The following version of the book was used to create this study guide: Reid, Taylor Jenkins. Carrie Soto Is Back. Penguin Random House, New York, NY, 10011, 2022. Kindle AZW file.

Carrie Soto Is Back is a romance novel set in the world of professional tennis. Carrie is the only daughter of tennis professional Javier Soto and his wife Alicia, a dance instructor. Javier begins introducing Carrie to tennis from the time she can sit on her own. Alicia never objects, but she does note that Carrie's interest in tennis is obvious. When Carrie is still very young, Alicia dies in an accident. Javier is heartbroken and focuses all his energy on Carrie. She begins drilling on the fundamentals of tennis from an early age. Her training advances as she matures, eventually including more skills and lessons on strategy until she can perform most maneuvers without thinking about them. Throughout all these lessons, Javier constantly tells Carrie she is going to be the greatest tennis player in the world. The constant repetition makes Carrie certain Javier is correct. She becomes hyper-competitive to the point that she has no friends, even among her peers at school. When Carrie watches other children interacting with their mothers, she feels there is something missing in her life. She also feels the other children are missing out on something important because they lack the purpose-driven life she leads with Javier as her tennis coach.

Carrie enters the junior leagues with a vengeance. She is quickly identified as brutal and cold toward her opponents. She makes public comments that uphold that image, earning her the nickname Battle Axe. While she has no friends and none of her opponents like her, Carrie is racking up the wins. Despite her close relationship with Javier, she changes coaches when she feels he no longer believes she can continue to improve. Under Lars van de Berg, she continues to win. In her 30s, Carrie develops knee problems, and Lars announces the end of their relationship. Carrie retires and settles into a solitary life with Javier living in a guest house on her estate. Carrie's lucrative endorsements and investments provide her a wealthy lifestyle.

Carrie and Javier are in the stands when Nicki Chan wins the US Open. It is Nicki's 20th Grand Slam title, tying with the record Carrie set before her retirement. Carrie becomes determined to regain the record and spends the next few months setting that in motion with Javier as her coach. Her agent manages to arrange for tennis pro Bowe Huntley to serve as Carrie's practice partner. Initially, Carrie is reluctant to work with Bowe because they had a one-night stand when they were much younger.

Over the coming months, Carrie discovers that few people have faith in her making a comeback. She discovers that Bowe is good for her, both on and off the court. At Javier's urging, Carrie stops hiding their relationship. Bowe has also improved during their practice time. However, a series of injuries prompt him to announce his retirement at the end of the US Open. Carrie wins one Grand Slam during the season but fails to face Nicki on the court until after Javier dies from complications of recent cancer treatments. As the novel comes to an end, Carrie and Nicki battle for the US Open title and the record for the most Grand Slams. Nicki wins the match, but Carrie has come to realize this is an opportunity for the next phase of her life. In the final scene, Carrie is back at the US Open with Bowe at her side, but she is now Nicki's coach.