Taylor Jenkins Reid

Carrie Soto is fierce, and her determination to win at any cost has not made her popular. But by the time she retires from tennis, she is the best player the world has ever seen. She has shattered every record and claimed twenty Grand Slam titles. And if you ask Carrie, she is entitled to every one. She sacrificed nearly everything to become the best, with her father, Javier, as her coach. A former champion himself, Javier has trained her since the age of two.

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 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. Even if the sports media says that they never liked “the Battle-Axe” anyway. Even if her body doesn’t move as fast as it did. And even if it means swallowing her pride to train with a man she once almost opened her heart to: Bowe Huntley. Like her, he has something to prove before he gives up the game forever.

In spite of it all, Carrie Soto is back, for one epic final season. In this riveting and unforgettable novel, Taylor Jenkins Reid tells her most vulnerable, emotional story yet.

A Novel

Carrie Soto Is Back

lucy lou

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

Kathi

"Sorry if that makes you cringe," he adds, taking my hand.

I thought if this moment ever came I wouldn't be able to look at him, but it's easy. It's terrifying how easy it is. "It's okay," I say."! already knew. My dad told me."

Grief is like a deep, dark hole. It calls like a siren: Come to me, lose yourself here. And you fight it and you fight it and you fight it, but when you finally do succumb and jump down into it, you can't quite believe how deep it is. It feels as if this is how you will live for the rest of your life, falling. Terrified and devastated, until you yourself die.

“Okay, sure. One shiny, tough bitch.“

Brava, Soto! Take a breath and fill your lungs with your victory, friend. I promise there will not be another one. See you in New York. XO, Chan

P.S. The pink flowers are amaranth, which represent immortality what we're fighting for, after all And the pelle are tansy. They are said to represent a declaration of war. Fit, right?

"I love that you said that. You're almost aste ter to me. My irritating, cocky, pain-in-the-ass little sister."

“I assure you," I say, all smile -fake or not gone from my face, "if played you two out of three or three out of five, I would drag you across the court and murder your-“

“Well, it was so tempting to roll over and die once I turned tjirty, but somehow my American opstinance persosts.“

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

"Bowe wants to talk to you," he says. "He's taking the phone from me_-he's literally taking it out of my hands.“

“Crocodile tears, the whole lot of them.“

"Try being told--over and over and over again- that if you do manage to win anything this year, you will set a record for being the oldest bitch to ever do it."

“I mean this from the bottom of my heart: Are you fucking high?“

Romantic relationships are so goddamn impossible, I'm honestly impressed with anyone who can keep one going at all

"Isn't it strange? How you get into this because you like to hit a ball around a court.... And then, suddenly, you don’t belong to yourself anymore? As if it's okay for people to call you ' the Beast‘ just because you're strong? And they can comment on your clothes and your hair? And make racist comments and pretend they are just joking? Just wait until they find out I'm a lesbian."

“I’d wreck my best friend in cold blood on national television.“ 

"And you, take a moment to shut the fuck up.“

"It's out of five, Soto," he says. "I know you're used to two sets, but you're playing a man’s game now!

"I guess if we're being honest, I did mean me more than you."

"Go out there ..." He looks me directly in the eye with an intensity I have not seen in years, maybe even since I was a kid. "And show them that the Bitch, the Battle Axe--whatever they want to call you--it doesn't matter. They cannot stop you. And they don't get to decide what your name is. Carrie Soto is back."

"Can you suffer the indignity of losing to a woman twice in one day?"

"I told you, Carrie," Bowe says. "You're not as charming as you

I say, shrugging. "But I don't think I‘m very charming at all“

"Bowe, I've heard it enough times; I don't need it from you too.

Bowe catches my gaze. "I always liked you."

I roll my eyes. "Being attracted to me and liking me are two different things.

Bowe looks at me a moment longer. "Huh," he says. Wow:

'You didn't already know that?" I shake my head. You're almost forty. How emotionally stunted can you be?"

amazing characters, amazing writing, loved this!

Nikola

pozie

ON MY KNEES FOR CARRIE SOTO!!!
ON MY KNEES FOR TJR!!!!!!


I did not want this to end. I could keep reading this forever. Something about TJR’s heroines is just so incredibly thrilling.

debre

at this point i’m not surprised about how much tjr can amaze me on every book

kels

carrie's development and the ending is absolutly amazing

Zoja

Carrie Soto is back makes me love sports championships.

The character development of Carrie is insane. There isnt a thing to complain about. Just read it.

Nina May

Carrie Soto is back makes me love sports championships.

The character development of Carrie is insane. There isnt a thing to complain about. Just read it.

#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • “An epic adventure about a female athlete perhaps past her prime, brought back to the tennis court for one last grand slam” (Elle), from the author of Malibu Rising, Daisy Jones & The Six, and The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo “The perfect novel to close out your summer.”—The Washington Post “Gorgeous. The kind of sharp, smart, potent book you have to set aside every few pages just to catch your breath. I’ll take a piece of Carrie Soto forward with me in life and be a little better for it.”—Emily Henry, author of Book Lovers and Beach Read Carrie Soto is fierce, and her determination to win at any cost has not made her popular. But by the time she retires from tennis, she is the best player the world has ever seen. She has shattered every record and claimed twenty Grand Slam titles. And if you ask Carrie, she is entitled to every one. She sacrificed nearly everything to become the best, with her father, Javier, as her coach. A former champion himself, Javier has trained her since the age of two. 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 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. Even if the sports media says that they never liked “the Battle-Axe” anyway. Even if her body doesn’t move as fast as it did. And even if it means swallowing her pride to train with a man she once almost opened her heart to: Bowe Huntley. Like her, he has something to prove before he gives up the game forever. In spite of it all, Carrie Soto is back, for one epic final season. In this riveting and unforgettable novel, Taylor Jenkins Reid tells her most vulnerable, emotional story yet.

Lara Engle

Another speedy read from TJR. I would have gone for five stars except (I know this sounds silly) there was TOO MUCH TENNIS. But I still loved the characters and the way they grew and interacted. It was emotionally effective and just a good read.

treena

when one of your favourite authors writes a book about tennis, one of the only sports you love, you can’t really ask for more. as always i adore tjr’s writing, always managing to drag me in and make me not want to put the book down. the matches had me on the edge of my seat, it was intense, it made me cry, and i absolutely flew through it.

Elizabeth Wood

I love tennis 🎾, so I absolutely loved this book.

probably my fav tjr, which is a crazy thing for me to say

Lorelei Petcu

Feels like the weakest out of the 4 books in this universe. I appreciated the sports themed pilot though. 

Ali Angco

Delaney Sowders

Großartiger Schreibstil, Charakterentwicklung und die Möglichkeit gay couples zu shippen. Vielleicht etwas weniger ausgeklügelt als ihre anderen Bücher, aber sehr genießbar💁🏻‍♀️

Leon

I didn’t think I could be that invested in tennis but here we are! Now I want to pick up a racket myself.

Tabea

A beautiful story about an athlete’s struggle with post-competition envy. Great character building and father-daughter relationship. Really hit home as a washed up soccer player, myself.  🥲

Paige Paul

Fun, easy read, touching family dynamics. I enjoyed reading about competitive women who weren't watered down to be palatable. Probably won't stick with me forever, but fun!

Caroline Piephoff

Charlsy Sekyere

⭐️4.5-5

Once again, Taylor Jenkins-Reid has delivered. As always with Taylor Jenkin-Reid's books, I had a great time. Simply another masterpiece. I can't find anything horribly wrong with this book.

Carrie Soto is unapologetically herself. The fact that Carrie is my girl doesn't mean she isn't annoying, stubborn, or a pain in the neck sometimes. Carrie is certainly not the most likeable character and has her share of flaws and unpleasant moments. However, by the end of the book, I couldn't help but love and respect her immensely. All throughout the book, I couldn't stop rooting for her, and I enjoyed reading about her growth and character development. At the end, it is almost impossible not to feel a sense of pride for Carrie. As with the Riva siblings in Malibu Rising, Carrie Soto and her dad Javier Soto (a truly incredible man who is the heart and soul of the book) are dear to my heart.

Every match had me on the edge of my seat. Every second of every match. From the 1995 Australian Open to the 1995 French Open to Wimbledon 1995. Now, I'm not even the biggest tennis fan (I find the sport quite boring to watch), but oh my God, the adrenaline rush! Throughout reading about training sessions and matches, I felt utterly engrossed and entertained.

The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo. Daisy Jones and the Six. Malibu Rising. Carrie Soto is Back. All books I love, all books I think are beautifully written, all books that have been on my favourite books of the year list or will be, all books by Taylor Jenkins-Reid. I've come to the conclusion that Taylor Jenkins-Reid has a God-given gift for writing captivating, nothing but stellar books. In light of this, I'm now inclined to anticipate any future releases from Taylor Jenkins-Reid and will be adding her to my list of auto-buy authors.

kelsey eyre

** spoiler alert **
           I really loved this book. The ending was so good. I love the way her inner dialogue was written and her character arch was so wonderful. I only gave it 4 stars bc the beginning was a little slow but the last half was perfection!!!! I also love the little side love story 🫶🏼

Tish

Erin Cawthorn

Ok I loved this. What a great story about goals, perseverance, and the power of changing your mindset. Kind of want to watch tennis now, I learned a lot about the sport along the way.

Annabella

Carrie Soto was last seen in Malibu Rising. Just a small segment, but oh, so pivotal. And now she's back with her own story. 

After retiring from tennis five years ago, Carrie realizes that she still has the fire to be the best and keep her records. So, at age 37, she and her coach/father decide to stage a comeback.

Carrie isn't a likable character. She's self-absorbed and driven. But I loved seeing her grow throughout the pages, becoming more well-rounded. This book's plot is ALL tennis, so if you don't like it or know much about it, it might not be the right book for you. 

As always, Taylor Jenkins Reid is an incredible wordsmith, and I enjoy the world she's created.

Cheri McElroy

Carrie Soto was last seen in Malibu Rising. Just a small segment, but oh, so pivotal. And now she's back with her own story. 

After retiring from tennis five years ago, Carrie realizes that she still has the fire to be the best and keep her records. So, at age 37, she and her coach/father decide to stage a comeback.

Carrie isn't a likable character. She's self-absorbed and driven. But I loved seeing her grow throughout the pages, becoming more well-rounded. This book's plot is ALL tennis, so if you don't like it or know much about it, it might not be the right book for you. 

As always, Taylor Jenkins Reid is an incredible wordsmith, and I enjoy the world she's created.

A little boring at times but still really liked it 

Eliza adkins 

If you know a lot about tennis, you will appreciate the inside take that this book offers. Also, if you know a lot about tennis, you will laugh at the overheated, trashtalking that the characters engage in. It kind of works both ways in this book. Clearly, the author is trying to pump things up to get a Netflix movie made out of this. That said, it's a fun read with some touching father-daughter moments. There aren't a lot of novels out there with a tennis theme, so that alone makes it special. The prose is  utilitarian, but the character relationships are compelling.

Carrie Soto Is Back A Novel

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