Having been a huge fan of Taylor Jenkins Reid’s books for years - in particular what I like to think of as the ‘Evelynverse’ - I was so excited to return to the world of these fake celebrities and their scandals that keeps me far more enthralled than any real-life drama. However, when Carrie Soto Is Back was first announced, I found myself not as excited to read about a sports star as I had been to read about an actress, a singer, or a famous family.

Not even ten pages into this book, I knew how wrong I had been to think that. From the very start, Carrie and her passion for tennis had me hooked, and I even felt the urge to watch a game of tennis, which was definitely due to TJR’s unique ability to have me wholly convinced that Carrie Soto really exists.

Carrie is a wonderful protagonist. She is a woman who knows her worth. She is arrogant and boastful because she has every right to be. She isn’t nice, she isn’t coy, she isn’t there to act surprised - she’s there to play tennis because she’s the best there is.
Carrie Soto is unapologetically herself, and you love her all the more for it.

Another aspect of the book I really enjoyed was how understated Carrie and Bowe’s romance was. Their relationship - though of great interest to the public because of their celebrity status - was not a source of melodrama to the narrative, but instead fits in well with Carrie’s overthinking and how her affinity to make things more complicated than they need to be. It really solidified the theme of when love is real, it is simple.

All in all, this book was a masterpiece. I laughed. I cried. I understood tennis jargon. Many readers - myself included - will finish this book taking a little bit of Carrie Soto with them.

Carrie Soto is Back by Taylor Jenkins Reid is once again, another masterclass in writing fictional celebrity characters and making them feel real.

Taylor Jenkins Reid has a true talent with her writing, she adds little easter eggs to link each of the books in her interconnected collection of celebrity stories. These remain tasteful, and would probably be skipped over by a reader who has not read other Taylor Jenkins Reid books.

Carrie Soto is Back, tells the story of one of the world's best women's tennis players in the 80s; Carrie Soto. I have personally never had an interest in tennis, but this book made everything feel true to life like I was a tennis fan watching these games and getting involved. I truly do not know how Taylor Jenkins Reid manages to make the environment so real, and the characters feel like true celebrities. The amount of research and detail that goes into these books must take a lifetime.

The four-star rating I am giving to this book is well deserved, if not slightly harsh of me for this incredible story. I get so hooked and sucked into the worlds that Taylor Jenkins Reid creates, and I am so glad to get the privilege to read this book before its release later this month.

Whilst nothing will knock The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo off of the pedestal as my favourite Taylor Jenkins Reid book, this definitely gave it a run for its' money. I truly cannot wait to see what Taylor Jenkins Reid does next with these interconnected characters and stories, and you bet I'll be the first there to beg for a copy!

The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo - ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Carrie Soto is Back - ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Malibu Rising - ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Daisy Jones and the Six - ⭐⭐⭐

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House UK for the honour of being able to read this book pre-release.

Taylor Jenkins Reid is back with yet another moving and exhilarating story set in the world of fame. This time we follow Carrie Soto, a competitive, ambitious and decorated tennis player, come out of retirement to snatch back her world record. I'll admit, even as a massive Taylor Jenkins Reid fan, I was definitely hesitant to start reading this as someone with an aversion to sport, however Jenkins Reid instantly flipped this reluctance from the first page. The author manages to highlight Carrie's many flaws whilst still making her a lovable character that readers can't help but side with, watching her development throughout the book. Alongside her father and coach, Javier, the book is filled with a range of characters with depth and intricate roles. Not only does Jenkins Reid explore the world of tennis, creating nail-biting, jaw-clenching match scenes filled with suspense and tension, but she also delves deep into the complexity of family relationships and the toll competitive sports can have on players.

Yet another Taylor Jenkins Reid book which surpasses expectations for tennis lovers and non-lovers alike!

Tennis isn’t my favourite sport, but I enjoy watching it from time to time. Especially when you have a legend like Serena Williams on the court. And in light of her news this book is very apt.

Carrie is just as much of a legend as Williams. I enjoyed reading about her comeback. I did struggle a bit with the Spanish lines from time to time. I’m not fluent by any means, I have a very basic understanding of that language and it’s much better when it’s spoken. So yes, that was a wee bit difficult sometimes to understand. I do love these interactions between Carrie and her dad. He might even be the highlight of this book for me.

I’ve previously only read Reid’s Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo. That book was so hyped and I just didn’t get that, I like this book better, I think. Even if you don’t like tennis, this is a fun read.

I've only read Malibu Rising before this and I think the writing in this was better. The concept was so interesting especially on the back of Serena Williams' news. I loved the inclusion of the reports scattered throughout the book and felt myself really warming to Carrie. Her dad was the best part of the book though and I loved their Spanish moments. An easy read and especially fun if you enjoy tennis.

I already loved TJR and after reading this book I love her even more... who knew I could enjoy a book about tennis? I really wasn't expecting to like this so much, but I did. TJR's writing is so engaging, I love its simplicity and straightforwardness.

That said, this is a deceivingly deep book. Yes, it is told from the point of view of a tennis player and there is a lot of talks about strategy, games, and so on, so at first it only feels like a nice story of a come back to defend a record. But the further you go the more it touches so many important issues, including family relationships, self-esteem problems, ageism, love, friendship...

All I have to do now is decide if Daisy Jones and The Six (which is very cleverly mentioned in this book - so swift!) is still my favourite...

Thank you so much NetGallery and Cornerstone for the arc of this book in exchange for an honest review.

At first I wasn't sure if this would live up to the extremely high expectations I had set for Taylor's new book. It took a little while to get fully into the story, but once I did I was sold. I was rooting for Carrie and living vicariously through her career. Time and again I am baffled by how TJR takes a mundane topic like tennis (which would never appeal to me in any circumstance, mind you) and spin it into a tale that has me wanting to keep reading. This was absolutely amazing.

Ah, the TJR obsession has truly been refuelled once again, and I could not be happier. Who would have thought I could get so into tennis?!

With every book that she writes in this world, Taylor Jenkins Reid manages to pull me right back in. Every story has a way of feeling so real, and I find myself fully invested within a matter of pages. And Carrie Soto is absolutely no exception. As with TJR's other books, Carrie Soto Is Back pulls no punches when it comes to excellent female characters facing a world that serves only to put their white male counterparts on a pedestal. The absolute feminine rage that filled my soul while reading this was truly an experience like no other. The characters in this book are so good and so interesting to read, obviously Carrie in particular. She's a difficult person to understand and it's hard to watch her continue to make the wrong choices, but she's also very easy to sympathise with and I found myself wanting her to win throughout the entire book. The romance aspect of the book also really managed to get me which I wasn't entirely expecting? I found it to be super endearing and again I just found myself wanting them to be together the entire time. There are some really sweet moments that definitely tugged on my heartstrings and I'm not at all ashamed. Not only for the romantic aspect, but also the father-daughter dynamic we see between Carrie and her dad. I love a good family dynamic and this was such a good one. Again some incredibly sweet moments, but also some tough moments that again just feel so real and raw to read. Another thing to mention is how utterly surprised I am that I managed to get so invested in a sports story!! If you know me at all, you will know I do not have an athletic bone in my body, but I was HOOKED on this book. I found myself binging it so easily and got so much more engrossed in the matches than I anticipated. So I guess I'm a tennis fan now, is that how this works?

All in all, I'm so glad to be holding another wonderful TJR book in my hands right now and I will never not be excited to see this world grow. The little callbacks to other characters from previous books always get me excited and I'll be eagerly awaiting whatever is next in store.

Whilst I enjoyed Carrie Soto is back I didn’t love it which really disappointed me. I know other really rated it, so maybe this one was just not for me. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me an advance copy.

Following on from her previous novels, Taylor Jenkins Reid continues to explore the pressures of fame, this time from the perspective of a top tennis star.

Carrie is an unusual character, who cares about one thing only: winning. This comes at the expense of everything else in her life, and the classic perfectionism of high achievers was evident in her from an early age as she struggled to deal with failure. I found her very cold at first and I felt quite detached from her for most of the book - perhaps for this reason I didn’t enjoy this as much as TJR’s other works. However, Carrie definitely goes on a journey throughout the story and without saying too much, I enjoyed her gradual realisation that maybe tennis isn’t the only important thing in life.

At the heart of the story is Carrie’s very complex relationship with her father and coach. I loved how it evolved through its highs and its lows, with faults on both sides, but is ultimately rooted in deep (though flawed) love. I enjoyed her other unusual relationships - especially with Bowe and Nicki - and also thought the end was very fitting and a natural progression for Carrie.

It was also an interesting insight into the world of tennis. I would have preferred more character interactions over all the blow-by-blow accounts of the matches, although I could visualise every moment of these, despite not being a tennis person at all! I enjoyed the allusions to gender disparity in tennis - how the women’s game is still seen as inferior, and how female stars are subject to so much harsher criticism by the media.

Overall, this was a fun and entertaining beach read, but for me, the characters didn’t jump off the page. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Carrie Soto is Back

American tennis star Carrie Soto is one of the best players the world has ever seen, holding the world record for the most grand slam titles. She cemented this place in sporting history under the coaching of her father, Javier, but while her natural talent can’t be ignored she isn’t exactly her nation’s sweetheart, and pundits refer to her as ‘The Battle Axe’ due to her relentless drive to be the best, her lack of emotion on court and her calculated game play.

When Carrie is forced to retire at the height of her game after getting a knee injury you’d think that would be it, but she isn’t one to bow out before her time. 6 years later, with a young upstart poised to break her grand slam title record, 37 year old Carrie declares war, promising to make her comeback, against all odds, and win another grand slam title.

Can she defy expectations and prove to everyone that she is still the greatest tennis player that ever lived?

Firstly, only TJR could get me to read a book about sports (even if I do like tennis!) but Carrie Soto Is Back is more than just an underdog sports story. It’s a story of love, family, redemption and the pitfalls of fame, and I truly loved it. I loved the prickly Carrie in particular, and seeing her soften and thaw as the book went on. Like we have come to expect, there were various little references to other TJR characters, the plot was fast paced and exciting and I bawled my eyes out at the final 20 minutes or so!

Lastly, I finished this book in one afternoon which I think sums up my feelings on it. Carrie Soto Is Back is another TJR classic that you won’t want to miss!

Thank you to Netgalley and Random House for an e-arc of this book.

Carrie Soto was the greatest tennis player in the world during the 70’s and 80’s. She was so powerful, so fierce, so brutal…so much so she was known as The BattleAxe. Retiring with an all time record of 21 Grand Slam titles, Carrie simply was the best. However, back on the circuit, superstar tennis player Nicki Chan is about to break Soto’s record, forcing Soto to come out of retirement and play one last tour in the hopes she can retain her status as the greatest player of all time!

OH MY GOD! THIS BOOK IS SO DAMN GOOD. Ngl I am a bit of tennis fan, I love watching Wimbledon, so I knew this book would be right up my street. However, even if you’re not a tennis fan - DO NOT BE PUT OFF - this book will literally make you want to go out and get some tennis lessons!. I was hooked from the get go, and TJR writes so incredibly well that you feel like you’re in the book yourself. I honestly felt like I was right there on centre court in Wimbledon watching Soto play!

A truly fabulous read which I CANNOT STOP THINKING ABOUT!!! This is one of those books that you truly don’t ever want to end 🥺 and I can’t recommend this enough!

Sadly I had to put this one down, I didn’t understand the Spanish language in the book (and there was no translation of the text available…) and I soon got bored of the constant tennis with nothing else happening vibe of the book. I wanted romance, I wanted drama, this could have been so much better. I love TJR, her other books have all been FABULOUS, so I’m not really sure what went wrong here, sadly it’s not for me.

Thank you to Hutchinson Heinemann for sending me an e-arc.

TJR is and has always proven to be a fantastic author. She reduced me to a sobbing mess through Evelyn Hugo. My heart was never the same after Daisy Jones and the Six. But while Malibu Rising was more on her style, it lacked the depth and Carrie Soto, her newest novel, lacks complexity.

So what is Carrie Soto Is Back about?
Tennis Slam Record Holder, Carrie Soto the Battle Axe, comes out from retirement to defend her title as the newest queen of Tennis ties with her record. With her prickly personality and sharp attitude leaving her with no practice partners to train, the media never friendly to the Battle Axe and her own insatiable need for greatness driving her, will Carrie defend her title?

The first thing about Carrie Soto is that it lacks the anticipation and urgency that all other TJR books have. You want to discover what happened to the Six in DJ, why Monique and who did Evelyn love in Evelyn Hugo, and the family drama that burnt the house down in Malibu Rising. Carrie Soto carries no such such stake and if this was not a TJR book, I would have DNFed it for lack of interest.

Carrie is unlikable and she also gives us very little reason to root for her at the beginning. Her flashbacks don't endear her to you, you just feel so much pity for this sad woman chasing after the gleam of great, never satisfied and ever hungry, to fill the hole in her.

But damn, doesn't it turn around! TJR has this uncanny ability to make me invested in shit I never gave a damn about, like Rock Bands, Pop culture and now, tennis. The final few matches felt so real that I felt myself in the stands at the 1995 Wimbledon screaming for Carrie Soto and cheering Nicki Chan on at the US opens. Carrie's relationship with her father is also heartbreakingly complex, with so much love and resentment hidden deep inside but so much affection too.

I didn't give a damn about the romance and felt like the book could have done without it or taken the left towards the sapphic lanes but sadly that didn't happen. I also felt like the book did too much telling over showing and would have benefitted from some drama.

Anyway, Carrie Soto is Back is still a stunning testament to TJR's untraditional storytelling mastery but fails to hit the same mark as her previous novels due to the lack of urgency and complexity. Thank you to the publisher for providing an e-arc in exchange for an honest review via Netgalley.

Phenomenal! I didn’t want to stop reading, the pacing of the book is superb. It is a very satisfying read from start to finish, even more so than Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo. I love how Reid can immerse the reader fully in a character’s life and story. I already can’t wait to read what Reid writes next!

Great book! I loved the plot, the pacing (I flew through it) and the fact that the drama and excitement is maintained right up to the last few pages.

I will remember our main character Carrie for a long time. Someone who one minute would irritate me, then the next, I was entertained by and rooting for. Her passion for tennis is infectious - I was playing with my husband just yesterday and tried to embrace my inner Carrie Soto with every hit .... and failed quite miserably. But the point is - she inspired me! Her 'tough as nails' attitude and sharp tongue were off-putting initially but in time, I grew to love this about her.

Special mention to Carrie's father, Javier, who is such an endearing & lovable character. How they navigated their father/daughter & coach relationship was very interesting to read. Javier speaks a lot of Spanish in this book and I quite liked having to keep Google Translate open at all times to help me out.

I really enjoyed this book. It was just that bit extra special for me as a tennis hooligan.

Tennis star Carrie Soto has twenty Grand Slams to her name. When she retired she was the most successful female tennis player in history. At the age of thirty seven she sees her crown is being threatened by Niki Chan. Carrie decides to come out of retirement to deal with the upstart.

Carrie is arrogant, determined and ruthless just as a champion has to be. At the start she is pretty unlikable apart from in her relationship with her coach and father, Javier. That is the best part of the book. The plot is pretty much only based on Carrie's fight back to fitness and it does become a bit repetitive. There is a side story of 'will they, won't they?' with her tennis partner, Bowe.

All in all this was quite an entertaining read but, for me, it didn't light any fires.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Random House for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Taylor Jenkins Reid just never misses, does she? When this book is released, RUN don't walk to your nearest bookshop to get it, drop everything you're currently reading to read it, because this is absolutely incredible. I was worried going into it that with all of the tennis/sports, that I wouldn't be able to get into it (because I am literally the least sporty person ever) but I needn't have worried, obviously TJR would make it so that I am now seriously obsessed with tennis for some reason and desperately want to be watching some? But specifically I want to watch Carrie Soto's matches. The way TJR wrote these matches had me on the edge of my seat as if I was watching them play out in front of me, it was so engaging, I want these matches to exist so that I can actually watch them please and thank you.

This was also my first 5 star book since nearly 30 books ago and it's no wonder, it was always going to be TJR who brought my 5 stars back, this is the fourth book of hers that I've read (and I've read them all in 2022) and there has not been a single one that deserves any less than 5 stars, and that stands true for Carrie Soto is Back.

There are so many fantastic elements to this book that just worked so well for me. There's so much personal growth and acceptance, a lot of discussion on the struggles that women face, that are still true to this day, even nearly 30 years on from when Carrie Soto is back in the tennis game; there's a slow building love story, and of course, most importantly, there's a beautiful father-daughter relationship that felt so incredibly healing and heartwarming. The love that Javier has for his daughter just shines through the pages and it was by far my favourite part of the story.

If this book is the last one set in this historical universe of TJR celebrities, then I will be devastated, but we will have gone out on the HIGHEST note, and I will forever be rereading this book and the others. Now to decide whether I love this more or just slightly less than Evelyn Hugo???? (Yeah, it's THAT good).

Well firstly I never knew tennis could be so interesting! Jenkins Reid has the fantastic knack of immersing you in a world and teaching you about it without you really knowing it. Like The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo which I loved, her characters are complex and flawed, who pleasingly don’t need you to like them, but who you absolutely come to. Carrie Soto is Back is another smashing read. (Sorry, couldn’t resist.)

Taylor Jenkins Reid has a talent for writing fictional characters who are so real that I have to google several times to make sure they are, in fact, fictional.

Carrie Soto is an amazingly-written character, although unlikable in many ways. And I LOVE her dad. His endless love and support for Carrie just warms my heart.
Now on to the plot: I couldn't care less about tennis but the tension of the matches had me on the edge of my seat. However, aside from that... there isn't much happening plot-wise. Almost the entirety of the book is solely dedicated to Carrie's tennis journey and her point of view. I wish it dug a little bit deeper on other characters too,
Additionally, there are many hefty Spanish sentences that aren't translated, and it might just be me being a nitpick on my preference but I wish there were translations directly in the book.

All in all, Carrie Soto Is Back is intriguing for me who isn't familiar with the tennis world, and the writing is undoubtedly amazing as expected from Taylor Jenkins Reid. But that's about it.