Carrie Soto is about this woman’s journey towards happiness.
She grew up to be the best at tennis, she always thought that as long as she proved everyone that she was the very best, the most successful and the one with most titles she didn’t need to be loved, not even liked.
But through the book she learned a thing or two about love, about friendship and what was important to her.
A very compelling, hard to put down book.
I loved Javier and Bowe and their relationship with Carrie and with each other.
Thank you Netgalley for the opportunity to review this book.

Let me start by saying that I am not a sports fan - there are no sports that I follow; however, I have loved all the books I've read by Taylor Jenkins Reid so far, so I chose to read this because of the author. That said, I absolutely loved this book! Carrie Soto is a great character and this book is about more than sports. You might recall that Carrie Soto made a brief appearance in Malibu Rising.

Carrie Sota has grown up in the tennis world from birth. Her Dad had been a tennis champion and he mentored Carrie as she grew up. Carrie lost her mother at a young age and focused her entire life on tennis where she rose to the top, breaking many records and now she is retired and is a legend. Seven years into her retirement a newcomer in the tennis world, Nicki Chan, threatens to beat Carrie's record. Carrie decides that's not going to happen and she starts training hard with her father to make a come-back and defend her record.

The competitiveness, the rivalry and the need to win and dominate the sport are front and center in the novel. It puts you deep into the drama of life in competitive sports and gives you a feeling of being on the court and living the crushing defeat of failure and the exhilaration of winning. There is so much more to this book than tennis though - father-daughter relationship, finding your way and your identity, and trust and love. I found the book dramatic and entertaining; I didn't want to put it down. Carrie's determination to make a come-back was admirable and riveting.

Thanks to Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine through Netgalley for an advance copy. This book will be published on August 30, 2022.

Well, Blast!

I love Tennis, but I didn't love this. Why? I guess, I'd rather watch tennis instead of reading about it. I grew up watching and playing tennis and could probably provide you with more tennis stats than anyone you know. I've been to the U.S. Open several times, and during my teens and early twenties, was a ball kid, a scorekeeper, and also worked at the tennis office of a local tennis tournament in New Haven, Connecticut.

I've now read every TJR novel (save one - Evelyn Hugo), and I have to say that Carrie Soto was one of my least favorites. I admit to having high hopes for this, so perhaps that led to my disappointment. When I read the synopsis, I immediately thought of Serena Williams, how could I not? I love Serena and couldn't wait to dive in, but somehow I felt that this book was lacking. Several chapters were simply about perfecting each stroke, the backstroke, and the serve and well, game, set and match, as well as the rivalries. While there was drama and a bit of romance, there wasn't enough to keep me engaged. There's also a lot of Spanish, which was not translated - I was, however, able to glean what the phrases meant by reading on.

I read this novel with Kaceey and she absolutely loved it and is also an avid tennis fan. The fact that we had such opposite reactions and both loved tennis goes to show you that not all books work for every reader. While this wasn't for me, I'm glad that Kaceey loved it.

Huge thanks to Random House - Ballantine for the arc via NetGalley

Thank you Random House Publishing and NetGalley for my free eARC in exchange for my honest review.
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Intense. Determined. Strong. Carrie Soto is so ambitious. She is a really tough shell to crack & it is sometimes kind of irritating. However, her character development was superb and I couldn’t help but root for her. The father-daughter relationship between Carrie and Javier is so incredibly sweet. They had some sticky years, but what father-daughter combo doesn’t? It all ended up working so beautifully.

Taylor Jenkins Reid really NEVER misses… her writing style is just so incredibly captivating, I don’t know how she does it! She makes her characters feel so real, like you’re reading a memoir or nonfiction, when it’s actually a novel. If you need another TJR story to rip your heart out of your chest… HERE SHE IS. There were some slower parts in the first half of the book, but they’re worth it!

➠ ᴍʏ ʀᴀᴛɪɴɢ: ✩ ✩ ✩ ✩ ✩ (ALLLL THE STARS!)

➠ ɢᴏᴏᴅʀᴇᴀᴅs ʀᴀᴛɪɴɢ: 𝟺.51/𝟻

➠ 💭 ʏ’ᴀʟʟ ᴛʜɪs ᴡᴀs ᴏɴᴇ ᴏғ those books you truly never ever want to end. It just is such a wonderful story where you feel intertwined with the characters and you feel like you know them or place yourself within them.

I feel like I should preface with…I do not know a dang thing about tennis. I looked up a lot of things, some of those being…15-love, grass/clay/hard courts (who knew there was grass or clay courts in tennis??! Definitely not me).

The way the story was written was truly beautiful. It was a book that showed strong work ethic, determination, and grit while also showing that it’s okay when not everything goes exactly the way your mind may have planned it.

The one part that I had to look up A LOT was the Spanish parts. I took Spanish for 8 years so I knew some stuff, but a lot of stuff I did not. I like how it was woven into the book and I felt like it was well done; not too much nor too little.

The best parts were the love story, the father/daughter relationship, and how it had characters from Mailbu Rising (which was another fav of mine!)

This author continues to amaze me when I read her books and I won’t be stopping soon! 😍

Thank you @ballantinebooks for the #Netgalley!

Hellooooo Carrie Soto fans!! Taylor Jenkins Reid is unstoppable!! If you loved Malibu Rising you are gonna love this one too! I can’t get enough of this author she is amazing and I am always left needing more books by her asap!!

The book is technically very well written with all of the tennis elements. I know nothing about tennis but I felt immersed in the storyline. I felt like I was on the court with Carrie. These is such a tension in the pages during the matches that it feels real. TJR always does a great job setting up the time and place of the book. I did think the first part of the book with Carries back story needed something more. It felt more like a highlight reel, we were just told the facts and not fully brought into the story. It then made the second part of the book hard to get into, I think I needed something more to fully get behind Carries come back. The ending was really satisfying but I kept reading hoping something else would happen. The payoff in the end was nice but I think I need some more plot or character development throughout the story to feel fully invested in Carries story.

This is a story of a professional tennis player - Carrie Soto - who makes a comeback to protect her record. Another book about celebrity, how fascinating, but... where is the drama? Taylor Jenkins Reid did a great job for the opening and ending of this book but did she “unintentionally” forget about the middle part of this book? For readers who are not really into sports, are they able to finish this book? Is the plot of this book too "inside-the-box" compared to what Taylor Jenkins Reid has been done or the book you-know-who?

I don’t see how Carrie has improved during the practice, I just see it through the matches even though I think the practice part should be highlighted. And for Bowe Huntley, isn’t he too unnoticeable? I just started to care about him when I got to the last part of this book.

I don’t know much Spanish, but why didn’t my kindle show the translation? Isn’t there too much Spanish dialogue without translation?

I don’t dislike the main character nor the plot nor her writing style, but I’m mad, I’m mad because Taylor Jenkins Reid made a way-too-safe-choice. Or maybe the decision to write a book about sports was already her risky choice.

Thank you NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine for providing me the ARC.

I just finished this one and I really liked it. It gave a glimpse into the making of a Professional Tennis Player, something I knew nothing about, but found really entertaining. It felt almost like reading a thriller, I was flipping the pages quickly to see if Carrie would win or lose the match. I felt jittery and that on the edge of my seat feeling with tension on how things would work out.

I inhabited Carrie’s world. This is where Taylor Jenkins Reid really excels. She can take a rough around the edges character like Carrie Soto, who starts out abrasive, rude, and self-centered and make you really care for how she does. You will route for Carrie to do better. In 1994, Carrie has gotten back into tennis because she wants to defend her record she won years prior. Carrie does not know how to lose, and winning at tennis is the only way she can imagine one can be a winner. I think she also loves tennis because it seems so black or white. You are great if you win and a complete mess up if you lose.

The relationship between Carrie and her father is so endearing. He is her coach and biggest fan, but most importantly he is her biggest fan in life, he always loves and supports her through everything. He sees all Carrie’s flaws and knows she needs to broaden her life, but he has such a fine way of approaching this. When she is training for a tournament, he is all in. He helps her perfect her game in every way, yet he also makes it clear that he loves her just the same if she loses the match. She is perfect the way she is to him.

Carrie does have some maturing to do, and throughout the book she does start to change. She has been so competitive that she has never let anyone into her life. Another tennis player, a man Bowe Huntley also is trying to give it another try on the tennis circuit. Carrie needs him to practice her game with, but slowly starts to let him into her life and learn from someone else. She can finally see someone beyond just their tennis stats. Her biggest competitor, the one after her record, Nicki Chan, Carrie thinks she must hate, but Chan teaches Carrie how to play the game with real dignity. Nicki, also let’s Carrie know that others struggle with challenges, too and the titles and honors are not purely hers.

In the mid-90’s, there is tremendous pressure on women to be exceptional tennis players, but also play down their ambition. They must also play a role which includes being friendly and likeable, while also maintaining an outward look of ease, beauty, and perfection.

Yet, to win in real life often takes a lot more guts and you will have to give in and compromise. You do need to listen to other people and love them with their flaws and imperfections, too. The greatness there in doing this is the win can be a whole lot better.

Thank you NetGalley, Taylor Jenkins Reid, and Ballentine for granting me this book. I am always happy to leave a review.

Taylor Jenkins Reid has a knack for writing detailed and thoughtful characters. She’s incredibly skilled in describing the time period and setting so that you feel like you’re there. She hits every time. It’s no surprise that she did it again with Carrie Soto is Back.

While Carrie might be the weakest of TJR’s big three (Evelyn, Daisy, and Malibu), I absolutely loved this book. Carrie is unlike any female character she’s written before. On the surface, she’s insensitive, determined, mean, and selfish. But throughout the book, you grow to love and respect her.

I think the setting and world building was the main character in Malibu and Daisy. But, like Evelyn, the female lead is the main character in Carrie Soto. This book is about Carrie. The 90s and the tennis world are secondary characters. But Carrie’s character is enough to keep you glued to the book; it was a thrill to watch her grow throughout the book.

I would likely give any TJR book five stars regardless, but this book deserves every star it gets!

This book is about tennis. It’s about lots more too, like grief and growth and love and the way we judge women athletes, but a huge amount of the book actually takes place on tennis courts. It’s fast-paced and action-packed in a way I didn’t expect. Based on its description, I probably wouldn’t have gravitated towards this book if it wasn’t by TJR, but I tore through it.

You may remember Carrie Soto from Malibu Rising — she’s the pro athlete Nina Riva’s husband cheats and leaves with. This is entirely its own book, though. Carrie is a determined tennis player, so much so that she comes out of retirement to try and defend her Grand Slam titles record against Nicki Chan. Carrie is a tough character to like at first, because even though she is so judged in the limelight, still she judges those around her very harshly. But then, almost without noticing, I warmed to her and rooted for her.

I noticed some similarities to Apples Never Fall by Liana Moriarty, which is also about tennis players coached by their father. This passing similarity faded for me early in the book, though it may be a great read-alike for those who enjoyed Apples Never Fall!

TJR has done it again! Carrie Soto is one of the world's best tennis players, who decides to come out of retirement after her records are about to be broken by another, younger tennis star. Carrie and her ultra competitive attitude will NOT let that happen, so she comes out of retirement and begins training with her coach/dad to reclaim her titles once again.

I love the way female athletes are portrayed in this book. Carrie is an unlikable character who comes off as mean and standoffish, something we never see with female athletes, who are told they must smile and thank luck instead of hard work. That being said, this book is TENNIS. All about tennis. It's about Carrie coming back into an old life and training to become her old self. That being said, there is no overall mystery or romance really, just Carrie and her relationship with the sport. Fans of TJR may not be used to this kind of writing but I felt as though it was easy to adjust to.

Carrie is an evolving character and I loved watching her grow and transform throughout the story. Thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing for the ARC!

Carrie Soto is back
Wonderful read. Everything I expect from this incredibly talented author. What a great storyteller. I read this book in one sitting and we didn’t have dinner that night! Excellent writing, perfect pacing.
I am amazed by how TJR writes real characters who are relatable while quite imperfect. I loved Carrie and would honestly love to hang out with her. She seems so real! Maybe it was the inclusion of the newspaper articles throughout but seeing that perspective added to the excitement of my reading. Her relationship with her immigrant father was so beautiful even as he and she both come to realize how he was part of some of her issues with others, especially when it came to romantic relationships. Her own personal growth as well as that of her love interest and father were so satisfying.
I’m not that into tennis but I appreciate the beauty of other sports and I have to say I learned quite a bit about this sport. This will enhance my next viewing of a Wimbledon game. I cannot believe how riveted I was to the details of a match in texts without any visuals. It shows what a talented writer TJR is. I’m not sure how she does it but I was glued to the page!
The ultimate message of this book in my opinion is to love what you do. Despite all the fame and fortune, Carrie’s best and most enjoyable match is the one she loses.
Thanks to the author, Net Galley and Ballantine Books for the review copy. I’ve been singing the praises of this book already well before publication date.

Carrie Soto Is Back follows tennis champion, Carrie Soto, and her attempt at a comeback. I was so looking forward to this book, and was very disappointed.
There’s not much of a plot here, the whole book is just about tennis. We get Carrie’s childhood, her rise to fame, and her retirement in the first 20 percent of the book. The entire rest of the book is Carrie practicing tennis, playing tennis, watching tennis, talking about tennis.
Carrie as a character was also not very likable at all. The whole reason she wants to come out of retirement is because another player is about to overcome Carrie’s record and she can’t stand the thought of someone being better than she is. She has some character development, but it happens so close to the end of the book, Carrie as a character seemed more of an afterthought to all the tennis.
I did like Javier, Carrie’s father. While he initially pushed Carrie into tennis, he was the one who tried to level out her ego a little bit.
I loved TJR’s Evelyn Hugo and Malibu Rising, and I will definitely read whatever she puts out next, this one just didn’t do it for me unfortunately.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of Carrie Soto Is Back in exchange for my honest review.

An amazing and engaging read! I officially love everything written by TJR.
I wasn’t sure I would like this book because I’m not a tennis fan and I honestly don’t know anything about the sport. But, wow, this book is about so much more than tennis. I loved Carrie Soto and Javier Soto. The story was engaging, powerful, and inspiring. I hope we see these characters again.

WOW. I've been been a TJR fan since Maybe in Another Life, and it's getting harder and harder to pick a favorite. Carrie Soto is a tangential character from Malibu Rising, brought to "life" (as in, I wanted her to be real and began to believe she was real a la the feelings while reading Daisy Jones) and is a force to be reckoned with in her titular novel. As a child of the 80's who grew up watching the era of tennis portrayed in the book's timeline, I was immediately transported to the days of Graf and Evert and Navratilova giving way to Seles and Hingus and... (and the male stars of Bjorg and Becker and McEnroe rang true to the male characters of this novel as well). And I.loved.it. Every word. Every bit of nostalgia. Every match. Every complication. My heart rate went up in Carrie's matches, and I adored watching her growth off the court over "time," down to the very last page. Solid recommend to everyone!

<I>Many thanks to Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine and NetGalley for the opportunity to preview this book in exchange for my honest opinion.</I>

🎾 Wow. I LOVED this. I'm not one to read a book with lots of sports stuff.... but I am one to read a book with a strong female lead. And that is Carrie. However, she's kind of a B-word and really unlikable. (Which made me love her even more).
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🎾 This book is about a tennis pro returning to the sport she loved to prove she's still the greatest in the world.... at age 37. It's about family, love, loss, determination, and so much more. I loved every second. I also loved the dynamic between Carrie and her dad. Major King Richard vibes.
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🎾 Read this. You won't be disappointed. Thanks @netgalley for the ARC!

Another amazing showing from TJR- but, let's be honest, are we even surprised at this point? Carrie Soto may be my favourite of her characters yet- stubborn, blunt, obstinant, persistant to a fault and single-minded. You wouldn't think those things would make you root for a character so much, but here we are. While some of the details in this book are lost on me- a lot of the Spanish without translations and much of the tennis terms which to be honest I didn't care enough to Google- this was still a five star read for me.

Wow!!! This was page-turning, thrilling, heartbreaking, propulsive...

While I've been a TJR fan for years, when I learned about the focus on the tennis world of her new novel, I was skeptical. I knew absolutely nothing about tennis, but it didn't matter at all. Carrie is NOT a likable protagonist, but you can't help but root for her redemption and success throughout her comeback story. The structure of Carrie's background, then telling her story through the four grand slam competitions as she claws her way back to her world record we utterly captivating. I could not stop reading and had to find out what would happen next.

Five huge stars, and a favorite of the year for sure!

I loved this book. I'm not really one for sports stories but I gave this one a shot anyway. Carrie is a young tennis prodigy in the 80s, coached nearly from birth by her father Javier. After setting a world record, she retires, only to be lured out of retirement nearly a decade later by Nickie Chan threatening it. The story covers her rise to greatness, comeback, relationship with her father, the press, public, and other tennis players, and specifically, with her rival, Nickie Chan. It delves into the way we expect female athletes to behave and the way we treat them when they ignore those expectations.

Things I loved:
The relationship between Carrie and her father. The end of the book felt like a love letter between the two (not in a weird way).

The relationship between Carrie and Nickie. Neither one sacrificed any part of their strong personalities and fought tooth and nail to be the winner, but they still developed a special kind of relationship with each other.

Carrie's personality. I adore female characters who are not "likeable" and this book portrays that with such care and candor.

Things I didn't love:
Not much!

This was my favorite Taylor Jenkins Reid yet, I'd recommend it to anyone. Thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Ballantine for the free ARC in exchange for an honest review.