I started reading this book and was completely absorbed within the first few sentences. I literally sat down and read almost a quarter of it without stopping, which with my dyslexia these days is a hard task. It wasn't that the plot was gripping because it had hardly started, it was the writing was just so enthralling that it dragged me in and held me there.

Carrie Soto is an interesting character. She's not very likeable, she's honestly called a bitch throughout most of the novel, but despite this I found myself caring about her a lot. I wanted her to achieve her goals. I wanted her to find love. I wanted her to make a damn friend! She needed more in her life than winning and I wanted her to find it.

There were some twists and turns that I didn't see coming and some I did, but I didn't know how the end would go until the very last moment. Was this a novel about winning? Was this a novel about learning to take loss? Was it both and she would learn to take loss and be rewarded at the very end by winning anyway? I literally had no idea. It made the final match thrilling because I couldn't guess the result at all.

I know I'm late to discovering Taylor Jenkins Reid, but I'm so excited to read the other books she's written.

I have really enjoyed this book. I'm not at all fan of tennis but I was sucked into its world from the very first page. It was really easy to follow and the characters were very loveable.

It takes a special author for me to be invested in a story centered around a sport that I have literally no interest in, it’s no surprise to me really that TJR managed to accomplish this. I HOOVERED this book up in less than 24 hours! Which is crazy because as mentioned, I really do not care about tennis and I was convinced I was going to regret choosing it to read. This was not the case at all, I was absolutely riveted - this author’s way with words is magical and compelling and I just loved the way the story bounced off the pages so vividly. I felt as if I was there with Carrie Soto each time she picked up her tennis racket and I was enjoying it.

There are so many important takeaways for me in this book, mainly around the power and strength of women in a male-dominated world and the freedom of not letting your passions and hobbies cloud other important aspects of your life. Also I loved and will always love the connections Taylor makes with her other books, it genuinely thrills me. If you’re not a fan of tennis, like me, do not let that put you off from reading this wonderful book!

Thanks to Random House UK, Cornerstone & Netgalley for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I don't think words can fully describe how disappointed I am. I love TJR. I love this odd world of celebrity that her books have created. But for me, Carrie Soto wasn't so much back as she was...bland.

Taking a minor character from 'Malibu Rising', this novel explores her attempt at a comeback after retirement following a young tennis player named Nicki Chan coming close to knocking her record of its perch. If you like tennis, you'll probably get on well with this book. If you don't....good luck to you. For me, there was something missing in this novel that was there in Daisy Jones and starting to dim in Malibu Rising. Maybe it's the world saying 'we've spent enough time here'.

The writing, as always, is great. TJR is a great writer, her prose is excellent and the story remains entertaining. But it's the context in which that prose exists that lets the book down time and time again. Throughout, I felt as though I was skimming the surface of a story. The same themes and ideas were getting repeated over and over again. Carrie, as a character, is often very one note, she doesn't get a lot of consistent development throughout. So much time is spent on the minutiae of a tennis match that I got bored very quickly and found myself skimming those scenes. There's a richness that's missing and it made the reading experience tough.

I started this book on August 3rd. It's 20 days later. THAT is how long it took me to read this because of how bored I was getting. I had to force myself through the second half. It lacked energy and intrigue that, ironically, the format of Daisy Jones and the Six would have jazzed up nicely.

I don't know what else to say really. I'm sad it wasn't great. I was rooting for it. People will love it, I'm sure. But this one was a swing and a miss for me.

Actual rating 4.5/5 stars.

Taylor Jenkins Reid strikes again! I don't dislike tennis as a sport, and used to play it almost every day for a period of my school days. My current interest doesn't stem past watching Wimbledon, however. So how has this author made me so invested in the career of a fictional tennis player and so eager to hold a racket in my hands again??

I loved every moment of this story, which chronicles Carrie Soto's rise to fame, descent into obscurity, and attempts to earn her place back on the courts, the tabloids, and the leader boards. I enjoyed exploring her character and uncovering the trajectory of her life, which was fraught with high emotions, insecurities, and anxieties.

The romantic aspects were lightly included, which only made me vye for Carrie and her intended to realise their fates were aligned far sooner than my actually did so. I adored both of their characters and my heart soared during every one of their interactions. This author knows how to craft authentic characters and make me fall in love with them, as they fall in love with each other.

This book was not without its fair share of heartbreak though, leading as many tears to fall as smiles were conjured. That only ensured this book to hold more of a special place in my heart and I know it is one which will long be committed to memory and often returned to.

We first met Carrie Soto in Malibu Rising as the husband stealing pro tennis player. That was in the early 80’s when she was in her prime. We rejoin her in the mid 90s as she steps out of retirement to prevent Nancy Chan from surpassing her as the greatest tennis player in history. Can she, as a woman in her late 30’s find her previous unstoppable form?

I was absolutely captivated from start to finish. Brilliant tennis throughout and I raced through the book and the matches as if I were at home watching Wimbledon. Loved the weaving of Spanish language throughout to give her Argentinian father authenticity.

Loved her relationship with her papa - such a great guy. And I loved how abrasive and unapologetic Carrie is. It was great to read about an ambitious and abrasive “older” woman who is confident and unashamedly seeking to dominate her profession.

Another master piece from TJR and possibly my favourite yet.

Carrie Soto Is Back totally opened up my eyes to the world of sport-themed books. I have never been driven to read such books, but with loving Taylor Jenkins Reid, I decided to give it a shot, and i’m so glad that I did! This book did such a good job at helping the reader get into the competitive feeling that so many of us have not felt since we played child-good sports.

The reader follows the experience of Carrie Soto, a 37 year old tennis super star, when she makes the decision to come out of retirement when she fears her world wide record is threatened by new fresh-faced player Niki Chan. TJR does such a good job at offering the reader an inner monologue of Carrie and allows the reader to feel as though they are there along side her on the court.

Carrie has always been destined to be the very best in the world; as her own father says. With her father, a world renowned tennis coach, as her own coach and motivator, we grapple with her struggle to return to the grueling training she submits herself to. With each match, Carrie not only faces the physical task of winning, but also the mental game of how to win, and what it all means as a whole. Match after match we move along through the years of her playing and has the reader rooting for her, even with her brute mentality for the game and the people around her. Her ruthlessness to be the absolute best in the game brings on its own troubles and inner struggles that we get to see her work out.

I was rooting for her the entire time and could not put this book down. Topics of women on sports, stereotypes and race were woven together to create a much deeper story and I couldn’t get enough. If you find yourself interested in sports, women in sports, inner growth and even familia relations, this book is definitely for you. Taylor Jenkins Reid definitely did not disappoint.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with this eARC! Below you can find links to some of my other formats of review:

https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZTRfP2BTT/
https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZTRff35WM/
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4752502875

Carrie Soto is Back

Carrie Soto is briefly mentioned in Malibu Rising and what an entrance she makes there!
This, however, is the story of how the world record holding tennis player advances through the world of world class tennis. Coached by her father, Javier, from a young age Carrie takes no prisoners. An amazing athlete on and off the court, punishing herself to be the best.
She re-enters the Grand Slams after it becomes clear someone is about to break her record and Carrie Soto is not having that!
Being thrust into the limelight again and everyone not believing that she can be at winning level again, Carrie is belittled by pundits and nicknamed, not only The Battle Axe but also The B*tch.
I loved Carrie’s character development throughout this book, yes she’s tough, yes she’s straight talking, but we also see her softener, vulnerable side. Carrie is a complete force of nature and i loved her.
I had a few tears at one point, no spoilers but I wasn’t expecting something and i have to say it was beautifully handled and well written.
A mention of her reading a biography of Daisy Jones & The Six keeps us in the TJR-verse, i love these little hints to her other books.
Yet again, another blinder and I loved every second of Carrie’s tale 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

Carrie Sotto is Back by Taylor Jenkins Reid

4.5 STARS

Another classic by Taylor Jenkins Reid. She has an incredible way of blending the plot line, believable characters and building a world you're invested in, regardless of whether you've had any interest before.

TJR is fast becoming my favourite author. She can do no wrong in my eyes. Since I read the fabulus Daisy Jones & The Six last summer I have been devouring everything else she has read and loved them all. She just writes great stories in such a compelling and readble style. This was no exception. Add in the fact that I am a huge tennis fan too and it was always going to be a win from me.

Carrie Soto has retired form tennis but when her grand slam record is threatened she decides to come out of retirement and prove once and for all that she is the best. With her coach dad at her side (I loved him!) she goes back into full training to achieve her new dream. Utterly compelling from the outset.

Only Taylor Jenkins Reid could make me read a book about tennis. Seriously.

This is probably my least favourite of TJR’s books so far. It was good, but it wasn’t one that I devoured (unlike Malibu Rising).

Carrie Soto is Back, out of retirement to reclaim her ‘greatest tennis player of all time’ title. Known as ‘The Battle Axe’ Soto is a hard-faced, determined and hot-headed. She isn’t well liked, nor does she try to be. She is her own person and owns it. I loved this aspect of her character, she is unashamedly confident and wants to be the absolute best, no one will get in her way.

Her relationship with her father and coach, Javier, was the highlight of this book for me. He was my favourite character by far. I adored him. His desire to see her succeed, but also to see her ultimately happy, played out so well. Gwen, Nicki and Bowe were also great characters, I loved reading about them all. TJR writes characters so well, I honestly believe she could write stories (novels or novellas) about all of them, they are that well developed!

I know very little about tennis, but this did not detract from my enjoyment. TJR has this incredible talent of immersing you in whichever world she is writing about. I was in the world of tennis, for the entirety of this book. I could feel the pace, the action, the suspense and the thrill of watching a match. I liked how TJR highlighted some important conversations about misogyny and women in sport too.

Overall, an enjoyable and engaging read, once again with some wonderful characters. Highly recommend that you read some TJR soon (if you haven’t already!).

Thank you to Random House UK, Cornerstone and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I will post a review to Amazon once book is published.

‘Carrie Soto is Back’ by Taylor Jenkins Reid provides an account of the titular character’s tennis career and her return to tournaments aged 37. This is with the aim of maintaining her unbeaten records, which are now in jeopardy thanks to the rise of new player Nicki Chan. Supporting her is her father/coach ‘the Jaguar’.

Taylor Jenkins Reid is fantastic at crafting novels that feel like truth. In ‘Daisy Jones and the Six’ (mentioned in this novel) she managed to provide an account that felt real, and here she does the same. At times reading this, I was heavily reminded of reading Andre Agassi’s ‘Open’, due to the depiction in this novel of the same demand for focus, perfection and winning despite this never being enough. However, despite this novel seemingly being about tennis, there are many parallels and life lessons contained within this book. It is also surprisingly emotional, with me finding myself tearful at points. I would definitely recommend this book.

It’s is 1994. Carrie Soto watches on as 17-year-old Nikki Chan meets Ingrid Cortez in the final of the US Open. As the game is won, Carrie Soto, winner of twenty Grand Slam titles, makes the life-changing decision to step out of retirement to defend her record. And just like that… Carrie Soto is back.

With just as much excitement as a tennis fan gaining tickets for a Centre Court final, I was granted an ARC of this novel. Yup, Taylor Jenkins Reid is also back! If, like me, you gobbled up ‘ Daisy Jones and the Six’, ‘Malinu Rising’ and ‘The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo’, then you’ll be delighted to read this latest novel. And yes, it’s in the same ‘world’ as the author’s previous novels, and so it does have a link to Mick Riva, along with a few other ‘easter eggs’ for fans of the author’s other books

Two big groups of readers are going to love this novel: (1) fans of Taylor Jenkins Reid – and there is a huge following out there; (2) fans of tennis. Despite there being little mention of the sport in the publicity material I’ve seen so far, this novel is certainly all about the tennis. Before reading this, I’d never sat through a televised match in my life, let alone played, but I now think that I might just take more of an interest in the future. I’m not sure about the author’s associations with tennis, but she writes about it with a passion and a reverence that are deeply contagious.

This is a powerful novel about the cost if ambition and success. It’s about what it takes to win and the sacrifices that those winners face in order to get to the top of their game. Once again featuring a strong female protagonist and an insight into a world that is closed-off to the majority of us, ‘Cartie Soto is Back” is yet another triumph. Game, set and match to Taylor Jenkins Reid.

Taylor Jenkins Reid has once again not disappointed. This book draws you in until you are so absorbed in the tennis world you don’t quite know what to do with yourself when it’s over.

I loved the relationship between Carrie and her father and how that developed. There’s plenty of emotional passages - this is TJR after all!

I would say though that there is, unsurprisingly, a lot of tennis in this book. Practising, strategy and the actual matches themselves. I loved this and felt it really worked for me, but do be warned if you are particularly uninterested in tennis!

Wow What a brilliant read. My fav Taylor Jenkins Reid yet. I loved the style of writing with the game commentary - I felt like I was there at the match loving each point and feeling all the emotions. I loved Carrie and Bowe - such warriors in the game and both so tough. The support and inspiration her father gave Carrie was wonderful and so emotional. Such a timely read when women’s sport is at the forefront of the news - to show that regardless of sex, colour and race to be the best takes guts and hard work ( and a little talent 😉)

I have mixed reviews for Taylor Jenkins Reid, I absolutely loved The Seven Husbands of evelyn Hugo but didn’t really care much for Daisy Jones and The Six. When I saw this one, I requested it immediately knowing it would be popular but then was worried I wouldn’t enjoy it so it sat on my list for ages.

When I eventually decided to read this, I thought I would check out some reviews first, panicking that I had done the wrong thing and would hate it. The reviews were awesome but many mentioned taking a while to get into. I decided to go ahead but would give myself to 20%, if I wasn’t enjoying it, I could give up.

Well, I didn’t need to go through all that stress at all! By the end of the second page I was hooked and read the whole book in less than a day.

Carrie ‘The Battle Axe’ Soto worked hard to become the greatest Tennis player of all time, mostly coached by her father from a very young age she strived to be the best and she made it with hard work and total dedication. Six years after her retirement someone is threatening ot be better than her and she is determined to go back and defend her title, to win one more championship and prove she is still the best. Six years is a long time to be away from the game though and at 37-years-old she is the oldest female professional player ever. Will she be able to make a comeback and beat the odds?

I loved Carrie, she isn’t the most pleasant or friendly of people, but she is motivated, determined and laser focused on what she wants. Nothing will stop her but with so many things to get in her way there are a lot of challenges along the way. I loved her almost unwavering self-belief, how hard she worked for what she wanted, something you don’t see often these days.

Carrie’s father, Javier, was lovely. He coached her for a long time, was just as dedicated and encouraging but he also tried to teach her some humility which doesn’t really sink in until the very end. I loved the other characters as well, particularly Bowe and Nicki Chan.

Speaking of endings, I loved the ending of this as well. It was almost perfect, my only criticism is that the relationship didn’t end as I had expected but that’s not what the book was about at all so didn’t detract from the story at all, just could have been nice.

I have never been particularly interested in tennis; I watched a little with my Gran when I was young but never got into it. I’m not really into any sport but this didn’t affect my enjoyment with this at all, in fact, I have much more appreciation for what it takes to be a tennis or sports professional. It did speak to me as an entrepreneur though, the dedication, hard work and complete focus that makes you successful is very similar.

This is about relationships, determination, hard work and bloody mindedness. I would highly recommend it to anyone who is interested in sports, what it takes to be successful or who is an entrepreneur and is familiar with the struggles it takes. Likewise though, I think many others will enjoy the relationships and journey within this as well.

In my opinion, Taylor Jenkins Reid is back!!

I know for a lot of people she never left, but after really loving a couple of her earlier books, I have been disappointed by Daisy Jones & The Six and Malibu Rising. The format in the former didn't work for me (I very much like to be immersed in a story) and I don't know what was going on in the latter but it didn't hold my attention.

This was Evelyn Hugo-level riveting for me. I couldn't put it down.

Reid pulled me right inside the mind of Carrie Soto and right into each heart-pounding game of tennis. I am not a sports person, don't watch sports, but I was for the duration of this novel. The gruelling training, the ferocious competition, Carrie's need to be the best and her fear that she might not be. The story of a young girl who sees other children building sandcastles and thinks:

I wondered why anyone would want to build anything out of sand, when tomorrow it will be gone, and you'd have nothing to show for your day.


Carrie is not a likable sports personality, which, of course, made me like her even more. She doesn't play to fans, her mouth often runs away from her, and she's a sore loser. She can't help it. Raised by single father Javier, she has lived and breathed tennis her whole life. It is who she is and the thought that she might not be the best... well, it's unthinkable. When a younger player matches her all-time slam record, thirty-seven year old Carrie plans a comeback. At her age, it's not easy. Can it even be done?

The bulk of the commentators... They wanted a woman whose eyes would tear up with gratitude, as if she owed them her victory, as if she owed them everything she had.


As well as being a fabulously gripping story of ambition verging on obsession, it is also about being a woman in sports-- the sexism, the double standards, the focus on her likability (or in Carrie's case, lack of), the trivializing of her achievements by male tennis players. It's also a lovely story of the relationship between a woman and a father who is also her coach, cheerleader and number one fan.

At its heart, the book's message is a simple old one. One that could have been cheesy in the wrong hands, but Reid pummels our heart enough along the way that the message comes as a relief. It's this: everything is temporary and all good things come to an end. You can try to cling to it as long as possible, sucking every bit of life and enjoyment out of it, or you can love and appreciate every second while it is happening and, in the end, let it go.

As engrossing as you'd expect from Taylor Jenkins Reid, and interesting to see the full Carrie Soto as opposed to the bit part she played in Malibu Rising.

I'm a tennis person anyway, so I loved all the tournament details and minutiae of Carrie's world, as well as the relationship between her and her father/coach.

Intriguing parts where the coverage of women in sport was touched on, particularly strong women who don't play along with the mainstream media expectations.

Very enjoyable but not her best.

Very

Taylor Jenkins Reid is an author that you can always rely on for powerful characters, strong character development, excellent insight, and a consuming atmosphere, and she doesn't disappoint with her latest hit, Carrie Soto Is Back.

I'm not a sports person at all and I would never usually pick up a book about a tennis superstar. But I'll read anything by TJR as she is a fantastic author! And yet again, I can't fault TJR's wonderfully descriptive writing, skilful development, and fully-fleshed characters. However, the story did lack a little something for me.

With the other books that I have read by TJR so far, there has always been some mystery to reveal (Evelyn Hugo - Why is she telling this story? Malibu - What caused the fire?). But with Carrie Soto, the story was very much "Will she win or lose?", so I didn't feel that there wasn't anything more for me to look forward to.

However, my disengagement is mainly due to the fact that I don't enjoy most sports, although this didn't have as much of an effect as I thought it would. This is because Carrie's character is much more about her winning mentality than delving deeper into her psych or any past experiences that have defined her, so I struggled to warm to her for a long time. But her character really grew on me towards the end as we began to see how her relationship with Bowe and her father developed, finally getting inside her head a little more.

Still, I think if you have more of a sporting personality or are more of an ambitious person with this same state of mind, you'll relate to her character much more easily and be much more invested in her story arc than I was able to.

There's certainly so much more to find interesting than just tennis, anyway. Most of all, I find it so fascinating how TJR delves into these very different lives of celebrity status through her characters and how the small link runs throughout them.

TJR is always an author I will be excited by, and there is no doubt this will be another No.1 Grand Slam.

I received an electronic advanced reader copy of this book in return for my honest opinion. Thank you to Taylor Jenkins Reid and Random House Uk/ Cornerstone for allowing me to read this before it’s release.

I’m not a sports person, never have been and never will be. I’ll fully admit that if I wasn’t already aware of the author from reading The Seven Husbands Of Evelyn Hugo this wouldn’t have been on my radar. However, I was pleasantly surprised when I grew invested in the results of the matches.

For me, while Carrie was unequivocally the main character, I found myself drawn far more to her father, Bowe and to Nicki Chan. While I did find myself rooting for Carrie, I found myself far more swept away with the desire for Bowe to succeed.

I did find myself getting drawn out of the story at times however, primarily during matches, though this is easily attributed to my general disinterest in sports.

I did appreciate the allusions to other books within the TJR universe, though as I’ve currently only read one I’m sure there’s many I’ve missed.

Overall, it was an enjoyable read, and I enjoyed it more than I thought I would.