stories are intertwined somehow and I hope there’s more books where they are all connected. As expected, the writing is unmatched. TJR is such a talented storyteller and you get so invested in her characters’ lives. Although tennis was a huge plot point, I didn’t find that you needed to know a ton about it to follow. It helps to know the basic rules and how to keep score going into it, but still not necessary. I played college tennis, which made me love this story even more

Carrie Soto is a cutthroat tennis player with one goal in mind: to be the best tennis player the world has ever seen. She strives toward that goal her entire childhood with the help of her father and coach, Javier. Ultimately, she acheieves everything she set out to do, breaking records and never smiling just because the men dominating the sport encourage it. She retires after an injury in her early 30's. Five years down the road, Nikki Chan is on the verge of beating he record for most Grand Slam wins. Her competetive nature compells her to make the comeback of all comebacks to defend her record.

What I Enjoyed:
-Carrie Soto is very much a feminist icon with her take no shit attitude and I love that she never tries to fit into a mold.
-The relationship between her and her dad and how it changes over the course of her life.
- All the great character development and wonderful writing you would expect from a Taylor Jenkins Reid book,

What Was Only Okay:
-I love Reids' writing style but a lot of her settings are just not interesting to me and I suspect other fans. I don't know anything about tennis and I really never cared to....So it was a slow start for me because of this and I ultimatlety almost quit reading after the first 50 or so pages. However, I stuck with it and by the end I enjoyed it despite lack of interest in the general topic.

Even if you don't know anything about tennis (like me) you will want to learn to play after reading this book! Carrie Soto (who we briefly heard about in Malibu Rising) is coming back from retirement to defend her tennis record. Through the year we follow her to the biggest matches and her quest to win more Slams than any other female player after Nikki Chan ties her record the year before. Throughout the book we get insight on Carrie's drive, her special relationship with her father and how her go her nickname The Battle Axe.

4.5 stars.
Carrie Soto didn’t disappoint but it wasn’t like TJR’s other books, in my opinion. It’s mostly the story of an epic tennis player and her relationship with her father, who is also her coach. The story progresses from her present day, childhood leading into her tennis career to her comeback. I really enjoyed the radio/sportscaster transcripts between the chapters. If you’ve read TJR’s other books, you’ll notice nods to other characters in her universe.

You need to like, or at the least - appreciate tennis to enjoy this book. Even if you don’t understand the scoring or terminology, you can probably still keep pace. The story is very much women’s fiction as it barely has any romance in it (I think why I find it different from the others). It’s told in a more linear timeline than the other books too. There’s also a lot of Spanish phrases between Carrie and her dad, which I had to look up to understand and fully get the conversation. I think I took off half a star because j really did find Carrie to almost be too intense and unlikable but I realize that’s probably fairly common for very serious, career athletes.

The writing is really strong and I do not think TJR fans will be disappointed but probably accordingly surprised in its difference. Carrie Soto Is Back was one of my highest anticipated books for 2022 and I’m not disappointed!!

Thank you very much to NetGalley for giving me an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

TJR does it again, writes another smash hit.

Honestly, I was halfway through this book thinking, this may only be a four star for me. While the writing was great like always, I just did not feel as attached as I normally feel while reading a TJR book. Then, the pace picked up, the main character showed massive growth. Needless to say, I became hooked.

Carrie Soto is a badass. Bottom line. I loved that she was a strong powerful woman. Especially a woman in the world of sports, which is regularly dominated by men. This subject is touched on in the book, as it should be.

I also loved the relationships in the book. Carries relationship with her father is so special. And I loved how supportive Bowe and Gwen both are.

Also, I knew absolutely nothing about tennis going into this book, and now I feel I could follow a match and slightly understand.

This was another great book by TJR, reminding me why she is one of my all time favorite authors.

Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. Giving life to a character that briefly shows up in Malibu - I can't tell you how much I love that! TJR has done it again & written a great book!

Another OUTSTANDING showing for Taylor Jenkins Reid. This is the kind of book that you start and can't put down! Carrie Soto is one heck of a protagonist-- she's strong, talented, ambitious, and unapologetic. The tennis scenes are so well done, and the relationships in this story (Carrie/Javier, Carrie/Bowe, etc.) never take a back seat to everything else going on. Read it in one sitting and I'm still thinking about it. It almost feels there was a real Carrie Soto in tennis history, and oh, what a wonderful thing that would be.

TJR-- game, set, match. You've won this one by a mile. No contest.

If you read Malibu Rising, you KNOW Carrie Soto. You know she’s tough, she’s ruthless, and she’s the best.

This engrossing story catapults you into the world of tennis and how Carrie mastered it. After proving she’s the best of the best, she proudly retires. Once when her record is broken, she comes out of retirement to prove that she deserves that title. She doesn’t just need to prove it to the spectators, but to herself too.

Her conflict is internal and external, and Carrie struggles with her values on her warpath to #1. If she can’t prove she’s the greatest of all time, what’s the point? And if she is… is that all she has?

TJR has done it again! My favorite book at the start of the year was Daisy Jones and the Six and now this may be just as good if not better! I loved the references to other books including Daisy and the family from Malibu Rising. I loved that I couldn't stand Carrie Soto but also admired her and she grew on me with each page. I loved how I scolded her out loud while reading like I would scold myself after not saying something I should have said and realizing how in her head I was. I did play tennis in high school and know the rules etc so that helped with the tennis lingo but some may struggle or find it tedious. I thought it was well done with the story and aligned with it being her entire world she couldn't get past to have a personal life. Beautifully done!!!

I absolutely LOVED this story. First, I know NOTHING about tennis, so I didn't know if I would be truly engaged in the book. I WAS WRONG. Taylor Jenkins Reid just knows how to write amazing characters. I felt as if I was watching true story documentary on the best tennis player in the world. I was enraptured by each match and I was literally on the edge of my seat. The character development was beautifully executed. I cannot believe how much I cared about these characters. Books like this are why I love to read. Even if you know nothing about tennis, don't let that dissuade you from reading this. Carrie Soto is definitely one of TJR's best written characters.

Game, Set, Match! Carrie Soto is Back!

I was unsure at first of how this book would compare to all of the other books I loved by Taylor Jenkins Reid but I was not disappointed! What Malibu Rising did for surfing Carrie Soto does for tennis and you will find yourself holding your breath as this main character comes back from retirement and claws her way to a comeback.

You will feel you are in a match yourself, pinging back and forth with love, frustration and empathy as you watch the relationships unfold in this story between father, daughter and the athlete that Carrie was and the athlete she is now.

A great summer get! Thank you to NetGalley and Ballantine for the ARC!

This was SO much more than I was anticipating! I'm a fan of TJR, I think she's incredibly skilled and her works are always emotional powerhouses. Even knowing the way her novels always knock me out, Carrie Soto took me by surprise. I was really attached to Carrie throughout - don't get me wrong, she's a bitch. She's proud, self-centered, and generally hard to empathize with -- truly she's horrible, but this works for me. It helps that TJR is good at her craft, because someone else writing her may not have managed to make her so complex and compelling. This is just really great.

I did find myself waning a bit, just because I don't care for tennis and, despite her best efforts, this book didn't change that. It feels a bit heavy at times because of this, but overall it doesn't affect the quality of the novel.

I was shocked to get approved for this book on NetGalley. After I picked my jaw up off the floor (which is saying something because it was verrry sore after having a cavity filled earlier in the week), I set everything else aside and immediately started this book.

Taylor Jenkins Reid can
TELL 👏 A 👏 STORY 👏

I really did not like Carrie for most of the book and just wanted her to have a slice of humble pie and zoom out of her own little perspective. But as always, TJR understood the assignment. By the end, I enjoyed Carrie’s character arc.

There were also a few references to other characters in the TJR universe which were so fun. You don’t have to have read her other books, but it helped to understand who they were when they came up.

I’m not a big tennis fan, but I don’t think you need to be to follow this story. I am, however, a HUGE college softball fan (BOOMER SOONER! ⭕️🙌) so it was even more fun to read this sports-heavy story in the midst of softball post season! So again, I don’t think you need to be a tennis fan to feel the intensity of the story.

Another exciting, heartfelt and entertaining novel by the legend TJR. She is a master at keeping her readers on their toes and allowing them to dive head first into a riveting and glamorous world.

Although this novel is heavily centered around tennis, a sport which I do not keep up with or know much about, she explains rules and strategies simply enough for everyone to enjoy and uses this plotline to keep the reader on the edge of their seat. I loved this story and loved Carrie’s fiesty, strong character - even though she was a ‘bitch’ and ice cold to nearly everyone her, I found myself always rooting for her.

I also really enjoyed the father-daughter dynamic between Carrie and her dad Javier,, who was also her coach. It was so sweet and created the perfect mixture between a coach urging the player to do better and keep going, while maintaining the heartfelt kindness and care that Javier truly had for his daughter.
Also Bowe is so sweet. Love him too.
I cannot wait for everyone to read this! I highly recommend this, as I have with every one of TJR’s books.

Wooow. This book was amazing. It was not what I was expecting but just in TJR fashion, I could NOT put this book down! This book made me feel what the Carrie was feeling. The story felt so real and I can imagine every detail to the sweat dripping down Carrie’s face. The writing was phenomenal and I absolutely LOVED that there was minimal translation from Spanish to English because it made it more authentic. This is a must read in my library.

An auto buy author, I love living with the characters Taylor Jenkins Reid creates. I loved the quick tennis primer at the beginning because I have always been so confused as to how to score tennis! I love Carrie, she is fierce and I was always cheering for her to win. This book was action packed but also pulled at my heart strings, it might just be one of TJRs best.

I received a copy of this book from NetGalley and the publisher.

Wow. Just wow. At first I wasn't sure if I was going to love this as much as the rest of Taylor Jenkins Reid's books, but holy shit was I proven wrong. I think this hits the top of my reading list for the year so far. I love the way Carrie is written and how her thought process changes throughout her life. Yes, she's still super direct when she's speaking to others and still has a bite when dialogue is happening, but her internal monologue ESPECIALLY once the Paris Open happens changes the course of the rest of the book. I love that TJR sets up not just Carrie's come back in tennis as the GOAT, but also Bowe's last chance as a parallel to one another. Like the realization that both characters have throughout their training with all of the ups and downs truly allows the reader to see Carrie as less cold hearted than the media inside the story would have us think. I also really enjoy the fact that Carrie's main competition is also set up to have something to prove in holding her titles in the second 2/3rds of the story. It raises the stakes tremendously by pitting them against one another.

4.5 stars but rounding up.

Thank you so much to Ballantine Books, Taylor Jenkins Reid, and NetGalley for my advance readers copy!

Why Carrie Soto? Why center a new book around such an unlikeable character from Malibu Rising? I asked Taylor Jenkins Reid this during an influencer chat I was grateful to attend a few weeks ago. Her answer? She wanted a challenge. Not only that but unlike certain other characters in Malibu Rising, Carrie holds her herself accountable for her actions, she has more story to tell.

And what a beautiful story it was. While Carrie is definitely an unlikable flawed character, you also can’t help but root for her. Taylor Jenkins Reid has a way of constructing beautiful written, complex characters. I loved getting inside Carrie’s head. I loved getting inside Carrie’s head. I absolutely loved the beautiful relationship between Carrie Soto and her father. So many emotions felt. TJR’s writing also has the ability make you care about reading any subject matter. When I started her previous work, Daisy Jones and the Six, I thought to myself “I’m not going to like this, I don’t even like rock and roll.” And I loved it. And again with Carrie Soto Is Back, when I started I thought, “I’m not a tennis person, this is all about tennis.” And yes, it was mostly about tennis, and I would have liked to hear a little more about Carrie’s life other than just tennis, but guess what? Taylor Jenkins Reid got me sucked into and fully immersed in pages about tennis! By the end, I couldn’t flip the pages fast enough. My heart was pounding, I felt like I was watching each nail-biter of a game. While a somewhat predictable plot, it was still a super fun read and I was engrossed in the pages.

The ending was perfect and not completely what I was expecting. *chef’s kiss*

While Malibu Rising and Daisy Jones and the Six are still my favorites, Carrie Soto Is Back is another Taylor Jenkins Reid masterpiece. Available on August 30th, this one’s an ace you won’t want to miss!