I do love a good TJR book! This was probably my least favorite of her most recent releases of the past few years. I am certain that any tennis/sports fan would enjoy the thoughts/motivations/a glimpse into the the thoughts and psyche of a professional athlete who has made it to the top. I, however, am not one of those people, so I felt detached from a lot of her thoughts and motivations. Carrie Soto isn't the most likeable MC that I've ever read, either. The arc of the story, however, and the development of the characters was something I did appreciate!

I know that I can always rely on TJR to write a well rounded female character. Carrie Soto is clearly not a likable character, but she brings attention to the fact that ambitious and successful women are rarely perceived as such. This wasn't my favorite TJR novel, but definitely still had those essential elements that make me want to continuously pick up her books.

#CarrieSoto:

Carrie Soto.. is a No-no for me. Now, I love TJR. I will always always love TJR. But this book just didn’t do it for me. I’ll be honest, a lot of the hype around this book killed it for me. Also, a lot of the speaking for the Latinx community while clearly not fully understanding the life of a Latinx really grinds me. While Evelyn was not American, her story didn’t touch much on her heritage. Carrie did and it just felt.. wrong?

Regardless of how I felt about the Latinx scope of this book, it just didn’t grip me like the others. I loved the sports announcement/commentary format. LOVED IT. But the in between were just.. meh. Not a fan. The plot just left me longing more, needing more.

Overall, a very rare miss for me from TJR. I cannot wait to see what comes next and hope it is much better than whatever Carrie Soto was.

Thanks @penguin for my copy. Carrie Soto is Back is out now.

Carrie Soto Is Back by Taylor Jenkins Reid is a must-read for anyone who loves sports, perseverance, and determination. Reid's writing is captivating and her characters are complex and intriguing. Carrie Soto is a fierce and ambitious tennis player who has sacrificed almost everything to become the best, with her father as her coach. After retiring for six years, Carrie decides to come back and fight for her record against a young and brutal player named Nicki Chan.

What makes this novel so engaging is the depth of emotions it elicits from readers. It's not just about tennis, but about the sacrifices and difficult decisions that athletes make in order to be the best. It's about the relationships between parents and children, and the pain and healing that can come from them. It's about the fierce determination to succeed, even when it seems impossible.

Reid does a fantastic job of exploring these themes through Carrie's story, and the reader can't help but root for her to succeed. The supporting characters are also well-developed, and each has their own unique motivations and challenges to overcome.

Overall, Carrie Soto Is Back is an emotional and inspiring read that will leave readers feeling motivated and hopeful. It's a story of resilience and the human spirit, and one that will stay with readers long after they finish the final page.

In Carrie Soto TJR has created a really strong and flawed heroine. I absolutely loved this book and found myself reading sentences over and over. I think this is my favourite TJR book so far,

Taylor Jenkins Reid is masterful in her latest book. While Carrie Soto is a tennis player, the theme of mounting a comeback to prove everyone wrong is universal. I loved learning about Carrie's relationship with her dad/coach and thought the characters were cleverly developed. The way Reid wrote the tennis matches made me feel like I was there in person, cheering on Carrie and hoping she realizes her dream. I love this story, these characters, and I can't wait for TJR's next book!

Thank you so much to the publisher for sending me an ARC!
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Unfortunately I DNFed this, it just didn’t catch my attention and maybe I’ll get into it again when I’m in the perfect headspace to give this another try! I was not as i vested as when I read The Seven Husbands Of Evelyn Hugo but I would buy and recommend this to others definitely!

I enjoyed the character of Carrie but found the overall story to be a bit predicable. The set up with the tennis matches with very formulaic. Enjoyable read overall but not my favorite of Taylor Jenkins Reid.

Thank you to netgalley for providing an e-galley for review. Carrie Soto is Back tells the story of Carrie Soto, the greatest tennis player ever and her unprecedented come back after her retirement. This book shows how female athletes are treated by media and co-competitors. The sportscaster segments really show how media can influence the way people are seen and treated by the masses. Jenkins Reid is such a strong author in showing how women are treated in different historical time periods.

Carrie Soto is an unrivaled champion, well at least she was until a newcomer on the scene threatens to overtake her long held record. Carrie decades to come out of retirement to defend her title, but coming back isn't as easy as she thinks. With her Dad coaching her once again Carrie begins to do the impossible and win again - in her late thirties, something no one has ever done but will it be enough to defend her grand slam title.
Taylor Jenkins Reid is masterful at creating characters that are complex and likable. This book was a fun throwback to the early days of fierce women's tennis competitions. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this.

I have loved other books by this author, but sadly this one didn’t capture my attention at All, maybe it was the subject, but it wasn’t for me.

A great coming of age novel that features Carrie Soto, a national tennis pro. I enjoyed the book but felt that the tennis details took over the novel more than the story itself. I enjoyed “watching” her grow up and come into adulthood, but felt she really never “grew up” and matured. Overall, a good book, but not my favorite by this author!

Carrie Soto is Back is about retired tennis athlete, widely regarded to be the best ever in her field. When a young challenger looks poised to take her title, Carrie Soto decides to come out of retirement - a move that could cost her everything she's worked so hard for, but may also help her to ultimately find joy outside of tennis. It's a story as much about ambition and competition as it is about prioritizing matters of the heart. I absolutely loved it! And I don't think TJR could have planned it's release any better, with tennis great Serena Williams playing the US Open shortly after announcing her own plans to retire from the sport - I felt like I was in Serena's head a bit after being inside of Carrie's.

I will start by saying this is one of my favorite authors so there was no question whether I would read it or not. I found this book to be absolutely boring. Nothing happened. Carrie practiced tennis and then played matches, that was basically it.

Carrie Soto is the most decorated female tennis player when she goes into retirement. Until six years later her title is being threatened by the remarkable Nicki Chan. Carrie cannot stand sitting by and watching her title get taken from her so she decides to come out of retirement for one last year to try and reclaim her record.

After reading Malibu Rising I thought for sure I was going to hate Carrie Soto but that is so far from the truth. She is a strong, independent and determined woman who knows what she wants and goes after it. The father/daughter, coach/athlete relationship she has with her dad, Javier was my favorite part of the book for me. The love and encouragement he shows her throughout the book is unmatched. I loved this book! My favorite by TJR so far.

Thank you to NetGalley for this eARC!

Jenkins Reid has been sticking to this path of books almost laser-focused in on their subject, but Carrie Soto feels like nothing the author has done before. Putting us directly in the head of a character briefly mentioned in Jenkins' Reid previous novel, the affair partner of the main character's husband, loyal readers are already predisposed not to like Soto. And truly, Soto is, by most measures, unlikable - she's hyper-driven, hyper-focused, rude. But because we're so close in her head the entire time, the humanity shines through and her drive is the engine of this book. Without even realizing it, you're just as engrossed in the outcome of Soto's matches as she is, and all of her setbacks and accomplishments feel like your own. This is a deeply powerful character study that can only shine in the hands of Taylor Jenkins Reid.

I'm gonna be honest, I could not get through this. Too much sport and not enough characters I cared about. Not even TJR could get me through this, and I heard the ending was corny, so I could barely trick myself into enjoying it. I'm sorry!! DNF

I’m not gonna lie, I had some trouble getting into this one. But by the end I was all in and felt very connected with Carrie! Perfect for the tennis lover in your life.

Taylor Jenkins Reid is one of my favorite authors of all time. It was an amazing closure for her Evelyn Hugo universe. Carrie Soto, you'll always be famous!

This was not one of my favorites even though I am a tennis player, myself. I think it was just a bit too much tennis!