First, thank you so much NetGalley for the ARC.

This was my first time reading a Taylor Jenkins Reid book and oh, WOW. I will be going back and reading all of her other books promptly.

For this book, I cannot truly articulate how much I enjoyed it so soon after finishing it. I laughed. I cried. I had a range of emotions that spanned love and irritation for the character. I enjoyed this so much that putting it down was unacceptable. Holy crap, read this book.

Thanks to Random House for the ARC copy of Carrie Soto is Back by one of my favorite authors Taylor Jenkins Reid. I’m a huge fan of Jenkins Reid and count as my favorites Daisy Jones and the Six, Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo and Malibu Rising. Carrie Soto is Back is another hard to put down outing by Jenkins Reid and you don’t have to be a tennis fan to become totally engrossed in Carrie’s story. Beyond tennis it’s a story of performing at your peak; recognizing talent to help you succeed; and on a par with talent, emotional intelligence and openness are necessary components of a successful life. Shades of Serena, Maria and Steffi are all recognized in Soto’s character. When young powerhouse player Nikki Chan is on the verge of breaking Soto’s record, she comes out of retirement at age 37 to win one more slam and keep her record. Despite her immense talent and record breaking career Soto is not a popular player. When her father and coach dies Soto receives masses of flowers and food but no visitors and telling her boyfriend Bowie she loves him is almost impossible. She also has trouble finding anyone willing to hit with her. Winning is everything and Soto cannot handle the prospect of losing. This road leads her to focus less on the joy of her natural rhythm; her beautifully perfect tennis; and her instinctive knowledge of the court and her opponent’s game. Written off by the tennis community she plays the Australian, French, Wimbledon and finally the U.S. Open. Her journey is a page turner. And as with all Jenkins Reid books the reader will bask in the stories of strong women who often struggle while achieving their own measure of success. No spoilers here you’ll have to read Carrie Soto is Back to see if she succeeds.

4.5 stars! Taylor Jenkins Reid does it again - another fierce and unapologetic leading woman in Carrie Soto! I so enjoy the style of TJRs’s writing - it is fast paced and exciting, always hard to put down!!

Carrie Soto is the world’s greatest tennis player. Coached by her retired tennis pro father, Javier; Carrie has lived and breathed tennis since she could walk. Called the ‘Battle Axe’ for her cold-hearted nature, she believes she is the best and shows no mercy along the way. By the time she retires, she has the longest streak rated #1 and the most Grand Slams in history. Until 6 years later when Nicki Chan comes along and ties her record for the most Grand Slams. So at 37, Carrie decides she has no other choice but to stage her return to try to take her title back.

With her father coaching her and an unexpected ally by her side, can she defeat Nicki to take her record back?

I appreciated the growth of her character during her comeback run and seeing her finally find the joy in tennis again, instead of it only being about winning. Also loved the mended relationship between her and her father.

Thanks to #NetGalley, Taylor Jenkins Reid, and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine Books, for the e-ARC of #CarrieSotoIsBack in exchange for an honest review.

Carrie Soto is the best tennis player in the world, and holds the record for the most Grand Slam titles won. She has sacrificed everything for tennis. The only thing she cares about is winning. She has no friends or relationships. So, when a younger player breaks her record, Carrie decides she must come out of retirement, at age 37, to take it back. With her famous tennis coach father at her side, Carrie begins her improbable quest to win one more Grand Slam.
On the upside, this was a VERY fast read. However, I do think it will appeal to a narrower audience than any of Jenkins-Reid’s other books. It gets into the minute details of tennis– how to hit certain shots and how to move around the court. Most chapters are titled with the names of the various tournaments, and often have detailed descriptions of the match. I have to think the author was or is a serious tennis player. To truly LOVE this book, I think you have to be either a tennis fanatic or an uncommonly gifted person ( in sports or otherwise) that can understand and relate to Carrie’s single mindedness.
Of course, Carrie does eventually learn that there is more to life than tennis, but it takes a lot of matches to get there.

3.5 stars

Carrie Soto is a mess. Other reviews praise her for being a "strong female character" and how it's so great that she's "unapologetic." I love strong women in fiction, I enjoy unlikeable characters (Deborah Vance on Hacks is a horrible human being, and I love her so much), but Carrie is neither strong nor is she really a character. I can't even say I hate her because she never seemed to exist as a person in my mind. She's literally just a tennis machine. She trains, she plays, she trains some more, she plays, she has sex, she trains. There's a scene where she claims to respect the women who came before her ("The shoulders she's standing on") and yet the entire premise of the book is about Carrie coming out of retirement for the SOLE PURPOSE of stopping another woman from getting her record. Other women (other people, really) are just obstacles in her path to getting what she wants. She doesn't give a shit about anyone or anything except being the best. If she just didn't want this particular person to achieve her record, that might be different.

In addition to that, so much of the book reads like an outline of a much longer story. It's like Reid couldn't decide between doing a flashback or a full linear retelling, so she split the difference. "She's a newcomer, oh she's starting to win, oh her dad is on Carson, she's becoming famous, this is her reputation, her dad wrote a book." I felt like I was on a speed-run of two decades to get to the main story, which then most devolves into just a revolving door of tennis matches against cardboard cutouts.

I really like Taylor Jenkins Reid. If it had been any other writer, this would have been a DNF way before the halfway mark, but I gave her the benefit of the doubt because I thought maybe there was redemption or a reckoning on the way. Daisy Jones and the Six is one of my favorite books, and I'll still show up for whatever she writes next. But this is a massive misfire that should be avoided unless you want to read a lot of clinical and dry tennis facts wrapped around one of the worst-drawn characters I've seen from a major writer.

Carrie wasn’t the most likeable character, but I think she had to be written that way. I really liked Javier, and the growth of Bowe.

So. Much. Tennis. Lol. It pains me … I mean *pains* me to give a TJR book less than a 4 or 5 star review but admittedly I wanted to love this book a lot more than I did. While I grew to love Carrie throughout the book (because let’s be honest we need more confident women characters that refuse to be humble and timid) I just felt like it was lacking the heart and soul of other TJR books. Sure it had a moral to the story but I was still left feeling like …. Ok? So what? It certainly didn’t leave me with a book hangover like her others have and I felt like some of it was a slog to get through.

There was a lot and I mean A LOT of tennis. If you are a fan of the game, you might love this book, but I found myself an expert on a sport I still don’t care enough about lol. All in all, I think this book will be polarizing among readers and I’m excited to see where people shake out come pub day.

Also, I’m calling it now, the next book in the TJR-verse will be about Gwen, Carrie’s badass agent and I can’t wait to read about her!

REVIEW: Carrie Soto is Back (pub date: Aug 30)

first of all, thank you Random House and NetGalley for sending me an advanced copy! I’m not going to lie, I screamed and then did a little happy dance when I saw this in my inbox - The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo is one of my all time favorite books, and I love Taylor Jenkins Reid.

y’all… this book is GOOD. the characters? amazing. the plot? fantastic. the writing? unreal. there are so many good quotes in this book - I think I highlighted something at least every other page.

I’m still working my way through TJR’s backlist, but without a doubt, Carrie is one of my all time favorite characters. she is unapologetically herself. she wants something and she goes after it. she is an absolute BAD ASS.

the Sotos might be one of my favorite father/daughter duos I’ve read, ever. without getting too into details - Javier Soto’s friendship with one of the other big characters had me laughing, constantly.

I’m not a big “sports in books” person - but I did grow up playing sports, and even though I know absolutely nothing about tennis, you could feel the adrenaline through the pages of this book. I could not put it down.

I also think this book touches on really relevant topics to the world today - how women are treated, especially as professional athletes, compared to men. one quote stuck with me - “some men’s childhoods are permitted to last forever, but women are so often reminded that there is work to be done.” Reid really pulled back the curtain and let us see directly into the life of a professional female athlete - what the press says, what the fans say, etc.

also - I absolutely cried. like a baby.

if you loved Evelyn Hugo and Nina Riva, I think you’re going to freak out over Carrie Soto. absolute five star read.

Instagram post will be posted today, 5/21/2022 on @whatcheyreads. I will add a link when I post it!

This book is a master class in character development. I should hate Carrie. She’s written to be highly unlikable, but despite that, I was on the edge of my seat rooting for her. She may have taken over as my favorite of TJR’s protagonists.

I’ll start by saying I appreciated how unlike previous novels, this book is told in a linear format. We needed to follow the evolution of Carrie in order to empathize with her. While I did love the Rivas, the Soto family dynamic is so effortless, the banter so casual, I wanted more of Javier (and we already got a lot of him!). The surrounding characters also were wonderful in this and I feel everyone served an important purpose in Carrie’s journey. A lot of the boom left me wondering how Carrie would be handling current times; so many of the comments and unfeministic bullshit she deals with would never fly today, I’d love to see how she adapts or how her story resonates in a current world. That being said, I think the ending of the story left it in a perfect way. The story feels resolved (if only a *little* unsatisfying, but that’s just me trying to be spoiler free).

I loved Malibu Rising, but I somehow love this more. TJR continues to up the game and I just can’t wait for what’s next. Thanks (a big huge thanks) to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Another great novel by Taylor Jenkins Reid about a strong woman. I devoured this in one day. Loved reading about Carrie and how she developed and grew as a tennis player as well as a person. Highly recommend.

Read this book about a powerhouse competitor with a savage heart that is willing to do everything to become the best! Carrie Soto is inspiring in her dedication and desire to become the best tennis player in the world. Right next to her is her father who knows just how much to push, motivate and teach her to build her up to BECOME!

I loved watching her passion for the game, her love for her father, and even perhaps the blindness she had about her life in general. I became Carrie, wanting her to achieve and take all the wins! I hurt when she hurt, I cried when she lost, I loved when she loved.

I loved the relationships in this book! Carrie is not overly emotional, but the few people she is close to we see a small weakness in her for those she loves. She gives her heart in the small ways that she can.

There were a few nods in here to Malibu Rising AND Daisy Jones and the Six which was so fun to incorporate into this story!

This was 100% about tennis, but weaved within these pages there are lessons to learn and seek out. Dare I say this is my favorite TJR book....? It's a close tie for me with Daisy Jones and the Six!

Thank you to NetGalley and Ballantine for the advance e-copy of this book!

I literally just finished this book and I feel so emotional. I feel so happy I received an advance copy, I feel so sad that its over. I feel so emotional over….IT ALL!

TJR has such a way with words and storytelling. You almost forget your reading a book if not for the act of turning pages. You feel like you’re in your best friends living room, sipping wine, listening to them tell you a fascinating story of their life. Every time TJR releases something new, I think, this will be the one that I like, that is ok, but doesn’t live up to her hype. Every. Single. Time. She proves me wrong. I started reading TJR in 2015 and I’ve been hooked ever since. Booksta came along way after my love of TJR began and I felt oddly possessive, like I liked her first! then I heard other people’s takes and opinions and ideas about TJR and I fell even more in love with this platform - we all get different things out of every story we read and that is what reading is all about for me.

Carrie Soto is a damn force. She was a wrecking ball before Mylie. She ran the world before Beyoncé. You get where I’m going here. She was strong, fierce - in every sense of the word, petty, sarcastic-to-her-core, tough, sometimes harsh, but always out working everyone else. While reading this book, I kept a parallel of Carrie Soto to Kobe Bryant. She was the fictional, female tennis version to Kobe’s real, male basketball star. She outworked, out hustled, out smarted and would let herself be out coached to ensure her greatness. When that was called into question years after her retirement, she didn’t bitch about it. She came out of retirement and competed to win it back.

There were times I wanted to hug her, times I hated her, times I felt her pain and times I laughed at or even with her. The lessons, the growth, the stubbornness…it all was so magical. There isn’t enough space for a NetGalley review let alone on Instagram to truly convey my love of this book, but wow this was special. This goes down as my favorite of TJR of all time and Carrie reigns supreme as my favorite TJR heroine. Balk at me all you want, come back and lets chat about it after you’ve read this.

Game. Set & Match goes to TJR. This was one for the ages!
Thank you NetGalley and RandomHouse/Ballantine for this advance copy in exchange for my honest review. Thank you for the opportunity to fall in love with reading all over again!

Does anyone else get super nervous to read the newest book by your beloved author?

Don’t get me wrong, I couldn’t be more excited that we are blessed with a TJR book this year, but for some reason I worry.

But fear not.

I will admit, some hesitation came from the fact this centered around tennis- a sport I know little about… but I gotta say- I was on pins and needles for every game just holding my breath to see who would win.

I loved Carrie’s drive. Women are treated very differently in sports. Men throw fits watching their teams lose on TV, yet women athletes have to plaster a smile on their face and be friendly to everyone.

Carrie is a bad ass (all the women TJR write are) and I loved watching her grow throughout the novel.

Did it make me cry? OBVIOUSLY. TJR makes me cry every. single. time. And I never thought I’d get emotional about a tennis book, but HERE WE ARE!

Is it my favorite novel by her? No (what could ever beat Daisy Jones?!), but it is a fantastic read and a great book! I totally recommend this book to fans of tennis and people (like myself) who know nothing. This is about character and heart more than tennis.

*super special thanks to Ballantine Books for an eARC to review

Bravo to TJT! Carrie Soto is a strong, no holds bar, bitch on and off the tennis court and I just fell in love with her! She was the best player back in the 70s and 80s and then she retired. Not many liked her-fans, media and other players alike but she didn’t care. Carrie played to win and second place wasn’t good enough. Flash forward 10 years and she comes out of retirement. This is where the story really gets good. Carrie Soto Is Back is a must read!

Carrie Soto is Back! This was probably one of my most anticipated reads of this year so I was overjoyed to receive an advanced copy - many thanks to Random House / Ballantine - to review. I love Taylor Jenkins Reid's books and couldn't wait for the latest installment in the TJR Universe... the TJRU? I hope I made that up. #TJRU

We were introduced to Carrie Soto in Malibu Rising as the world-famous tennis pro "other woman", last seen telling Nina Riva's husband Brandon to "fuck right off".

Carrie Soto is Back is the story of Carrie’s rise to GOAT status under the wing of her charming and charismatic father / coach, Javier and her subsequent return to tennis in 1995 at the age of 37. One of the things I loved about this story is that it's a departure from the twisty romances of TRJU books prior and is about the relationship between Carrie and her father and the battle against herself. I really loved her devil may care attitude toward fame and public opinion.

I'm reading this and thinking like... wow I really love sports stories. I don't even like sports, but sports movies? 30 for 30? The Last Dance? Love it. I don't know anything about tennis either but, no need, for the first notes I took for this review were:

i feel like i'm learning
about tennis
how to play tennis
scoring
wow

I watched the Mardy Fish documentary on Netflix recently, which I really enjoyed, and it made Carrie's experience - her rise to greatness and publically percieved underdog status during her comeback (Carrie would never call herself an underdog - I don't think the word appears once in this novel) - seem very real. I should read Andre Agassi's autobiography too, come to think of it. Did you know he wore a wig?

Everyone is going to read this and I hope everyone loves it too; fans of TJR will enjoy some of the easter eggs referencing previous TJRU stories. I think it would make a great companion piece to Molly Shannon's autobiography Hello, Molly! - another outstanding father and daughter story. // ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️, available August 30th

4.5 ★

“Eres perfecta, incluso en tu imperfección.”

It's difficult to write a review of this book, but here we go... This book tell us about Carrie Soto's come back. Carrie decides to go back to play tennis since her record of twenty Grand Slam titles can be taken by another tennis player. At 37 years old, she comes out of retirement despite all the criticism from the industry and her peers.

To be honest, the book wasn't a roller coaster of emotions like other stories of the author. In here we learn how Carrie's career started as a tennis player, everything she had to sacrifice to become a legend until the moment where she decides to come back.

Like every TJR book, it also makes us see how misogynistic and sexist the sports industry can be since the main character has to fight for many things and one is the respect she has to gain as an athlete. Because what she does is "not okay" for a WTA player, but it's fine for a tennis player who competes in the ATP.

The plot itself is interesting, it talks a lot about tennis, but it gives you the adrenaline rush you feel every time you watch a match of your favorite athlete or team, it felt quite natural. In my opinion, this book may or may not be loved because, as I mentioned above, there's a lot of tennis, and it only focuses on that, on Carrie's relationship with the sport. Also, the book some times was predictable.

Let's talk about Carrie. She is a stubborn, egocentric and persevering character; however, she is seeing as a b*tch because of her bad attitude, and she doesn't change much throughout the book. What I liked most about the character was that she never gave up, and she was willing to sacrifice everything to achieve what she wanted. And some readers may find her a bit annoying. But I liked her, I want to be like her when I grow up.

On the other hand, there's also a crucial character in Carrie's career, and that's her father, Javier Soto, the "Jaguar", he's the one who teaches Carrie everything about tennis. I liked the character, every time I remember him I get emotional. I liked reading about him and the relationship he has with his daughter, it was beautiful, I wish I had a father like Javier Soto. Of course, I don't agree with some things he did, but I did like all the support and guidance he gave to his daughter. If I keep talking about him, I'll end up crying.

I enjoyed Carrie Soto Is Back, not at the level of Daisy Jones or Evelyn Hugo, but she still has a special place in my heart. Of course, it is a different story, it may be amazing or boring. As I said before, there's a lot of tennis, and that's what it's about, about Carrie's relationship with tennis.

LOVED this book so so much. I will be shocked if it's not in my top 5 of the whole year. Taylor Jenkins Reid has a talent like no others when it comes to weaving a story with the most believable characters. She makes the reader feel what the characters are feeling and engrosses the reader from the very first page. Highly highly recommend!
Thank you to net galley for the arc in exchange for an honest review.

***Thanks to NetGalley for providing me a complimentary copy of CARRIE SOTO IS BACK by Taylor Jenkins Reid in exchange for my honest review.***

Once a young tennis phenom, Carrie Soto is on the verge of losing her record for the most wins in tennis history. Now thirty-seven and retired, she decides to make a comeback to reclaim her record. Standing in her way are younger, quicker players and her bum knee, but Carrie hasn’t let a little adversity stop her.

CARRIE SOTO IS BACK is my first Taylor Jenkins Reid novel. I’m not usually interested in historical fiction, but I LOVE a good sports book focusing on elite female athletes. CARRIE SOTO IS BACK has a lot of tennis including play by play of grand slam matches.

Carrie is an interesting character, unapologetically strong and confident, even cocky. She’s not a good sport and is unkind to her competitors. I still liked her though if this wasn’t a sports book, I might not have. Carrie grows within the story while still maintaining who she is at her core.

I don’t think CARRIE SOTO IS BACK will appeal to every reader, but I loved every minute of it. I had chills at the end, the sign of a great novel.

I didn't think I could love a Taylor Jenkins Reid character more than I love Evelyn Hugo and Daisy Jones, but I think Carrie Soto has them beat. I finished this one in just a couple sittings - it was pretty much impossible to put it down.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the free e-copy.

Wow! What a ride... Carrie Soto, the world's best tennis player of the early 80s, decides to make a comeback when a younger rival threatens to beat her Slam record. At the ripe old age of 37, Carrie must work her tail off to overcome her body's injuries, her mind's intrusive thoughts, and the media's backhanded compliments of her legacy. The Battle Axe becomes known as The Bitch when she refuses to give up, shows no mercy, and goes to war for her title.

I found this novel to be extremely fast-paced, very well written, and just a pleasure to read. It would go perfectly with a day at the pool or on the beach, and you'll be imagining yourself courtside watching Soto vs. the world's best players. I especially enjoyed trying to figure out which characters were based on more popular tennis greats. Were Venus and Serena turned into a character? What about Anna Kournikova? You'll have to read this one to find out.