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!

TJR what happened??? I wanted to love this book, I really did but sadly, I did not. Carrie was too unlikable and I did not relate in the slightest. I did however relate to her dad, he was a phenomenal character and I think a better book would have been if we followed him from childhood, marrying Carrie's mom and raising an amazing tennis player.

This was my top new book to read this year and I'm disappointed it didn't meet my expectations.

This was a great book, don’t get me wrong - TJR always does a great job creating characters we love to hate and also can’t help but adore. Carrie is no exception. I think the barrier for me was that I don’t speak Spanish so I kept googling and it kind of took me out of the story, and I also have never played tennis, watched tennis, & don’t know a damn thing about tennis. However, I enjoyed the ending in particular and this was perfect to read while on vacation at the beach.

I don't know anything about tennis, really. The only sport I follow is basketball.

But Carrie Soto, through the words of Taylor Jenkins Reid, has opened my eyes to the sport.

Honestly, I shouldn't be surprised. Reid has a gift for making her main characters come alive. Whether they are film stars, or journalists, or surfers, or tennis stars. Each character has a life of her own, a style and a story that begs to be read.

The real driving force in Carrie's story is her relationship with her dad. (How interesting that I've read this book just after Father's Day.) Not just as her dad and coach, but as her lifeline. It was interesting to watch her relationship with Bowe develop and change, too. Just as her relationship with the sport of tennis matured as well.

"It didn't ever mean as much to my dad. My dad just wanted me to play beautiful tennis." "And look at that... You do."

Carrie was the top tennis player at the height of her career. She held the title for most Slam wins, until seven years after she retires when her record is broken by Nicki Chan. Carrie is devastated and decides she needs to win back her title. With her dad by her side, Carrie is working to get back into fighting shape for one more season. At 37, nobody expects her to even make it past the first opponent, but determination to win has always been Carrie’s game.

Holy goodness in the name of all that is Evelyn Hugo and Daisy Jones and the Six. This is Taylor Jenkins Reid at her absolute best and I adored every second of it. I think it might just be my favorite TJR book yet! I started this one before bed having to wake up early for a work trip and you can bet I finished the first half before forcing myself to go to bed, and finished the rest on the plane the next morning. Tennis is not really my sport, and I generally don’t read a ton of sports fiction, but shit if I didn’t devour this book. I don’t even need to say more in this review. This book gets ALL the stars and if you have ever enjoyed a Taylor Jenkins Reid book you will freaking love this book!

THANK YOU NETGALLEY AND RANDOM HOUSE PUBLISHING FOR THE ARC IN EXCHANGE FOR AN HONEST REVIEW!

As always, Taylor Jenkins Reid created a book full of feelings. I was invested after reading the first page. This story is not only told in a beautiful writing style but also in a way that gets your heart pumping with a wide range of emotions. Every character was placed strategically and no word went to waste.

Carrie Soto: “The Battle-Ax”
If I had met Carrie Soto in passing on the street and exchanged words with her, I probably would have despised her. However, being inside her head and hearing commentators speak about her on the court puts you in a state of awe that capitates you in her story. By no means is she a “soft” person. She is brutal and competitive; she is out there to win. Carrie Soto is the level of strength and ambition that many people aspire to be.

Javier Soto
Javier is Carrie’s father and coach. Their relationship fuels this story and is one of the factors that makes everything so interesting. He is a former tennis champion himself and the game molded his life. He began training Carrie when she was a wee tot. Javier is ambitious, but he cares for his daughter above all. Between his wise words, strength, and soft moments, he became one of my favorite characters. (He also reminded me of my dad.)

Bowe Huntley
A tennis player emerging from the shadows himself, he is three years older than Carrie (40) and still fighting for his place in tennis. Bowe was known for being aggressive on the court and sometimes taking it out on the umpire, however, this was one of the things that made people watch his games. Throughout the book, he shows some of the most character development.

One of my favorite things about this book besides the smooth character development for the characters were the actual tennis scenes. TJR channeled the tennis writing gods when she wrote those scenes. They had me sitting on the edge of my seat and my eyes refusing to leave the page.

It was amazingly neat getting to read small articles people had written about Carrie and the transcripts of News Shows about tennis. This allowed us to see Carrie outside of her head and other tennis players.

Book Description:
Carrie Soto holds the record for the most Grand Slam titles in both women's and men's tennis. She is fierce on the court and only accepts winning as an outcome. However, after she works her way up and ends up retiring, a new tennis player is about to take her title of winning the most Grand Slams.

As stated before, Carrie Soto must win.

After six years of retirement, she reemerges with her father coaching her once more with the intent of taking her title back. It doesn’t help that other tennis players dislike her, or that the press despises her, but that doesn’t bother Carrie as long as she wins.




Now I have a very strong urge to go play tennis.

Wow--another win for Taylor Jenkins Reid and her fans!
Thoroughly enjoyed this entertaining story & the writing. Compulsively readable, honestly could not stop reading.
Of course appreciated the references to other TJR characters/books.
Carrie is a true & unapologetic heroine in an entirely different category.

With great thanks to NetGalley & Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine for this ARC!

I loved this story and in this story Carrie wanted to be the best in her tennis. This story also showed the dedication and commitment it takes to be the best. She had many titles and then she left the profession to have surgery after several years she decided to go back and her only goal was to win one Grand Slam and she did win Wimbleton one last time. Her father, her coach was unable to go with her because he was recovering from surgery. Through all of this , after he father died, she ended up coaching Nina. A GREAT READ. Even if you aren't into the sport part, the lessons you learn are worth the read.

I absolutely ADORED this book. Can Taylor Jenkins Reid write anything NOT read worthy- NO INDEED she is brilliant!

We first meet Carrie Soto in Taylor Jenkins Reid book- Malibu Rising. I was unsure this plot would keep me reading and enthralled the same way her other books did- but I couldn’t put it down; every expectation was surpassed! Carrie Soto is a top womens tennis player who’s trying to get back into the game after injuries and years recovering. The interactions and relationship with her father are relatable and enjoyable to read. Loved reading about the slams and all the tennis information. Enjoyed this story and can’t wait to watch some tennis this summer 😊

Excellent story about a female athlete’s drive and determination. I was captivated by Carrie even though at first she annoyed me, I was always cheering for her both on and off the court. Highly recommend!

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

Coming from a college athlete I loved how this was Sports based. The relationship between Carrie and her father is remarkable.

I appreciated the athlete that TJR writes about. One that isn’t afraid of anything or anyone. Someone who knows her passion for something and who she is to her core. I enjoyed that Carrie was Hispanic although many times I did have to translate dialogue between Carrie and Javier. Thank goodness for translate on my kindle tho it made it easy.

The ending of the book I really loved and admired and wasn’t as predictable as I was thinking.

TJRs writing is fluid and keeps you wanting to read more. I love how she incorporates other forms of writing such as a TV interview, Articles etc into her books.

If you’re reading this and it starts off slow, keep going. I couldn’t put it down after 25% in.

Carrie Soto was once the best tennis player in the world. When her record is in jeopardy of being broken, she decides to come back for one final season.
As I began to read this book, I was a worried that it was going to be too tennis heavy. There is no doubt about it, tennis is talked about on nearly every page. However, in true Taylor Jenkins Reid fashion, I quickly fell in love with her characters and was rooting for them as they played each match. I loved how these characters and their relationships developed. There is so much love, emotion, and ambition in this story. It will make you laugh and cry.
Those who love tennis will devour this book. For those who don't, give it a chance... you will quickly find yourself immersed. Great read - thank you netgalley for the ARC!

I always love going into another Taylor Jenkins book! This one was no different. I loved this book so much! I would recommend it to others :)

Thank you to Net Galley, the author, and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Hear me out: there was zero chance that I wouldn't enjoy this. Not only am I a TJR stan (for life, at this point), but add-in that it's about a professional tennis player from the 90s attempting to defend her record post-retirement? That's solid gold. Immediately hooked.

Carrie Soto Is Back is, like many of TJR's recent hits (I'm talking Daisy, Evelyn, Malibu Rising... which everyone and their mother has now heard about via BookTok), is situated in the TJR universe. However, that does not mean you have to have read her others to understand or appreciate what she's done here. For my Malibu Rising fans, you may remember Carrie from the small (but crucial) role she played as "the other woman" in Nina Rivas' marriage to Brandon Randall. In this one, we see her several years down the road, having left both Brandon and professional tennis behind her. Yet, with the rise of powerhouse player Nicki Chan threatening to dismantle the record she set, she's compelled back into the game.

There are so many things I loved about this book that I'm unlikely to address them all in this review. My biggest piece of advice is to, of course, read it. But the thing I've always enjoyed about TJR's writing, especially in recent years, is her unconventional structure and sequencing. We are given a fully-fleshed out version of Carrie, predominantly through first-person narration. However, its the little additives - the flashbacks and supplemental media interviews and reports - that give life to who Carrie is as a person and tennis player, but also to what the culture of professional women's tennis was like in the 90s.

Carrie is an incredibly flawed human being, who puts relentless pressure on herself to win and be the best. Her self-worth is entirely tied to her legacy in tennis. And she is often very blunt about it, making her very unlikeable to the public (and, at times, to the reader). However, the commentary made here about the impossible double standards women are held to, especially in the sports industry, is salient (and still incredibly relevant). Carrie is often disparaged for not behaving and playing the game the way others would like, despite her undoubtable talent. I loved how unapologetic she was throughout the entire book... and what a layered depiction we were given of her. I especially admired the dynamic she shared with her father, Javier, who acted as her coach and mentor throughout.

Though the characters within are fictional, you can't help but recognize much of the inspiration TJR took in developing this story. You don't have to be a fan of tennis to enjoy the story (though I certainly think it will add to your appreciation). Though I don't think this is on the same level as Daisy and Evelyn, you will recognize TJR's signature: an entertaining, cinematic, thought-provoking, and heartfelt read through and through.

Carrie Soto is a character we first met in Malibu Rising. When she retired at the top of her tennis game, with a record 20 grand slam wins, she had no intention of coming back to the game. but a few years later, Nicki Chan equals her grand slam record. At the age of 37, Carrie Siti us returning to the game with every intention of being successful and defending her title. Even though she is not the most likable of characters, Carrie becomes someone we want to root for through challenges that come with her return to tennis. While this is a character encountered in Malibu Rising, you do not have to have read MR to read this book. Carrie Soto is Back is a beautiful story about perseverance, love, and the power of being vulnerable.

The must read title of 2022! Carrie Soto was the tennis phenomenon of her age- unstoppable on the court and off. Leaving behind competitors and lovers with little concern or regard. For a majority of her career she was coached by her father until they had a falling out. Now at the age of 40 with her record on the line can Carrie and her dad reunite to once again dominate tennis? Can Carrie finally open her heart to real love? Another grand slam title by Taylor Jenkins Reid!

I think Carrie Soto has been my favorite one yet! I love how all of Taylor’s characters are connected in some way! I love how this was written. How the chapters short and are by years and everything.