The most important thing to report here is I did indeed cry, I did smile with unadulterated joy, and I absolutely enjoyed every moment of reading this book. Am I certain that I liked this book more than Malibu Rising? No. But there was something about "Carrie Soto Is Back" that spoke to me on a completely different, and necessary level. The kind of story that followed someone who only ever wanted to win, and did, and yet their biggest victory wasn't the win. It was learning to let go, and love, and be at peace with what they have done with their lives, and what they can still do moving forward.

The relationship between Carrie and her father, between Carrie and Bowe, between Carrie and Gwen, not to mention Carrie and her competitors and the media, it not only showed the difficulties of successful women in sports, but of women in general. The easiness in which one is described as a bitch. The harshness of trying to find a partner who can actively understand you, and want to be with you, no questions asked. And more than those other things, the unique relationship between a father and his daughter, and the complications that come with wanting success and happiness, and knowing that one is not necessary for the other.

I was never worried for a moment that I wouldn't love this book, but it does feel like some kind of victory that I came out on the other side loving every moment. Even when I cried, even when I wanted to shake Carrie over her relationship with Bowe, it felt earned. The journey was traveled, and it hurt, and at the end something important was gained.

Thank you NetGalley for allowing me to read Taylor Jenkins Reid's latest novel, Carrie Soto Is Back, in advance. This is seriously one of the best books I've read in a long time. It is simple, well-written, and fast-paced the entire time. I could not put it down until I was done! Cannot wait to see the series spun off of this one.

If you enjoy feel-good novels, underdog protagonists, tennis, and second chances, I highly recommend this for your end of summer read!

I wanted to like this book, I really did! I am a huge fan of Taylor Jenkins Reid. But it was just too.much.tennis.
Having said that, for some who like me have no interest in tennis, if you stick with it you'll find a strong character in Carrie Those who do not have any interest in tennis might like what it takes to rise to the top, the rivalries and competitiveness, that dominate this narrative. Carrie's rise to the top is not without its challenges, and indeed she not the likeable with a nick name of the 'battle axe'. She is ruthless, driven, and willing to do whatever it takes to win, she has attitude to spare and does not care what anyone thinks of her. Her relationships with her dad and Bowe are well drawn. Recommended for public libraries.

I was thrilled and very fortunate to have read such a creative and empowering book. Ms. Reid’s meticulous attention to the historical details recreated a trip back in time as we followed Carrie from a young girl holding her first racket, to the champion that she became. I learned so much about the world of tennis and I could never have imagined all the training that was necessary to get to the top!

If I were to describe this book in one word, it would be: energetic. The energy that Carrie had as she grew into a star and the renewed energy she has now as she comes out of retirement to show the world that she still had it. When her father made her run five miles on the beach to build up her endurance, I was right behind her with a water bottle, cheering her on. The energy required to complete the many tasks her father gave her. She worked on her serve, her stance and more importantly, her mind game. Carrie had to free her mind of the past, her competition and concentrate on winning at all costs. It was easier said than done and I rooted for Carrie at every match, with every serve and with every game that she won. I became Carrie’s biggest fan and I desperately wanted her to win it all. I was at the edge of my seat as she traveled the world, playing women much younger than herself. Carrie’s drive and enthusiasm was intoxicating and even though her life would go on if she didn’t achieve her goal, she certainly proved that anything is possible.

She’s not an Evelyn, Daisy or Nina- but she is that part of each of us, that pushes to be the best & meet an expectation that we only put on ourselves - break free! Carrie was so fun to get to know and to see her story. I loved this book and put it right up there with Evelyn Hugo & all the other gems TJR creates!

Taylor Jenkins Reed does it again, and this time she's back with a bounce! A tennis bounce that is... This book may be one of her best ever. With a complicated character like Carrie Soto, it is certainly a challenge to create a well rounded character. But, you are guaranteed to love Carrie and be inspired by her strength and confidence at the end.

Out August 30, 2022 [Thank you so much to the publisher for providing me with a gifted copy in exchange for an honest review!]

Rating: 5/5 stars

Carrie Soto, once the greatest women’s tennis player in the world, returns to the sport after a five-year hiatus determined to reclaim her record for most Grand Slam titles.

I know these will be fighting words, but this is the best TJR novel, and Carrie Soto is the best TJR heroine. Don’t get me wrong, I adore Evelyn Hugo and Daisy Jones and Nina Riva, and all of their respective books. But Carrie Soto has instantly found such an important place in my heart for so many reasons—she’s brilliant, funny, feisty, infuriating, determined, strong, and deeply deeply relatable. I’ve never played tennis (I’m not even confident I could hit a tennis ball, at all, in any context) but so much of Carrie’s journey resonated with me anyway, because it is so deeply and intrinsically human.

I rarely cry at books, even the deeply sad ones, but I was on the verge of openly sobbing *several* times while reading this one, which is the mark of a truly special book in my world. While Carrie and the various supporting characters are the definite highlight, the plot is also fantastic and gripping, and I absolutely loved the various themes woven throughout. And, I’m also a sucker for a sports story, so I was totally enthralled by all the tennis (and, yes, there is a lot of tennis).

I could go on, probably for essays’ worth of words, but honestly no words can do this book justice anyway. In the end, all I can say is do yourself a favor and read CARRIE SOTO IS BACK as soon as you possibly can.

Recommended to anyone, but especially if you like: sports dramas; characters that jump off the page; recent-history historical fiction.

CW: Death of a loved one; misogyny/sexism.

Taylor Jenkins Reid has created the perfect villain with Carrie Soto. She is competitive, driven, and will do whatever it takes to get what she wants. Even though Carrie is often abrasive and rude to those around her for the sake of trying to reach her goals, it was still so easy to root for her.

TJR is probably the only person on earth who could make me care about a book about tennis. And this book is overwhelmingly about tennis - if you don't enjoy books about sports, I can see it being hard to get into the story. There are also a lot of really great themes throughout the story as well that I think a lot of people can relate to, even if you don't enjoy tennis. Carrie Soto is Back has a slow burning love story (although it's not a romance book), strong women, a great father/daughter relationship, and a lot of character growth.
I loved the mixed media format of the book - the interviews and articles throughout the story made it so interesting and I liked seeing Carrie's comeback through the eyes of other people.

My biggest complaint with the story is that there is a lot of Spanish in the story, and TJR doesn't provide any translations or context for what is said. Having to pause so often to look up what was being said really took away from the reading experience and my enjoyment of the story.

This isn't a sequel to Malibu Rising so you don't have to read it first, but they are interconnected and I do think it makes the reading experience more enjoyable. I also loved the Daisy Jones callback here if you've read that one!

Thank you to NetGalley, Radom House Publishing (Ballantine), and Taylor Jenkins Reid for an eARC of this book in exchange for my honest opinion!

Taylor Jenkins Reid has done it again! Every time I read one of her books, I think there's no way she would write something as great as that book again, but then she releases another novel that turns out to be a masterpiece.

I absolutely loved this one, I felt like I was sitting on one of the chairs at the stadiums watching Soto play beautiful tennis. I've never been a big fan of the sport/ watched any games (not even on TV) but TJR ended up making me fall for the game along with the characters.

I absolutely loved Carrie's rough, "hard-to-love" character. Every time I read a scene where she was being shown as rude or unlikeable, all I kept thinking about is how real the characters all seemed, and how amazing it is to read a book from the POV of a female character that the world seems to dislike, just because she is being her true self. I felt this even more in the small subtle scenes where social issues were discussed in the book. I loved the way TJR wrote those parts.

There was some mentions to TJR's other books in this one, including a storyline with some characters from Malibu Rising, so I would recommend reading that one before you read Carrie Soto is Back.

Carrie Soto is Back is a beautiful story of a father/daughter duo out to dominate the tennis world. Javier Soto is a retired tennis pro who has been training his daughter, Carrie to be the greatest tennis player the world has ever seen. Carrie easily gets caught up in always chasing the next goal that she forgets to live. Javier notices that Carrie will never be happy with her own accomplishes and pushes her to find the joy in life. Carrie quickly rejects this and fires her dad as her coach. Carrie's new coach brings her into a new level of playing, but the titles and trophies are still not enough for Carrie to be happy.
After being in retirement, there is a new player who is out to get Carrie's world record. Carrie can not and will not let this happen. Carrie comes back from retirement and is out to win back her title and what she thinks will bring happiness.
Along the way, Carrie will learn that it isn't the destination, but the journey that makes life worth living. Until we can release ourselves from our expectations and what we think will make us happy, we will never truly find joy.
This was my second "TJR" book and I am not FULLY OBSESSED! I will be spending any extra time devouring her remaining novels. "Carrie Soto is Back" is a book I am still thinking about weeks after finishing.

Honestly, this book is f*cking genius. TJR has once again completely captivated me. Carrie Soto reminds me so much of Daisy Jones. She’s strong, not well liked, passionate, and ambitious as hell. I have a feeling a lot of people will not like or resonate with Carrie Soto but I completely relate to her. When they say “show me, don’t tell me” that’s exactly what TJR did for this one. This level of symbolism drips off the pages in TJRs new book. Carrie is a strong willed woman who will stop at quite literally nothing to be the best. When coming out of retirement she learns a lot about herself, the game she loves, and how to open her mind and heart to others. I found myself completely intrigued with this entire book, I felt like I was watching a tennis match and watching Carrie be the woman she was destined to be. I felt truly apart of this story. Similar to how Daisy Jones was all about music, this is all about tennis. i loved everything about this book and even cried a few times. TJR all I can say is 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼

Thank you to Ballantine books for this ARC! Out 8/30!

I love Taylor Jenkins Reid's books, but I was a little worried about this one being about tennis. I know nothing about tennis and it's never really interested me. But I did not have to worry. I loved everything about this book.

If you've read Malibu Rising, you got a preview of who Carrie Soto is. She was the other woman. The tennis player. The person who is often brash and honestly kind of mean. But in this book, we get to see why Carrie ended up the way she did. And she's not quite as bad as I thought. Carrie's dad was a great tennis player in Argentina. When Carrie is born, he's sure that she will be even better than him. He starts training her early on and he is right. Carrie is special. But she sacrifices most of her childhood to be great. That means no real friends, no real school, no special treats, and working out all the time. Carrie does great in tennis and wins all kinds of slam titles. Carrie retired when she had to have knee surgery. But at 37 years old, another pro is going to break her record. Carrie can't stand the thought of it and decides to come out of retirement. She asks her dad to be her coach and he agrees. The workouts are hard. Her body isn't the same as it was. She slower and struggles with the speed of the younger girls. But Carrie is someone who wants to win no matter what. She doesn't know how to lose. Her dad is ok either way as long as she plays her best. But Carrie needs to win at least one slam her year back. She has four tries to do it.

There is something about Taylor Jenkins Reid's books that just suck me in. I'm usually a plot driven person. But her characters are always written so well. I want to know more about them. I don't need action or huge plots in every chapter. The focus is always on the people and how I feel about them. I don't know that I could be friends with a person like Carrie, but I definitely understood her more. I loved the side characters too. Like always, I want more from those people. I don't want to the story to end. I love that about her books.

I gave this book 5 stars.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for my earc.

TJR could write anything and I will read it because she simply is an amazing storyteller! Her characters are not perfect- in fact, most have their flaws, yet they are so relatable and you find yourself cheering for them. Carrie Soto is no different.

Carrie Soto is a highly decorated tennis player who decides to come out of retirement in order to defend her record. Throughout Carrie Soto is Back we learn about Carrie's history- how she falls in love with the game of tennis at a young age and is coached by her father, Javier, a former tennis professional. Prior to reading this book I knew next to nothing about tennis, but do not let that stop you! This story is so much more than the game- it examines Carrie and Javier's relationship not just as father and daughter, but as coach and player. Carrie is seen as a beast, as a"Battle Axe" and her cold demeanor is seen both on and off the court.

Throughout the novel I definitely learned more about the game of tennis and found myself cheering for Carrie as she grows both professionally and personally. And like every TJR novel the characters are well written and developed, the story is paced well (an excellent balance of fast-paced energy during the match scenes and a more moderate-paced storytelling), and there are even nods to Daisy Jones and the Six and Malibu Rising.

Much thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing/Ballentine for this digital advanced copy of one of this summer's most anticipated releases. This review and opinions are solely mine.

Another incredible novel from Taylor Jenkins Reid. Each time I pick up one of her books I'm always so surprised by her power to fully immerse you while you fall in love with her vibrant portrayals of realistic characters. This new addition to the Mick Riva universe did not disappoint.

Brilliant! Coming off of Malibu Rising, I was excited to see what Taylor brought us next, and she did not disappoint. I felt like I was in the stands, cheering for Carrie like I was there. So inspiring, and a must-read!!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Carrie Soto Is Back is a great book about a sometimes not likeable character. Carrie is confident to the point of perfection, which is needed to be able to play and achieve greatness at the level required to win.

It is an amazing portrayal of the joy and heartbreak of sports. You get a glimpse behind the scenes and see what an athlete pours into her sport...the blood, sweat, heartbreak and sacrifice needed to meet and exceed goals.

We were first introduced to Carrie Soto in Tara Jenkin Reid's previous book Malibu Rising. Carrie was the heartless husband-stealing woman. I did not expect to be drawn in and care as much as I did for this character. Well, that is the beauty of TJR's ability to create such complex characters. You get to know the character, flaws and all and find yourself rooting for them every step of the way.

Carrie Soto comes out of retirement and returns to the tennis court with her Grand Slam wins record on the brink of being broken. She decides to make a comeback to defend her record. Her father, Javier joins her on this journey for a chance to be her coach once again. The book becomes more than the reclaiming of her title, it is also about reclaiming her relationship with her father.

TJR also touches upon the perceptions of women in sports (women nicknamed the beast, the battle axe or the bitch simply for their competitive drive) ..."It was okay to win as long as I acted surprised when I did and attributed it to Luck. I should never let on how much I wanted to win or worse, that I believed I deserved to win...the bulk of commentators wanted a woman whose eyes would tear with gratitude...".
Thanks again to NetGalley and the publisher for sharing this fantastic book!!

First of all thank you to Ballantine Books and NetGalley for this ARC. Tara Jenkins Reid has kept me on the edge of my seat in all of her books that I have read and Carrie Soto is Back exceeded and smashed my expectations! Somehow TJR manages to make you love and hate a character all at the same time! Carrie Soto’s father is a world renowned tennis player who had to retire early due to injuries. When he teaches his daughter Carrie to play and realizes that she could potentially be the best tennis player in the world. I wasn’t sure I would enjoy all of the tennis on this story but TJR did an amazing job of keeping the story moving while teaching me a thing of two about tennis! 5 stars! My only regret is that I’m done with the story.

Taylor Jenkins Reid never disappoints. Her books will tug at your heart strings and leave you laughing, crying, contemplating, and entertained. Carrie Soto is Back is no exception. A riveting and memorable story of an athlete who gave it all to become the best tennis player in the world, finds herself coming out of retirement to defend her record, swallow her pride, and make herself vulnerable by training with a man who has his own stakes in the game. Raw, vulnerable, and exciting. A great read that left me breathless

Welp. I did not expect for that book to speak to my soul in ways I can’t even explain.

This book is an intimate character study of what it means to be the “greatest” at something. The pressure, the drive, the grind. It’s about being true to yourself. It’s about learning that change is okay. It’s about the deepest griefs and the brightest joys, and how they can co-exist. It’s about what happens when we tie our self worth to something we can’t control. It’s about winning, and losing, and being your best every day. It’s about relationships, especially that of father/daughter. And, yes, it’s about tennis. And it’s messy. And I LOVED it.

Listen, I love Daisy, Evelyn and Nina so much. When Malibu Rising came out, I declared it to be my favorite TJR to date. But, y’all. Carrie. Carrie is it. She’s it. I can’t.

Taylor Jenkins Reid’s writing truly keeps getting better with each and every book - I highlighted SO much and will be going back to reference it.

I cannot wait for the world to meet Carrie on August 30. I’m just going to lay here with an epic book hangover for a while.

Wow, I absolutely loved this book! Definitely TJR’s best. The characters were vibrant and leapt off the page, and the tennis setting was so interesting and entertaining to me. I could not put this book down and will highly recommend it!