I did not enjoy this book. It's probably one of Taylor's worst.

I know part of the reason I didn't love this book is because I do not care for tennis, and that I will admit is a me problem.

Carrie Soto is intended to be unlikeable character but she is not even enjoyable. She doesn't need to be a likable character but she could at-least be interesting enough to warrant a book.

Lastly TJR should not be writing minorities.

A story about love, loss, female empowerment, redemption, and of course…. tennis!!

Carrie Soto was groomed from a young child by her tennis enthusiast father/coach to be unapologetically the roughest and most disciplined female tennis player, with the hopes that one day she would be THE best. After winning the most Slam titles and claiming her spot as the most decorated tennis player, male or female, in the world, ever, she retires. Fast forward approximately six years when her world record is smashed by a younger British player, Nicki Chan, and Carrie is in the audience to witness it. At that exact moment, Carrie decides to re-enter the now changed world of women’s tennis with her biggest fan by her side, her dad, but she is much older and changed. Will she still be able to live up to her legacy or should she have stayed retired in legendary status?

I want to preface this review by saying that I have NOT read either Daisy Jones nor Malibu Rising YET. They are on my very long, very intimidating TBR list. I understand from the book community that there is a bit of crossover easter eggs in this one related to TJR’s other bestsellers, but I will have to file those away for later when I do get around to them. There was a lot of talk initially about Carrie Soto being a sequel, but I am here to say that you DO NOT need to read those in order to read and understand this novel, which is entirely standalone.

I truly enjoyed this book and I cannot express how grateful I am to Random House, Taylor, and NetGalley for the early opportunity to read this gem. I have never in my life played or had the inclination to play tennis before reading this novel, and now not only do I have the random urge to play tennis, but to also be a fearless female warrior and dominate the heck out of it! I did not believe I required any independent knowledge of tennis to read this or that anything was confusing to me because I didn’t, in fact, I actually learned so much.

I really enjoyed how the novel was broken down by years and by major tennis events. I also enjoyed the sports casting transcripts and editorials that were sprinkled throughout. My ONLY criticism of this title would be the Spanish. Not the fact that there was Spanish, but that it did not translate it for readers who do not speak the language. It wasn’t simple, well known phrases either, so I was stuck either spending time Google entire dialogues or guessing but not really knowing what was said, which subtracted from the story.

I will scream this book’s praises from the highest rooftops and can’t wait for the world to meet Carrie on August 30th!!

“Carrie Soto is Back” by Taylor Jenkins Reid
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Release Date: 8/20/22
Genre: Historical Fiction

Taylor Jenkins Reid did it again!! I wasn’t sure if I was going to like a book about tennis, but I loved it! I loved how the main character evolved throughout the book. I also love how she ties in all of her books. She’ll drop little hints on how the characters are connected.

Carrie Soto is a strong minded woman that plays the fieriest tennis anyone has ever seen. From the moment she could hold a tennis racket her father groomed her to be the best. He had big dreams for her. Carrie took it in strides and her whole life became consumed by tennis. After an amazing career but a devastating injury to her knee she retires. Six years later at the 1994 US Open Carrie decides she need to come out of retirement to reclaim her title. She enlists her father the former Tennis Jaguar Javier Soto to train her. The book shares the story of Carrie’s original tennis career and her return. It shares the relationship with her father even when complex and complicated and her friendship with former fling Bowe Huntley.

Taylor Jenkins Reid has done it again--made me interested in reading about something I previously had no interest in. Just as I had no interest in reading about musicians or bands until I read DAISY JONES & THE SIX, I had no interest in reading about tennis before reading CARRIE SOTO IS BACK. But just as I was sucked into the life of Daisy, I became immersed in Carrie's life--rooting for her comeback through her many struggles. And that's Reid's sweet spot: creating characters and stories that feel real, because just like with DAISY JONES, by the end of CARRIE SOTO, I had to remind myself that is was fiction.

🎾 Before I ever opened the book, I knew I would like 𝗖𝗔𝗥𝗥𝗜𝗘 𝗦𝗢𝗧𝗢 𝗜𝗦 𝗕𝗔𝗖𝗞 by the incredible Taylor Jenkins Reid. The premise of a retired tennis superstar fighting to come back and cement her record for the most Grand Slam titles ever won by anyone spoke to me. What I didn’t know is that I would LOVE the story. I played tennis in high school and some more after that until life got crazy, so I had a firm foundation in understanding the sport.I was glad for that, but it’s not essential. Though this book is definitely about tennis, it’s much more about the mental side of the game and the relationships between Carrie and the very few people she allows in her life.⁣
⁣
By now everyone knows about this book, so I’m not going to summarize the plot or the fine points of Reid’s excellent storytelling. Instead I’m simply going to tell you the one thing I loved most about it: Carrie Soto was a badass, "𝗛𝗘𝗟𝗟 𝗡𝗢" type of woman and we need more of those! Throughout her career, Carrie cared more about her game than making friends and playing to the press. Despite her success, or perhaps because of it, this earned her the moniker of “𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘉𝘢𝘵𝘵𝘭𝘦-𝘈𝘹𝘦.” We’d never hear such a title openly used today, but Carrie’s career began in the 70’s. When she made her comeback, the name calling and derision of male sports commentators only grew worse. No matter what the game threw at her, Carrie stood up, held her head high and played on. She was a force to be reckoned with and she was determined to make sure the world knew it. Carrie Soto didn’t simply want to make her mark on tennis history, she needed to. To anyone trying to get in her way? 𝐇𝐞𝐥𝐥 𝐧𝐨! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️🌟⁣
⁣
Thanks to #BallantineBooks and @randomhouse for an electronic ARC of #CarrieSotoIsBack.

When you believe that your only purpose in life has been to be the best, the greatest tennis player of all time and the stat you depend on is the record of won grand slam matches, what do you do when someone is about to tie and then surpass your record? In Carrie Soto’s case, you decide to make a comeback at the old age (in tennis years) of 37, train perhaps the hardest you ever have in your life, and then begin to deal with hard truths about your body, your mind, and the life you thought was important in Taylor Reid Jenkins’ amazing novel Carrie Soto Is Back.

Yes, I’m telling you immediately that Carrie Soto Is Back is an amazing novel that I never wanted to end and yet kept constantly page-turning to get to the end. And those last few chapters had me so riveted that I indeed felt like my adrenalin was pumping. Fight! Win! Succeed!

Carrie Soto Is Back is a multi-faceted relationship novel: father and daughter, woman and tennis, woman and herself, and only later woman and man as Carrie finally allows herself to be something more than a tennis automaton. Carrie is abrasive, sometimes heartless, cold, controlled, and focused but as the novel progresses, Carrie grows as a human being and it’s a seriously wonderful change with many instances in which I was teary-eyed as Carrie’s vulnerability opens her wide.

The relationship between Carrie and her father, Javier, known as the jaguar during his tennis playing days in Argentina, is beautiful and bittersweet. He has molded her into believing that she will be the greatest but must walk the fine line of bolstering without lying, which ultimately proves impossible and becomes the first break in their relationship early on. But as Carrie starts over at 37, Javier is by her side, coaching and forcing her to acknowledge that she is not always right, she does not know everything.

Taylor Reid Jenkins’ description of the matches made me feel like I was right there, watching a match. I appreciated this, especially as a tennis aficionado. Carrie Soto Is Back is not only a beautiful character novel, but a beautiful tennis novel.

Carrie Soto Is Back does not flinch when it comes to the media and their perception of female athletes. Smile, Carrie. Be sweeter, Carrie. Men can throw temper tantrums, but women have to be above that. A woman cannot say she’ll annihilate an opponent. Not without being called nicely: battle axe or later when a sportscaster thinks his mike is off “bitch.” Not only is Carrie Soto back, but her agent sends her an Elton John album with the appropriate song: “The Bitch Is Back.” Times haven’t changed and these perceptions are as true today as they would have been in the 90s and earlier. Unfortunately.

And, if I could have added one more scene to this brilliant novel, it would have been one in which 37 year old Carrie Soto plays in a match the smarmy male tennis player, Petrovich, who points out that she only has to win the best of 3 sets while he has to win the best of 5 and have him eat his words and the court. Oh, well, that would be my fantasy scene, but probably a Billie Jean King/Bobby Riggs moment would have been too off-target for this novel.

While I am a huge tennis fan and would highly recommend Carrie Soto Is Back for any tennis fan/readers, this book goes beyond being merely a tennis novel. It’s about relationships and life choices, opening yourself up and pursuing your dreams, desires, goals, discovering joy again, and living.

“You want to know the secret? It’s the same thing we are all doing about life every single day.”
I look to her.
“Forget there’s an ending.”

I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thanks to net galley for providing an e-galley for an honest review. Once again Taylor Jenkins Reid has done it. She continues to write phenomenal stories that are all different. In her latest title she writes about a tennis player considering coming out of retirement to defend her record of wins. The story is told from Carrie’s perspective while providing her history of play. After reading this novel I have a new admiration for the work of the players on the circuit. I did not want the story to end and often wonder what became of the characters. A must read!

TJR has done it again!!⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I’ve already seen so many glowing reviews for this book so I was a little nervous about the hype. To me- this is worth every bit of the glowing attention!

Although very different from some of her previous blockbuster books, this one also contains the characters that TJR so deftly creates. Characters that, whether you like them or not, become ones you are vested in, and anxious to see where their journey takes them.

This story is an intense look at the life of a pro athlete. The rigors of training, the constant pressure to be better, the never ending glare of the public eye and the intense internal battles fought on and off the “field”. Carrie may be disliked by just as many readers as who are in awe of her.

Carrie Soto has been groomed for tennis stardom from a very young age. Her father (the very likeable and charming Javier) was a competitive tennis player and has spent his life coaching his only child. Carrie is a hard and relatively unfriendly person. Losing her mother at an early age, and driven by an endless thirst for success, she is 100% about tennis. Mid pro career, she dismisses her father as her coach and moves on to another.

After achieving the ultimate success and burning out, she retires. In walks Nicki Chan, who threatens to overtake Carrie’s Grand Slam wins record. Not one to let anything be taken away from her, after 5 years, Carrie emerges from retirement.

This engaging story will have you flipping pages, unable to put it down. It follows Carrie’s quest for a comeback,while also digging in to her backstory. Love, regret, tragedy and self realization are all included in this must read.

You will cheer for Carrie, but you may also want to slap her and tell her to chill!🤓 You will also learn how much more strategy and skill then you ever thought goes into playing elite tennis. You will adore Javier and there’s a good chance you’ll swoon over Bowe.

Is there any doubt I recommend?!! Thank you to @netgalley and @randomhouse for the ARC to read and review. Out 8.30.22

I listened to and loved Carrie Soto is Back!

I'm not the biggest tennis fan but I do love books about sports and powerful strong women. I loved seeing Carrie's rise to the top and then years later her comeback. While it's a lot of tennis I was here for it. I felt like I was watching the big matches in tv!!

Even if you're not a huge tennis fan I think you'll like it The audiobook was fantastic so I highly recommend listening to it.

Thanks to Ballantine Books @randomhouse for my ebook copy and @librofm for the audiobook! Carrie Soto comes out next Tuesday - 8/30.

4 stars

Thorough her career as a professional tennis player, Carrie Soto shattered every record set by those before her. Deemed the "Battle-Axe" by commentators, Carrie was ruthless and made no friends along the path to greatness. Now, six years after her retirement, Carrie watches new player Nicki Chan become close to taking away all of her accomplishments. So, working with her father and coach, Carrie makes a plan to come out of retirement and reclaim her titles.

First of all, reading a book about tennis is not usually something I would choose to do, sports and me? Not a good mix. But this is Taylor Jenkins Reid, so of course I am going to read it. And the way TJR writes, even though I don't know much about tennis I was able to follow along and enjoy the story easily.

I really loved Carrie as a main character, I've always been a sucker for an "unlikeable" heroine. I felt that was TJR's intention with this character was to show how women who aren't nice or kind yet successful are treated with derision or scorn and it was a focal point in this book. To me there's nothing wrong with a confident woman knowing what she's capable of and not being afraid to use it/show it.

There's a smidge of romance in this book and I really enjoyed those parts and Carrie's love interest, I think they were perfect for each other. The real love story of this book is the love between a father and daughter and how strong that bond could be. My favorite parts of this book were the moments between Carrie and her father, sweet or not. There was a lot of emotion packed into small moments between them and I feel their relationship was the true heart of this book.

3.75/5

This book felt a lot more like Daisy Jones and the Six than Malibu Rising and The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo, and I was not its biggest fan.

I love tennis, but the amount of detailed tennis play in this book got very boring and hard to want to pay attention to. A lot of the time it felt like I was watching ESPN. I did start to like the book a bit more toward the end, and I did feel connected to the characters. In terms of plot, I just didn’t feel like a whole lot actually happened.

I am overall glad to have read this book, and I am thankful that Netgalley and Random House Publishing Group granted me an advance copy. The Mick Riva Cinematic Universe has been great fun to read.

4.5 stars rounded up!

TJR and I have a rocky relationship. I desperately want to love everything she writes, but I’ve found myself disappointed over and over. You’re probably wondering why I haven’t just given up trying. It’s a valid question. But I do appreciate her storytelling and ever since I read my first TJR novel, One True Loves, I’ve been hoping to capture that excitement for one of her books. It finally happened last year with Malibu Rising, but Carrie Soto Is Back is the TJR book to finally overtake both of them!

While everyone else gushed about The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo, I thought it was just okay. But I find it hard to connect with novels about celebrities sometimes. I was determined to keep trying.

I was late to reading Daisy Jones and The Six because, once again, I was nervous about it not living up to the hype. But I love music. I love Fleetwood Mac, the band that inspired the book, so I thought this would finally be the TJR book to overtake all others. It wasn’t.

I went into Malibu Rising hoping for the best but with low expectations. Maybe it worked, because I finally enjoyed my first TJR book since One True Loves. When I heard her next book was about Carrie Soto, a character that made a brief but memorable appearance in Malibu Rising, I was hopeful again.

With Carrie Soto Is Back, TJR has finally written a book that captured my full attention. I know absolutely nothing about tennis, but I was enamored with the sport by the end of the book. I felt like I could understand what fans find so alluring about it. And she explained the basics so well, I felt like I finally understood more about the logistics of the game. Personally, I think TJR is best when writing from one first person POV, like Carrie Soto. The story is more powerful when it’s singularly focused.

By far my favorite part of the book is the relationship between Carrie and her father, Javier. Javier dedicates his life to his daughter and tennis. It’s heartwarming and heartbreaking all at the same time. They are both imperfect people who love each other completely, even to their own detriment. They both make poor decisions. But human ones. TJR has done a phenomenal job in Carrie Soto creating characters with pasts that define the people they turn out to be. Their pasts mistakes and successes support their actions.

As a little side note, Carrie and Javier would often speak in Spanish to one another and TJR didn’t always translate for the reader. It was so impactful. I didn’t need to understand every word. I just needed to know these two had a close and powerful relationship, even if it wasn’t always a positive one. BUT I was reading on my Kindle, so if I wanted the translation, it was easy to get.

One thing everyone else seemed to like about Daisy Jones that didn’t work for me was the interview style of the book; I think I would have preferred a more narrative style. Carrie Soto did have a few news articles and transcripts of sports television segments, but I didn’t mind them at all. They actually enhanced the story for me this time.

While on the surface this seems like a predictable story, it held some surprises. But even if it would have played out just as expected, I wouldn’t have minded. For me it was about the characters and not necessarily where the plot ended up. It left me misty-eyed a few times and completely satisfied with the ending. Bravo, TJR!

Look, this book might divide opinions. I certainly changed mine a lot throughout my reading.

At first, this book left me puzzled. I was doing a TJR reading marathon and read three other novels from her, and all of them (no exception) got me right in from the very start (first sentence, first paragraph, first chapter, you get the gist). So when that didn't happen with Carrie Soto, well I was worried.

But I didn't have to be. Because it delivered. This book works differently than other TJR books, where you fall from the main character right from the start, this one shows you a version of Carrie and through the course of the novel, you will learn another version of her. Her deepest insecurities, and her longings, and immeasurable ambition. You might be thinking you've seen this before, but trust me you did not. And that comes from someone who just (re)read three other books by the same author this month.

Shout out to the craft of TJR as an author, she really is out there to outdo herself time and time again. Each of her books has something unique, whether is a change in the format like Daisy jones, or being told in a single day with flashbacks like Malibu Rising. She could have repeated the formula of Evelyn Hugo over and over again if she wanted because that worked. But instead, she chose to take the main thing which is essentially famous fictional people that feel read, and she gives new life to it with each book.

Her books are all character-driven novels, and it is a testament to her skill as a writer and how incredible and believable, breathing outside of the pages type of characters she can create. Every single one of them. Carrie Soto is no different. I don't know if readers will mostly hate her or love her (I've seen some conflicting reviews) but I certainly understood her. And loved her too. She is so ambitious and driven (and so so different from the ambition you see in Evelyn Hugo) and she constantly feels the need to prove herself, to be the best, to be at the top. That shows right from the premise of the book, because Carrie was a retired tennis player, the best of players, and she decides to come out of retirement because her record is about to be broken by another, younger, player.

I connected and related to Carrie on so many levels. I feel like she is a complex and layered character. And once again I love how TJR plays with the media in her books. If Evelyn manipulates it, Daisy is broken by it, and Nina shies away from it, Carrie simply ignores it. She doesn't give a damn. And I love that about her. I love how each of these characters have their motivations to do what they do, to be the best in their fields, to conquer the world. And I love the insecurities that each of them holds behind.

From the start, I thought this book was going to be a three-star rating. By the middle, I was moving it up to a four-star. And by the end, there was nothing else I could rate it but a five. The thing is, I became so emotionally invested in this. Not only I learned an incredible amount about tennis (and in fact, I kind of want to start watching it now) but I also became invested in the games (because there are a lot of games happening here, be ready for those descriptions!) so much that I was genuinely on the edge of my seat waiting for the outcome of some of them. It was incredible.

Also, one thing we have in this story that we haven't had in those other TJR books is a good father-daughter relationship. I loved the relationship between Carrie and her father, who also happens to be her coach, they were so unique and fond of each other, and we don't get to see that with either Evelyn, Daisy, or Nina, family figures (and father's specifically) are always absent, and I loved that TJR decided to include a relationship like that in one of her books, it made it all the more special to read about Carrie's life knowing she had this strong relationship with her father.

I hope this review is one that convinces you to give a chance to this book. I think Carrie Soto is a character that deserves at least that, that you give her a chance.

For my part I am so glad I picked this up, so glad to close of my reading marathon with this book, which was a hell of a ride. So worth it.

I have really enjoyed a lot of Taylor Jenkins Rieid’a novels but this one was extra special for me because I love tennis so much! Even if you’re not a tennis lover or have never played tennis you will enjoy the comeback of Carrie and the journey she goes on. I love the way the matches were written and the anticipation felt like I was watching one live.

Another great book by TJR! Out of the TJR books I've read this one has been my favorite. Carrie is the woman you want to hate but can't...she's a woman on a mission and you have to respect that she is willing to go all in. Carrie was the best tennis player of her time but now she is close to 40 and questions if she really is done with the game of tennis or does she still have more to achieve? She embarks on a journey to figure this out. She has to confront the stigma of her past, the changes in her body, and the true desires of her heart. What a great women empowerment story that makes you realize are women held to a different standard than men, how much strength do we have inside ourselves to reach for our dreams, and rediscovering ones self can happen at any point in life.
Loved this book!

I love Taylor Jenkins Reid and devoured this book as soon as I was lucky enough to get it. Carrie Soto is a strong woman - no, that's not right - she's a badass bitch! And she kicks some tennis ass. The book is set in the 90s (my fave decade) and follows Carrie as she weighs the decision to come back to a sport she once dominated.

The story is centered around Carrie's relationship with her father, who has coached her since she was a child. Very Venus and Serena-esque, if I may. It's extremely heavy on tennis content, which I think is good to know going into it. I love tennis and really enjoyed that aspect of the book, but I can see how you might not like it if you don't love the sport.

Carrie Soto is one of the strongest characters TJR has written, but the story wasn't my favorite of hers. If you haven't read her before, I highly recommend The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo and Malibu Rising as entry points. If you want to read everything she's ever written like I do, then pick this one up!

It's always a joy to read a new book by Taylor Jenkins Reid and Carrie Soto is Back is no exception. Ms. Reid does such a great job writing about women -- people who aren't real but are ones you'll remember long after you finish reading her books. Carrie Soto will join with Daisy Jones and Nina Riva for me (still haven't read The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo) as memorable leading ladies.
As the book opens, Carrie has been retired from tennis for 6 years and her lifetime record of 20 grand slam singles titles is about to be tied at the 1994 US Open by Nikki Chan. Watching in the stands with her tennis coach father, Javier, she decides she needs to take her record back and play again in the four major tournaments. The book then takes us through the next year of Carrie's and Javier's lives - from the Australian Open to the US Open.
I know very little about tennis, but was fascinated by the details in the book: the practice and training regimen, playing at grand slam tournaments, and especially the psychology of competition at that playing level. You could have thought that Ms. Reid was formerly a professional tennis player!
The characters were well developed and I especially liked the contrast between Carrie and her father. She was really not a likable character for most of the book, while Javier was the opposite of the stereotypical tennis father/coach. The main storyline also kept my attention and I had to restrain myself from looking ahead to learn the results of the matches. Interwoven in Carrie's story was some interesting/annoying (and sometimes offensive) commentary by tennis broadcasters about Carrie and women in tennis. The one gap for me was the lack of information about Carrie's life during her retirement. Otherwise...a Grand Slam by Ms. Jenkins Reid.
Thanks to Netgalley and Ballantine Books for the opportunity to read Carrie Soto is back in exchange for an honest review.

There were a number of things I enjoyed about this book. It was well written. The were some nice scenes, particularly between Carrie and her friend/manager and Carrie and her father towards the end of the book.
But there was also a bit that fell flat for me. I never really connected with Carrie. There was a lot of telling about her life, her fantastic tennis career, her plans, her intentions... and I did want her to succeed... but I never felt fully immersed in her story the way I truly enjoy.
It did seem to pick up a bit more towards the end, and we did get a bit more into Carrie herself, rather than just tennis, tennis, tennis (I know her life centered around the sport, but I never felt for her). And maybe that was the point, until Carrie opened up to more, but by the time the book was over it just felt a little too late.

With thanks to NetGalley for the arc in return for an honest review

If you would have told me last week that I would be giving a book about a star tennis player 5 stars, I would have scoffed at the idea. Yet, here I am, the morning after I finished reading the last words in Taylor Jenkins Reid's newest novel, giving it a 5-star review (well, 4.5 stars rounded up because I did NOT think I was going to get sucked in by a book about a tennis player).

Carrie Soto is one of the greatest tennis players of all time. Period. She's been retired from the sport for 6 years, but when Nicki Chan beats her record for most Slams won, well, Carrie announces that she's coming back and thus begins her epic story of gritty determination, self-discovery, vulnerability, and love.

So, I have to admit that this is the first Taylor Jenkins Reid novel I've read. Yes, I know, I'm way behind! I've heard so many good things about her other books, that when I was given the opportunity to read this one, I jumped on it! I am so glad that I did. Carrie Soto is a phenomenal character who has so much depth with qualities that you will both love and hate. To be perfectly honest, I started out not caring for Carrie but grew to love her as the story progressed. She had to deal with misogyny and ageism in a sport that caters to the young and beautiful, especially when it comes to women players, and Reid masterfully highlighted what many real-life athletes encounter on a daily basis. I also particularly loved the relationships that Carrie had with her father, Bowe, and Nicki and how they all changed as she learned more about herself.

I would recommend this book to anyone who likes sports fiction, especially with a strong female MC. Even if you aren't into sports, like me, I would give this a read simply because Carrie is one bad a** individual who kept going after what she wanted until she found it.

I received a digital advance review copy of this book for free from Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine and NetGalley, and I am leaving my honest review as a courtesy.

This book is perfection.
I'm speechless
Taking into account that I'm a rookie and new to Taylor Jenkins Reid's writing, this book is phenomenal. It's art. I don't think I ever had and ever will enjoy a book about such a competitive sport, told with the story of amazing Carrie Soto, like this one.
There will never be one like Carrie Soto.