Game, Set, Match! Carrie Soto is Back!

I was unsure at first of how this book would compare to all of the other books I loved by Taylor Jenkins Reid but I was not disappointed! What Malibu Rising did for surfing Carrie Soto does for tennis and you will find yourself holding your breath as this main character comes back from retirement and claws her way to a comeback.

You will feel you are in a match yourself, pinging back and forth with love, frustration and empathy as you watch the relationships unfold in this story between father, daughter and the athlete that Carrie was and the athlete she is now.

A great summer get! Thank you to NetGalley and Ballantine for the ARC!

This was SO much more than I was anticipating! I'm a fan of TJR, I think she's incredibly skilled and her works are always emotional powerhouses. Even knowing the way her novels always knock me out, Carrie Soto took me by surprise. I was really attached to Carrie throughout - don't get me wrong, she's a bitch. She's proud, self-centered, and generally hard to empathize with -- truly she's horrible, but this works for me. It helps that TJR is good at her craft, because someone else writing her may not have managed to make her so complex and compelling. This is just really great.

I did find myself waning a bit, just because I don't care for tennis and, despite her best efforts, this book didn't change that. It feels a bit heavy at times because of this, but overall it doesn't affect the quality of the novel.

I was shocked to get approved for this book on NetGalley. After I picked my jaw up off the floor (which is saying something because it was verrry sore after having a cavity filled earlier in the week), I set everything else aside and immediately started this book.

Taylor Jenkins Reid can
TELL 👏 A 👏 STORY 👏

I really did not like Carrie for most of the book and just wanted her to have a slice of humble pie and zoom out of her own little perspective. But as always, TJR understood the assignment. By the end, I enjoyed Carrie’s character arc.

There were also a few references to other characters in the TJR universe which were so fun. You don’t have to have read her other books, but it helped to understand who they were when they came up.

I’m not a big tennis fan, but I don’t think you need to be to follow this story. I am, however, a HUGE college softball fan (BOOMER SOONER! ⭕️🙌) so it was even more fun to read this sports-heavy story in the midst of softball post season! So again, I don’t think you need to be a tennis fan to feel the intensity of the story.

Another exciting, heartfelt and entertaining novel by the legend TJR. She is a master at keeping her readers on their toes and allowing them to dive head first into a riveting and glamorous world.

Although this novel is heavily centered around tennis, a sport which I do not keep up with or know much about, she explains rules and strategies simply enough for everyone to enjoy and uses this plotline to keep the reader on the edge of their seat. I loved this story and loved Carrie’s fiesty, strong character - even though she was a ‘bitch’ and ice cold to nearly everyone her, I found myself always rooting for her.

I also really enjoyed the father-daughter dynamic between Carrie and her dad Javier,, who was also her coach. It was so sweet and created the perfect mixture between a coach urging the player to do better and keep going, while maintaining the heartfelt kindness and care that Javier truly had for his daughter.
Also Bowe is so sweet. Love him too.
I cannot wait for everyone to read this! I highly recommend this, as I have with every one of TJR’s books.

Wooow. This book was amazing. It was not what I was expecting but just in TJR fashion, I could NOT put this book down! This book made me feel what the Carrie was feeling. The story felt so real and I can imagine every detail to the sweat dripping down Carrie’s face. The writing was phenomenal and I absolutely LOVED that there was minimal translation from Spanish to English because it made it more authentic. This is a must read in my library.

An auto buy author, I love living with the characters Taylor Jenkins Reid creates. I loved the quick tennis primer at the beginning because I have always been so confused as to how to score tennis! I love Carrie, she is fierce and I was always cheering for her to win. This book was action packed but also pulled at my heart strings, it might just be one of TJRs best.

I received a copy of this book from NetGalley and the publisher.

Wow. Just wow. At first I wasn't sure if I was going to love this as much as the rest of Taylor Jenkins Reid's books, but holy shit was I proven wrong. I think this hits the top of my reading list for the year so far. I love the way Carrie is written and how her thought process changes throughout her life. Yes, she's still super direct when she's speaking to others and still has a bite when dialogue is happening, but her internal monologue ESPECIALLY once the Paris Open happens changes the course of the rest of the book. I love that TJR sets up not just Carrie's come back in tennis as the GOAT, but also Bowe's last chance as a parallel to one another. Like the realization that both characters have throughout their training with all of the ups and downs truly allows the reader to see Carrie as less cold hearted than the media inside the story would have us think. I also really enjoy the fact that Carrie's main competition is also set up to have something to prove in holding her titles in the second 2/3rds of the story. It raises the stakes tremendously by pitting them against one another.

4.5 stars but rounding up.

Thank you so much to Ballantine Books, Taylor Jenkins Reid, and NetGalley for my advance readers copy!

Why Carrie Soto? Why center a new book around such an unlikeable character from Malibu Rising? I asked Taylor Jenkins Reid this during an influencer chat I was grateful to attend a few weeks ago. Her answer? She wanted a challenge. Not only that but unlike certain other characters in Malibu Rising, Carrie holds her herself accountable for her actions, she has more story to tell.

And what a beautiful story it was. While Carrie is definitely an unlikable flawed character, you also can’t help but root for her. Taylor Jenkins Reid has a way of constructing beautiful written, complex characters. I loved getting inside Carrie’s head. I loved getting inside Carrie’s head. I absolutely loved the beautiful relationship between Carrie Soto and her father. So many emotions felt. TJR’s writing also has the ability make you care about reading any subject matter. When I started her previous work, Daisy Jones and the Six, I thought to myself “I’m not going to like this, I don’t even like rock and roll.” And I loved it. And again with Carrie Soto Is Back, when I started I thought, “I’m not a tennis person, this is all about tennis.” And yes, it was mostly about tennis, and I would have liked to hear a little more about Carrie’s life other than just tennis, but guess what? Taylor Jenkins Reid got me sucked into and fully immersed in pages about tennis! By the end, I couldn’t flip the pages fast enough. My heart was pounding, I felt like I was watching each nail-biter of a game. While a somewhat predictable plot, it was still a super fun read and I was engrossed in the pages.

The ending was perfect and not completely what I was expecting. *chef’s kiss*

While Malibu Rising and Daisy Jones and the Six are still my favorites, Carrie Soto Is Back is another Taylor Jenkins Reid masterpiece. Available on August 30th, this one’s an ace you won’t want to miss!

I don’t know what it is about TJR that pulls me in so successfully, but she does it every time. I am in no sense of the term a “”sports fan”” and I don’t have much of an opinion on tennis, but I think that if people like Carrie Soto and Nicki Chan were real, that might be different. This book honestly started a little slow for me, but Carrie’s characterization and the sheer adrenaline rush of the tennis matches really pulled through. I loved Daisy Jones and I loved Evelyn Hugo and now I’m absolutely obsessed with Carrie Soto. As something of a bitch myself, there is nothing better than TJR letting these excellent, talented, spectacular characters be bitches too. ‘Carrie Soto is Back’ is everything it deserved to be. Highly and unsurprisingly recommend!

Thanks netgalley + the publisher for the advanced copy!

I was absolutely sucked into the world of women's professional tennis and could not get enough of Carrie Soto. This is my 4th Taylor Jenkins Reid book and I am convinced nobody can make you feel like you are immersed in a story like her writing does.

As someone who has loved the worlds that Taylor Jenkins Reid has created in the past - I can confidently say that Carrie Soto is someone I will all be talking about for a while. I'm not even a tennis fan, I don't think I've ever watched a professional match on television - but that did not matter. This story is complex and the relationships are excellent!. Highly recommend. HIGHLY.

Thank you to Ballentine Books and NetGalley for the advance copy in exchange for an honest review!

TJR has done it again! As always, I was mesmerized by the story and character development in Carrie Soto is Back. The MC, Carrie Soto, navigates her professional tennis career throughout the years facing hardship, victory, trials, and tribulations.

I don’t know much about tennis, but TJR had me googling athletes who’ve played in the US Open, Wimbledon, and more.

Carrie Soto herself will be living rent free in my head for the foreseeable future… so will Bowe Huntley.

I loved this book as much as I loved Daisy Jones and the Six and The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo. Truly a captivating and picturesque read. I highly recommend! Thank you so much for the ARC!

Carrie Soto is, well, was the best tennis player in the world. Now her title is being challenged by tennis’ newest superstar Nicki Chan. Can she make a comeback after retirement?

Taylor Jenkins Reid is back! I loved Daisy Jones and the Six and was excited to read this one as well. This novel is heavy on the sports and the tennis but reads like you are watching a match on tv. I loved it and loved Carrie. I was unsure of if I would like her based on her character in Malibu Rising but that was quickly put to rest within the first few chapters. This book explores the relationship of famous athletes with their fans, their families, and each other. Overall a fun read for fans of sports and TJR.

TJR gives us the most immensely readable novel about an elite female athlete that I’ve ever found! You don’t need to be a tennis fan to root for Carrie Soto, you just need to appreciate a female character who is the best in the world at what they do, who’s worked hard for every success she’s ever had, who can’t give up on a dream or settle for anything but being the best. The media might call her the *itch, but she’s not going to ease up or cater to what a female athlete “should” behave like on or off the court. Carrie is determined, unrelenting, and confident. We see the love of a father/coach for his only daughter and his joy for the sport. We see Carrie’s struggles to maintain relationships with just about anyone besides her father and her agent. We see a female rivalry that doesn’t ask either woman to “play nice” or to lower her standards in wanting to be the absolute best. Loved every second and absolutely could NOT put it down!! Thanks to NetGalley for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

Taylor Jenkins Reid is my favorite author. After reading Daisy Jones and the Six. I started reading all of her books. I was so excited about this one. It was good, the writing is what carries her work, but it felt like a tennis memoir. Not much happened outside of tennis, and I kept waiting for it to be great. As always it’s easy to get caught up in her words and worlds she created, so it was still a page turner. Better than her old ones, but not as good as Daisy Jones, Evelyn Hugo, or Malibu rising. As any of her stories, the characters stick with you. But it was good, but I was anticipating it to be great!

3.5 Stars

There have definitely been some characters I haven’t liked. Carrie Soto is one of them. I wanted to read this for that very reason. Could she be redeemed? And I was curious to see if tennis could hold my attention for an entire story. But this turned out to be so much more than that. This is a story of father’s love for his daughter & a daughter’s love for her father.

Carrie Soto is intense, even from an early age. Her determination to be the best is uncompromising. Her persona on and off the court is hard to swallow. I’m honestly not sure if I could be her friend but I do respect her and admire her growth throughout the story. I especially love her relationship with her father. However, I will admit I skimmed a bit towards the end. So, the tennis didn’t exactly keep my interest all the way through, but it liked Carrie’s story and I’m glad I read it.

Great job! I love the details from tennis to Spanish being heavily used. Amazing! Still in awe. Taylor Jeinkens Reid never fails to impress me with her work!

Thank you to Net Galley for the advanced copy of this book.
Carrie Soto is back! When we last read about her in Malibu Rising, she was not having a great night in her personal life.
This book takes us deeper into her story as she rises to be the best women’s tennis player in the world. With her natural talent and the guidance of her coach, her father Javier, she quickly rises to the top. Dubbed the “Battle Axe”, she is unapologetic about her greatness and expects nothing but perfection from herself. After an injury and subsequent mediocre performances, Carrie decides to retire. She thought she would be content in retirement until a new rising tennis star, Nicki Chan threatens to beat Carrie’s Slam records.

At 37, Carrie decides to come out of retirement to defend her record. She is mending a frayed relationship with her father and trying to become the world’s oldest tennis player to win a slam. To keep her record in tact she will have to work harder than she ever has before. She will also have to do something even harder, trust other people.

Will she succeed and keep her record in tact? Will she be able to handle it if she fails?

This is the book I have been looking forward to reading all year. I am a HUGE TJR fan and I was not disappointed. I was trying to savor Carrie Soto but I DEVOURED it and licked up the crumbs. It had me fully invested from page one. I absolutely fell in love with Carrie and Javier Soto! Carrie is blunt and relentless. Carrie will not stop until she achieves her goals. Truly inspiring. She has become my new favorite TJR character. Absolutely blown away by Carrie's comeback and it is currently my favorite read of the year. "the bitch is back"

I am someone who enjoys tennis. I used to attend a tournament every year. But even for me, this had waaaay too much tennis for me to enjoy it fully. This is different than the experience I've had with TJR's past books as it is focused entirely on our MC, Carrie Soto, her relationship with her dad, herself, her identity and tennis. I actually really enjoyed her, I thought even though at times she was unlikeable, we could see why. This book has great commentary on being a woman in sports and just being a woman in general, how we're supposed to act vs how men can do the exact same thing and it's okay. I actually loved that part of the story but again, it was completely overshadowed with the sheer amount of talk about tennis. I also loved the look at how those in minority groups are treated. Carrie Soto is the daughter of immigrant parents and she has some great discussions with another tennis player who is Asian about their identities and the way they're treated in comparison to the blonde-haired, blue eyed players. Again, this is one conversation that happens in between the excessive amount of tennis playing. So, did I enjoy this book? At times, I really did. I loved the discussions when they happened. Unfortunately, they were too overshadowed by the constant tennis scenes for me to truly fall in love with this story as I have in the past with TJR.

Taylor Jenkins Reid does it again! How many times have I said that?

Rating: 5 star
Genre: Fiction

I loved this book, which is a bit funny because I don’t have a clue about tennis but the story was captivating. I love the main character and I love that TJR made her hard to like, it sucked me in even more.

I also really appreciated that it didn’t revolve around the love story, there different relationships that were developed and challenged. Flew through it!