I love Taylor Jenkins Reid books but I’m not gonna lie, when I saw tennis was the main theme for this book, I was worried because I’m not a tennis fan. I thought I wouldn’t like this book but I’m glad I didn’t let the theme stop me because I still really enjoyed it even with all the tennis talk involved. I found myself getting way more into the book than I expected. Carrie’s determination and perseverance blew me away, she’s such a strong wonderful character. Overall, this was a great book!

Thank you Net Galley and Random House Ballantine for an ARC in return for my honest review

Carrie Soto is Back is the fourth book in the Taylor Jenkins Reid Literary Universe and also the fourth book that I have read by the author. Carrie Soto is a minor character from Malibu Rising who comes back (lol) as the protagonist in this book. I had to really think about where Carrie came into play (lol) in Malibu Rising since she does not appear for very long. She is a professional tennis player and this book follows her comeback from retirement. I loved all of the others and was very excited to read this one!

First of all, this book is also A LOT about tennis. I know absolutely nothing about tennis (or sports in general) but that has never been a problem in any of the books that I have read about sports (like hockey in Beartown or even surfing in Malibu Rising) as most sports books focus more on the people. Carrie Soto is Back is pretty much just about tennis. TJR is such a good author that I still found myself on the edge of my seat and wanting to know what happens, but if you're super sports adverse this might not the the one for you.

Carrie is also kind of the worst. She's mean to pretty much everyone. I don't usually enjoy unlikable characters and I was worried about this one once I remembered her from Malibu Rising. She didn't end up bothering me too much and went through some nice character growth throughout the book.

There is a lot of untranslated Spanish in this book. I took Spanish in high school/college many moons ago and was able to read most of it, but I'd imagine that if you don't read Spanish it's pretty annoying. You don't really miss out on a lot of key information but you do miss out on some character development between Carrie and her father, which was at the heart of the story.

Now, with these negative points, you'd think that I didn't really like the book, but I did! I'm not sure what magic TJR sprinkled in the pages to make me miraculously interested in tennis but it somehow happened. I was looking up the different types of courts so I could understand the environments where Carrie would be playing. THAT is a miracle right there. While I didn't really like Carrie, I liked where her character ended up and seeing her growth through the years.

Overall, this book is my least favorite out of the four in the TJR Literary Universe, which is not saying much because I gave the other three five stars. Carrie Soto was just a little too tennis focused for me to rank it ask high as the others. Still, it's 4.25 stars rounded down to 4 for me. Thank you to Balantine Books and NetGalley for the electronic advanced reader's copy of this book in exchange for my honest review!

The game is back on for renowned and retired tennis player, Carrie Soto, as she gives winning one last shot in Carrie Soto is Back by Taylor Jenkins Reid. After a hiatus, Carrie realizes that a young tennis player may be vying to take her title as best female tennis player ever. She brings her former coach and dad along for the ride. Will she keep her status or only be remembered in history books or best-of lists in sports magazines and TV shows?

I love this writer’s books, so, of course, I made a beeline to get this one. If you loved the Evelyn Hugo book or Daisy Jones, you will probably love this one. Maybe you’ll think that you really don’t care for tennis or sports. Push those thoughts aside because you do not have to be a fan of either one. I cannot say that I ever cared for tennis, but this book makes it come alive.

Carrie Soto may be great, but she's also complex, challenging, and frustrating to the many people who know her in the industry and in her personal life. Tennis takes over every aspect of her life, so that she's consumed by it. And it's why she ultimately returns because she cannot bear to be second best. You as the reader are privy to her thoughts and motivations behind every step she makes.

Since her father acts as her longtime on- and off-again coach, you're on the inside track of what makes their relationship tick. The dynamics between father and daughter are interesting as is the romance that blossoms between Carrie and an old flame. You also witness the tenuous relations between Carrie and her rivals and opponents. One in particular, a fan and up-and-coming tennis player, threatens to outplay Carrie and that relationship is explored as well.

Even though you know that Carrie's the best that ever was, you really never know if she'll win again. Every game is taut with suspense. Every shot she serves or returns may or may not go her way, and that's why you'll stay engaged with the book. I kept thinking, how could a game by an unstoppable player like Carrie be that suspenseful and exciting. But all the way to the end of the book, you're on the edge of your seat, biting your nails, and wondering if she'll continue her incredible winning streak. In fact, I teared up towards the end of the book during one of her games, and that's rare for me at all.

And is there a possibility of a sequel? Read the book, and see what you think.

I don't know how Taylor did this because I read that she's not a tennis player, but she depicted these games so well. And each game reads in such a way that you seriously will not know the outcome even when it's a flashback. That in itself takes incredible skill as a writer. I love that she brought this multifaceted character to life and how likeable she is despite her flaws. I also am happy that she branched out into these books that go beyond your typical women's fiction. She has truly evolved as a writer, and I just cannot wait to see what she writes next.

Well written, but you better have a least a passing interest in tennis. I may read some of her other books now. I know she is a very popular author in my library. ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for a fair review.

I had extremely high expectations for this book and it exceeded them. Carrie is such a compelling character - not necessarily likable but so real - and I couldn't help but root for her. The tennis scenes were so atmospheric and I felt like I was watching the matches. It's a testament to Reid's writing that she manages to capture the nuances of so many different worlds in her books - old Hollywood, 70s rock, 90s tennis, etc. - in an immersive and immersive and believable way. I cannot wait to see what she writes next.

Thanks to Ballantine books for the copy to review.

Taylor Jenkins Reid is a BEST SELLING AUTHOR for a freaking reason. I just loved this book so much. If you aren't a normal historical fiction reader, this is the perfect gateway into it. It feels both modern and so true to the times, and while this is not a true story, all of your favorite characters from her books live in this universe and I love how they all pop in throughout the story.

This book had a ton of underlying themes about perfection and career achievements and so many wonderful quotes stuck out to me. I loved getting to read this with my book club because we ended up having really great conversations about perfection and how it reflects in our lives.

Overall, you need to read this book!!

I didn't think I wanted to read a book about the interior life of a pro tennis player, but Carrie Soto had me wrapped around her finger. I loved her because I didn't understand her and couldn't predict her. This feels like a departure for TJR but I really enjoyed it nonetheless.

Carrie Soto is Back was not the book for me. I was a fan of Malibu Rising, so I wanted to give this one a shot. This book is written by a white author who wrote about marginalized authors.

5 Stars!
I would like to Thank NetGalley and Random House Publishing for the eArc of Carrie Soto Is Back. I love how TJR writes stories of empowerment, resilience, dreams and the struggle behind those dreams. She is a master-storyteller when portraying relationships and the joy and sorrow behind these delicate connections. Carrie is one of my favorite characters in the TJR world. She is a powerful example of tenacity, ambition, and guts. But we also see the fragile, fearful and vulnerable side of Carrie in this beautifully written novel. The author shows us the struggle of female athletes in the male-dominated field of tennis in that time period. Carrie's devotion to tennis, her father and her few friends made her a champion for all women.

Carrie Soto is Back by Taylor Jenkins Reid is all about the sport of tennis. Carrie is retired from the sport and is attending a US Open and wants to come back to reclaim her title. Will she win? I thought the book was going to be more exciting. I love Taylor Jenkins Reid's books! It could be that I am not really a sports fan. I loved her relationship with her father and her multiple conversations in Spanish. I also loved her relationship with the sport and her dedication and grit. I just felt it was a little dull at times, even though I did laugh and cry. However, I will continue to read all of Taylor Jenkins Reid's books! Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC for my opinion.

Taylor Jenkins Reid can write anything, and I'll read it. How does she make her characters, who are often beautiful, glamorous, rich, and talented, so fascinating? (Maybe I've answered my own question here.) Carrie is a force of nature. I also love how there's a TJR shared universe in these books.

This is definitely not a rom-com, definitely not a suspense, but man…TJR has that special way of writing people and personalities that just sucks you in to her story and invests your heart in the outcome. She could write a phone book and she would have me turning its pages at 4 am. Do I know one single thing about tennis (besides knowing Venus and Serena play?)…Absolutely not. But I was so invested in Carrie Soto Is Back and this book that is 384 pages of pretty much just tennis. I think Carrie’s character is written to be unlikeable - she’s brutally unapologetic, tough as nails and hyper-focused on her training. BUT you can’t help but root for her. Every sports fan loves a good comeback story and she is no exception.

While the book is heavily tennis centered, it reads so quick and there are so many enjoyable moments. The father/daughter relationship is written beautifully. Carrie and Nicki’s interactions - chef’s kiss. The side characters (Bowe/Gwen) and the banter between Javier, Bowe and Carrie were both fantastic, the 90’s references were nostalgic and I always love how TJR weaves her book worlds together and gives us tiny little glimpses of her other work (Daisy Jones/Malibu Rising). And lastly - that full circle ending. It’s everything.

This book was beautiful in classic TJR fashion. I loved Carrie Soto and her journey through this story was impeccable. There was a lot of tennis but it was immersive here within this literary universe. I highly recommend it to TJR fans as long as you don’t mind a lot of sports backstory.

What a BOOK! I loved every minute of it. I love tennis, but even if I didn't, this was a fantastic tear jerker, emotional roller coaster ride. The details were amazing and I felt like I knew Carrie and her Dad personally.
I loved Malibu Rising, but this surpassed it.
Well done and five stars!

Ever since I’ve read Reid’s previous titles, I have been constantly keeping an eye on her upcoming titles. When Carrie Soto was announced, I couldn’t contain my excitement. However, I was apprehensive because it heavily revolves around Tennis, a sport that I don’t have much interest in. However, I found myself intrigued by Carrie Soto, and the different dynamics that play into Tennis. I highly recommend this, especially to people who may be reluctant to read stories with sports!

Carrie Soto is Back is the latest installment in the TJR universe of fictional famous people beefing with each other, but this time her protagonist is a star in the sports industry. Say what you will about the chokehold Reid seems to have on the historical fiction genre right now, but I can appreciate when an author deviates from the trend - even when this stays true to her own formula of writing.

Carrie Soto herself is easily the most prickly of TJR’s protagonists, but not the most troubled. It was refreshing to read this kind of completely cold, absolutely focused woman even if her character development over the novel seemed rushed and I would have just as well prefered her at the beginning to the end. With that, I am also someone that gets weirdly invested in fictional books about sports despite having little interest in them in real life. So out of all of TJR’s recent releases I really thought this book was going to be the one that I finally really loved. Unfortunately, my best attempt with her remains Malibu Rising because she really sold the complicated family dynamics in that one for me.

Generally I think where she succeeds the most as an author is throwing a lot of characters at the reader and then slowly revealing how they’re all connected. Carrie Soto seems to deviate from that selling point by keeping the cast very insular - despite the main character being a tennis super star her interactions here are overwhelmingly just between her and her aging father. There’s a few other tennis players thrown into the mixx, but this really feels like a book about a father-daughter relationship. And, maybe tangentially, learning to love a thing for the joy of it and not the competitive spirit. Which is nice and feel-good but honestly not a message that really hits for me.

I think the diehard TJR girlies that eat up everything she writes will find this equally as heart-wrenching as her other works. Its tone is much less “drama” and much more “emotions” and that’s where I would have preferred she stuck to her usual campy melodramatics. She’s a talented author nonetheless, and liked seeing her branch away from the musician/movie star plots and into the sports scene. But there really wasn’t enough characters or plot here to leave much of an impression on me.

Thank you to the publisher Ballantine Books for providing an e-ARC via NetGalley for an honest review.

Carrie Soto Is Back by Taylor Jenkins Reid follows thirty-seven years old, Carrie Soto after she 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 as the most Grand Slam Title holder. 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.

Taylor Jenkins Reid has done it again (to the surprise of no one!). Reid has the extraordinary ability to write compelling characters that I always have to check and make sure these aren't actually existing people. I found myself rooting so hard for Carrie Soto and connecting to her journey through the masochistic and ageist world of tennis. I highly recommend this book and will forever read anything TJR publishes.

I received this book free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I am not a tennis fan and am rather fuzzy on the rules, but it didn't matter. Carrie Soto isn't necessarily likeable character (not that she would ever care about me or most people's opinions), but she is a talented force that demands respect. I respected the heck out of her and was rooting for her in every tournament. The ups and downs of her relationship with her father was fantastic and I enjoyed seeing that, as I am sure all readers will.

Although I received this book months ago, I waited to read it due to the controversy that erupted on social media.
I'm glad I waited.

I both read and listened to this book. Right off the bat, the narration was excellent.

I found the atmosphere of the book great. I truly felt like I was on the tour and practice courts with Carrie and her father. I could feel the tension.

The plot was good, had a true beginning, middle and end.

I always enjoy Taylor Jenkins Reid's writing and it is always fun to find the easter eggs and connections to her other books.

What fell somewhat flat for me was Carrie herself. I don't need to "like" my characters, but I felt Carrie was one dimensional. However, maybe that is how people who are at the top of the game are. All that time spent practicing and focusing on the game, possibly stunts other emotional growth. Maybe it makes them boring, which is what I thought Carrie was (plus, a little mean). I was much more interested in Bowe and Javier and their backstories and growth. I almost wish the book was about them.

However, with the atmosphere and the involvement of the secondary characters, I did enjoy the book and am rating it 4 stars.

Taylor Jenkins Reid is back. This gave me the same incredible wonder that Seven Husbands did. Absolutely incredible, and as someone who doesn’t know anything about tennis and doesn’t care, I was ENTHRALLED.