Carrie Soto is a retired tennis player who holds the record for most grand slams. However, when; six years later, it’s looking likely that British champion Nicki Chan is going to take her record, Carrie comes out of retirement to try and beat the odds and get her titles back.

I’m a massive #tjr fan, however, after not totally gelling with #maliburising I was nervous about a tennis themed story. However, I was hooked. I literally feel like a tennis pro myself now after this book. As per usual it was super easy to read and although I never forgot it was fiction like #daisyjonesandthesix I loved it.

i love all four of taylor jenkins reid's famous women but i think i warmed quickest to carrie, surprisingly enough, I'm not a sports person by any means but god, riveting stuff

It is no secret that I adore TJR, so despite my reservations of reading a book about tennis, I just had to dive into this. It did not disappoint 👀

TJR has an incredible way of opening up characters’ lives and inviting us in as though we’ve known them forever. Carrie Soto was no exception! As a world famous tennis champion, Carrie’s steely facade has earned her the reputation of being a bitch. Her fierce determination and thirst for success has left little room for relationships, both romantic and platonic, so when she comes out of retirement to earn back her world titles, she has only her father and agent on her side. 🎾

This was an incredible example of how unlikeable characters can be written to make a reader invested in their lives rather than hate them. I absolutely did not hate Carrie and instead felt TJR’s introspective analysis of being a woman/minority ethnicity in sport/life/fame in the core of my being. I was completely drawn in by Carrie’s traumatic early life and related to her thirst to earn her place in the world despite society’s preconceptions, expectations and judgements. 👏

TJR has done it again, in all honesty! I loved seeing hard hitting and gritty topics explored through the lens of being a fierce and seemingly cold hearted woman in sport. It was brilliantly done! 💫

No, you don’t need to be a tennis expert to read this. Yes, you will learn about tennis whilst falling in love with Carrie Soto. Yes, you may cry whilst reading this book. It is so worth it. 👌

Everyone knows (and if you don’t you’re learning it now) I don’t like sport. I don’t like playing them, and much less watching them on TV, so who would have guessed I’d enjoy so much reading a book about tennis? I was a bit scared cause I had read some reviews saying there were lots (and I mean LOTS) of tennis talk here, but TJR and her phenomenal writing skills managed to get me so invested in this story.

When Carrie Soto retired from tennis she hold the record as winner of the most Grand Slam titles by any player ever, but now, six years later, that record is threatened by another player, so she decides to come out of retirement at 37 years of age to prove she’s still the greatest tennis player in the world and win her record back.

This was undeniably a story about tennis, but it was also a character study with Carrie’s relationship with her father and coach, Javier, as the focal point. This was by far my favorite part of the story. At times it was heartwarming, at times it was heartbreaking but, despite all the hurdles and missteps they went through, the love and respect they felt for each other was the dominant note that made their relationship move forward.

Carrie was abrasive, cold-hearted, cocky and arrogant, both on and off the court, so that made her a difficult character to spend time around (it is a first person narration so get ready to spend lots of time with her) but, as the story moved forward, we got to see her vulnerable side, as she rediscovered her love for tennis and not only winning, and she opened herself up to find love for the first time.

Don’t worry if you don’t know anything about tennis (I didn’t), cause you’ll be able to enjoy this all the same, even the tennis matches! The descriptions were so vivid it felt like I was watching a real match!

The commitment and sacrifices involved with playing a sport at a high level were really well portrayed, as were the rivalries that inevitably will unfold between those at the very top.

Carrie Soto Is Back is a story of a comeback, full of tennis but also full of great characters that will take you on a captivating journey.

Thanks to NetGalley and Random House UK, Cornerstone for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Carrie Soto is the best tennis player the world has ever seen. She claimed twenty Slam titles before her retirement, but her fierce determination made her unpopular. Now six years later after watching her record be taken from her, she decides to make the monumental decision to return to tennis and be coached by her father - in an attempt to reclaim her record. Carrie soto is back!
I loved the idea of this book. A strong female tennis star returning to sport and bouncing back against the critics. It is hugely tennis focused so if you aren’t a fan then I would avoid this book. At times I found it very repetitive. Whilst I love a fierce woman in books, Carrie was very unlikeable at times and I didn’t like her treatment of other women in the sport.

This book is about a life of a professional sportswoman. Lots of technical details of tennis game and not many details about the personal life. The book is written well trying to show what limited life a person has when the goal from her very early days is to be the best. I would say the book is not oriented to the wide range of readers.

I am a huge TJR fan and have loved all of her books so far so jumped at the chance to read this before publication day. I haven’t really delve into the genre of sports fiction before.

I think TJR really creates wonderful characters; and Carrie is no different - she is very unapologetically herself but wow there is so much tennis talk. The tennis talk overshadows the whole of the plot line and I really did find it a slog to finish.

Maybe sports fiction isn’t for me… but I will eagerly await TJR next book regardless.

I enjoy TJR's writing and storytelling style. This is about Carrie Soto, who features briefly in Malibu Rising, who at age 37 wants one more shot at being the best tennis player in the world...after being retired for many years.

Okay, so this book did make me realise there's a lot more to tennis than I ever thought. I've probably not watched a tennis match in my life, so I did find the strategy and training behind it to be quite insightful.

I enjoyed how unapologetic Carrie is about who she is....quite frankly she really is quite bit**y...and I like that about her. I also really enjoyed her relationship with her dad.

But this book had a lot of tennis in it. Like a lot! Only one POV, Carrie's, for the entire book....and did I mention a lot of tennis?

There's not much in the way of plot twists, suspense, tension....I found it very one note. It went exactly as I suspected it would, so there were no surprises in the book. Also quite a bit of Spanish with no translations... thankfully most of it you can make out yourself and the longer sentences, I used my translator on my Kindle.

A read as a palette cleanser between more intense books, that's probably what I'd recommend this one for....or just a book you want to read with no expectations, no pressure, no frantic page turning...a beach day read....this would be perfect for that.

When I found out the synopsis of this book, I did not think I would massively enjoy a book about tennis but because it was by TJR I was willing to give it a go and I'm so glad I did because it was incredible!
This is a very fast-paced, addictive read and I devoured it in just a couple of hours. TJR's reading is so smooth and compelling that I was completely sucked in and desperate to know what was going to happen.
Just like many of TJR's other leading ladies, Carrie is a hard nut to crack and she's a very complex character but I found her to be very loveable deep down and personally I find that the morally grey characters always feel the most real.
Overall, absolutely loved the book and it impacted me so much that I even shed a year once I'd finished! Definitely recommend.

This has to be one of my favourite TJR books.

The book follows the life of Carrie Soto from her father training her how to play tennis as a child, to her making a comeback as the oldest female tennis player trying to win one more grand slam. If you’ve watched King Richard about Venus and Serena Williams you’ll get a lot of the same feels, and in many way it made me realise just how great Serena’s achievements have been.

I’m not a major tennis fan, but the book kept me hooked through every shot of play.

I get the impression from other reviews that Soto is a bit of a marmite character, but I absolutely loved her. I really enjoyed the way that she develops as a character throughout the book, and her relationship with her father was just fantastic to read.

Genius! Extraordinary! Special! The best ever! Spectacular! Maginifique! Brilliant! Awesome! Unforgettable! One and only!

Ladies and gentelmen, Carrie Soto is back is officialy my favourite book EVER!

A fun and innovative new novel from Taylor Jenkins Reid. I loved how the theme of fame was explored in the world of sport and could see this novel easily transferring into a sports movie.
Carrie is a typical 'unlikable' protagonist but with a whole load of guts and determination. I was entranced while reading her story and could not put this book down, especially towards the end.
With unexpected turns and fully-fleshed out surrounding characters, this was once more a winner from Taylor Jenkins Reid!

I fear I am not completely on the Taylor Jenkins Reid hype, I enjoyed Malibu rising but I (personally) do not think it lived up to that book - she is clearly a good writer; even without being a fan of tennis it was a good read.

I am never, ever going to complain about a Taylor Jenkins Reid book. I love the worlds she builds and the relationships she creates which bubble with nostalgia, romance, and the dangers of glamour. That being said, I cannot say that Carrie Soto is my favourite of Jenkins Reid's books. While a definitively solid romance, it didn't have me giddy in the way that Evelyn Hugo, Daisy Jones, or Malibu Rising have in the past. I would still recommend this book, but it isn't where I would start with this author.

Taylor Jenkins Reid has done it again! I loved reading Carrie Soto is Back and definitely a must read for TJR fans. I love tennis so really enjoyed the background of the book but even if you don't want tennis, I think it would be easy to pick up. Can't wait to see what TJR writes next!

I know absolutely nothing about tennis, but this book made me want to start watching tennis tournaments. Taylor Jenkins Reid has the uncanny talent to make you care for things you normally wouldn't be interested in, and as we followed Carrie Soto's life and dedication to tennis, I found myself completely invested in her career evolution, every tournament she competed in… I read this one in one sitting, and couldn't stop turning the pages !!
Absolutely recommend reading this one !!

A good and fun read that many people will like! Especially if you’re into tennis.
Thank you Penguin and Netgalley UK for the ARC.

Loved this book! There has been a lot of thought I gone into the tennis descriptions and as a tennis fan I am impressed. There was so much detail into the background of Carrie and the tennis history. This was easy to read and I read it very quickly as the story flowed well.

Wow what a fabulous novel,. It was so immersive and addicting that I binged it in a few hours. I was rooting for Carrie the whole time and really felt for her during her toughest times. I honestly adored this. One of my favourites compared to her other celeb novels which I didn’t enjoy

PHENOMENAL! As per usual TJR has done it again. I read this book in two sittings because I just couldn’t put it down. I adored Carrie and her fathers relationship, the love can be felt through the pages. Carries sheer determination and commitment is awe inspiring and the fact that I fell in love with these characters shows how good TJRs writing is. I’ll be recommending this to everyone I know and I can’t wait for her next book!