⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

This was an unexpected 5 star read for me. But maybe it shouldn’t be considering it’s about two ice dancers, Katarina Shaw and Heath Rocha, who have been skating together since childhood (insert Scott and Tessa obsession here) as they navigate the thrilling and cutthroat world of professional skating.

Such a gripping and addicting book. I was sucked in early on with Kat’s intensity and doggedness as she clawed her way to the Olympics all the way from her small town Illinois home. I was obsessed with the push and pull of her dynamic with Heath even though at times toxic (but we all know that made it all the more addicting). I was glued to my kindle and was just itching to turn the page to see what happened next.

Not your usual contemporary romance (I would say it leans more drama that centers a relationship) but I was thoroughly entertained by their turbulent relationship just as much as the cutthroat world and politics of professional skating.

The narrative style, flipping from Kat’s POV and the documentary about “the incident”, allowed me to feel like I was fully immersed in the scandal and the story. I loved this style since Daisy Jones and the Six as a way to quickly get multiple sides of a story and it worked really well here. It felt like I was living in the world.

I couldn’t describe it better than the tagline “To the world they were a scandal. To each other, an obsession”. And I was obsessed with their story.

Short Synopsis:
Katarina Shaw has dreams of being a gold medal Olympian. And nothing will stand in her way - not the death of her dad, not a lack of money, and not even the love of her life.

My Thoughts:
Ohmygosh. The drama in this was sooooo delicious. Obsession. Scandal. Betrayal. It had it all. THE FAVORITES was completely bingeable. I lost so much sleeping thinking about Katarina Shaw and Heath Roche. My heart hurt. I couldn’t get over the dramatics of this book. There was ALWAYS something new happening. I can’t say enough good things about this. It has something for everyone: love, sports, friendships (or really frenemies), some history, but mostly drama. It’s one of those books where I’m not quite sure I liked any of the characters, but I rooted for them and loved how their mesh of personalities came together. If you enjoyed Carrie Soto is Back, you’ll gobble this one right up.

I did a mix between audio and physical and honestly with the talented full cast narration and interview style format, it made this one of the best audiobooks I’ve ever read. And can we also take a moment to appreciate how JOHNNY WEIR - a two-time Olympian - is on the audiobook cast. But legit every actor nailed it so beautifully. Highly recommend.

What You’ll Find:
Olympic Ice Dancers
DRAMA. SO MUCH DRAMA.
Soul mates
Forced proximity
Full cast narration
Messy romance

The Favorites by Layne Fargo
Publishing date - 01/14/25
Rating (5/5) ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
BOTM January pick & Netgalley e-ARC

Loved it!! Loved it 😍

I loved it from start to finish! This was the perfect book to binge during a snow ❄️ storm! I absolutely could not put this book down!! I can see this book being one of my favorites of the year. I loved the documentary format and the writing style was very reminiscent of Taylor Jenkins Reid.

read if you like :
- Carrie Soto is Back
- Daisy Jones & The Six
- emotional stories

Thank you to NetGalley , Random House Publishing Group , and Layne Fargo for this e-ARC. This physical copy is now going on my bookshelf with the hopes that one day I will be able to meet the author , Layne Fargo.

I’m so grateful to have had the chance to read The Favorites by Layne Fargo, thanks to NetGalley.

I’ll start by admitting that my knowledge of figure skating and the Olympics is minimal, yet I thoroughly enjoyed this novel. For those who are passionate about the sport, I can only imagine how much more thrilling this book will be.

The Favorites follows the complicated and multifaceted relationship between Katarina Shaw and Heath Rocha, which stems in childhood when Heath joins Katarina’s family after years in foster care. As they grow, Katarina pursues her love for figure skating, with Heath by her side as they leave their family home and the abusive relationship with Katarina’s older brother and rise from small, dingy rinks to the flashes of paparazzi, gossip blogs, five-star hotels, and the glitz and glamour of professional figure skating.

Spanning decades, the story never loses sight of the cutthroat nature of the industry—where pressure, competition, jealousy, and backstabbing abound. Rivals cut corners and friends and family betray, but Katarina is determined to achieve her lifelong dream of becoming a gold-medal Olympian, no matter the cost.

The dynamic between Katarina and Heath is unlike anything I’ve ever read. Their relationship is messy and toxic, yet raw and real. While Heath obsesses over Katarina, she remains focused primarily on her own needs and her dream of reaching the top. Though she is strong-willed and determined, it’s hard not to feel for the sacrifices she makes and the stakes she puts on the line to achieve her goal.

This book is scandalous, over-the-top, and my first five-star read of the year. I highly recommend it to anyone looking for a fast-paced story filled with drama, rivalry, and a messy, complex relationship between the main characters.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

there's a reason this one seems to be the internet's favorite book of 2025 already. my heart was in my throat the entire back half. I was elated and enraged, the all caps texts I was sending to my friends after finishing was a sure sign that this was a winner. I can't remember the last time I was so angry at a book's ending and still loved it all the same. like Daisy Jones and the Six, the Favorites had me invested in a fictional cultural phenomenon. I physically felt my reaction to the injustice Kat and Heath went through, especially at the end. Kat and Bella's ambition, even though it seemed to only manifest in toxic ways and they eventually learned to navigate it, was the prefect driving force for me; I love women that are unapologetic in their quest for success. the audio was great and I already can't wait to reread it.

This book keeps you on your toes the WHOLE time. I blinked and I was half way through reading it.
-The hype is REAL.

Daisy Jones & the Six 🤝🏾 Ice Skating

✨ the dramaaa!! ✨

“To the world they were a scandal. To each other an obsession!”
“Happiness couldn’t be won.”

Thank you Random House for this arc in exchange for an honest review.

Pub day is January 14th!!

A buzz-y read that is sure to be at the top of everyone's wish list for 2025, The Favorites is a cleverly written book about competitive figure skating and a girl with Tanya Harding like roots that will take you on a wild ride.

The first half of the book I was enthralled, and was certain it was going to be a 5 star read. Then it lost me. Then it found me again. Then I couldn't stop thinking about it... it was a rollercoaster of a read and I think I'm still unpacking how I feel about it.

Here is what I loved: the main character Katarina Shaw. She was strong and driven and sometimes selfish but she was unapologetic in her hunger and her desire for THE Gold. More female main characters like Katarina, please! I also loved that excerpts of the book were told in documentary style, looking back at the events transpiring through various observers. That was really well done. The rest of the book was a mix of several elements: a commentary on ice skating and the biases within competitive sports, a statement that winning comes at a cost, and the fact that no matter how many times you reinvent yourself, you always come back to who you truly are at the end.

What was harder for me to swallow was that the people Katarina surrounded herself with were incredibly toxic, particularly her obsessive and twisted on-and-off again relationship with first love turned skating partner turned enemy turned lover again turned enemy again Heath. Add to that her long-time idol slash coach who really didn't care about anything more than her 'investment' getting a medal, and her BFF slash competitor slash frenemy Bella. While I did love a large portion of the book, I just couldn't reconcile some of the decisions made at the end which left a frustrating taste in my mouth. At the same time, isn't a good book one that makes you mad, that makes you think, and that isn't HEA across the board?

For readers who want to be entertained, who like real and complicated and messy, who like nuanced relationships, who like an underdog, or who overall just like a well written story, this should be on your 2025 reading list. Thank you to Random House Publishing Group and Netgalley for my earc in exchange for my honest opinion.

This book toyed with me. ⁣
⁣
It’s genius. ⁣
⁣
it’s unbelievably unique and fresh that I didn’t even know the grasp it had on me till chapter 82 when I turned on Taylor Swift’s “the last time” . ⁣
⁣
And then literally shut the book with tears running down my face with a holy crap expression. ⁣
⁣
Is it romance? 𝘒𝘪𝘯𝘥 𝘰𝘧. In an unhealthy passionate kind of way. ⁣
Is it thriller? 𝘕𝘰𝘱𝘦 but there’s an edge of mystery running through it. ⁣
Is it non fiction? 𝘕𝘰𝘱𝘦 but it felt like pieces were so real that they could have been. ⁣
⁣
𝘚𝘩𝘰𝘳𝘵 𝘴𝘺𝘯𝘰𝘱𝘴𝘪𝘴: 𝘪𝘵’𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘬𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘭𝘥 𝘶𝘯𝘷𝘦𝘪𝘭𝘦𝘥 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘥 𝘧𝘢𝘮𝘪𝘭𝘺 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘯𝘴𝘪𝘵𝘺 𝘰𝘧 𝘴𝘱𝘰𝘳𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘳𝘰𝘸𝘯 𝘪𝘯. 𝘐𝘵’𝘴 𝘢 𝘮𝘪𝘹 𝘣𝘢𝘨 𝘰𝘧 𝘨𝘦𝘯𝘳𝘦𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘬𝘦𝘦𝘱𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘥𝘦𝘳 𝘧𝘭𝘪𝘱𝘱𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘱𝘢𝘨𝘦𝘴 𝘵𝘳𝘺𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘰 𝘧𝘪𝘨𝘶𝘳𝘦 𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘪𝘵 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘨𝘰𝘪𝘯𝘨. 𝘐 𝘩𝘪𝘵 𝟻𝟶% 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦, “𝘸𝘢𝘪𝘵 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵? 𝘏𝘰𝘸 𝘤𝘢𝘯 𝘐 𝘰𝘯𝘭𝘺 𝘣𝘦 𝟻𝟶% 𝘯𝘰𝘸? 𝘞𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘪𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘩𝘢𝘱𝘱𝘦𝘯”….⁣
⁣
And then the back half happens. ⁣
⁣
The darkness in the book are the threads of obsession: ⁣
for the sport, ⁣
for the competitors, ⁣
for love. ⁣
The obsession was the darkness. ⁣
The love was the drug that fed into it. ⁣
⁣
I feel like I just read the book I have no doubt will be the Booksta darling in the mixed genre category of 2025 and if one of the celebrity book clubs don’t pick this up, I’m wondering if they’ve even read it? ⁣

⁣
𝘗𝘴. 𝘋𝘰 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘴𝘦𝘭𝘧 𝘢 𝘧𝘢𝘷𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘱𝘭𝘢𝘺 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘰𝘯𝘨 “𝘭𝘢𝘴𝘵 𝘵𝘪𝘮𝘦” 𝘣𝘺 𝘛𝘢𝘺𝘭𝘰𝘳 𝘚𝘸𝘪𝘧𝘵 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘣𝘢𝘤𝘬𝘨𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘥 𝘢𝘴 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘥 𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘱𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝟾𝟸. ⁣
𝘗𝘱𝘴. 𝘛𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘬 𝘺𝘰𝘶 @𝘮𝘦𝘨 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘦𝘭𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘮𝘦 𝘛𝘏𝘐𝘚 𝘪𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘣𝘰𝘰𝘬 𝘐 𝘯𝘦𝘦𝘥𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘋𝘦𝘤. 𝘣𝘦𝘤𝘢𝘶𝘴𝘦 𝘐 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘥 𝘪𝘵. ⁣
⁣
#FlowersFavouriteFiction

Katarina Shaw and Heath Rocha are an elite pair of ice dancers, but they didn't get there easily. This story is told as an anniversary interview documentary of the shocking event that abruptly ended their partnership, right after winning Olympic gold. It's also told from Kat's POV, filling in the gaps that the interviewees aren't privy to.
Kat and Heath grew up together and became each other's partners, lovers and obsessions. There's a definite Wuthering Heights comparison (not just with the names). This story has everything and you won't be disappointed. I cannot express how much I loved this book. Drama, romance and a story that will have thinking about even after finishing the novel.

*Special thanks to NetGalley and Random House for this digital e-arc.*

Two weeks ago I didn't know this book existed. This week, I found myself sitting in my driveway, unable to pause because I had to know what happened next. I LOVED the full-cast audio! This story is as intense as the main character herself, Katerina Shaw. With heartbreak, ambition, and obsession all rolled into an unforgettable book you won't soon forget this one. The chemistry between Kat and Heath, both on and off the ice, is electric, and twists kept me guessing until the very end.

I ate this right up but also didn’t want it to end. Olympics, scandal, live, drama….ate. it. up. I loved it from start to finish and loved the way it was told and showed how differently things can be behind the scenes and how women olympians/athletes are held to different standards. Thank you Net Galley for the advanced copy of this book.

Thank you Netgalley and Layne Fargo for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Is it too early to say this is going in my 2025 top books for the year? I loved this so much! Its docustyle ice skating edition. I was apprehensive as this seemed much different than her last book but she crushed it.

At times I found myself holding my breath scared to find out what would happen next in the saga. It has it all: glamour, gossip, betrayal, love etc. I could see this being a movie or maybe tv show! Everyone was multifaceted and there were many times I was rooting for or against the characters.

I also got an audio copy from Libro fm on 1/1 and switched back and forth between audio and e-read. For this kind of story the audio takes it to another level! All the narrators were amazing and had me laughing, yelling and crying. I can't wait to see what Layne Fargo does next! :)

If you enjoy friends to lovers romances, rival cutthroat sport teams, hot gossip mixed with some sabotage check this story out!

Well that was the perfect book to binge during a snow/ice storm. Through a documentary lens, this looks back at a troubled couple who dedicate their lives to competitive figure skating and all the drama of their career. Scandalous! Soapy! Gossipy! I completely inhaled this without coming up for air.

Didn't see that coming! NO spoilers from me about Kat and Heath, Bella and Garrett-two star crossed ice dancing couples competing in various combinations for the Gold. Kat and Heath are the small town team driven by Kat's ambition while Bella and Garrett are the glamorous twin children of Kat's ice skating idol. There's a fair amount of melodrama here as Kat and Heath mature as skaters (but not necessarily as people) and as they compete with both themselves and others. There's romance, there's envy, there's someone who wants to be champion and will do anything, anything to achieve that goal. Know that all the back stories are a bit vague but that it doesn't matter because Fargo has created realistic (sadly) characters. I only watch skating during the Olympics but that was an impediment to my enjoying this and I learned a great deal about the sport (even though, to be honest, it's not really deep on details). Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. This was a page turner for me. And there are surprises!

4.5⭐️! Even though it’s only January, I can see this book being one of my favorites of the year. I loved the documentary format and the writing style was very reminiscent of Taylor Jenkins Reid. The characters felt real and I could connect to each of them in different ways throughout the story. The plot was incredibly engaging and kept taking unexpected turns that just kept getting better and better. I will recommend this book to anyone and everyone and will most definitely be purchasing myself a physical copy on release day.

This was an intriguing and gripping read. From the very first page, I was hooked by the suspenseful plot and the complex, multi-dimensional characters. Fargo's ability to craft a story filled with twists and turns kept me on the edge of my seat throughout.
What really stood out to me was the depth of the character development. Each character felt real and relatable, with their own unique struggles and motivations. The dynamics between them added layers of tension and emotion that made the story even more compelling.
Fargo's writing style is sharp and engaging, perfectly capturing the mood and atmosphere of each scene. The themes of ambition, jealousy, and the quest for recognition resonated deeply with me, adding a thought-provoking element to the narrative.
Overall, The Favorites is a must-read. It left me thinking about the characters and their choices long after I finished the book. If you're looking for a story that will keep you guessing and leave you pondering life's complexities, this one is definitely worth picking up.

Kat Shaw knew from an early age that ice skating would be her ticket out of her mundane life. When she met foster kid Heath Rocha, she taught him to skate, and her dream became his as well. Together on the ice they were a formidable ice dancing duo, and they dreamed of a gold medal at the Olympics. But tragedy intervened, and the next time they met it was as competitors—each dancing with a different partner.
Fargo's book is an eye-opening look at the dedication, money, ego, and toughness needed to compete at the Olympic level, against those who would do anything to win.

This will be one of THE books of the year - calling that now!

Five star ratings are very few & far between for me. I am pretty pumped that book #1 for the year was just that - 5⭐️!!!

I read They Never Learn by Layne Fargo a few years ago & gave it 4.5⭐️ - it is a thriller that I still remember to this day (which def is not always the case- especially with my new mom brain, lol). I knew I would enjoy this one, but didn’t know just how much! From the first page, it hooked me, & I could not stop thinking about this plot/these characters.

Very different from the previous book I read of hers, The Favorites is a contemporary fiction novel with romance. From the beginning I got heavy Daisy Jones & the Six mixed with Carrie Soto is Back vibes.. how neat to see that Fargo thanked Taylor Jenkins Reid (the author of those novels) in her acknowledgments!

Things I loved about this one:
📝 Short chapters
🎙️ Interview/documentary style (a favorite style of mine)
⛸️ Figure skating
🏡 Found family element
🏅 Olympics/the competition storyline
🗣️ Full cast on audio (which was FAB)
🤫 Drama & scandal (definitely made me gasp on multiple occasions)
👎🏻 Unlikeable characters (some actions were truly despicable)
😍 Beautiful writing
✨ Lifelike imagery

I did a mixture of kindle/physical & audio, but if I had to choose- I’d suggest going the audio route. Like Daisy Jones (a top 3 fave audiobook of all time) the full cast + interview formatting is SO entertaining & feels like a movie.

Speaking of movie - I am DYING for this story to be turned into a series (@primevideo!!!!). 🎬🤞🏼

LOVE LOVE LOVE. Highly recommend. 👏🏼

I think this could be a perfect book for those who are looking for drama filled, kind of toxic environments / relationships and the constant ups and downs of playing the sport. Something similar could be another book about this band that I am not going to mention but you'll get it once you read it (it was written as interview style)

Something that I liked about the story, is that you can tell that the author did her reasearch because it was so much fun to learn about these athletes and how everything works in figure skating. What I didn't like about this book is that it was very repetitive. The constant twist in the end of every chapter had me bored and aching to be done with the story. We were constantly being introduced to new characters with little to no develop and it was hard to place two and two together. Another issue for me is that I couldn't connect with the characters and it was hard to root for them (tbh I never did) It also read as YA at times but other times it didn't, which was frustrating and tedious. I was expecting to see YEARNING and it felt short.

I would personally recommend to listen to the audiobook instead of eyeball reading because like I said, I think the writing was a bit choppy but if you don't care about that, I think you'll enjoying it as a form of escapism; mainly for the drama aspect.

I do wish I liked this one so much more but I just couldn't deal with Heath and his toxic, jealousy behavior or Katharina's lack of empathy for others well being as long as she got what she wanted. People will do anything to get what they want. Overall, it was entertaining but I didn't really care for any of them.

[arc review]
Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for providing an arc in exchange for an honest review.
The Favorites releases January 14, 2025

2.75

This will undoubtedly become one of the more polarizing reads of the year with its extremely toxic relationships and competitive environment that the story is framed upon, of which you’ll either love or hate as a reader.

Through a tell-all style, with added documentary transcripts interspersed throughout, <I>The Favorites</I> chronicles Katarina’s career as an ice dancer, and the many highs and lows of her personal and professional relationship with Heath, from when they first start skating together as kids, up until the Olympics that witnesses their last professional skate.

<i>The Favorites</I> suffers from being noticeably long-winded and monotonous. I desperately needed more suspense or another character pov to offset Katarina and the documentary transcripts, especially in the early stages of the story.

I’m not a fan when writers frame the outing of their character’s sexuality as a plot twist, so I was disappointed to see that here, especially with a character of colour.

I hated what became of Bella and Heath, both at the Vancouver games and in Boston. It felt like such a betrayal, and I really wish we had gotten a glimpse of some of their more intimate conversations as a way to better understand what their grieving process was like during the years Katarina isolated herself.

cw: physical abuse, cancer, drug overdose, infidelity