This book has completely rewired and taken over my brain. I literally had to take breaks during this thing cause my emotions were all over the place. Don’t mind me going through Layne Fargo’s backlist because now I need to read everything single thing she has EVER written.

Drama. Angst. Tension. Obsession. READ THIS ONE PLEASE.

Thank you to Random House Publishing Group for an ARC in exchange for this review!
I would give this book 4.5 stars. I was initially interested in reading this book due to hype from @apaperbacklife over on Instagram. And while the book was great, it wasn't THE best. The book is centered around Katarina and Heath told in a interview/first-person style. I will say I more enjoyed the personal chapters more than the interview/docustyle writing. I can see what Fargo was attempting to do with the style but to me, I think I would have enjoyed more if the story was told exclusively from Katarina's perspective or a mix of other peoples perspectives without the interview/docustyle. The way the book ended also fell a bit flat for me. I feel like Carrie Soto is back resonated well with me more than this book. But when this book was good, it was GOOD:
some of my favorite quotes include "Everyone thinks Heath Rocha was my first love. He wasn't. My first love was figure skating." followed by
"We were soulmates"
"When I was a little girl in messy pigtails, demanding to be watched from the front row, I'd had that sort of unshakeable semi-delusional confidence too."
"You're my home"
and finally "I might find it amusing, were I not such a professional."
Overall I enjoyed reading this book and would recommend for you to pick it up if you liked/loved Carrie Soto is back like I did.

Thank you so much to Layne Fargo, NetGalley, and Random House for the ARC of The Favorites! If you like the formatting and story of Daisy Jones and the Six, love Ice Dancing at the Olympics, and drama and scandal, you’ll enjoy The Favorites.
 
The Favorites alternates between what’s happening from ice dancer Katarina Shaw’s POV and the transcription from a tell-all/documentary 10 years later about the ice dancing incident in which her and her partner, Heath, were involved. This novel follows their experiences leading up to the Ice Dancing incident.
 
My one comment about this book is that I recommend reading it on audio. The script from the documentary interwoven with Katerina’s retelling of the events was enjoyable in the book, but I can only imagine what it would be like to listen to this tell-all, unauthorized documentary. I’m keeping an eye out for my library to get an audio copy to listen to and you should add this book to your TBR’s.

What a fun, fast read. We read this for our book club and it made for such a lively discussion. I really enjoyed this book and I cannot wait reaad more by Layne Fargo.

BOY HOWDY MAMA I NEEDED THIS!!!!!

So my friend Ashley told me about this great ARC that she read back in December and I requested it immediately because I have no self control whatsoever. I hadn’t heard back in a while, so when this popped up as an option for my January BOTM I pounced!! (That approval came back after I got the book which is great because now I get to rate it EVERYWHERE and also…NG stats ya know)

I was hooked right from the beginning but MAN did this train wreck get more and more addicting as time went on. This had all the best inspiration and elements from Carrie Soto is Back, Wuthering Heights, and, now that I have started watching the Netflix Show, possibly Spinning Out?

While this is super romance heavy, I would call it more of a historical fiction. I laughed I CRIED I honestly and truly could not put this down. It has been so long since I was able to sit and get engrossed in something, and this was IT.

If you’re a fan of ANYTHING really - especially Taylor Jenkins Reid, women’s histfic, female rage, sports and the Olympics, a little bit toxic but for sure passionate romances - then you should discard your TBR and read this IMMEDIATELY.

Huge thanks to Layne Fargo, Random House, and NetGalley for an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review (and BOTM for the shelf trophy)!

Very entertaining read. You really feel the drama of the skating world and the confusing love/hate relationships created by competition. I started watching ice dancing videos because it won me over, never had an interest in anything Olympics prior to this book. Well done.

Thank you netgalley for the arc of this novel in exchange for my honest review. I absolutely loved this book from the writing style to the story line. Katarina Shaw grows up in small town Illinois and sees Shiela Lin win a gold medal ice dancing in the winter Olympics on television one night and decides she is willing to do anything to become just like her. Her father makes some sacrifices to make sure Katerina is able to skate. She meets Heath a foster boy who movies into her town and they connect immediately. They spend their lives together and Heath does everything he can to support her dream. Along the way their are enemies, jealous, injury. Will they make Olympic gold? Will they stay together? I could not put this book down. Five stars

The Favorites is objectively a well written book. The writing was beautiful and leaves the reader with many quotes to add to their arsenal. It was fast-paced and easy to read. Similar to your favorite reality tv show, once you read a chapter there’s no stopping until you finish the whole book. The characters were complex. Their relationships, even more so. This book was major toxic energy yet it was so hard to look away. There were so many moments I wanted to smack a character and tell them to get their life together (looking at you Kat….. Heath….. Bella) Layne Fargo wrote a book fantastic for fans of Taylor Jenkins Reid and Jessa Hastings. This was an all around entertaining book showing the complexities of the ice skating world and the challenges that come with performing with the ones you love.

*Thank you Netgalley and Random House for an ARC in exchange for an honest review*

I could not put this book down! It was fantastic, the twists and turns had me turning the pages so quickly. Fantastic story and very rich characters.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC. And the book of the year! I loved this story so much. I went and put on the Cutting Edge the second I finished.

OMG, this book was absolutely insane! I've never felt this level of frustration and pure emotional chaos while reading in a while 😭 It had me on the edge of my seat the entire time, barely able to breathe, let alone put it down. The cliffhangers at the end of every chapter were like punches to the gut, making me need to turn the page immediately. And the interview-style format? Genius. It gave us a peek into everyone’s mind, showing how each person saw the same events through totally different lenses. It was brilliant, but man, it was frustrating in the best way. Thought-provoking, intense, and completely consuming. I was hooked from start to finish, and I wouldn’t have it any other way!

an easy 5 stars!

This book had me hooked right away - drama (!!!), romance, ice skating, childhood friends to lovers, rivals, angst, tension, chemistry, twists and turns ( both literary & on the ice) … what more could a girl ask for??

I haven't stopped thinking about this book or these characters since I finished reading! I really wish I could somehow watch Kat & Heath skate in real life but in the meantime I'll have to manifest a book to screen adaptation (please please please).

I can't wait to re-read on audio - I've heard amazing things about the full cast narration!

a HUGE thank you to Random house for sending over an advanced copy! 💕

Thank you so much to NetGalley, Random House, and Layne Fargo for allowing me to read this book in exchange for my honest review. I love this book so much! It reminds me of the movie Cutting Edge and TJR’s previous books. I love the writing style of multiple POV’s, flashbacks, and the interview style all mixed in together. This is a fantastic book and highly recommend it to anyone who loves women’s fiction, romance, coming of age stories, and ice skating. This will be one of my favorites of 2025! Thank you again for allowing me to review this book.

This was such a fun, stressful, and addicting read! If you grew up on CW TV shows and are now a fan of the Magnolia Parks books, you'll definitely enjoy this.
Layne Fargo really chose the format (a mix of of documentary interviews and the story told from Kat's perspective) well, and uses it not only to enhance the suspense and tension throughout the book but also to create captivating characters.
You can definitely feel the Wuthering Heights retelling aspect at the start of the book, executed in a very original way, but the story eventually takes on a life of its own. It truly feels like a TV drama, mixing contemporary events and culture with the story seamlessly, and it even had me convinced it had to be real and googling real-life ice dancers and their stories by the end.

Oh boy. I was super excited to pick this book up due to all of the early 5 star reviews I saw; however, this book did not work for me at all. I did not enjoy any of the characters, the plot line or the fact that the issues just keep repeating themselves over and over. I felt like I was reading a young adult novel the whole time.

I will leave my thoughts there as I do not have one positive thing to say about this book.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for allowing me to read an early copy.

Everyone in this book is terrible, which tracks for a Wuthering Heights retelling. However, unlike in Wuthering Heights, I struggled to feel anything about Kat or Heath and most of the book felt like being told things but never really going deeper on anything. The ending was a letdown for me as well.

3.5 rounded up

By far and away, my favorite experience with this book was the audiobook production! Reminiscent of Daisy Jones and the Six, the cast of characters made this story come alive. Former ice skating competitor, @johnnygweir, absolutely stole the show!!

Initially, I wasn’t interested in this story - I like ice skating enough, but don’t really know a whole lot about it - but then I started seeing rave reviews! For the first 50%, I was all in - finding reasons to do chores around the house - wanting to listen to it as fast as possible. Then somewhere along the way, the steam ran out of my engine and I began having to force myself to finish.

I think the drama started to be a bit much for me, I began liking Katarina less and less (by the end, I really couldn’t stand her at all), and I was frustrated by some of the turns the story took. Regardless, I do not regret the experience because the audiobook truly is top notch. I’m not sure I would have finished had I read the print version of this one, so trust everyone when they tell you audio is the way to go!

4.5 overall. Holy cow. I am unwell *and* completely satisfied. It was messy and compulsive and enthralling. I honestly want to reread it already and know that it’s going to be an ideal read as the Olympics roll around (also ice dancing is the perfect sport for this type of book, no notes)

The Favorites by Layne Fargo is everything. The format, the drama, the setting, the character dynamics, it all works so well together. The story never drags on and truly brings you into their world over the course of many years.

Absolutely loved! This book was so addicting from the first page. I loved the the format with there being documentary chapters and then chapters from Kat's POV. I flew through this book needing to know what happened next. I know knowing about ice dancing but this book made you feel like you were in the ice rink with them. So much drama! The relationship between Kat and Heath is just part of it. I could definitely see this being made into a TV series.

Thank you NetGalley and Random House for an ARC of the Favorites by Layne Fargo for an honest review.