Taylor does it again! Although not my favorite I devoured this book. Her character development and plot are always spot on!

Another 5 star read from TJR! This book was such a fun ride from start to finish. A great summer/beach/poolside read! Just another example as to why she is an automatic buy author for me.

What can I say other than Taylor Jenkins Reid has done it again!

I devoured this book in two days - full on obsessed with Carrie and this story. We were introduced to Carrie in Malibu Rising where she played a small, but I would argue, pivotal role in that story. She was definitely one of those characters that I found intriguing and it was so interesting to get to dive fully into her story.

There's a quote from Taylor in the Editor's Letter that talks about the famous women she writes about and their relationship with the camera: "Evelyn manipulates it. Daisy is broken by it. Nina wants to hide from it. And Carrie...well she couldn't care less about it."

I have read all of TJR's books and I think she continues to do a tremendous job exploring women's stories and, in her more recent books, with the fascination and obsession with celebrity. She also takes us behind the curtain and I love that exploration of the misperception that what appears to be going on doesn't mirror the reality of the character's lives. I also really enjoy the discussion around how these women are expected to act a certain way or fit a certain mold and how each struggles with doing what they want vs. what's "expected" of them.

I've found it so interesting to see the intersection of her last four books (Evelyn, Daisy, Malibu and Carrie) as she explores how the world views women, their struggles and successes, their drive and their unapologetic desire to go after what they want. I find so much inspiration in these stories while also finding connection to their pain and joy and heartbreak and triumph. I appreciate the imperfection in these characters and that they make mistakes and live with the consequences and continue to start over every day.

Huge thanks to NetGalley for the ARC. I feverishly marked it up as this was filled with powerful lines, inspiring words and passages I will for sure be revisiting. Having the chance to read this before the 8/30 pub day made my whole year.

I think this will be a hit with TJR fans and also a great way to be introduced to her writing. Highly recommend.

✨Book Review✨

Book: Carrie Soto is Back
Author: Taylor Jenkins Reid
Genre: Historical/ Literary Fiction
Pub Date: 8/30/22

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗜 𝗹𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗱 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗯𝗼𝗼𝗸:

🎾 The intensity of the tennis matches made me feel like I was right there at Wimbledon! The narrators were on point!!
🎾The father/daughter relationship between Javier and Carrie and crossover to coach/athlete was spectacular. I loved how Javier allowed Carrie to make her own decisions but stayed true to who he was and what he believed. His love for Carrie never faltered no matter what came between them. His passion for the game shined so bright.
🎾A strong female character who had tenacity and heart, who persevered when no one believed in her, and who had the mental game and will to succeed against all odds.
🎾Reminded me of an ESPN special on a sports icon that gives you a better understanding of what’s underneath the tough exterior of athletes, brings you to tears, and makes you a fan.
🎾Although I was turned off by Carrie’s character I have to give props to TJR’s writing style to make you appreciate Carrie for what she was. Think Denzel in Training Day….
For me I loathed Carrie, but I think that’s what TJR wanted us to feel when reading this.

Thank you NetGalley for this ARC of this gem!

• the audio was amazing
• I loved the sports announcers. They made the story come alive
• I loved the competitive tennis aspect. It was really eye-opening
• the relationship between Carrie and her father was written so well
• I had to listen to the ending twice. I was so sad it was over!!!!
• the mention of Daisy Jones and the Six had me 🤯

TJR has done it again!

This was a really enjoyable read! There was great character development and the main character really grew on me as the book went on. I liked learning about tennis and the author clearly did her research about the game. I worried that the plot would be too predictable but it was not and I was very happy with the ending. Overall I would recommend as a nice easy read fly through.

Carrie Soto is the BEST character TJR has ever written! You're either gonna love her or hate her. There is no in between. But one thing is for sure, she is that bitch!

Carrie Soto Is Back is a love story between Carrie and her true love- tennis. I've never been so immersed in a book about sports before but this one really took my breath away. Carrie is ambitious, arrogant, competitive, and a perfectionist. She doesn't want to be the best, she wants to be the greatest. And indeed she became the greatest tennis player of all time.

I personally love the father/daughter relationship that was shown in the book. I related to some of it so much I had to stop reading for a bit to cry lmao. The part where Javier told Carrie that he doesn't care if she loses; he only cares if she gets hurt in the process of reaching her goal. That if she's hurt, he does too. Man, that got me *crying in the club right now*

I love Carrie's determination to win and fight for her title. I related to her so much in this aspect. One of the conflicts in the story is the discrimination when it comes to age. No matter how good you are when you are deemed by the society as "too old", you should just sit back and knit sweaters. Carrie stood through it all and popped off.

The addition of Bowe and Gwen is the cherry on top. I love how supportive and patient they are to Carrie. Bowe, especially, who faces the same conflict as Carrie.

Taylor Jenkins Reid is a master storyteller. All her characters are unforgettable but Carrie takes the spot for me!

Many many thanks to Netgalley and Random House Publishing-Ballantine for the ARC of one of my most anticipated reads of 2022 in exchange for my honest review. Carrie Soto Is Back will be out on August 30, 2022. You wouldn't want to miss this!

Does TJR write anything LESS than extraordinary? I don't think so. Carrie Soto was so unique, but it had that beloved writing style that pulls you in and makes you part of the story. It's another book that reads as though it could be based on a true story - because TJR can do storytelling THAT good. I absolutely adored this one <3

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for the ARC of Carrie Soto Is Back!

To put it simply, this book was wonderful. I had been in a bit of a reading slump, but this book was hard to put down. I went into this story without much knowledge of what it was about, and I did my best to not compare it to other Taylor Jenkins Reid books (of which I've given mixed reviews). I did worry that with the heavy sports/tennis theme that I wouldn't enjoy it, but Taylor drew me into the story so much that I was more than happy to read about tennis matches. There was a beautiful balance between typical story telling and sports matches. Not once did I think, "Please stop showing me tennis." I loved it.

I was rooting for all of the characters, and I loved how Carrie tied into the wider Taylor Jenkins Reid world. I laughed, I cried, I smiled when Carrie won a match, and I yelled when she lost. Taylor created a story that was entirely based around a sport, but the sport still wasn't the main character. The relationships, the rivalry, the determination, the character development. What a powerful book about finding meaning and celebration in your life.

It is my top read of the year so far, and I can't wait for other people to read it!

If there's one thing you need to know about me, it's that I will read whatever new entry TJR makes to her fake celebrity cinematic universe. As a lifelong fan of sports I knew I'd enjoy this, but DAMN. Carrie Soto is a character I felt instantly connected to, I was so invested in her journey from the first few chapters, to the point where her return, her FICTIONAL return, was making me TEAR UP not even a quarter into the book!!! An absolutely epic heartwarming inspiring beautiful story, it has easily become one of my favorites of the year. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for giving me an early e-copy and making me feel important.

TJR is a automatic read author for me!

Carrie Soto is driven by her competitive spirit to be perfect and number #1 in the sport of women's tennis. Her drive dictates all aspect of life, every breath and every thought. Carrie is incredibly unlikable as she treats every person as a stepping stone to achieve her dream. She's harsh and relentless on and off the court too.

This novel serves up Carrie's life from a young tennis prodigy through a comeback in her late thirties. Her game has always stayed inside the baseline until faults have her seeing what it means to live outside the lines. The easter eggs from other books - WOW!

This is an absolute ACE, especially the audiobook!

Thank you Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine, Ballantine Books for the advance reader copy of this novel.

🎾🎾Carrie Soto is Back🎾🎾

✍️: Taylor Jenkins Reid
✨:⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

✨synopsis✨
This is all learned in the first chapter so no spoilers! This book is about Carrie Soto, the worlds greatest tennis player. 5 years after she retires, someone is threatening to beat her record, so she comes out of retirement to reclaim her title as the best.

✨my thoughts✨
Carrie Soto!!! What a character! This book was unbelievable. It’s HEAVY on the sports and tennis and I don’t like sports and know nothing about tennis and I still devoured this book is less than 24 hours. Carrie is an unrelenting, ambitious, arrogant person and I absolutely loved her. How did TJR get us to love such an unloveable character?! I was on the edge of my seat wanting to know what happened, I loved Carrie and I loved her dad, I loved the excitement I felt during each match, I truly felt the game was real and I was rooting for Carrie at each match! This is definitely my favorite Taylor Jenkins Reid book by far!!

RUN to go pre-order this book!! Out 8/30!! Thank you @netgalley and @randomhouse for the ARC of one of my favorite books this year!

What is your favorite sport to read about or watch?!

Taylor Jenkins Reid is back! After feeling a bit iffy about her last novel, I was curious how this would work out for me. Suffice to say, Carrie Soto and tennis are in.

I gave in completely and fell in love with this book.

I really didn't think I'd enjoy this given the strong tennis story that essentially was its own character. I played tennis as a pre teen, for a few lessons one summer. That's my entire history of Britany & tennis. I don't enjoy watching it, reading about it, or most sports for that matter. Something about the way TJR wrote this compelled me to keep reading, turning the pages because I was enthralled with knowing what was going to happen.

Carrie Soto retires in the 1983 after setting a world record of 20 slams. It's 1994 and she watches as Nicki Chan gets too close to tying her record and she decides this is it. She's going back in to ensure she's the greatest of all time. The question is can she do it? They call her the battle axe and she is such a narcissistic, unlikeable character. Somehow, through her dad- I managed to fall in love with her, and even crazier, found myself rooting for her to win.

Against all odds, once I got to about 60% I had to stay up late reading because I had to finish this one. The tension TJR manages to create, making a sport I'd never read about engrossing, left me wanting so much more. I laughed, I cried and my heart grew 3 sizes.

Carrie Soto has dedicated nearly her entire life to tennis. Coached by her dad since a young age, she quickly worked her way up the ranks to being one of the world’s most decorated players.

Although Carrie has always had the public’s respect, she’s far from the fan favorite. Due to her stern demeanor and inflated ego she’s not so affectionately known as the “Battle Axe”, earning a reputation as being the one to beat. It’s also a rep she’s unapologetically lived up to and even, somewhat, carved out for herself.

Then at 31 her body begins to tell her what her dedication could not. This is when Carrie begrudgingly retires from professional tennis. But six years later she watches on as another player replaces her at the top. Carrie has always been conditioned to be the best, so she doesn’t take being dethroned too lightly. So at the ripe “old” age of 37, Soto comes out of retirement, shocking the world, ready to tell a new generation they got served.

It should probably come as no surprise but Carrie Soto is Back has a lot of tennis lingo in it. I mean, it is a book about tennis after all. 😉 However, not being a fan of the sport (or any sports for that matter) I didn’t find it took away from the enjoyment or ease of the story, just like Daisy Jones and the Six was still enjoyable even if music isn’t your thing.

Carrie Soto is a main character who is also an unlikely leading lady. That’s because most of the book, she isn’t all that likable. Instead she is depicted as being just as harsh and relentless behind the scenes as she is on the court. But as her character is tested and the layers are peeled back, you begin to witness subtle changes and deep seeded insecurities.

All in all, TJR proves the ball is in her court yet again with her latest release, still the undefeated champion of women’s fiction.

OH HOT DARN!!!!

Carrie Soto is back and I loved every bit of this book. I read it over a span of a day and a half: I could not get enough! It was funny when it needed to be, hopeful, and even made me cry a few times. So many feels…SO GOOD!

Outside of tennis, the story of 37 year old Carrie who is supposed to be beyond her prime yet still searching for herself is so relatable - I will hold onto her story for sure.

Hope you love it too!

So obsessed. Definitely wouldn’t have guessed I’d be into such a sports heavy book but three days later I still find myself craving Carries passion and her story. Loved the subtlety of the romance. Bawled at the relationship she fosters with her father and ultimately herself. Highly recommend.

TJR has done it again!! Loved Carrie Soto. I love that she was exactly who she was without apologizing. This was compulsively readable- even though I don't know a thing about tennis. Her books are always a delight and I hope there are many more in her future.

4.5/5…There is recency bias here, but this may be my fave novel by Reid. And that hurts me a bit to say given my love for Daisy…and by the way, it gave me so much joy to read the passage indicating that Carrie lives in Daisy’s world (or vice versa)! As always, Taylor creates an amazing structure for her tales, though this one is way more straight-on than I’ve come to expect. And “Carolina” has such a great and begrudging arc. Great supporting characters here as well in Javier, Bowe, Gwen, and Nicki.

Cinematically to me this is a Rocky flick mashed up with the underrated Wimbledon.

Thanks for NetGalley for the early opportunity to get into this ARC!

This book! I think if it was on another topic I would've given it a weak five star, but as it were, it's getting a comfortable four star. I'm not a huge sports person, and this book is about SPORTS. TJR does a wonderful job in the writing to get you to feel really passionate about the sport -- but only really after the initial set up happens. And if I'm being honest, that set up takes about 25% of the book so it took a long, long time to fully hold my interest. It's necessary! But a little painful.

I really liked Carrie Soto as a character. She's not nice, known as the Battle Axe on the court (or a Bitch, as a hot micced reporter calls her). Which is so relaxing. I love reading about characters (especially women) who know what they want, know they're good, and are willing to steamroll over people to get it.

But sports.......?

You know, I will say, by the end, I actually cared about the matches. I really appreciated the relationship she had with her father throughout the book, and the relationship she had with her "friend" near the end. And even the relationship she had with her nemesis. It was real and raw and angry and I really did very much appreciate it.

So yeah. Good book! Probably would've been easier for me to do on audio, but reading it didn't stop my enjoyment of it at all.

Oh also - yeah there's a mention of the character from Malibu Rising and apparently a character from Daisy Jones. One is obvious enough I noticed it, and the other I did not because I have the memory of a gold fish.

Thanks so much to Ballentine Books and NetGalley for an early copy for an honest review!