Carrie Soto is the best tennis player in the world and she’s comes out of retirement just to prove that all over again against the new record holder Nicki Chan. With nods to characters from Evelyn Hugo, Malibu Rising and Daisy Jones this is TJR at her best (and oh man is she a master at her craft).

I’m not a huge sports fan but oh boy was I invested in Carrie and her career and this book kept me on the edge of my seat. It had the perfect pacing, tension and just enough drama to keep me flying through, as if playing cinematic stills in my mind.

One of the most special things in the book is Carrie’s relationship with her father, Javier Soto, both as his child and as her coach. It was a beautifully written dynamic that showed both of their struggles with both of these things existing simultaneously but the love was always there. Javier was born in Argentina and with Carrie as his direct descendant quite a bit of Spanish is spoken and used in the text.

This book had hard-work, new love, dedication, grief, acceptance and moving forward all encompassed within the pages and done with expertise.

The epilogue was also perfect, the cherry on top of an exquisite story.

This is easily a 5/5 stars.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thank You to NetGalley and Ballantine Books for the E-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Wow! I am so sad that this is over.

Carrie Soto is the world's greatest tennis player, but her record for most slams is about to be broken by Nicki Chan. Carrie decides to come out of retirement so she can prove to the world that she's still the greatest and Nicki isn't able to touch her record.

I promise you don't need to know anything about tennis to enjoy this one! I was confused through all the sets, scoring, and matches... but it didn't take away from the novel at all. There are fun cameos from TJR's other novels (as expected), love, persistence, bitchiness, and everything in between.

Thank you NetGalley and Random House - Ballantine Books!

Taylor has done it again. After reading Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo, it’s been continuously hard to find another book that even comes close to comparing. Although Evelyn is still my reigning favorite of Taylor’s, Carrie Soto is back is not far behind. I loved everything about this book. Carrie was such a great character. A “Battle Axe” if you will. Javier and Bowe were both so loveable. The thrill of tennis and competition was described so perfectly, I could FEEL the nervousness and excitement of game winning sets right from my couch. I flew through this book, as I always do with Taylor’s writing. This was beautiful.

I absolutely loved this book. I finished it in one night as I just could not put it down. Everything about this book is perfection. I think this might be new favorite! A must read.

After Malibu Rising I was not a fan of Carrie Soto and when I saw this book I didn’t know how TJR was going to get me to care about her. I was blown away by the writing in this book and how TJR quietly worked Soto into my heart and made me love her. She made beautiful characters. I loved Javier and Gwen and even grew to love Bowe and Nicki.
One other thing I loved about this book is the emphasis on Carrie’s age. I loved how she was 37 but pushed herself to keep going and becoming better.
I loved the imperfect characters that were created and how easy it was to love them as they grew.
Thank you to NetGalley and Ballantine for the eARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

I honestly can’t believe how MUCH I loved this book. Of course, I knew I was going to like it and enjoy the story. But I devoured the story. I really felt like I was either sitting in the stands, in front of the TV or I WAS Carrie Soto during a match. I cannot wait for the world to read this. Plus the Easter eggs from other TJR novels solidifies that she is one of my favorite writers. The fact that these aren’t real people she’s writing about?? I’ll never get over it. Bravo to TJR on another amazing novel

Another great book by Taylor Jenkins Reid. Carrie was a complex character that you can’t help but root for. I don’t usually read sports books but loved this book!

Just a warning- I’m coming in hot with all the gushing because Carrie Soto is Back is officially in my top 2 of the year.

I have never played a game of tennis. I have never even watched a full game of tennis. Yet, somehow, Taylor Jenkins Reed just had me enthralled with a book about tennis. I could not put this down. I loved Carrie and all her flaws. Her cockiness, her abruptness and her aggressiveness all made her who she is. This story is equally strong on plot and character. I walked away with a satisfying sense of closure from feeling like I know the characters, inside and out and their motivations. One of the strongest aspects of this book is the father/daughter relationship. I related so hard with this one. I also loved how Bowe, Carrie’s love interest, never tried to change her. She may have drove him crazy but he was always down for her. I cried, I sympathized and I wished this book would never end. Carrie Soto is Back gets all the stars from me.



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I have read the last three books that Taylor Jenkins Reid has written and loved them all. Carrie Soto is Back is just as good. In fact, I think it may be my favorite. Carrie is a great character that you root for from beginning to end. I don’t follow tennis except in a very general way, but still found all the tennis talk fascinating. This is a testament to a great storyteller. Keep these great books coming please!

I don’t know whether this is a 4 or 5 star so I’m going with 4.5. I think the ending just came a bit too abrupt for me while the rest of the pacing was there.

I liked that this was about a badass woman. She has one of those hardcore personalities and is seen as a “bitch” to everyone else, but she’s really just someone working hard to achieve her goals. And soft on the inside, per usual. I liked that there was romance underlying, but it wasn’t the focus of the plot and this didn’t revolve around her finding love.

All in all I see myself in Carrie Soto. When you want to achieve so bad that you’re so hard on yourself, not allowing any fun or love or anything into your life because you feel like it distracts you from your dreams. So maybe I learned something from this book on how to open myself up a little more. Let loose and enjoy.

There’s no doubt that Taylor Jenkins Reid is a great storyteller. Each of her stories holds up on its own in impact and originality. I don’t think I can scroll Bookstagram or TikTok without seeing her name at least once a day, and for good reason.

True to tradition, TJR brings life to Carrie Soto in this book much like she did with Evelyn Hugo and Daisy Jones. Carrie Soto is a tough woman. Although tough might be an understatement. Instead, I will say Carrie Soto is a powerhouse. The one and only Battle Axe.

Prior to reading this novel I had zero interest in tennis. However, TJR drew me into the sport immediately. I was invested in not only the game, but Carrie’s growth throughout her career. And don’t get me started on Carrie’s relationship with her father and Bowe. TJR does a beautiful job of making such a strong character vulnerable in the subtlest of ways. She shows each facet of Carrie’s character without muddling the others.

Much like Carrie, TJR is truly the best of her class. This novel, like all her others, captures its reader and pulls them into the story. This book deserves no less than 5 stars. Truly one of TJR’s best works.

Fantastic book! I felt like I was at the US Open sitting on the edge of my seat with every volley back and forth. Loved the characters and relationships. Taylor Jenkins Reid continues to be a favorite author of mine.

I am not and never have been an athlete. So, I have no idea of the dedication it takes to make it to the top. The hard work, the ability to bear pain and criticism, it’s all beyond me. So kudos to TJR for making me understand that determination.
Carrie Soto was a great tennis player in her day. She retired when her knee gave out. Now, five years later, at the age of 37, having had ACL surgery, she decides to mount a comeback. The reason? Her record of winning slams is on the line. I liked that Carrie wasn’t a likable character. Known as The Battle Axe (when she wasn’t being called an even unkinder name), her nickname was well deserved.
I can’t say I loved this or not until the end. Maybe you need to love tennis to truly love the first half of the book. Or love the idea of being that competitive. But I loved the relationship that develops between Nikki and Carrie. The scene in the bar when they share a drink is perfect. The idea that they needed each other to fight against. “Either way, one of us is the catalyst for the other reaching their greatest height yet.”
While I would say that this book is best suited for those that love sports oriented books (I can’t wait for my husband, the tennis player, to read it), TJR does her normal excellent job in creating realistic characters and relationships. The book worked best for me when it focused on those relationships and not all the game details. Let’s face it, anyone could have seen how the first three slams were going to play out.
My thanks to Netgalley and Random House -Ballantine for an advance copy of this book.

TJR does it over and over again. She puts out a page turner I just can’t put down. I don’t know a lot about tennis so at times I got a little confused. But overall a great read!

Taylor Jenkins Reid has done it again. Carrie Soto is Back is a fantastic book that I could not wait to read but didn't want it to end. Awesome book! You will not be disappointed.

“I have always known there is no mountain you cannot climb, one step at a time.”

TJR HAS DONE IT AGAIN 🫶🥲🤩 is anyone surprised? Hopefully not!! Because she is queen 👑 I have so so much I could say about this book but I’ll try to keep it within instagram’s limits.

We return to the “Mick Riva universe” with Carrie Soto Is Back but this time it’s the 90s! Carrie is known to the tennis world as “the Battle-Axe”, she crushed every record, was indisputably the best player and wasn’t coy about her skill. She’s now 37, retired, and the up-and-coming Nicki Chan just tied her grand slams record so she decides to do the impossible and make a comeback. AND IT WAS SO GOOD!! Carrie isn’t an easily lovable character but man does she grow on you. I adored her story, her character arc, and especially her relationship with her dad/coach Javier. Like with every other TJR book you can SO clearly picture everything that’s going on and she makes you forget you’re reading. Bowe, Nicki, Javier, Gwen - these characters are all so incredible and they’re not even the “main” attraction here.

No shock here it gets 5⭐️s from me, I loved it! I devoured 75% of this book in one sitting. There’s mixed media, Easter eggs aplenty, top-tier writing, and yes lots of tennis. It tackles sexism (especially in sports), grief, perfectionism, and I highlighted too many quotes to count. TJR is only getting better.

Thank you to @netgalley and Ballantine books for this eARC of one of my most anticipated ‘22 reads. It’s out 8/30 so preorder your copy now!

Another great read by Taylor Jenkins Reid! I didn't know what to expect with this one but was pleasantly surprised. What an interesting story! Overall 4/5 stars!

"Do not let what anyone says about you determine how you feel about yourself."

Carrie Soto is a warrior, a queen, and a freakin' bada**. I see a lot of reviews talking about how she is "an unlikeable character you love to root for," but I didn't feel she was unlikeable as much as she was misunderstood. Enneagram 8's everywhere can rejoice as we've (myself included) finally found a character in a book who is relatable to us in that we are often seen as cold, standoffish, unfriendly, and tenacious but we do have feelings, we have fears, and we want to "love and be loved." Carrie Soto doesn't let anyone stand in the way of her goals- what's wrong with that?

This book isn't about tennis, it's about TENNIS. It's not a light mention here and there or a subplot TENNIS IS THE STORY. Just know that going into it. I went into this book not giving a flip about tennis... Now? I could probably play at Wimbledon (*wink*). Taylor Jenkins Reid has a way of building her characters and her worlds so wholly that you feel immersed in that timeline. I could practically smell the grass court, feel the roughness of the tennis ball, and hear the pop of the ball hitting the racket. It's like I' am on tour with Carrie for the hours I spend reading and I get so lost in the world that I forget everything around me (sorry, kids).

The relationships Carrie does have or forms along the way are so sweet. I loved the father/daughter relationship throughout the book, which is not seen often in stories. Javier was such a great father and coach. I felt so much for him throughout the book. When Carrie spoke of the way her father had a scent of English leather it made me tear up thinking of how my dad also has a specific scent that I relate to him. Their bond was so special.

Bowe. what a guy. I loved his journey throughout 1995 and the bond he and Carrie and he an Javier formed. Gwen was such a sweet friend to Carrie and I actually liked Nicki and Carrie's love/hate relationship. Two dominating women, both going after what they want unapologetically- that's fierce.

This was such a great wrap up to this world that TJR has created with Evelyn, Daisy, Nina, and Carrie. It is something to be said that ALL of these books were 4.5 or 5 stars for me. You just can't get much better writing than this.

Read if you like:
- TENNIS
- Father/daughter bonds
- Strong, unapologetic, dominating female characters
- Ennegram 8s or ARE an ennegram 8
- Stories about athletes
- Comeback stories

I'll leave you with a one of my favorite and one of my most relatable quotes:

"After that match, a reported asked me on camera what advice I had for the opponents struggling to keep up with me. I said, "honestly? Get better at tennis."

"What is it with hugging? Why would anyone want to press themselves up against someone's body to say hello? A wave will do; a handshake is more than enough."

*Thank you to NetGalley, Ballentine Books, and the author for the opportunity to read and review this book before it's publication date. This in no way affected my review and all opinions are my own.*

TJR does it again - this is a 5 star book for me ... and apparently now I'm a tennis fan?!

Carrie Soto is a character you love to hate - straight forward, rough around the edges and not liked by her tennis peers. And yet, you can't help but cheer for her through this book and be inspired by her growth. The relationship with her father is hard and yet beautiful at the same time.

The way TJR ended this book made me fall in love with it. If you are hesitating to pick up this book because you don't love tennis or know much about it (it's me) - don't! I loved this book so much!

Thanks, Netgalley for the ARC of this book!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me an ARC of this amazing book!

Carrie Soto is Back and so is my love for Taylor Jenkins Reid! I'm not going to lie...I was starting to wonder whether I was going to be frustrated by every new TJR book after my intense love for The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo because I was probably in the minority not loving Daisy Jones & The Six or Malibu Rising. However, Carrie Soto is Back has proven me a believer to keep trying out her new stories for this one is one of the best books I've read this year.

Carrie Soto is a retired tennis player who during her career was at the top of her game and held the record for most Grand Slam wins. However, five years after her retirement another tennis star is threatening her record, so Carrie decides to come out of retirement for one last season to solidify her GOAT status. Set in the same world as Daisy Jones and Malibu Rising (the easter eggs were spot on), this story focuses on Carrie's determination to be the best and tracks her as she goes to each of the four Grand Slam tournaments (Australian Open, French Open, Wimbledon, and US Open) and attempts to win each of them. Along the way she has to learn to accept who she is and what really is motivating her.

I can't say enough about this book. It was the rare read that once I ended it I was ready to start it all over again because I didn't want to leave Carrie Soto's life.