It doesn’t get any better with Taylor Jenkins Reid! As I had expected, her new novel was one word: AMAZING. The story of Carrie Soto was unique, interesting, unputdownable- and the writing itself was sheer perfection. Taylor Jenkins Reid is simply the best writer out there. It just doesn’t get any better. Carrie Soto was a character and book that will leave a will leave a stamp on the reader’s heart for years to come. I simply adore anything written by Reid. Her newest novel was yet another masterpiece. I loved literally everything about this one.

Thank you to NetGalley and to the publisher for the ARC. I absolutely recommend this book to everyone.

For some reason, every time Taylor Jenkins Reid releases a new book, I doubt her. Even though I’ve read every single book she’s ever written and they’ve all been 5 stars, I always think “okay, THIS is going to be the one that breaks the streak.” I especially felt that way toward Carrie Soto, because I could not care less about tennis AND because I didn’t particularly like Carrie in Malibu Rising. However, like all of TJR’s others, Carrie Soto is Back did not disappoint and it certainly didn’t break the 5 star streak. It was phenomenal and I couldn’t put it down. It is very tennis heavy, but TJR’s writing is so spectacular that even non-tennis fans will fall in love. Carrie Soto is such an amazing and complex character. She isn’t likable, but she’s very lovable ❤️ She will go down as one of my all time favorite female MCs. This book gets 5 stars from me! Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for my advanced copy in exchange for my honest review!

I loved this one!! Taylor Jenkins Reid has not disappointed yet! Carrie Soto is Back had a slower pace than other books I've read recently, yet I was still invested and interested to know what happened throughout the book. After Malibu Rising, I wasn't Carrie's biggest fan, but this book helped me understand her so much better and I now love her and how unapologetic she is about winning. I also loved the father-daughter bond she had and I may have cried a few times. Also, I want to add that I don't know much about tennis, but that didn't take away from my enjoyment of the book at all.

Pretty disappointed with this one. There's nothing wrong with this book, it's a fast/fine read, but knowing what Taylor Jenkins Reid is capable of makes this all the more of a bummer. The character development I've grown to expect from her just isn't present and unless you are a tennis fan I suspect you too will find this story incredibly repetitive and honestly kind of boring. So. Much. Tennis. I'm still a huge TJR fan and will continue to pick up anything she writes.. this one just missed the mark for me.

Author of Seven Husbands, Daisy Jones & Malibu Rising has another one coming out this year, Carrie Soto is Back! Thank you @netgalley for the advanced copy!! I was so excited to get my hands on this book, I didn’t even read the summary. I’m not usually drawn to sports books & I know nothing about tennis, but it absolutely didn’t matter. I loved this book & loved reading it way more than I expected. I flew through it & couldn’t put it down. I was rooting for Carrie in more ways than one & my heart was racing through her matches! Very well-written. I was gasping & laughing out loud throughout the entire book. It was a great read. I can’t say enough positive things about it. If you’ve read her other books, you’ll appreciate the Daisy Jones & Malibu Rising references. Keep an eye out for this one. It’s great! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

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

Y’all I don’t even know where to start with the greatness that is Carrie Soto is Back. Let me preface this with I’m a huge fan of Daisy Jones and Evelyn Hugo. Malibu Rising was not my favorite because I just could not connect with Nina Riva. So I was a little nervous to read Carrie Soto having little knowledge of tennis but let me tell you that does not matter.

Carrie Soto is a tennis star raised/coached by her legendary father and tennis great Javier Soto. After numerous wins she ultimately retires. When Nikki Chan threatens her Slam record she decides to come out of retirement. With her Dad coaching her she plans to work her way up and beat Chan.

There are so many themes in this book that tugged at my heart strings: father daughter bonds, second chance romance, women’s equality, imposter syndrome to name a few. TJR’s writing is just flawless in connecting you to these characters. There is such a great mix of plot/character driven story here. I cannot recommend this book enough especially if you need a good cry. My only dilemma now is figuring out where Carrie fits in with Daisy and Evelyn.

This book moves pretty quickly... if you like Tennis, you might love it. If you know nothing about tennis, you might love it. If you have read Ms. Reid before, you might just love it. A good read but a little slow moving and predictable at times. Thanks for the opportunity to read.

Taylor jenkins reid, you can do no wrong!!!

Another amazing story by TJR. She is one of my favorite authors and i have read all her books. They somehow get better with each one- how does she do it? Unlike authors who write the same rom com or thriller over and over, Its amazing that each story by TJR couldnt be more different than the last. She keeps it original each time.

The one will give you all of the feels. You will even need a tissue as you celebrate carries highs and feel her lows (cant say more- wont give any spoilers). Yes this book is all about tennis but it is so much more. Its a story about family, resilience, growth, love, determination and self acceptance. By the time the story was over, i didnt want to say goodbye to carrie. TJR did a great job closing the story but you become so attached to her that you never want it to end. And as a fan of TJR, you will enjoy the daisy jones and malibu rising references.

Bravo TJR- cant wait to read the next one.

THANK YOU to net galley and the publisher for the advanced copy.

I wish I could bottle the feeling of nostalgia this book gave me & carry it around with me always.

This was my first book by Taylor Jenkins Reid and I feel like it was meant to be. It brought me back to my childhood when I loved to cheer on some of the most amazing athletes to ever play the sport. I grew up watching women’s tennis in the 90s and this book was a perfect representation of that time in my life.
I connected with Carrie Soto in a way I have never connected with another fictional character. I felt like I was on the court with her for every match. I could see the clay on my white shoes, smell the grass at Wimbledon and feel the reverb of the hard court through my knees.

I cheered for Carrie throughout the whole book. Taylor Jenkins Reid did a phenomenal job of portraying the life of an elite level athlete and how the media has always held female athletes to a different standard than male athletes. The media in the book portrays Carrie as an unfeeling robot because she was so focused on winning, but I never felt that way about her. She is so wonderfully human. Her struggles with injury, retirement, and the difficulty of returning to tennis in her 30s were so perfectly written. Another highlight of this book for me was Carrie’s relationship with her father, Javier, who is also her coach at different points in her career. They go through some rough patches, but their love for one another is evident at all times.

Highly recommend this book. I cannot wait to go back and read all of Taylor Jenkins Reid’s other books to tie in some of the characters that appear in this book.

Thank you NetGalley and Random House for this ARC.

Let me begin by thanking Netgalley and Taylor Jenkins Reid for the Arc copy of Carrie Soto Is Back. I have read almost all of Taylor Jenkin Reid’s book and I have been waiting to read this one. This is going to be a major hit when it releases at the end of August. If you are looking for a fast-paced book that leaves you on the edge of your seat, look no further. I knew nothing about tennis going into this and loved it. I was excited to see if Carrie could win after years after retirement and see if she was as good as she was when she was younger. During the whole book I was interested and wanted to know more. Once the book releases, you really should get your hands on the book.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC! As soon as I was approved for the next Taylor Jenkins Reid book this got moved to the top of my reading list!! I was so excited to read her latest book. I did like the story alot and really got invested in the main character- Carrie. It went through her life as a tennis player, the greatest woman tennis player. I rooted for her during her matches and was on the edge of my seat for each game of tennis she played! I sometimes felt like it was an autobiography/news article and would have liked more of the personal story. Overall I did love it!! Will defintely recommend!!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for a review!!

I love Taylor Jenkins Reid, but when I heard that her ’90s book was going to be about Carrie Soto, I was not excited. I even considered not reading it when it came out. But then I got an email from NetGalley saying I was randomly chosen to receive it and thought that I may as well read it.

Reid is amazing at storytelling and keeping you engaged the whole time. I used to play tennis, not seriously, but this book taught me a lot about the game and made me grow a newfound love for it. If you know nothing about tennis, you will not have any trouble with this book because the first section of the book is all about Carrie growing up and learning to play, so you learn right along with her.

The book opens with Carrie and her father at a tennis match where Nikki Chan beats her opponent and subsequently ties Carrie’s world record for most Slam titles. It is then that Carrie decides to come out of retirement with her dad as her coach to defend her world record.

After that, we learn about Carrie’s early life growing up with her dad, after her mom dies when she was young, and having him, a tennis legend in his own right, teach her how to play tennis. From her birth, her dad drilled into her brain that she will be the greatest tennis player of all time, and to her that means that she has to win every single time she plays. He tries to offset that by saying that everyday she is only competing against herself from the day before and her most important goal is to improve everyday.

We watch Carrie climb in rank and defeat difficult opponents while her need to win grows stronger and stronger. Her father continues to coach her, but also tells her that he will love her no matter the outcome of the matches, while she believes that winning is all that matters. One day she contacts another coach that she knows cares about winning in the same way she does and chooses him over her father, creating a rift in their relationship.

I love how Carrie is unapologetically herself. One of my favorite moments was when a reporter asked her what advice she had for the people she beat in tennis and she said, “Get better at tennis.” Another great moment was when she said that a match she won was embarrassing for her opponent and then privately told her father that that was her being empathetic. I love how when she wins she doesn’t pretend like it is unexpected and acts grateful, like she is expected to and makes sure everyone knows that she knew she was going to win. I also love how she just wants to play and doesn’t care about making herself likable to the public, like how she doesn’t smile or say nice things in press conferences, and yet still has fans that look up to her.

The whole book I was rooting for her. I obviously wanted her to win in the end, but ultimately I was waiting for her character development where she learns to not put so much stake in the game and finally realize that a loss doesn’t mean the end of the world. Reid pulled through and that is exactly what happens.

I enjoyed it whenever Nikki and Carrie would interact, especially when they got a drink together and Carrie asked if she knew what it was like to work for something so hard and then have someone come and take it from under and Nikki was like, duh. And then Carrie was able to have the realization that that’s exactly what she’s doing to her.

It was very admirable to see Carrie train to come out of retirement and at thirty-seven, basically return to the same skill level as before her retirement. I liked how transcripts of sports commentators, articles, and op-ed’s were included so we were able to see what the public thought of Carrie and how the tide began to turn when she reminded everyone how great she was and still is.

Watching Bowe and Carrie together was a real treat. Not only did they help each other improve in tennis, but Bowe helped Carrie let go of her of her fears involving romantic relationships. I also enjoyed the development of Bowe and Javier’s, Carrie’s dad, relationship and how he grew to like him and also coached him. I liked seeing Bowe’s development as well and how he stopped throwing tantrums and genuinely improved at tennis. I enjoyed his relationship with Carrie and how he would still stick around when she couldn’t figure out exactly what she wanted.

I loved Javier’s character in this book and how much he helped Carrie. When she finally confronted him about putting too much pressure on her, I think they had a good conversation about that. Obviously, I think it was sad that he died and I definitely teared up a little, but I think it was necessary for Carrie to finally rethink her priorities and really come into her own.

When Carrie and Nikki would talk, I was hoping that at the end of the story they would eventually reconcile and I am glad that it ended with Carrie retiring for real and becoming her coach.

Reid is a beautiful storyteller and like her previous novels, I found myself wishing I could watch Carrie’s tennis matches or look her up. She does such a good job at creating character’s that are so well rounded that feel so realistic, even the side characters. This book is, without a doubt, a five star read and one of my favorite books ever.

Thank you NetGalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

I'm so, so, so upset to do this but this is sadly a meh from me.

This story follows Carrie Soto as she jumps back into her tennis career and learns how to stop seeing the world in black and white.

My favorite book ever is Daisy Jones and the Six but this ... this fell so flat for me. I don't care much for tennis and this book was really mostly about it (at least up until where I got) and I just... couldn't care about it.

TJR is an incredible writer but this was sadly a flop to me.

This novel is another grand slam by TJR. I love TJR, so when I was approved to read CARRIE SOTO IS BACK early from NetGalley I was ecstatic! There is a lot of tennis here, with a good story woven in between the matches. It wasn't full of depth and nuance, but the plot line was engaging.

This book was fantastic! Taylor Jenkins Reid does such a phenomenal job of writing characters, and providing them depth that you can’t help but root for them - flaws and all! I really love to watch women’s tennis, and having just watched the French Open, I was so excited to read this book. Even if you don’t care about tennis at all, she does a great job of making the description of the matches super engaging, and there is plenty off the court as well. Carrie Soto is unlike any of her previous leads, and in the best way. I’ve loved following as Reid writes characters from different decades, from Evelyn Hugo to now!

I am a major fan of Taylor Jenkins Reid, and eagerly anticipated this newest novel. I can enthusiastically say it did not disappoint. Readers of Malibu Rising will remember Carrie's character (although if you haven't read Malibu Rising, this book certainly stands alone). She is an unapologetically cut-throat tennis star (the best in the world, after all) who returns to the sport after a younger player challenges her record. Carrie teams up with her father and coach and creates a surprising connection to another aging tennis player, Bowe Huntley, in her quest to reclaim her title. I loved the father/daughter relationship and couldn't help but cheer for Carrie, even when she was being particularly unlikable. My only caveat is that this is a book about tennis, and if you have no interest in tennis or other sports, you find yourself bored. I was not!

I admit I was skeptical I would like “Carrie Soto is Back” when I saw that 1) the protagonist is a minor character from my least favorite Taylor Jenkins Reid novel “Malibu Rising” and 2) the book has a very sports-centric story. But, surprisingly, I found it enjoyable and engaging, despite Carrie being written as an unlikeable character and there being so. Much. Tennis.

Carrie is a retired athlete and world champion. She is talented and driven, but she is also arrogant, obstinate, guarded, and insensitive. When she decides to return to the courts at 37 years old to protect her record from being broken by current superstar Nicki Chan, some in the industry and in the stands are intrigued and excited, but mostly there is skepticism and irritation. Carrie did not make a lot of friends and fans previously in her glory days.

Yet as a reader, I couldn’t help but root for her. It’s fun to root for the underdog and, despite her skill and focus, that is what she has become due to her age and tough personality. It is true that Carrie is difficult to like, but as the story unfolds and you learn more about her, you can empathize with her. You can even relate to her. She grew up the only child in a single-parent, immigrant household. She is an aging woman in a man’s world. She is an untraditional celebrity in front of harsh, unforgiving cameras. You may not like her, but you’re on her side.

I admit “Carrie Soto is Back” was a bit boring at times for me as a sports nonfan; I found myself skimming some of the technical descriptions of the practices and games in the beginning, and there were many. But eventually the novel won me over with its heart. I enjoyed Carrie’s interactions with her devoted father and coach, Javier; her charismatic colleague and practice partner, Bowe; her patient, determined sports agent, Gwen; and even her surprisingly charming rival Nicki—their moments together help smooth out her rough edges and give dimension to what easily could have been a flat character. I think that’s what was missing from “Malibu Rising—complexity and depth.

So give Carrie a chance. She is flawed, but she sure is interesting.

Thank you to NetGalley and Ballantine Books for an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review. My review was posted online on June 12, 2022, here to Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4724716118.

Couldn't put it down! I loved this book. The characters are so real and believable. I didn't know much about tennis until I read this book, but it seemed very accurate. The strength and courage of Carrie is inspirational. I wish I'd experienced the fierce love her dad had for her. Highly recommend this book!

Do I know anything about tennis? No. Did I ever imagine wanting to read and enjoying a book about tennis? No. Did I love this? Yes. Taylor Jenkins Reid has once again proven herself to be an instant buy/instant read for me. Her writing style just sucks me in until in fully immersed in the world she created and deeply invested in every character.

There’s the world of tennis, fierce competition, strong and powerful women, a father’s love, well developed characters, growth, a touch of romance, and several Easter eggs from TJRs other best sellers.

I cheered. I yelled. I cried. I loved this so much and will absolutely buy a copy when it’s released. This is up there in my top two TJR books with Evelyn Hugo.

After meeting Carrie Soto briefly in Malibu Rising (TJR’s last venture), I was not excited about getting an entire book about her. I could not have been more wrong. TJR is an expert at creating fully formed, strong yet vulnerable, brilliant, female leads for all of her works. At first glance, there seems to be so little to the character of Carrie. She seems cold, tennis obsessed but perhaps more accurately - winning obsessed. Carrie has the privilege of retiring at the top of her game but now someone else has finally toppled her record. Naturally, carrie has to come out of retirement to take back what is hers. Despite Carrie’s tough exterior, you can’t help but root for her as more of her story unravels.

I also immediately thought that Carrie’s coach and father Javier was going to end up feeling too close to the story of the Williams sisters being coached by their father in the beginning of their tennis days too. Again, I was proven wrong and found myself just as eager to keep up with his character as I was with Carrie’s. From Evelyn to Daisy to Nina and now to Carrie, it feels impossible to select a favorite of TJR’s famous ladies quartet…but as with everything else she does Carrie might just be the winner here too.