I was surprised at how much I enjoyed this, sometimes when an author writes such a great book to start, you can feel disappointed with the next book. This didn’t happen, just as enjoyable.

Thank you NetGalley for my complimentary copy in return for my honest review.

This novel was a fascinating look, not just at the tennis world, but at the dynamics between fathers and daughters. It’s also a novel of self- growth for Carrie, who makes some serious changes from where she was in the last book. I hadn’t been sure whether I liked Carrie before, but here I could understand her better and even gained a certain amount of respect for the character who shows real determination here. There’s a single mindedness in her that makes for a great sportsperson, nothing is going to get in the way of her succeeding and she’s willing to put in the hard yards to achieve her potential. She’s not a cosy and cute character, far from it. There are times when she treats people badly and is unsympathetic, but it made me think about the way our unconscious bias expects women to behave. If a man behaved like Carrie it wouldn’t seem worthy of comment, but women are expected to be soft, kind and nurturing, I loved Carrie’s drive and uncompromising attitude. Her relationship with her father was such a positive influence and it was wonderful to read about a loving father - daughter relationship. I felt I got a real insight into high level competition and how half of the battle is confidence in your ability. Sports psychology is a vastly growing area and it was interesting to see how it’s used. In light of Emma Radacanu’s meteoric rise to tennis royalty, I was also fascinated with how the media affects players particularly young women. This was a well-written book with psychological insight into how pursuing your talent to the top affects your life and mental health.

Infinite stars for Carrie Soto is Back, and hands down one of my favourite reads of 2022.

I am not a tennis person. If you forced me to name the more famous tennis-players I’d be able to rattle off a few, but I have never sat down to watch a tennis match in its entirety before in my life. Safe to say, I was a little bit apprehensive prior to reading this because I thought tennis references and terminology would go right over my head but I should have know never to bet against TJR as I felt like I had been watching Tennis for years by the time the last chapter rolled around.

Carrie Soto is exactly who she think she is and I could think of no higher praise. Unapologetically herself from the beginning to the end. An inspirational and strong tennis player but flawed - Javi (her father) affectionally calling her Achilles is nothing if not apt. While Carrie might not be the most likeable character (I mean she is referred to ‘the bitch’ multiple times after all), she’s an unbelievably sucky loser and if you looked up ‘emphatic’ in the dictionary, you would definitely not see Carrie’s picture next to it and yet, TJR somehow made me fall so deeply in love with her character. Cheering Carrie on when she experiences her highs, sympathising with her during her lows, yelling on her behalf when articles and pundits attempted to discredit her ambition and her work. I experienced every feeling whilst reading it and I wouldn’t have it any other way.

“Because as good as you are, you have never been able to make peace with failure”. Carrie’s personal growth just felt so complete, I can’t remember when I last felt so satisfied by a character arc. A big part of this was the development of her relationships both platonic and romantic - specifically with her father and Bowe although I enjoyed reading her relationship with Gwen (her agent) and Nicki Chan (her main rival) too. Carrie really had to open herself up (moreso with the latter than the former) and allow herself to be vulnerable.

Absolute highlight for me was Carries relationship with her father Javier. I could probably wax poetic for an age about how wonderfully complex and intricate their father-daughter relationship was, especially when you throw in the coach-student relationship they had too. I adored the exploration of their dynamic, which often had me emotional and wanting to call my own father straight way. Javier’s dedication to Carrie was everything. That’s not to say he did everything perfect when raising her (and let’s be honest who has) but my god did he try his hardest. A majority of the tears I shed was from reading their incredible relationship.

Also would be remiss if I didn’t mention I’m a romance girlie at heart so the slow-burn romance was unexpected but highly welcomed and added yet another wonderful layer to this already captivating story.

Carrie Soto is Back is a highly addictive, compelling and intense read, which will you have wanting to devour the story in one sitting. One thing about TJR is the story will include some well-thought out social commentary and this was no different. Topics such as misogyny, sexisms and inequality within the sport and the pressure that comes from the constant negative press and scrutiny were all discussed in a refreshing, considered manner.

I loved this book! Carrie was a complex, multi-layered character, not always likeable but by the end you were absolutely rooting for her. Her journey was a great ride to be on.

Sadly this didn't work for me.
While this had potential it just fell flat.
I found myself bored by a 3rd of the way through and saying didn't get back into it.
I think maybe if this was multiple POV it could have worked better. We could have seen another side of Carrie through the lens of those around her.
Instead I was left not being much of a fan of Carrie. She came across unlikeable and cold majority of the book and only really showing growth as a character close to the end.
I also found this was too Tennis heavy. While I understand a big part of this is Tennis I feel it could have been balance a little better.

Another gripping novel from this author. The cut throat attitude of Carrie as she battles for a title in the world of tennis was edge of your seat stuff. I equally enjoyed her back story and how she became the woman she is now. Her emotional journey is a huge one and I was satisfied with the ending.

This was so good! Taylor Jenkins Reid never disappoints, after reading The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo, this was just what I needed. Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

I wasn't sold on the idea of this one but TJR managed to serve up yet another winner (pun intended 😂)

Probably not my favourite of hers but a solid 4 star that made me shed a few tears.

Full review to come.

I don’t want to give away too much here so maybe I’ll do a more spoiler-filled review in September… but, in case you were in any doubt, TJR has done it again and I think this might be my new favourite of hers!

Carrie is a fabulous main character - she is flawed, yes, but I found her very easily loveable and incredibly gripping. The *growth* she experiences in this novel is so beautifully laid out and well done, and there was no point here where I wasn’t cheering for her (sometimes literally outloud 👀)

I loved our supporting cast too - from Carrie’s dad Javier (another character I didn’t stop rooting for the entire way through), to Bowe, to Gwen (who I would now LOVE to read a full novel dedicated to), to Nicki (who might be Carrie’s rival, but is so funny and smart that I won’t lie… I cheered a little for her too!)

There’s something very beautiful here in the way these people are drawn and interact and live, and I think it’s thanks to them that I struggled to hold myself to the buddy read schedule.

Also - the tennis! I’m a casual player and watcher, who sometimes forgets the rules, but TJR has captured the energy of the game so, so well. I hope we see a little resurgence in more people playing the game for fun (because it is - so, so fun) and the line walked here between making the sport accessible while still capturing the technicalities is beautifully done!

I’ll absolutely be rereading this as soon my preorder arrives, and I’m really hoping we get a TV series for this one soon too.

Thank you NetGalley and Taylor Jenkins Reid for allowing me to read and review this book.

I loved the idea of Carrie Soto Is Back and enjoyed her unapologetic, bold character. The story itself was thick with tennis terms which I feel may put off some readers.
The characters could be developed further in us knowing a bit more about their backgrounds, feeling, etc. as sometimes when finishing a chapter I was left wondering a few questions about the character; in which I didn’t really get answers to.

Overall a brilliant read and one which I will definitely recommend to friends and family; I feel it just missed the mark of my high expectations. After reading 7 Husbands I was hoping for huge things as I LOVED that book.

Hope to read more from TJR asap!

I absolutely adored this! Just when I thought TJR couldn't get any better.

I have never experienced the work of an author where a world and its characters can be so well evoked. I absolutely believe Daisy Jones is an enigmatic singer and that The Six impacted the lives of music lovers across the globe; I feel like Evelyn Hugo was a real, flesh-and-blood icon who I yearn to be like; and now, I believe Carrie Soto is one of the greatest tennis players of our time. No one has the same talent as TJR for bringing characters to life.

And I love that these woman are unapologetically dominating in their chosen passions, taking what's theirs and defying male and societal expectations of them. This book was thrilling, gripping, addictive, and an absolute breath of fresh air. I adored it and just want to read it again.

I loved this authors books of”… Evelyn Hugo” and “Daisy Jones” but this book and her last book, “Malibu Rising” have been a bit of a miss for me.

Another incredible novel from Taylor Jenkins Reid - and an unexpected one at that. When I read the synopsis, I'm not going to lie I wasn't convinced - I am not a huge lover of tennis, so a whole novel set in the tennis world...?! However, my fears were unfounded - I loved it. I could maybe have done with slightly less of the technical details but it didn't detract from my enjoyment of the overall novel.

If you've read TJR's other novels you will definitely enjoy this - it is set in the same "world".

<i>Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for an advanced digital copy in exchange for my honest review</i>

I expected to find this drier than an out-of-date cracker, but it was absolutely incredible; I couldn’t put it down!

I’m not a sporty person: I don’t watch many sports, I don’t play many sports and the most competitive I get is playing a round of Monopoly at Christmas! If there’s a Trivial Pursuit sports related question, I hope to God it isn’t about the rules of tennis. So I didn’t pick this book up because it’s about something I love; I picked it up because I LOVED Evelyn Hugo, and I trust TJR to make even a shopping list compelling.

Carrie Soto was the best female tennis player of her time. She’s since retired following an injury, but is about to lose her title as the highest number of Grand Slam wins. Carrie is competitive, highly motivated, reasonably cold and entirely convinced that she is the best - I think it’s fair to say she isn’t likeable at all, actually. But because of that she’s probably one of the most fun character perspectives I’ve read from in a really long time. I both loved and hated her, I totally rooted for her and I one hundred percent wanted her to give the younger players an ass kicking!

For someone who knows nothing about tennis and would probably need to be paid to watch it, I absolutely adored this book.

I am of the handful of people who ONLY liked The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo and then felt TJR lost her way after that. But I have to say that Carrie Soto’s return to tennis is absolutely also TJR’s comeback! Wow! It blew my socks off; I read it in a single sitting and I didn’t bother coming up for air. She’s back on my “auto-buy” list.

Short chapters, hugely compelling plot, great pacing and an absolutely exceptionally written book. What a way to end 2022!

I'm a huge fan of Taylor Jenkins Reid so was very keen to read this new novel and I'm so pleased to say that I really enjoyed it. I loved the character of Carrie and seeing how her career got to where it was and how she became such a huge success in tennis. It was such an interesting read and I was fascinated by the way the media viewed Carrie and also the relationships between the women in the tennis world. This was such an engrossing novel and I definitely recommend it!

I've been a fan of Andre Agassi and thus seen many matches in the 90s. But solely of men playing tennis, and besides Agassi I wouldn't say that I'm a tennis fan. Although some matches are truly very exciting to watch. But I don't read this book because tennis interests me so much but rather because Taylor Jenkins Reid is so gifted writing stories that she can get me interested in any topic. This already worked very well with "Daisy Jones and the Six", a ficticious-documentary novel about the music industry of the 70s, and also with "The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo" about the 'Golden Age' of the movies. Now we have a novel set in the sports world.

Because of the competitive nature of the sport, this has a certain amount of thrill. And of course I rooted for our titel character Carrie Soto, even though she is not liked by many people in this book (and I could relate to that on some accounts considering her remarks to opponents or the press). Still, I kept my finger's crossed for her. But in the end, it (almost) didn't matter who was the winner of a match in the end. I just enjoyed the whole story and Jenkins Reid's way of telling it.
With the news articles and transcripts of sport shows inserted into the narrative it also became a touch of authenticity.

I have now read six Taylor Jenkins Reid books and she is yet to let me down. I definitely should mention that I recommend reading Malibu Rising before Carrie Soto. Malibu Rising is a chapter of Carrie’s history, so it gives readers a bit of previous knowledge and makes the reading experience of Carrie Soto Is Back a lot richer.

Carrie Soto is the greatest tennis player the world has ever seen. She will stop at nothing to win titles and defend them. That’s why despite retiring from the game six years ago, she is now determined to defend the records that are in danger of being taken away from her by the new wave of female players. So she comes out of retirement at the age of 37 and resumes coaching with her father in the hope of sweeping the Grand Slam circuit again. Even if the media can’t stand the Battle-Axe and ridicule her for coming out of retirement. Even if it means training with old flame Bowe Huntley because none of the women want to practice with her. For one final year, Carrie Soto is back.

Carrie is definitely the most competitive, determined character I’ve ever met. Losing is the biggest failure imaginable for her and it’s fascinating to see that even after six years away from the game, that hasn’t changed. While I can’t really understand that level of competitiveness, it did make me admire Carrie. I can definitely see how this trait might make her appear immature, petty and annoying to some readers but the context of her story caused me to see it in a much more positive light. She just wants to prove her many critics wrong.

It seems that Carrie has been raised to put success above everything else. Her mother died when she was young, meaning her mother’s desire for her daughter to focus on kindness and finding happiness was never really a priority for Carrie. Her father is a very warm, caring man but his dream of Carrie becoming the greatest tennis player in the world really is the only thing that matters to both of them.

There is a lot of commentary on how successful women are treated by the press. Although this book is set in the 1990s, this certainly hasn’t changed in the last 30 years. Female celebrities are expected to look pretty and happy all the time and yet are called out if they’re deemed to be ‘trying too hard’. Once again, it’s evidence that women really can’t ever win and that criticism will find them one way or another.

The fact that Carrie is fully aware of the fact that she can’t win with the media is heartbreaking but it is perhaps a great strength for her. She knows that there’s no point in trying to ingratiate herself with the public or even with her fellow female players. They all have the idea that she is a cold, aloof Battle Axe and there’s not a lot of point in her trying to challenge that. However, there were times when I could see that she would have liked some female friendships within tennis and some good press for once. Perhaps that desire for someone to say something good about her further fuels her motivation to win.

Carrie and Bowe’s relationship was great fun to watch. They have an easy way of talking to each other and it’s clear that they have a lot of history and more feelings than either are willing to admit. They do flirt but Carrie certainly has her guard up with him, so I was never sure when or even if she would ever drop it and let him in. I couldn’t help but smile while they bantered and I was really excited to see what would happen between them.

Nina Riva and Brandon Randall are principal characters in Malibu Rising and although they’re only briefly mentioned in Carrie Soto, it gives Carrie’s role in the Riva/Randall story a bit of a backstory. I do wish Carrie had featured more heavily in Malibu Rising but perhaps if she had, it would have negated the point of releasing her own story. There are several years between the events of Malibu Rising and the events of Carrie Soto and I think I’d like to know what’s been going on in those years.

The book also features newspaper clippings, podcast scripts and bulletins discussing Carrie Soto’s comeback. One article that really touched me was written by a young woman who was clearly beaten down by the idea that women can’t achieve their dreams and win at life. She is inspired by what Carrie is trying to do and I was so grateful that it was included in the book. There will undoubtedly be women who have been forced to abandon their dreams in favour of supporting their husband’s or children’s dreams, watching Carrie fight against the odds. How amazing for them to see her win!

The fact that Carrie compares herself to Princess Diana was so moving and poignant. They are both women who the press love to rip into and who the public have strong opinions on. I would never have compared Carrie to Diana by myself but when she pointed it out, I couldn’t help but see the similarities. Both were just trying to live their lives well but were products of a society that teaches us that women are only useful or interesting for a certain amount of time and should fade away when that time is up.

Carrie Soto Is Back is a very powerful, thought-provoking novel that celebrates female success and explores the very real ripples that sends through society. It’s moving, inspirational and incredibly exciting -the chapters detailing Carrie’s tennis matches are truly nail-biting. My heart leaped and fell with hers and I thoroughly adored it.

I wasn't sure I'd enjoy this but I loved it.

A wonderful story of determination, family ties and competition and ultimately, love.

Throughly enjoyed the tennis industry setting and was rooting for Carrie all the way.

A strong tale to champion women's strength, grit and place in any world.

TAYLOR JENKINS REID DID IT AGAIN!!!!! I am a massive fan of her work, especially this multiverse she has created. I can't wait to see who we meet next.
Carrie Soto is such an interesting character, I worried she would be similar to Evelyn and the Riva's, but she changed that for me. I won't give any spoilers but Carrie's story is definitely worth reading, I swear I felt like I was reading someone's autobiography. You get so engrossed in these characters that it hurts to part with them at the end.

By the time Carrie retires from tennis, she is the best player the world has ever seen. She has shattered every record and claimed twenty Slam titles. But six years after her retirement, Carrie finds herself sitting in the stands of the 1994 US Open, watching her record be taken from her by a brutal, stunning, British player named Nicki Chan.
At thirty-seven years old, Carrie makes the monumental decision to come out of retirement and be coached by her father for one last year in an attempt to reclaim her record. In spite of it all: Carrie Soto is back, for one epic final season.

I bought the audiobook myself before I was approved for a NetGalley review copy. That‘s why I ended up listening to the audiobook instead of reading the ebook. The audiobook is incredible! It‘s so engaging with the different narrators and I loved the main narrator Stacy Gonzalez. Especially since the main narrator could pronounce the Spanish phrases and words and produce an authentic Spanish accent. 😊
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Carrie Soto is not the most likeable character. She is selfish, highly ambitious, blunt and rude at times. She is a bad loser and she isn‘t empathetic. Yet I found myself sympathising with her over the course of the story. She lost her mother at a young age and her relationship to her father is difficult. Being a woman in the sports industry is hard because everyone expects women to be gracious and kind and definitely not overly ambitious. Carrie doesn’t fit into that box and she had to learn it the hard way. 😅
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This book has been criticised because it‘s about a Latina main character although Jenkins Reid is not Latina. I definitely agree that white authors writing about Latinx characters takes the spotlight away from Latinx authors. I can see that a lot of research went into the book, the father-daughter relationship was well done and the audiobook made the experience more authentic. However, I understand the criticism and I agree with it!
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I decided to give the book 4 stars because it was engaging and fun and it made me cry towards the end. I think Carrie Soto didn’t need to be a Latina character for the story to work.