I will start by clearly stating that Carrie Soto was my least favourite character in Malibu Rising. The homewrecker lifestyle is not a lifestyle I support LOL

OK, that being said. I loved this book.
I was initially hesitant about whether or not I'd enjoy this book but I was pleasantly surprised by how much I loved it. I even went ahead and purchased the pre-order for myself bc I enjoyed it that much.

Carrie Soto is an incredible tennis player who plays hard and trains harder. She knows exactly what she wants and does everything in her power to get it. She is a no nonsense go-getter and will always strive to be the best of the best.
Carrie Soto was the most decorated tennis player of her generation. She had won the most 'Grand Slam singles ever' and held the record for 'most weeks at number one for any player in the history of the tour'. She was recognized as having the 'most singles titles, most aces over the course of a career. Most years ending number one. Highest-paid female athlete of all time.'
So when she injures her knee and goes into retirement at 31 one would think she was set for the long haul - that her legacy was over. Nope.
Five years later and "the bitch is back"
The beginning of this novel followed the come-up of how Carrie Soto became "The Battle Axe" she was. But when her record for 'most Grand Slam singles ever' is stolen by the up-and-coming beat of a player, Nicki Chan, Carrie Soto decides to come out of retirement and reclaim her spot on the pedestal.

You can ask me if I understand the sport of tennis at all. I will say no. I will still say no after reading this novel because I can honestly say I have absolutely no idea how the points system works for this game AT ALL. Love? All? No idea. One thing I will tell you is that the intensity of the sport and the passion these fictional players have for the game is so clearly described by Taylor Jenkins Reid in this novel that I was immediately swept away.
I was so engrossed in the love Carrie had for this physically and mentally demanding profession, her persistence to improve herself every day, and the strength of this woman against all odds - be it her old(er) age, her reputation as a bitch, her attitude. Thrilling!
Loved this so much. I think this might be my favourite read of 2022 thus far! Can't wait for my pre-order to come in *happy tears*

Thank you Penguin Random House Canada and Doubleday Canada and NetGalley for providing me with this advanced reader's e-copy in exchange for an honest review.

I didn't like this book as much as I The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo and Daisy Jones and the Six, but I still think you should read it. Here's why: Carrie Soto is an unlikeable protagonist. She's known as "The Bitch," for seeming cold and uncaring on and off the court. But here's the thing, she does care. She's a champion because she puts everything she has into her game, at the expense of her personal relationships. Taylor Jenkins Reid has this amazing way of creating dynamic, believable characters. I knew little about tennis before reading this book, but I was cheering for Carrie the entire time. The tennis competition scenes are riveting and exciting; I couldn't tear through those pages fast enough.

I also really liked that the book was set in the 70s, 80s, and 90s. It gave the book a vintage feel... something TJR does best. Anyone who likes tennis should read this book, but it's also for fans of intense competition, strong female protagonists, second chance love tropes, and family dynamics.

"I have always known there is no mountain you cannot climb, one step at a time"

Thank you SO much to Netgalley for the e-arc and Libro.fm for the audio arc! Both provided in exchange for an honest review.

TJR has done it again with another stunning novel. At first I wasn't sure how I felt about the all-gold cover, but after reading the book I feel that the cover is absolutely perfect.

The start of the book takes place throughout Carrie's upbringing and training. I really enjoyed this part of the book as I felt I could relate well to young Carrie's struggles. I did competitive dance throughout my entire childhood and so I know what its like to miss out on things with school friends because of practices/competitions. I also know how it feels to not understand why kids tease you for being so passionate about something that feels like its your entire world. I really enjoyed this start to the book and it really drew me into the story. This book left me feeling like I was learning tennis/being a tennis fan. I enjoyed how TJR explained it well that I learned about it without feeling like I was reading a textbook. It was still interesting even though tennis is a sport I hadn't taken much interest in before.

I am not going to lie, some of the middle of the book felt dry. When the book switched to the present day, I felt like it all happened so fast and I had questions left unanswered. I didn't get a good understanding about why she was so passionate about returning to the tennis world. I know she wanted to be the best and defend her title, but why? Was she not ready to stop initially? Did someone make comments she wanted to prove wrong? A new opponent to beat? I don't know what the driving factor was even though some of this did occur after she announced her return.

Overall I enjoyed the book. I felt it was a bit predictable of a story, but it was still a great read. As always with TJR, the writing was captivating and this is a story you won't want to miss!

I think we can all agree that Taylor Jenkins Reid writes beautiful stories about women. Evelyn Hugo and Daisy Jones are women who live rent free in our minds.

I loved TJR's layered family drama Malibu Rising- released last year- and was super excited to see that TJR's next book would focus on woman scorned tennis pro Carrie Soto.

While this book was VERY heavy on the tennis (non-tennis fans be warned), where TJR excels is her description of a strong woman overcoming and Carrie is definitely a hero in my mind. Even though the majority of this book took place in the 90s, it was incredibly relevant and relatable to today. My favourite parts of this story was Carrie's relationship with her father and her take no BS attitude. I loved the theme of a woman approaching 40 learning more about herself and taking back her life.

Thank you to Net Galley and Penguin Random House Canada for an eARC in exchange for my honest review

Thank you to @netgalley and @penguinrandomnhousecanada for the ARC digital copy. My thoughts are my own.

When Carrie Soto retires from Tennis, she is the best player in the world. She has claimed 20 Grand Slam titles and shattered every record she could. Carrie sacrificed almost everything to become the best alongside her Father, Javier, who was her coach. Six years after her retirement, Carrie is in the stands and watching the 1994 US open. Nicki Chan is in the finals and about to smash Carrie’s records. At 37, Carrie decides to come out of retirement to attempt to reclaim her record and to be coached by her father one more time. Can Carrie fight her way back and achieve a new record? Or does the pressure of once being a GOAT get in her way?

This book BLEW me away. I am a HUGE fan of Taylor Jenkins Reid and this book is pure gold. The strength, determination, fight and heartache you witness with Carrie as the main character is exceptional. From the moment this book starts to when it ends, you can envision the entire story. You can hear the ball hitting the clay and grass courts. You can hear the crowd on every win and lose. You can feel the pain when the most devastating moment of Carrie’s life happens. Your whole body senses every moment, every fight, every hit. PSA - you do not need to know the ins and outs of tennis to read this book. Taylor Jenkins Reid does a fantastic job introducing the game and the rules. The romance that Carrie had with Bowe was so tender, slow burning and pure. Their connection was genuine and loving. The last 75% of the book I could not put down. I was so invested with Carrie and her life. The way Taylor Jenkins Reid writes female heroines is bad ass.

Another TJR book that I absolutely loved! This time with a focus on tennis and the high stakes nature of this sport while looking at double standards, competitiveness, and older athletes.

Following Carrie's life throughout her life from childhood to present day in 1995, we learn about the intensity, technicalities, and athletic skills of tennis. I am not a sports person, but it was quite easy to get into this book and cheer Carrie on. Although she isn't a likeable person (poor sportsmanship, gloating, a sore loser/winner), you can't help but root for her to make her comeback. Carrie does hold to the fact that she lives and breathes tennis ever since she could walk.

I do admire Carrie's persistence and never gave up to defend her titles record. Her father as her coach was sweet to see how their relationship has evolved. She also realizes that she can be something else other than simply tennis - it left off on a hopeful note for Carrie moving forward. The last portion of the book, I was on the edge of my seat and it felt I was watching the actual tennis match happen and hoping that Carrie would win!

It was a fun thing to see some mentions of characters of other TJR books such as Mick Riva and Daisy Jones. It's like TJR is making her own little universe! Overall, Carrie Soto Is Back is very well-written and another excellent TJR book on her roster. And I can't wait to read more from her!

I am a long-time TJR fan and I always look forward to a new book by her. I have loved all of her books and this one was no exception - it was marvellously written, and if you were to ask me if I'd love a book written almost completely about tennis, I'd laugh in your face, but that seems to be the case here. Carrie Soto was briefly introduced in Malibu Rising last summer, but I'll admit I did not remember her *extremely* well until her cameo was mentioned midway through this book. At times, it was so hard to like her - I'm sure she will be relatable to competitive athletes, but to us regular people, it was hard to understand how she could live and breathe tennis constantly without ever doubting herself or accepting a loss. The pace of the book was also interesting but it was so easy to listen to (and so exceptionally narrated by a full cast!) that I just couldn't put it down. By the end, I was on the edge of my seat. This is the magic of Taylor Jenkins Reid's writing!!
There were some laughable moments as well as some tearful moments and it's safe to say I learned a thing or two about tennis while listening ;)

Thank you to the publisher and Libro.FM for the ARC and advanced listening copy in exchange for an honest review.

Such a delight! One of those reads that is best suited for long stretches to keep up with its fast pace. I am an absolute sucker for a father-daughter dynamic so many times I would be tearing ip over the sweet dialogue. Glad to have read this digitally to quickly translate as well.

Admittedly, even with all the right pieces this didn’t blow me out of the water. Perhaps it’s pace makes me as a reader not take time to soak in the details because three others would be coming in. I understand the need for short term gratification in anticipated novels, but I was in the mood for a slow burn!

I know I will very likely be in the minority with giving TJR’s latest novel a fairly harsh review given her popularity, but unfortunately it didn’t live up to my (admittedly high) hopes. Following Malibu Rising, (which I also found to be a disappointment), I felt like Carrie Soto is Back just wasn’t particularly well written, was fairly choppy in timelines and overall the plot was a subpar execution compared to that of the complex and better woven stories in Daisy Jones and Evelyn Hugo. It honestly took me quite a few times to pick the book up to push through the first 45% of the story. I wanted to give this novel the chance to improve, and although the second half of the book was “better”, it just wasn’t great,
Although Carrie Soto is undeniably a determined and strongly focused female character, I just didn’t find myself able to like her at any point of the book. Her stubbornness and attitude (even for a fictional professional athlete) was a bit much, and really lost my interest and didn’t have me invested in her story. I get to an extent what Reid was trying to do with this character, but I feel like the delivery just missed the mark.
All this being said, I’m sure this book will be liked by many- I just hope that I am able to enjoy the author’s next much more.
Big thank you to Penguin Random House Canada and NetGalley for an ARC of this novel that I was so excited to receive!
2.5/5

Thank you VERY much to NetGalley and Penguin Random House Canada for allowing me an early copy of Carrie Soto is Back in exchange for an HONEST review :)

I had such a unique experience reading this book which really played a large role in the rating!

First of all, prior to this book I had little to no knowledge about the game of tennis, but post read I feel like in understand the basics and am newly motivated to pick up a new hobby! When I was most emotionally involved in this book, I was at "work" and following the news story surrounding the US open and Serena Williams announcing her last game before retirement.

Reading this book about a strong female lead who is a POC, and watching Serena Williams, another POC strong female, enhanced each experience! I had such an appreciation for the 2 worlds that I was engulfed in, and made me feel like I was the strong female POC lead of my life ( cheesy I know but I felt so empowered). Both of these strong women and incredibly talented and they both have titles and records to show for their hard work.

Carrie Soto is not like most of the FMC that I've been introduced to, but then again this book is unique in its story and the way that it was carried out. It honestly was a whirlwind of a time to get to this final rating because I took into consideration that a lot of the book was actually pretty boring plot wise. Had I not been surrounded by the adrenaline rush of 2022's US open and the retirement announcement of Serena Williams, I am unsure if I would have the motivation to finish this book.

The premise of this book was interesting as it followed a topic that I had no interest in, and followed a seemingly distasteful main character. As a romance/ fantasy reader I am used to the main characters being well-liked but Carrie is different. She is very much a person who does not care about what others think of her, so long as she is number 1 in the world of tennis. Although it was hard for me to fall in line with Carrie and her actions, I started to get to know her more and became more understanding.

This book is not a romance, so if that's what your looking for move on. There is a slight subplot of it but the main goal of this book is to delve into the character development that is Carrie Soto.

4/5 stars would recommended with slight hesitation due to personal feelings.

I am absolutely speechless. This was the best storytelling I have genuinely ever read. The anticipation that I felt at all times, never knowing what would come next, reading one line and covering the rest because it was 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 nerve racking. It was such an experience.

But, until Carrie Soto was back, I felt that it wasn’t as compelling. The beginning was slow, and it took me a while to get into it. Although, on Carrie’s first match at the Australia Open, I was completely immersed into the book. I physically did not put it down until I was finished.

I’m conflicted when it comes to the relationships, because I found that Carrie’s with her father was quite literally flawless, and I loved her dynamic with Nicki and Gwen, but her and Bowe just didn’t have as much.. chemistry? Development? Which honestly surprised me considering this is the author that wrote Evelyn and Celia. There was definitely an opportunity that would’ve been a lot more satisfying, and I am a bit disappointed that TJR didn’t go with it. That isn’t to say I disliked her endgame, I just think something was missing.

That being said, I still think Carrie Soto Is Back is an incredible read. I was and still am very impressed with the writing. I’ll even say that I liked the storytelling better than The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo, and that is a sentence I never thought I’d write out.

I appreciate the realism and bluntness of Carrie’s character (much like Evelyn), her ambition, and her lack of desire to be liked. That, ironically, made me like her a lot. I loved Javier, to put it short, because I could go on a very long tangent about how perfect he was, and really liked Gwen and Nicki as well.

The ending was nothing less than shocking, but in the best way possible. I would’ve wished for nothing about it to be written differently.

Thank you so much to Netgalley and Penguin Random House for the ARC.

I’ve enjoyed Taylor Jenkins Reid’s other books, but Carrie Soto is Back definitely takes the top place.

This story follows Carrie Soto as she leaves retirement to reclaim her place as the greatest tennis player of all time.

It’s told in alternating timelines, switching from when Carrie was beginning her tennis career to her in the present time training for upcoming matches.

I have zero knowledge of tennis, but TJR had me on the edge of my seat with some of the matches that went on. She can write a taut tennis match that is as captivating as any battle scene or dance sequence I’ve ever read. My interest never waned in the story, either. I found it compelling right from the first page. And if like me, you have no prior knowledge of the sport, the author does a great job explaining the basics.

It was interesting to see Carrie as a young and fit player outperforming more seasoned players and then the inverse as she’s getting back into the swing of things.

If you’ve enjoyed TJR’s past novels, I’d highly recommend this one as well. She has a knack for writing about subjects that don’t hold much interest to me (Hollywood, rockstars, etc.) but has very memorable characters.

4.5 rounded up.

Thank you to Doubleday Canada for providing an arc via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

https://booksandwheels.com

We only got a small snippet of Carrie Soto in Malibu Rising and to say the least, I was not a fan of hers. Also a book about sports is not something I would normally gravitate towards. Despite that, by the end of the book I was rooting for Carrie and all her flaws. I appreciated the back story on Carrie, getting to know why she was the way she was, but also seeing her growth throughout the story and years..

Amazing, just like everything else I've read from TJR so far. Carrie isn't what I'd say is a "likeable" character by any means, but with the way Reid tells her story, you definitely understand her - even if you don't necessarily like her.

I loved watching Carrie grow and "thaw" from this icy, maybe even self-centred person obsessed with winning (especially when she was younger), to I guess a lukewarm version of that. Somewhere along the way, she stopped obsessing quite as much.

This one definitely kept me more intrigued than Malibu Rising did, which is odd because a book about tennis is definitely not something I'd have picked up if not for the slight connection to Malibu Rising!

I will be in the minority on this one but this novel was just okay for me. Easy to read but the story became repetitive with descriptions of tennis match after tennis match and not much plot development. A pleasant read that is more enjoyable if you are into tennis.

Thanks to Penguin Random House Canada and Netgalley for an advance reader copy in exchange for an honest review,

I struggle to write this review as controversy came out last week about a white women again telling the story of a biracial character. Prior to the news breaking I was very excited to read Taylor Jenkins Reid's new book as I've loved her previous books like Forever Interrupted and Daisy Jones. I'm not ignoring the fact that Reid tells a story that is not hers to tell, she could have very easily changed Carrie to be a white player and told that story instead. I did try to look up her background to see what I could find out about the author but there is not any information besides that she is American and identifies as straight and white.
Aside from the controversy, I really did enjoy the book. It is a good book, with strong female characters and a powerful storyline. I just have an internal conflict with recommending this book to others now that I know what I know.
Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Random House Canada and Double Day Canada for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

Carrie Soto is Back absolutely consumed me. My every thought was Carrie Soto, all the time until I finished.

This character is a legend. I loved that she was determined, fierce, and tough even if there were people who didn't care for her and thought she was too harsh.

Now she is back to show the world that she will reign again in the world of tennis.

I loved how TJR gave us such a strong, formidable female MC.

While this story focuses on Carrie it also shows us her relationship with her father, Javier and a little peek at a possible blooming relationship from Soto's past.

This is not a book a reader will quickly forget. It will stay with you long after you turn the last page.

**Received ARC through NetGalley. Voluntarily reviewed**

Jenkins Reid is a very successful American author with best selling titles such as "Daisy Jones and the Six" and "The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo". Her new release delves into the world of professional tennis and follows the life of Carrie Soto, who has had a successful career, but is not well liked. When her record of Grand Slam wins is tied she comes out of retirement to hopefully win another one. As with Jenkins Reid's previous books, the story revolves around the strong characters. This is a great recommendation for customers and you do not have to enjoy tennis to enjoy the book. I really enjoyed it.

The latest Taylor Jenkins Reid was definitely a highly anticipated read for me of the year, when I was approved for the e-ARC my jaw definitely dropped! Taking place in the same universe as Daisy Six/Evelyn Hugo/Malibu Rising, Carrie Soto Is Back brings back, you guessed it, Carrie Soto, from Malibu Rising. Often seen as cold, nicknamed “the Battle-Axe”, Carrie was the best tennis player the world had seen prior to her retirement. Trained from a young age by her father, all Carrie has ever wanted was to be the best. However, six years after her retirement, Nicki Chan is about to beat Carrie’s record for most Grand Slam titles. At thirty-seven, Carrie comes out of retirement, training her now much older body, in an attempt to reclaim her record.

I didn’t immediately connect with Carrie or the very technical Tennis aspect of the book immediately, but I was entertained and found myself getting through it in a few longer reading bursts. However, the last third, WOW. I could not put it down. What an emotional rollercoaster. Books don’t make me cry but I feel like this one could have. Kudos to TJR for making me love a character who on the surface, was not very likable.

The way the media treat Carrie for being an ambitious woman is definitely a theme throughout the book. She’s often referred to, by male sports anchors, as a bitch. Carrie does miss out on a lot of life experiences and relationships with other people, but she is driven and knows what she wants and does not apologize for it. That being said, I adored the relationship she has with her father, their interactions always warmed my heart.

I’m really glad I kept going with this one, it definitely has left a mark on my heart. I think if you know and understand Tennis, you’ll probably love it even more!

Carrie Soto Is Back is out on August 30th! Thank you so much to @pengiunrandomca & @netgalley for the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review!

⭐4/5 stars⭐

Thank you to NetGalley, Taylor Jenkins Reid and Penguin Random House Canada for the free e-book in exchange for an honest review.

This didn’t feel like the other Reid novels to me, but it was still enjoyable. There is a lot of tennis talk, which I actually enjoyed and a lot of Spanish that I liked to see in there but hated that I didn’t understand. I started this one and left off at 85% for a long time because I didn’t want it to end. It isn’t my favourite TJR but I honestly loved all the characters and how different this novel was!