Carrie Soto has dominated women’s tennis for years and retires holding numerous records but now a new player, British star Nikki Chan, is about to break her record of the most grand-slam titles and Carrie wants it back. The American player, who was first introduced in a small role in Taylor Jenkins Reid’s previous novel Malibu Rising (it’s not necessary to have read it though), decides to come out of retirement, at the age of 37 after six years away, for one last season and a chance to win another grand slam. The book covers Carrie’s whole career, with focus on her relationship with her father and coach, Javier. It also looks at the perceptions of her fierce need to win at all cost that leads to her nickname the Battle Axe and the impact her pursuit of greatness has on her and the few who are close to her. It's wonderful to have a woman main character in a sports-related novel but in the end for me it felt like there’s a touch too much blow-by-blow tennis coverage. It eventually starts to slow down the characters’ development and distracts rather than adds to the story. That said, it’s still an enjoyable read with interesting characters who may not all be likeable, but you are still rooting for them.

I loved this story! Carrie Soto has so many levels to her character which I really enjoyed. The storyline engaging and kept you wanting to know more about this world that Taylor Jenkins Reid has created. Thank you NetGalley!

After listening to Seven Husband’s I was excited to get on with Carrie Soto. I love that the books are so different and the author really seems to chuck herself into her storylines.

The books charts the Carrie Soto’s return to tennis after retirement. Her relationship with her father made me experience all sorts of emotions. Story moves along at a great pace drawing the reader in. You’ll find yourself rooting for Soto.

One of my fav books this year

I was a little on the fence with this one because while I love TJR, I’m not big on sports but as I soon found out, that didn’t even matter. Carrie Soto is an ambitious, powerhouse of a player and her grit and determination was fascinating to read about. It was so refreshing to read a character who is so unapologetically and authentically herself. She was 100% flawed, of course. But, her dedication to her passion and her tunnel vision in wanting to be nothing short of the best made for great character development. And you know I’m here for that.

While the main plot was enough to sustain my interest, there was a lot going on beneath it too. Sexism in tennis? Boom. The price of ambition? Boom. A loving, yet tricky father-daughter relationship? Boom.

TJR has delivered, yet again.

I'm not sue how she does it, but every book I've read of Taylor Jenkins Reid has been a 5 star read. Her character and world building is amazing - I've never been into tennis but Carrie Soto has made me want to learn all about it!

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC.

Let me start this review by saying this is my second TJR book and I absolutely loved it. There’s something special about Reid’s novels that has you hooked from the very beginning which is not an easy skill to hone. Even though her writing style does not carry heavy pretentious prose, it is beautiful and direct; easy to follow with a smooth flow. I never thought I’d be interested in a book about tennis, but here we are; Reid knows what she’s talking about and it shows through her text (fyi: there’s a lot of tennis talk in this book).

Furthermore, it’s very rare to see books exploring the father-daughter relationship, and if they do it’s very rare to witness one in a positive light. Javier — I’m at a loss for words. I loved his bond with Carrie, his efforts not only to drive his ambitious daughter to the top, but to help her understand and live in the beauty of the game she dominates. I was on the verge of tears when Reid made Javier use terms of endearments (I almost cried when he called her ‘my heart’) to call upon Carrie. It was beautiful and pulled on my heart strings. All in all, the father-daughter bond that goes from “I want to make you proud. I want to be the best for you,” to “I need more than you can give me, tell me I’m the best, make me the best even if it hurts me,” to finally, “I understand what you wanted for me, I understand what I need, but you’re not here anymore, but I understand you wanted me to be happy, win or lose,” is one of the most beautiful storyline’s I’ve seen.

As for the characters, Carrie Soto is a complex person.
She’s a high achiever, an unbeatable athlete, a b*tch at times, a scared child with a closed heart, a woman trying her best to better, a role model, and an inspiration (also I’m sure she’s an INTJ). It’s easy to see parts of yourself in her and that’s what I think is special about Reid’s characters — they are human, fleshed out.

Overall, I can go on and on about this book, but to simply put it out there, this was beautiful. The themes that engulfed this novel — athleticism, family, love, ambition, courage, loneliness, the challenges women face in male dominated industries, especially as they age, were intrinsic and honest. I particularly liked how Reid showed how powerful women who knows their worth are perceived as arrogant and a b*tch by the world for not bowing their heads and for not acting the way they want them to, how women have to run twice the distance to be given an ounce of the respect that men receive, particularly in sports. I highly recommend this to anyone that’s looking for swift read that will keep you in your toes.

I loved this SO much! Taylor Jenkins Reid never disappoints me.
And THAT ENDING? At first I thought that the file they sent me had missing pages. How dare you!

But that's what made me love it the most.

Carrie Soto is Back

I am not sure I ever have or ever will be more grateful to have received an arc than I was when I received this one. I am completely and utterly in AWE of Taylor Jenkins-Reid. Her writing style, her characters the way she has built this dynasty of celebrities all living in the same time period is just incredible.

Carrie Soto did NOT disappoint. And wow this book reads like the most fast paced edge of your seat tie breaker Wimbledon final you ever did see.

Let’s start off with Carrie herself. I LOVED her. She was every inch the competitive argumentative says it like it is resting bitch face sports star I wanted her to be. She was refreshingly angry and her growth throughout the novel was a thing of beauty.

The way TJR has written this book is exceptional - I found myself racing though the chapters desperate to see what lay ahead for Carrie, each sentence a point, each page a game and each chapter a set.

Of course we had an all star cast featuring some familiar faces from TJR’s other books. And as you all probably know by now the TJR multiverse is my favourite thing ever! Also I have a theory about who the next TJR book will be about so when you’ve read it let’s discuss!

Honestly if TJR isn’t an auto buy author for you I’m just not sure we can be friends anymore! Carrie Soto is Back is out on 30th August so RUN and don’t walk to your nearest bookshop and devour this book just like I did!

The easiest ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ I have ever given and I would give more if I could!

I was so pleasantly surprised by this book. The synopsis made me a bit sceptical and I wasn't sure it would be my cup of tea. I loved the look into the tennis world. Carrie's story growing up and going after what she wanted is really inspiring. Her Father was a true rock, although pushing her at such a young age could have had devastating consequences. Carrie's story was great but her character was so hard to love. She seemed spoiled and aggressive, which is probably your right if your striving to be the best tennis player of all time. A really good close off and an easy read made it very entertaining.

Thank you Netgalley and Random House UK for this ARC.

My thanks to Random House U.K. Cornerstone Hutchinson Heinemann for an eARC via NetGalley of ‘Carrie Soto is Back’ by Taylor Jenkins Reid.

This is the fourth in her ‘Famous Women’s Quartet’ that share a common universe and some recurring characters and themes. However, they do work fine on their own. This novel focuses on the career of a tennis champion during the final decades of the 20th Century.

Carrie Soto had been a minor character in ‘Malibu Rising’. While I wasn’t that keen on ‘Malibu’, I figured that as I had enjoyed playing tennis when younger as well as watching tennis matches, that this novel would probably better suit my tastes. Yet, I still had mixed feelings on finishing.

First some plot details: Carrie Soto is a driven woman. From a tender age she was determined that she was going to be the best tennis player that the world has ever seen. With the assistance of her father as coach, she attains this goal shattering records and claiming 20 Grand Slam singles titles. Then in 1989, aware that wear and tear to her knees was beginning to effect her game, she retires.

Five years later and Carrie and her father are watching a match at the US Open. Nicki Chan, who had been an up and coming player when Carrie retired, is now close to matching Carrie’s record. As a result Carrie decides to make a return, despite being thirty-seven.

The first part of the novel broadly covers Carrie’s early career and the rest closely details her comeback, including training, the various matches, and her interactions with other players. She is ambitious and all business, which hasn’t made her particularly popular with other players.

So, my response. Carrie was not at all a likeable character and had been given the nickname of ‘The Battle Axe’ (and worse during a hot mic moment.) I found her need to be the best of the best, rather off putting. I expect though that this was Taylor Jenkins Reid’s intent to highlight the price of such ruthless ambition.

In addition, I found the pacing a little patchy. While the author clearly did a great deal of research into the game of tennis, including its history during the late 20th Century, her depiction of match after match became a bit repetitive and it was difficult for me to get a sense of the dynamics of the players’ games in print.

I expect that it likely would have been more effective in a film or mini series than described through words. However, I did have the unabridged audiobook edition, narrated by a full cast, which did heighten the sense of immersion. I feel that it is the kind of novel well suited to the audiobook format.

Overall, I found ‘Carrie Soto is Back’ a good read and I enjoyed it more than ‘Malibu Rising’. Certainly a novel bound to appeal to readers interested in tennis.

3.5 stars rounded up to 4.

Taylor Jenkins Reid is a powerhouse! There is something so addictive and compelling about her writing - even someone with absolutely no interest in tennis will love Carrie Soto Is Back!

I will read anything by Taylor Jenkins Reid! She is one of my favourite authors, an auto-buy as soon as her next book is announced. And Carrie Soto Is Back was no exception, despite the fact that I am so indifferent to sport that if this book had been written by anyone else, I wouldn't even have read to the end of the blurb, because it's all tennis, and only tennis. But because this book is written by TJR, it's gripping, engaging, flawless, romantic, and amazing all at once. You don't have to love tennis to love this book, you just have to love great books.

Another fantastic book by my absolute favourite author! I love the worlds Taylor JR creates and find myself fully immersed. A must read, 10/10, will be recommending this to everyone!

Taylor Jenkins Reid specialises in novels about the ordinary lives of remarkable people. Previous books have covered Hollywood stars, rock and roll bands and the children of the rich and famous. This time her story focuses on an all-time great tennis player who comes out of retirement in an effort to defend her record breaking number of grand slam titles that has come under threat. Though, in reality, the story isn’t about tennis at all and is really about the personal sacrifices that people have to make to achieve greatness and whether they are worth it in the end.

As with all of Jenkins Reid’s other novels, this is a masterfully told story, which is perfectly paced and with characters that resonate and feel completely realistic. In the wrong hands this story could descend into long, dull descriptions of tennis matches but the action is more often focussed on events off the court and the drama between the characters instead. Despite most of the key people in the story having huge flaws, you end up caring for them anyway and wanting things to work out for them. I’ll not spoil the story by saying too much about whether they do or not but by the end I was more interested in the relationships than the tennis matches.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book and would recommend it to anyone. I don’t think you need to have an interest in tennis or sports to get something out of the book. It’s another superb novel from Taylor Jenkins Reid, who is fast becoming one of my favourite authors.

Whilst I didnt love this I still REALLY liked it - just like I like everything else Taylor Jenkins Reid has written!

I would consider myself a fairweather tennis fan eg: I watch Wimbledon and get really into it but then dont watch anymore tennis until Wimbledon comes around again!! I found the sheer amount of tennis content in this book a little much - like it gets really detailed and whilst it is part of the story, sometimes I just thought enough already!!

I really liked Carrie and I love the way TJR weaves past characters into her books so we already knew who Carrie was from Malibu Rising but you dont have to have read that book to be able to pick this one up.

Basically I am a big TJR fan and I just knocked off a star for the sheer amount of Tennis detail which could put some off.

Six years ago Carrie Soto was the greatest tennis player the world had ever seen but then she retired after injury compromised her. Now, at the age of 37, Carrie sees record of Grand Slam titles overtaken by talented younger rival. Carrie determines that she will regain her record and play the four majors again but the game has moved on, faster and stronger, and Carrie is older - is she wiser though?
This is a great story in terms of actual plot but also in terms of the subtexts. Is it enough to be a success? Does that come at a price? The emotional journey of Carrie Soto through 1995 is tracked brilliantly. I also loved the references to Reid's earlier books, Carrie was a minor character in Malibu Rising but there is also a comment about Daisy Jones and the Six. In this novel the reader can see how the author is growing as a writer and I loved them from the start!

I’ve certainly not been quiet about my excitement to have a new Taylor Jenkins Reid book out in the world. Over the past couple of years, I’ve read every single book that she has released and I’ve loved them all. So, I had high expectations for Carrie Soto is Back and it lived up to every single one of them!

Within just a few pages I was pulled right inside the mind of Carrie Soto and I couldn’t put it down. I am someone that occasionally watches tennis but isn’t big on it. This book made me want to watch tennis all the time. I was captivated by the descriptions of tennis, the demanding training, the fierce competition and how Carrie needs to be the best at the game.

I adored the characters in this book. Carrie is not a likeable sports personality and she isn’t meant to be. That, of course, meant that I liked her even more as a main character. She is a sore loser, doesn’t play to her fans and she says what she thinks. Carrie captivated me throughout this book, she is an exceptional main character. Carrie is raised by her single father Javier, who I also loved. It was so nice to see a father-daughter relationship between Javier and Carrie. He only wants what is best for Carrie and you can see that immediately. Also, I have to mention Bowe and his role in this book. I was a bit sceptical of him at first but be sure to keep an open mind about this wonderful character.

Taylor Jenkins Reid’s writing style is amazing. I love the way in which she mixes different formats of telling a story in her books. In Carrie Soto is Back, we have the transcripts as a slightly different writing format. These come in the form of articles, interviews and a few other things. I enjoy how much these add to the story in just a few pages and I’d love more books to do this. Also, if you have read other Taylor Jenkins Reid books you will notice a few little easter eggs in this one, so keep an eye out for them.

This is more than just a story of ambition. It is a story about women in sport. The double standards they face, the sexism, the need to be liked and the comparison between the male tennis players. It is beautiful. Also, it is a lovely story of the relationship between a father and daughter who is her coach and number one fan.

There is one thing that Taylor Jenkins Reid always manages to do and that is give her readers a message in her books. The message in this one is simple and beautiful. Everything is temporary and all good things must come to an end. You can try to make it last as long as possible or you can appreciate every single second of it whilst it happens before letting it go.

Overall, Carrie Soto is Back is a triumphant book that I cannot recommend enough. You don’t need to be a tennis fan to pick this book up because the stunning writing and descriptions will grip you right away. Taylor Jenkins Reid deserves all the hype that she gets and you need to give this book a read!

Loved this book of Carrie Soto fight to be the best in the world at tennis, for the second time in her career. With each match you were rooting for her to reach that goal and finding out the story behind her first wins. TJR fans will be happy to have another great read awaiting them when this is published

Okay, so this is a tricky one for me to review. I like TJR, I would consider myself a fan after reading & loving quite a few of her books at this point.
Overall did I like Carrie Soto- yes. Did I have issues with it- also yes.. which leaves me quite confused on how to rate it.

The first issue is that Carrie Soto is a POC written by a white author and I know quite a few Latinx people have an issue with this. I completely understand their point of view and value their opinion on this. From a ‘white’ reader POV, I don’t know why TJR thought it was necessary, it didn’t bring anything additional to the story or plot other than lots of Spanish dropped in (which I’ve heard wasn’t always correct but I don’t know). There was nothing really mentioned about it other than a brief paragraph about her father going to America for the first time. I completely agree with diversity in books but a community had already said they weren’t happy with TJR the first time she did it (Evelyn Hugo), so I feel like she should have listened to them.

Now my other issue- Carrie Soto herself. She really wasn’t a nice character at all, in fact she was a horrible person for the majority of the book, completely unlikeable! I could see that TJR was trying to get the reader to see her as strong willed, unbeatable, unapologetic in her greatness etc but no she just wasn’t nice!

That aside, surprisingly by the end I realised I had actually really enjoyed the book, particularly the second half. I say surprisingly because I am not a tennis fan at all and this of course was very tennis heavy, so that coupled with my strong dislike of Carrie surprised me!

Taylor Jenkins Reid has the unique ability to make you feel like you’re reading about the life of a real ‘celebrity’. She did it with Daisy Jones, with Evelyn Hugo and now with Carrie Soto. I don’t think I’ve ever come across an author who can do this as well as she can. I really enjoy her writing style and find it easy to get lost in whatever world she has created. My only minor gripe with this one was the ending, the conclusion felt a little rushed to me. I would have liked just another chapter or two.

So yes, I’m torn on my rating.
I think this should be a 4 star rating but I don’t know with the issues I mentioned. I will put it as 4 stars for now while I think on it more.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Following on from Malibu Rising, the reader gets to encounter American tennis player, Carrie Soto, now 37yo, again. Taylor Jenkins Reid's latest offering gives the limelight to this character in a gripping portrayal of life and drama at the top levels of tennis. The book's focus is on things such as what it takes to rise right to the top, the sacrifices, rivalries and competitiveness and the prices paid to get there. Carrie is not the most genial character ever as she is ruthless, driven and does not care what others think of her, but she is someone you will still want to root for. The author effectively thrusts the reader into the elite level tennis world with her realistic and dynamic descriptions. Impressive and deeply entertaining with complex characters, I think this novel will appeal to many. Very worthwhile.

I received a complimentary copy of this novel from Random House via NetGalley at my request and this review is my own unbiased opinion.