Carrie Soto is Back reminds me of growing pains and being a young girl growing into a woman. Another wonderful story. In Taylor's writing, it is always assuring to see how her women are as logical as they are emotional. Although, this seems relatively easy to accomplish it is how she beautifully weaves it into their core traits.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the chance to read this ARC.

4.5 stars. I will preface this with saying that I would read pretty much ANYTHING TJR puts out. So - maybe I'm a fangirl but I'm okay with it.

Carrie Soto Is Back is a novel about family, love, tennis, and the price of fame.

The novel opens in 1994 when former tennis star Carrie Soto witnesses her record of 20 Grand Slam titles shattered. She comes out of retirement at age 37 and makes an arduous journey back to the court to prove that she is the best female tennis player in the world. We learn about Carrie's rise to the top and then it comes back to the present time where she grapples with her true reason for playing the game, being successful and all that goes with it.

I literally know nothing about tennis, nor do I care about tennis even a little. As much as this novel is about tennis, it is also not. The heart and soul of this book is Carrie's relationship with her father Javier, as well as what her rise to the top and singular focus on tennis did to the *rest* of her life.

Carrie isn't a likeable character, but I came to love her (and Javier, Bowe and Gwen and even Nina!!)

I absolutely devoured this book. Also - I love how TJR takes a "minor" character (in this case from Malibu Rising) and creates a new story, but also gives nods to a few of her previous books. It makes them all connected without feeling like a series. I love it. Brilliant!

Carrie Soto is Back is TJR's latest historical/contemporary fiction novel. It follows tennis professional Carrie Soto, who is coming out of retirement after ~5 years to try to win back her record of most Slam titles after tennis pro, Nikki Chan, tied her record. What follows is a beautiful story with themes of breaking down walls and letting people in _____________________________.

TJR is easily one of my favorite authors, so I was very excited and had high hopes when I received an early review copy. I was nervous I was overhyping myself, but fortunately that is never a concern with TJR. This book blew me away and is definitely up there as one of my favorite of her books.

What I loved:

- TJR has this capability of creating such nuanced and dynamic characters. That base starting point, coupled with the development her characters go through throughout the book, make her books feel so realistic and like these are actual people. She is a master class at character development and it never ceases to impress me.

- While that point above is talking about TJR's skills in general, in this book in particular, I loved the character of Carrie Soto, which is impressive because Carrie is a flawed character. She is someone where a number of times throughout the book, I did not like her. Carrie is single-minded and guarded, independent and abrasive. She says and does what she wants to and doesn't care who she offends or what names the media may call her in the process. She is crazy ambitious and cutthroat in the pursuit of her goals. She's a character that made me feel so many different things for/toward her: pride, disappointment, empathy, compassion, anger. I feel like I could go on and on, but it always comes down to the fact that TJR writes well-rounded, powerhouse female characters and it is always so refreshing to see!

- The relationship between Carrie and her dad was a high point. I loved it so much! Their relationship was exactly as a parent-child relationship should be. Carrie, as mentioned, is guarded and can be a difficult person to reach, but her dad was so loving and supportive and was the perfect side character to balance her out. TJR is a master of showing, not telling. And the depiction of this father-daughter relationship was the perfect example of that. We saw their relationship from when Carrie was a young girl and it really helped the reader see and understand how Carrie grew into the woman she was.

- Bowe. Another great addition to the cast of characters and another great balance for Carrie!

What I didn't love:

- Nothing. It was beautifully done.

Ultimately, there was so much to love about this book, but as in all TJR books, I feel the things to gush about and that truly set her books above others is the characters she creates and the development they go through. I will read anything and everything she writes and I look forward to seeing whatever she may do next! This was an easy five star read for me!

Enthralling. I hate to fly and this book got me through a very long flight. Carrie Soto is Back is a woman's fiction about a very dedicated tennis champion. I don't know much about tennis and this book did a great job keeping me interested in a sport I don't know. In fact I was glued to my kindle. Great characters, especially Carrie. She's tough as nails and not someone you would typically like but the author manages to make her likable while still keeping her true to her character. Her relationship with her father, to me, was the heart and soul of this book.

***Advanced copy obtained from Random House via Netgalley***

My absolute stand-out favorite in what’s slowly becoming referred to as Taylor Jenkins Reid’s “Mick Riva Universe”

Conceptually and structurally - this book is beautiful. Are there other tennis books out there like this? Not that I’m aware of — it was original and entertaining. The way TJR shaped the parts and chapters around the Opens and each of Carrie’s matches within them made me feel like I was glued to the tv watching it all unfold.

I certainly recommend brushing up on the basics of tennis before you read this — it makes the match chapters much more tangible — but I think you would enjoy it regardless.

I understand that Carrie is written to be the “unlikeable” female MC that grows on you. I didn’t find her as such. I liked her from the start. There is a quote in this book regarding exception women constantly having to make room for mediocre men, and it touches on so much of how I feel about Carrie — why should she ever have to shrink herself for others’ comfort? She shouldn’t. I loved every second of her being unapologetic for her talent and work ethic.

Anyways, I don’t want to spoil any of the pure bliss of a reading experience that this book was, so I’ll leave you at that.

Carrie Soto is Back is a shining example of what Taylor Jenkins Reid is best at. This fantastic novel about a female tennis player who is a force to be reckoned with, is filled with great character dynamics, struggles, and incredible women dominating the sport of tennis.

Thank you Netgalley and the publishers for the ARC. I truly loved it! #Netgalley #TaylorJenkinsReid #CarrieSotoisBack

Taylor Jenkins Reid's new book " Carrie Soto is Back" is a great read. Set in the world of professional tennis you need not like tennis to enjoy this novel. This book is a page-turner and I appreciate how the author lets her protagonist have flaws and that she doesn't go for the easy answers. Carrie, her father, and Bowe are all distinct characters--each flawed and so human and interesting.

I've been on a reading binge at the beach and this book is one that I enjoyed above the others. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

Taylor Jenkins Reid does it again. I was skeptical going into this book because I wasn't sold on the character of Carrie Soto but I loved her so much in this book.
She was a fierce character with incredible drive and knew what she wanted. You see her grow throughout the novel and I loved the relationship between her and her father

After reading The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo and Daisy Jones and the Six I knew TJR would never fail me.

She masterfully creates this people you find yourself fully believing they are real, I usually catch myself trying to Google these women and then remembering they are just a book character. With Carrie Soto she created a character that I felt so connected to that it seems an impossible feat for any other character to make me feel that same way.

Carrie was raised to love tennis and be the best at tennis, her father coaching her along the way. Her relationship with her father was such an accurate depiction of the unsaid pressure a child, and maybe especially a daughter, feels to be the best at what their father loves when given the chance.

TJR captured the mania around female tennis stars in the 90s and the competitive disadvantages women faced in the media, something the world still needs to work on today. There was a moment when Carrie congratulates a new male Wimbledon winner where he mentions that she’s won before, Carrie holds the most Wimbledon wins male or female with 10 wins, and he has the audacity to tell her it’s not really the same since men’s sets are the best of 5 while women’s are the best of 3. It was that specific moment that “The Man” by Taylor Swift started blaring in my head.

Carrie Soto coming out of a 5 year retirement at the age of 37 to take on this newer crop of women in tennis to try and take back her slam title record was an exciting and emotional ride from chapter to chapter. Realizing she wasn’t a real tennis icon that I couldn’t Google to see if she did indeed keep her record drove me to read this book in two days!

If you are intimidated by a book about a sports player, or just tennis, this does a great job of explaining the game in a way that makes you feel like a tennis pro. And in truth it is a book about a tennis star, but I think her life surrounding tennis takes the main stage.

I want to thank NetGalley and Random House Publishing for giving me access to one of the most anticipated books of 2022, and a book that has now become one of my favorites of all time.

I've been fortunate to read everything by Taylor Jenkins Reid. I admire the way her novels aren't formulaic, but each time she brings the reader something new. Carrie Soto is Back is no exception. Carrie Soto was born to play tennis, with her dad having been a well-known coach. Her drive, though, consumes her, and like most athletic success stories, she lives, eats and breathes the sport. After a period of not competing, she decides that she still has the drive to win, despite younger talent coming up the ranks, and despite her age. She's not beloved in the world of tennis, but the author brings Carrie to life. We watch her in all her ups and downs. I enjoyed this book a great deal. Thank you to Random House/Ballentine, NetGalley, and the author for an e-ARC of this title in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.
#NetGalley #CarrieSotoisBack #YalorJenkinsReid

Who knew I could love a book about tennis. I don’t even follow tennis, but this book had me turning pages late into the night more than most thrillers. I loved Carrie and all the characters in this book. I think this may be my favorite book by TJR.

Ok, I’ll say it - I don’t care, understand, or even like tennis, but omg would I read more and more about Carrie, Nicki, Javier, and Bowe if I could. Without a doubt we have another masterpiece from Taylor Jenkins Reed on our hands! This is my first Reed book I actually read instead of listening to as an audiobook and I was worried that would change my love for her work, but I literally couldn’t put this book down.

Beyond tense matches and grueling training sessions, Reed explores complicated daughter-father, competitor-competitor, younger generation-older generation, and lover relationships while featuring possibly the most unflappable and powerful women: Carrie Soto. One of my favorite things about Carrie and how Reed wrote Carrie is that no one denied the fact that Carrie was talented, but she never relied on her talent alone. Carrie trained constantly and her dedication to improving her skills was both admirable and difficult to read about at times. Either way, this book does justice for all of the “prodigies” out there who spend endless hours practicing/training/studying/obsessing only for their victories to be credited to their natural talent.

Thank you so much to NetGalley, Taylor Jenkins Reed, and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Carrie Soto is Back and so is Taylor Jenkins Reid!! Carrie Soto is determined to become the greatest women's tennis player in the world. We follow her as a young woman dominating the tennis world and then again as her comeback to defend her title as the world's greatest tennis player of all time. Tennis has been Carrie's life for as long as she can remember. Her father, also known as Javier el Jaguar, one of the best Tennis players in the world, serves as her coach through her young career and mentor into her adulthood. This is the relationship so many envy. Carrie has a hard time getting close to anyone but her father. She is known for her cold-heartedness; "The Battle Axe" as she is called. But it works for her on the court. She dominates and doesn't look back. Carrie plays to win and defend the most important thing in the world to her, her title. But when is enough, enough. How do you know when your time on the spotlight is over and it is time to pass the torch? Is it ever time? Through this whole novel, you will be rooting for Carrie' both in her tennis career and her life.
I knew absolutely nothing about tennis and had really never even watched a tennis game in my life; but I still devoured Carrie Soto is Back. Taylor Jenkins Reid creates characters that you love, admire, cheer for and Carrie is no less than that. There is a small amount of Spanish in the novel, spoken by her father, but it is easily translatable and/ or the meaning is embedded in the conversation. It did not take away from the novel in any sense. In fact, it adds to her heritage and story.
I will definitely be recommending Carrie Soto is Back to everyone just like The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo. Everyone must experience Taylor Jenkins Reid at the top of her own game and she is on it! I will always look for future reads by Taylor Jenkins Reid. Special thanks to NetGalley, Taylor Jenkins Reid and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine Books for the advanced digital copy in exchange for my honest opinion. 5 HUGE stars for me!!
#CarrieSotoIsBack #NetGalley

This is a wonderful book but not replacing Evelyn Hugo or Malibu arising as my favorite TJR books. Here we follow Tennis champion Carrie Soto as she comes out of retirement to defend her record as most Slams won.

If it sounds like a sports book that’s because it is — A LOT. I’m a huge fan of tennis but there were some parts I found myself glazing over a bit (I find sports much more engaging to watch than be described). Other than that, I have no complaints about this gem of a novel and TJR struck gold again.

I especially loved the commentary about women aging, and the double standard between women and men - not to mention the commentary about a public figure’s serious demeanor / an athletes myopic goal of winning making them be labeled something nasty.

The relationship between Carrie and her father, a retired pro himself, broke me down in SOBS. This was such a gorgeous way to portray a parent-child relationship, and how dreams and happiness are not always the same thing. And the Latino heritage/Spanish weaves throughout was also impactful.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

I adored the premise of this book in which a female tennis player who had retired after breaking the record of grand slams decides to come out of retirement because another player is about to break her record. It’s my favorite kind of heroine in that she is complicated and not always nice to everybody but if she was a male nobody would say anything because she is just being competitive. Having her find romance with a male player with him and she’s always had a contentious relationship is also fun to watch. The relationship between her and her father is complicated but heartwarming at the same time. I’m a big fan of tennis and I love this book very much

TJR is such a master of words and character development. All of her books make me feel so deeply. Only reason I didn't round this all the way up to a 5 star book is that I wish there had bit a little bit more then just tennis to the plot but that being said I truly loved it.

TJR does it again! Another amazing, un-put-downable story that captivated you from the beginning. If you’re anything like me, you might know little to none about tennis, but it honestly didn’t matter. I still loved this book and Carrie’s character dearly.

It’s a story about sports, but also about love and fame and family, and ambition and triumph and loss. Has a little something for everyone and will be recommending this one for a long time!

Thank you Netgalley and Publisher for this Arc!

I had no idea that I loved tennis. Carrie's dedication to this sport was at once inspiring while being incredibly frustrating. And I loved every second.

Carrie Soto was raised a tennis player. And, throughout this novel, I went back and forth wondering how healthy her relationship to the game was. Particularly, if it took away her ability to live just basic life, to enjoy life without the intensity of being the best at tennis. As if that was her whole personality.

This book gave me everything, every emotion. Like other Taylor Jenkins Reid books this is a showstopper. (And, includes small links and references to other books by this author.)

I cannot recommend this enough!

Out August 30, 2022!

Thank you to Netgalley & the publisher for sending me and ARC of this book! Below is my honest review:

Sometimes a book finds you right when you need it to and speaks to your soul. This book felt like that. Carrie Soto is Back tells the story of tennis star Carrie Soto as she returns to tennis after retiring years before. The way this book explores how women are perceived in the court of public opinion, especially when they don’t fit into a certain mold, was so thought-provoking and interesting. This story also features discussions of grief that felt incredibly poignant to me as well.

The characters, the story, and the themes discussed all felt perfectly written to me. I highly highly recommend this book, especially if you enjoyed TJR’s previous works.

Another amazing read from TJR! She has such a way of writing to specific time periods that make you feel like you’ve been transported. Carrie Soto is not the most likable of characters, but she is real. Her relationships, or lack there of, provides depth to her character and how she’s had to give up a lot to be the tennis player that she becomes. I loved this book and I can’t wait for it to come out for everyone to enjoy!