Oh, Taylor Jenkins Reid. I love your books. You create characters that stay with me long after I finish the story. Daisy Jones and the Six is one of my favorites.
So when I got an ARC of Carrie Soto, I pushed it to the top of the stack. So glad I did!
I love tennis and I love when authors put cameos in their books. Carrie Soto originated in Malibu Rising. She is the woman who has an affair with Nina Riva's husband. Carrie Soto has won 20 grand slams and was known as the best woman’s tennis player in the world at the height of her career. But now she is a retired 37 year old trying to make a comeback. She is cold, ruthless and her “unlikableness” makes her character so very “likeable.” You find yourself rooting for her and falling in love with her coach (her father) and her love interest, Bowe. The character development is fantastic. Well worth your time. This is a good one!
Thank you to NetGalley and Ballantine Books for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

YESSS! I screamed when I received an advanced copy of Taylor Jenkins Reid’s new book that is set to be published and released on August 30, 2022. I am a sucker for anything that TJR puts out, so when I found out her latest work is all about tennis, I was dying to get my hands on a copy!!!! And the hype I built up for this book DID NOT DISAPPOINT. This is easily my favorite read of 2022 so far and everyone should run to their local bookstore on August 30th and purchase this masterpiece.

Carrie Soto is one of the best tennis players the world has seen and holds the title for the most Grand Slam titles…until Nikki Chan arrives on the scene and threatens Carrie’s tennis legacy. As a fierce and determined player, Carrie decides to come out of retirement and try and reclaim the title that was once hers. Mix in a little light romance with a fellow retired tennis player, Bowe Huntley, and add a dash of drama to Carrie’s life and this book has everything. Carrie is a formidable opponent and has historically not been popular with fans and the media due to her brash personality, but Carrie won over my heart, as did every other single character in this book!!!!

I do feel like I need to point out the obvious that I may be very biased in my review of this book since I am an avid tennis player and find myself on the court at least three times a week. So reading A LOT about tennis was interesting and exciting to me, but not sure how my non-tennis friends would feel? Also want to note my one criticism of the book was the intermittent use of Spanish between Carrie and her father/coach Javier. The translation of the phrases was sporadic and many times if none was given I just glanced over those sentences without even trying to figure out was was said.

I found this book fast paced and exciting and I did not want it to end. However, I really loved the ending and would highly recommend this book!!!

Y'all, no one writes character-driven books like Taylor Jenkins Reid. This one is quite different from the first four of her novels that I've read, and that speaks to just what a brilliant author she is. This book focuses on retired tennis star Carrie Soto in the nineties. There is a new star in tennis, and Carrie just isn't ready to let her records go just yet, so she decides to mount a comeback. It's a little weird to read about a woman who is around your age being "old" and coming out of retirement, AND I also could relate with the feeling of trying to figure out where you fit into the world as you grow and age. Again, this author is masterful at writing compelling characters to create stories that just sweep you away, and Carrie (or the "Battle Ax" as she's been known) is so, so much that. I was thrilled to get this one early because I literally could not wait to get my eyes on this story. This is another must-read by Taylor Jenkins Reid. Thanks to NetGalley for the early look at this August 2022 release.

I have Reader Friends who don’t like a book if the Protagonists is not a likable character. Carrie Soto, a 37 year old retired World Class Tennis Player, is not a likable character. In fact, the press refer to her as “the Battle-Ax”! Yet it would be very hard not to enjoy this uplifting story. Carrie’s Father, Javier, himself a retired tennis pro, has coached Carrie since she was 2. He is definitely among my favorite fictional Dads. It’s also easy to root for Hunter Bose, Carrie’s Friend, Practice Partner, questionable romantic interest. And Carrie’s Manager/Friend, Gwen, is a supportive, loyal friend who teaches Carrie how to be the same. So, see, there are plenty of likable characters in this delightful story of grit, determination and unconditional love between a Father and Daughter. Taylor Jenkins Reid has once again given us an engrossing, moving novel. Thanks for the opportunity of an early read in exchange for an honest review.
#CarrieSotoisBack. #NetGalley

I received an advanced reader’s copy in exchange for an honest review

There is a lot of tennis here, with a good story woven in between the matches. I liked the parts about Carrie and her relationships, but I found myself skimming through the tennis parts after awhile. 3.5 rounded up.

I love everything Taylor Jenkins Reid has written and Carrie Soto Is Back is no exception! Definitely add this one to your summer reading list!

I loved this book and I’m not a huge tennis fan. It moves quickly and builds suspense. The characters are vivid and consistent in their development. The relationships among them are well-developed and I was happy for all of them. Carrie is not always the most likable character, but her intensity, dedication to her sport, and love and respect for her father/coach redeems her.

Taylor Jenkins Reid made me fall in love with fiction so I was more than eager and excited to get my hands on her upcoming release, Carrie Soto is Back. If you read Malibu Rising, you may briefly remember Carrie, but reading that book isn’t a perquisite for delving into this one. At the time that Carrie Soto hangs up her racket and retires, she’s considered the best tennis player in the world with 20 Grand Slam titles under her belt. 5 years later Nicki Chan comes along and swipes that title right out from underneath her. At the age of 37 she decides to come out of retirement at an attempt to win the title back under the leadership and coaching of her father, a long time tennis player, Javier Soto. Fighting for a championship at 37 isn’t easy, especially considering that the game and players having only improved since her departure year’s prior.

I would say everyone loves a comeback story, but unfortunately, I didn’t love this one. While I enjoy a good competition and sports novel, our protagonist came across as entitled, unfriendly, and exhibited poor sportsmanship making her unlikable all the way around with very few, if any, redeemable qualities. Therefore, I didn’t find myself rooting for her and supporting her comeback story. Aside from this, there was a lot of gameplay, too much in my opinion. I really didn’t enjoy the narration and play by play of match after match, even for someone who enjoys the sport of tennis. For what it’s worth, I enjoyed the last half of the book much more than the first, and I liked the ending. My expectations were high and this one fell a bit short for me.

We follow Carrie Soto after she set new records and dominated the tennis world in the 80s. Now she is back to try and defend her records against younger players with a new style of tennis in a sport that seems resentful that she's back.

What a relief! After being underwhelmed by Malibu Rising, I'm happy to report that I really enjoy this one. While I felt that Malibu Rising lacked focus, a direction, and a plot, this one here brings all of these elements so beautifully in the form of its main character: Carrie Soto. I felt that since she has the focus and the drive, the book had it too. The character and the book seemed in sync, just like the best of TJR works. The story seemed snappy and hard when Carrie was like that, and it slowed down when Carrie was going through something that destroyed her. The evolution of the character is mirrored in the evolution of the story.

I really liked that we follow Carrie after her "best years" in the sport, when she's coming back but after getting a glimpse of what she was like during her beginning and the end of the first phase of her career. I liked her development so much; she grew as a person but it never felt too forced, she was still who she was by the end of the book and the small changes seemed authentic for what she went through. I really loved her relationship with her dad; there were heartbreaking moments in their lives but it just enriched the story.

And it's such a good sports book. There are all kinds of relationship and discussions that are within the pages. But in the core of it there is such a genuine love for the sport and for competition that I just really liked. It's predictable what's going to happen since the beginning at every turn. But honestely, I just didn't care that it was, I just liked following Carrie and everyone around her and the sport.

Once again, TJR managed to create characters so full of life and so real that I wanted to Google them and watch the matches and see how they were doing.

Thank you Netgalley, author, and publisher for the ARC.

I knew I’d love this book, because I love everything Taylor creates. But I never thought that I would love this book as much as I did. Carrie Soto is unforgettable, pure magic. I know close to nothing about tennis, but Carrie made me want to know more. She made me care.

I didn’t want this book to end. I loved every page, every second.

Carrie Soto is Back is the newest book by well loved author, Taylor Jenkins Reid and is also one of my most anticipated books of the year so thank you so much to NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book ahead of its release. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

As someone who knows virtually nothing about tennis, reading a book that is 97 percent tennis didn’t sound too appealing to me. But I trust Taylor Jenkins Reid because she has made me love plenty of other things in the past. I am happy to say this is no exception. I guess I’m a tennis fan now because I feel like I was on the court while reading this book. Reid writes about tennis in a way that is very accessible to the average reader and makes the stakes of the game feel very real. So if the book being about tennis has you on the fence, I would still check this out.

Our main character is Carrie Soto, the best female tennis player in the world, who is coming out of retirement to try and keep her title. Reid is well known for writing somewhat unlikeable protagonists and a Carrie Soto is definitely at the top of that list. She is harsh and determined to be the best, no matter what the cost. I really loved reading about her and her dynamic with everyone else around her. Carrie Soto does make an appearance in Malibu Rising so this book continues the TJRiverse where all of her historical books seem to connect. There are references to Daisy Jones and the Six and Malibu Rising in this book that TJR fans will enjoy.

The standout character for me is Javier Soto, Carrie’s dad and trainer. The love and respect that he has for his daughter is so beautiful to see. It is nice to have a book where the parent is so present and excited for their child.

This book as a lot of tennis talk and tennis scenes. My only complaint is that I feel like it felt more like a sports movie at times when I was wanting more of the classic Taylor Jenkins Reid quotable lines about life. That being said, I am sure the audiobook for this will be phenomenal and I plan on listening to it when it becomes available.

I would say if you enjoyed Reid’s other books, you will like this one. Just go into it knowing that it is very sports heavy.

I love TJR, so when I was approved to read CARRIE SOTO IS BACK early from NetGalley I was ecstatic! I went into this book not expecting it to be a favorite, as I know nothing about tennis. I soon found that the story is way more than tennis! My favorite part of the book was the father-daughter relationship between Carrie & her father. The beginning 1/4 was a bit slow with backstory, but the last 3/4 made made for a book I just couldn’t put down. I just had to keep reading to see if Carrie Soto would take home the win. Highly recommend!

My review will also be posted on my Instagram feed, StoryGraph & on my goodreads!

Taylor Jenkins Reid has written a stunner. Oh, there's nothing like a fantastic sports novel. What can I say that hasn't already been said? There's so much here--the demands on precocious athletes, the differences in how outspoken male athletes and women athletes are treated, and an industry that is ready to push you out as quickly as they propped you up.

The tennis match scenes are impeccable; I'm not much of a tennis fan (I'll watch the occasional Wimbledon match), but I know how intense and dramatic they can be. Jenkins Reid captures that intensity with perfection.

Read this--it'll be *the* book of the summer.

Many thanks to Ballantine and NetGalley for a digital review copy in exchange for an honest review.

Oh wow. I know we all probably hated Carrie in Malibu Rising but I loved her in this. She stands up there with Daisy, Evelyn, and Nina as a memorable MC. This one was unlike any of TJR’s other books plot wise but it had her same beautiful writing and character development.

I honestly wasn’t sure about all the tennis talk bc I’m not really a sports person 🙃 but it was actually so interesting and fun The tennis matches kept me on the edge of my seat. And her and her dad made my heart absolutely melt. Just know going in there is A LOT of tennis strategy.

Carrie is unlikeable but somehow I was rooting for her from the beginning. She’s unapologetically confident and aggressive and it was kind of inspiring. And to the tennis community that makes her a b*tch. Yes she could be brash and rude and maybe took it to her far. But it felt amazing to see a woman be like “I know I’m good and I won’t make myself smaller to make you more comfortable”. This is a poignant commentary on how women are portrayed in the media and what being a successful woman athlete looks like.

Carrie leans to come to terms for failure and learning from her mistakes. Honestly, I really related to this book as a struggling perfectionist. I hate to be wrong or make mistakes and it’s something I’m working on because it prevents me from doing thing at times. I definitely felt that Carrie mirrored me in that way but to an extreme. She felt that she was not enough if she wasn’t No. 1 in the world.

If you love anything about tennis, this book is for you. If you don’t, their might be some parts of the book that might not interest you. Though who doesn’t love a comeback story. Carrie Soto, who is 37, is a retired tennis player. She has set many records. Nicki Chan is about to surpass Carrie’s record. Carrie with the help of her father decides to come out of retirement to maintain her record. The story goes between the past and present. I enjoyed the book very much especially since I like tennis and follow it. Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group/Ballantine.This is my own opinion.

Carrie Soto Is Back, and I, for one, am extremely grateful for that! I acquired unending joy and pleasure by reading this book and getting to know these characters. Carrie, her father, Bowe, and all the additional cast are perfectly penned and enthusiastically given life. Being a tennis enthusiast and avid reader, this book has it all for me. My one negative inkling of a thought would have to be, however, that people who are not as passionate about tennis as I am may find the first half of the book a bit tedious, as it reads as a play-by-play of Carrie's many matches. After the halfway point, the story really takes off, becoming a triumphant masterpiece of finding oneself, validation, growth, family bonds and love--all perfectly woven into a come-back story that will draw the reader in and leave them as breathless as if they had just played a 3-set match at Arthur Ashe stadium. I find myself becoming more of a Taylor Jenkins Reid fan with each book she writes. I cannot wait to see what's next, but until then, I am truly grateful for this amazing book.

You don't need to be a fan of tennis to love this book! There are a lot of detailed sections describing tennis matches, tennis practices, and tennis strategy, but Taylor Jenkins Reid is such a gifted writer that even a reader who knows nothing about tennis will enjoy all of the action. Carrie Soto, who is a champion tennis player coming out of retirement to defend her Grand Slam record, seems like an unlikeable character at first, but as the story continues and we learn of her past and her relationship with her father, we realize that she is a complex character who deserves to be rooted for - I loved everything about Carrie Soto. She is unapologetic about her talent and she ignores that naysayers who say that she is too old to make a comeback. I devoured this book in two days, and I think this will be a huge hit when it is published. Thank you to Ballantine Books and NetGalley for the ARC.

I love tennis. I love watching the sport, its thrilling. So to be able to read a book about the greatest tennis player in the world and feel like you are at every match is truly a treat. Even for a reader that isnt into tennis - this book is a delight. Carrie is not likable. She is stubborn, rude, cocky but you still root for her. You root for her relationships, her game, her heartbreak. She is a special character and I loved everyone around her as well..

TJR wrote a really incredible book with this one and I am SO excited to recommend it to everyone.

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Let me start with this: there is a LOT of tennis in this book. As in, it’s like all tennis. Each section is formatted to follow a different tournament with most matches described in detail. I happen to love tennis and it’s written in such a way that I found it enthralling, but if you’re hoping for lots of romantic intrigue and deep plot, well, revise. It’s tennis.

There is also a lot of Spanish dialogue, which surprised me. Sometimes entire sentences in a particular dialect. I speak Spanish and thought it was great (and done correctly unlike certain books where the Spanish is amateur and eye-rolly), but I found myself thinking multiple times “man, if I didn’t speak Spanish this would be tough!”

Because of these reasons, this may not be a five star book for everyone. It was for me! I flew through it and was biting my nails the whole time to see if Carrie could make her comeback happen. I loved her flawed but growing character. I loved her “people”, especially Bowe and Javier, and loved the relationship she developed with the “villain” who’s not a villain, Nicki Chan.

The writing was strong and I enjoyed the multimedia aspect sprinkled throughout, with transcripts of TV shows and articles.

5 stars from me!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I don’t even know where to begin with this one! For starters, thank you so much Netgalley and Random House for this ARC. This is one of the books that I’ve been looking forward to the most and I was so excited to be able to read it.

In Carrie Soto is Back we are reintroduced to the titular character, Carrie Soto. Carrie is a retired tennis star who decides to make her comeback when her record is challenged by a younger player, Nicki Chan.

If you don’t know anything about tennis then some parts of this book may be a little slow or boring. However, there is actually a lot of information, and you may learn something! 😁

Carrie Soto definitely fits right in with Evelyn, Daisy, and Nina. Taylor Jenkins Reid just keeps creating these amazing female characters and I can’t get enough of them!

This is probably my favorite book of the year so far and I can’t wait to reread it once it’s officially published! Great cover, great story, great characters! Make sure to check it out August 30th