Carrie Soto once known as the best tennis player in the world with 20 slam titles decides to come out of retirement at the age of 37. Why, you wonder? Well because Nick Chan just took her record and there is no way Carrie will let that go.

She returns for one last season of tennis to take back what was once her title.

She trains hard day in and day out with her father (and coach) who was once a tennis player himself.

Carrie is not a loveable character AT ALL at least in the beginning. Eventually I finally started feeling empathetic towards her, but boy did I hate her at first. She was known as “The Battle Axe” for a reason and TJR wrote that very well. I hated her like the players hated her.

A line that stood out to me was “because as good as you are you have never been able to make peace with failure” and that pretty much summarizes Carries attitude for practically 70% of the book.

I loved her interactions with her father who speaks to her in Spanish from time to time, and knowing Spanish myself I was able to understand his lines, but if you don’t know Spanish you might have to google it.

Although it’s all about tennis you don’t need to be a tennis fan to understand the scoring or the matches she writes about. I enjoy tennis so it was easy enough for me.

Overall I feel her character was written well, BUT I still enjoyed Evelyn Hugo better.

I can totally see this book becoming a mini series or movie.

Taylor Jenkins Reid has become an auto-read author for me. She has a way of getting me invested in stories that revolve around topics I usually have little interest in (this time tennis!) because of the characters she builds them around.

What I loved most about Carrie Soto is Back is the relationship between Carrie and her father, Javier. They go on quite the journey, and though they both make mistakes and hurt one another deeply, their bond and love for each other is undeniable. I found Javier's unwavering support of Carrie particularly moving.

I mentioned that I usually love the compelling characters Taylor Jenkins Reid creates, and that's where I found this book just a little lacking. Carrie felt a bit flat to me. Maybe that was intentional because her entire life is supposed to be tennis, but I do wish there was a little more dimension to her personality.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing for allowing me to read an advanced copy of this book.

arrie Soto has been retired from the game of tennis for 5 years. She shattered records and made no friends doing it. Her nickname "The Battle Axe" was well deserved and she took no shame in it. So when young powerhouse tennis player Nina Chan threatens to break her record, Carrie decides to come out of retirement (at the age of 37) and try to win some more championships. With her father as her coach she knows it's a nearly impossible task, however she's willing to train as hard as she ever has in order to prove the world wrong.

Reid has done it again! I loved everything about this book, and I know nearly nothing about tennis. The chapters were divided by years and certain matches that Carrie was competing in. I laughed, I cried, I didn't want to put this book down. Even if you don't like tennis this book will hold your interest and have you cheering for Carrie. I can already see this as a miniseries on a streaming network.

🎾Review🎾
Title: Carrie Soto is Back
Author: Taylor Jenkins Reid
Release Date: August 30, 2022
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This was one of my most highly anticipated books of the year. I love tennis, so i highly thank @ for a free netgalley. I love a good comeback story. I love reading about relationships between father and daughter. And I love great writing. This has all of it.

I do feel that there is a lot of tennis description in here, but whether you are a fan or not, the story alone is wonderfully done. TJR’s writing is on point and I felt myself emotional during this bike many times. I teared up a lot, as well as, laughed. Carrie is not everyone’s cup of tea, but you can’t help but to love her character. She’s majorly flawed, knows it and accepts it. Her relationship with her father felt so freaking real and it made me remember how lucky I was to have a dad like that— one who was always there.

This is 100% spoiler free, so I feel the synopsis of the book says all you need to know. Now go out and preorder this newest by TJR!

QUICK TAKE: I wanted to love it, but this Malibu Rising spin-off left me wanting more. I loved the alternating POVs in Malibu and Daisy Jones, and thought this book was sorely missing the perspective of Carrie's grizzled love interest and her younger tennis nemesis. Carrie is also a very tough character to spend a lot of time with, and I think breaking up her scenes with those of some of the supporting cast could have given the book a little more levity and depth. It's TJR though, so it's still a very commercial, breezy read, and I did really like the father/daughter story at the center.

This book you guys! Let me preface this with saying I’ve only read Daisy Jones and Evelyn Hugo but those two I feel so strongly about that I was hesitant to go into this one because my expectations were so high. It completely exceeded them without fail!

Carrie Soto doesn’t give two F’s about being in the public eye. She just wants to be the best tennis player the world has ever seen. And she is! But after her championship is overtaken by someone else, she decides to come back to the game at age 37 after many years of being retired to win it back.

It was so fun to see things shift in her outlook as you walk through her personal and professional life with her. And the ending was more than I could ever imagine. It was written so well in true Taylor Jenkins Reid style.

Brb while I go recruit all my friends to play tennis this weekend because I have the itch now!! 🎾🎾🎾🎾🎾

🎶 song to go with this book: tennis court @lorde

Carrie may be one of the greatest tennis players of all time especially given how many Slams she won but at what cost? She is so emotionally stunted that her nickname of battle axe rings true in her conversations with other. She comes across as demeaning and patronizing. Her father constantly told her how amazing she is but in pushing herself to that place, she lost joy in the ability to play. It is sad to think that at the age of 37, she had no friends nor relationships. The ending turned out happy as she reclaimed her life but it was hard to identify with her especially given her total lack of empathy.

I was floored to receive this ARC, I love TJR’s previous books and couldn’t wait to read this one. It did not disappoint! Carrie was funny and snarky and brave and TJR did an incredible job of writing her. I don’t often read books about sports but I never felt lost in the action here—the tennis portions are written so clearly that I felt like I was in the game. Seriously, what a joy. I loved this book and can’t wait for others to read it.

I have zero interest in tennis yet this book kept me hooked the entire time. It follows the journey of world’s greatest female tennis star Carrie Soto as she launches a comeback to regain her champion title. The author is the best at making you really care about the characters no matter the subject. Excellent read!

Carrie Soto was the world's best tennis player when she retired but when a younger player is set to break her record, she comes out of retirement so that won't happen. I loved everything about this book- from the characters to the relationships to the tennis "talk". This is my first book by Taylor Jenkins Reid but now I need to go back and read her others. Highly recommend.

Carrie Soto is an excellent follow-up to Taylor Jenkins Reid's cast of unapologetic female characters. Readers will root for Carrie Soto's underdog character, and relate to her journey toward self-discovery. The sports action writing is completely different from past TJR novels but is written in a way that is accessible. I thoroughly enjoyed TJR's references to her other books in the Malibu universe.

Taylor Jenkins Reid is a master of creating wonderful and bold female characters! This is another masterpiece. In this novel we follow a retired all-star tennis player, Carrie Soto, as she chooses to come out of retirement and try to keep her records from being beaten by a younger tennis star. Soto’s father, also a tennis star in his time, coaches her comeback. As much as this story is about tennis, it is also a beautiful glimpse at a father and daughter relationship. This is a well crafted book and I would recommend it to anyone.

This is a serious contender for my new fave TJR!! Like everyone else, I found Carrie Soto to be unlikeable in Malibu Rising, but as soon as I heard there would be a title only about her, I knew it would be genius. Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to read an ARC of this title!

Carrie Soto is Back follows famous tennis player, Carrie, and her coach/father as she makes an unprecedented comeback from retirement in her late 30s. Yes, Carrie is blunt, with dry humor, sarcasm and sees herself on the highest of pedestals, but I grew to love her for these things. She has no time for pleasantries and tells it like it is, which was refreshing and comical at times. I adored the father-daughter relationship in the book, it brought me to tears. I found myself rooting for “The Battle Axe” and her return to sports as she fights ageism and sexism in sports.

I’m shocked by some of the criticisms about the Spanish phrases in the book. If you know even a little bit of Spanish, you’ll understand the few phrases exchanged between Javier and his daughter. For lengthier phrases, TJR gives an explanation in English. If you do not know any Spanish, I recommend you to read this on an eReader so you can easily translate Spanish phrases. Additionally, TJR did a good job at simplifying tennis terms and situations, but if you do not really like sports, this one might not be for you.

There were things I loved about this book and there were things I hated. I will admit that a lot of it revolves around tennis. I'm Not much of a sports girl so those parts seem to drag. And I will say that about 85% of this book they are talking/playing/thinking about tennis. But it gets to be a lot. However, if you can make it pass the first 80 percent of the book, the ending is perfect

“There can be no pacts between men and lions. I will make you pay in full for the grief you have caused me” - Achilles to Hector

So, Carrie Soto is the new name in the TJR universe and many other characters from other books make little mentions in this one. The intro to this ARC mentions the relationship between these characters and their fame and relationship with the spotlight. Carrie Soto is different from Daisy, Evelyn, and Nina because she just couldn’t care less about the fame. She cares about the game and is a winner and refuses to accept less than perfection from herself.

I have no interest whatsoever in tennis so I wasn’t sure how much I would enjoy this book. Tennis is a huge part of this book, yes, but not as big as the relationships within, the treatment and view of women athletes, the fight within ourselves to be better everyday than we were yesterday. The father/daughter story in this one is the root of the book. Javier “Jaguar” Soto is one of my favorite TJR characters yet. I enjoyed every trip and every match and I felt like the ending was everything it needed to be. Another winner from TJR. Another beautiful story with humor, sadness, and grit. I loved Carrie Soto and I’m so sad the story is over. Just like her other characters, Carrie will stay with me and I know I’ll think about her long after I finish this review. I might even watch some tennis now.

Taylor Jenkins Reid is a great writer. If you have not read her books, you are so lucky to have the opportunity to visit The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo and Daisy Jones and the Six for the first time. Go now to the store!

Carrie Soto is back is no exception. I hate tennis, I hate sports, and I loved this portrait of the years of a tennis prodigy growing up and fighting for her record.

This book was enthralling and captivating. I will read every word Reid writes.

Taylor Jenkins Reid is an auto-buy author for me. I love every single novel I have read by her and this one was no exception!!! We were introduced to Carrie Soto last year in Malibu Rising and now, she gets her own story. I absolutely loved this book!!!

Carrie Soto was the number one women's tennis champion when she retired on top. When her record is threatened, she comes out of retirement, determined to hold on to her place in tennis history. She enlists the help of her former coach, her father, and together they work to bring her back to the top of the record books. This was a really great story and I could not put it down. I loved the character development and how Carrie had to use her mind to win against her younger, stronger opponents. Taylor Jenkins Reid is one of my favorite authors and she does not disappoint! Most definitely, Carrie Soto is Back!

As usual, Taylor Jenkins Reid can do no wrong. This book is a masterclass in making me care about something that I have never been interested in before: tennis. I still do not understand how scoring works or necessarily want to watch it, but Jenkins Reid made the sport and the politics of it compelling throughout.

The plot is speedy and there are no wasted plotlines or chapters. You move quickly through Carrie's early years and the year she spends working through her comeback tour. I appreciate Jenkins Reid's choice of this since so many other books are dragging out irrelevant storylines or padding page counts with descriptions lately. There's just enough emotion outside of Carrie's competitiveness to keep the book interesting, including her relationship with her father and Bowe.

I'm not sure if this will ping all the same emotions and be as much a must-read as some of Taylor Jenkins Reid's other books but I still breezed through it in a few hours and enjoyed yet another one of her strong characters.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House-Ballantine for providing an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

TJR does not disappoint with her writing! The style and storytelling are what made this book great. I will say it is a rare moment that I do not give TJR 5 stars, and this is one of them. Carrie is not what I would call a likeable character, which I love because of the way TJR tells her story. For me, I struggled with the constant tennis match breakdowns. However, TJR fully immerses you into the world and feelings of a top tier tennis player and tells a fabulous story.