Taylor Jenkins Reid has done it again! I couldn’t put this book down. It was wonderfully written and I quickly became very invested and attached to the characters. Superb writing and I cannot wait to recommend to my customers!

I enjoyed this book! It’s in competition with The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo to be my favorite Taylor Jenkins Reid book. A story of courage, heart, gut, pushing yourself to your limit and finding what truly matters to you. Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the ARC

3.5 stars, rounded down

It’s been a long time since I’ve been as conflicted about a character as I am about Carrie Soto. Half of me wants to champion her for being brave and ambitious and assertive; to applaud her for being boldly outspoken, passionately focused and driven, and ready to do whatever it takes to get what she wants. The literary world needs more of her type of “I won’t let anyone’s opinion of me stand in my way” attitude…but then again, her attitude is also the very thing that strips away all of my praise.

Carrie Soto is not a nice person. Her condescending sportsmanship is seriously appalling. She gloats when she wins, she talks down to literally every single person she encounters, and she has her ego turned up to max volume. She’s unlikeable, and there really wasn’t anything interesting that happened in her story arc that wasn’t exactly what you expected would happen. So, there’s also that.

So, in the end, I’m left to decide if I love Carrie Soto or if I hate her, or if those extremes just cancel each other out and make me feel “MEH” about the whole thing. That’s pretty much where I ended up with this one.

I suppose that’s entirely the point, though, since there’s not much else to this novel's plot other than lots of tennis. SO. MUCH. TENNIS.

I was initially interested in learning more about the sport through Carrie Soto’s story, but as someone who doesn’t actually eat, sleep, and breathe tennis, the novelty quickly wore off for me. If you LOVE tennis, you’ll probably love this. If you don’t, be forewarned. It’s a LOT. Tennis stats. Tennis terms. Tennis scores. Tennis strategy. Tennis workouts. Tennis conditioning. Recap...after recap...after recap of each tennis match.

With all of the things that Carrie encounters over the course of this book, I’d have hoped for a bit more emotional character growth than there was. Sure, she makes some changes, but it was more of a “spoiled self-absorbed child finally gets over herself…mostly” sort of conclusion than anything substantial. It was just okay for me.

4.75 rounded up. I loved this book. I was rooting for Carrie throughout not only for her comeback but to discover who she was as a person. Even though it was centered around tennis the themes in this book are so much more….family, dedication, perseverance, self discovery. It was fast paced and I found myself not wanting to stop reading. Highly recommended.

Wow, wow, wow! This book is nothing but spectacular! An emotionally raw tale of female determination at its finest.

I was hesitant to read this because I don’t know much about tennis. That did not matter at all though as the author writes the tennis scenes so thrillingly and detailed. At times my heart was even racing as I was so completely captivated!

The main character Carrie is not the most likable character to be honest. She’s brash and downright snarky most of the time but somehow her unapologetically determination to be her true self no matter what anyone thinks made me root for her so hard. I stan with such a queen, Carrie! 🙌🏻

My full review on Instagram is available now! Thank you Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine for letting me read this advanced copy and Taylor Jenkins Reid for writing such a beautifully powerful character and story!

I loved this book. It’s the kind of book that pulls you in and makes you want to keep reading until it’s done. I think what I love about Taylor Jenkins Reid is that she creates characters that you really love and that you really root for throughout the book. She also makes you interested in things that I wouldn’t have cared about before. I don’t really find old Hollywood or 60’s rock bands or tennis all that interesting but through her books I’ve been endlessly fascinated by all of those things. All in all this is another great novel to add to Taylor Jenkins Reid ever growing list of amazing books.

Thank you to Random House and Netgallery for the digital ARC in exchange for a review!

I went into Carrie Soto Is Back blind — I've read Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid but have only the faintest idea of what this book was about. On the surface, it reads as just a sport come-back novel, but it's so much more. There's heart, family, grief, love, ambition, and dedication all wrapped up. I ended up finishing the novel at 4am because I couldn't put it down.

I will say, I was worried about TJR's style of writing. In Evelyn, I noticed she leaned on more of "telling" vs. "showing" . For that particular novel and the plot, it worked well. During the first portion of the book, I was worried that it was leaning more on the "telling" side of writing and that it felt awkward. Once the plot started to thicken and we got further into Carrie's mindset, it all worked. My doubts were blown away.

I loved the characters. I love that TJR didn't shy away from writing about a "Battle Axe", a "Beast", and a "Bitch". The layers of these characters, and the way TJR so slowly and gently peels back layers and layers is delicious and just makes you that much more invested. The side characters quickly wormed their way into my heart and I grew just as attached to them as I did Carrie.

There is, obviously, a heavy emphasis on tennis. I don't know if it's because I played a little when I was younger, but there was never a moment where I felt like it was too much. The set up — the "beautiful foundations" — really allow you to get an understanding of the court, the players, and the action of the novel. TJR writes the games beautifully, I could see every move in my head and it felt realistic.

Overall, I was blown away. I laughed out loud. I cried. I think I even fist-pumped during one of the matches. This book is a Grand Slam and I will definitely be buying a physical copy for my library as well.

"We live in a world where exceptional women have to sit around waiting for mediocre men."

"Some men's childhood are permitted to last forever, but women are so often reminded that there is work to do done. And yet here is Carrie Soto, daring to play. ... It is her right to have fun, to keep playing. To not help with dinner. And I, for one, am glad she's exercising it."

Carrie Soto is Back is a wonderfully nuanced examination of talent and passion, gender role expectations/misogyny and racism in sports, father/daughter relationships, and the abstract desire to be someone unforgettable. I am an admirer, ok big big fan, of Taylor Jenkins Reid's books, her world building and her way of capturing complex women, giving voice and presence to not uncommon, but often unspoken, experiences of sexualization, problematic and limiting gender role expectations, and simply pressures for visible women (be it an actor such as Evelyn Hugo, musician/song writer Daisy Jones, surfer Nina Riva, tennis star Carrie Soto) to first and foremost act in socially/media prescribed ways (and to be nothing less but also nothing more). "It stuns me silent, for a moment: just how vast the gap is between who I am and how people see me."

Taylor Jenkins Reid offers us characters who at first glance are unlikable, undesirable or problematic in some way for failing to conform to a rigid standard but who are simply women who want more for themselves, their careers, and their talents and who are champions for not conforming to socially sanctioned ways of behaving (this is always conveyed so well by the well developed layers of context in Ms Reid's stories). Carrie Soto is a standout because she simply refuses to play the media game expected of her.

These themes are powerful and are woven into engaging narratives that take the reader on a journey of self growth with the protagonist. In Carrie Soto this means moving back in time to learn about Carrie's early career and achievements and her treatment in the media and tennis world and moving into the present day 1990s for her comeback. What really stood out to me was the subtle but very clear misogyny in how Carrie was talked about; this comes through so well in the drop in segments of news articles and summaries of on-air commentary related to her comeback (and the use of the labels Battle Axe and then the b-word... because just how dare we have a successful, strong, capable woman who does not want to be a media darling). Of course, this is Carrie's story but these themes give her story great context and her achievements, for me, seemed all the more important and necessary because of these parts of the story.

There is a powerful, to me, juxtaposition of this media portrayal of Carrie as unlikable (etc etc) with how two key male characters, her father and another male tennis player, see, respect, and love Carrie's attitude, talents, strength, and success and are not intimidated by it; instead that support it, nurture it, and challenge her to embrace her goals and talents and help her succeed in unexpected ways (without it becoming a story about how she needed men to make her great, that's not the message at all!).

Finally, I found the development of Nicki's story and her relationship with Carrie to be well developed, a scene later in the book really gave depth to Nicki as her own character and added to Carrie's story as well. I appreciated how that part of the story helped shift and develop the characters and story into additional examination of women in sports, particularly women in tennis in the 1990s.

I am an enduring fan of this author, she offers so much to consider and talk about in terms of women's lives through truly engaging, thoughtful, and nuanced storytelling. There is so much joy and love present in how she develops her characters, their messy but important lives, these are women I want to know (and in ways already know, that is the power of the themes of gender and expectations placed on women in these stories.. we know these women, we are these women). Carrie Soto is another strong character in the world of Taylor Jenkins Reid, another strong female protagonist who gives voice to so many problematic ways we treat women.

For the punny statement, This books serves up a game/set/match ace and I am all in for it.

If you love Taylor Jenkins Reid, you will love Carrie Soto Is Back. Carrie is a tennis pro who gives her all to trying to stay on top. The book explores her relationship with her father and a male tennis pro who she works with to improve her game. After a long retirement, she back in the game, but will it end up "love-love"? You'll have to read to find out! This book reminded me so much of the story of the Williams sisters and the movie King Richard.

WOW! Carrie Soto is Back did not disappoint! Let me start by saying that if Taylor Jenkins Reid wrote a book about toilets, I would buy it. She writes like no other. I devoured this book in one day!
I know nothing about tennis, yet this book was one of my favorites. It’s about Carrie’s dedication and love for the sport and that it’s not always an easy climb to the top. It usually comes at a price too. Her passion is admirable. I also loved her relationship with her father, Javier. It was so sweet and special. This book will have you laughing, crying, but mostly rooting for her. This needs to be on your must read list!

Look for this book August 30, 2022
Thank you to NetGalley, Taylor Jenkins Reid, and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine for this arc!

I could not put this book down and I don't even like tennis. Taylor Jenkins Reid really hit out of the park with this one.

This was a delight to read, but I can't imagine loving it as much if I wasn't really into tennis. Sure, you could read it and probably get surface-level enjoyment if you have only a cursory knowledge of the sport, but this is a real joy for hardcore fans. Fast-moving, exciting, and rewarding even if the big events of the book were very predictable and could be seen a mile away. There was some interesting (and necessary!) commentary on misogyny and racism in sport but it wasn't heavy-handed in any way. (I don't mind heavy-handed commentary, but this wasn't the book for it.) Plus, Carrie is an interesting character and very likable in her unlikeability, if that makes sense. A really fun read for sure. Thanks to NetGalley as always for the ARC.

Oh my goodness, this book! First of all, I devoured this story in less than 48 hours and I don’t know one thing about tennis and this book is literally 90% tennis. It gives a huge nod to TJR’s writing that she can make you care and become so invested in a story about tennis (lol I can’t stop saying that because it’s so true, but so incredible) and let’s hear it for CARRIE SOTO! What a powerhouse character. Strong. Determined. FIERCE. I loved her. I wanted everything for her from page one. Such a unique story, but wow did I love it. I literally was not bored for a single second. Amazing, just amazing. Thank you SO much NetGalley and Random House for this ARC! You made my year!

Amazing! TJR does it again !! Carrie decide to try to defund her records in tennis after an injury caused her to stop playing. I felt like I was there when I was reading about all of the matches and I was on the edge of my seat rooting for Carrie. I also enjoyed all of the relationships in her life and how they intertwined with the game. Such a great book.

This book was outstanding. I loved the main character Carrie and how could you not fall in love with her dad. The storyline was unlike anything I had ever read and is a great lesson in humility. And the ending….there was only 1 of 2 ways for it to end, and I had no idea how it would end until the ending! It was not predictable! TRJ has done it again. Even if you are not a tennis or sport fan, read this book. It is really superb. I was happy I read this on my kindle, however, because there was some dialogue in Spanish. I don’t understand a lot of Spanish and was able to define the unknown words using my kindle. If I had been reading this on a physical book, I would have found that annoying! Amazing book! This book was provided to me by netgalley.com in trade for my honest review.

I received an eARC from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

1. Is there a way I can pay Taylor Jenkins Reid to be my therapist?
2. I've said it many times before, and I will say it again: Taylor Jenkins Reid is a genius.
3. I think Carrie Soto might just be my favorite.

It's very hard for me to write reviews of TJR books because I'm always left so emotionally overwhelmed after I finish them that I don't quite know what to do with myself. I feel that same exact way now. I'll call it the TJR Effect.

Carrie Soto might be a "bitch" to some, but she's me. I see me in her more than I've ever seen myself in a character. That's the beauty of TJR novels. They may be fiction, but they're the realest stories ever told with the realest emotions. TJR doesn't shy away from telling the ugly truth. She doesn't try to wrap everything up in a neat little bow, where everyone has the perfect happy ending. She lays it all out: the good, the bad, and the ugly.

TJR's books are a reflection of life and a study in human nature and emotion. I feel so privileged to be able to read her work. I feel even more privileged that I was blessed with an advanced copy of this masterpiece.

If Carrie Soto is the greatest tennis player of her time, dare I say Taylor Jenkins Reid is the best author of our time. I believe her works should eventually be viewed as classics. They are new classics to me.

"Carrie Soto Is Back" is not to be missed. A complete showstopper from beginning to end that will pull your heart strings in all the right places.

Taylor Jenkins Reid scores another win - no pun intended. I found this book compulsively readable. The story of a comeback from a retired tennis great, I also learned a lot about the game of tennis. For those of us who watch tennis on tv, the training, the tournaments, and the reality of the grueling training and the cut throat environment of tennis were fascinating. I’d recommend this book to everyone but especially to fans of tennis. I can’t get enough of a Taylor Jenkins Reid!

I have recently started reading books by Taylor Jenkins Reid and have enjoyed every one of them. Carrie Soto is Back did not disappoint. For fans of tennis, this book is a great window into the pro tennis world. For those readers who don’t follow tennis, I believe you will still enjoy this book. I loved all the characters, especially Carrie Soto. Even though she was a bit rough around the edges, her character was believable. Looking forward to another Taylor Jenkins Reid book.

carrie soto is back is the immersive comeback story that follows the raveered and infamous tennis player, carrie soto, who wants to show the world what she's got for one last season. with the help of her father, xavier and fellow tennis player, bowe hutely, she goes to take back her title from up and coming star, nicki chan.

now, i haven't read malibu rising (yet) and from what i understand, it is where this character is introduced initially. however i got what i needed to get about carrie so let's get into it.

this book isn't a tennis book. i mean, it IS a tennis book. it's about a tennis player and there is so much tennis, but in my mind, it's so much more than that. it's an authentic interpretation of how it's like to be in the spotlight. it's showing the behind-the-scenes with every angle touched and inhanced. it was very enlightening on the real struggles female athletes in general have to succumb to by not only male elitests, but the fans of their sport as well. i really really liked this book. it was a tell all that exposes carrie soto in all ways, good and bad. it was a tiny bit pretentious at times, but at the end of the day, it gave feel good drama. it was incredibly honest and raw and i left the netgallery app a changed person.

if taylor jenkins reid is going to do ONE thing, it's devouring. she will chomp. she will eat. thank you so much to netgalley and random publishing for allowing me to read this one early :-)

I was beyond thrilled to be approved for an ARC of this much anticipated release. I've been pretty vocal about my love for Taylor Jenkins Reid and have been continually impressed by her ability to create authentic, deeply researched characters and time periods, bringing storylines to life to the point where you forget this is a work of fiction. Flawed and fierce Carrie Soto was no exception.

Tennis legend Carrie Soto has defined her worth by the accolades she's collected on the court. Coached by her father (and former tennis star) Javi since she was a little girl, Carrie became a driven, dominating force and paved the way for younger generations of female tennis players. When Nick Chan threatens to take the top spot for most Grand Slam titles, Carrie comes out of retirement focused on defending her record, which for Carrie is synonymous with her honor and reputation. Now back in the spotlight, Carrie feels the familiar media criticism regarding her "cold" approach. She doesn't make friends with other players, doesn't show humility and gratitude after a win, and according to commentators, is a bitch who is difficult to root for.

I'll be honest, I never thought I'd read a novel so dedicated toward tennis, and for the first half of the book I had some doubts about the connection I was making with Soto. She’s so complicated that I wasn't even sure I was rooting for her. I now realize that my initial reaction to Carrie is exactly as TJR wants it. She’s frustrating and polarizing. Tennis is all that defines her, so of course we are going to learn every little painstaking detail of the game as if we are right there with Carrie, yelling at the refs, at the edge of our seats in the stands.

I read the second 1/2 of the novel in one obsessive sitting. I loved the supporting characters - Javi, Bowe, Gwen and even Nicki. I loved Carrie’s growth. I loved the ending of this novel so very much.

I can’t wait to see what TJR does next.