I love pretty much anything that Taylor Jenkins Reid writes and this was no exception! I love the world she's built upon since Evelyn Hugo.

TJR is one of my favorite authors. Her character building is unmatched. I didn’t love this story as much as I have some of her other books, but it was still really really good. I think I would have had that special connection with it if I was passionate about tennis!

Carrie Soto is fierce, and her determination to win at any cost has not made her popular. But by the time she retires from tennis, she is the best player the world has ever seen. She has shattered every record and claimed twenty Grand Slam titles. And if you ask Carrie, she is entitled to every one. She sacrificed nearly everything to become the best, with her father, Javier, as her coach. A former champion himself, Javier has trained her since the age of two.

But six years after her retirement, Carrie finds herself sitting in the stands of the 1994 US Open, watching her record be taken from her by a brutal, stunning player named Nicki Chan.

At thirty-seven years old, Carrie makes the monumental decision to come out of retirement and be coached by her father for one last year in an attempt to reclaim her record. Even if the sports media says that they never liked “the Battle-Axe” anyway. Even if her body doesn’t move as fast as it did. And even if it means swallowing her pride to train with a man she once almost opened her heart to: Bowe Huntley. Like her, he has something to prove before he gives up the game forever.

In spite of it all, Carrie Soto is back, for one epic final season. In this riveting and unforgettable novel, Taylor Jenkins Reid tells her most vulnerable, emotional story yet.

Rate : 5 out of 5
Thoughts : What could I say more. It's TJR work so there's no doubt that it'll a 5 stars read.
Thank you Netgalley for the advanced copy!

Another five-star book from Taylor Jenkins Reid. Carrie Soto is a force to be reckoned with and made me want to get back into tennis. I loved the story arc and the struggles that she faced. Reid did a fantastic job creating a character that was both tough to love, but you had to root for.

Oh my gosh, Taylor Jenkins Reid did NOT disappoint. Great characters, great plot, and a twist that I've come to expect from her. Now, I want to go back and look for the connections from this book to the other ones. It's a shame it took me such a long time to get around to it, but I am glad that I did.

In Carrie Soto, Taylor Jenkins Reid has crafted a fierce and fallible female main character who can go toe to toe with Daisy Jones and Evelyn Hugo. Carrie is a retired tennis player training to make a comeback and maintain her record of most career grand slam titles. While the logistics of the actual tennis matches may veer into niche knowledge territory, the vibe and tone of each match is universally relatable - just like Carrie’s determination and drive.

DNF- unfortunately could not get into this story and had to set aside. This didn’t feel like other TJR stories (based off what I read) and just assumed it is not for me.

Taylor Jenkins Reid always knows how to write a compelling female main character, but Carrie Soto is the best yet. She's unapologetically ambitious and carries a female rage that is so relatable. She so beautifully exemplifies what it is to be strong and soft at the same time and I loved living in her head for the entire duration of this book.

Speaking of fantastic books, CARRIE SOTO IS BACK is one of them. I wasn't interested in tennis, but after reading this book, I decided to check out the US Open and watched a couple of tennis matches. I cried during the last half of this book; there are many mixed emotions in one story.

Without a doubt, Taylor Jenkins Reid (TJR) knew how to make characters come alive. Her writing is undeniable. I could feel the rush of the games, the ambitions of these players, the bond between Carrie and her dad, and the love development between Carrie and Bowe.

Despite the controversy, this book is still 5-stars to me, and I love it. Of course, I can't speak for the Latinx community, but from the Asian perspective, Nicki Chan is an excellent Asian character in the story. I hope to see more powerful Asian characters like her.

This is my fifth Taylor Jenkins Reid novel, and it did not disappoint! I am just in love with her writing, her characters, and the world she's created with her past few interlaced standalones. This book follows Carrie Soto, a tennis star who retired five years prior with the most grand slam wins in history, until a new player ties her record. She decides to come out of retirement to reclaim her title as the best ever. It's a gritty deep dive into what it really takes to become a star athlete, with a big focus on father-daughter relationships. I was completely engrossed!

At its core, this is a book about relationships, which is where TJR shines. Yes, there is a LOT of tennis in this book. There were times when I felt it was too much. I was surprised by the times I enjoyed the tennis portions, that's true, but it was still a bit too much for me. I loved the raw passion and ambition of Carrie. It was a good read, but not my favorite Taylor Jenkins Reid.

This book was so fun! I loved learning about tennis through Carrie Soto. Seeing other characters from TJR’s other works also made me so happy! I was so excited to learn more about Carrie after getting a glimpse of her in Malibu Rising, and I’m so glad we did, because she deserves better! I absolutely loved the father daughter relationship in this as well.

Title: Carrie Soto is Back
Author: Taylor Jenkins Reid
Narrated by: Stacy Gonzalez, et. Al.
Publisher: Random House Audio
Length: Approximately 10 hours and 30 minutes
Source: Checked out with Libby through the Kewaunee Public Library. Thank-you!

Are you a tennis fan? If so, who is your favorite player? Growing up, my friend Erin was a tennis player and I feel that all I know about the world of tennis is from her. I also think it’s cool that Erin pursued tennis in college and is now a college tennis coach.

Carrie Soto is back is the story of a fictional famous tennis player, Carrie Soto. Her career was in the 1970’s and 1980’s and she retired after winning twenty slam titles and turning thirty. Now that she is 37, her record is smashed by Nicki Chan. She decides to come out of retirement to try to win back her record again. With the help of an old love, Bowe Huntley and her coach father, will she be able to meet this new challenge?

Carrie Soto felt like a conglomerate of many famous tennis players from back in the day, but I also felt flashes of Serena Williams as well. Luckily, you don’t have to be an expert on tennis to follow along on Carrie Soto’s journey.

Carrie Soto is Back was the July pick for the Page-turners Book Club at the Kewaunee Public Library. I sadly had to miss the meeting due to work commitments, but it worked out as I wasn’t able to get a copy of the audiobook through the library until after the meeting. I ended up listening to Carrie Soto is back in August and it kept me very intrigued through many drives for work.

Carrie Soto seemed like a cold person that grew up in the vacuum of tennis. She seemed to have no personal relationships at all and to not be happy. Her father gave her the love of tennis, but also made it so she didn’t have a normal childhood or teenage life. For me, what I loved best about this novel was her growth and seeing her develop personal relationships by the end of the novel. I also really wanted her to win and found her matches nail-biting.

I also thought it was interesting that Carrie Soto was called a “battle ax” by the press and other worse things for being a woman who wanted to win. This seemed very true to what I’ve seen female athletes face over the years.

I loved how in this audiobook there are newsclips about Carrie Soto. They are read by different narrators acting the parts and also have accompanying music. It was very entertaining!! Stacy Gonzalez was a great narrator and was the voice of Carrie.

cw: death of loved one, grief

Carrie Soto worked hard to claim every record and Slam titles that she has. By the time she retired, she was considered the best tennis player the world has even seen and she would agree. Yet, as she’s watching her record be broken by British player Nicki Chan, it eats her up. She can’t stand to have her record broken, so six years after she retired, Carrie is determined to come out of retirement to reclaim her record.

TJR has always told character driven stories that explore people experiencing the vast array of emotions and challenges that life can bring. Carrie Soto is Back is no different from that in that maybe, this one has stood out to me the most as a really character driven story and it’s written in such a way where you feel like you are watching a movie about her life.

Carrie is a determined individual. She is someone who knows what she wants, she knows what she deserves and she’s going to do what she can to do it. It doesn’t matter what other people are saying about her because she has the confidence in herself. She’s an empowered women that’s kinda hard not to be in awe of. In a world where she’s being told to smile more, be more friendly and she stood fast in who she was, never giving it. Loved to see it. Absolutely amazing. Good for you, queen.

With the heavy focus on tennis, we got to see a lot of Carrie and her father together. Their relationship was something special. They were close and had this trust with one another that was amazing to see. This relationship is really key to Carrie’s success and drive and you can see that in their moments together.

The tennis. Wow. Starting this, I don’t think I expected to read about so much tennis. But boy did I! I thought it was well done. There was tension with each match and point even. TJR really managed to slow it down in these moments and have me gripped at which way it was going to go, what was going to happen.

Now, the tennis was great. I loved the scenes and how they were written and it feels weird to say this about a book all about tennis, but I almost think there was too much? There was character development that happened still, but it didn’t have that slow development that I feel a lot of TJR books have. Not that it’s a bad thing as Carrie’s life does really revolve around tennis so it makes sense, but a few moments outside of it, even brief, I think would have been nice.

Something I feel is a little less nitpicky is the Spanish. I am not Hispanic or Latine, so I would suggest seeking out other reviews on this factor, but the Spanish felt… off. It felt like it was forced as a reminder that Carrie is from a Hispanic background more than anything. There was nothing else, that I caught, that added to her background, just the random bits of Spanish there were in there. At times, it caught me off guard and pulled me out some because the words that seemed to be picked felt random - more like those were the words and phrases the author knew and rolled with that.

Once again, I don’t know, but when I learned that Carrie’s name is actually Carolina I had to pause because that felt wrong again.

But, as I said, please look at reviews from Hispanic or Latine reviewers rather than me!

Overall, Carrie Soto is Back is a great story. I loved Carrie and all the tennis involved. If you like sports books and other things that TJR had written, pick this up!

This was great! I was very skeptical that TJR was writing from the perspective of a culture she does not belong to, and I am certainly an outsider to that but I felt it was well done as a reader. She didn’t try to make it about culture more than the story, and that worked well here. I especially loved the cameos from other TJR characters! The story was strong and the characters were so well developed. As with all TJR books, an easy and fun read with enough depth to carry you through.

As a massive tennis fan, I knew before I started this book that I would love it. And I was right; it’s absolutely perfect. It’s incredibly well written and nuanced with enough tennis back ground to keep non fans informed, but still pleasing fans.

I specifically waited to read this book during my favorite two weeks of the year. I felt like I was with Carrie while she was playing. I loved her mindset and going through her training practice in her younger years. But I really fell in love with Carrie when she decides to come out of retirement to defend her record of the most Grand Slams wins ever.

I appreciate how she and her father studied each player and really got into a strategy for new match. I liked that she was unapologetically herself and didn’t really care for other opinions of her, including other players, critics, and even in the news. She earns an unflattering nickname and she tries to not let it bother her.

I truly loved this novel. Not only is about my favorite sport, but it’s so much more than that. Carrie’s relationship with her father was the highlight of the book for me. They understood each other almost too well and sometimes that works against Carrie. I loved that sometimes she needed a coach and sometimes she just needed her dad. I also love how she grew with Bowe. They were both young when they hooked up the first time and it was amazing to see their relationship grow as they challenged each other in training. He was perfect for her right when she needed it the most.

It was fascinating to see Carrie learn the sport as a 37 year old during her comeback. She was no longer able to rely on her speed and needed to work on pacing herself so she didn’t tire out. She had to really adjust her own game for her older self.

I recommend this book to anyone, but especially tennis players and then cheering on Coco Gauff at this years @usopen.

1000 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Taylor Jenkins Reid is a must-read author. Every book of hers that I have had the honor of reading has created a rollercoaster of emotions. Reid has a way of writing characters, relationships, and situations where I have connected so deeply to the characters emotions and to the plot itself, that when I have completed the book, it stays with me for months, and even years after. Carrie Soto has immediately been added to that list. I feel most appreciative to have received an early copy of Carrie Soto is Back through Netgalley, and because the writing and storyline was so incredible, I bought two physical copies on its publishing day. I really don’t have enough words to explain how deep this story cuts you. The insider feelings of being a woman in sports, and the moments shared between a father and daughter. I was rooting for Soto this entire time, and I still will as I reflect on the piece for a while after I’ve finished. If you loved The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo, Daisy Jones & The Six, and Malibu Rising, this one is a must read.

A fun read with a strong female lead. I especially enjoyed the intensity I felt during the tennis matches. It felt like I was there watching, holding my breath and waiting to see who would win each match.

I'll ready anything by TJR, I'm absolutely devoted to her, but I think this is her weakest book. The character was insufferable and listen, I know she's a pro tennis player, but I was so sick of tennis by the end.

The hype with Taylor Jenkins Reed is real with SOME of her books. Carrie Soto is Back definitely one of those that I would love to see made into a movie.
A broken athlete wanting to return one more time to the fray to prove to herself that she is still worthy and not ready to be dismissed, is something everyone can cheer for. Is Carrie the most likeable person? No, but that doesn't stop readers from wanting her to succeed, find love and be happy reveling at the same time in her imperfections..