TJR DOESN'T MISS

4.5 ⭐️

I loved and hated Carrie Soto's character somehow simultaneously throughout the novel. There are some things that happen (no spoilers, pick it up!!!!) that make you HATE her as our main protagonist but at the same time, you also hope she overcomes her obstacles and flourishes.

My all time favourite by TJR is The Seven Husband's of Evelyn Hugo but fuck this was also just so good I wish I could annotate the heck out of this one 😩

This was one of my most anticipated books of the year because Taylor Jenkins Reid has become one of my favourite authors since I read Daisy Jones & the Six. Carrie Soto is a great character but this is my least favourite from this author.

Growing up, I learned to play tennis and was a huge fan of watching Wimbledon and other Grand Slam tennis tournaments. I can't imagine enjoying this book if you are not a fan of tennis. The story follows Carrie Soto's journey from the child of a father who is an Argentinian professional tennis player turned coach along her path to become the greatest tennis player of all time.

The book had me thinking about Serena Williams who, just this week, announced that she will be retiring from professional tennis at the end of this season. Serena is the GOAT. I think Reid does a very good job of showing how the media and the public often paint ambitious women (in any field) with an unfair and unflattering brush. Whereas men are labeled as assertive, dominant and ambitious, women are often just called a bitch. Reid also makes an attempt to have a diverse set of characters but there is very little character development other than Carrie.

If you strip away the parts about tennis, you would be left with a very short book and a thin plot. Part of the problem is that Reid has set the bar so high. I bumped my rating up to 3.5 stars because the book elicited a couple tears from me. Overall, if you like tennis and stories about ambitious women, you will like this book.

I loved the Evelyn Hugo book and was looking forward to another great read.
I could not finish this book.
It did not engage me at all.
The characters were annoying and did not interest me at all.

Taylor Jenkins is back and so is Carrie Soto !

Taylor Jenkins Reid's characters are never perfect, they have flaws and Carries is no exception.

Carrie Soto is a story that you will soon get lost in and as you cry , cheer and sometimes cringe for Carrie who in the tennis world is considered old to compete at age 37.

Carrie has come out of retirement to defend her title and her Dad is there to coach her.

I just loved her Dad: his wisdom, his understanding and his love for Carrie.

The tension mounts with every page as you go from tournament to tournament with Carrie and at the final tournament, I was holding my breath.

Taylor Jenkins Reid is a born story teller and a new book of hers is Christmas and birthdays all rolled into one.

I hated this book to end . I seldom reread a book but this one I truly could and will.

Thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Random House Canada, Doubleday Canada for a book I wont soon forget.

I love you TJR. I love you Carrie Soto. I love this book. That’s it, that’s all. It had everything I didn’t know I needed in a book. It was wonderful, vulnerable, though-provoking. The recurring character in MR getting her spotlight is EVERYTHING.

What to say about this book I loved it 5 stars for me and I read it in two days. By far one of my favourite books of the year .

I loved the story in regards to Carrie coming back from retirement to win back her title but more than that I loved the flow of the story and the characters, so beautifully written. The relationship between father and daughter and player and coach was so well portrayed…..and Carrie Sotos character had such wonderful dynamics and the way she evolved through the story was a beautiful story in itself .

I received a free copy from NetGalley and all opinions are my own.

I would definitely recommend this book to friends and family and my book clubs.

PDF format only which my kindle does not accept. If i read this using the netgalley app I have to manually zoom in on every single line. I'm giving 5 stars as to not negatively impact the rating.

A powerful new novel by Taylor Jenkins Reid about a legendary athlete and her determination to be the best tennis player at all costs. The novel explores themes of family, love, loneliness, and friendship as it follows Carrie Soto and her quest to make a comeback and remain the greatest player of all time.
Great novel. I was hooked on the characters right from the beginning and enjoyed every page. Highly recommended.

* I received an advanced reader’s copy of this book from NetGalley and Penguin Random House Canada, Doubleday Canada in exchange for my honest review

I was over the moon when I got approved for this advanced reading copy but was secretly nervous that it wouldn’t live up to other Taylor Jenkins Reid books and I couldn’t have been more wrong. I never would have expected that a book about tennis could have me literally unable to put it down but here we are!

Carrie Soto has been retired from world of tennis for several years where she is widely regarded as the best female tennis player of all time. What could possibly entice her to come back from retirement now that age is not on her side? Maybe a certain tennis player named Nicki Chan who has already tied her record for most slams and is threatening to overtake her top spot..

Ok, so on the surface I had my questions about this plot. Could a book about professional tennis really captivate me that much? Well, YUP. The relationships in this story are so beautifully developed and explored on page including between Carrie and her dad, other tennis players, and her agent.

I loved the growth that we saw from Carrie during this story. She definitely is flawed and initially quite unlikeable but I was wholeheartedly rooting for her by the end (despite somehow also rooting for her opponent?). TJR is truly so skilled at writing such complex characters and it is a joy to read about them. The plot was masterfully developed and I was on the edge of my seat over TENNIS. Taylor Jenkins Reid has done it again with another must read!

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Random House for the advanced reading copy!

Carrie Soto is Back follows tennis legend Carrie Soto, previously seen in Malibu Rising, as she comes out of retirement to defend her record of most slams. I’ll be honest when this book was announced I was a little surprised by the choice to write about Carrie Soto of all characters from Taylor Jenkins Reid’s books, and personally I wasn’t sure it would be my favourite, because I’m not into tennis at all.

If you’ve read Malibu Rising then you would know a bit about the character of Carrie Soto, or at least one moment in her life. So I was very surprised to find that I grew to really like her character and found myself routing for her throughout the book. Her rise to greatness and her struggle to find balance between that and her actual life reminded me a lot of The Queen's Gambit by Walter Tevis, the story and characters have a lot of similarities and just like with The Queen's Gambit I really enjoyed this despite not having any knowledge or really any interest in the topic (chess/tennis). So I think fans of that book or the Netflix series should definitely check this out because they might really enjoy it.

The story itself started a bit slow for me, the backstory didn’t really interest me a lot, but once she started playing and going for her comeback I was really immersed. I am constantly impressed by Taylor Jenkins Reids ability to create stories and characters that feel so real, I felt like I could see the games playing out while reading. The commentary transcripts included within the story really added to the story which I really appreciated.

I also appreciated that Taylor Jenkins Reid was not afraid to create a deeply flawed character, she was not always likeable, she was not nice and often was in the wrong but that's what made her feel so real and interesting to read about. Her story didn’t necessarily have the perfect happy ending that I thought it was going to go with, but I liked that it still ended where it needed to. I won’t spoil it but I thought what it did for the character of Carrie was really good and well done.

I really enjoyed Carrie Soto is Back, and Taylor Jenkins Reid is proving herself to be a great storyteller of interesting characters and their lives. Her books all show so much thought and effort in them, with the research needed and the ability to craft unique, interesting characters, Taylor Jenkins Reid is quickly becoming an auto-read author for me. If you liked her previous books, or enjoy stories of people who become great like The Queen's Gambit, then I think you’ll really enjoy this book.

This was an engaging and quick read. A late summer beach read for sure (once it is finally released later in August).

I am not a huge tennis fan but I still really enjoyed this story. A love of tennis is not necessary but there is a LOT of tennis language in here. I am sure tennis fans would love this even more than I did.

Carrie is a force of nature. Her dedication and perseverance to make a comeback were definitely impressive. I was feeling tired reading about her runs in the sand and heat and training regimen! The relationship between Carrie and her dad was my favourite part. He was tough but loved her with everything he had. No spoilers here but when she comes across his notebook with all the notes for her comeback matches...oh my heart!

I loved the suspense (will she win??) and the storytelling in this one.

Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the ARC of this book.

I have never read a Taylor Jenkins Reid book but I've heard great things so I was excited to read this! From reading other reviews I see that Carrie Soto shows up in at least one other TJR book but I wouldn't have felt like I was missing out on anything wth this being my first book.

First: this book is very much ALL ABOUT TENNIS. I know nothing about tennis, but again, I didn't feel like I was missing out on anything -- the sport descriptions are detailed, perhaps even a little bit more than they need to be. Tennis is almost a character itself. As for the other characters, they're all well-written even if the plot is a bit predictable. Carrie Soto is not a sympathetic character at all, but I still wanted to know how things turned out for her.

I did have to spend some time figuring out the Spanish sprinkled into the dialogue, which took me out of the reading experience a bit.

Overall, a character-driven, nostalgic-for-the-90s, glitzy behind the scenes of a big name book that I think people will enjoy.

I really know nothing about tennis, yet the moment Taylor Jenkins Reid comes out with a book about Carrie drop everything! I have previously enjoyed her other novels in this world, Evelyn Hugo, Malibu Rising, and Daisy Jones - but I think Carrie Soto Is Back is definitely one of my favourites!

Carrie Soto is a worldwide tennis champion that will do anything to stay on top. After 6 years in retirement, Carrie has decided to come back to reclaim her title. Carrie is the oldest player in the game, also the biggest bitch, but her ambition and dedication are admirable. She knows her talent and she is definitely not modest about it!

Even though she seems cold hearted and unlikable, these traits made me like her even more. This book is very character driven and TJR does such a great job immersing you in the world of tennis in the 1990’s. There are a lot of great themes to unpack such as women empowerment in sports, daddy issues, and a hint of romance. I had a hard time putting this one down AND the ending made me cry a little so I’d say a successful read.

This book is coming out SO SOON on August 30! Get those pre-orders and library holds in!

**Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Random House Canada for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.**

Many thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Random House Canada for giving me an advanced copy of Carrie Soto is Back by Taylor Jenkins Reid.
I love this author! This is the 4th book from her that I read and it is so good! I love her writing style. I really enjoy the story of an athlete that is coming back after a successful career.
Another great summer read!

I (sadly) didn’t love this one as much as I wanted to. So, I am going to break down what did and didn’t work for me. Let’s face it, TJR’s books do not need my help to get into the hands of readers! Everyone’s going to read it, and I’m so curious what others will think!

What worked:
Carrie’s relationship with Javier. I loved this sweet father daughter duo. It felt so real. All of the character dynamics & characterization. Nikki Chan needs her own book.
The little references to some of TJR’s other books. So fun!!

What didn’t work:
Maybe you’ll love it, but oh wow this was way too much tennis for me. It is so, so heavy on the tennis matches. It honestly felt so repetitive to me by the last 1/4 of the book.
Carrie - look, I do not think that women need to be likeable, and I certainly don’t think protagonists need to be likeable. But wow I did not like Carrie and it impacted my read of this book. She rubbed me the wrong way the entire time - the way she treated everyone in her life felt really awful to me.

I did find the ending of the book really satisfying. The last match had a lot of suspense and I saw a shift in Carrie that I liked, but it wasn’t enough to endear her to me.

3.5/5 on this one. Sadly not my new favourite, but I am still so grateful to have read an early copy and I cannot wait to see the love pour in for an undeniably great book (just didn’t work for me)!

wow i am sad that this series (collection?) of tjr is ending but my god was this an absolute joy to read

i could and i would read a book based on any of the characters from this - nicki chan's record breaking, gwen's retirement plants, early javier, or just a whole book dedicated to carrie and bowe

it felt like I was on the edge of my seat every second reading this, I was rooting for everyone at the same time :)

maybe it's just the high after finishing this but this is one of my favourite books i've read this year (despite the netgalley app crashing every 5 pages)

beautiful writing, beautiful characters, and i loved the mention of some of my favs (and mick riva)

such a nice way to end this hollywood series and i am excited to see what tjr has planned next

ty to netgalley & PRH Canada for the e-arc of this book in exchange for an honest review

WOW. I loved it. I barely know anything about tennis and I know there have been some reviews saying it’s a lot of tennis terminology but Taylor writes it so well that you don’t need to be an expert when reading it. It almost felt like a whole movie was playing in my head while reading this. (Can it please be a movie…?!)

I loved Carrie. She is not particularly likeable..yet that makes me like her, in a weird way? She just knows what she wants & has zero filter. You honestly can’t help but root for her in her comeback! And the supporting characters are just as wonderful, especially her father, Javier, and Bowe Huntley.

I flew through this book and honestly didn’t want it to end. It’s a classic TJR book, as you will experience so many different emotions while reading it.

Thank you SO much to Penguin Random House Canada and NetGalley for the advanced copy. I may have screamed a little when I saw I was approved for this one. I definitely already pre-ordered a physical copy to add to my bookshelf.

Finally! Another entry in the TJR Literary Universe. Couldn't put it down and delighted to include it in the August instalment of Novel Encounters, my regular column highlighting the month’s most anticipated fiction for the Books section of Zoomer magazine. (see review at link)

Carrie Soto is Back by Taylor Jenkins Reid

Carrie grows up striving to be the greatest tennis player, full stop. She dominates the tennis scene in the 1980’s, and at the peak of her career has twenty Grand Slam titles to her name. She gave everything to be these best. Years after retiring, her record is about to be broken by the newest tennis star. At 37, Carrie is considering coming out of retirement in a unprecedented move to attempt to hold onto her Grand Slam record. Taylor Jenkins Reid immerses us in the 1990’s tennis scene, grips us with Carrie’s determination to win.

Prior to reading this book, I knew pretty much nothing about tennis. I can confirm that tennis knowledge is not necessary for enjoying this book! TJR displays incredible skill in writing a book that is basically a series of tennis matches, and yet also contains a fantastic character study that I won’t soon forget. While it took until about 40% of the way through to find this book really engaging, once I was invested I couldn’t put it down. Carrie is a wonderfully complex character that experiences such amazing growth over the course of the
story. Her relationship with her father is explored in detail, and there’s a bit of a romance as a side plot that adds additional interest.

Overall, I think this highly anticipated upcoming release will be popular with TJR fans. I enjoyed it, and was still thinking of Carrie a few weeks after reading. If you make it to the halfway mark I think you’ll be really happy you stuck it out. Many thanks to Penguin Random House Canada / Doubleday Canada & to NetGalley for a free e-copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own. Watch out for Carrie Soto is Back on August 30!

It will probably come as a surprise to most to hear that this was my very first TJR novel! I want to thank @netgalley and @penguinrandomhouse for granting me early access to this story. It is available for everyone to read on August 30!

I was very hesitant to read this book because of my complete indifference towards tennis, but I was very pleasantly surprised by how quickly I became immersed in the story. Taking place between 1955 and 1996, this book reads as a non-fiction story. I don’t typically enjoy reading books that take place “before my time” because I sometimes have a hard time relating to them, but this was not the case at all! I think the author covered the span of 40 years in a unique manner that prevented it from dragging. This story was divided I two three parts, and within each part, some chapters covered a series of years while others only covered a matter of hours. I really enjoyed the flow of the whole story, and I was quite surprised that some of the chapters which only covered a match, or a tournament, had me on the edge of my seat! I really didn’t know what to expect of the ending, but it was honestly the best conclusion for this story - so wholesome.

I am a character driven reader, thus, when I found that Carrie was not the most likeable MC, I feared that I would develop a distaste for her - which may or may not sway my opinion on the entire book. I had a soft spot for Carrie the whole time I was reading, probably knowing her childhood and upbringing… this story really had me thinking about the experience of other athletes/stars who trained for their profession from such a young age… Overall, Carrie’s character development was astounding! I was so thrilled by her growth, and I know Javier would have been so exceptionally proud.