What a fun follow up to Malibu Rising! Carrie Soto first appeared as a small character who was having an affair with a fellow professional tennis player who was married to one of the main characters in Malibu Rising. I had found her intriguing and love how Taylor Jenkins Reid fleshed out her story. In the book, Carrie Soto, with her father as coach, is making a comeback to regain her record of winning the most Grand Slam tournaments. Nikki Chan has matched her old record, so Carrie puts together a program to play each of the slams in the upcoming season. The book follows her quest and the relationships she develops along the way, especially with herself and her approach to tennis and life.

Carrie is a vibrant and strong character. She is ambitious without being strident, though some in the tennis world say she's too single minded and mean to opponents. I like that she's allowed to be ambitious without becoming a stereotype, and that the book explores her whole personality. She's not necessarily a likable character, but you definitely root for her. There's a romance that is interesting and has depth. Reid explores what it's like to dedicate your life to something, and the exclusions that involves.

I am a big tennis fan, so I was able to immerse myself in the scenes where Carrie is playing a match. Non-tennis fans may not follow all the terms and style of the matches, tournaments., and season. But I think the book goes beyond the game to become a great character study about a strong woman deciding where her life's pursuit fits into her overall perspective. A well-written and stellar outing for Taylor Jenkins Reid. On par or better than Daisy Jones and the Six.

Thank you to Netgalley for the review copy. All opinions are my own.

Rating: Five stars.

This is my favorite TJR novel. Easily. And I knew this in the first few chapters.

It's difficult to compare this to the drama and glamour of Evelyn Hugo, but there is something about Carrie Soto's unapologetic nature with which I felt such a strong kinship. This novel is for the overachieving, competitive, perfectionistic, prideful, and brutally honest girlies who have ever felt misunderstood by the world. They called Carrie "The Bitch" and "The Battle Axe" for all these traits, but her flawed nature was what made me feel so seen and connected to her as a character. The writing is phenomenal – it made me feel like I was right there in the stands watching every match unfold. I grew up watching and loving sports, and I'm amazed at how effortlessly TJR translated the action of a sport onto the page. This reading experience felt exactly like the awe-inducing experience of watching LeBron James play MVP-caliber basketball at 37 years old. Seeing Carrie defy ageist and sexist norms is a long, but rewarding journey. Her highs and lows are palpable. I absolutely loved seeing Carrie evolve both as an athlete and a person throughout her comeback season. And beneath the sports storyline is an incredibly sweet journey of a father and daughter learning how to understand each other through the years. There is a bit of romance in this novel, but it was the relationship between Carrie and Javier, her father and coach, that had me in tears at the end.

Yet another perfect serve by Taylor Jenkins Reid.
Well-crafted and passionate, Carrie Soto is Back is the story of a fierce tennis star returning to reclaim her Grand Slam record. It is told through a multimedia format that includes sportscasters, news excerpts and other forms of commentary, which I found very intriguing to read (especially in instances when the perspectives didn’t align). TJR is a master at suspense and keeping her storytelling fast-paced and thrilling. Every match of Carrie Soto’s was electrifying to read about.

Carrie herself is a compelling heroine, both driven and consumed by her sport. Throughout the novel you can’t help but root for her, even though she is flawed and painful to read about at times. Her constant need for perfection is something that draws the audience in and keeps them on their toes, but it is also crazily accurate to emotions I’ve felt in my life. Carrie struggles with her losses, her self-esteem, and her ability to trust, all while the public perceives her as arrogant and cold. Her vulnerabilities and complexities shine through this book. She, Javier, Bowe, and Gwen are characters that will never leave my heart. Carrie Soto is the TJR character I’ve been waiting for.

Thank you so much Random House and Netgalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest review!

TAYLOR JENKINS REID HAS DONE IT AGAIN, FOLKS. There’s nothing I love more than picking out the threads of the TJR universe in her new works - and you won’t be disappointed. I adored everything about Carrie Soto - and you will too.

Another grand slam from TJR. Loved it from the first page - especially as a tennis player. Carrie is a deeply human character with flaws and unlikable traits who we cheer for and find likable all the same. I appreciate the marketing strategy of releasing this right around US Open time. ;-)

Taylor Jenkins Reid did it again. She made me love a character that I didn't think I'd even like. Carrie Soto is Back was a fantastic read that I didn't want to end. What a strong and empowering character TJR has created with Carrie Soto. Carrie was the number one female tennis player and then went into retirement. Five years later, her records are about to be broken so here she comes, more fierce than ever, to conquer yet again. I loved reading about her growth as a woman and an athlete. And I loved her relationship with her tennis coach who just so happens to be her father. I was over the moon when I received an ARC of this book and was not disappointed at all. A definite 5 star read for me.

Thank you netgalley and the publishers (and TJR) for the e-ARC of Carrie Soto is Back in exchange for my review.

Really enjoyed this one! For fans of books with strong and nuanced heroines. Also a really lovely story about a father daughter bond and a semi-untraditional family life.

I’ve decided that Taylor Jenkins Reid could write a phone book and I would buy it, read it, and love it. Her style of writing, her sense of place and time, and her flawed but relatable characters are all catnip for me.

Carrie Soto Is Back has all of the above and even more. My favorite relationship in this book is Carrie’s relationship with her father, Javier. I related so much to them, and the love they have for each other made my eyes tear up several times. Carrie is flawed, but you want to root for her as if you’re actually watching her compete in one of the Grand Slams. This is my favorite TJR book to date, and even though I have this digital ARC, I will definitely buy a physical copy to keep.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Random House Publishing- Ballantine for this ARC.

Name of Book: Carrie Soto is Back
Author: Taylor Reid Jenkins
Publisher: Random House Publishing Group ~ Ballantine
Genre: Sports, Chick Lit
Pub Date: August 30, 2022
My Rating: 3.4 Stars!

This is TRJ book #8 for me and I am a fan!
"Daisy Jones & the Six"] is at the top of my ‘like’ list followed by "Forever, Interrupted", "Maybe in Another Life", and "One True Love".
Love that the characters keep popping up in other TJR novels! 😋

In this story we have thirty-seven year old Carrie Soto retired tennis star who is bored with watching up & coming female tennis players. She makes the decision that she needs to come out of retirement and reclaim her title.
Her father coached her ever since she was a little girl and although she may not move as fast as she once did she believes her father can help fulfil her dream once again!

Hmm not the wow read I was expecting.
Carrie is so nasty ~ I had a really hard time cheering for her. I know I am in the minority as readers love her.
(I truly believe in the importance of good sportsmanship and the lifelong value sports can
bring. Carrie seems to keep missing her Dad’s teaching on that!)
BTW: I love her dad!
I did like the ending.

As always I enjoyed reading the author’s notes!

Want to thank NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group ~ Ballantine for this eGalley. This file has been made available to me before publication in an early form. Publishing Release Date scheduled for August 30, 2022.

I love everything Taylor Jenkins Reid writes but this one might just be her best yet. I don't even care about tennis, but this story made me completely invested in Carrie's journey. Highly recommended for all fans of strong female characters and moving father/daughter stories.

I have been a fan of Taylor Jenkins Reid's books, especially Daisy Jones and the Six and The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo. I was so excited to receive an advance copy of her latest novel, Carrie Soto is Back. Thank you to Ballantine for an advance copy!

Set in the same universe as Daisy Jones and the Six, The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo, and Malibu Rising, Carrie Soto is Back follows a highly decorated retired professional tennis player who comes out of retirement to defend her record against the next generation's champion. The story begins with Carrie's origins as a tennis player, including the touching and complex relationship with her father, who coached her for much of her career. After a recap of her backstory and height of her career, we launch into her training for her comeback and playing the four major tennis tournaments one last time. This second half is the novel's stronger one, especially as it shows the formal experimentation I loved in Daisy Jones. The choice to cut Carrie's narration with transcripts of sportcasters and interviews provides interesting commentary on her complex status as a legend in women's sports.

Carrie as a heroine is very interesting and compelling: she is unapologetically competitive and confident, deeply disinterested in playing nice with the public or downplaying her prowess. As such, she has to deal with the mercurial support of the public, who waver because of her unapproachable demeanor and "unlikability," despite her undeniable talent. The relationship that unfolds between Carrie and Nicki Chan, her rival, is especially rich and complex, as they discuss the different ways racism and misogyny affect their respective careers, and how they slowly come to respect each other as legends and competitors. Ultimately, Carrie comes to contemplate her legacy, deciding how to balance her need to prove herself as a legend with the pure love of the game. The writing is full of the author's signature lyricism and magic. This novel was a rich and fulfilling read.

Carrie Soto is Back

4.5 stars. I know and care nothing about tennis, but Taylor Jenkins Reid made me riveted in this come-back story set in 1994 where much of it is detailed play-by-play descriptions of tennis champion Carrie Soto coming out of retirement at the age of 37 and how she fights her way to defend her many titles and records.

One of things that was compelling was the sexism news and entertainment outlets described female players and the inequities between what sponsors paid petite, pretty blond players vs. more muscular players or players of color. The most compelling part of the story, however, is how Carrie grows over the course of the novel. Her coach has been her father, another tennis champion, and he supports and guides her through playing now that she’s older and her knees are less forgiving.

This story is truly gripping.

Thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to review this novel, WHICH RELEASES AUGUST 30, 2022.

TJR does it again!!!! Okay Carrie Soto I see you. Once again, TJR tackles relevant experiences with truly beautiful writing. The character development in Carrie Soto Is Back is amazing and what we've come to expect from TJR books. Carrie is both likeable and unlikeable, which makes for a deeper reader experience as you journey with her. If you know/love tennis you'll be obsessed with this book (or if you don't know tennis like me, you still will be). I really appreciate how the Spanish that is peppered into the book spoken between Carrie and her father is used in a conversational way and isn't always translated, making the conversations that much more like real life. All the emotions.

Ugh, Jenkins Reid look at sports, age, and fame in this novel. I loved Carrie's relationship with her father. Ambition and preparation are only part of the story as Carrie navigates returning to this stage of her life.

I want to thank the publisher Ballantine Books and NetGalley for the advanced copy of this book. My opinions are my own.

First of all - the cover is perfection.

Secondly - the book itself is another one of Reid’s best. She truly is in a class by herself.

The book is truly heart pounding historical fiction at its best! I love how strong yet vulnerable Carrie is. She is an absolute mess in many ways. She is a flawed heroine looking to get back to her former glory, but along the way the reader is treated to the stories of how she became a worldwide tennis phenomenon, and what she’s ultimately learned about life and love along the way.

LOVED IT!

When I picked up Malibu Rising, I didn't know what I was getting into. I was having a serious case of FOMO and decided to read it because everyone was recommending it. I absolutely loved that book! And while I strongly disliked her in Malibu Rising, I knew that as soon as I saw Carrie Soto was getting her own book, that I wanted to read her story. I highly enjoyed this book. I couldn't put it down. The writing was superb and it kept me engaged in the story. I love books about tennis players and this book makes me want to read more. Reading through tough and important matches in her life was a great way to learn more about Carrie. While she is still not my favorite character, I have so much more respect for her after reading this book. Make sure this is on your summer reading list!

I have and will always love the fictional celebrities and their stories that TJR writes. From Evelyn Hugo to Daisy Jones to Nina Riva and now Carrie Soto, every single one of them is messy and flawed and feels like a real person and its just captivating to read about. I always read the books and think about the main characters and story for literal weeks after, trying to figure out who they are and and pick apart the small details and its the same here with Carrie. She's ambitious, ruthless, cold, and determined. She goes after exactly what she wants on the court even as almost everybody around her said she couldn't, said she was too old and that she should have let it go and stayed in retirement. They called her both the battle axe and the bitch and almost always in unkind ways. But the thing is she almost never cared what people said, she took what she wanted and ran with it, and if she didn't have it yet you could almost be sure she would soon one way or another.
When I heard we were getting a book about her I thought back to the little we saw of her in Malibu Rising and thought wow this ones gonna be interesting how is this all gonna play out? And it was indeed interesting and I never knew where it was going till it was over honestly. I love the way this book was set up too, it took you through how Carrie grew up and how she trained to become the battle axe in the first place and why her dad is so important to her and just how much that means and then it switches to present as you follow her through the comeback as the months and matches go by. Carrie and her dad aren't the only characters we get to know either, I really enjoyed Bowe Huntley, Gwen and Nikki chan too. They were really cool and each changed the story a lot, which is weird because I really expected to hate Nikki but Its the opposite. I'll probably be thinking about more things I missed and wanna say between now and publish date but for now, after finishing this book about 20 minutes ago, this is all Ive got. TJR does not miss I'll tell you that much. Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this early.

𝐂𝐚𝐫𝐫𝐢𝐞 𝐒𝐨𝐭𝐨 𝐈𝐬 𝐁𝐚𝐜𝐤 ⁣
By Taylor Jenkins Reid ⁣
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⁣
Format: Kindle ⁣
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"𝘔𝘢𝘺𝘣𝘦 𝘪𝘵'𝘴 𝘢 𝘭𝘪𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘬𝘦𝘦𝘱 𝘥𝘰𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘢𝘭𝘸𝘢𝘺𝘴 𝘥𝘰𝘯𝘦. 𝘛𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘣𝘦 𝘢𝘣𝘭𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘥𝘳𝘢𝘸 𝘢 𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘦 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘩𝘰𝘸 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘢𝘤𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘺𝘦𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘥𝘢𝘺 𝘵𝘰 𝘩𝘰𝘸 𝘺𝘰𝘶'𝘭𝘭 𝘢𝘤𝘵 𝘵𝘰𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘳𝘰𝘸. 𝘠𝘰𝘶 𝘥𝘰𝘯'𝘵 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘣𝘦 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘴𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘯𝘵. 𝘠𝘰𝘶 𝘤𝘢𝘯 𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘦, 𝘐 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘬. 𝘑𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘣𝘦𝘤𝘢𝘶𝘴𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘸𝘢𝘯𝘵 𝘵𝘰." ⁣
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TJR so quickly pulls me into her worlds I honestly question how these characters are not real people. When I saw this book was coming out I immediately knew I needed to read it. ⁣
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*𝐍𝐞𝐭𝐆𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐲 𝐠𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐦𝐞 𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐥𝐲 𝐚𝐜𝐜𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐛𝐞𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐢𝐭’𝐬 𝐫𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐞 𝐢𝐧 𝐀𝐮𝐠𝐮𝐬𝐭 (𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐬𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐠!!)*⁣
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Carrie Soto reminds me of an anti-hero on their journey to self discovery. I already had pre-judgments of this character from her small part in "Malibu Rising" and they were not the most positive. This book helps flip that perspective, but what I appreciate the most that TJR did was she never changed Carrie Soto to make us love her. I feel I grew to love her toughness/vulnerabilities and the woman she is. ⁣
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This is a standalone but I would highly recommend reading "𝐌𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐛𝐮 𝐑𝐢𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐠" before this one, to get even more of a feel of the world TJR has pulled us into. Also, because in an evil way I would love all readers of this one to already have judgments towards Carrie Soto and have them completely flipped by the end. ⁣
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"𝘛𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘪𝘴 𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘐'𝘷𝘦 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘸𝘢𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘺𝘦𝘢𝘳. 𝘛𝘰 𝘥𝘰 𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘨𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘵 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴. 𝘐 𝘯𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘐'𝘥 𝘨𝘦𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘧𝘢𝘳, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘯𝘰𝘸 𝘐 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦," 𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘢𝘪𝘥 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘲𝘶𝘪𝘦𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘯𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵. "𝘚𝘰 𝘸𝘩𝘺 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘥𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘮 𝘧𝘶𝘳𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳?" ⁣
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Many thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing / Ballantine for sharing this amazing digital reviewer copy of one of the most anticipated books of 2022 in exchange my honest opinions.

Taylor Jenkins Reid is back! This time, with “Carrie Soto is Back,” a book roaring with heart about Carrie Soto, a tennis star who comes out of retirement with a mission to reclaim her recently broken Grand Slam record. This is an unforgettable story about what it means to be a champion and the lessons Carrie must learn to finally understand it’s about a lot more than a record.

I will be the first to admit that I may be a bit biased in my review. I don’t care. I played competitive tennis my entire life, so when I saw one of my favorite authors was coming out with a book about a tennis star I was all in. TJR did an incredible job explaining the sport from fundamentals to strategy to competition to the hurdles women face in the game and so much more. She truly did the sport justice and I’m grateful to her for getting it right. Some have complained the book is too tennis heavy, but I’m not exactly sure how you can complain about book being heavy on tennis when it’s literally pitched as a story about tennis. Yes, someone like myself who played the sport will read the tennis aspects with ease, but even someone not as familiar with the sport will find it easy to follow. Reid definitely did her homework. Also, don’t let the tennis distract from the heart of the story, which is about a champion accepting her worth with or without the sport.

I loved our unconventional heroine Carrie. A lot of people are finding her a less than likable character but that falls right into the point Reid was making with her character. Was she unlikeable because she was a bad person or was she unlikeable because she was an assertive, confident woman who wasn’t afraid to call someone out or say exactly what she was thinking. I found her to be a complex, vulnerable and relatable character who struggled with her self worth, adored her father and was tentative to believe in love based on failed past relationships and the void left from her mother passing. Her journey with the sport read almost as real-time memoir and I also enjoyed the story format with newscaster interviews and newspaper articles leading up to her tournaments.

Reid is known for her ability to create her own universe with unforgettable characters and while I loved Carrie, I won’t soon forget Javier. This is very much a story about the bond between a coach and his protege but more so about a father and his baby girl. It’s touching, emotional and another reason I adored this book. I was also a fan of Bowe and the romance sprinkled into the pages as Soto makes her comeback. One character I was happy to see very little of was Mick Riva. I liked Malibu Rising, but I didn’t love the characters, so I was happy to see quite a bit of distance between the two worlds and very little overlap.

Whether you play tennis or not, this book will touch your heart. You’ll be right in the stands cheering on Soto as she transitions from champion to underdog to legend.

I was immersed in the world of Carrie Soto. I have never been a tennis player but I was into the story. Carrie Soto was the world's best tennis player in her 20s, holding the most Grand Slam titles, the most Wimbledon wins, etc. She retires after an injury, only to make a comeback years later when her record is threatened. She sets out to once again prove that she is the best of the best.

This is a character driven story that immerses you in the world of competitive tennis. Carrie (and her father before her) are known in the tennis world. We get to see a complicated father/daughter relationship develop - not only does Carrie have a single father, but he is also her tennis coach. She doesn't have many friends due to a life of tennis and ruthless competition. Her personal relationships are often strained. We are able to take a deep dive into Carrie's life, professional tennis, and the mind of a tennis star. Carrie is fierce and you will root for her, time and again.

Fans of TJR will find this book to be written in the style of Daisy Jones, with articles and other headlines dispersed throughout the novel. I was sad for this one to end because I know it will be a long time before I get a new TJR.