Carrie Soto Is Back is a fierce, fast-paced story about legacy, ambition, and the cost of greatness, following a legendary tennis champion coming out of retirement to reclaim her title. Taylor Jenkins Reid delivers emotional depth and propulsive drama with her signature flair, crafting a character who’s unapologetically intense and profoundly human. It’s a thrilling, heartfelt comeback tale.

I put off reading this because I'm not a huge sports person, but I'll be damned: This was hard to put down. It was. told in a classic TJR Rly remarkable way where the humanity and relationships are front and center and what TJR does so well.

The way she tells stories just SUCKS you in. Carrie really felt real, and this is what got me so hooked into Evelyn Hugo as well. The PEOPLE are so realistic. She has such a way of storytelling that it just propels you through it and I felt like I just flew through it. It was so human and interesting and I couldn't get enough. The relationships and human connection are so vivid.

And it's funny, Carrie herself isn't even THAT interesting or super complex, but she's super driven for complex reasons and has lots of layers - loved seeing the relationship with her dad play out. TJR really has solidified her own universe - I always love the mentions with Daisy Jones and Nina Riva!

Loved this a LOT more than I was expecting - definitely a testament to TJR's writing style! Can't wait to read Atmosphere.

Taylor Jenkins Reid is back to her best here, writing a story that both captivates and excites. I'm not a fan of tennis at all, yet she managed to not only make me want to watch the game but also feel the tension in every swing and feel the ground beneath Carrie's feet. The rush of an ace, the hand thrust of a win. I felt it all with Carrie, and I was willing her on at every step.

Carrie Soto is my new favorite TJR leading lady and I couldn't get enough of her story. I dual read with the audiobook and the full cast narration is 100% worth it! We first meet Carrie in Malibu Rising, and I think having that initial taste of her is actually better to start with but you don't need to read that to appreciate this book -- merely a suggestion. :) I don't want to give away anything more since the story really does speak for itself, so I'll leave you with my 5 stars for Miss Soto!

Taylor Jenkins Reid lo hace de nuevo. Te sumerge en una historia ficticia de un personaje ficticio y te hace creer, por el tiempo que lees el libro, que fue real. ¿Dónde puedo ver a Carrie Soto jugar? ¿Dónde puedo ver las portadas de revista donde salió? ¿Sus entrevistas? Es que es un personaje que te cautiva, te atrapa. Tiene una personalidad fuerte, competitiva, determinada. Puede tomar decisiones con las que como lector podrías no estar de acuerdo, pero la entiendes, igual la apoyas, la quieres. Deseas verla en la cima triunfando, porque a pesar de sus defectos, y gracias a sus virtudes, te roba el corazón.

Los personajes secundarios de igual manera consiguen dejarte marca, sobre todo Javier, el papá de Carrie, yo es que adoré a ese señor con todo mi corazón. Qué buen personaje, tan lleno de luz y amor por su hija, siempre tan leal a ella.

Me encanta cómo Taylor consigue adentrarte en un partido de tennis y emocionarte, aunque yo nunca en mi vida me había detenido a ver uno. Te hace vivir los partidos que narra de una manera que les juro sentía el corazón latiendo apresuradamente, esperando el siguiente movimiento, el siguiente punto. Tanto me gustó la experiencia de leer los partidos de Carrie que busqué más tarde en Youtube mejores jugadas en tennis femenino para imaginarme que era ella quien sostenía la raqueta.

La autora va tejiendo la historia poco a poco, y te hace enamorarte del tennis y de sus personajes. Es fácil de leer, te enseña del tennis de una manera que es fácil poder entender lo que está sucediendo así no sepas nada del deporte, como yo, y te mantiene aferrada a las páginas de la historia de Carrie, que va creciendo y madurando y mejorando frente a tus ojos, así que al final te sientes tan orgullosa de Carrie como si tú fueses familiar de ella.

Me gustó muchísimo el libro, la verdad lo disfruté de inicio a fin. Es una historia que tiene sus momentos de júbilo, otros de sabor amargo, de victorias y fracasos. Y adoré cada segundo de lectura.

This one took longer to get into than a typical TJR story but the character development was great and I loved seeing Carrie's journey play out along with her family dynamics.

I had reservations about a tennis story. I am not a tennis player and movies that have covered the subject in the past do not usually grab my attention. That said, Taylor Jenkins Reid is known to deliver a well-paced story teeming with complicated, open-hearted characters (at least to the reader if not to the other characters), thought-provoking dialogue, and a unique perspective. In short, I like being in her hands. Because of this, it should have come as no surprise that it only took a few chapters to suddenly care about tennis, about Carrie Soto — a character in Malibu Rising I didn’t particularly care about. Honest, evocative, and an ending that left me teary-eyed? TJR has done it again.

I love anything by Taylor Jenkins Reid! I also really enjoy how many of her novels take place in the same world, with character mentions overlapping. My students really enjoy that too. I also liked having one focused on sports to round out our collection! We bought this for our high school library and everyone who's checked it out has enjoyed it. Will always buy TJR books!

I really loved Carrie’s character development and determination. And I learned a LOT about tennis. I will always devour anything TJR writes!

Carrie Soto Is Back is a fierce, emotional, and unflinchingly honest portrait of a woman who refuses to go down without a fight. Taylor Jenkins Reid delivers another knockout with a story that’s as much about personal redemption as it is about athletic glory. Carrie is unapologetically ambitious, sharp-edged, and complex—and watching her navigate aging, legacy, and vulnerability is both riveting and deeply human. The tennis scenes are electric, but it’s the relationships—especially the raw, complicated bond with her father—that give this novel its heart. It’s a story about the price of greatness, the pain of reinvention, and the fire it takes to reclaim your place in the world. Carrie Soto doesn’t just come back—she comes back swinging.

Reading about Carrie and her father's relationship made me cry in some scenes. They had such a beautiful bond. Plus Bowe deserves everything, he was so sweet and I wish there was at least one more chapter about him and Carrie at the end. I like all the women written by Taylor Jenkins Reid — at least the ones I've met so far in the stories I've read from this author — but how could I not, since they are all strong and unique individuals, but I have to admit that Carrie Soto will probably be one of my favorites.

Carrie Soto has set her records and made her mark in the very competitive world of tennis, now she's retired, watching the younger players come up the ranks. Then, her most prized record is broken. Now, she's made the decision to come back to prove herself one more time. But at her age, she's not considered a contender. I've read a few books centered around the world of tennis, but Taylor Jenkins Reid has made her own mark in the literary markets by giving readers excellent reads and keeping them coming back for more.

Only Taylor Jenkins Reid could make me enjoy a sports book like this! I never cared about tennis and all of a sudden I did when I read this book. I was so invested. I really liked how Carrie was unapologetically herself, it was refreshing to read about a character like her. She knows she’s good and she’ll talk about it. The middle did drag a little bit but then it picked up and I LOVED the ending. It was so perfect! Highly recommend!

As a longtime TJR reader, I was not disappointed. It’s super well-written, clearly well-researched, and Carrie Soto is the perfect abrasive, complex, flawed character you can simultaneously root for and hate in equal measure. I’d been nervous as I’d not loved Malibu Rising, but I loved this! Highly recommend.

Another snappy, character-forward read from consistently fun Taylor Jenkins Reid. Though not my favorite of hers (Daisy Jones & the Six takes the title), I nevertheless raced through this and would recommend it as a beach read or a follow up to her other celebrity-centric novels.

I loved this one! TJR is a master at creating strong female characters. I never thought I'd like a book about tennis, but this one drew me in from the start.

Loved it, as I've loved all the books by this author.

Carrie climbs back up to the top after 6 years of retirement. She is a badass character!!

I'm not a tennis fan at all - like not even one tiny bit - but the way TJR writes the matches had me visualizing everything in my head.

I really love this author and was so excited to read this one. But I am gonna have to go against popular ratings here and say it wasn’t a fave of mine. Don’t get me wrong, it was good, but boy was there a lot of tennis. I know, I know. It’s a book about tennis. And what I didn’t know about the game, I sure do now. Every step, every swing, every hit. So much tennis. In fact, in my opinion, the tennis was the story and not the characters. And speaking of characters, I really didn’t like Carrie Soto one bit!! What a spoiled brat.

I did enjoy this read and liked the storyline. It was entertaining and enjoyable. It will not deter me from reading more of her books. In fact, I’m off to read Malibu Rising!!

Carrie Soto Is Back by Taylor Jenkins Reid is an engaging read with a unique take on the world of competitive tennis. While the story of Carrie’s comeback is compelling, some parts felt a bit repetitive. Overall, it’s a solid read for those who enjoy sports dramas and strong, complex characters. 🎾📚

I received this for free through netgalley for my honest review. I found this book extremely uninteresting until maybe the end. Too much detail about tennis, which is a sport I know nothing about, so it made absolutely no sense. There was a lot of Spanish as well with no explanation of what the words meant which really started annoying me. I do love the turn in character at the end where she came to terms with what it meant to play tennis and that it was more than just winning.