OMG I don’t even know where to start. This book packed a punch. Carrie is a tennis phenom, an elite player in a stratosphere all her one….her only issue is that she wants to be the best, nothing else matters, no matter the cost. She even comes out of retirement to make the world see, at 37, she is still at the top of her game. I will say that I NEVER realized how much it takes to become an elite tennis player. I learned so many things about stance, swing, needing to run and sprint, in order to build stamina for the court. The relationship between Carrie and her father was amazing. Coach and Father, father first and foremost. And how Carrie keeps Bowe at a distance for so many years until he is able to break down her walls and show her he’s here for the long run. Carrie was such a pessimist in my eyes, that winning wasn’t enough, and the author showed how damaging that can be to the psyche, that letting go is the only way to move forward. If I could have given this book 10 stars, I would have! Thanks Libro.fm and edelweiss for the arc

Another immersive, emotional and incredible book by Taylor Jenkins Reid! Carrie Soto is Back hooked me from the very beginning, even as someone who knows nothing about tennis, and I absolutely devoured it in less than a day - I couldn’t put it down!

After the glimpse of Carrie Soto that we get in Malibu Rising, I didn’t know what to expect from her story but this was so different than I anticipated. Carrie Soto is a tennis legend, so of course this is a sports story, however it’s so much more than that. Carrie decides to come out of retirement years later to defend her Grand Slam world record and this story takes us through the ups and downs of training with her father/coach, Javier, the Grand Slam matches themselves, and most importantly, Carrie’s growth and realizations about herself and the game of tennis.

Carrie’s strength and determination are second to none but now that she’s 37, retired, and working to get back in the game, she’s realizing that being the best may not be everything she always imagined. Winning has been everything she’s ever known and been striving for all these years and her journey to reclaim her record forces her to rediscover her love for the game, accept the love and support of the people around her and recalibrate her expectations and priorities.

The characters in this story were incredible. Carrie is portrayed as a bitch by the media and the players around her, but she’s so much more than that - the “Battle Axe” goes a long way in figuring out what’s truly important and opening up. Javier was easily my favorite character with his unwavering love for Carrie, tennis and eventually Bowe - he was here for Carrie every step of the way, loving and supporting her all along. And Bowe is the kindest, sweetest, most patient man alive who understood Carrie on a different level and wore his heart on his sleeve through everything.

There’s just something special about TJR’s storytelling style - it’s all-consuming and immersive in a way that I can’t get enough of. I know nothing about professional tennis, but by the end of this book I was on the edge of my seat during both Carrie and Bowe’s matches. I was rooting for them, crying along with them and so happy to see where things ended up for both of them. Everything I’ve read by TJR is special in its own way, but Carrie Soto just hit different and made me love Carrie and the journey she went through so much.

As always, I’ll be (im)patiently waiting to see what world, story and characters TJR introduces us to next!

I have come to a realization...

TJR can do no wrong. I absolutely devoured Carrie Soto and the amazing story she lives.

Generally, I shy away from sports-drama fiction. There are so many great, inspiring true-life stories that I almost feel like fictionalized stories are a cop-out.

Not so Carrie Soto. While the sport and play of the book is phenomenal... action-packed, technical and crisp... the real story comes from where it should: Carrie's personality, relationships and character growth. She is written with such warmth and empathy that, even though you can guess where the book is headed, you feel compelled to stick it out with her... almost like you are rooting her on in the pages.

This is a solid 5 🌟 from me, and a ringing endorsement for her backlog. Well done Taylor... I'm looking forward to whatever is next!

My thanks to Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for an unbiased review.

I loved Carrie! I felt this book was a departure from other Taylor Jenkins Reid books but I liked the sports angle. I don't know anything about tennis but the book encapsulated the hard work and determination that all pro athletes must have, as well as the tough realization that when you are no longer on top, the sports world lets you go quickly. Carrie was a complex character-- I liked her gruff exterior, the relationship with her dad, the rivalry with Chan and the course of Bowe and Carrie throughout the novel. Overall, I really enjoyed it and I rooted for her, even when she seemed like she could use a little modesty! Ha!

Wow, just wow! Even though I am a huge Taylor Jenkins Reid fan, I was skeptical that I would love a book about an unpopular tennis star. Was I ever wrong! I was glued to my Kindle.

The characters are flawed and fantastic. Carrie Soto is a driven tennis player, hyper focused on winning at all costs. She gives off a tough as nails, standoffish vibe. She is called the "Battle Axe" and "B***h" by sportscasters. Yet no person is quite that simple or one-dimensional and Taylor Jenkins Reid is a master at creating a character. Carrie's journey is one about self-discovery and evolution. Her relationship with her father, Javier, was one of the best father-daughter relationships I have ever read. What an incredible man! And Bowe Huntley? Love him!

This book is about tennis and those who follow the sport will absolutely appreciate all the details. But it is far more than a tennis book. It's about finding your path in life and evolving as a person. I loved everything about this book - the characters, the plot, the 1990's setting, and the tennis competition. I could not put this book down. Tennis fan or not - read this book!

Thank you to Random House and NetGalley for the advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I loved this book! The characters were fun to get to know, and you really felt like you were at a tennis match! So fun!

I did enjoy the book however i was really frustrated by the fact that the spanish in this book had incorrect grammar. All it takes is one person who is fluent in spanish to be able to fix these mistakes and I found it hard to get past that.

I so wanted to love this book, as I’ve loved so many of TJR’s prior to this. I just couldn’t connect with any of the characters, and I’m not a huge tennis fan, so all of the sports scenes just didn’t do it for me. The plot fell flat and I found myself drudging through it. I suppose if you’re a tennis fan, this may do it for you, but it didn’t for me.

Carrie Soto is the surprise perfectly wrapped present under the Christmas Tree that you never thought you'd actually get.

First of all, the writing style itself of TJR is phenomenal. Alternating between press reviews vs. Carrie's POV was very well done.

I used to play tennis and that was part of the book's appeal for me, but even if you don't, I think you would enjoy it because it's about so much more than the sport. It is the cheerleader for any dream, goal, or aspiration you've ever had.

You are immediately drawn to the character, and despite TJR outwardly listing her flaws, I still found myself rooting for her from start to finish.

In a way, I felt like her journey to ultimately finding happiness paralleled mine as an enneagram 7 and also as a pharmacist with very specific and difficult to achieve professional goals.

I think most people can relate to Soto, and honestly this book is as golden as its cover.

If you've seen Ted Lasso, I felt like Javier, her dad and coach, reminded me a little bit of him, and she has a little bit of Tart and a little bit of Kent in her. That's not to say she needs to be compared to anyone, it's only a comparison because I absolutely loved this book and love that show.

Pre-order your copies now!

Trigger warning: loss of a parent.

When Carrie Soto retired from tennis six years ago, she was the best player the world had ever seen, shattering every record imaginable. Now a hotshot new tennis star is threatening to break Carrie’s legacy. At 37, Carrie attempts to come back for one more epic season to defend her title, even if defying all the odds means she has to train with a man from her past.

If you’ve read Malibu Rising, Carrie Soto is that tennis player, but you don’t need to read Malibu Rising to enjoy the book. I love that Reid gives crossovers hinting at her other books in such a way that it’s fun for fans, but doesn’t preclude you from reading the book independently.

I absolutely loved Carrie Soto is Back. I started it half an hour before my bedtime and literally did not put it down until I had finished it. Taylor Jenkins Reid shines with her brilliant writing and complex characters. Highly and enthusiastically recommend.

I loved this book so much. I love the way TJR can write unlikeable characters and still make us fall in love with them. I have never liked or watched tennis in my entire life but somehow this book had me on the edge of my seat during the games, it felt like I was right there.
Carrie Soto grew so much in those pages and you just can't help but root for her not only in her tennis career but also in her personal life and personal growth.
TJK will forever be an auto-buy author for me and I can't wait to keep reading her work.

Thank you, NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Carrie Soto is the world's greatest tennis player. Among her many achievements, she holds the record for the most Slam titles won. That is until Nicki Chan ties her record, five years after Carrie has retired from the sport. Carrie decides to come out of retirement for one last season to prove once again to the world who she is and why she's known as the Battle-Axe. Carrie Soto is back.

Taylor Jenkins Reid has a way of writing her stories and characters to where you instantly believe they are real people, with such compelling narratives you almost want them to be real. Carrie Soto is a ruthless athlete on and off the court and I instantly fell in love with her "who cares" attitude and just pure talent. With a toxic desire to constantly win, it was so interesting to see how Carrie grew throughout the book both as an athlete and as a person.

If you've ever cried watching a sports game, or if you enjoy watching athletes excel at a craft they've honed for their entire life, you have to read this book.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This is my first Taylor Jenkins Reid novel and as an avid tennis fan (read: obsessive) - I was a little iffy about having this be the first novel by her that I picked up but I knew I HAD to read it. A sincere thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for this ARC!

Carrie Soto (nicknamed The Battle Axe) was the most dominant tennis player on the WTA in all aspects of the game but most notably for the record of most Grand Slam titles by any tennis player. After an injury setback and her inability to continue to compete at a high level, Carrie retires from tennis at the age of 32 confident that she has cemented herself as the best tennis player of all time with an unbeatable record...that is until Nicki Chan comes along. With Nicki hot on the heels of overtaking Carrie's record, Carrie and her father, Javier (her first tennis coach), decide to come out of retirement and take back the record that she believes is rightfully hers.

Carrie is an incredibly strong female lead that is powerful, driven, cocky, unlikeable, and likable all wrapped into one. I was indifferent to Carrie's success in the beginning as I found her pretty unlikeable. With that being said, sexism in sport is also an underlying theme as Jenkins Reid points out how men and women with similar attitudes are regarded differently. Throughout the book, as you start to understand Carrie's childhood, family, and mindset - you form a soft spot for her. Javier and Carrie’s relationship was also one of my absolute favorites. Every exchange with them made me smile. No matter what was being said, you could always feel the strong love and bond between them. By the end of the novel, you'll find yourself not only sympathizing with Carrie but also screaming, "LET'S DO THIS, BATTLE AXE!"

Let's talk about the tennis. As a tennis fan, I found it easy to follow along with the tennis play. Albeit necessary for the story, I could see a non-tennis fan seeing the match play as a little long-winded. However, although it's easier to follow along if you already know the game - Jenkins Reid does a great job of giving you an overview of the game and scoring for even non-tennis fans to follow. If nothing else, glazing over the tennis "terms" and just following the scoring will still allow readers to understand and stay immersed in the story.

Props to Jenkins Reid for this leap - for taking a chance on a fiction novel focused around the sport and for her thorough research. It was nice to see actual happenings in the tennis world threaded throughout the story and it was fun to link similarities between the characters in the book with real-life professional players.

A story of growth, family, sport, and letting go - a great read for tennis and non-tennis fans alike.

Reid is so popular on Bookstagram that she has her own acronym. Any new book of hers will have BUZZ, guaranteed. With CARRIE SOTO IS BACK, TJR lives up to her hype. Kirkus calls it “A compulsively readable look at female ambition.”

Carrie is past her “prime” as an athlete, having retired from tennis six years before. When an upstart athlete threatens to beat her record number of Slam wins, she claws her way back to her previous greatness to try to beat the younger rival.

Like Evelyn Hugo, Carrie isn’t likable. She’s driven and competitive to the point of rudeness. She’ll step on your hand if it gets her one rung higher on the ladder of success. She hates other players, has no friends, and distrusts any extended olive branch. But she’s compelling as a character. I couldn’t turn the pages fast enough.

I loved the evolution of Carrie. It’s a painful process at the age of 37. To gain context and realize that the view from your own eyes was skewed is a jagged little pill to swallow. But to channel it into CHANGE, isn’t that goal of all good humans? To watch prickly Carrie open up to people and be vulnerable was powerful.

SOTO is a fast-paced read that I kept reaching for - reading long past when I planned to stop. The ending was so good that I walked around with a goofy grin for the rest of the day.

If you know tennis, you’ll love how much the sport is part of the story. If you don’t know tennis, you will still be pulled along. Either way, you’ll enjoy the ride.

Thanks, NetGalley, Ballantine Books, and Taylor Jenkins Reid, for the opportunity to read a Digital Review Copy of CARRIE SOTO IS BACK.

I felt like this started out slow, but something just clicked at one point and I was riveted. It was fast paced and often read like a tennis match.
The telling is very different than other TJR books and really many other books. The book is truly based on the tennis playing and less on who Carrie Soto actually is. But over the course of the book, she comes alive as she evolves as a person and a player.
The book is also incredibly poignant right now as Serena Williams steps away from tennis. She is a real life version of Carrie… someone who we want to root for as we all age and wonder what might have been of not for…

Well, she's done it again. If you remember, we discussed The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo on the podcast; this is the same author. She is great at story telling. I am definitely recommending this one.

Carolina Soto is a professional tennis player trained by her father who was a great tennis player himself. Carrie retires young after knee injuries, but decides to return to the game of tennis to at least play the four Slams. You go through the trials and tribulations of a star recapturing titles and retraining her body for endurance and a winning title. There is love, competition, sadness and triumph in this novel.

Whether you're a tennis fan or not, it's an easy to follow and read through to follow Carrie's life story. There is some Spanish in the book, but it is mostly intuitive. This is a five-star book for me. It comes out on 8/30/2022, so preorder now!!

#CarrieSotoIsBack #NetGalley

4.5 ⭐️ after seeing all of the hype surrounding this book, I was stoked to finally read it. Honestly, it took a lot of patience to wait and read it closer to its publication date because TJR is easily one of my favorite authors. I will admit that this was not my favorite by her, but there are a lot of aspects that I enjoyed about this book.

What I Loved:
-Carrie's determination, perseverance, and resilience. This was such a strong portrayal of an ambitious, driven female-athlete. Even non-athletes can connect to her hunger.
-Carrie's journey of personal growth- she starts off as an unlikable, ruthless character whose hunger for winning is all-consuming
-The "underdog" elements of the story-a formerly retired female athlete who is (gasp) in her late 30s returning to take on the younger talent
-The father/daughter coach/player dynamics between Carrie and Javier
-Her relationship with Bowe- the ways in which they help each other both professionally and personally
-The interspersed sports commentary (this was especially good on the audio!)
-TJR's descriptive writing and talent- yes, it is a lot of tennis but it felt completely experiential
-The last few sentences of the chapter

Why It Isn't 5 Stars:
-The beginning was a little slow
-The hype set the bar really high
-A lot of tennis... I mean, a LOT. Generally this was a pro toward the book (see above), but at times I wanted a bit of relief.

Thank you to Ballantine, PRH Audio & Netgalley for my ARC and ALC in exchange for my honest review.

Taylor Jenkins Reid writes extraordinary women and Carrie Soto takes us into professional tennis. With the “retirement” of Serena Williams being announced just days ago I felt the timing for reading this book was perfect because where many will argue that Williams is the GOAT, Carrie Soto was that in fiction. But everyone loves a comeback, an encore, the final tour and Carrie Soto is aiming to comeback from her retirement to win again and show that she was and is the greatest tennis player.

As a fan of tennis I really enjoyed it. Just like in other TJR books, the characters are memorable, the story captivating, and the writing style unique.

Thank you @netgalley and @randomhouse for picking me to read an ARC of #CarrieSotoIsBack.

@tjenkinsreid
#netgalley
#randomhouse
#ballantinebooks
#readmorebooks
#readmorebooksbywomen
#mybookishlife

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for this eARC.

I really enjoy Taylor Jenkins Reid. She is an excellent storyteller and even reading her acknowledgments makes me think I’d like to just go have a coffee with her.

Carrie Soto is a complicated character. But in a classic plot, you will see many sides to Carrie. If you’re like me, you’ll hate some sides and love others.

As much as I enjoyed this book, some of the tennis was just too technical. There were extended passages that were just uninteresting to me. I think Carrie could’ve been told with less tennis jargon. That said, I’m glad I pushed through, because ultimately, I did enjoy Carrie’s journey. And Gwen… please let your next book be about Gwen, Taylor!!

Carrie Soto is Back
Taylor Jenkins Reid
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I haven’t read one TJR that I didn’t like. This conclusion to the character though…was absolutely perfect. I know nothing about Tennis but I was invested in every match. In every challenge. And in Carrie most of all. Her direction, determination and passion is something we all strive to possess, I think. Can I have ALL the female champion stories now, please?

I love the varying techniques she uses to tell her stories. In this case it was Sportscasters and transcripts mixed in with standard dialogue. It’s so wonderfully vivid and lifelike; making it easy for the reader to imagine and connect with more authentically. It was such a brilliant writing choice. Thank you NetGalley and Random House/Ballantine for this eARC in exchange for an honest review. I am 100% buying a hard copy when it’s released. Don’t sleep on this one!