At first I wasn't sure if this would live up to the extremely high expectations I had set for Taylor's new book. It took a little while to get fully into the story, but once I did I was sold. I was rooting for Carrie and living vicariously through her career. Time and again I am baffled by how TJR takes a mundane topic like tennis (which would never appeal to me in any circumstance, mind you) and spin it into a tale that has me wanting to keep reading. This was absolutely amazing.

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC.

I have read every single book by TJR and I will read anything she writes. I love how divers and talented she is. She has so much depth and spark to her writing. Every single character she comes up with, is so well written and intriguing, complex and beautiful.

This book was nothing short of entertaining and so very enjoyable.

Taylor Jenkins Reid is the new queen. My new favorite author. So glad she brought Carrie back. Finished it in one day. Highly recommended

Carrie Soto is a legendary tennis player ready to make a comeback 6 years after a career ending injury. This story follows her rise to fame and the subsequent rebirth of her career with her father as her coach. We get so much packed into this story! I really understood the perfectionism Carrie faces and the obstacles it puts in her way. The trouble of her dad being her coach and never knowing when to take which role is so relatable. The way female athletes were being treated during the times was heartbreaking and the frenemies between her and the woman coming for her title Nicki Chan is so entertaining. There was even a little love story plopped in there too. You don't have to know or enjoy tennis to enjoy this book. There is definitely a little something for everyone here!

I also, I got my hands on the audiobook and it is just incredible! I loved the production of it all. I think more and more audiobooks need to be moving into this format of casting multiple actors and playing them across chapters.

Thanks to the publisher for the ARC in return for an honest review. This book releases 8/30!

Six years after retirement Carrie Soto and her father, Javier are in the heart of the massive screaming crowd at the 1994 US Open finals in Flushing Meadows, NY. She is mesmerized by Nicki Chan, leading the way in women’s tennis as Carrie herself once did when she held the title of number one player in the world. At 37 Carrie has multiple world records, titles and quite a lot of wagging tongues as she was nicknamed The Battle-Axe back in her heyday. At this moment Nicki Chan is one win away from overtaking the most Grand Slam wins ever. By a stroke of fate or luck, Nicki doesn’t win that match and Carrie decides to come out of retirement with her father coaching to take one more victory. This incredible journey through the cut throat all-consuming world of tennis, beautiful relationship between father and daughter and most surprising friendship with top seeded men’s player Bowe Huntley who helps Carrie get back in the game and weasels his way into her hardened heart. I was completely swept away by this peek into women’s tennis which I know very little about. The pages turned themselves as I desperately needed to know what happens next. Great characters, a lot of passion and yes, surprise, Carrie Soto is the tennis player that had an affair with Nina Riva’s husband in Malibu Rising (clever clever!) Could not put down this fast paced story of a woman attempting to hang onto who she “was” while accepting life has changed. Absolute five star summer stunner!

Carrie Soto is Back and so is Taylor Jenkins Reid! I really enjoyed Carrie Soto!

Carrie Soto is Back is about Carrie, who retired from tennis at the top of the game. She had a record 21 slam wins to her name when she left the game. As the book opens, that record is about to be broken. So Carrie decides to make a comeback.

This book is about tennis. If you enjoy tennis, you’ll enjoy this book. BUT..even if you don’t care one bit about tennis, you’ll still love this book. Because Carrie is complicated. And she’s hard. But she can also be soft, and ultimately she just wants to be loved.

This is a story about pursuing your dreams. But it’s also about recognizing when your dream is right in front of you. It’s about relationships. It’s about empowering and uplifting women. All set against the backdrop of tennis.

Set in 1995, it’s also historical fiction, so it’s fun revisiting some of the people and things from that time period.

My one complaint was how TJR threw alot of Spanish into the dialogue. I’m not complaining about adding the Spanish-Javier Soto, Carrie’s father and coach, is Argentinian, so it’s great that the Spanish is included. But TJR adds the Spanish with no context provided for non-Spanish speaking readers, so the constant translating in my Kindle was annoying.

Overall, if you love Taylor Jenkins Reid, books about sports, books about father/daughter relationships, etc, you’ll love Carrie Soto is Back.

Thank you to @netgalley and #ballentinebooks for the advanced e-copy of #carriesotoisback.

Taylor Jenkins Reid can do anything, I think. That includes making me care so deeply to the point of tears about something I know absolutely nothing about- tennis. Everything about TJR's newest masterpiece sat right with me. The romance, the humor, the grief, Carrie's relationship with her dad... everything. Even if you hate books about sports or tennis or people who are famous, I truly believe that the writing will carry you through this one and will even have you in tears by the end. I don't even know what to say besides that I have the strangest urge to watch tennis now and act like I know what I'm talking about.

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Carrie Soto is Back is definitely an overestimated book, even if it hasn't been released yet. When I got to know the author's work through Evelyn Hugo, I knew that it would probably bring a lot of fame, although it didn't work for me, and as this whole universe had been developed, I knew that the author's writing evolved but the story of her books would continue to be doomed, for me, to be something predictable and massive to read. It was exactly the same with this book as her writing skills have developed but her stories still have the same standard style and catchphrases to please her young readers - which is good for them and for her, but not for me.
2.0 stars.

Carrie Soto Is Back by Tara Jenkins Reid delves into the world of competitive tennis. I learned a lot about tennis from reading this book but it wasn't too overwhelming. I really liked the character development that had me caring about Carrie and her family/friends. Carrie has been coached for years by her father to become a champion tennis player. Now that her record is in jeopardy she decides to come out of retirement to defend her title. Along the way, we get to know what made Carrie the tennis star that she is. Read and enjoy!

Taylor Jenkins Reid does it again. This one is good but the plot has a lot to do with tennis and if that’s not your cup of tea, it might be a longer read.

I love everything TJR writes! She writes so beautifully and this book was no exception. While I felt like the talks of tennis were a lot (which makes sense since Carrie Soto is a tennis player) I did not feel that it took away from the characters or the story. I would recommend this to anyone who loves a well written book!

Wow. I loved this book. I didn’t intend to read it in one sitting… but I literally couldn’t put it down.

Carrie Soto is such an interesting character. I loved her, even in moments when I thought her behavior was the worst.

The relationship portrayed with her father was really the star of this book for me. Well that and Bowe 😍🫠.

While there is a romance, it took a back seat to everything else. It was a lovely little romance none the less.

Thank you to netgalley and the publishers gif the chance to read this advance copy.

I read this book in a couple of hours and can I just that I'm.in love!! This book was just soooooo amazing! I loved Daisy Jones and the six but I can't help to think that THIS BOOK is f******** spectacular! I am in chills and literally tearing up! I want to be in this book and stay in this book forever! You know the types of books that at the end you feel this yearning feeling..like you miss it and you fear you’ll never experience all of the emotions that you went through ever again.. Like nothing can ever measure... This is EXACTLY how I feel right now! I miss Papá Soto so much! I feel like I can never live again! I miss his kindness and unconditional love and support, just everything about him made me feel safe and secured! I felt like he was my daddy as much as he was Carrie’s. Like he was teaching me something about myself and I was learning from him! He felt like a warm blanket on a cold night, ABSOLUTE comfort!
I miss Carrie and Bowe! I miss all of the games I experienced throughout this book, the passion and determination! I felt like I was apart of this journey! I absolutely loved Carrie! God do I love Carrie!!!!!! She is such an amazing character! Taylor did an amazing job with this book! I feel like I was fully immersed in this book! I am attached and I don't want to let go, I want to be here forever; with these characters, in this environment, in this world full of passionate, driven, hardworking people! Above all else I feel like I can relate to these characters; feel their wins and their losses, their battles, all of their emotions! This is definitely one of the best books of 2022 and best books I have ever read! I don't think that there is any book that can top this! I fear I may be in a slump after this! This has really brought back why I love to read and instilled the reason why I continue to! I am ABSOLUTELY in love with this book, it's characters, it's plot.... EVERYTHING about it was flawless to a freaking T! Please read this book and experience and fully immerse yourself in the wonders and powerhouse that is Carrie Soto!

I just didn’t love this book and felt it was overhyped. However, if this becomes a movie or mini series, I think I’d like it even more. I hope it does!

Thanks to Net Galley for the ARC!

Thanks for the free book #prhinternational #ad #PRHInternationalPartner


Carrie Soto was trained from a very young age by her father to be the Achilles of tennis, and was the woman who broke records and set precedents in the sport. After seven years of retirement, he returns to defend his title by playing the four grand slams: Australia Open, Roland Garros, Wimbledon and the US Open. Will she be able to do it?

Only Taylor Jenkins Reid is able to make me read a tennis book and loved it. I'm not a big fan of the sport (I know the basics) but the way this story is told makes me think that Carrie Soto is one of the real life tennis stars. This formula that the author has of making her characters come out of the pages and we believe that they exist continues to amaze me.

I declare myself a Fan of Carrie: the claw, the push, the desire to be the best and the fears that this entails, make this a character so human that anyone can see himself reflected. Likewise, the secondary characters stole my heart: Javier reminds me so much of my dad that made me cry and Bowe is the perfect balance that this novel needed.

Weak points: It was a bit slow in the beginning for me, but then you see how this supernova rebuilds and you say wow.

This is the story of a second chance, an incredible comeback and I swear you are going to love it.

I liked this title better than some of TJR’s titles and less than others, but I would still rank it in the top half. Elite tennis is a glittery world and was well-suited for one of her characters. Something about Carrie didn’t feel as deeply built as some of the other titular characters but I wouldn’t say it detracted. Won’t let down any TJR fans.

Every time I read the newest TJR, I fall in love with the characters. She writes beautifully flawed mains and a well-developed supporting cast. And characters that are lightly woven into previous works.

But Carrie might be my favorite. This book is obviously about tennis. But not really. It’s also about winning. But not really. This book’s magic lies in the discovery and growth of love; romantic love, familial love, and self-love. And I LOVED it.

* I was honored to read an ARC of this book via
NetGalley and the author/publisher. All opinions are my own.*

Carrie Soto is a badass and she knows it. She owns it. The Bitch is Back! Taylor Jenkins Reid cranks out one masterpiece after another and Carrie Soto is Back is another five-star rating! TJR never ceases to amaze me how to adds details, like little easter eggs, to her books -- such as briefly introducing Carrie in Malibu Rising or mentioning the characters listening to Daisy Jones.

The relationship between Carrie and her dad, Javi, was so sweet, although she did make me angry at times. Her dad was always so understanding and the sweetest. I also loved Bowe Huntley. He was such a lovable character and was so good for Carrie.

This was amazing -- 5 million stars! Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

WOW WOW WOW WOW. I am dead. I have passed away. I have said it 100000 times before but I'll say it again - TJR is literally not capable of writing anything other than a masterpiece. Longer and more coherent post to come on my instagram soon. LOL

I cannot explain how grateful I am to have received an advanced copy of a book by one of my all-time favorite authors. I am not kidding when I say that receiving this has been one of the best parts of my year. Thank you soooooo much to Random House for gifting this to me!!!

I have updated this review with a link to my instagram post! :)

I loved this one! Carrie Soto is the best tennis player of all time. She is coached by her father beginning in her childhood and this book follows her growing up and becoming a freaking legend. She retires and several years later her record of wins is about to be taken by Nicki Chan. Carrie decides she can't handle that and tries to make a come back to defend her record.

I love Carrie Soto! Most people find her cold, I actually find her relatable in a lot of ways. She has such determination and drive to win and we see a lot of growth as she ages. I love her relationship with her father, Javier, and how it changes over the years. TJR writes great characters and this is one of my favorites. I also love the subtle cross overs from her other books. Read this one!

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an arc for an honest review!