carrie soto is back!!! yes she is!!

tjr writes books with magic in them - no one else has characters that feel more real and dynamic. carrie is messy, complicated, and insecure - all traits i could easily identify with.

let me get this out of the way - out of the big 4 tjr books, this is my least favorite for two reasons. first, sports are the topic i care about least out of the books (like sorry give me movie star bombshell any day) and this is a sports book. big time. two, evelyn/daisy/malibu all had some sort of plot twist that made me gasp. this one is genuinely just a book about an athlete and her struggles which even though it was done flawlessly was less of a rollercoaster to read.

now for what i loooooved!!! the writing. it’s so real and beautiful and poetic i had to put my hand over my heart so many times and take a breath before i kept going. the romance (sorry i am a romance reader at my core!!!) was precious. that one scene, the language scene iykyk - bawling my eyes out.

also what i loved??? a main character who is a bitchy woman who has immense talent and no time for niceties? obsessed. carrie is confident and knows her worth and even though she has a soft side she spends most of the book going after what she’s worked forever for. as she absolutely should!

the father/daughter dynamic is wonderful and beautiful and i felt carrie’s immense love and deep resentment towards her dad all at once. again - characters that feel so so real.

the tennis part, though not my everyday thing, was intense and dramatic. i felt genuinely nervous for carrie as she attempted this massive comeback. and carrie’s opponent, nikki, was another interesting female character who i really enjoyed.

something about these books about these women just connect with me on another level, and this is no exception. you will root for carrie with your whole entire heart on and off the court!

4.5 stars

cws: death of a loved one, grief, injury, substance abuse, eds, racism, misogyny, passing mention of lesbophobia

EXTRAORDINARY. My favorite TJR book yet. I love Carrie Soto so much. She is a woman perfect for the year 2022 living in the 80s and 90s. She is Rapinoe. She is Wambach. She is Osaka and Biles. I don’t know Jack about tennis but this book is to tennis as the Queen’s Gambit was to chess. Her relationship to herself, to tennis, to her father, to her competitors…it’s so evocative and made me cry happy and cry sad. Love it.

Thank you to Penguin Random House and Netgalley for providing me with an ARC copy in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts expressed are my personal opinions.

It’s unbelievable the way Taylor Jenkins Reid makes me fall for her books over and over again. Carrie Soto is Back is no different.

Carrie is the type of anti-hero you cannot help but root for. Her sheer determination and unwavering ambition almost leaps out of the pages and dares you to look away from the book.

Every time Reid puts pen on paper (or finger on keyboard), I know magic is about to happen. The way she crafts these stories and manages to still include some cheeky easter eggs from her other books is brilliant.

It’s unparalleled the ability she has in transporting the reader into the exact time, place, and state of mind of her stories.

This is my favorite book of the year. I loved every second it, and I love Carrie Soto. The writing is fun and sharp. I can't recommend this enough. For tennis fans and non alike.

Wow. Exquisite. I almost have no words. I had no idea what this book was about, and then when it starts and I realized it was tennis I thought "hmmm, okay?". This book is amazing. I can only imagine how much better I would have loved it if I understood tennis, at all. I have already pre-ordered it for my sister, who plays tennis a few times a week.

This is the story of Carrie Soto, a tennis player who is coached by her dad, Javier, starting from birth, almost. She goes on to be the best player in the world, for years, and then retires. Life goes on. Five years later she comes back to try to win another Grand Slam, she must get her record back from Nicki Chan.

This is a story of triumph, and perseverance, and love, and angst, and sore knees. It is magnificent, it is likely the best work from this author, at least in my mind. Absolutely loved it, can't wait to make everyone I know read it.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Ballantine for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

Carrie Soto is a bad ass bitch on the tennis court. Grand slam title winner who seems to have her life in check, when a competitor prompts her to return to tennis at 37 to defend her grand slam title she realizes that things are not the same as they once were. Will she be able to regain her title as the best women's tennis player ever, or will Nikki Chan overcome her? Will she remain the cold blooded bitch everyone thinks she is or will something soften her heart?

The character development of Carrie Soto is no short of amazing. At the beginning, Carrie is someone not many of us can probably relate to, but as we begin to understand her more we just feel sympathy. She does a complete turnover by the end of the novel, learning how to love and find joy in life, both of which were missing from her personality at the beginning. However, this was not my favorite TJR that I have read. I loved the character connection from her other books and the character development of Carrie Soto but it did not grab me as other TJR books have. Though I feel like I know a lot more about tennis now and would watch a match with a different perspective. Did she have to do a lot of research or was she a tennis player before author?? I love how TJR is amazing at creating her transcripts to be different from the normal flow of all books out there, breaking it up by matches and months until a big tournament instead of just chapters.
I also go back and forth on how I feel about the Spanish communication in the book. I know it is important to illustrate the character and her relationship with her father, but, as one who does not know Spanish, I felt left out of some of the conversation not having a translation as well.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced reader copy of this book thanks to Taylor Jenkins Reid and Random House Publishing. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Carrie Soto Is Back

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Carrie Soto Is Back was amazing, and I loved every second of it. I didn’t love Malibu Rising, Taylor Jenkins Reid’s last book, so I was a little nervous going in. She blew me away.

For those like me, who aren’t tennis lovers, don’t let that hold you back. This book expertly navigates even those who know nothing about tennis through Carrie’s original rise and return in the sport. You get an in depth look at the sport, as well as her surrounding relationships with her father/coach, her opponents, and a few close characters.

TJR is so good at getting you to relate to a character that you have no direct similarities to. Watching Carrie Soto’s struggles toward a huge goal remind me of the fierceness needed even for my seemingly small ones. I kind of love finding that connection in a book. Carrie’s personal growth is beautifully done throughout the book.

Lastly, the ending was perfect. I loved how beautifully it was written, and the exact spot it fades out.

Thanks to @netgalley for this ARC.

I think that this title just solidified that Taylor Jenkins Reid is not the author for me. I find it interesting that everyone who loves her books says it is because they feel so deeply connected to her characters and like they are real, when in my experience that is what I am lacking from her books. Her writing is fine and there’s nothing inherently wrong with this book. In fact, I believe that people who have previously enjoyed her work are going to enjoy this one just as much. That being said, it just wasn’t for me. I found myself constantly checking how much longer until it ended. I was not invested at all in the plot and I felt completely neutral towards most of the characters, with the exception of Carrie Soto herself. I found the character of Carrie Soto bitchy and ungrateful. I am here for a “morally gray” character, but this entire book she felt completely insufferable. I decided to give this book 2.5⭐️ simply because it was written well, it is just not my thing. I always leave TJR books feeling disappointed because I WANT to love her and to understand the hype, I really do.

I would like to thank the author, the publisher, Netgalley, and Libro.fm for providing me with both an eARC and an advanced listening audiobook copy. All opinions are mine and are not swayed in any way by the fact I was gifted a copy.

TJR has done it again!! I flew through this book and loved every minute of it. I love TJR's strong female characters. As a tennis player I loved everything about this book but I also think that if you aren't not familiar with tennis that it would still be an enjoyable read. The book is fast paced and engrossing. Thanks for the ARC and once again patiently waiting for all and everything that Taylor Jenkins Reid writes!

I loved Evelyn Hugo and Daisy Jones. I liked Malibu Rising and Forever, Interrupted. But, this latest work by Taylor Jenkins Reid, ""Carrie Soto Is Back," was a real disappointment to me. This book is 80% tennis and 20% actual plot. Most of the book is spent detailing tennis matches, or practicing for tennis matches, or mentally preparing for tennis matches. There was so much tennis that I found myself skimming huge sections of the book. What little plot there was after all that tennis was predictable and the characters were not developed enough to come alive to me. Other than tennis, this book really had no substance. I hate to say this, and never thought I would say this about a Taylor Jenkins Reid novel, but I was bored to tears. I kept waiting for something to happen that wasn't tennis! Carrie Soto could have been such an interesting character if more ink had been devoted to her actual character.

I eagerly await the next novel from this author and sincerely hope it is more on par with Evelyn Hugo and Daisy Jones.

Many thanks to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for the opportunity to read an advanced digital copy of this book.

Y’all, I was not sure about this book during the first 100 or so pages. It was good, but I didn’t think I’d end up loving it.

I was wrong.

This book was amazing!

I think it’s my favorite TJR book! 🥺

Don’t read the last 1/3 while at work. Trust me.

📖 Carrie Soto is the best tennis player ever, according to Carrie Soto. But, after a knee injury, she retires to keep her record clean. Years later, after watching a younger player come after her record, Carrie is determined to come back and win again.

🎾 I hated Carrie and then was rooting for her and then loved her. She is a tough, badass chic but is also flawed. She is cocky and single minded and thinks nothing in the world is more important than winning.

🎾 This book had a lot of tennis in it but I was able to follow along for most of it without issue.

🎾 I loved the father/daughter/coach dynamic and how they had to work through it.

📝 I loved Javier.

❤️ I loved Bowe.

👟 I even loved Nicki.

Everything about this book is perfection.

🎧 I listened to a big part of it (maybe about half) and the audio was very well done! Parts of it are full cast for news articles and TV commentary. Even Julia Whelon makes an appearance, because, of course 😁.

This book will definitely be on my favorites list this year. ❤️

🎾 Thank you so much to @randomhouse @netgalley and @prhaudio for the early copies.

All the stars! ⭐️ Thank you NetGalley for this eARC in exchange for an honest review! I feel so honored to have been able to read this book and I CANNOT wait for it to be released this month.

I had high expectations going into this book and BOY OH BOY DID IT DELIVER! Taylor Jenkins Reid is one of my favorite authors and I love the way she writes historical fictions.

Carrie Soto Is Back did not disappoint!! I read literally 90% in one day, I couldn’t put it down. I knew as soon as I read about Carrie Soto in Malibu Rising that she was going to be a bad bitch and boy was I right! Carrie Soto is a bad ass and I am obsessed with how she didn’t care what anyone else thought.

TJR’s writing and story telling is always amazing, and I literally felt like I was there watching the tournaments and all the trainings. TJR perfectly created characters that feel so real that it makes you forget that they are a work of fiction. The power of determination and perseverance made it impossible to do anything but root for and care for the characters.

This story was incredible especially when you saw the relationship between Carrie and her father and how they bonded over tennis. You could see that her dad was trying to do everything he could for her!

Also Carrie and Bowe were fabulous in the story and I was obsessed with how they trained with each other and created the support system that they needed.
I loved that Bowe was there for Carrie through everything!

The character development, the relationships, the mentions of other characters in the TJR universe… were nothing short of great! The ending brought a huge smile to my face especially when you see how things come full circle.

There are times when I finish a book and just don’t really know what to say in the review besides: wow and beautiful and please read. Seriously, what an honor.

There are times when I finish a book and just don’t really know what to say in the review besides: wow and beautiful and please read.

TJR is a master of stories and words and perfectly created characters that feel so so real it feels impossible that they don’t exist. Impossible that I can’t google them and see them out there, part of history.

I’ve never cared for tennis, have no clue how the game is played or what the rules are but Carrie Soto is Back shoved me into the world of tennis and made me feel like I belonged.

The character development! The relationships! The full circle moments! The sly mentions of other characters in the TJR universe!

I just cannot say much else beyond my goodness what a joy and pleasure it is to read the stories so beautifully and thoughtfully crafted by TJR. What an honor.

An absolutely amazing story that speaks to the power of determination and perseverance. I love Carrie Soto she is an incredible character. Not often do you read about women who are unapologetic about their talent and their gifts, who defy expectations that society has placed on them, and who are brave enough to be themselves when everyone is telling them they should be something else. We need more women like Carrie whoe are bold and beautiful and fierce. I really love this book and it was an absolute delight to read about her journey.

Carrie Soto is Back might be my favorite of TJR's yet. I absolutely loved everything about it, starting with Carrie. She is one of my favorite characters that TJR (or any other author) has written, and I absolutely loved this story about her growth as a person.

I loved seeing Carrie's relationship with her dad, it was heart breaking at times but so great to see. All of the other characters in this book were equally as great: Bowe, Gwen, and Ali, and of course, Nicki Chan.

The rivalry between Nicki and Carrie was enough to keep me on the edge of my seat and motivated me to read this as fast as I could. The story sucked me in from the very beginning and I was immediately invested in the outcome for Carrie and everyone else.

Love, love, LOVE this book. 100% recommend

A book about tennis that is as propulsively written as a thriller. I stayed up until 3 in the morning to finish it because I cared about the characters and their relationships (to each other and the game) so much. Carrie Soto is a complex and prickly heroine who is determined to preserve her legacy on the tennis court; she is even more compelling as a person who (eventually and not without a fight) allows herself to be fully and vulnerably human. The descriptions of the courts and the arenas made each tournament seem so real. I also appreciated the way Reid depicted the athletic body both at its peak and in its fragility. The ending was very satisfying to me - it felt well earned and so hopeful.

Carrie Soto is Back (𝐞𝐀𝐑𝐂) — 4 ⭐️

𝐏𝐮𝐛𝐥𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐃𝐚𝐭𝐞: August 30th

𝐁𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐟 𝐃𝐞𝐬𝐜𝐫𝐢𝐩𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧: Carrie Soto, a renown tennis player, decides to come out of retirement to defend her world record. Will she embarrass herself and her legacy, or will she be able to succeed after being out of practice for so long?

𝐑𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰: Taylor Jenkins Reid has a way of writing books that seem like real-life. How does she make her fictional stories seem like historical literature?! Plus, I adore how she ties in characters from each of her books.

While I admired Carrie’s drive and ambition, it was hard for me to relate to her. Plus, even though I knew this, I wasn’t prepared for the ENTIRE book being about tennis. While it was interesting, it was hard for me to focus sometimes, especially since there was only minor romance aspects of the story.

Overall, it was good read though. I’ll forever be a Taylor Jenkins Reid fan and will read everything she publishes!

𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐈 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞𝐝 —
👩‍🏫 Ambitious MC
💪 Strong Characters + Development
💕 Romance (Not Main Focus)
🥾 Adventurous
🤩 Addicting Read

𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐛𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐢𝐟 —
🎾 Tennis is your life
🏅 You would do anything to hold your sports record
👨‍👦You have a close relationship with your dad
🏆 You are more competitive than your peers
📻 Listening to sports radio is one of your hobbies

𝐓𝐖: parental death, grief

Thank you, NetGalley, Random House Publishing Group, and Ballantine Books, for providing me an ARC copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

I’m a huge TJR fan. I’ve loved everything she’s written. This one gave me pause though…I’m not a sports fan! But I was surprised as this was another great read. So much thought and detail went into the writing. Loved the little references to characters in previous books. Carrie’s relationship with her father was my favorite part of the book. And even though Carrie could be difficult to root for…she won me over in the end.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the advanced copy!

I read Malibu Rising, so I recognized the name “Carrie Soto” instantly as she was a memorable character from that book. I couldn’t remember her profession off the top, but I remember her link to Nina Riva, and was looking forward to reading this book about her.

Carrie Soto is a tennis CHAMPION(all caps) who, after retiring at the top, decides to return to the game years later once her record is in jeopardy of being shattered by another player. As the title suggests, this story follows her journey to defend her titles.

I’m not a fan of tennis or most sports for that matter and this book is heavy, heavy, tennis. I appreciated that a quick overview of how tennis works was worked into the story in the beginning, but it quickly went over my head. This definitely skewed my view as committing so much “self” to a sport is a foreign concept to me…but that’s just my non-athletic self talking. Outside of that, Carrie is a complex character who is also very human. While not completely likable, you have to respect her grind and her unapologetic way of setting out to achieve what she wanted. I would probably not be her friend(she has no time), but would definitely admire and be in awe of her. Carrie is kind of a brat, but I found her relationship with her father endearing and felt that was the best part of the book.

An insightful read if you’re interested in learning the life of a successful female athlete.

I do not play or enjoy watching tennis, but I do love a good comeback story. In Carrie Soto is Back, the eponymous tennis player is staging a comeback to defend her record number of Slams. No one is exactly looking for "the Battleax" to make her return five years after she retired from the sport: while athletic, graceful, and talented, Carrie is also prickly, remote, and blunt--not a beloved player.

She begins training once again with her father, Javier (her original coach that she'd fired when he expressed uncertainty about her chances of defeating a top-seeded player) and another aging player, Bowe. The novel follows Carrie over the course of four tournaments, examining what winning actually entails...and what she might gain from losing.

I did find it challenging to follow the actually games themselves--I don't care about matches and sets and games. (Honestly, I had a hard time keeping track of the order, even though the author kindly worked in a way to explain tennis to non-fans.) This is the downside of trying to explain a visual sport with words, especially to someone expected to imagine the scene with little outside reference. I wanted more of the stuff happening off the court.

The challenge there: Carrie was not super enjoyable for much of the novel. And I don't mean that she wasn't likeable, because unlikeable characters can be enjoyable. I just could not connect with her for a long time--as if I was outside of the same walls she'd erected for everyone else, and that there was not much of difference between her "Battleax" persona and her off-court self. I found myself more attracted to all the side characters: Bowe, Javier, Grace (her agent), and Nicki Chan (her rival).

Still, there are some truly affecting moments, and by the end, I really was rooting for Carrie even though I didn't care whether or not she won or lost. I was hoping for her to evolve into the best version of herself, which seems like it was the point of her journey, and was glad when she reached a satisfying end.