3.5 stars rounded to 4 --

The latest installment of the Taylor Jenkins Reid universe is here and Carrie Soto is as unapologetic as I assumed she would be. This book is full and I mean FULL of tennis, but not necessarily in a bad way. More like in the way that King Richard movie was also full of tennis. So, if reading about tennis matches and clay courts versus grass courts in the midst of a story about family and love and personal identity is going to throw you off, you might want to skip it. However, TJR does do a pretty wonderful job at making the technical stuff of tennis accessible and easy to understand to non-tennis players.

I loved how TJR developed Carrie. She was flawed and didn't care that she was unlikeable, which I felt made her more likeable to the audience in a way. I liked her relationship with her dad and think TJR did a great job exploring the dynamics of a father/daughter relationship that was so rooted in the sport and in success (and all of the miscommunication that can come with that).

I found myself flashing back to the days where my mom was a tennis girlie herself and we were constantly watching tennis together, especially as she describe the different opens and courts. I felt like I was picturing tennis players I had grown up watching as she described Carrie's different opponents, which made the book a more fun experience.

I am also glad I read this one on my Kindle to give me the translation help, because there is a bit of Spanish without translation between Carrie and her father. I loved the representation of who they were but needed the translation to help myself out a bit!

If you're reading this one for a romantic storyline, I dare say you'll be disappointed. It's obvious that's not Carrie's focus. I do think that the romantic storyline helps along Carrie's arc and growth in a way that felt very natural to the character and not like a robotic story formula.

All in all, this one's not my favorite and I don't think I'd even say it disturbed my personal ranking of TJR books. It's a good read, yes, and it's worth throwing it on your to-read lists.

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Compulsively readable in the authors signature voice. Readers might notice that the heroine is from the book, Malibu Rising (however, you need not to have read it to follow this story). Soto is an "unlikeable" heroine in the patriarchal sports world. The author does a great job with character development and readers will root for Carrie Soto. If you any bit of a tennis fan, you will enjoy this story even more.

Okay so I know I’m not the only one but I just can’t get enough of Taylors books! Her books are hand down ones I keep and do not lend out and read multiple times there that good! This book is incredible almost up in my top two for her honestly so if you can or even have the slightest chance get your hands on this book like NOW!

Taylor Jenkins Reid writes an outstanding book about the tennis world. It helps you understand the complexities of the life of a high profile tennis player. It tackles love, loss, self-reflection, ageism, and how people especially women are viewed in the tennis world.

This author know how to get you attached to the characters, and want only the best for them. Absolutely, love this book and the ending was great!!!!

The only negative in the book was the Spanish which wasn’t translated into English. I know I have missed some of those conversations

Thanks Netgallery for the advance copy.

Carrie Soto is Back by Taylor Jenkins Reid



READ THIS BOOK IF YOU LIKE: Stories about Sports, History, and Romance

Who doesn’t love Taylor Jenkins Reid‘s incredible books? Fans will be thrilled that Carrie Soto Is Back will be out soon, August 30th to be exact. In this novel, she has created a strong heroine Carrie who is a tennis star, completely focused on winning at all costs. Even if you don’t like sports (me!) you will like this book and root for Carrie.

SYNOPSIS:

Carrie Soto is fierce, and her determination to win at any cost has not made her popular. But by the time she retires from tennis, she is the best player the world has ever seen. She has shattered every record and claimed twenty Grand Slam titles. And if you ask Carrie, she is entitled to everyone. She sacrificed nearly everything to become the best, with her father, Javier, as her coach. A former champion himself, Javier has trained her since the age of two.

But six years after her retirement, Carrie finds herself sitting in the stands of the 1994 US Open, watching her record be taken from her by a brutal, stunning player named Nicki Chan.

At thirty-seven years old, Carrie makes the monumental decision to come out of retirement and be coached by her father for one last year in an attempt to reclaim her record. Even if the sports media says that they never liked “the Battle-Axe” anyway. Even if her body doesn’t move as fast as it did. And even if it means swallowing her pride to train with a man she once almost opened her heart to: Bowe Huntley. Like her, he has something to prove before he gives up the game forever.

Out on August 30

Only an author as talented as Taylor Jenkins Reid could make me - someone with zero interest in tennis - become so captivated with a novel that’s driving force is tennis. Tell me why I was reading the descriptions of these tennis matches almost as if they were the plot twist moments of a thriller? I literally had to place my hand over portions of the page to keep myself from skipping ahead because I was so anxious to see the outcome of each match.

Carrie Soto is Back is a fantastic book about love, loss, and ambition. Carrie is possibly the least likable of TJR’s quartet of famous women, but I think she might now be my favorite. Watching Carrie’s evolution - from her early years of tennis into retirement, then her comeback - was honestly beautiful. The relationship she has with her father legitimately brought me to tears a few times. I am still in shock that this book tricked me into caring this much about tennis!

I don’t know what it is about a Taylor Jenkins Reid book that makes them so all-consuming. I read this in less than 24 hours; I could not stop thinking about Carrie and the weight of her comeback. She was so human and flawed, presented in a way that made her oddly relatable despite how frustrating she could be. TJR is a master at crafting interesting, complex characters who make a home in your heart & stay there.

Brava! If you were worried that TJR couldn’t do it again, set your worries aside; this is another slam dunk (or whatever the appropriate tennis term is.)

Thank you so much to the published for a free e-copy in exchange for my honest review. A full review will also be shared on my Instagram account (@bookish.901) on August 1st.

If Taylor Jenkins Reid writes it, I will read it. Carrie Soto is Back is emotional and gripping and inspirational and everything we have all come to love about TJR's work.

I'll admit that I was nervous about Carrie Soto when this book was first announced because, Malibu Rising, but I knew TJR wouldn't do me wrong and she did not disappoint.

When her record is threatened, Soto decides to pick a racket back up for the first time in years. Working with her father, she hits the court to prepare to beat women decades younger than her at some of the biggest games in Tennis.

Carrie Soto is abrasive and ambitious and not the type of woman anyone wants to support. Her crass attitude and the way she doesn't shy away from acknowledging her success makes people uncomfortable but quite frankly, she doesn't care one bit. This is one of my favorite things about the heroines written by Jenkins Reid, they are never easy to like and for that reason, I like them so much more. Evelyn, Nina, Daisy and Carrie are all realistic in a way that most fictional leading ladies are not. They have passions and ambitions that are so intense, you can't help but forget they aren't real.

If you are on the fence about reading Carrie Soto because of Malibu Rising, because sports books aren't your thing, or for any other reasons, trust me when I tell you that you need to read this book anyway. You won't be disappointed.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with a copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

Carrie Soto is Back, the last book of the Women In Fame series, went above and beyond my every expectation. Where do I even begin?! As always, Taylor Jenkins Reid left me speechless. She will never cease to amaze me.

As my most anticipated read of the year, I can proudly say that this last installment rocked my world from top to bottom, inside and out. I will absolutely be making this book my entire personality for as long as possible. It was everything I hoped it would be while simultaneously being the opposite of everything I expected. Carrie Soto is Back is unlike anything TJR has ever written in the best way possible. I usually avoid books that revolve around athletes, finding the writing to be overly monotonous, but let me just say, Taylor Jenkins Reid captivated me with her intensive knowledge of tennis. She clearly did her (VERY thorough) research and her exceptional writing is proof. The passion, intensity, and page-turning energy immersed me into a world of growing chants, where I was the spectator, holding my breath as I watched Carrie become the legend she was always destined to be.

Our story begins with Carrie’s childhood rise to fame, followed by the injury that led to her retirement, and climaxing with her return to the sport she so dearly loves. The pacing was perfect for such a broad timeline.

Don't even get me started on all of the ICONIC lines in this story! I would expect nothing less from TJR. There are some lines I just want to tattoo on my very soul. Life-changing to say the least.

One of my favorite aspects of TJR’s writing is the intricate details behind her flawed characters. Carrie Soto is an independent, fierce, and determined female protagonist. It’s so refreshing to read about a woman that is unapologetically herself. She will be brutally honest and spare no expense to protect your feelings. There are so many layers to her character that are nothing less than intriguing and her character development is seamless. You don’t think too much about it until you get to the end of the novel and reminisce over where you began. While Carrie’s personality may seem abrasive to some readers, I found that her most “unlikeable” traits were the ones that made me respect her the most. She challenges the stereotypes placed not only on her as an athlete, but as a woman as well. Carrie Soto decides who Carrie Soto wants to be, that much is clear. I was rooting for her from beginning to end. I loved watching Carrie evolve as a player almost as much as I did seeing her grow as a person, proving that there’s always room for improvement, even for the best. She was a character I never predicted I’d resonate with, but the overwhelming pressure of being true to yourself while challenging your comfort zone is a feeling I myself am closely acquainted with. Carrie is a perfectionist, and while it may be her greatest strength, it is also her greatest weakness.

Let me just say, Taylor Jenkins Reid is my favorite author for MANY reasons, but the trait of her writing I find most inspiring is her fearlessness toward addressing the problems women are faced with every day. Racism, ageism, sexism, the list goes on. She is the voice of a generation at large and I believe I speak for us all when I say thank you. Thank you for writing us women as we are, in all of our pure and raw state of being.

The bond between Carrie and Javier, her father, warmed my heart and had me in a puddle of tears by the end of the novel. I was pleased that at least one of the women in fame grew up with such a loving father. Their dynamic was poignant and tense at times, but isn’t that parenting? Making mistakes and learning from them? The ultimate father-daughter duo, there’s not a doubt in my mind that Javier is Carrie’s biggest supporter. That being said, I’m not sure I can forgive TJR for August 1995…

The dynamic between Bowe and Carrie was nothing short of brilliant. I am weak for Bowe Huntley. The man was learning Spanish for her for crying out loud! A man that has a bond with your father is a man you want to keep. Their love was a simple love that I cherished. He lived for Carrie when grief consumed her to the point that all she could do was exist.

I am a romance girlie through and through, but I genuinely appreciate that TJR didn’t force the romantic aspects to drive the plot. The love between Bowe and Carrie was long-awaited but true to the nature of their characters.

I went into this novel thinking Carrie’s affair with Brandon was going to be a core plot point, but I’m relieved that it wasn’t. She is Carrie Soto, not an extension of whomever she chooses to date. Girl power all the way!

I will sing the praises of Taylor Jenkins Reid and the beauty of her writing until my last breath. I appreciate that TJR is true to her roots and doesn’t shy away from the subtle nods to her previous writings. Time and time again, she delivers five-star reads. I wish I could keep this book all to myself, but at the same time, I cannot wait for the world to meet Carrie Soto. After all, it’s Taylor Jenkins Reid’s world, we’re just living in it.

Thank you to Ballantine Books (Random House Publishing Group) for providing me with this ARC via Netgalley.

Carrie Soto is Back reads very much like a tennis match. As in great sportscasting, it gives you the facts with some commentary in between. That isn’t a bad thing in this case because it means there’s no wasted space, no filler. Something’s happening at all times. It also makes this book much more clinical than TJR’s other books & sometimes the story gets lost in the tennis play-by-play. The book is dialogue heavy & every conversation is its own kind of tennis match with two characters volleying back & forth for control at a lightning pace.

This novel is going to get so much hype because it's TJR, so you probably don't need anyone to convince you to give it a chance. But just incase it wasn't on your radar or you were on the fence - please allow me to be the one to tell you to read this novel.

I loved this book so much. The determination Carrie shows in trying to come back after so many years, and the journey she takes along the way to learn more about the heart had me in an absolute puddle of tears by the end of the book. The other characters we meet along the way are so lovable. I was initially worried about the premise of the novel being tennis because I didn't really know anything about it, but the novel gives you everything you need and more to understand. I'm even excited to start catching some of the slams on tv IRL when they come around!

✨ARC Review✨

“You are perfect, even in your imperfection.”

“And it stuns me silent, for a moment: just how vast the gap is between who I am and how people see me.”

Carrie had landed herself title of greatest tennis player back in 1987, and she retired. Her record was uprooted by Nicki Chan in 1994, and Carrie watched it all unfold before her eyes. In an effort to reclaim her title, and in a sense herself, she goes back on the court with the help of her father. This was a beautiful story about comeback, valuing yourself, your worth, your greatness, and the costs that come with. More importantly was the messages about love and loss. There is such richness from adding in Carrie’s father, and her previous love interest Bowe, and it makes the story unforgettable.

Taylor Jenkins Reid has a way of writing unforgettable stories about strong female characters. I still think about Evelyn Hugo long after I flipped the last page. It was one of my favorite books last year. This year, Carrie Soto is added to the list. This book was pulling all sorts of emotions from me, and it will stick with me long after finishing.

What’s On The Pages:
-tennis
-a bad a$$ female character with fierce determination
-nicknames: “the battle axe” & “the bitch”
-a father who coached and always believed
-a female agent who never gave up on her
-a fitting anthem to motivate: Elton John’s “The Bitch Is Back”
-love and loss, grief and happiness

⚠️CW/TW: death of a parent

✨Rating✨
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

A special thank you to NetGalley and Ballantine Books for this eARC! Carrie Soto Is Back is out August 30th!

I didn't think that I was going to enjoy this as much as I did. I am not a huge fan of tennis but do enjoy Taylor Jenkin Reid's books. And this one was shockingly good.

Carrie Soto was regarded as the best women's tennis player of all time. After a knee injury she decides to retire, after all what more does she have to prove? That is until Nicki Chan arrives on the scene. And before you know it, Nicki has tied Carrie for most Grand Slam wins. And that just can't be. So, at 37, she comes out of retirement. There is no love lost between her and the other players. And with her father as her coach, and Bowe Huntley, a former lover, also trying to come back and show that age doesn't matter, this is a wild ride and one i would highly recommend.

Taylor Jenkins Reid never missed. Let me repeat that- SHE. NEVER. MISSES. Virtually every one of her books have been ones that I pick up and cannot set aside until I’ve turned the last page. Reid is a master at writing complicated, messy female characters and I absolutely love her for it.

Carrie Soto is Back is the newest installment in what I like to call the “Taylor Jenkins Reid Literary Universe” which is essentially the immersive, interconnected world of historical fiction that Reid has created, and I loved every second of it. Carrie Soto is a wonderfully complex main character- she’s blunt, she’s competitive, she’s arrogant, she’s cutthroat- and I loved her from start to finish.

The book itself is gripping and fast-paced, and in true Taylor Jenkins Reid fashion, emotional. Carrie’s rivalry with Nicki Chan was one of my favorite elements of the story. The pair are truly mirrors of each other, both revolutionaries in their own right, and I loved the way Carrie came to respect Nicki’s ability, while they still both let the competitive spirit between them run strong. I was surprised at how much I loved the relationship between Carrie and Bowe. I’m always a sucker for a romantic subplot, but I knew as soon as I met Carrie’s character, that if she was paired romantically with someone it had to be done right, and Reid does it RIGHT. Bowe is always honest with Carrie, but also respects her immensely and never tries to change who she is. The best part about this book is Carrie’s development as a character through her changing perception of tennis and what it means to win or lose, or through her learning to build connections with other people.

I know this is a highly anticipated book for a lot of people, and I firmly believe that it delivers on that hype. Carrie Soto is Back transports the reader to an immersive and entertaining historical world with a strong-willed and stubborn main character you can’t help but love.

This book is going to be absolutely everywhere because Reid is so popular, but there's a good reason for that. If you read last summer's Malibu Rising, the character of Carrie Soto will be passingly familiar. But this is her story. We meet her as a retired tennis player, past her prime as another woman is about to tie her grand slam record. The book follows Carrie as she makes the decision to come out of retirement to try and win the record back. It's a compelling read that focuses on the cost of greatness, the double standard that gets employed for women, and what it means to find yourself as an adult. I loved it.

𝑹𝒆𝒗𝒊𝒆𝒘: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

You might be familiar with Carrie Soto if you’ve read Malibu rising before 🌊🏄🏾‍♀️ (eff you Mick Riva!). She is a leading force in the tennis world 🎾and this is her story. We follow Carrie from her childhood being coached by her tennis loving father, The Jaguar🐆, through her professional highs and lows, and her retirement….and wait her return from retirement?

@tjenkinsreid is a master at creating a story that absorbs you. As with all of her previous novels📚, this book brings her characters to life in a way that not many can do. I adored and despised Carrie and her take no bullsh*t attitude. She is a character that you can’t help loving to hate. This story focuses on determination, love, and family and weaves these topics together seamlessly. The book is very heavily sports driven which did have me glossing over certain parts, but all in all this was a great read.

Thank you so much @randomhouse and @netgalley for one of my most anticipated reads this year.

I do not play tennis. I do not watch tennis. But I could not put down this book about tennis star Carrie Soto. Carrie could have easily been a one-dimensional bitch, but the writer gave her nuance and humor that make you root for her all the way to the end.

Taylor Jenkins Reid’s new novel, Carrie Soto Is Back doesn’t release until the end of August, but it’s already received a TON of love. Pretty much every review I’ve read has been a positive one, and all of the ratings have been four stars and above. Most have been five stars, actually; and rightfully so. I also loved this book, but I didn’t love, love, LOVE it. I didn’t get the full five star feels at the end, you know? I’m not entirely sure why. Perhaps there was just a little too much tennis talk for my liking. I’m not very familiar with the sport, so my eyes glazed over a lot. However, I did love the intensity TJR used in describing the tennis matches. It felt like I was right there in the stands, perched on the edge of my seat, and cheering Carrie on. Even though Carrie isn’t the most likable character out there, I still respected the heck out of her, and rooted for her from start to finish. Talk about drive and determination! This woman lives and breathes it! You can’t help but admire her strength, grit, and perseverance. What I loved most about this story is Carrie’s relationship with her dad. My dad and I have always been very close, so I especially love reading about father/daughter relationships in novels. Their bond truly warmed my heart. Overall, this is a solid read and deserves every single bit of praise that it’s already been receiving. If you’re a fan of the author, I can almost guarantee that you’ll enjoy her latest. Carrie’s story is one that you don’t want to miss. 4.5/5 stars for Carrie Soto Is Back! Grab a copy on August 30th!

Why, why, why would I ever underestimate the power of Taylor Jenkins Reid? The woman is a force to be reckoned with and she proves it time after time again with her books…

And I’ll admit. I was skeptic. Before I read this book I thought I hated tennis. Because sports in general to me is stupid. And the last thing I wanted to read was a book about a retired tennis star coming out of retirement to avenge her championship record….but god it was just so…..GOOD. And page turning, and emotional, and intense, and I freaking fell in love with Carrie Soto; and I kinda want to go watch a game of tennis now. Never thought I'd write that sentence, much less in a book review!🎾

I received this book from netgalley for an honest review. I truely came to love this book although I'm not at all a fan of tennis or sports in general. The characters sucked me in and the story flowed really well. I also loved how nods to other books were added to this one. I would revcomend this book to all of my friends!

Carrie Soto is a character you might remember if you read Malibu Rising and I really liked her growth in the story and how she realized that she didn’t need to be perfect and the best but she just has to be herself who is great and start to enjoy her wins and the game that she loves. Carrie comes back from retirement to defend her record of 20 grand slam titles which is one away from being shattered by new player Nicki Chan. She and her father who is her coach start training again to just play the championship games to just win one so that she can stay on top. I love how the story follows Carrie from her childhood and how her father instilled in her that she was going to be the greatest tennis player and in her mind that was interpreted as the best in the world and not the greatest that she could be herself not comparing to someone else and how she is so hard on herself and expects perfection. There is some romance but that is not the main focus of the story but does add to it. Just a really great read and even though I don’t know anything about tennis I really enjoyed reading about the game and how it is played.

Thanks to Random House and Netgalley for the complimentary copy of this book in e-book form. All opinions in this review are my own.