I'm so happy I was chosen to review an advanced copy of Taylor Jenkins Reid's latest book. As expected, it was excellent! She is quickly becoming one of my all-time favorite authors. Carrie Soto was a very minor character in MALIBU RISING (and it is not necessary to have read that book first) who gets the full main character treatment in CARRIE SOTO IS BACK. She's a complex character who doesn't always present her best self, but you still want to root for her. She has the arrested development that a lot of young athletes, actors, etc. face when they achieve success early on, but she finally matures and grows throughout the book and I was very satisfied with the ending. I don't know how this book will read for non-sports fans - it's A LOT of tennis - but I loved it!

I really liked this one! I was pulled in and couldn't put it down. I really needed to see how it ended! On the surface, this is the tale of Carrie Soto, a 37 year old retired tennis legend. She's known for her sheer determination which allowed her to shatter every tennis record, for women and men alike! But she's also known for her abrasive personality and therefore, was never well liked by the sportscasters, other players and public. When her twenty Grand Slam title is threatened by younger Nicki Chan, the new tennis phenom, Carrie decides to come out of retirement to defend her title as the greatest tennis player to ever play. In order to do so, Carrie must push her body and her mind to the limits. Will she end up just embarrassing herself as so many other athletes who try to come out of retirement or who try to play beyond what their injured bodies will allow?
But there is so much more to this story! I was on that court with Carrie, looking at her opponents with balls coming at me. But you don't have to know or even like tennis to relate! Reid takes you inside Carrie's head and all her thoughts and fears. You will feel her relationship with her father, also coach, and see his growth as a coach and father even after all these years. Their love isn't perfect but its beautiful. And throw in the fact that the only other player of any caliber that will hit with Carrie is male tennis player, Bowe Huntley, and their history is complicated!
A coming of age book for characters in their 30's? You can't help but to love Carrie and Bowe despite all their flaws, maybe even more so because of them.
Thank you very much NetGalley, Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine, and Taylor Jenkins Reid for providing me with this ARC.

Taylor Jenkins Reid is at her best writing complex and flawed characters. Carrie Soto certainly fits the bill. Carrie is 37 when we meet her, a retired tennis player whose win record is at risk of being broken by Nicki Chan, a 30 year old player from London. Carrie is determined to make a comeback and to show the tennis world she still has what it takes on the court.

I am a big sports fan and a fan of tennis. I also don’t mind reading about sports as the setting or backdrop in books. I don’t think you need to be a tennis fan to enjoy this book, but it might help. I found the writing pulled me in and Carrie, as a character was so compelling that I had no trouble getting immersed in her world and rooting for her.

There’s clear commentary here about ambition, about what it takes to be an elite athlete, about sexism in sports and the expectations of the public who consume it. The father/daughter /coach/athlete relationship impacted me most, however. There is deep love in this story and even if tennis isn’t your thing, I dare you not to be moved by this aspect of the storyline.

I tried to savor this book; I really did but Jenkins-Reid’s pacing made it almost impossible. This is so easily bingeable. I didn’t want to put it down.

Carrie Soto is a force! While not always lovable, she is undeniably one of the most well thought out characters I have encountered. Taylor Jenkins Reid makes us feel everything as if we are reading this from inside Carrie’s body/brain. What a fantastic pulse-bounding, page turner!

This book right here deserves ALL THE STARS!!!!

Carrie Soto, a minor character in Malibu Rising, is back! (See what I did there?) The story started out very reminiscent of Malibu Rising, the historic California setting, but them takes off on it's own. I love Carrie Soto, her single minded determination, her gumption, her need to win. She is a force of nature that I just couldn't get enough of. I have never felt like I related more to a character in my life....no spoilers here.

I loved Daisy Jones, I loved Malibu Rising, but Carrie Soto is Back has taken the cake!!! When I'm having a bad day and not feeling like a strong, independent woman, I am going to be channeling Carrie Soto.

GAH! This book got me in all of my feels. Can we please get a sequel?!?!?

A special thank you to NetGalley, Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine, and Taylor Jenkins Reid for providing me with an ARC.

I loved Taylor Jenkins Reid’s The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo, Daisy Jones & The Six, and Malibu Rising, so I couldn’t wait to read Carrie Soto Is Back. I really enjoyed it, read it in 3 days, and didn’t want to put it down. Carrie Soto’s character was introduced in Malibu Rising as the woman who had an affair with Nina Riva’s husband. Carrie is a world-class professional tennis player who set the women’s record by winning 20 Grand Slam tournaments. She’s strong, independent, and ultra-competitive. When younger powerhouse player Nicki Chan ties her record, Carrie decides to come out of her six-year retirement and make a comeback to recapture her record. Carrie’s father Javier has coached her since she was a little girl. Carrie’s mom died in a car accident when she was young and their father-daughter bond is very strong. I loved getting to know and understand Carrie and all her strengths and faults. All of the characters are beautifully written - each with his or her own complexities and nuances. I definitely recommend this book. It will be published in August and will be a perfect beach read. Thanks to #netgalley #ballantinebooks and #taylorjenkinsreid for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

BIGGEST of thanks to @netgalley, @penguinrandomhouse, and Ballantine for the digital arc of Carrie Soto!

Think about how it feels to watch athletes at the absolute top of their craft. Think about the Williams sisters or Simone Biles… magic, right?! That’s how it felt reading Carrie Soto Is Back.

I was anxious and on the edge of my seat watching her comeback season unfold. It felt like I was a spectator in the stands watching one of the greatest tennis players of all time defending her record.

I was intrigued to get to know who Carrie was after the bits we saw of her in Malibu Rising. She’s brash, ruthless, and unapologetic and quite frankly, pretty unlikable. That’s part of what makes this book so good was getting to see what goes on in her head from the very beginning of her career, to her retirement, and to her defending her title. We get to see her grapple with what legacy means to her and how far she will push herself to be one of greats. I loved watching how being coached by her father impacted their relationship.

Carrie joins Daisy, Evelyn, and Nina in the ranks of @tjenkinsreid’s phenomenal characters. I certainly wasn’t a Carrie fan during Malibu Rising but now? I certainly am.

5 years after retiring from professional tennis, Carrie Soto sees her record of most Slam Championships on the brink of being broken and decides to make a comeback to try to maintain it.

I didn’t know much about tennis before starting this book, and I’m not entirely sure I do now but I think the fact that I found myself thinking “maybe I’ll watch some on tv sometime” at one point goes to show how captivating TJR’s stories are. I’ll be honest that I’m pretty sure I hated Carrie for the first half (or more) of this book, but that’s probably the point. She’s so focused on winning and can’t seem to see the bigger picture, and that makes it frustrating at times. It also meant that I could not put this down though, because I had to know if she was ever going to be able to focus on anything other than just being the greatest of all time.

Everyone loves TJR so I doubt I have to tell you to look out for this one in the fall. I’m sure this one will be at the top of many TBR piles when it’s released.

All of the thanks to Penguin Random House for giving me this ACR. This one will be getting added to my bookshelf when it’s released for sure.

I found this book to be unputdownable. At first, when I saw TJR was coming out with a book about a tennis player, I was feeling just a bit ‘meh’. Wasn’t super excited, as I’m not interested in tennis, or really sports in general. WELP, leave it to TJR to make you interested in something! She wrote this in such a way that the pacing and plot is incredible, the relationships and characters are beautifully flawed, and in such a way that you just cannot put the book down, even if it’s time for dinner. I love TJR for her writing of these beautifully flawed characters. I found myself relating to Carrie’s competitive side and her need to win, as if that’s the only reason to play in the first place, and the foil of her father who was along for the ride and the teaching moments, with winning as the cherry on top. The father/daughter relationship was unmatched, “I laugh, and he pulls me back to him. ‘Te amo, Cielo. Being your father is the best thing that has ever happened to me. My Achilles. Greatest of the Greeks.” I loved that this story spanned decades, and you could really see how much Carrie Soto develops as a character, becomes more aware of her faults, and becomes more accepting of her ‘failures’. I love that you can see her grow into enjoying tennis again, as opposed to only being there to win, “My father winks at me. ‘Feeling secure, even knowing you are not the best.” The love story was such a slow build, and Bowe is so sweet taking care of Carrie’s dad. Finally, I love how the little moments differed when Carrie was younger and more abrasive with people she didn’t know, and became just slightly more pleasant with bystanders and fans, while still staying true to her rough exterior nature. I love what Carrie learned from Nicki, and that she ended up coaching her the following year, stepping into the role her dad was in for her. Ugh I want more!

Carrie Soto, yes, that Carrie Soto, the villain from Malibu Rising is back. I have to be honest, when I heard what TJR’s new book was going to be about, I had my doubts. “She’s using the character I literally couldn’t care less about and making an entire book about her?” - an actual text message I sent my book friend. But I was sooooooo wrong to doubt TJR. She took a character that probably no one liked and made her likable. She made me route for her and she made me route for her growth. She made her a person, a deeply flawed person, but her story is so touching and heartwarming. I did have to google a TON of tennis terms and I read this book, but I still immensely enjoyed it.

Well. Taylor Jenkins Ried has done it again. In the world of Malibu RIsing and The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hug0… Carrie Sotto is Back is my favorite so far of my Taylor Jenkins Reid books that I have read.
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Carrie Sotto is back is about a tennis player who was once the greatest tennis player of all time, who comes out of retirement to defend her title. She is good at being the best, and only has one thing on her mind, winning. After the backstory to how she got where she is, this book takes us through her journey through a tennis season, as she plays in four tournaments in hopes to win the grand slam.
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This book brought me so much joy, because there was so much growth. Growth for Carrie, her father, Javier, and even the sports commentators. You can see the whole vibe shift over time. Once I was hooked, I could not put this book down. I loved every second of it. The only complaint I had was there was some Spanish, which was awesome, but never a translation. Even with that complaint, I am giving this book five star

Reid is back with her signature style, writing characters who feel so real that you find yourself shocked when you can't watch old recordings of their tennis games on YouTube! These characters were so perfectly flawed, vibrant, and human to me that I feel like I’ve made new friends. The story has a lot of heart, and captivated me every second, even though I’m not a sports fan I was thoroughly invested in every game! Another incredible piece from TJR!

I just reviewed Carrie Soto Is Back by Taylor Jenkins Reid. #CarrieSotoIsBack

Thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine for this ARC in exchange for my honest review. This book will be published August 30, 2022.

4.5 stars! This is my 4th book by this author and at this point, she’s proven herself to me. No doubt I’ll read her next book.

I didn’t think I’d be that interested given the plot (profession tennis player) but I found it fast-paced, compelling, realistic and wrapped up nicely at the end. It might help that I enjoy playing tennis but I’ve never watched a match on TV so don’t let that stop you. Themes include commitment, training, the media, competition, family and ultimately HAVING FUN!

We have the return of Carrie Soto from Malibu Rising by. Taylor Jenkins Reid brings to life the legend in Carrie Soto Is Back. Carrie has retired at the top of her tennis game, holding every record including the most Grand Slam wins. Carrie has gotten to this point with a great deal of talent and her dedicated father. But when current tennis star Nicki Chan is on the precipice of breaking Carrie’s Grand Slam record, Carrie decides to come out of retirement to win each of the Grand Slam Tournaments. At 37, nothing is the same and she has a great deal of work to return as the comeback queen. But Carrie has given up a great deal to be a tennis star, she is known as a “battle ax” and was never a popular tennis star. Does anyone really want her to succeed.

Carrie Soto is a greatly flawed character, who the reader sees grow throughout the novel. Although tennis is as much a character in the novel, the characters are well developed. Through Carrie’s own growth within herself and those around her, especially her father Xavier, Carrie becomes someone we want to root for.

I love professional tennis and found the inside details to the game to be fascinating. Reid really brought the games and teaching to life. Throughout the novel I could easily visualize the matches and feel Carrie’s emotional and physical growth. Taylor Jenkins Reid serves up another terrific novel. Thank you to Net Galley and the publisher for this ARC.

I was thrilled to be chosen for this advanced copy. TJR is one if my favorite contemporary writers and I was thrilled to see Carrie Soto get her own novel. Determined, fierce and uncompromising, we see Carrie grow up and what it means to be the best of all time. A stunning novel that I couldn't put down.i only wish it were coming out in the summer..as it has beach book all over it!

I first fell in love with Evelyn Hugo, and not long after I fell in love with Daisy Jones and Nina Riva. Now I have fallen in love with Carrie Soto. Taylor Jenkins Reid knows how to create stories that feel real. Her characters feel like they could be real people. Carrie Soto Is Back was an amazing read and I truly enjoyed it.

What do you do when you get an ARC of the newest book by one of your favorite authors? Obviously, the answer is drop everything, start it that day, and finish it within 24 hours.

Taylor Jenkins Reid’s latest, coming out 8/30/22, is about tennis player Carrie Soto, who had the tiniest cameo in TJR’s last book, Malibu Rising (but don’t worry, it’s a stand-alone). The book begins in 1994 when she is 37 and contemplating coming out of retirement to defend her grand slam record which is on the verge of being broken by a younger player. The book then flashes back to her childhood and earlier career, before picking back up where the book started as she pursues her comeback with her dad as her coach.

This book was VERY heavy on the tennis, but luckily I am a huge tennis fan so I understood everything that was going on and enjoyed all the details. I am definitely curious how it will be received by non-tennis fans though. But there are also a lot of other interesting themes that came up along with the tennis, including the father-daughter relationship, sexism, the pressure to be perfect, how and why Carrie is unapologetically herself, and more. It was not my most favorite TJR book, but still an extremely solid great read.

“Carrie Soto Is Back” tells the comeback story of (you guessed it) Carrie Soto, arguably the best tennis player of all time. After years of retirement, a new challenge to her reign pulls Carrie back into the world of competitive tennis. Never a fan favorite with her win-at-any-cost approach and her refusal to pander to anyone, Carrie enlists her father and longtime coach, Javier, in her efforts to cement her place in history.

When I first started this novel, I found it to be a bit dry and too heavily focused on the details of tennis for my taste. I also found it difficult to connect with Carrie herself. As I continued reading, I realized that was exactly Taylor Jenkins Reid’s plan. Carrie is first and foremost a tennis player. That is the lens through which she experiences life. Her entire world revolves around tennis, even her relationships with the people she cares about.

On the surface, this story is a straightforward description of a comeback and the impact it has on one athlete. Yet on a deeper level it is a reflection on what drives us, and the people and experiences that challenge who we are and make us better. It is a commentary on aging and sexism, an homage to women in sports, and an insightful examination of the complicated relationships between parents and children, as well as between lovers and competitors. We meet a character driven by her need to be the best, to win at the game she has come to believe is more important than anything else. Through the course of the novel, we watch her evolve and open herself up to the possibility that there may just be more to life than winning after all…or perhaps just different definitions of winning.

Yet again, TJR immersed me in a world I’ve never experienced and made me care about the people in it. I read the last few chapters of this book with tears in my eyes. Carrie Soto IS back, in all the ways that matter. Love-all.

I don't know how to review this book! 75% of the time I was annoyed by all of the minutiae about tennis... it really felt like TOO MUCH. The other 25% I was enjoying the bit of personal-relationship stuff we got, but I wanted more! I understand that tennis is most of what Carrie is about, but as a reader who doesn't enjoy sports, I found it tedious. I also understand that the relationship stuff had to come more towards the end because of Carrie's growth, but it felt like not enough reward.

I loved this so much. We don’t get a lot of Carrie soto in Malibu rising but we learn so much about her in this book and I loved her. Carrie is definitely not warm and fuzzy and that’s probably what I loved the most about her. Also Reid’s writing is just so good I was so sucked into this story and I don’t even care about tennis.