I would like to thank Ballantine Publishing and NetGalley for the chance to read Carrie Soto is Back in return for an honest review.
Carrie Soto Is back revolves around Carrie Soto as she becomes the greatest tennis player of her time. When a younger player threatens to break her record Carrie comes out of retirement to show that she's still got it. We follow Carrie as she starts her tennis journey until the very end.
I am a big Taylor Jenkins Reed fan and every book of her's, that I've read, has been a page turner and have made me cry. This one was definitely a page turner for me, but there were no tears. Still giving this a 4.5 stars!

This was amazing! I read it a couple of years ago now, but it still is one of my favorites of hers! I loved her growth through the book and the way tennis was included. It truly had me on the edge of my seat!

I’m aware of the controversy around this one, but I do love tennis and really enjoyed Malibu Rising so I gave it a try. I don’t know why she really had to make the character Latina to begin with, it is not a major plot point. I think she could have written just as strong a book without appropriating Latino culture. It was an enjoyable read and I enjoyed all the tennis commentary. I listened to the audiobook and they used real tennis commentators which was fun.

Thank you #Netgalley

This read follows the tennis journey of Carrie and how she decides to come back into the game after someone is threatening to break her records. We then bounce back to her childhood and her athletic progress mixed with relationships and family dynamics.

I was so excited to read this new novel by Taylor Jenkins Reid, as I absolutely loved her previous novel, The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo. I also read her other novel, Malibu Rising, and enjoyed that one as well. I liked this new novel, Carrie Soto is Back, as well but I did not enjoy it as much as I enjoyed Reid's previous novels mentioned above. The protagonist of the novel, Carrie Soto, goes on an emotional journey throughout the book as she comes to terms with what the sport of tennis truly means to her and how integral it is to her life. I really enjoyed reading the parts of the story that depict the relationship between Carrie Soto and her father and found these parts to be truly touching and emotional. This book definitely made me cry at times, and I felt like the characters really came alive through Reid's writing. I am not a big fan of tennis or sports in general but I found myself invested in the sports aspects of the novel. I am such a huge fan of Taylor Jenkins Reid's work and I am excited to read the next book she comes out with! I think a lot of people will truly enjoy this novel just as much as I did.

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review!

I forgot to give feedback for this book when I read it, but I adored it! It's Taylor Jenkins Reid's best book so far, and I stand by that a full two years later.

I loved the character of Carrie Soto when she was first introduced in Malibu Rising. This book is a deep dive into the world of tennis, but readers who aren't interested in sports will still enjoy the complex and relatable characters that Taylor Jenkins Reid is so adept at creating. For anyone who has pushed themselves (or who has been pushed) to a goal of being the best, this book will read like a love story to the parts of your heart that had to be sacrificed along the way.

Thank you, NetGalley for the ARC. This follows the stories that main characters intertwine throughout Taylor Jenkins Reid novels. For me, it's just ok. I think I am tired of the drama genre type and need something else. some may disagree. Thank you for letting me give it a go!

Carrie Soto is Back is a wonderfully complex inside look at professional sports and the pressure to stay young, vibrant, and competitive. I've enjoyed all of Taylor Jenkins Reid's books but her more recent writing of strong, powerful, unique women is so much better than any other past characters and writing. Throughout the book of Soto's comeback TJR also gives great social commentary on the role, experiences, and expectations of women in society today. This is by far one of my favorites of hers.

Carrie was a great tennis player and wants to reclaim her record. She will be coached once again by her father. While I enjoyed this book, it took me a while to learn to love Carrie. The tennis content in this book was so interesting and the audio narration was good. Carrie Soto Is Back was not my favorite TJR book but still a good story, I’ll continue reading her work!

I loved this book! I am a huge fan of everything Taylor Jenkins Reid writes, and this was both reminiscent of her other novels yet also refreshingly new. The characters were strong as usual which I find to be the best aspects of her novels. The pacing occasionally felt a little off especially towards the middle where I felt disconnected from the story, but it was still an engaging worthy read.

Carrie Soto Is Back is a novel about family, love, tennis, and the price of fame.

The novel opens in 1994 when former tennis star Carrie Soto witnesses seeing her record o 20 Grand Slam titles shattered. She comes out of retirement at age 37 and makes an arduous journey back to the court to prove that she is the best female tennis player in the world. Going back to her childhood, the reader also learns how she became known as the Battle Axe, a.k.a., The Bitch.

As much as this novel is about tennis, it is also about Carrie’s relationship with her father, Javier. Their dynamic is the heart and soul of this novel.

Carrie Soto Is Back is, in a way, a character study. The reader sees Carrie transform into a star but also lose her fame. Very slowly, her tough veneer slips away, and it is apparent that Carrie is much more vulnerable than she seems. She is not the most likable character, but TJR made me love Carrie.

The novel moves a little slowly in the beginning and covers a lot of tennis, but the slow pacing picks up as Carrie’s career takes off.

Carrie Soto Is Back by Taylor Jenkins Reid is a perfect fit for readers who crave inspiring and emotional stories about strong, complex women who have faced adversity and are seeking personal growth, particularly those who appreciate themes of family, tennis, and the struggles of high-achieving athletes.

Taylor Jenkins Reid is a wonderful author, and I absolutely adore how so many of her books seem to exist inside the same world as one another. However, I don’t know if I will ever love another book of hers as much as I love Evelyn Hugo, and this book did not capture that same magic. This seemed very much like something that would be adapted by Reese Witherspoon’s production company as a Hulu original down the line, but for me, it seemed to fall flat and was a bit boring at times. I found myself in a bit of a love/hate relationship with Carrie throughout the book.

A fun sweet read! Highly recommend.

Many thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for my ARC.

Taylor Jenkins Reid is an author I always try. Each book is so unique. I truly loved this story and flew through it. Love the details of how it was told. Must read!

Unfortunately, I just do not care about tennis. Or Carrie Soto.

While I did really enjoy the relationship between Carrie and her dad, as well as the relationships she made with Bo and Nikki, it just wasn’t enough for me to enjoy this book. There was just way too much detail about tennis and I couldn’t enjoy it or get into it.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and the publisher for sending me a copy of this book! I really love Taylor Jenkins Reids books! This was probably my second favorite of Taylor’s books! I would definitely recommend!

Taylor Jenkins Reid is the queen of fascinating historical fiction, and this is no exception. It fits into her other books (specifically Malibu Rising. It's about tennis, but you don't have to know the sport to like the book.

I loved this book! I'm normally not a big fan of contemporary romance but I loved the idea of a tennis book. This book captivated me from the start and I love a good comeback story. The descriptions of tennis and her matches were fantastic, a lot of times you don't get that in a sports book but this one had a good mix of describing everything that goes into the sport while developing the characters and the relationships. I would have loved some things going differently in the book because I am all about happiness but I do think that the difficulties within the book added to the story. The relationship between her and her father gave so much depth to the book and I really enjoyed that relationship. I would have loved a little bit more from the end of the book and how she was exploring her new relationships but I think that is a personal opinion. I did get a bit frustrated when the book often went back and forth between English and Spanish. I was able to translate with my Kindle if I didn't understand but that might have been difficult with a physical book. Overall, this was a 5 star read for me! Thanks to Netgalley, Random House UK, Cornerstone and Taylor Jenkins Reid for this ARC!