Taylor Jenkins Reid’s latest book, Carrie Soto is Back, is a realistic work of historical fiction. I enjoyed this tennis saga set in the same world as Malibu Rising, Daisy Jones and the Six, and all the rest.

She’s back! Carrie Soto is a minor character from Malibu Rising, so getting to explore her story is great. Most of the story takes place in 1995, the year Carrie comes out of retirement (at 37) to defend her record on the tennis court. Her dad, Javier, returns to coach her, as well as an old flame. This story has so much heart, and you will need a box of tissues by the end.

Carrie Soto Is Back is a very good book about a sometimes not very likable character. Carrie Soto is a perfectionist and a winner and sometimes she rubs not only the characters in her world the wrong way, but the reader. This might be different from person to person, but for me, there were times that I just wanted to take her by the shoulders and shake her until she understood how insane and sometimes insensitive she was being.

And yet.

And yet Jenkins Reid crafted this character in a way that she is annoying. She is confident to the point of perfectionism. She has higher expectations of herself than anyone around her. But you simply cannot help but root for her. There is something every man/every woman about her. She is an athlete that is supposedly past her prime and she has held onto the idea that she has to be THE BEST or she is nothing at all. And so she goes on a journey to prove that she is THE BEST.

But thats not entirely what this book is about. Sure, its the plot. But at its heart its about learning to accept our limits. Its about learning to accept that we can be more than one thing, that a career or a person doesn't have to define us. And its difficult for Carrie to even begin to see these things herself because she is built around the need to be the greatest. At times I felt sad for Carrie. It must be lonely at the top.

What i also enjoyed about this book is TJR took a sport I know little to nothing about and made it accessible. She made me respect the sport far more than i did before i picked this up. I know its a hard sport but, knowing next to nothing about it, I took for granted HOW difficult.

I will say that, at first, having JUST seen the movie King Richard, about Serena and Venus Williams and their father, I was afraid that this was going to be derivative of that in some fashion. It felt so similar to how Richard William coached his daughters to be the best. But it was not derivative in the slightest. Javier Soto is not Richard Williams and Carrie Soto is neither Venus nor Serena (though i'm sure their stardom in some way has inspired this tennis star in a world where neither tennis star exists).

Genuinely breathtaking. Also, if you're worried about the overwhelming prevalence of tennis/sports metaphors/etc, don't be. I haven't actively watched it participated in a tennis match for over 20 years and I got along just fine.

Flippin’ fantastic.

Yet again, Taylor Jenkins Reid delivers a thoroughly entertaining book.

Is it a perfect novel? No, of course not. There are some things that I wish would have gotten another look (*cough* the Spanish language *cough) but this book did what it was set out to do. It kept me entertained and wanting more.

When I first heard the premise of this book, I wasn’t too sure since I didn’t particular have any strong, or even lukewarm, feelings about Carrie Soto. But now, oh boy…I love her. The character development in this book was wonderful and I enjoyed all of the journey. I have to give it up to TJR, her characters are always the best.
This is a book that I know I will be recommending to everyone even though I’m sure everyone will already know about it.

Well, I guess I’m out to go buy myself a cute tennis skirt and pretend I’m half of a badass as Carrie Soto.

“You are perfect, even in your imperfection.”

It’s been a hot minute since I read Malibu Rising so it took me a good while to remember who Carrie Soto was….my bad! I’m happy to report that after reading Carrie Soto is Back, I’ll never ever forget her. She’s special. As the summary of this book states: Carrie Soto is FIERCE. One of the most determined, frustrating, and intense characters I’ve ever come across. Fun fact: you’ll learn a lot of Spanish while reading this!

Taylor Jenkins Reid writes AMAZING and compelling stories and well-developed characters. 10% in, I felt like I already knew Carrie so well. Not only that, all the characters in this book were really well-developed. YES TO CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT!!! You remember their names, their stories, understand why they’re the way they are, and you want to keep reading to learn more. I adored Carrie but my heart is with her father, Javier! A sweetheart.

I was genuinely surprised how much I loved this book based on the content- the majority of it focusing on tennis. Sports!!! I felt like I was out there on the courts with Carrie, training with her, rooting her on, and wanting her to win all her matches. Carrie Soto is Back will take you on an emotional journey and you’ll read it in one sitting. Taylor Jenkins Reid is on fire!! Can’t wait for her next book! ;) Big thanks to NetGalley for this advanced reader copy, I’ll treasure it forever!

Well folks, she did it again. Reid’s latest is filled with characters people are going to love. ❤️

First impression was, what? TJR busting out the Spanish?! Luckily, I understand Spanish but would that be a challenge for non-Spanish speakers? And honestly, I didn’t get the need for it. It seems genuine when her father speaks complete sentences in Spanish. But the weird broken English for Carrie seems a little gimmicky.

I could not for the life of me remember who Carrie Soto was in Malibu. But then I realized she was the “other woman” in Nina’s relationship. 😡 How could she do that to my Nina? Ok, I’m already looking at her with a side eye. At first, Carrie comes off as self-involved and oh-so-boastful.

I thought, am I supposed to like this person? The way she is described and the explanations for her behavior, like sleeping around and being rude to everyone, doesn't make her particularly endearing. But I guess that’s the whole point, as so eloquently discussed by the commentators. Carrie doesn’t care about people liking her, she cares about people respecting her game. She cares about the win.

“And it stuns me silent, for a moment: just how vast the gap is between who I am and how people see me.”

Then the story evolves and other characters emerge, and I was hooked. And I grew to love that arrogant, but oh so vulnerable, Carrie Soto. Awesome growth and character development.

LOVE the Daisy Jones cameo. 😉

Stand out characters are father Javier Soto❤️, fellow “past his prime” Bowe Huntley, and that Nicki Chan! So many quotes that struck me and I had to take note of!

Javier Soto was my favorite, hands down. Gosh how I wish I had a dad like that. Best Javier quote: “It will never matter,” he says, “whose responsibility is what. My heart hurts when you hurt because you are my heart.”

Another great quote:
“We live in a world where exceptional women have to sit around waiting for mediocre men.”

Not quite a Malibu or Daisy, but really enjoyed it. Whenever a book keeps me glued and I finish it in a couple days or less, it’s a winner for me.

Thank you to NetGalley and BallantineBooks for providing the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Taylor Jenkins Reid has done it again! I absolutely love her books and Carrie Soto is Back is a great read. I love how Reid takes background characters from other books and writes a new novel about them. She has created a universe with awesome storylines and strong female characters. This is about Carrie Soto- the "other woman" from Malibu Rising. But now we see her in a whole new light. In her story, that incident is just a footnote in her life. Reid shows us the vulnerable, strong, and dedicated Carrie. I read this in 2 nights. Cannot wait for the next title!

Taylor Jenkins Reid has done it again. I do not understand how she does it but TJR always makes me care so much about her characters in such a short amount of time. Her characters start out feeling larger than life because of their proximity to fame but by the end they feel like a close friend. Before I started this book, I could not have cared less about tennis but now I want to buy my own racket and start watching every match that I can. Carrie is such a good character because most of the time she is not likeable and a downright b****, but that is what actually makes me like her more. She is so realistic and true to herself even when you wish she wouldn't be. I'm sad that this is the end to the TJR historical fiction/fame quartet but I am so excited to see what she writes next.

Great story about determination, working hard to prove yourself, and tennis.
Carrie Soto has played tennis since she was 2. She was coached by her father, a former tennis pro, until they have a falling out and she hires someone else to finish off her career. Now it is 5 years later and her record is being broken by a newcomer - Nicki Chan. Carrie and her father decide to team up again , take Carrie out of retirement, and take her record back. What follows is a year of hard work, determination, and trying to ignore all that the press and public are saying about her. All she can do is win - she doesn't have anything else. Tennis is all she is, or is it?
Love that one evening Carrie is trying to read "Daisy Jones and the Six" to relax.
Loved this story - not as much as Daisy, but more than Malibu.

"Go out there..." He looks me directly in the eye with an intensity I have not seen in years, maybe even since I was a kid. "And show them that the Bitch, the Battle Axe–whatever they want to call you–it doesn't matter. They cannot stop you. And they don’t get to decide what your name is. Carrie Soto is back."

Carrie Soto is Back is truly phenomenal; a showstopper that I’ll keep thinking about for a very long time. TJR has crafted a work of art yet again! She is so gifted at bringing characters to life by brining readers into their mind and soul. I felt each one of Carrie’s wins and losses in my soul; I mourned and celebrated with her, and I was rooting for her even when I kind of hated her. I tore through this book in two days because I was so wrapped up in Carrie’s mind and story.

Before you even consider reading this book, please understand that this book is entirely about tennis. If you go into it expecting something else, I worry that you’ll finish it feeling unsatisfied or hoping for more. But if you read it expecting a badass story about a legendary athlete’s unbelievable determination and comeback, you will be blown away by how incredible this story is.

I went into this worried I wouldn’t know enough about tennis to love the story, but I was so wrong. In the second chapter, we get a flyover picture of Carrie’s first few years of tennis, and every part of the game is explained. Sometimes info dumps like this can feel stiff or unnatural, but this didn’t; it felt like a great setup to the rest of the story because it highlights rules and strategy in tennis and the start of Carrie and Javier’s beautiful father-daughter bond.

Carrie’s father is from Argentina, and they speak a lot of Spanish with each other. It might be helpful to look up some of the phrases they use so that you can really understand their relationship. I loved the Spanish inclusion; to me, it made the characters feel even more real and deep.

Mick Riva and the party from Malibu Rising get a small mention, as does our favorite 70s rock band ;) Princess Diana even makes a quick appearance! I love how TJR’s recent books are all set in the same universe; see if you can find all of the crossover mentions!

Please do yourself a favor and read this bad boy as soon as you can! I promise that you will not regret it. Every one of TJR’s books is unforgettable, and Carrie Soto is Back is no exception.

I've been lukewarm on previous titles from this author, but I so thoroughly enjoyed this! It was very interesting to see the themes of fame Taylor Jenkins Reid often plays with interpreted in an entirely new arena by writing a sports novel. I also found Carrie Soto to be such a fun protagonist to follow... I'd bet many will find her unlikable but won't be able to stop themselves from rooting for her. There is also a romance subplot that I found really well-done. Overall, a complete page-turner, the way books from this author so often are, and one with a perfect ending. Not always to my personal taste, but a definite good time and a worthy addition to the interconnected, fame-focused universe Taylor Jenkins Reid has created. I would recommend this to readers who enjoy challenging protagonists, family-focused stories, and fast-paced, plot-focused books.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC of this title in exchange for an honest review.

Taylor Jenkins Reid is quickly becoming one of the authors that I simply will not miss! Carrie Soto is the kind of character I love to get to know. She's brash, shockingly unemotional, and, oh, so confident. She's so much more than the surface. As a lover of tennis and a fan of strong female characters, this is one of the best I've read for quite some time. Stayed up late to finish, no regrets! 5 stars. Read it, everyone will!

This author is an amazing storyteller -- the book consists almost entirely of tennis matches and practice sessions, yet it keeps you turning the pages. Carrie Soto is widely acknowledged to be the greatest women's professional tennis play in history. A few years after she retires, a new, younger player surpasses Carrie's record, and that spurs Carrie to make the decision to come out of retirement and reclaim her title. This is the story of how she does that, along with all the challenges and triumphs along the way. Great story, and fans of Reid's earlier titles will love it.

Taylor Jenkins Reid does it again! Brilliantly written. Carrie Soto is an incredible character in a long list of amazing characters in the TJR cannon.

Taylor Jenkins Reid does it again! Set in the same world as Malibu Rising, Daisy Jones & the Six, and The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo, “Carrie Soto is Back” is another incredible historical fiction so real that you feel like you’re on the court.

Taylor Jenkins Reid knows how to tell good stories about strong women, and she has the writing chops to match. With her latest book, Carrie Soto Is Back she offers up the titular character, a take no prisoners professional tennis player nicknamed “The Battle Axe” trying to make a comeback at the age of 37. After a brief summary of her early life with her father who coaches her to win from an early age, the book follows the year of training and tennis Grand Slam tournaments. In what has become Reid’s style, she intersperses TV segments, interviews, and news articles within the narrative for some plot points and structural interest. Carrie Soto is a quick, beachy-style read with a little bit of backbone that her fans will definitely love.

One of my highly anticipated releases! This has Taylor Jenkins Reid’s signature style and emotional pull, but not really a favorite of mine.

Full review to come closer to pub date and rating may change!

This novel is definitely unlike anything TJR has written before. It is very much a sports-centered story, without much romance or character development. This genre (sports) isn’t my favorite to read, however that is just my personal preference. Another reason why I did not rate it as high is because I found Carrie Soto to be insufferable at times. I appreciate flawed characters, however Carrie took this to a whole other level. I would constantly ask myself when reading, “When is she going to redeem herself?”

Regardless, I am a sucker for TJR’s writing. She knows how to illustrate situations and environments so well, and it is such a breath of fresh air to read. She has written such unique stories and it is safe to say that she has written something for everyone to enjoy. Carrie Soto is Back wasn’t my personal favorite, but I can see this at the top of many people’s lists this year.

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC of this novel!

What a compelling, thought-provoking read! Even though I am not a tennis aficionado, I must say that this book has now made me a fan. The main character, Carrie Soto, a world-renown tennis player who has aged out of competing is doing just that. She is attempting to make a comeback after many years of being out of the loop.

The plot has been done so often but Reid, as in her other books, makes it seem fresh and new. There are so many emotions and examination of past events that kept me so engaged. Even with all her inherent flaws, I was rooting for Carrie's success. The message of perseverance and realizing what life is all about was reiterated throughout these pages. Wow!