TJR is an auto-buy author for me & this newest book from her just proves why.
I have never cared about tennis a day in my life but this story was absolutely
E V E R Y T H I N G.

She is a masterful storyteller that brings so much life to her characters that they feel so REAL. You feel like you’re inside her stories & living them. She manipulates readers emotions like a fiddle & creates dynamic, incredibly developed stories.

There is so much to love about Carrie Soto is Back. The father/daughter relationship is absolutely amazing. I was so envious of what they had. Carries work ethic & ability to dominate was incredible. I adored her & Bowe. (“You are perfect. Even in your imperfections. 🥹😭) Their chemistry. Their friendship. His relationship with Jav. All of it.

I cried multiple times. I laughed out loud. I never wanted this one to end.

This releases August 30th & is a MUST buy. Thanks to @netgalley for my e-copy.

This gets every single star ✨

I loved Malibu Rising and Evelyn Hugo, so reading another of Reid’s books was a no brainer. It didn’t disappoint in the slightest. Carrie is unlikeable in every single way, but every motivation is well understood, and one can’t help but root for her to succeed despite everything being against her. She learns lessons both on and off the court, and the ending is extremely satisfying. Also, I love the nods to her previous books, tucked in like Easter eggs.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for the ARC.

TJR has become one of my favorite auto buy authors! So I was thrilled to get this eArc! I absolutely love her writing style and finding her easter egg characters in each story.

I loved how Carrie Soto started out as kind of a villain but you end up loving her by the end!
I’m not a huge tennis fan and don’t know much about the sport so I loved how she shortened the tennis matches enough that you didn't get bored but didn't miss out the important stuff.

5/5 stars!

I can’t wait to read what she comes out with next!

Thank you NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for the advanced readers copy of this book!

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine, Ballantine Books for allowing me the privilege to read this ARC. Taylor Jenkins Reid has done it again! Just like her other written works including Evelyn Hugo, Daisy Jones and the Six, and Malibu Rising, you will find that you become enthralled with the storyline from the very beginning. The premise of the book is about a well known and talented tennis player, Carrie Soto, and documents her rise to fame. Along the way you learn about her life outside of the tennis court and many relationships including her father (who is her coach) and on again/off again relationship with Bowe.. After winning many Slams as well as Wimbledon, Carrie retires, but then decides to come back to the tennis court in her early 40’s to see if she can win it all again. You will find yourself rooting for her on and off the court. By the end of the story, I found myself thinking that Carrie was a real person, which is exactly the same experience I had while reading Daisy Jones and the Six. (Taylor even mentions Carrie reading about Daisy Jones in the book, which I thought was so clever.) I truly felt like I was reading a memoir. Taylor’s writing style also keeps the storyline moving along, so you never feel like there is a lull. I couldn’t put it down and kept wanting to get back to the characters in the story and see what was going to happen next. If you enjoy books that are character and plot driven, then you will love this one! Highly recommend! Comes out Aug 30, 2022. 5 stars!!

Thank you #netgalley for this ARC! I love Taylor Jenkins Reid and pretty sure anything she writes I will love! Female ambition, resilience, determination and refusal to accept less than what they deserve this book has it all. The father-daughter storyline also got me as the sibling relationships in Malibu Rising did. TJR just knows how to create the most incredible and flawed characters that you will love as if they were your own family!

Thank you to Ballentine and NetGalley for allowing me to read this early!

Taylor Jenkins Reid has done it again. I had such a great time reading this book, as I have with all of her books. Everything in this little universe she's created has been so engaging and heartfelt, and 'Carrie Soto' is no exception.

[Highs]

* The characters. She's a master at creating believable characters you create a relationship with (whether you like them or not).

* 90's Nostalgia. I grew up in the 90's, so of course I smiled at every 90's reference.

* Her writing style.

[Lows]

* Pretty much my only complaint is that it felt a little rushed to me.

[Potential Triggers]

* Loss of Parent

[A Note ]
If you haven't read 'Malibu Rising' and are wondering if you need to read it to understand this one, the answer is 'Nope, you don't.'

HOWEVER, the one reference to Malibu Rising is a spoiler, so if you're planning on reading both, read 'Malibu Rising' first.

I’m a huge fan of Taylor Jenkins Reid, but I didn’t expect to enjoy Carrie Soto. First, I don’t play or have a big interest in tennis. Second, almost from the beginning Carrie was not the most likable character I’ve come across. But she grew on me. The book opened a world of competition and interest that I hadn’t experienced before. I ended up reading this in one sitting as I have all of Ms Reid’s books! I rooted for Carrie to make her comeback and loved watching her grow as a human. Excellent read!

If you enjoy playing or watching tennis, I think you will probably really enjoy this book. Personally I do not play or watch tennis so I felt there was wayyyy too much tennis. It seemed to be the majority of the book. I understand that TJR was trying to illustrate that tennis was literally Carries life but as a reader it was too much. I was craving something more to happen in the story.

I liked this book so much more than I thought I would. Given Carrie's cameo in Malibu Rising and the general plot of the book, I was ready to read it through scrunched-up eyes and gritted teeth, thinking it would be stressful. Reading about people making bad decisions is never fun. But... reading this was a good decision. I think the texturization of TJR's characterization and plotting grows with each book. Some plot points were a little trite, but overall, it was an enjoyable and heartening read.

I really couldn't put down Carrie Soto is back. I read it in one day. For the Taylor Jenkins Reid fans, you will remember Carrie as a minor character in Malibu Rising. Now she gets her own book. The former #1 women's tennis player in the world, Carrie decides to stage a comeback to protect her record. Tennis lovers will enjoy all the tennis scenes! Carrie is the daughter of an Argentinian tennis player who coaches her from a young age and after her mother dies, tennis becomes an even stronger connection between father and daughter. Their relationship is really fun to read as well. Carrie struggles to connect with other people, her competitiveness on the court keeps her from building relationships, and she is an abrasive but likable character. Nicki Chan, her main rival, is a fun character too, I wonder if the next book will be about her!

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House - Ballantine for allowing me to read and review this advance copy.

I absolutely love TJR!!!! Carrie Soto is as real as they come, her depth and emotion is raw and real. This book was just as perfect as Malibu, Daisy Jones and Evelyn Hugo. TJR knows how to write! Women characters so real you want to sit down and have a glass of wine with them!

Even if you don’t know or care one bit about tennis this book is game, set and match a winner! I’ve read Malibu, Daisy and Evelyn all winners and so, too, is Carrie Soto.

There is so much more going on here than tennis. It’s about relationships, their changing with time and circumstance and how they circle back even years later. Carrie Soto is just the means to demonstrate that cycle. Carrie has the most lovable father/coach who cares about teaching her life lessons through the game. She seems a hard boiled character, evident in her lack of empathy on the court and her personal relationship with Bowe, a men’s player. However, as she mounts a post retirement comeback we see some of that tough outer shell crack and fall away. Carrie realizes her love of the game is greater than her love of winning, which seems to put the joy into her play.

Carrie’s opponents are skillfully styled to resemble top pro players each with their own personalities. It is easy to envision them on and off the court. It seems that TJR has done her research well.

Another enjoyable book by Taylor Jenkins Reid. Your eyes will read the story, but the descriptions are nearly enough to make you hear and smell top tier tennis.

Thank you Net Galley.

Man, I really wanted to love this so much. I am a TJR fan through and through, but this one just really didn’t do it for me. Carrie Soto is a hard-to-love main character, but I do love the way that TJR incorporates fictional pop culture and celebrity into her books. My issue with this book was mostly with the way that it is very strongly about tennis matches and not much else.

I still stayed tuned in til the end, desperate to find out how Carrie’s story played out and that definitely says something. But I guess I just wanted more of the interpersonal relationships, more dialogue, more about Carrie’s personal growth, and maybe a little less play by play of the tennis matches.

If you are extremely passionate about tennis, maybe this one is for you.

Thanks to NetGalley and Random House for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review!

Thank you to @atRandom and #NetGalley for the digital ARC of #CarrieSotoIsBack.

My first 5-star read of the year and not surprised it's from Taylor Jenkins Reid. I've enjoyed all of her books and think this might be her best so far. I loved the setting - professional women's tennis - and the characters including call-backs to Malibu Rising and Daisy Jones. And in typical TJR fashion, she played with format, injecting transcripts of media interviews to round out the narrative.

Carrie Soto was born to be a tennis legend. The only daughter of Javier "The Jaguar" Soto, an Argentinian tennis legend, Carrie begins training when she's 3 years old. It's no surprise she turns pro in her teens, collecting grand slam titles but not making any friends. When she retires, she holds the record for most grand slam wins. But there's a new star on the rise and she's coming for Carrie's record.

This is a believable inside look at professional sports (specifically pro tennis) - what it takes to succeed and the toll it takes on an athlete, mentally, emotionally and physically. It's also about relationships - parent/child, coach/athlete, men/women, competitors.

Highly recommend!

TJR does it again! I found myself totally engrossed in Carrie Soto’s story, feeling all of the highs and the lows that she experienced throughout this story.
If you don’t know tennis (like me), you will still love this book! I never thought I would be so on edge reading about tennis, but TJR captured me and kept me on the edge of my seat reading about Soto.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC!

Carrie Soto Is Back
Taylor Jenkins Reid
Ballantine Books
Publication: 2022

Reid has done it again! Another five-star read and the crowd goes wild! Es perfecta mi pequeña paloma!

This book is not just about tennis. It’s about courage, family, competition, frustration, and love. It is set in the world of tennis and it brings all the emotions of the game with it. Game, set, match.

When Carrie Soto’s world championship tennis record is bested, she and her father, Javier, decide to earn the honor back. She is 37 and that is old in the game of tennis. But, she, under her father’s coaching, attempts to win the title back.

Reid takes the reader through each of the matches and in doing so, we watch the characters grow. It’s a remarkable work of art. I can’t recommend it more highly. And I don’t want to add any spoilers so I’ll leave it to you to read. Go on, get it now!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ for Ms. Reid!

I was extremely eager to Carrie Soto Is Back after falling in love with Taylor Jenkins Reid’s previous other books; Daisy Jones & The Six, The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo and Malibu Rising. I was so excited to have another glimpse into this universe and I was not disappointed. I am once again living every moment waiting to read the next Taylor Jenkins Reid book.

TJR does it again! I wasn’t positive that I was going to enjoy an entire book focused on tennis, but it was very enjoyable!
Carrie Soto is a tough one, coached by her father and doesn’t ever consider a loss. Her hard exterior doesn’t let anyone in until later in her career where she is more vulnerable. Enjoy this one. Love prevails.
Thank you Net Galley!

I had such high expectations for this newest TJR book, and it did not disappoint. This story follows fictional tennis phenom Carrie Soto from her childhood, through winning the most Grand Slams, her retirement, and ultimately her comeback. Carrie isn't an immensely likable character, but she is an understandable one. We see how her drive to win at all costs was instilled in her from a young age and its left a persona that appears prickly to outsiders. But you'll never doubt that Carrie is speaking the truth--even, and especially, if she's telling you you suck at tennis.

While Carrie is our undeniable heroine and star, many of the side characters became my favorites--whether it be Carrie's father, her coach and former tennis star himself, Bowe, her hitting partner and former fling, or Nikki, the reason Carrie has come back and the threat to her title. Carrie is perhaps the least sympathetic character of all, but you can't help but root for her.

This stellar addition to TJR's modern historical fiction. I can't recall if this is the first one told in first person (it seems like it), but it did take it a bit out of the feels-like-nonfiction camp that Daisy Jones and Evelyn Hugo were in, and felt more like fiction, but I certainly didn't mind. I can't wait to get my hands on a gorgeous hardback!

Thanks to Ballantine Books for my eARC! All thoughts and opinions are my own.

5 stars - 10/10

This review is biased, because I love TJR's cinematic style of writing, and I love watching professional tennis -- so this book couldn't have been more up my alley. Her description of play was spot-on and kept you on the edge of your seat with anticipation. A perfect read to accompany watching this year's U.S. Open. Thank you to #NetGalley for my copy!