What do you do when you achieve your crazy, ambitious goal -- your life's dedication -- in your mid-thrties and have nothing but time to watch the next generation usurp you?
If you're tennis superstar Carrie Soto, you rededicate yourself to getting back into peak form 5 years after retiring, and use your status to get back into the Grand Slam matches to defend your record of wins by adding more and/or blocking phenom Nicki Chan from breaking the record.
Carrie's competitive edge and its roots are compellingly spelled out -- from her early loss of her mother, leaving her retired tennis star father free reign to nurture his obsession in her and mold her into the ruthless, calculating, no-nonsense champion she becomes. She has no time for other players, love, or any connections beyond her father and her racket, and is content as long as she's winning. Once she's not, though, there's not much else.
The 80's-90's tennis scene is very familiar, as well as the struggles for all women and especially non-white ones putting up with inferior status, clueless/offensive sports commentators, and the changing styles of playing the game (I practically hear Monica Seles' trademark grunts in some descriptions).
The matches and off-court training action are depicted well, and the dynamics are interesting, but Carrie's overly driven personality doesn't hold attention quite like the great ensemble from Daisy Jones and the Six. Still, it's very entertaining and a pretty quick read, and yet another reminder that we haven't evolved much in forcing celebrities to be all things to all people -- so here's to one that is unapologetically herself and does not care to pander to the media, but can still learn (eventually) how to open up a bit and learn there has to more to life than winning.

Taylor Jenkins Reid absolutely blows me away every single time. This is a story about a woman who is so stubborn and unwilling to give up while simultaneously dealing everyone (but a select few) being against her. Carrie is strong, hotheaded, and has an inner voice that I can't help but comparing to my own. I read the entirety of this book in one sitting and actually stayed up until 3:30am reading this because I just couldn't get enough of the action packed story. It's been so long since a book has made me do this and feel this way, and it was such a nice change of pace for me.

Carrie Soto Is Back follows Carrie Soto, an Argentinian-American tennis superstar, who is trying to make a comeback at the age of 37 - six years after retiring - in order to keep her titles as the world's greatest tennis player. Carrie works with her father, Javier, to coach and train her to make her comeback. Told in alternating timelines between the 1970s and the 1990s, the book tells a universal story of humanity and determination through Carrie's experiences.

I have so many thoughts about this book, but these are my big 3 takeaways:

1. TJR is a writing goddess and wow! The writing in Carrie Soto is stunning and the character development and the use of tennis and the comeback as a parallel to other areas of Carrie's life was excellent. Loved the brief connections to Malibu Rising and the relationships between the characters - seriously ALL OF THEM - deserve praise and awe.

2. Yes, this book has lots of tennis in it. It's about a tennis pro making a comeback. If you absolutely despise tennis, you should probably not read and review this one. But if you have even a passing or light interest in tennis, then pick this up, It isn't actually about tennis at all and the tennis part really only matters tangentially.

3. TJR's writing of a LatinX woman when she is a white woman has led to further discussions around the book about own voices writing. I think own voices writing is vital, but I do understand TJR's decision to write Carrie's story. The industry has a lot of work to do, and I don't think we need to shame this author for putting a LatinX main character into the world, but the industry that allows her to do so.

I loved this one and hope you'll read it and love it too!!

I'm a big fan of Taylor Jenkins Reid...but a couple of things for me made this one a middle of the list ranking. I don't mind characters that speak other languages it adds to the story, but for me, who doesn't speak another language when there isn't a translation for any of the other language I get annoyed because I feel like I've missed something. I know I could look it up, but then I have to pause the book or type in whatever it is word for word into a translation app and what I'd prefer to do is continue with the book, knowing what was said. I don't care if it's as a footnote or in parenthesis, just give us 1 language speaking people the translation.

The other thing I'm not crazy about, but for this book, it didn't bother me as much, is in an audiobook having multiple people narrating. When I start an audiobook and hear "read by a cast" I cringe a little. Sometimes it's a major turn off and I can't finish the audiobook. IF it's going to be done, then this example is how to do it.

Other than that, I enjoyed this book. I've played tennis a little so I wasn't completely lost with all the tennis details. Back in the day I had a major crush on Andre Agassi, who Bo made me think of. I enjoyed the tie in with Malibu Rising, which I liked more than this book. Carrie is a driven, determined woman and I feel like her character had a full arc that was satisfying. I still feel the grief of my dad dying 7 years ago, and my determination to finish my college degree because I promised him I would and achieving it and taking my diploma to his grave to talk to him, so I felt Carrie's heartbreak and numbness after Javier died.

If you like Tennis, this is definately a book for you. If you like bitchy women who can own their bitchiness, this is a book for you. If you want a story about someone who has to learn to accept something less than perfection, this is a book for you.

Best book- all the stars. It made me want to go out a play a set and I don’t play tennis. I cheered for Carrie all along and loved seeing her grow as a person. TJR can tell a story like no other!

There is just something special about Taylor Jenkins Reid. She has an amazing ability to make the reader care about the story, even if it revolves around a topic they could care less about.

I am not very familiar with tennis, however I found myself looking forward to each match Carrie played. Carrie is a very unlikeable character, however I still liked her throughout the book. Maybe it was because I was holding out hope for her redemption. Some authors write characters that make you want to shake them, TJR wrote a character that made me want to root for her.

I think if you enjoyed Malibu Rising, then you would definitely enjoy Carrie Soto Is Back. I felt that this book had more action that held your attention a little better than Malibu Rising, even though I also enjoyed that book.

I thought it was great timing that the book was published around the same time as the US Open. The book actually made me want to tune in and watch real tennis.

As always, I am looking forward to her next novel.

Loved reading and finding out more about Carrie. I also loved how strong of a female character she was!

TJR did it again lol. This was a great story and certainly lived up to the hype! I really loved the history she included and the story come to a really satisfying conclusion at the end. Highly recommend!

Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher and the author, for an ARC of this book, in exchange for an honest review.
The premise of the book drew me in but once I started reading it, I just couldn’t get into it at all.
I wish the author, publisher and all those promoting the book much success and connections with the right readers.

I wasn’t sure I’d like this book. I’m not a tennis fan and I worried about the content. Yes, it’s a lot of tennis, but it’s about strategy and training and the mind game as much as actual tennis. There were good explanations for the terms.
Carrie really isn’t likable so that one is tough. The father daughter relationship is a good one. It grows and has breaks and in all you know her father is 100% behind her.
The addition of Carrie being Hispanic really isn’t addressed much. Some as a young player snubs her as a child because her father works at the club instead of being a member but the significance isn’t really addressed so I wonder why TJR used it as she is not Hispanic. Some of the use of Spanish language was challenging as it's not my first language and my long ago college classes don't help me much.
Once again the story is good and it’s a quick read or listen. I’ll continue to read what Taylor Jenkins Reid writes even though this is not my favorite book.
Worth picking up.

Oh damn that was great! I had heard a lot of conflicting reviews on this one so I started it with some trepidation but I was entranced from the first chapter. Even tho I’m not a huge tennis fan I learned about the sport and I really got into the match descriptions. The humor was spot on and I really enjoyed this! Many thanks to the publisher and netgalley for this copy for review

I am very conflicted by Carrie Soto is Back. On one hand, this is an incredibly addicting read (like all of TJR's books), about a woman determined to protect her legacy in the world of tennis, which has shaped her identity her whole life. On the other hand, there have been some very valid criticisms of the book for centering a Latina woman (written by white woman), which misses the mark in terms of context of her cultural background.

What else to know: there is a love story and also an exploration of how priorities can change, and for those of you that have read past TJR books, some nice peeks of past books and characters. There is a lot of tennis, and as someone who knows about tennis but doesn't follow it religiously, I thought there was a nice balance of descriptive competitions and the wider context of the sport. I know a lot of folks are going to pick this book up and I'll leave it up to you to decide where it lands in the TJR landscape -- for me, it doesn't live up to some of my past favs but is a good entry all the same.

Thanks to NetGalley for the early review copy, all opinions are my own.

This was not my favorite TJR book. I had a hard time connecting with Carrie and all of the tennis talk was not for me. Carrie was a complicated character with a lot of things to love about her and hate about her. I just struggled to care about her in general. This won’t be the last TJR book that I read, it’s definitely not in the top.
I received an Arc from Netgally for my honest review

This was SO GOOD. I've read all her full-length novels and this was clearly the best of the bunch. I blew through it in one afternoon.

Carrie Soto, one of the most successful women’s tennis players, is back. Having retired after a very successful career, Soto’s sent into a tailspin when an up and coming young woman takes over her records. Battling back from retirement, she sets off on the journey of a lifetime- reclaiming her title as the best female tennis player ever.

As someone who dabbled a bit in tennis in my younger years, Carrie Soto’s story resonated. A strong, successful female protagonist, coupled with the strong father/daughter bond between Carrie and her dad, and the hint of a love story with Carrie and Bowe, TJR has created quite the sports masterpiece.

Fun Fact: One of my favorite TJR things is how she slips in other characters from her realm. I loved the Riva family reference!

I really enjoyed Carrie Soto. You have to love a come back girl, and comeback she did!

The story was very unique and refreshing. I will say it’s not my favorite of TJR’s books, but that may have something to do with the fact that I’m not a huge tennis fan. And of course this book was highly centered around that. But the writing was fabulous and she just knows how to hook a reader into her stories. So kudos to you TJR!

I would definitely still recommend this book because even though I’m not a fan of tennis I am a fan of TJR and her writing and she didn’t disappoint in Carrie Soto is Back!

I was a big fan of Reid's previous novels "The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo" and "Daisy Jones and the Six," and was therefore looking forward to her newest offering. Sadly, Carrie Soto is not quite the charismatic figure that is Evelyn or Daisy, no matter how much the author may wish it. The book also relies heavily on the reader being interested in the world of tennis, which I also found difficult to care about. These two issues proved too difficult for me to overcome in the end, and I gave up on the book half way through.

Received a digital ARC of this book via NetGalley.

I’m an 10000% a Taylor Jenkins Reid fan. Haven’t read a single book yet that I didn’t like. This was really really good. And for someone who’s not a sports fan she explained tennis in such an easy and interesting way. Also, I LOVED the Easter eggs in this one.

Carrie Soto achieved her goal of becoming the best to play the game. When her grand slam record is threatened, she decides to make an improbable comeback to protect her record. Many suggest her return in her late thirties is motivated by her need for attention. Is Carrie just a desperate aging athlete that can't live without the limelight, or can she prove that she's still the greatest tennis player ever?

I quickly found myself immersed in this insightful look into an athlete's mind. I could relate to Carrie's drive to win and quest for perfection in her game. I was invested in Carrie's comeback and cheering for her success.

Carrie is known for her grace on the court, but her personality off the court is quite different. She is unapologetically blunt, which causes her to be misunderstood and polarizing. Regardless of her reputation, I loved that Carrie always had an unwavering belief in herself.

Carrie's pursuit of tennis domination is the book's central focus. However, I was equally captivated by Carrie's relationships with the two men in her life, her father Javier and training partner Bo. Both relationships are complicated, flawed, and deeply impacted by her pursuit of greatness above all else.

This intense, character-driven story of an athlete who sacrificed everything in search of greatness is a fascinating read.

This is my top read of 2022! Do you have to love tennis for you to love this book? Negative. This book is so much more than a tennis star coming out of retirement to defend her record.

Carrie Soto is not a lovable character. She’s brash. Hard. Blunt. Says what she’s thinking. She even fires her own father as her tennis coach.

But I love Carrie Soto.

She’s just so dynamic and learns so much about herself and what she wants in life…. What’s truly important in life. And at the end of the day, aren’t we all?

Taylor Jenkins Reid has quickly become a favorite author of mine. This is the 4th book of hers I’ve read just this year. I don’t think she can write a bad book. Just give this one a solid chance. It’s absolutely perfect.