I've been lukewarm on previous titles from this author, but I so thoroughly enjoyed this! It was very interesting to see the themes of fame Taylor Jenkins Reid often plays with interpreted in an entirely new arena by writing a sports novel. I also found Carrie Soto to be such a fun protagonist to follow... I'd bet many will find her unlikable but won't be able to stop themselves from rooting for her. There is also a romance subplot that I found really well-done. Overall, a complete page-turner, the way books from this author so often are, and one with a perfect ending. Not always to my personal taste, but a definite good time and a worthy addition to the interconnected, fame-focused universe Taylor Jenkins Reid has created. I would recommend this to readers who enjoy challenging protagonists, family-focused stories, and fast-paced, plot-focused books.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC of this title in exchange for an honest review.

Taylor Jenkins Reid is quickly becoming one of the authors that I simply will not miss! Carrie Soto is the kind of character I love to get to know. She's brash, shockingly unemotional, and, oh, so confident. She's so much more than the surface. As a lover of tennis and a fan of strong female characters, this is one of the best I've read for quite some time. Stayed up late to finish, no regrets! 5 stars. Read it, everyone will!

This author is an amazing storyteller -- the book consists almost entirely of tennis matches and practice sessions, yet it keeps you turning the pages. Carrie Soto is widely acknowledged to be the greatest women's professional tennis play in history. A few years after she retires, a new, younger player surpasses Carrie's record, and that spurs Carrie to make the decision to come out of retirement and reclaim her title. This is the story of how she does that, along with all the challenges and triumphs along the way. Great story, and fans of Reid's earlier titles will love it.

Taylor Jenkins Reid does it again! Brilliantly written. Carrie Soto is an incredible character in a long list of amazing characters in the TJR cannon.

Taylor Jenkins Reid does it again! Set in the same world as Malibu Rising, Daisy Jones & the Six, and The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo, “Carrie Soto is Back” is another incredible historical fiction so real that you feel like you’re on the court.

Taylor Jenkins Reid knows how to tell good stories about strong women, and she has the writing chops to match. With her latest book, Carrie Soto Is Back she offers up the titular character, a take no prisoners professional tennis player nicknamed “The Battle Axe” trying to make a comeback at the age of 37. After a brief summary of her early life with her father who coaches her to win from an early age, the book follows the year of training and tennis Grand Slam tournaments. In what has become Reid’s style, she intersperses TV segments, interviews, and news articles within the narrative for some plot points and structural interest. Carrie Soto is a quick, beachy-style read with a little bit of backbone that her fans will definitely love.

One of my highly anticipated releases! This has Taylor Jenkins Reid’s signature style and emotional pull, but not really a favorite of mine.

Full review to come closer to pub date and rating may change!

This novel is definitely unlike anything TJR has written before. It is very much a sports-centered story, without much romance or character development. This genre (sports) isn’t my favorite to read, however that is just my personal preference. Another reason why I did not rate it as high is because I found Carrie Soto to be insufferable at times. I appreciate flawed characters, however Carrie took this to a whole other level. I would constantly ask myself when reading, “When is she going to redeem herself?”

Regardless, I am a sucker for TJR’s writing. She knows how to illustrate situations and environments so well, and it is such a breath of fresh air to read. She has written such unique stories and it is safe to say that she has written something for everyone to enjoy. Carrie Soto is Back wasn’t my personal favorite, but I can see this at the top of many people’s lists this year.

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC of this novel!

What a compelling, thought-provoking read! Even though I am not a tennis aficionado, I must say that this book has now made me a fan. The main character, Carrie Soto, a world-renown tennis player who has aged out of competing is doing just that. She is attempting to make a comeback after many years of being out of the loop.

The plot has been done so often but Reid, as in her other books, makes it seem fresh and new. There are so many emotions and examination of past events that kept me so engaged. Even with all her inherent flaws, I was rooting for Carrie's success. The message of perseverance and realizing what life is all about was reiterated throughout these pages. Wow!

This was a great addition to the 'Riva'-dusted universe Taylor Jenkins Reid has created. Carrie Soto reached the top of her game and came back for more in her 30's when the world had deemed her too old to be of any competition. This was a great story - not many characters but the core of those really brought out the best storytelling. It was emotional and funny and had exactly the right ending which can often be tough for a comeback story. Recommend if you love Reid's other books.

Carrie Soto Is Back indeed. This novel follows the story of Carrie Soto, a tennis star, who, as the novel opens in the 1990s, is retired and watching her records be broken my the new kid on the block. Carrie decides that couldn't stand, and starts a journey to come back and defend her title.

The novel has wonderful insights into the world of highly competitive sports. You do not have to know much about or even like tennis for this book to grab your attention. It also explores the complicated relationship between parents and children in this atmosphere especially when those parents also happened to be the coach. I thought the relationship between Carrie and her dad was incredibly interesting and the very best part of the novel.

However, there was one thing about the book that was hard to get passed. Carrie Soto experiences thinnly veiled misogyny throughout the entire book not uncommon in competitive female sports. She has to deal with comparsions to male players, comments on her looks, and questions on whether or not she's a likeable person. None of that is unusual and many female athletes could speak to similar experiences. However, Carrie Soto is written is such a way that I did find her extremely unlikable. Her inner monologue and experiences did not present her as any better than what the outside world viewed her as, and I found her fairly hard to root for. Thankfully, she did experience some personal growth late in the book, but I would've liked to have seen that happen more throughout the entire story.

All in all, Taylor Jenkins Reid has given us another wonderful and unique story. I just don't think this was her best heroine.

I am a big fan of Taylor Jenkins Reid. I enjoyed this book, but I am not a big fan of tennis, so there were parts of this book that went over my head. Chloe Soto is a dominating tennis star, who returns to the game after years of retirement, to maintain her incredible winning record.

It’s an interesting journey with someone who is nicknamed “the battle-axe” but the reader soon sees how those edges have been softened. Along with her is her father, and another player on the comeback trail. All the characters are extremely likable. I did learn about tennis and the Grand Slam circuit. But honestly, too much tennis for me. I’m a reader who visualizes as I read and I found this was hard for me. I do think this novel will make an incredible miniseries. Selfishly, it will certainly bring it to life for those of us who are not tennis lovers.

Thank you Netgalley for this charming ARC.

With fears of losing her status has having the most Grand Slams, Carrie Soto is coming out of retirement. With her father as her coach and one-time lover as her practice partner, Carrie takes on an almost-seemingly impossible feat - winning a major tournament at the age of 37. Making a brief (and unflattering) appearance in Malibu Rising, I was thrilled to learn more about Carrie Soto. A must read for fans of Malibu Rising. I couldn't read this book fast enough.

Wow. I read Carrie Soto is Back in one sitting, and then sat in silence contemplating it for another hour so.

We start with Carrie Soto and her father/coach Javier watching the 1994 US Open. Carrie is a 37 year old retired tennis player. She currently holds the world record for most Grand Slam titles. When a powerhouse named Nicki Chan ties her record, she decides to come out of retirement and try to take it back. But not only does nobody think she can- nobody particularly wants her to.

Carrie’s mother died suddenly when she was very young and her father poured everything into making Carrie the greatest tennis player in the world, and she achieved that. But she is also viciously competitive and has a reputation for hostility that alienates from her fellow players and fans. No one, it seems, is glad Carrie Soto is back. But she is going to prove to all of them that she is still the greatest.

This was my first Taylor Jenkins Reid book, and I don’t know much about tennis, so I didn’t know what to expect. I was utterly blown away. Up to the last second I didn’t know what was going to happen. I didn’t know what I WANTED to happen. Should I be rooting for Carrie to take the record back? Or should I be hoping she realizes there’s more to life than tennis? Either way this is a book that stays with you. There’s much to unpack about grief and loneliness, the inevitability of change, and how acceptance can lead to transformation. Great for book discussions. Just stunning.

I absolutely loved this. Taylor Jenkins Reid is incredibly gifted at writing complicated characters, as well as storytelling through her usage of time. I loved that Carrie had so many unlikable moments, it made her seem realistic. I was intrigued by every relationship her character had with other characters, and even was thoroughly interested in all of the tennis lingo, despite not knowing a lot about the sport. My only criticism would be that it often felt repetitive.

Taylor Jenkins Reid did it again. I didn't think I could enjoy Carrie Soto is Back as much as I adored Malibu Rising, Daisy Jones, and most of all, Evelyn Hugo, but I absolutely did. Reid is a master at transforming a flawed yet wholly relatable character into someone you'd want to hang out with.
The relationship between Carrie and her father is complex, emotional, and heartwarming. His development in her character and his reflections in his shortcomings as a parent struck so many chords. His life lessons, taught through tennis, were inspiring and illustrated the strength of his paternal bond with Carrie.
Carrie is flawed, stubborn, strong, tough, and likeable. She is completely unapologetic in her drive to win and passion for tennis. I loved seeing her character arc and growth throughout the work. The ending of the work fit, and although it was predictable, the journey to get to the end point was engaging and empowering. Pop culture references and references to Reid's past work were perfect easter eggs. Carrie Soto is Back is the type of book you clear you calendar for- I started and couldn't stop, all the while with a smile on my face.
I received an ARC of Carrie Soto is Back courtesy of NetGalley.