So here I am; another Taylor Jenkins Reid novel in my list. Carrie Soto is fierce, and her determination to win at any cost has not made her popular.

By the time Carrie retires from tennis, she is the best player the world has ever seen. She has shattered every record and claimed twenty Slam titles. And if you ask her, she is entitled to everyone. She sacrificed nearly everything to become the best, with her father as her coach. In spite of it all: Carrie Soto is back, for one epic final season. In this riveting and unforgettable novel, Taylor Jenkins Reid tells a story about the cost of greatness and a legendary athlete attempting a comeback.

I enjoyed the last TJR novel i read. It was exciting and full of intrigue. Carrie Soto is Back focusses on a tennis and relationships that cover childhood to champion. This is a hard book to rate because whilst I enjoyed the writing, I feel this was a weak novel that focussed more on tennis than relationships and it was hard to keep myself focussed on that.

The story itself was addictively compelling; I read this book in a very short span of time and it kept me intrigued, but not enough to be excited whenever I picked it up. There’s no doubt that Jenkins can weave an overarching story about the complications of fame, womanhood and relationships but I can't say I'm a tennis fan and that showed when I felt bored during the matches. Carrie Soto is a fantastically complex character who is driven by the game but also her own self-confidence. She struggles with relationships due to her egotistical nature and is constantly under fire from everyone in the media. The narration is great, showing us TV interviews and posts that give us a third-party point-of-view and it added to the athletic nature of the story.

This was an impressive book that ended up as a little bit of a let-down for me compared to other works. An enjoyable reach that just didn't quite hit the mark.

When retired world champion Tennis player Carrie Soto has her grand slam record threatened she comes out of retirement at the age of thirty seven to try and claim it back.
I have no interest in Tennis, nor do I know much about it but I absolutely loved this book.
By the time I got to the end I was holding my breathe in anticipation. Absolutely stunning character developments and story!
Another great from Taylor Jenkins Reid.

I’m a big fan of TJR’s previous novels so I was delighted to receive an ARC but unfortunately Carrie Soto missed the mark a little for me. This novel didn’t evoke the setting of its predecessors (Evelyn Hugo, Daisy Jones and Malibu Rising) quite as effectively and Carrie Soto’s character was not especially likeable. However, her persona in the courts as a bad-ass player compared with her more vulnerable, isolated side with endless affection for her loving father was admirable.
The other characters felt pretty two-dimensional, perhaps deliberately, to ensure Carrie remained at the centre of the novel, and emphasise her isolation as she made her return to tennis. It seems doubtful she would make so few connections to her competitors in the tennis world, and this would have been a interesting angle for some sub-plots.
Carrie is single-mindedly focussed on winning, an unsurprising trait for a championship athlete, and while this was an interesting theme to explore, it didn’t give much opportunity to explore the character beyond her ambition.

I read a review in which someone described this as ‘plot-driven’ but this was absolutely not the case for me. The plot was slow and meandering and didn’t come to much of a climax. There was a LOT of description of tennis matches, some of which were exciting, but there were too many to sustain my interest each time and I found myself skipping paragraphs at a time.

That said, I did enjoy the novel as a holiday read. TJR fans will enjoy it (especially as she employs her usual intertextuality - Carrie Soto herself reading ‘Daisy Jones’ and the reference to Mike Riva did make me smile!) but where the other novels have made a lasting impression on me, sadly Carrie Soto will not stay with me.

Just love everything this author brings out!!! Definitely will be buying copies of this one for friends and family! just finished this one and I really liked it. It gave a glimpse into the making of a Professional Tennis Player, something I knew nothing about, but found really entertaining. It felt almost like reading a thriller, I was flipping the pages quickly to see if Carrie would win or lose the match. I felt jittery and that on the edge of my seat feeling with tension on how things would work out.
I inhabited Carrie’s world. This is where Taylor Jenkins Reid really excels. She can take a rough around the edges character like Carrie Soto, who starts out abrasive, rude, and self-centered and make you really care for how she does. You will route for Carrie to do better. In 1994, Carrie has gotten back into tennis because she wants to defend her record she won years prior. Carrie does not know how to lose, and winning at tennis is the only way she can imagine one can be a winner. I think she also loves tennis because it seems so black or white. You are great if you win and a complete mess up if you lose.
The relationship between Carrie and her father is so endearing. He is her coach and biggest fan, but most importantly he is her biggest fan in life, he always loves and supports her through everything. He sees all Carrie’s flaws and knows she needs to broaden her life, but he has such a fine way of approaching this. When she is training for a tournament, he is all in. He helps her perfect her game in every way, yet he also makes it clear that he loves her just the same if she loses the match. She is perfect the way she is to him.
Carrie does have some maturing to do, and throughout the book she does start to change. She has been so competitive that she has never let anyone into her life. Another tennis player, a man Bowe Huntley also is trying to give it another try on the tennis circuit. Carrie needs him to practice her game with, but slowly starts to let him into her life and learn from someone else. She can finally see someone beyond just their tennis stats. Her biggest competitor, the one after her record, Nicki Chan, Carrie thinks she must hate, but Chan teaches Carrie how to play the game with real dignity. Nicki, also let’s Carrie know that others struggle with challenges, too and the titles and honors are not purely hers. Can’t wait to see what’s coming out next! Five stars from me ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

After loving Daisy Jones and the Six by the same author I was delighted to read her latest. This book didn’t disappoint, even for a complete tennis novice, I was completely drawn into the world of competitive sport. The relationship between Carrie and her father was beautifully drawn and I loved the psychological angle of winner’s mentality. I will be recommending this far and wide. Thanks NetGalley!

Taylor Jenkins Reid has done it again! Her characters are utterly believable- within a few pages I was convinced that if I googled Carrie Soto’s name I’d discover she was real. The drama is delicious, the dialogue breezy and fun, and the romance plot perfect. I devoured this book in 2 sittings and may well go back and read it again.

With her trademark economical writing style, Reid has created a compelling and addictive narrative that thrusts you deep into the world of professional tennis. I tore through the book, swept up from the first in Soto's story as she tries to untangle what it means to be the best and what truly matters to her.

Taylor has outdone herself again!! Filled with pure tension and drama, i read this book in one sitting. I felt completely immersed into her world and felt like i knew every character. Another beautiful novel by taylor jenkins reid.

Taylor Jenkins Reid nails it again. What a BEAUTIFUL book. As usual, a wonderfully easy, enjoyable read, I was gripped and flew through it. It had such powerful messages and I particularly enjoyed the subtle exploration of misogyny within women's sports and the relationship between Carrie and her father well and truly had my heart. TJR can do no wrong and she's solidly an auto-buy author for me. Big, big recommend.

By the time Carrie retires from tennis, she is the best player the world has ever seen. She has shattered every record and claimed 20 Slam titles. She sacrificed nearly everything to become the best, with her father as her coach.

But 6 years after her retirement, Carrie finds herself sitting in the stands of the 1994 US Open, watching her record be taken from her by British player Nicki Chan.

At 37, Carrie makes the monumental decision to come out of retirement and be coached by her father for one last year in an attempt to reclaim her record.

In the same vein as Evelyn Hugo or Daisy Jones, we are told the story of Carrie becoming the greatest tennis player of all time, from her childhood to her 20th Slam, until the moment she decides to come back.

Carrie Soto is a very complex character. To be fair, I didn't find her likeable at all. I foud her rude to other tennis players, almost insulting. But that's what I liked about her. She was far from being perfect. Just like other characters TJR created, she made her complex which is what made her seem so real.

I also really enjoyed the character of Javier, Carrie's father, and Bowe Huntley. They were both loveable characters who stood by Carrie's side no matter what. And that end was heartbreaking.

I usually don't watch tennis but I really like that this was the main theme of this book. I didn't know the technical vocabulary at first but I easily got used to it.

Full disclosure - I’m not a tennis fan so struggled to enjoy lots of this book because a lot of it is a play by play of tennis matches. I found these sections quite repetitive and boring. However, the parts in between the tennis matches were much more enjoyable - the relationship between Carrie and father and also with the other tennis players were interesting to read about. I hadn’t anticipated just how much tennis specific content there would be and it just wasn’t my thing.

An author I’ve not read before ( one of the few i’m sure) I have now realised Carrie is also in Malibu Rising ( on my list to read) this book focuses on tennis and a champions journey and then. comeback! I’m not a tennis fan but I did find this book interesting and it kept me wanting more.

If I realised just how much actual tennis was in this then I probably wouldn't have read it, but I did and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I've read a few of Taylor Jenkins Reid's novels and it's in the same vein in that it has a female protagonist. Someone who is interesting and that you may not certainly like but want to know more of. She has engaging characters that keep me reading.

I know nothing about tennis but I got caught up in the excitement of the games. Definitely recommended, especially if you're a fan of the author.

TJR you've done it again. Much like other novels in her bibliography, Reid has created an enthralling novel which enraptured me in every single page. Each section was electric, and the way Reid wrote her descriptions had me falling in love with the most simple of phrases.

This book gave me a feeling, or 'a hum' as Soto would say, that made me never want to put it down. Laced between each paragraph was a genuine connection to the characters, making me feel all of their joy, all of their sorrow, all of their lust, and all of their loss. At the end, I was convinced that The Battleaxe was a real person, what with the intimate details that had been given throughout.

If I were to sum up this book in a few words it would be, fun, sporty, and addicting.

Carrie Soto, I will always remember the first time reading about you.

This book has made me question whether I need to start watching Wimbledon because wow, Taylor Jenkins Reid has done it again! A brilliant plot, a colourful host of characters, and an ending which is so satisfactory. Carrie Soto is Back is out on a months time - make sure to grab it when you can!

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for an advance copy of this book in exchange for a review.

Wow! I devoured this book in a couple of sittings and I loved it. We first met Carrie Soto in Malibu Rising and I didn't know then that I needed her back story but I absolutely did.

Another ace from Taylor Jenkins Reid.

I am a massive Taylor Jenkins Reid fan so I was pretty confident I would love this book. And I did. There is a lot of tennis, and I don’t know much about tennis at all, but I was still absolutely gripped and rooting for Carrie. But of course the book isn’t just about tennis, it’s also about female ambition, likeability, and of course relationships. I loved Carrie’s father and their relationship is so brilliantly drawn. Like Carrie Soto, Taylor Jenkins Reid is at the top of her game.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House UK, Cornerstone for this ARC.

I screamed when I found out I was approved for this book. I was so excited to read it and this book didn't disappoint!

This book immerses the reader into the life of former Grand Slam champion Carrie Soto (yes, that Carrie from Malibu Rising) and takes us on her journey to tennis champion, retired player and her decision to come out of retirement to defend her records.

Although this book is my most anticipated read of the year, I was a bit skeptical about how much I would like Carrie as a main character after our introduction to her in Malibu Rising, but I quickly found myself loving her drive and determination to succeed.

I especially loved the relationship between Carrie and her father, Javier, and their building relationships with Bowe. I surprised myself by liking Nicki Chan, even though she was Carrie's main competition.

This book made me laugh, cry and cheer for Carrie and I will definitely buy a copy of the book once it's released.

taylor jenkins reid is one of those authors that truly can transport you to their book and their characters. i was completely immersed the whole time of reading and ate this book up.
jenkins reid does characters very very well and this was no exception; it hit me with all its raw emotion and we followed carrie’s desperation, determination and hope the whole time. not one character was simple and uncomplicated, there is consistently so much nuance to everyone in this book, everyone has depth.
i know absolutely nothing about tennis and i absolutely cannot play it but my eyes could not, leave the pages when soto was playing a match. taylor jenkins reid has us hoping and praying while holding our breath for carrie in every tennis match and even at times i thought i could predict the turn of events, i was utterly wrong.
the descriptions were also beautiful, its addictive and swallows you whole.
i think also this book is more meaningful than originally can be seen. carrie demonstrates the mountain of a journey that quite frankly any woman goes through when compared to men, women cannot get old, they cannot get weak and no matter what they do, they will be criticised, soto and chan embody this so for all her faults, i have so much adoration and respect for carrie for trying to prove her worth. i do not know if we are supposed to love carrie. but again i think this puts on a pedastool our expectations for women in the spotlight. she is criticised for knowing her greatness and vocalising this. i liked her. although there were points she was less likeable, she was gritty, hugely determined and subtly, full of love.
jenkins reid explores these portrayals and expectations, as always, incredibly incredibly well. the second half is the stronger part of this book and had me transfixed, reading it all in one go. the development of soto, her relationships with people in her life and the reaching of the premise of the book delivered exactly what i wanted and hit me with emotion.
i adore taylor jenkins reid and her work, carrie is no exception. here is another transfixing read that you cannot put down. i wept but also laughed the whole time and cannot wait for my physical copy in august to add to my bookshelf
thank you corner stone publishing and net galley for my arc!

Fans of Taylor Jenkins Reid (myself included!) will definitely enjoy this new novel. I am not a tennis fan, or really a sports fan in general, but I still found myself gripped by the descriptions of matches. Carrie is prickly and will no doubt be described by some as “unlikable,” but I found her fascinating.