There's something TJR puts in her books that mean I can never put them down. Not quite as good as Daisy Jones (the style meant I was more aware it was a work of fiction, whereas Daisy Jones felt amazingly real). If you like her other books, you'll love this!

🌿BOOK REVIEW🌿

Carrie Soto Is Back by Taylor Jenkins Reid

“We live in a world where exceptional women have to sit around waiting for mediocre men.”

Carrie Soto retired from tennis at the top of her game, shattering records all around her and being comfortable she will go down in history as the best women tennis player. All until she watches the young, British Nicki Chan take her Slam title right before her eyes. She is 37, and Soto decides to come out of retirement and take back what is rightfully hers.

I swear it is only Taylor Jenkins Reid that could make me so excited to read a book about tennis! This is unlike any other book I have read and for that reason it will stick with me. I am someone who had my eyes stuck to the screen during Wimbledon as my fellow Scot, Andy Murray, fought his way through the tournament. Because of this, I could really relate to the drama and suspense being created in the book and could 100% picture the scenes at Wimbledon.

Carrie Soto is such a fantastic character, she is so unapologetically her and she refuses to bend herself into the mould that others want. Throughout the book we get transcripts from sports TV where the male presenters criticise her for traits that would be celebrated in the mens competition. Her determination is commendable!

As a complete novel, I did feel less engrossed in the story and there were times I felt I wanted some more character development. I think without my personal experience watching Wimbledon I would have felt a bit overwhelmed and detached with this story because there is a lot of tennis talk.

Still one that I would recommend and it is a fab one for a sunny day!

⭐️⭐️⭐️

⚠️CW// death, misogyny, alcoholism

Carrie Soto, at thirty seven, wants to make a comeback. A phenomenally successful professional tennis player in her day, she’s just seen her record as the winner of the most grand slams (the top events in tennis) equalled by the current star of the sport. Thankfully, her father is a tennis coach and he’s happy – actually, more than happy – to support her unlikely quest to win at least one more major tournament.

Carrie’s mum had died when she was very young and from that point on her tennis obsessed father coached her remorselessly and often ruthlessly to become a top player. Perhaps because of this (probably because of this) Carrie developed into an ambitious, driven and angry person; she’s someone with no friends, no relationships - other than with her father – and no social skills. She is rude to just about everyone and and was the most unpopular tennis player of her generation. There’s quite honestly nothing to like about her.

Once the scene is set, the book becomes something akin to a biography of a fictional sports star. Now, I’ve read quite a few sports bio’s and there is a tendency for the whole thing to become a list of training goals, technical challenges and – worst of all – an unending list of events participated in. And that’s precisely the route this one takes. In short, it all becomes rather tedious.

I really enjoyed Daisy Jones & The Six and Malibu Rising and I do think TJR is a very talented storyteller, but I’m afraid this one just didn’t work for me. I almost gave up on it a couple of time but I did eventually battle through to the end. I can only really liken this tale to a Disney version of a tennis star’s re-birth, but with some added swearing. That said, I’ve read nothing but positive reviews from others who’ve read this title, so I can possibly put my reaction down to it simply being the wrong novel for me.

I think Taylor Jenkins Reid could make a shopping list engaging but this is nothing short of a masterpiece. The character of Carrie Soto is so well rounded it wouldn't surprise me if she was a real person. She is hard, determined and ambitious but also vulnerable and scared of intimacy. The relationship she has with her father is just beautiful. If you like tennis, read this. If you are not that into tennis, read it anyway it's great.

An incredible read that was well written with a gripping storyline and well developed characters. I couldn't put it down and I didn't want it to end.

I am a huge Taylor Jenkins Reid fan and this book did not disappoint.

First meeting Carrie Soto in Malibu Rising, it was brilliant to see more from this character and to watch her comeback.

This had all the hallmarks of an awesome Taylor Jenkins Reid read, full of suspense, a great love story (both familial and romantic) with strong female characters. I loved it.

With Daisy Jones & The Six being one of my favourite books, I had high hopes for this one and it did not disappoint. I was hooked from the very start to the very end and full of excitement and anticipation at every tennis match described.

5/5 !

As a huge tennis fan (I'm talking following both tours, going to the tournaments, getting up in the middle of the night to watch matches in Aus tennis fan) I hoped this book would live up to my expectations.

It's weird, when you love something and KNOW something inside and out, fictitious accounts of it can go either way, you either love them or hate them because they didn't capture the sport/thing you love. I'm pleased to say that I adored this book and it's portrayal of tennis.

Tennis is a nomad life, the players are constantly on the move, the very top players are constantly pushing for more, to get that extra 0.5% that will make them that much more untouchable, and this book captures all of those things.

It also has a strong woman who is unapologetically herself and a beautiful central relationship of Carrie and her father, which was a real standout, we don't see it so much, usually more room is given to a romantic lead, so it was special to see the complex relationship between a daughter and her father/coach.

I really loved this book. If you're a tennis fan, it's really a must read too, there was a couple of things unrealistic to the tennis world, but I'll let them slide as it's a work of fiction after all!

Another brilliant read from TJR, I read Malibu Rising and then Carrie Soto back to back which was great as Carrie is mentioned in the former. Brilliant writing and short chapters that draw the reader in, a great story of father daughter love and female ambition, showcasing what it's like to be in the limelight as an atypical starlet. It's very tennis heavy (which helps as I'm a big Wimbledon fan), but I have seen many of my friends who don't follow tennis absolutely love this despite being whole chapters which are essentially a play by play of a match.

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4848849614

I love Taylor Jenkins Reid but this doesn't quite hit the heights of some of her earlier books for me (Seven Husbands and Daisy Jones). It's the tale of a top tennis player on the comeback trail after many years away from the game, and should have all the elements of a brilliant story - but it is held back by the feeling that it's all been bashed out just slightly too quickly.

There are a couple of moments of real emotional truth - and I truly love the divorcing character who says she is always one good second or one bad second away from bursting into tears - but for the most part it is all a tad superficial and by-the-numbers.

It also so happens that I know quite a bit about professional tennis, and the book really is full of factual errors. Of course, most of those who read it won't notice or care, but for those who do have some knowledge, they might be a bit grating/stop you from truly believing the story.

Anyway, still a light, fun and enjoyable summer read - just not quite as fabulous as I've come to expect from this author.

Carrie Soto is back, and she is unstoppable🎾

Rating : ⭐⭐⭐⭐💫

Holy moly friends... THIS BOOK 😱

It's no secret that Taylor Jenkins Reid is a master storyteller & Carrie Soto follows in typical TJR fashion - one of those reads that has you hooked from the very first page!

Carrie in all honesty is a ruthless & unforgiving main character - yet the reader can't help but root for her through the entire story, and boy it is one heck of a ride 😂🎢
I practically devoured this book and even convinced myself to start watching tennis!

There's something to be said for books that take you on an adventure - Carrie was such an atmospheric read that I could very well have been at Wimbledon 1995 🕰️

When we meet Carrie in Malibu Rising she's in a rather sticky situation - and she is very much the villain, so going into this read I was hesitant (and felt my loyalty to Nina pull at my heart strings to reject Carrie) but now I can confidently say that Carrie Soto is one of my very favourites & her story is truly like no other!

(taking half a star away because I would have loved to have seen them iconic Carrie lawn scene from Malibu Rising here 😬)

I hope you guys enjoy this one as much as I did! 💖

Carrie Soto Is Back follows the titular character, a retired tennis world champion, as her sporting records are threatened and she makes her return to professional tennis in her late 30s.

The worldbuilding was particularly strong; as a relative newbie to the world of tennis I was still able to enjoy a book that is almost entirely revolving around the world of competitive tennis players. I loved watching Carrie's story unfurl, especially regarding her relationship with her father and the pressure of aging and competing in the public eye.

HOWEVER. Like the protagonists of other TJR books, Carrie seemed almost entirely detached from female friendship. Every other woman in the book was purely painted as competition, right up until the end. I'd love to have seen a slightly different plotline play out, but if you've read other TJR books, you might find this book a bit predictable. Nonetheless, if you're looking for a fun, easy holiday read, or are already a fan of TJR, Carrie Soto won't disappoint.

I want To admit that I was nervous about this one as I am not into sports at all. I don’t follow any and I have now tennis knowledge whatsoever. I needent have been worried.

This book was phenomenal. The tennis matches were so perfectly written that I could clearly picture them and my heart was pounding in my chest every time!

The emotions of the main character were just so well crafted and I was consistently torn between wanting to yell at Carrie/ hug her.

If you haven’t read Malibu rising yet you might want to read that first as this has minor spoilers.

There is something about Taylor Jenkins Reid's writing that works for me. She writes books that I likely wouldn't read if they were written by someone else, but I will always read her new work.

I absolutely loved this book. Growing up watching the Australian Open during the summer holidays I have liked tennis since I was young. I've had my favourite players and those I disliked, and it's a game that lends itself to hero and villain narratives in the media.

So, there is a lot of tennis and I enjoyed that aspect. While a lot of sports stories are 'not about' the sport, while it's true that this story is about more than that it is also about tennis. I expect people who don't love tennis might struggle with this one.

I really liked Carrie Soto as a character. She definitely didn't try to pull any punches when she gave press conferences and she wasn't 'nice'. We saw her struggle with what went on inside versus what she showed publicly. Her sense of self was so wrapped up in whether she won or was the best and this brought her success but cost her personally too.

I also really liked the supporting characters, particularly her dad.

As in Evelyn Hugo, I had a total breakdown and sobbed uncontrollably during this book. This seems to be another of TJR's skills.

Another thing I liked was the comment on female athletes and how they're expected to behave, the scrutiny on them and the nicknames that are clearly not meant to flatter - The Battle Axe and The Beast are the names in this one. This is an underlying interest in a lot of TJR'S novels I think, a fierce feminism underlying a plot driven story that I hope gets across the message to people who might not really understand what feminism is and how it benefits everyone.

My thanks to netgalley and the publisher for a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

TJR needs no introduction - her books are ubiquitous on bookstagram and The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo has become a booktok sensation over the past year or so. Her last book, Malibu Rising, was published last summer and Carrie Soto featured as a minor character in it so this is a spin-off novel of sorts.

Carrie is a professional tennis player coached by her father Javier. She retired in her early thirties after achieving huge success but when rival player Nicki Chan beats Carrie’s record number of Grand Slam wins, Carrie comes out of retirement at the age of 37 to reclaim the crown that she believes is rightfully hers.

I feel I have to preface this review by saying that there is *a lot* of tennis in it. I read Andre Agassi’s memoir Open last year, and this was almost like re-reading it! That’s a testament to TJR’s skill as a world-builder and scene-setter. You tend to forget that these are not real-life professional tennis players.

There is a blow by blow account of many of Carrie’s tennis matches which I think will be a turn off for many. I enjoy tennis and felt it read as being quite true to life so I didn’t mind it too much. The nitty gritty can get a little dull at times so consider yourself warned if you’re not a tennis fan.

This isn’t a taxing read, nor will it change your life, but it is written in TJR’s inimitable style, with transcripts from sports broadcasts interspersed amid the first person narrative from Carrie.

As a character, Carrie is a complete bitch and totally lacking in humility. This will grate with some readers I think, as they may find it hard to empathise with her. I thought she was abysmal as a person but a convincing committed professional sportswoman, from whom a level of ruthlessness has to be expected to achieve the level of success she is portrayed as having achieved.

The book focuses on ambitious women and how they are perceived within the sporting and media spheres and while this is interesting, it was a bit ham-fisted at times (in particular when Soto is undermined by the Wimbledon men’s champion). It lacked subtlety.

An easy and fun read, not her best work (Daisy Jones still has top spot for me) but a very enjoyable summer read all the same. Her books are easy, breezy, cheesy fun. If you’re a TJR fan, I think you’ll enjoy it. If you’re not, this probably won’t convert you. 3.5/5 ⭐️

*Carrie Soto is Back will be published on 30 August 2022. I was thrilled to read an advance copy courtesy of the publisher @penguinrandomhouse via @netgalley. As always, this is an honest review.*

When I say I was so happy to receive this ARC from @netgalley I was ecstatic! It was the one book I really wanted to be approved and the minute I was approved I started reading…

I found the book very repetitive and got confused a lot with the timelines. The book doesn’t really have any plot other than explaining all of her tennis matches (I am personally not into tennis and did not know half of what was mentioned in the book)

I did love the father - daughter relationship and the romantic relationship in this book. The twist did pull on my heart strings.

Personally this book I would not recommend if you like plot driven books that are fast paced and exciting because this book is not it.

Adore the work of Taylor Jenkins Reid and Carrie Soto Is Back doesn’t disappoint. Initially I was a bit meh at the prospect of reading a novel based in the world of tennis - I shouldn’t have been. Even if you aren’t a tennis fan, like moi, this is about Carrie’s relationship with her father, the media, her rivals, another player … and herself. It’s a fascinating plot with an initially unlikeable female lead. Carrie redefines the meaning of over achieving and while her attitude is refreshingly whoa, I did fall in love with her passion, determination and single mindedness. Yes, there’s romance and a happy ending but Carrie remains unapologetically Carrie. The writing is fast, spare and brilliantly executed.More female characters like this please publishers!

BOOK REVIEW - CARRIE SOTO IS BACK
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Thank you to Netgalley and penguinukbooks for my gifted copy.

I'm just going to skip to my thoughts, as it is long:
This book is a masterpiece. It is now my favourite book of TJR (sorry Evelyn Hugo). It broke me (literally, you should have seen my tears) and put it all back together again.

I loved Carrie. Carrie made me laugh with her bluntness. However, I loved her vulnerable side more, which you get to see in this book. Carrie's relationship with her father was the cutest, and it reminded me of my relationship with my father. We only had each other when I was growing up, there were so many 🥺🥺 moments when they just reminded me of us.

Before this book, I literally knew nothing about tennis. Early on in the book, it talks about the rules. This really did help me, as without it I would have needed Google.

However, this book isn't just about tennis. It is about being vulnerable, grief, love, heartache, resilience, pride, deteemined, fighting for what you want and friendship. This book is actually perfection in my eyes.

Of course I saw the references to DJ&TS and TSHoEH 👀👀 I do recommend reading Malibu Rising before this, because of potential spoilers.

Make sure you have translator at the ready (unless you are fluent in Spanish). I would also recommend writing some of them down as some words are used more than others.

This book is going to stay with me for a while. Thank you TJR for being an amazing writer.

This was brilliant!!!! Another triumph by this author! Carrie is such a fierce character! I loved her. I’m not a huge tennis fan but this was such an enjoyable read and really gripped me

Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for accepting my request to read this book.

Carrie Soto grew up on the tennis courts. With her father being a retired player she was always destined to be a player. From any early age she was sat in her high chair whilst her father gave lessons and would cry if her mother took her away for snacks or shade.

With her father as her coach she shattered every record and claimed twenty Slam titles and she believes she is entitled to every one. Known as the battle axe to the worlds media she watches on as her record is taken from her British player named Nicki Chan so she makes the decision to come out of retirement to attempt to claim back her record. 

Will Carrie prove to the world that she is still the greatest tennis player ever?

Despite tennis being a sport that I do not make a point of watching I cannot fault this book. I love Taylor Jenkins Reid. They are definitely a great storyteller and you end up getting so involved in the characters lives that they become almost real. Definitely one of my favourite books this year and TJR is one of my favourite authors. Brilliant!