Taylor Jenkins Reid has given us another great read with Carrie Soto Is Back! And this time it’s a sports drama. Not into tennis? Me either, but trust me, you’ll be *love tennis* after TJR works her magic within the first ten pages.

But you will not like the titular character, Carrie Soto. You will hate and love her because she’s cocky, self centered and plays to win. She’s not here to make friends or even be friendly. In fact, it is her lack of humility that inspires the sports world to give her the nickname “The Bitch.” Within Carrie Soto is a double standard: men like Carrie are praised for self assuredness and focus whereas Carrie is deemed a bitch.

The novel isn’t limited to its feminist focus— novel raises questions about many topics outside of sexism, such as ageism and racism in sports.

Most of Carrie’s career is covered in the first half or so of the book. It’s in the second half that Carrie comes out of retirement to take back her record from a worthy contender, Nikki Chan. The story is perfectly paced and had me interested at every point.

Other notable points of this novel: just like we saw in Daisy Jones and Evelyn Hugo, TJR is a master at weaving interviews, articles and other forms of media into her storytelling. This is especially compelling in Carrie Soto which is largely told from the perspective of the titular character —TJR uses sportscaster banter to give yet another perspective of the events at hand.

Something I’ve also been thinking about is how this novel might compare to TJR’s other well known work, such as Evelyn Hugo and Daisy Jones. Like its predecessors, Carrie Soto is very much a book about a woman perusing her dreams while in the limelight. I can’t figure out what sets it apart from the others, though. Maybe I’m just wowed by the fact that it’s a great book that also happens to be about a sport I had zero interest in beforehand.

5/5 stars. I hate that I have to wait for another Taylor Jenkins Reid book.

Thank you to Net Galley and Random House Publishing Group for giving me this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I love TJR and this book is just another great one to add to the list. I didn't think I liked Carrie when I started the book, but I ended up loving her and rooting for her. I loved the dynamic of Carrie and her Dad also. Great addition to my TJR obsession!

Carrie Soto is back, and so is Taylor Jenkins-Reid. This book may be a new favorite. Carrie is not just a tennis player, she is the best tennis player in the world. Known as the Battle Axe for her ruthless play both on and off the court, Carrie eat, sleeps, and breathes tennis from her childhood through to her retirement. But a few short years later, a new player is set to overcome Carrie’s record of most Slams held and Carrie cannot let that happen. So with her father by her side as her coach, she comes out of her retirement to defend her title.

But things are different now. The game is different, Carrie’s sponsors are unsure, and the sports casters are more cutting than ever. Things are not the same as they were when she retired, and neither is Carrie. She is older and slower, but she may not be as cold as she used to be either.

Can Carrie hold onto her title? Can she open up herself to a different kind of play, a larger circle of people, and the possibility that she’s no longer the best player…and that’s ok? Is holding the title everything it’s cracked up to be? And if she successfully defends it, what will be next for Carrie Soto?

Taylor Jenkins-Reid has another amazing book on her hands. I was so enthralled with the world of Carrie Soto. From a fringe character in Malibu Rising, Carrie comes screaming to the forefront as one of the best characters from Taylor Jenkins-Reid yet.

“We live in a world where exceptional women have to sit around waiting for mediocre men.” - Carrie Soto

And that she is - an exceptional woman. This exceptional woman who speaks her mind, not because she wants to, but because she can. This exceptional woman who pushes her body past its limit training to be the best tennis player in the world, not because she can, but because she wants to. This same exceptional woman who redefines the meaning of tough, but also grapples with sensitivities buried deep within her heart. This exceptional woman? She is Carrie Soto. We meet Carrie as she embarks on her quest for the greatest comeback of all time - all to keep tennis rival, Nicki Chan, from taking her world record title. As the story unfolds, you want to warn Carrie about the decisions she’s making. You want to beg her to open her heart. You want to shake her into believing that there is more to life than being a champion. But, you realize Carrie has to figure that out on her own.

I received an advance reader copy of Carrie Soto is back, and to say that I could not wait to dive into Carrie’s story is an understatement. In true Taylor Jenkins Reid fashion, the story moves without hesitation. TJR’s ability to provide the reader with suspense is a gift handed directly to her readers. Her main characters have problems to face, lessons to learn, and solutions that provide a big exhale. And perhaps the best part of reading a TJR story is just that. Reading the way each story unfolds, the arcs each character goes through, the hints of past TJR characters woven into the story, and the endings that feel like beginnings…which is why I rate Carrie Soto is Back 5 stars.

This was more like a 4.5 for me, but I rounded down.

Carrie Soto was a tennis sensation in the 80’s breaking records and dominating two mens tennis. In the 90’s Nicki Chan is threatening to break her record years after she has retired. Carrie cannot deal with not “being the best” and jumps back in after all these years to keep her spot at the top. Will it ever be enough or does being at the top always instill some level of greed and always wanting more/never feeling satisfied?

I’ll start by saying that I’ve found all the TJR books I’ve read enjoyable. Although this still doesn’t trump Evelyn Hugo, it was a great read. If I was into tennis, this may have been a 5, but the tennis lingo was heavy and at times made me Google a bit. Overall a really great book and I’m so glad I was able to get my hands on an advance copy!

Thank you NetGalley and Hutchinson Heinemann for this e-Arc!! Carrie Soto is Back is out 8/30!

Taylor Jenkins Reid never disappoints with female leads that are rich in character and have you rooting for them! Really
Enjoyed following Carrie’s tennis journey. It was a pretty tennis heavy book, which at times prevented more In depth looks at each of the characters. I found myself just wanting more of Carrie and less of the tennis scenes.

Carrie Soto is Back by Taylor Jenkins Reid is a book about the world of tennis, but more than that, it’s a character study on what it takes to be at the top of your sport. I don’t know much about the sport of tennis, and I’m not much of a sports person, but I still loved this book.

Carrie Soto is retired now from professional tennis, but someone is about to take her title for winning the most grand slams, and she’s not about to let that happen. It doesn’t matter that she’s 37 years old now, ancient for a professional tennis player, or that it’s been several years since she played professionally. She doesn’t need the money, but that title is hers.

Carrie Soto was single-minded in her pursuit of winning all the tennis titles. With her father, Javier as her coach, there was nothing and no one who she would let get in her way of winning. She finally achieved everything she set out to do in the world of tennis and that’s when she decided to retire. But a hot new player, Nikki Chan is just about to pass her in the number of tennis titles, and that has Carrie Soto back on the court, training harder than she ever had before to take those titles back. Can she do it? What cost to Carrie?

I’ll admit, I wasn’t excited about a book about tennis, I don’t know much about the sport, but this is by one of my favorite authors, so I decided to give it a try, and I’m so very glad I did! Sure, there is a lot about tennis, but it’s mostly a character-driven novel and Carrie Soto is a fascinating character. So is her father, Javier.

Carrie Soto is back is a bit like one of those sports comeback movies where you have the washed-up baseball player (football, hockey, boxer, etc) and they work hard and make a comeback. But, Carrie Soto is so much more than that, it’s more about her journey to finding out what can make her happy, and how she grows into so much more than just a tennis player. As well as Carrie, I found her father, Javier a very interesting character, as her father and coach, I enjoyed their relationship and their love for each other.

Now for the tennis. I said before, I’m not much of a fan of professional tennis and I don’t know much about the sport, but somehow, the author has made me a fan. I was on the edge of my seat at every tournament, wondering how Carrie will play, and of course, I was rooting her on at every turn. I didn’t need to know much about tennis to read this book or get into the nuances of the sport as the author does a phenomenal job of making the sport easy for me to understand and compelling enough to make me love the sport.

I also enjoyed the little appearances by other characters from the author’s earlier books. It just makes Taylor Jenkins Reid’s world so much more realistic. And as I’m close to Carrie Soto’s age, I enjoyed a lot of the little bits of culture from the different era’s in the book.

I highly recommend Carrie Soto is Back to anyone who enjoys historical fiction. I received a complimentary copy of this book. The opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Oh, hey, look at that. Five stars. I think no one is more surprised about that rating than me after slowly making my way through this over the past two and a half months. But really, I was only slow because I didn't expect to get this ARC so I was reading it in between other books when I had time. But more importantly, this is an e-book so my attention while reading it was like that of a fruit fly, because that's just how my brain deals with e-books. I am fairly certain if I'd had a hard copy of this, or if I'd been listening to the audiobook, I would have gotten through it in a couple of days. It's compulsively readable, and ridiculously well-paced, and even as you're compelled to read about what happens to Carrie and her comeback, you're also yelling at the page and telling her to get it together.

This is historical fiction, it pains me to say, that is set in 1995, a year which I remember, so how is that allowed to be historical fiction, please? And it does have very 90s vibes. Carrie Soto is 37 years old, and has been retired from professional tennis for over a decade. When Nikki Chan overtakes Carrie as the record-holder for most Grand Slam wins, Carrie becomes determined to make a comeback, and win back her record. Perhaps more importantly, to her at least, to prove to everyone that she is THE BEST.

About the first third of the book shows us Carrie's life before retirement, and the second two-thirds chronicles her striving to get back into shape, and win at least one more slam while her body can still handle it. If she does so, she will be the oldest (sigh) woman to do so. Carrie is . . . something else. She is fierce, determined, incredibly talented, dogged, and brusque. She is Difficult with a capital 'D'. The media dubbed her the Battle Axe her first go-round, but now they've just taken to calling her the Bitch. But all Carrie cares about is winning. Her father is her coach, and he is an excellent one. Their relationship is the center of the novel, and it was painful to see him realizing too late how Carrie's need to win has taken over her life.

At first, I wasn't super in love with this because Carrie was so difficult. I have so many lines highlighted where I'm constantly trying to talk back to this fictional character, and maybe pound some perspective into her head, but she is stubborn. Because of the difficultness and the stubbornness, when her character growth does come, it's extremely satisfying.

Also, I am just a sucker for a sports story. Can't pay attention to a real sports game to save my life, but you give me a a sports movie or book and I'm gonna be there for it, every time. It's not really a surprise that TJR did such a good job with this book, which speaks of heavy research, and deep character work. So when it came time to click the star-rating, I found I really couldn't give it any less than five stars, and now I have to have a my own copy when it comes out. I'm also very intrigued by the audiobook, which like Daisy Jones, is full cast.

Looks like TJR has another bestseller on her hands, as if there were any doubt. But I think it will be deserved.

I think I'm a bit obsessed with this author right now! This is the third book of hers I've read this year! TJR has a talent for creating strong characters and builds a plot that you can't put down! When we were first introduced to Carrie Soto in Malibu Rising we didn't much care for her, but that soon changes in this book. You start to understand what made Carrie who she is and you see her vulnerabilities as well as her strengths. The book has an exciting build in the world of tennis and you feel like you're in the stands at the edge of your seat. TJR served up an Ace with this one! (haha)

Evelyn Hugo. Daisy Jones. Nina Riva. And now meet Carrie Soto, another larger-than-life fictional character created by Taylor Jenkins-Reid.
⁣
So many thoughts! Yes this is about tennis, but the easy-breezy writing style and the colorful cast of narrators make the subject matter fascinating and very exciting.
⁣
I think Carrie Soto might be one of my favorite TJR characters? Her fierce strength and unwavering self-confidence was ahead of her time and was very refreshing! She was misunderstood by the press and fans, but never lost her drive to win.⁣
⁣
“You act like you've dedicated your life to tennis. But you came back to win, not to play. That's why they're all pissed at you for returning. You've got no heart."⁣
⁣
I chose to listen to the audiobook, which is narrated by the expressive and upbeat Stacy Gonzalez, along with an amazing cast including tennis legends Mary Carillo and Patrick McEnroe and the great Julia Whelan. ⁣

I felt the character of Carrie Soto more deeply via the audiobook experience. The narrator’s expressive voice gave life to Carrie through all her triumphs and heartbreaks. A trailblazing figure in the world of tennis but almost always emotionally unavailable.

“… sometimes I think being the very best is antithetical to being happy.”

Readers will be happy to know this is actually also a very refreshing romance. While I don’t need a happy ending, this one has it!!

✨ Review ✨ Carrie Soto Is Back by Taylor Jenkins Reid

Carrie Soto, world tennis great, decides to make a comeback after watching a 1994 grand slam where Nikki Chan, new tennis great takes her record for most Grand Slam victories. Now, Carrie's 37, six years past her first retirement, and she starts trying to train back into Grand Slam shape with her father and long-time coach Javier.

Will Carrie approach her second chance tennis career differently? Will she come back as good as before? Will the "Battle Axe" find friendship or humility as she plays again?

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Genre: (recent) historical fiction 1980s/1990s; sports fiction; women's fiction; m/f romance
Pub Date: August 30, 2022

This book has a little bit of everything - 80s and 90s nostalgia, romance, and a lot of sports fun. It really spoke to my tomboy childhood heart where I revered badass female athletes like Soto. I loved that we saw her carve a path in sports, and that it wasn't a path that required her to suck it up and be kind to everyone.

I don't think the narrative of this story was necessarily super innovative or surprising, but I did really enjoy watching Carrie's growth throughout the story, as well as with her relationships with her father and other characters. I think this is actually really different than other TJR books I've read -- it's less edgy and complex. It didn't blow my mind like Evelyn Hugo did, but I did really enjoy the audiobook, and how it incorporated newscasting. I think it might have benefitted by bringing in Bowe (her hitting partner) 's perspective, to deepen the story, but overall this was a fun read!

I also think this was SUPER different than Malibu Rising, and honestly liking that is no marker for whether you'd like this! There's more sports and less partying, and more of a linear backstory than in MR.

Read this if you like:
⭕️ women empowered in sports stories
⭕️ 80s/90s nostalgia

Thanks to Ballantine Books and #netgalley for an advanced e-copy of this book!

The Bitch is back!

Carrie Soto, "the Battle Axe", infamous, merciless, an unbeatable champion. Just shy of 30 she's the greatest tennis player of all time, achieving everything she's ever worked for, lived for. Soon her career is cut short due to injuries and ego. Now, five years and one surgery later, she can't stand to watch her records taken from her by up-and-comer Nikki Chan so at age 37 she's donning her tennis whites and heading to the court, ready to compete again and defend her legacy - Carrie Soto is back!

Many reviewers have talked about how they find Carrie hard to like and THAT'S THE POINT! Carrie isn't there to be liked, she's there to win. She excels at her sport and she knows it and wants to be judged on her skill, how she plays, not who she is. Self-assured, no nonsense women are rarely adored by the world at large. And the kind of single minded determination Carrie has can be isolating - it's lonely at the top. Carrie has worked hard for her achievements, but she's also sacrificed a lot to get where she is; Carries comeback ends up being about more than just tennis.

If you can't already tell I really enjoyed Carrie Soto is Back. Carrie Soto is certainly in the running for my favorite TJR character. I love unapologetic women. In a world which has very distinct ideas and expectations for how women should look, think, and act I love a woman who goes her own way.

I was somewhat skeptical when I knew the story was going to be tennis focused - I'm not much for the sportsball - but I already know I'm safe in TJR's skilled hands. I appreciate a story which can make me care about topics I have no interest in and before the end of Carrie's journey I was googling plenty about 80s/90s tennis, including a deep dive into the history of clay tennis courts.

The sport aspect actually created an exciting element and I loved the father-daughter relationship between Carrie and her dad/trainer Javier (though the choice to include so much Spanish language was somewhat puzzling to me), Bowe is a total hunk, and I, of course, loved seeing the way Carrie's story intersects with others in the TJR world and I'm dying to know whether anyone from Carrie Soto will be the next TJR star!

This is my favorite TJR book to date. Carrie Soto comes back from retirement to defend her title in tennis and boy does this book keep you on the edge of your seat! I truly loved the whole thing start to finish. All the characters were likable even the ones that you thought you wouldn’t like. TJR never fails you!

Thank you Netgalley and Random House Publishing Group for the arc in exchange for my honest review.

Okay….this is a good one!! If you loved THE SEVEN HUSBANDS OF EVELYN HUGO, or MALIBU RISING, then I highly recommend you give this one a go. I loved it. I'm not into tennis, but this story was definitely good enough to have me flying through it. I loved Evelyn Hugo and now this is another fave of mine from TJR!

After a knee injury, Carrie is back and on a mission to be a tennis champion. Her father is her coach, and I loved the relationship she had with him. She is one strong female character and I enjoyed reading about her past and her drive to be an amazing tennis star. Definitely such a good book guys.

Thank you to the publisher and netgalley for the gifted copy. All opinions are my own.

Taylor Jenkins Reid does it again. This book is phenomenal! After getting a glimpse of Carrie Soto in Reid's other book, "Malibu Rising", I was super excited to take a deep dive into Carrie's character and it did not disappoint! I adore the way Taylor Jenkins Reid can write larger-than-life female main characters who are also very relatable. I love how Reid's books can always pull deep emotions out of me. Her stories are truly one of a kind.

✨Carries had retired from tennis due to a knee injury, but she returns when her records threaten to be broken.

💥TJR is one of my favorite authors and for good reason: she takes a topic I thought would be fairly boring and makes it a fast paced intense story. The characters are real and almost unlikeable, but then you start to root for them. And as usual, there is a touch of those heartbreaking moments. Don't let the topic deter you!

My face at the end: 🥰

🍪 I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Thank you to @netgalley and Ballantine Books for allowing me to read this ahead of publication.

💯 For more details on the books we read, be sure to follow me on TikTok (@zaineylaney). I will give you a list of reasons to read! Or listen to our podcast, Elated Geek, wherever you subscribe.

With just a racket in her little toddler hand Carrie Soto was born to be a tennis star. Her father aids her in success every step of the way. She dominates the tennis world in the 70s - 80s. Being the bad-bitch she is, everyone hates her for it. Inside, Carrie is sensitive and insecure. She believes that if she lets anyone into her heart, they will abandon her and never return. Her fear is heartbreak.

Her father, Javier Soto, is known as "Javier el Jaguar" and works as a tennis instructor at a fancy tennis club. Carrie visits the tennis club and begins training with her father to be a beast at the sport.

Carrie becomes ice cold as she progresses. The media called her "Battle Axe" striving to win every match. She eventually gets frustrated and fires her father to score another coach to reach her goals.

Fast forward to 1994, Carrie is 37, and her close companions are Javier and her agent, Gwen. That is not all folks, Nikki Chan, a competitive player depletes Carrie's tennis records. Nikki dominates the tennis world, and Carrie refuses to let that happen! She comes up with the idea to return to tennis and regain her crown! To be the best that tennis has ever seen.

In order for Carrieto reach her goals, she needs to train and work with an old lover and tennis champion, Bowe Huntley. Bowe wants to fix his reputation after struggling to be sober, getting over a divorce, and having many championship losses.

At this age, Carrie realizes that being a champion is subjective. She can allow herself to open up and have a change of goals.


I enjoyed this book very much, I love how Taylor Jenkins Reid comes up with heroines that touch your heart. Carrie Soto's life journey has made me open up to appreciate the people around you that help you to aspire to your goals. Especially Javier, who has trained Carrie hard to get where she wanted to be. Bowe, for being patient and caring towards her during her ups and downs.

I had not known much about tennis before reading this novel. The book constructed a great explanation of the sport. Many of the tennis events in the book made me feel as if I were present. I already miss these characters! TJR writes everything so vividly as if you were seated in the stands watching these matches. Once again, a masterpiece of a novel!

Thank you to Netgalley, Random House Publishing Group, Ballantine Books, and Taylor Jenkins Reid for allowing me early access to review this novel!

I put off reading this until just this week...I started it Thursday afternoon and could not put it down - I had to finish it! This is now my favorite Taylor Jenkins Reid book! The description of the tennis tournaments, Carrie's drive to win was so artfully descriptive that I felt like I was in the stands, at the event. Aside from the sports topic, I understood the mental aspect of striving to be the best at something.

Full disclosure - I am an avid sports fan and I really didn't care for Carrie while reading Malibu Rising. This book does touch on her past, but it's really focused on the drive to regain her title after retiring and what it takes to make that happen. So many of our sports stars are doing the same thing - retiring and then un-retiring so I thought the topic was timely.

I can understand where some people will find Carrie not very likable but she does have redeeming qualities.. She isn't trying to make friends during her career. But - in the end, I was rooting for Carrie and she will go on to be one of my favorite characters ever...Thank you NetGalley, Random House Publishing Group and Taylor Jenkins Reid for a fabulous story. I will be recommending it on all my social media platforms.

Thank you for the ARC in exchange for my honest review! I could not put this book down! I played tennis in my younger years and I was hooked from page one. This book talks about challenges, aging, love, relations, and preserving to get what you want! Carrie fights to keep her title in a nail biting, back breaking uphill battle of brains and bronze but along the way begins to really digest what her life is at the age of 37.

Another hit from Taylor Jenkins Reid to solidify her as a auto-read author for me! Carrie Soto was introduced in Malibu Rising but shines in her own comeback in this novel.

Written in true Reid form, this book is extremely readable, with strong family and friendship relationships. I enjoyed the father/daughter dynamic and the depiction of a dedicated athlete.

I am not big into tennis but was attached enough to the plot and characters to feel every serve, volley and point as if I were.

If you are an athlete, a tennis fan or a TJR fan, pick this one up when it comes out on August 30!

Thank you #netgalley & #randomhouse for the ARC!