Thank you Random House and Libro.fm for my free ARC of The Favorites by Layne Fargo — available Jan 14!

» READ IF YOU «
⛸️ frickin love ice dancing, figure skating, ice anything
💞 are looking for a bit of romantic suspense
🧬 enjoy a unique structure in your fiction

» SYNOPSIS «
Kat and Heath have been together since they were ten, and their hard work and dedication has landed them among the top ice dancers in the world. But their relationship is turbulent. and their spats and splits only fuel the public's obsession with their volatile romance. As blood spreads across an Olympic ice rink, Kat will finally get what she wants, but at what cost?

» REVIEW «
Listen, I frickin LOVE ice dancing. It's actually my favorite of the skating-related disciplines, because it's so emotional and expressive. So a whole book about it—! I was in heaven. ALSO! I adore Johnny Weir, and he has a bit part in the audiobook as Ellis Dean. I highly recommend the audio version.

What I loved most about this book was the structure. We have Kat telling the story from her POV for the majority of the book, but between her recollections, there are "interviews" from a documentary about the pair that bridge the time gaps so neatly and flawlessly. We don't have to spend hundreds of pages detailing all the in-between things, because we get nice little recaps in those sections. Love it!

Romance is generally not my genre, but I enjoyed this because there's kind of a suspense to the whole story. I don't love that we are, in general, back to casting all Russians in the "bad guy" roles in books, but alas. That's my sole gripe here. Really enjoyed the pacing, writing, and story itself!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Katarina Shaw has always has her sights on becoming an Olympic skater. But coming from a humble upbringing, she’s knows she has to work extra hard to make her dream come true. Luckily, she has her first love and skating partner, Heath Rocha, literally by her side in her journey to Olympic glory.

Early in their career as a pair, Katarina’s raw talent sets them apart from the pack, although they are constantly compared to the fierce sibling skating legacy, Bella and Grant Lin. But Heath’s heart isn’t in it as much, his pursuit of the limelight seemingly a by product of being in Katarina’s shadow. As the stakes increase, Heath struggles to keep up, both on and off the ice. Eventually the pair part ways, but this is just the tip of the proverbial iceberg.

As the years pass, we see the rise and fall of all four skaters as they struggle to juggle the personal and professional demands of an already taxing sport. Although the focus remains on Bella and Heath, it’s impossible to tell their story without the backdrop of the cutthroat skating world, along with the complicated relationships they have with their coveted rivals.

The Favorites is a razor sharp story of lovers on thin ice, told documentary style over the span of many years. While I did want a bit more out of Katarina and Heath’s initial meeting, there’s a lot or rich character development to chip away at here. The audio is particularly engaging as it’s performed by a full cast. As someone who grew up loving to watch figure skating and falling in love with movies like Ice Castles and The Cutting Edge, this book was a must read for me.

A love story at its core, The Favorites is an angst ridden thrill ride that will surely skate circles around the literary competition.

WOW - Daisy Jones walked so The Favorites could run. This book was insanely good. It was well written, its characters were layered, and the plot kept you guessing the entire time. The documentary/interview style parts were just enough to provide foreshadowing without giving anything away. Katarina and Heath are a REAL kind of love, which is rare to see in books these days, and the added dynamics of other characters were the cherry on the top. I loved how raw this book was, and as the story unfolded and everything had its point, I really loved how it all came together.

I loved this engaging and moving romance! It was wonderful to have a front row seat to the world of ice dancing competitions. Compelling characters who changed a lot throughout the story further added to my enjoyment.

I went into this book with no true expectations and ended up thoroughly enjoying it. Well written, with a fast-paced and engaging storyline. As a reader without much knowledge in the world of competitive skating, this book was still enjoyable from the beginning to the end, I look forward to another book from this author.
Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Random House for this ARC!
4/5

LOVED THIS ONE! It reminded me to Taylor Jenkin Reid’s Carrie Soto, it was so good! Had me hooked from the beginning. This might be one of my favorites of the entire year!

I think I'm sitting at 4.25-4.5 stars.

The synopsis of this story was catnip to me - an ice skating drama/thriller/romance, adding the fact that I have loved 2 of Layne Fargo’s previous books and this became a must-read and highly anticipated book. Like other reviews noted, this is a retelling of Wuthering Heights (never read it so can’t speak to similarities) and is written in the vein of Taylor Jenkins Reid. It’s basically a mix of Daisy Jones and the Six & Carrie Soto is Back, both books I really like. It has a mixed media format and switches between narration from the main character mixed with other character’s commentaries in a documentary, and it looks back at the 15 year competition history and relationship between two Olympic ice dancers, Katarina and Heath.

This is an extremely readable and entertaining book with a large cast of characters and personalities. Pretty much every character pissed me off at some point. The rise(s) and fall(s) of Kat and Heath over time were very interesting and actually sort of uncomfortable to read at times. This book gives good insight into the frenemies you make in competitive sports, and the expectations of how to publicly conduct yourself as a skater. The drama is juicy as hell and there are lots of twists and turns. Things get pretty scary in the last 10%! Fargo paints a very cut-throat and diabolical skating world, which I know is pretty true to real life, however I was still questioning how realistic some things were. I know major drama happens in ice skating, but even still sometimes the story seemed a little over the top? But I was having too good a time to truly care!

Depth was one thing I wanted more of in this story. I didn’t totally buy into Kat/Heath’s ~connection~ They never get deep with each other. I didn’t fully understand why they loved each other, other than forced proximity and other circumstances. I couldn't help but compare this book to Carrie Soto. A lot of the drama in Carrie Soto happens on the tennis court - the matches are described in meticulous detail, to the point where it feels like you ARE her in the middle of a match. This book lacked intricacies and details that put you right there in the middle of the skating programs, and I felt myself really wanting that experience because you can FEEL the tension and how high the stakes are, rather than just being told that they are. Maybe this isn’t a fair criticism, but honestly this one thing would have really elevated the book for me.

Pacing and editing could have been better. The first half takes its time with a more meandering pace, then things pick up and the story is more riveting in the second half as Kat and Heath get older and more competitive. The first half also reads a little YA at times (because the characters were teens I guess lol) so that could have contributed to my lesser investment in the beginning. This book is pretty long and could be edited down a bit (although I still want more program details!)

TLDR: A very entertaining and memorable book that I highly recommend. Most readers will really enjoy this, especially if you like TJR. I felt like it could go deeper in certain areas, and it didn’t totally get there for me to give it a 5.

If you’re a fan of Taylor Jenkins Reid’s 𝘋𝘢𝘪𝘴𝘺 𝘑𝘰𝘯𝘦𝘴 & 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘚𝘪𝘹, Layne Fargo’s 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘍𝘢𝘷𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘪𝘦𝘴 will absolutely captivate you. Set against the high-stakes world of ice dancing, this novel offers a fresh, thrilling exploration of ambition, competition, and the sacrifices that come with chasing greatness.

The story follows Katarina Shaw and Heath Roca, two talented ice dancers from humble beginnings who aim for Olympic gold. Both come from small towns with no money or connections, and they must navigate the fierce and often ruthless world of competitive skating to realize their dreams.

What I enjoyed most about 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘍𝘢𝘷𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘪𝘦𝘴 was its exploration of ambition’s dark side. It raises a crucial question: Is winning the gold medal truly worth losing everything else in your life? Through the highs and lows of Katarina and Heath’s journey, the book delves into the tension between personal relationships and professional success, making it as much a story about human connections as it is about the pursuit of excellence.

If you’re looking for a page-turner filled with drama, ambition, and emotional depth, 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘍𝘢𝘷𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘪𝘦𝘴 is an absolute must-read. It’s a story that lingers long after the final page, forcing you to reflect on what truly matters in life.

Thank you NetGalley and Random House for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I’m GAGGED. this book invoked my fight or flight response 😩 I genuinely don’t know if I absolutely loved it or hated it (like in the most respectful way possible) I haven’t had a book make me feel this way since Magnolia Parks. 🥲

The commentary / documentary style was unlike anything I’ve read before. The hooks at the end of the commentary chapters made it nearly impossible to put the book down, specifically most of Ellis Dean’s lines. I have to confess that I didn’t LOVE Katarina’s POV but I think (or I hope) that may have been intentional. She’s incredibly flawed but such a complex, interesting character, that I feel like I can hate her and root for her at the same time. Honestly most of the cast were/are terrible, but so well-written. I overall enjoyed because I hate to love messy books 🤭. (immediate after-read rating: 4 ⭐️)

Many thanks to Random House for the eARC ♥️

WOW!! I couldn’t stop myself from reading. It was like a car crash I couldn’t look away from. An enthralling read full of scandals, betrayals, and having what it takes to win in the cutthroat sport of figure skating.

Katarina Shaw and Heath Rocha came from nothing. the documentary-style interviews and narrative-style story-telling showcases their story as two underdogs in the ice dance sport and how they got to what happened in the 2014 Sochi Olympics years prior.

Buckle yourself in for the ride because this is an emotional roller coaster through and through. You can try and predict what’s going to happen next and the story takes a whole different turn. My blood pressure has never been so high. This story is filled with drama and tension, love and heartbreak, and betrayals and mystery.

Kat and Heath are such multi-faceted characters. The two of them have an obsession and dependency on one-another, but with so much unconditional love underneath. Their story isn’t linear but it is unyielding. Bella and Garrett Lin, their rivals and biggest competition, were fantastic supporting characters. The dynamics they built throughout the years and where they ended up is fascinating.

The audiobook version of this book is one of the best audiobooks I’ve ever listened to! A full cast with so much emotion in their voices. It makes the interview-style pop out more and the story-telling from Katarina’s POV is amazing. HIGHLY recommend listening to the audiobook for this!

if you loved the drama of the magnolia parks series, the interview-style writing of daisy jones and the six, and the scandals of the seven husbands of evelyn hugo and I, tonya, then you will LOVE this! releases everywhere january 14th.

thank you random house publishing, layne fargo, and netgalley for the eARC and librofm for the audio ARC!!

The Favorites has been hyped up and it totally delivered. I felt completely transported into this world and am so sad it's over. Already one of my favorites(!!) of the year!

I haven’t binged a book in one day in a LONG time and this captured and held my attention the entire way through. Pacing was great, the characters were great, the mix of documentary interview and narrative from Kat’s POV was great! I grew up absolutely OBSESSED with figure skating (I was born in the 80s) and I lived through the drama of Tonya Harding and Nancy Kerrigan. This story was wild in an entirely different way, but I still loved it!

I loved They Never Learn by Layne Fargo and although this is NOTHING like it in terms of plot or genre, I think lovers of Layne’s previous work will still enjoy this story.

Thanks to Random House Publishing Group and NetGalley for an advanced reader copy of The Favorites in exchange for my honest review.

Initially, I was disappointed as the story panned out as I was really expecting a thriller like They Never Learn. Then the characters started growing on me, and there were some pretty suspenseful moments even though it was a little too "romancy" for my taste.

But that said, I wound up liking the story.

At a little over the halfway mark, I made a terrible error and compared this book to two books written by Taylor Jenkins Reid. I am here to formally issue an apology because I was so very, very, egregiously wrong and I am sorry TJR for likening this to anything you've ever done. This book had female athlete a la Carrie Soto and the format was done in a similar interview style as Daisy Jones and the Six, but that my friends, is where the similarities end.

Oof. I did not like this one bit. It was incredibly melodramatic, silly, and I did not believe a word of it. The author was so focused on making the plot twisty that the story did not make any sense. I did not get Olympic athlete vibes or even romance vibes - what did I just read? Oh really, another competition was sabotaged and they are fighting again? BORING. I am at a loss actually looking through all the stellar five star reviews. And this was selected as a book of the month pick for January?! I am floooooooooooored what is going onnnnnnnn.

I received an e-arc from Netgalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Wow! Upon finishing this book, I was about to BURST with emotions and I couldn’t even identify which emotion was strongest!!! What a ride! 5 stars!

This is an epic, heart-wrenching story following Katarina Shaw and Heath Rocha, two underdogs in the cutthroat world of elite ice skating, including multiple Olympic games.

Angst, passion, heartbreak, rivalry, revenge, betrayal. This juicy, twisty tale is going to be a top book of 2025!

Part narrative, part documentary interview format — this book gives big Daisy Jones and the Six and Carrie Soto is Back (both Taylor Jenkins Reid novels) vibes! Considering those are two of my favorite books, this is a massive compliment.

I honestly found myself wanting to youtube certain performances in the novel only to remember these characters were fictional! 😆 These characters leapt off the page and into my heart!

STRONGLY recommend to fans of:
⛸️ Olympic figure skating
⛸️ elite sports drama
⛸️ Taylor Jenkins Reid novels

Many thanks to the publisher for an eARC via NetGalley!

If you loved The Husbands of Evelyn Hugo and Daisy Jones and the Six, you’re going to LOVE this.

If you love figure skating and the Olympics, you’re really going to love this book.

Could not put this down.

They just don’t write sweeping dramas like this anymore! Layne Fargo thank you but also how could you?

This was engaging, thrilling, infuriating & an absolute delight to read. The level of detail Fargo weaves into the story made me pull up google to search visuals of these fictional characters and skating events. The exploration of the complexity of ambition and obsession was beautifully developed through this story of morally gray characters. I will be thinking about this book for a long time.

I would specifically recommend to lovers of I,Tonya, Wuthering heights, daisy jones & the six, and from Lukov with love.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group, for an eArc in exchange for an honest review.

The Favorites is a fast paced, enthralling read from page 1. As someone who knew very little about ice dancing, I found myself watching YouTube videos of famous dances to better picture the world of the characters. The story follows Kat and Heath, who have been ice dancing partners — and more — since childhood. Kat, a cutthroat competitor, will give anything to get to the Olympics, and the story follows her as she does just that. As Kat tells her story, documentary style narration and interviews with others from Kat’s life offer interesting, and sometimes completely opposite, perspectives. I couldn’t put this book down!! Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Wow what an engrossing book! Told in a straightforward timeline, but one set of chapters is prose written by the protagonist, Kat Shaw, and the alternate ones are "interview" excerpts from the "documentary" about her life. I loved this format so much!! They flowed together perfectly.

This book had it all - the fantasy of being an Olympian, the romance and drama of some of the characters, and the overarching mystery of WHAT HAPPENED at the 2014 Olympics?

Definitely a fun book club read and top pick!!!

Kat's life and personality drew me in, and I stayed up way to late to read this. One of my top 3 books from 2024! Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC. #sponsored

WOW!!!

The one word I can use to describe this book is addicting. I finished this book in a little over 24 hours and could not stop! This was insane from start to finish. The twists and turns had me freaking out, I truly was glued to this book from beginning to end.

Fans of Taylor Jenkins Reid will LOVE this book. It has Carrie Soto and Daisy Jones and The Six vibes!! This was a story filled with drama, betrayal, pain, sadness, obstacles, corruption, passion, love, lust, etc. but I was truly satisfied with how it shed light on the dark sides of being an athlete, relationships, and overall being in the public eye. I love how the book ended, and I was super satisfied with the whole story, although it was frustrating and insane at times!!

I love having Katariana as the main point of view and character for this book, it was SO well done and she truly shined. You feel every emotion alongside her character which just truly shows how well the author can illustrate a story. Her journey is remarkable!!

I cannot wait to see everyone raving and reacting to this book, as I truly think plenty of different readers (no matter their preferred genre) will love this book.

Also, the audio performance was one of the BEST audiobooks I have ever listened to. WHAT A CAST!! Absolutely phenomenal. Thank you Librofm and Random House for the early copy, all thoughts are mine!!!