This book is absolutely brilliant! I was on the edge of my seat the entire time! I have never been interested in tennis, but this book made me gain a new love and respect for the game. It is everything a reader wants from a Taylor Jenkins Reid book, and she did not disappoint. This story was so captivating and I never wanted it to end (even though the ending was perfect)! I have read most of her books and this is definitely one of the best books she has written! This book is truly amazing!

Once again, Taylor Jenkins Reid has amazed me.

While this is a much lighter read then Evelyn Hugo and Daisy Jones, it still has the same heart, soul and messy characters that her readers have fallen in love with time and time again.

I highly recommend that when this book comes out in August for everyone to pick it up.

I am not a tennis fan, but I could not put this book down! I fell in love with Carrie and tennis while reading this book! The author gives detailed descriptions of what it is like to be a top tennis athlete which made me root for Carrie that much more. I also was rooting for her in her personal areas of her life as well! Highly recommend this book! I told my son I was sad when I finished this book because I would miss Carrie and the other characters!

TJR is a master storyteller! Her books make me want to shut out the world and devour it in one sitting. I wouldn't call myself a tennis fan and you certainly don't have to be to enjoy this. Even though now, I think I'll look at tennis in a whole new light! Carrie may be a tennis player but this is the story of hard work, determination, lifelong devotion, and so much more.

4.5 stars

Thank you SO SO SO MUCH to netgalley, Random House Publishing Group & Ballentine Publishing

receiving an ARC of this book is a dream come true, and I truly think it’s my favorite book of the year. This is going to be a very in depth review so hold on tight!

‘Carrie Soto is back’ on a surface level is the story of a woman’s journey to becoming the best tennis player in the world, and maintaining that title after she’s retired.
on a deeper level this is the story about a girl, and the truly touching, never ending love, and relationship with her father.

TJR writing is always top notch, I truly think that she’s the best at what she does and there’s a reason she’s one of our times most popular authors. That is clearly evident in Carrie Soto. The story is enticing, intense, accessible for those who know nothing about sports/tennis, and truly a beautiful story. Let’s be honest a lot of readers probably want nothing to do with sports or to read about sports- but this book??? absolutely changes the game. I can’t tell you how many times I pulled up Amazon to buy a white tennis skirt and text my mom to find out where my tennis racket is.

I think when this book announced most readers had hear of Carrie Soto in Malibu rising. I think the way that Brandon Randell is discussed in Carrie Soto is back is AMAZING. I love that it’s literally blip in time, not all that important to Carrie, and she KNEW that he was a loser. I loved that, she absolutely roasted his ass. On the flip side her relationship with Bowe, was amazing. He was everything she needed to accept that she isn’t a stone cold bitch and she deserves a love like her parents.

I love Carrie. I love her wit, her drive, her anger, and her growth over the book. She is a strong personality type, but by the end of the book the character development and acceptance she reaches had me in tears. I worry that readers ‘won’t like her’ but she’s a realistic woman who is constantly treated like she’s a ‘bitch’ just because she’s driven, and focused on her goal.

Where the father figure in ‘Malibu Rising’ was missing with mick riva, Javier Soto makes up for it 10x. He never stopped loving Carrie, supporting her, pushing her farther, and setting her straight. The relationship between Javier and Carrie had me in tears multiple times. I love the Soto family.

Overall I highly HIGHLY recommend this book. I’m so excited for august 30, because I think this book is going to take over the masses. It’s truly an intense and beautiful story. I can’t wait to see what TJR has in store for the future because her stories, and writing is SO GOOD.

thanks again to the publisher!!

There are two main characters in Taylor Jenkins Reid's new book, tennis and Carrie Soto. For at least the first third of this book all we read about is the main character training for tennis, playing tennis matches and nothing much else. I do not enjoy the sport of tennis and really did not enjoy reading about it in depth. Carrie Soto wants to be the best tennis player in the world above all else. She is not a likeable or relatable character. She seems like she has almost no emotion.
I quit reading this book about half way through. Maybe the second half of the book got better or turned into an actual storyline other than tennis.
I have loved other books by this author but this one was not the book for me.
Thanks to NetGalley and the Publisher for a copy of this book for an honest review.

4.5 stars. Carrie Soto is definitely back. I knew she'd have a good story to tell and this one did not disappoint. Carrie grew up with a tennis racket in her arm with how much time she devoted to crafting her game and being the best by dominating others on the courts. Having already retired with 20 Grand Slam titles under her belt, she's watching the new woman's world champion, Nicki Chan, overtake her record. This is an absolute NO for Carrie. She's not going to stand for another person claiming her fame and glory without going down for one more fight to prove that Carrie Soto is still the best.

Funny thing is, I really didn't like Carrie much at first. I didn't even like her dad, Javier, because he planted the idea in Carrie's mind from a young age that she would best that the world would ever see in tennis and coached her. Of course a winner has to have a winning mindset. But Carrie and Javier were very much "take no prisoners" and Javier wouldn't let Carrie indulge in a bit of fun at the expense of tennis. Carrie herself has turned into an extremely confident and arrogant person. Yes, she has the skills to back up her talk, but she's not personable, friendly or even kind. When it comes to her opponents, Carrie isn't going to be humble or give thanks to good luck when she wins because she earned it, nothing more and nothing less.

Yet this whole experience of her coming out of retirement, initially with the purpose of proving that she's still the biggest name in the tennis world, sets Carrie on a journey of discovering what really matters in life. Despite Carrie seeming so off putting in every way except the actual game itself, because when it comes to winning, she won't go easy or play nice, Carrie grew on me. Javier, who already went through his own turmoil with Carrie, is also much more likable, to where I saw him as Carrie's loving and supportive father more so than her coach. Then there's Bowe Huntley, the only person Carrie can find to even meet her skill halfway on the courts so she can practice playing at an elite level again. Even Bowe was a turnoff for me, too, at first with his history of combustible tantrums and impulsive behavior. Yet Bowe does the thing that others won't do with Carrie, proving his worth later on. He keeps showing up, which in Carrie's world is a big deal because most people write her off pretty quick with her personality.

The tennis matches themselves are exciting to read about. I can definitely feel Carrie's apprehension and desire for victory. I want Carrie to have that win, too, because of everything she's worked for and is now setting out to prove. There is no doubt that she is amazing at what she does and her father is incredible in how he guides her, both professionally and personally. I was also fascinated with Carrie doing this at the age of 37, competing with people who are 10-20 years younger than her. It's her determination and attitude that had me fully believing that she could do this impossible feat, and if anyone could, it would be Carrie. As far as rewriting history or giving kudos to great women in history, Carrie Soto did it once and she will do it again.

Sadly this was a disappointment, DNF/skim to the end to see what happens for me. I am a tennis lover, yet it just didn’t do it for me. Too much of the same thing. Tennis, tennis, and more tennis. Decade after decade and not enough plot in between. I have loved TJR novels, but not this one. Not much more to add, since I seem to be in the minority here and I don’t want to be a Debbie Downer.

🎾 I pretty much automatically pick up anything @tjenkinsreid writes & was so excited to read a #kindle #arc of “Carrie Soto is Back” from #netgalley.

🎾 You met Carrie Soto briefly in Malibu Rising, when she was with Nina Rivas’ husband. She is the world’s greatest tennis player, coming out of retirement at age 37 to defend her Slam record. Carrie is stubborn & doesn’t care what people think of her. I loved watching her character develop as she struggles with perfectionism.

🎾 A great read. I felt like I was in the stadium at Wimbledon watching the matches. You’ll enjoy this if you love a good comeback story. I loved the ending!

#carriesotoisback #tennis#bookstagram #bookstagrammer #readersofinstagram #bookreview #bookrecommendations #booklover #bookblog #fiction#zeleno#dc#goodreads #goodreadswithaview #comeback #kindle#advancedreaderscopy #tarajenkinsreid

THIS BOOK IS THE DEFINITION OF PERFECT. Taylor Jenkins Reid has all my respect. I’m so grateful to be given an arc! My heart is was so happy reading this, I could not put it down! So empowering! Never felt so happy for my last name to be Soto 😉 THANK YOU to Author, Publisher, and Net Galley for my ARC! 🤍

Taylor Jenkins Reid gave us Evelyn, Daisy, Nina, and now Carrie. These are all strong, badass female characters who we root for time and time again.

I won’t say too much on this until release day, but just know that Carrie has earned a spot on my favorite literary characters list and this book is one of, if not the best, TJR books. Plus, you may see a few of our favorites from past novels show up. 😉 This book is about tennis and tennis statistics and plays and rules, but it’s also about tenacity. It’s about never giving up and always showing up for yourself and for the people that love you. I laughed, I cried, I fell in love with Carrie, Javier, Bowe, and even Nickie Chan. You’re going to want to pick this up August 30th!

Am I a tennis fan now?? The answer is yes. Carrie Soto has made me obsessed with all things tennis. This one earns all stars!

I don’t think you are able to imagine my excitement when Netgalley sent the approval to read Carrie Soto is Back by one of my favorite authors, Taylor Jenkins Reid! There was some quick rearranging of my TBR reads and priorities and life itself and I dove right in!

Much like Daisy, Nina and Evelyn, Carrie is a strong female protagonist who doesn’t take no for an answer. Carrie’s whole life she is focused on one thing and one thing only: being the best tennis player ever. And no one and nothing will get in her way of achieving that. Carrie is a woman going through personal struggles, the pressure to be the very best, and the challenge of breaking through and proving herself in a male dominated sport. You learn to love “The Battle Axe” with the help of amazing supportive characters who you come to love as well!

Reid delivered an Ace with her new novel 😉. As someone who could have cared less about tennis and knew next to nothing about the sport, I now am a fan and am looking forward to watching it! That’s a testament to how good Reid’s writing is. She is truly one of my favorite storytellers, not just for her immersive stories and the way a reader can get lost in her writing but also for the reoccurrence of these badass female characters that she writes. If you can make a reader go from hating Carrie Soto in Malibu Rising to full on fangirling her in Carrie Soto is Back then you not only have a winner but you’ve created another best seller!

You know I’ve already preordered a physical copy of this one! Can’t wait for it to come out in August. In the meantime, I’ll be headed to the tennis courts…or at least the ones on tv!

Taylor Jenkins Reid is back! I devoured the story of Carrie Soto, a 37-year-old former tennis superstar who attempts a comeback to defend her Grand Slam record. I'm a fan of tennis and of thrilling sports stories, so the storyline was really fun for me. But this isn't just a sports story...Carrie Soto (who many will remember as a small character in Malibu Rising, Jenkin Reid's last book), is known as The Battle Axe. She's brash and says what she thinks and cares about winning above all else. She lost her mother at a young age and is coached by her father, and has learned not to get too close to anyone. When she decides to come out of retirement and play all four Grand Slam tournaments in one year, the year transforms her in more ways than one. This is the perfect beach read - a guilty pleasure that kept me turning page after page until the final match point!

Taylor Jenkins Reid has written a book for the Cristina Yang’s of the world.

I’m going to preface this by saying this book is not going to be for everyone for two reasons. The first is this book is heavily entrenched in the world of tennis. And if you don’t look deeper, your takeaway is likely to be this is just “a book about tennis,” which is fine. The second is Carrie Soto herself. She is the definition of your unlikeable, prickly heroine. And I think how you feel about her is likely going to drive your enjoyment of this book. If you’re read ACOSF, I think she’s kind of like Nesta in terms of her personality, yes, but also in that if you really don’t like Nesta, you’re unlikely to enjoy ACOSF. If you don’t like Carrie Soto, you’re unlikely to enjoy Carrie Soto Is back. With this book in particular, I think your enjoyment is going to hinge upon your personal connection to Carrie, how you choose to view her, and if she speaks to you. Quite frankly, some readers are just going to think she’s plain awful, which is understandable, but that wasn’t my experience.

I can safely say that while Daisy Jones & the Six remains my favorite Taylor Jenkins Reid book, Carrie Soto is my favorite TJR heroine. I saw so much of myself in her and really identified with her.

Carrie Soto Is Back is a book about tennis in the way that Evelyn Hugo was a book about the Golden Age of Hollywood and Daisy Jones was a book about music. So, while this is a book about tennis, and the sport certainly dominates the narrative and setting, the sport still comes second to what is at the center of this story, what it’s really about, because it isn’t about tennis: it’s about determination and female ambition. It’s about a character who refuses to accept crap and always demands something more. This is a book for every woman who has ever had big ambitions and dreamed of being great. This is a story that reminds women that it’s ok to be unapologetic about your ambitions - you’re allowed to have them, you’re allowed to own them, you’re allowed to pursue them without feeling bad that you want more. It’s also a book about accepting - and learning to love - the softer parts of yourself that scare you the most.

While it is certainly not necessary, I do think you will get more out of this book if you’ve read Malibu Rising, where Carrie Soto makes a brief appearance but still plays a relatively major role in the plot, as her actions are what caused the predicament the main character Nina is in in that book. And if you’ve read Malibu Rising, you know what scene she makes an appearance in and what she says, and I actually think if you’ve read that book/scene, it gives you added insight into her character and more context into who she is in this book.

As for what this book is about, Carrie Soto Is Back of course follows Carrie Soto, who is considered to be the greatest tennis player of all time. At the start of the book, a few years after her retirement, she watches as a younger player ties her world record for the most grand slams. Carrie, who was never the most well-liked, never the most beautiful, never the greatest team player, decides to come out of retirement to defend her record, which is all she believes she has, to prove that she is still something. And of course it wouldn’t be a TJR book without romance!

I loved this and it’s absolutely a favorite of the year, of course!

The Queen’s Gambit of Tennis.

Carrie Soto is Back!

Carrie Soto is Back explores the idea of destiny and what it means to be the best. Carrie Soto has been regarded as the best tennis player of all time, amassing a total of twenty grand slams at the time of her retirement in 1989 (Easter egg?), yet her title is threatened when Nicki Chan could match her title if she were to win the US Open. When Nicki wins the slam and matches Carrie’s record, ever determined Carrie returns to the tennis scene after six years in retirement to take back her rightful title as the best tennis player of all time.

This was such a wonderful read. Time and time again, throughout every one of her novels, she showcases her ability to transport the reader into the world of her creation. Taylor Jenkins Reid has done what she does best: make a character so realistic I’m convinced they’re real and not just words on paper.

Carrie Soto sheds light on the adversity successful women face purely because of their success. Carrie is a complex character. Just like the characters in the novel, you can’t tell if you love her or hate her, but either way, you respect her. Her game is relentless and she is not kind to her adversaries in play; her whole career she has been deemed as ‘the bitch’ and ‘the Battle Axe’ of tennis. Yet she responds to the slandering headlines, not with words but through her incandescent game. She is the assiduous and determined woman whom we can all look up to even if we don’t necessarily like her.

Lastly, if you are worried about not being able to understand the tennis terminology in this book, do not fret dear friend! It’s very well explained and developed, and if you are like me and Wii Sports was a pivotal part of your childhood, the knowledge you’ve amassed from many games of tennis will come in clutch.

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Thank you Ballantine Books and NetGalley for the eARC!

Wow wow wow! I loved this book so much more than I even anticipated! If you loved Daisy or Evelyn, and you like sports at all, you’ll love Carrie too! I was so loved by Carrie’s relationship with her Dad and her evolution in chcaracter throughout the book as well.

Reading the ARC Author's Note indicating that Carrie was her favorite of all her recent heroines initially made me scoff, but I'm head over heels for the rough-yet-loveable Carrie Soto. I couldn't care less about tennis, yet I haven't loved a book this much in a long, long time. The traditional love story is - at minimum- tertiary to tennis and the father/coach-daughter dynamic and I'm here for all of it. Taylor Jenkins Reid can do.no.wrong.

WOW WOW WOW!!! Taylor Jenkins Reid has done it again! Carrie Soto was such a great character and I absolutely devoured this novel. This is definitely one of my favorite Taylor Jenkins Reid's novels. I can't wait for other people to get their hands on this!

In the opening pages of Taylor Jenkins Reid 's latest novel, "Carrie Soto Is Back," we learn about a retired tennis player watching the finals at the US Open. Carrie and her father, Javier, realize that if Nicki Chan wins this match she will tie Carrie's record of twenty grand slams. Carrie retired back in 1989, but when Nicki does ultimately win the US Open title, Carrie decides to come out of retirement with her father as her coach acknowledging that she could possibly "tarnish not only my record but my legacy."

Taylor Jenkins Reid has written a slew of best-selling novels showing complicated characters that are multi-layered and flawed, and this latest entry is no exception. We journey along Carrie's path to tennis stardom learning about a young girl who grew up on the tennis courts and ultimately becomes the greatest female tennis player in the world. But this achievement comes with a steep price. Called the "battle axe" by the media because of her icy cool persona, Carrie still has to handle feelings of self doubt, poor body image, and isolation.

"Carrie Soto Is Back," is a story of one woman's fierce determination to succeed and is ultimately a self-discovery of who she really is underneath her tough facade. This is a riveting and emotionally charged novel which will resonate with many people. It was truly a remarkable story of resilience and is highly recommended.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Ballantine Books for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

As a Taylor Jenkins Reid super fan, i was stoked to receive this ARC. I FLEW through it in two days. I couldn’t get enough. Going in, I knew nothing about tennis and didn’t really care, but I’m pretty sure Taylor could convince me to care about anything. Her ability to tell a story is truly an art and I’m so grateful she shares it. Carrie Soto might be my favorite of the women TJR has introduced me to and I’m going to miss her. She’s bold, strong, and unapologetically herself. Do yourself a favor and order this immediately. And then take the day off work to full immerse yourself in Carrie’s world.