Taylor Jenkins Reid did it again! This was a beautifully written book about a woman and her extreme goals and her trials reaching them in a tennis career. I cared deeply about the 3-4 main characters and I definitely cried near the end. I am giving this book 4.5 / 5 stars. While I did really enjoy this book, I felt like it was a little predictable and knew where it was going. Another thing of note is that as someone who does not speak Spanish, there were certain passages that I couldn’t read due to not knowing the language. I really would have loved a translation page. Due to me reading off of a kindle, I am unsure if there is one provided or not. Since I was not in cell phone service and couldn’t google the words, I had to guess on what was being said. I hope the final book has a page that translates the sayings and words overall. My advice is to go into it knowing it is very tennis heavy and if you’re unfamiliar with tennis to try to understand the scoring and rules of tennis the best you can. Definitely not a necessity, but it will further enhance your reading experience.

Thank you NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine for the early copy to review. All thoughts are my own.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Brief Summary:
When retired record-setting tennis legend, Carrie Soto, sees her record lost to a new phenom she decides to return to tennis with one goal in mind - take back her record and prove once again that she is the best.

I have read Daisy Jones and The Six, The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo, and Malibu Rising and absolutely enjoyed them all. I assumed nothing less would come from Carrie Soto is Back as well and I was not disappointed.

Taylor Jenkins Reid is a master story-teller and it’s hard not to get invested in the story to see how it unfolds. I love that she writes about powerful women in their own respect.

Review/Thoughts:
I devoured Carrie Soto is Back in one day. Focused, intense, dismissive, at times downright rude, Carrie has many layers. In a way, I found her unapologetic style motivating. She goes after what she wants in tennis. Always looking to be better than the day before - she was born to become a grand slam record breaker. I loved how quickly I was committed to learning about Carrie and seeing her story unfold. Sprinkle that with a cast of additional flawed likable characters and that was just the icing on the cake.

I will point out a couple of tidbits that might impact your experience, but for me it added to the authenticity and had a positive impact.
- You will find the setting of this novel is heavily spent on the tennis courts, so expect sports related verbiage.
- There are times throughout the novel where a different language is spoken and a translation is not necessarily provided.

Trigger Warning: Death/Grief

I was over the moon when I saw that my request to view Carrie Soto Is Back from NetGalley was approved by Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine.

Thank you so much NetGalley & Random House - Ballentine Books for an advanced reading copy.
#CarrieSotoIsBack #NetGalley #RandomHouse #BallantineBooks #TaylorJenkinsReid #FeverReader

Carrie Soto truly is an icon and I’ve been thinking about this book constantly since finishing it a few weeks ago… Somehow 2022 has been the year of tennis and I am not mad about it. Taylor Jenkins Reid is an iconic author of our time for her ability to write historical fiction novels that are so realistic you find yourself googling the characters to see if they are real.

Carrie Soto is a retired tennis superstar who isn’t pleased when her Grand Slam record is threatened by a new up and coming player. She takes herself out of retirement with her father Javier as her coach to prove she’s still got it what it takes to win it all in one final season. It’s inspiring, heartfelt, and truly was an eye-opening book for me about what it takes to be an athlete at that level. (Plus has really served as motivation to work on my tennis game!)

This book talks a lot about the strategy of tennis, but even if you aren’t the biggest fan of the sport, there are so many other good themes about family, the power of persistence, and the expectations of women in the spotlight. It reminded me of the Taylor Swift’s song The Man in that way.

Pre-order immediately and get ready for August 30th! Thank you to @randomhouse for the ARC copy, all opinions are my own!

Readit ng this book is like watching a tennis match (or any sporting event) the knot in the stomach, the sweaty hands, the tapping feet--and it is a book!! I wish I could have read it in a hard copy, then I could have read the ending and not been on the edge of my seat (and ignoring things I should have been doing) until the end. It may not have been my perfect ending, but it is the right ending for this story.

This book destroyed me in the best way possible. I adored reading about Carrie from her perspective, as well as Javier, Bowe and Nicki. This was the perfect next installation into the Evelyn/Daisy/Malibu universe, as it fit perfectly but was was also unique. Thanks to the author, publish and NetGalley for access to the ARC.

Absolutely loved. Loved loved loved. This is like Friday Night Lights but with tennis - I think it's my favorite TJR book ever. The tension, the dialogue, the life lessons. Just fabulous. I'm going to be thinking about Carrie, Bowe, Javier and Nicki for a long time to come.

I absolutely loved Carrie Soto. This is one of TJR’s best books yet and I’m so grateful I was able to read it. Soto is witty and brash and I loved everything about her. I think she might’ve meant to be less likable but she was great. I loved her father and Bowe, all three with strong characterization. I was invested in the story and a sport I knew little about. Highly recommend!

Taylor Jenkins Reid does it again with Carrie Soto is Back! It does feature a LOT of tennis, so if you like tennis or at least know the very basics, you'll probably enjoy this book. I thought it was so well done, I even cried while reading. I loved the character development throughout the story. SO GOOD! Would highly highly recommend.

TW: death/grief

4.5 stars rounded up

Thank you to Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine, Taylor Jenkins Reid and NetGalley for providing an early copy to review!

Does anyone else cry every time they watch an Olympic event? Or is it just me? This book gave me that same feeling of complete AWE. There is something so uplifting about witnessing the resilience and tenacity of humans through sport,

I absolutely loved this book and would recommend it to everyone. I love Carrie’s character - she is deeply flawed but you can’t help but feel for her and root for her with every fiber of your being, Her growth was perfect. The romance and the relationship with her dad were both developed so beautifully and I loved the supporting characters. I love how this book reminds us to find the joy in the hard work and made me think deeply about how we define ourselves.

This is my fifth TJR and I’ve disliked (daisy jones), liked (one true loves), really liked (Malibu rising), and loved (Evelyn Hugo) the four books I’ve read previously, so I wasn’t sure what to expect. Another LOVE.

Easy 5/5 stars!!!

Taylor Jenkins Reid does it again with this riveting come back story for the ages that keeps readers glued to the pages and on the edge of their seats. Carrie Soto, a character we briefly met and disliked in Malibu Rising, is retired from tennis after a stunning career where she shattered records and held the record-breaking number of 20 grand slams. She is now watching rising star, Nicki Chan on the cusp of usurping her record and surpass her for most grant slams. Tennis has been Carrie’s life since the age of three when her father, Javier former tennis star himself and coach, took her under his wing and their quest for success began. Carrie is a fierce competitor and nothing and no one will stand in her way. She doesn’t care to be liked or charming and has no time or patience for friendships or personal relationships. Her focus is solely on success and victory. Faced with losing her record is too much for Carrie to bear and she decides to come out of retirement at the age of 37, which is considered ancient in a fierce sport dominated by young, agile athletes who have since upped the standards since Carrie has left the game. Will she succeed and be able to hold onto her record or will she succumb to the pressures and challenges faced a decade later in a sport dominated by athletes ten years younger and being disliked by the public.

While this novel is heavily centered around the sport of tennis, the author does a fantastic job of presenting the human aspects of the game by her focus on the challenges and perseverance needed to win, the complications associated with fame and the challenges of being an older athlete and woman in the sports world. The author did an excellent job with developing the cast of characters and most notably Carrie. Carrie is tough, abrasive and only cares about winning at any expense. She does not have friends and is willing to do anything to rise to the top, including fire her father, her long-term coach. She is known as the “battle axe” in the tennis world and for good reason. Yet, as the novel continues the reader learns of her past and what shaped the person she is, her dedication and resilience and her relationships with other characters, mainly her father, her hitting partner, Bowe Huntley, and her agent Gwen, making her likeable and someone the reader wants to succeed and root for in her quest to maintain her tennis record. I particularly loved the depiction of the relationship between Carrie and her father. The love, respect and support are demonstrated throughout the novel and touches the readers hearts. The author did a wonderful job of developing Carrie throughout the novel, her mannerisms, ways of thinking and ultimate understanding of her success, career, and legacy.

At its core, the novel focuses on themes of hard work, perseverance, strength, courage, flaws, imperfections, and grace. The author does an excellent job of showcasing all the emotions that go into success. Greatness encompasses so much more than physical strength and dominance. Rather, the author reminds us that it is the grace, determination, and deep understanding of oneself that is the true measure of one’s success.

This novel was well-researched and current with themes of modern-day sports as they relate to ageism and gender discrepancies. The author gave an accurate depiction of what it is like for elite athletes in a competitive sport, both on the rise to success and in the aftermath. You often read about the trials and challenges of athletes on the way up, but this novel gives an interesting perspective of what happens to athletes as they age and are past the prime of their careers and the challenges faced in watching younger athletes take their places. It gives new perspective to why athletes hold on as they do to careers past their prime. The author also highlighted the gender gap and discrepancies, particularly how women and men are treated in sports.

I love the way the novel is narrated and the inclusion of clips from sports commentators as to the matches and news in the sports world. The detailed description of the court, shots, angles, strategies and even weather conditions made one feel like they were sitting in the stands attending one of the major grand slams. The scenes vividly unfolded as I continued reading along with Carrie on her journey allowing me to accompany her to Australia, Spain, London and finally back to Flushing, Queens for the grand finale of a well-played comeback.
I immediately got excited when I saw a new novel from Taylor Jenkins Reid and this novel did not disappoint. It is captivating, highly entertaining, and enjoyable. Don’t be surprised if you want to pick up a tennis racket by the end of this novel.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest feedback.

CARRIE SOTO IS BACK (2022)
By Taylor Jenkins Reid
Ballantine Books/Random House, 384 pages.
★★★★

1994: Thirty-six-year-old Carolina “Carrie” Soto and her father Javier are in the stands of the U.S. Open and Nicki Chan is about to tie Carrie’s lifetime record of 20 Grand Slam titles. (That’s the Australian Open, French Open, Wimbledon, and U.S. Open for non-tennis fans.) Carrie is not happy.

Taylor Jenkins Reid then rewinds the clock in Carrie Soto is Back. Javier, nicknamed el Jaguar, was a tennis hero in his native Argentina but a bad knee forced him to retire in 1953. He soon immigrated to Miami, where he was a hitter—a training partner akin to a boxing sparring opponent¬—before moving to Los Angeles to become a club pro and coach. He met Alicia, a dancer, and Carrie came along a few years later. Carrie was a toddler when a car struck and killed her mother. Carrie and Javier developed such a close bond that they finish each other’s thoughts– in Spanish and in English. That’s easier when all either thinks about is tennis.

Reid’s 1955-65 part of the book is its weakest. If you’ve seen King Richard and change a few details—no mother, no siblings, and coffee-skinned Argentines instead of African Americans—it’s similar enough to be called derivative: a child star by age 9, a father promising his daughter she’ll be the greatest ever, jealousy from older players she defeats, and so on. By the time Carrie turns pro at 16, everyone knows not to underestimate the short, dark, stocky girl. All she needs is refinement, which comes when another temporarily supplants Javier as her coach. Soon Carrie is collecting Grand Slams as if they are playground matches against beginners.

Reid’s latest novel probes what it takes to become a champion and it’s more than just hitting a lot—and I mean a lot –of tennis balls. There is diet, running ten miles on sand, drills, quitting school and working with a tutor, and mental preparation. Carrie excels at all of it, but especially the latter. Javy is all she has; the press dubs Carrie “Battle Axe” and few would disagree. Carrie would rather rip the heart out of an opponent than befriend her or agree to an injury timeout. She’s # 1 and intends to stay there.

It doesn’t work that way. As anyone who watches sports knows, the pros are a young person’s game. Knee surgery forces Carrie to put down her racket at the wizened age of 31. Carrie’s African-American agent Gwen has worked angles that leave Carrie set financially for life, but “Achilles”—Javy’s nickname for his daughter—finds it impossible to sit on the sidelines and cheer for others.

The heart of the book is Carrie’s comeback in 1995. Her only nod to age is that she’s only interested in protecting her Grand Slam record and automatically qualifies for them. Few commentators believe she’s a threat at age 37. Consider that as great as Serena Williams is, she won her last Grand Slam at age 36. Carrie must compete against players stronger, faster, and with different skills than she.

Carrie’s training requires a hitter and she’s flabbergasted when her father suggests tennis vet Bowe(n) Huntley, a brief fling from her past with a reputation for a John McEnroe-like temper. If that name sounds familiar, in Reid’s Malibu Rising he was married to Nina Rivera; sleeping with Carrie led Niva to divorce Bowe. Carrie doesn’t want any part of him, but what papa thinks is what happens.

Carrie’s obsession with clawing her way back is so relentless that one male broadcaster is caught calling her a “bitch” on a hot mic, an offense that would today get him canned. Nothing is as easy at 37 as it was at 27. Nicki really annoys Carrie because she’s so bloody nice, even when telling Carrie she intends to destroy her. Each Grand Slam match is like a mini Hoosiers playlet. Will Carrie win? Learn anything about herself? Discover things she’s missed? Lose things she takes for granted? Take a seat at center court and find out.

Carrie Soto is Back is thrilling despite being both predictable and self-reverential. (At another juncture a character is reading Reid’s Daisy and the Six.) This book will be on the shelves in time for the 2022 U.S. Open. It’s a perfect choice to read in between matches. My head tells me not to bet on 40-year-old Serena Williams.

Rob Weir

Thanks to Random House and NetGalley for an advance copy of this book. It will be posted on off-centerviews as the publication date nears.

Taylor Jenkins Reid never fails. We first met Carrie in Malibu Rising with a small introduction. I was super excited to see that we are getting a full novel about her. While Carrie is the main character, the true heart of her story was her father Javier. Unlike Daisy, Evelyn, and Nina, I didn't really feel connected to Carrie. This was still a fantastic read and I cannot wait to read TJR write next.

Loved this book the character may not have been likable but she was interesting and her story was motivational and at points heartbreaking TJR knows how to make you cry.

I have zero interest in tennis but I LOVED THIS BOOK! Carrie Soto - who honestly, I barely remembered from Malibu Rising - is an aging tennis star who wants one last shot at greatness. TJR did it again with this book, and it will definitely be one of the hot summer reads. Five stars!

Special thank you to Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine, and NetGalley for allowing me to read and review this digital ARC of Carrie Soto is Back.

Now, let's be honest if TJR re-rewrote the phone book I'd read it in one sitting...she's my go to author and when she announced Carrie Soto...well I knew it was a must read. This book did NOT disappoint!

But let's first start with this...you don't have to like or know anything about tennis to enjoy this book - but it makes the story so much more interesting when you think of the grit it takes to be a competitive all-star top notch sports player in any arena.

Now ....throw a MC like Carrie into a highly competitive, focus, strong female character - abrasive, rude, and self-centered but as we slowly get to know her...we start also breaking down her layers, As she comes out of retirement to reclaim her title we see her start to morph into an even more likely human being - she is real, she is taught and she truly pulls you in.

Oh and of course the references from Malibu Rising and Daisy Jones just was the icing on the cake the every TJR book has!. Once again a five star read!

Carrie Soto comes out of retirement at the age of 37 to defend a title that has been hers for years - 20 Grand Slam wins.
The characters are phenomenal. Carrie is not a pleasant character, but I was rooting for her the whole book, she is someone I loved to hate.
A huge thank you to Random House Ballantine and NetGalley for the approval. I was thrilled to have this on my NetGalley shelf.

I know very little about tennis and don't care much about the game but in true Taylor Jenkins Reid fashion, I was completely captivated by book. This is the story of Carrie Soto (you met her briefly in Malibu Rising) and her epic comeback at the ripe old age of 37 to try to win back her Grand Slam record. There is a lot of tennis match recap butI was able to easily follow the back and forth and stay very engaged.

Spoiler alert: Mick Riva of course makes a mini appearance!

what else can I say other than WOW 🥹

wow wow wow I did not expect to love this one as much as I did 🤭 carrie is perhaps TJR’s most unlikable character yet, and in all shannon fashion, I of course fell in love with her

carrie is determined, focused, and doesn’t give a flying f- what everyone thinks of her (spoiler: it’s not high). she’s the highest ranked and title holder for tennis and refuses to let anyone take that title from her 🎾

while this book is 80% about tennis, I absolutely loved the rest of the 20% too. carrie is such a complicated character, and her relationships with others was so diverse - it really opened up into carrie’s true personality.

I had such a soft spot in my heart for javier, carrie’s father, for so many reasons - I knew their relationship was going to break my heart and put it back together again and literally make me sob 🥹❤️

TJR can do no wrong in my book - this one was such a fun and entertaining surprise for me … AND I learned so much about tennis!!!

now I’m going to go pick up a racket and pretend I’m playing at wimbledon thank YOU 🤭

a gigantic thank you to netgalley and random house publishing for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review! august cannot come soon enough!

rating: 4.5 stars
wine pairing: australian shiraz blend

I barely have the words to tell you how much I loved CARRIE SOTO IS BACK.

This is plotting as it’s finest! I was glued to the page, my heart racing each time Carrie picked up her racket.

There’s a lot of tennis in this book, yes, but there’s even more heart. I loved Carrie so much. I probably loved her the way her father did: watching her from the sidelines, praying that things would go her way, not sure how to bear it if they didn’t. I was DESPERATE for her to win, to make her big comeback. She’s a complicated character, but so easy to love.

Fierce and fiery, this in an incredibly powerful novel about female ambition, about resilience and determination, about refusing to accept less than you deserve. I think this book is going to be an emotional gut punch for any woman who has ever felt competitive or dreamed of the being the best at something. It certainly was for me.

The father-daughter story, too, struck a deep emotional cord. There’s so much love in this story. I had an emotional hangover after reading this book, unable to do anything but sit the big feelings it stirred. I’m tearing up just writing this note.

Daisy Jones was so special because it was TJR’s breakout and an inventive format. Malibu was the ultimate summer read. Evelyn was an incredible surprise. But I think this TJR’s best yet. CARRIE SOTO proves her to be a master of character, plot, and prose.

Another great book by Taylor Jenkins Reid. This was not my favorite of her books, but I think that was only because it is so heavily based on tennis. The story follows Carrie Soto who was once the top tennis player in the world. She was coached by her dad and was strongly driven to be the best. Carrie retired from tennis when she hurt her knee, but years later when her record is in jeopardy she decides to come out of retirement to defend her record. The story then follows Carrie's training and attempt to win again.