I don’t know if I’ll ever get over this book. I’ve been listening to The Last Time (Taylor’s Version) on repeat the entire day while holding back tears because I finished reading.

I’ve never read a book with an interview style section, so I wasn’t sure how much I was going to enjoy it. But oh my goodness… I don’t know whether I consumed this book or the book consumed me. The emotions this story and these characters drew out of me were so visceral and intense. I’m still wrapping my head around the emotional warfare this book put me through. The writing was incredible. The plot was riveting. The emotions were gut-punching. The tension ate me alive. The betrayal cause me actual heart pain. I seriously just found myself speechless after I finished reading. And I immediately wanted to start reading it over again.

I could not have imagined this book to have a single thing changed about it. It was genuine perfection. Layne Fargo is absolutely brilliant and I am completely in awe of this story she created. This will be a book I scream about from the rooftops and force people to read. I rarely get surprised by plot twists in books these days, but this book took me for a ride and had me gasping, yelling, and crying. But I LOVED it.

This book deserves to be praised and read by everyone. I can’t wait for people to get their hands on this. It is a breathtaking story and I will be thinking about this book constantly.

*Thank you SO much Random House Publishing Group and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.*

Wow! This was so fun. I wasn’t expecting to tear through it but it was so compulsively readable. Couldn’t get enough! Characters were well developed, the plot was outrageous but fun! I adored the pacing and also the history of the sport. Wonderfully researched and made for any ice dancing fan or novice alike. Bravo

5⭐️

Thank you Netgalley and Random House Publishing for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I’m literally at a loss for words! Kat and Heath are an addictive duo that steal the emotions from within your chest, lay them all out, to take you on a wild journey. Spanning from the tail end of adolescence all the way through adulthood in the world of elite ice dancing, this book offers a look into the minds behind the dream of wanting to become an Olympic gold medalist.

The format of this book was unlike anything I read. I know there are other books that have been written this way, but it was my first time reading a book setup as a documentary interview to go along with the story itself. I thought it was such an immersive way to get different point of views on the main plotline. It ruptures that fourth wall that books are prone to have and makes it seem as if you are right there watching everything unfold. On top of following complex, flawed, but deeply raw human characters, this book sheds light on the corruption that infiltrates itself into large organizations. The privilege, greed, narcissism, toxicity, egocentrism, it’s all there.

Throughout the entirety of the book, my mind kept replaying one question: How far you are willing to push yourself to achieve the dreams written in your heart as it’s concurrently destroying you in the process.

From the first pages in the book Heath and Kat had an undeniable bond. Both having come from tragic home life’s, their passion for a better life through ice dance left you wanting to see them succeed imminently. After a negative outcome to a competition, Kat and Heath were left with a promising opportunity and from there everything changed.

I devoured this book. It lived up to the height and then some. Layne Fargo has dreamed up a world so enthralling. Despite the amount of time covered in this book, the flow was seamless. Heath, Katarina, Bella, and Garrett hold such a special place in my heart with everything they put me through. I feel like my review is all over the place, and may not make sense, but this story left me speechless and I’m still just trying to gather all my thoughts.

There are just some books that, while you read it, know it will stay with you for a long time. Is this book perfect? Absolutely not. Did I love it? Yes.

did i finish this or did it finish ME????? barely survived this one but would do it again in a heartbeat. i'm sad i'll never be able to read this for the first time again.

I read this book a month ago and it is still consuming my every thought. I am genuinely addicted to heath and katarina's story. and it comes out on jan 14th so everyone get ready because you will never be the same again.

It is books like this that remind me why I love reading so much - books that grab me by the throat and don't let go, epic love stories that make me feel ALIVE, characters so raw and passionate and flawed and human, it makes me feel like I’m on fire. Help I’m still at the restaurant. sitting in this corner I haunt.

I stayed up till 4am to finish this book! I just couldn't put it down. It definitely lives up to the hype. I would never have thought that a book centered around the competitive world of ice dancing would enchant me so much. It gives me The Cutting Edge movie vibes but this is the twisty, ultra back stabbing, passionate, dark version. You're rooting for underdogs Katarina & Heath when they take to the ice dancing scene. Most of their competitors look down on this "rough around the edges"pair. They don't have a well known coach, fancy Olympic size skating rink, or flashy costumes but there is natural talent there & Kat's determination to make her dreams come true. When Kat's idol, Shelia Lin offers them a chance to train at her Academy, Kat wants to jump at the chance but Heath's hard knock life has taught him to never trust something that seems too good to be true. But he'll do anything to make Kat happy so off to LA they go. Once there, Kat gets a taste of the high life and her relationship with Heath will be put to the ultimate test. It's hard to know who to trust. There will be fighting, jealousy, sabotage, and life or death situations. Who knew ice dancing was such a bloody sport?! Read this!!

Fargo weaves a beautiful, intricate web of a story with The Favorites! It reads like a memoir, documenting the highs, lows, backstabbing, and treachory that can take place in high level sports, like figure skating. If you grew up in the 90s and are familiar with Harding and Kerrigan, you will be drawn to this story with its reminiscent telling of rivals, the lengths we might go to win, and the heart and soul we leave at the feet of our passions. Katarina and Heath, drawn together in inexplicable ways, bonded by traumatic experience and loneliness, make a fiery ice dance duo. This novel is a nod to not only their, 'will they won't they' love story, but also to Kat's epic love story for skating. This novel is full of triumph, forgiveness, and grit- a refusal to quit when one door closes. When Katarina sets her passions on something or someone, there is no stopping her. I highly recommend this novel- even if you don't like skating, the drama alone will keep you entertained.

4.5 stars!

They were friends, they were lovers, they were the favorites! This was a deep feeling book that stayed with me a few days after I read it and definitely put me through a gauntlet of emotions.

The story is a sports drama that revolves around Katarina Shaw and Health Rocha, a dynamic ice dancing duo. Kat will do anything to achieve her goal of an Olympic gold medal and Heath will do anything to keep Kat happy because he loves her. It starts with their humble beginnings in Illinois and takes you on their journey as they climb up the ranks and make it to the world's biggest stage. Filled with scandal, love, tragedy, backstabbing and forgiveness, this was a saga and a bit of a tragedy and I was so captivated I had a hard time putting it down but also wanted to toss this book out the window at times. The characters infuriated me and I wanted to scream at all of them but I couldn't stop reading.

Kat was so stubborn and selfish at times. She rarely thought of anyone but herself but she also wasn't vindictive and manipulative. She was so focused on her own goals, her own wants and needs, that it didn't allow her to see what anyone else wanted. She also was going to do whatever it took and step over whoever stood in her way to get that gold. Heath just wanted her and could care less about everything else.

Kat and Heath were so right for each other they were wrong. They burned too bright and in turn burned each other. True love but too stubborn to really love each other. It was sad to read at times because I think they hurt each other and got revenge on each other more than they showed true love toward each other.

The supporting characters were all amazing. Bella’s confidence and manipulation made for a perfect frenemy and Ellis Dean, former skater turned gossip reporter, might have stolen the book for me. What a sneaky slimy character who I also found kinda charming.

I thought the author did a fantastic job of bringing you into the world of ice dancing without having any prior knowledge. It flowed effortlessly and you were able to jump right in. Parts of the book are told in the form of interviews from a documentary series and I really enjoyed hearing the opinions and views of others who were around the duo.

This story was messy and almost a 5 star read till the very end. It didn’t end with a big bow, but the pieces were in place and I’m not sure the ending was for me after everything we saw these characters go through. Overall it was dramatic, messy, cutthroat and scandalous and I loved it!

Huge thanks to NetGalley and Random House for sharing this book’s digital advanced review copy with me in exchange for an honest review.

I read this book through a digital ARC from NetGalley
Author: Layne Fargo
Genre: Dramatic novel, Fiction
Similar to: Taylor Jenkins Reid and Rebecca Yarros

Thank you net galley and the publisher for the early copy. This was one of my most anticipated 2025 releases and there aren't enough words to describe how upset I am that it didn't live up to expectations for me.

It started very strong and gradually went downhill. I loved Kat and her ambition and how author portrayed women in elite sport. Overall this felt like a safe book, touched on a few social issues but glossed over them fast. The book mostly focuses on a soapy drama and relationships, not enough on skating or technicalities.
The ending is what ruined it for me. Last 100 pages felt rushed, next to zero descriptions (especially comparing to the first part of the book) and just overall ending didn’t left much to chew on.
With that said I recognize this is not that type of the book so it’s more of a me problem. This is a brain candy and a perfect read by the beach. And it did not find me at the right time unfortunately.
The other issues that bothered me:
1. We all know what happened in Sochi 2014. Seeing author fully ignoring that event in the book seemed weird. I don't need a full account but it was shocking to not even see the offhand comments about it.
2. Also considering what happened in 2022 games (specifically skating discipline), the choices made in the book are extremely tone deaf.
3. As a last straw the presentation of “good russian” was weird and truly did not have to be included at all.

Considering this was a fiction book that included real life events, it felt wrong for me that author chose to ignore major events that have a ripple effect 10 years later.
Overall, I still had fun and i will not discourage anyone from reading it but I am providing my true and honest thoughts about the book.

I knew “The Favorites” was good even before starting it, I could feel it in my bones.
What I didn't know is that it would have felt like a long panic attack, from the very first chapter till the last page, so emotionally draining that worsened my anxiety.

No, it wasn't a fun read. Some books aren't meant to be fun and some people aren't cut out for messy characters with messy stories.
But how describe it to you all, innocent people with your heart still intact? The only word I can think of is “addictive”: you'll be obsessed with Kat and Heath’s story, the ways they manipulate and help each other, the ways they collide every time they're too close but can't stay away from each other, and the uncountable times you would want to get in the book and scream at their faces.
That said, I’d still want to erase all my memories from the past week only to read this again like the first time, inflict myself the same pain I've just complained about and lose my mind all over again.

Truth is, I struggled with the characters because I saw them for who they were and what they believed in, but I still would have wanted them to act differently.
The problem wasn't the drama per se, it's just that to reach their finished acts they went through some tough things that made me suffer, and I didn't particularly enjoy that.
But, with all that said, I'm deciding this was a good book even if I don't agree with their choices - and I call this growth.

A special mention needs to go to the narrative style: the similarities with “Daisy Jones and The Six” are all here but, even if I’m a big fan of TJR’s book, the half-documentary half-pov writing is some genius shit.
Not to comment about who you can clearly see behind the MCs - Tessa and Scott, you will always be famous, and not only for your last performance.

Thanks to Random House Publishing Group - Random House and NetGalley, who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest opinion.

4.5 stars rounded up

This was dramatic and all-around intriguing. I love following a toxic, ambitious main character over the course of many years, and seeing how her relationship to the sport evolves with life experience. If you like sports dramas, ice skating, the Olympics, and a toxic push-pull romance, with sometimes soap opera levels of drama, you’ll enjoy this.

I highly recommend this to fans of Daisy Jones & the Six (and TJR in general) for the format. It’s a mix of documentary/interview style transcript and first person narrative — which really lent itself to seeing situations from all perspectives.

Thanks to netgalley and Penguin Random House for the ARC!

Layne Fargo’s The Favorites is a gripping, cleverly constructed novel that earns a solid 4 out of 5 stars. What stood out most was how the story unfolded like a documentary, with shifting perspectives and a narrative style that felt both intimate and cinematic. This unique approach made it easy to visualize the events as though they were playing out on screen, and it left me thinking how incredible this would be as an audiobook, with distinct voices bringing the characters to life. Throughout the book, the characters kept referencing a mysterious, seemingly explosive event in the main character’s past, which built up my expectations for something truly shocking. While the reveal didn’t quite live up to the hype, the journey there was undeniably entertaining, filled with tension, intrigue, and sharp commentary on ambition and loyalty. It’s a book that lingers with you, even as you wish for just a bit more from its conclusion.

An early contender for one of my top books of 2025! I immediately ordered myself a physical copy, to go along with my ARC.

This is perfect for anyone who loves books about competitive athletes, insights into Olympic/ pro sport teams, and for fans of TJR (there’s an aspect of Daisy Jones meets Carrie Soto).

Passion, drama, high stakes, big personalities - you feel every emotion alongside the characters. I was immediately sucked into the world of ice dancing - a sport I wasn’t even aware of, before I started reading.

The style of this book was also so well done - it’s primarily told from the FMC’s POV (first person), but between each chapter is a snipped of interviews from characters in present day, as they’re building a documentary about the story.

This is a book I’m going to be recommending to everyone know, and I won’t be able to stop talking about it for months. I’m already planning a reread before the 2026 Winter Olympics!

This book hooked me right away with its gritty, high-stakes dive into the world of competitive ice dancing—not to be confused with figure skating! Katarina Shaw and Heath Rocha are childhood best friends and skating partners, both driven by rough upbringings and a shared Olympic dream. The premise felt fresh and exciting, like Daisy Jones & The Six but with ice-dance rivals and a tangled romance at the center. And as someone who doesn’t know much about ice dance, the sport seemed beautifully researched and felt like stepping into an entirely new world.

The format was one of the book’s highlights for me. The story alternates between Katarina’s perspective and interview-style narration from people in the skating world. It gave the book a documentary-like feel that kept things engaging and layered, especially in the audiobook, which had a fantastic cast bringing these voices to life. That part of the storytelling really stood out.

However, as much as I loved the setup and the first half of the book, things started to lose momentum for me around the halfway mark. The pacing dragged, and while there were some clever twists, they didn’t always land. The book teases Katarina as a kind of Tonya Harding figure, with hints of some shocking, cruel act—but when the reveal finally comes (very late in the book), it’s underwhelming. In fact, an event that happens earlier, around two-thirds in, would have made a stronger climax. The actual ending, while surprising, felt rushed and didn’t pack the punch I’d been hoping for.

Another issue I had was with the characters. While Garrett stood out as likable, I didn’t connect with most of the others—Katarina included. And Heath, who seemed like he’d have such an interesting story, ended up feeling underdeveloped because the format didn’t give us enough of his perspective. At 468 pages, the book also felt longer than it needed to be—there were moments where I found myself wondering why certain scenes were even included.

That said, I totally get why people love this book. It’s an ambitious and unique story that peels back the layers of a fascinating, cutthroat sport. The ice-dancing world is a phenomenal backdrop, and the interview-style narration adds an immersive, dynamic touch—especially in the audiobook version. While it wasn’t a personal favorite for me, I think fans of nuanced thrillers or sports dramas will find a lot to love here.

If you pick it up, I’d just say to temper your expectations about the twists and enjoy the ride for what it is. For me, it was a mixed experience—parts of it were absolute page-turners, but others felt like they missed the mark. Still, if you’re drawn to the dazzling, darker side of Olympic dreams, The Favorites might just hit the spot.

Thank you to Libro.FM for an early review audio copy and NetGalley for the eGalley. All opinions are my own.

Obsessed is truly an understatement. I had absolutely no clue what ice dancing was before this, and now I can’t stop thinking about it. The emotion I felt during this book, I had to put the book down and physically walk away NUMEROUS times on the verge of tears. The emotional turmoil of not wanting to end this story but needing to immediately know the whole story was whipping at my heart constantly while reading this. Heath and Katarina!! Soulmates is every way possible.

If I could use one word to describe this book it would be passion. Katrina’s passion for ice dance, Heath and Katrina’s passion for each other, passion to do whatever it takes to achieve one’s dreams. Katarina is such an incredible character to not only read about but read from (her POV). I loved the style that this was written in, the documentary sections made this novel even more thrilling to reading. Despite the flaws of each (and every one) of these characters, you can’t help but connect and resonate with some aspect of them, and that made this all the more thrilling and addictive to read. One page you love the characters, the next you hate them and then 5 chapters later you love them again. The inner war is so real, it feels wrong to say that these characters aren’t real people.


This book wrenched my heart out, shredded it to pieces, sewed it back up, and shoved it back in my chest all within 400 something pages. This was frustrating and jaw dropping and I will forever be thinking about this story. The Favorites has sank its class into my and I can’t see it leaving any time soon. Believe every good thing you have heard about this book because it is true (and then some!).

Thank you to the publisher and author for an ARC!!

The things I would do to read this for the first time again. There’s a reason this book is getting so much love and hype — it’s because it IS that good!!! It is literally utter perfection. It’s a fictional story, but it felt so real. The interview style chapters really give you a feel to the figure skating world from the perspectives of people surrounding Kat and Heath.

The drama in this book is INSANE, but it’s exactly what kept me reading and made this book hard to put down. These main characters go through so much and I always found myself rooting for them despite their flaws and terrible decisions.

There is a romance element to this book, but I wouldn’t classify it as such. However, it is a beautiful story of two people who will forever be intertwined with each other no matter what.

This story has it all: family drama, sports politics, young love, scandal, self discovery, sabotage, triumph, tragedy, betrayal. The way all of these elements come together to create Kat and Heath’s story is just incredible. This is a book I will be thinking about for a long time.

I can’t wait to reread this one on audio because I just know it’s going to elevate this story to another level.

I absolutely loved this book! It hooked me from the very first page, and I couldn’t put it down. The format, similar to Daisy Jones & The Six, made it such a fun and engaging read. The story was fascinating, and the world of figure skating was so captivating—it felt like I was right there on the ice with them. I could totally see this becoming a TV series one day and if it does just know I will be sat. There was just one part that didn’t sit right with me and really made me mad, but overall, such good read and I just adore Katarina Shaw!

Shout out Netgally for the arc in exchange for my honest review!

4.5 🌟

I absolutely could NOT put this down - I was HOOKED. The drama, the betrayal, the obsession with each other and ice dancing? Loved every second of it. I knew nothing about ice dancing but now I’m ready to watch the 2026 Winter Olympics with a passion.

I had to stop myself from googling these outfits and routines because I forgot this didn’t actually happen. I felt like I was reading about something real and that was the best part of this whole book.

Gave me major TJR vibes because to me it’s a perfect mix between Carrie Soto and Daisy Jones. I did not see a few things coming and loved the conclusion of everything despite all the drama! Definitely huge on the found family as well, which I’m always a sucker for (that and toxic relationships - I will about these two things all day)

Layne Fargo’s The Favorites is an addictive, sharply written exploration of rivalry, ambition, and the complexities of female friendships, set against the backdrop of elite,
Ice skating. In it, we follow the intense dynamics between a group of skaters. As the story unfolds, we’re thrust into a whirlwind of loyalty, jealousy, and betrayal, all wrapped in a layer of privilege and social power.

What stands out about The Favorites is Fargo’s ability to craft a story full of emotional tension and drama. The stakes are high, and each interaction between the characters feels charged with both affection and resentment. The narrative unfolds through multiple perspectives, which allows the reader to see the same events from different angles, making the story even more compelling. It’s a tale of power and obsession, where people both uplift and destroy each other in pursuit of their desires.

If you're a fan of Taylor Jenkins Reid’s work—particularly Daisy Jones and the Six—you’ll find a lot to love in Fargo's novel.
Fargo’s writing is direct, and it excels in creating drama that’s just as compelling as it is uncomfortable. You can’t help but get caught up in the manipulative power plays, the shifting alliances, and the moral grayness of the characters. It’s a page-turner in the truest sense, filled with twists that make you both love and hate the characters, which is exactly what makes the story so riveting.

So I should note this was absolutely my fault for choosing a book without reading the synopsis. I saw Layne Fargo and got too excited and so that’s the short version of how Alison ended up reading a sports romance - probably my two least favorite genres of books. Luckily Fargo’s compulsive writing and excellent characterization made it an enjoyable read.

In a shocking turn of events the two main male protagonists in this Fargo novel were the most likable. Katarina, Bella and Sheila have their moments but also have some insanely questionable decision making. Heath and Garrett ended up being like calmer wholesome ones as opposed to some of the icky men Fargo has previously written included in her tales.

The story moves along at a decent clip but at its core it’s still a sports romance so there was a lot of repeating elements throughout the story. A bunch of will they won’t they and then endless training and competitions , rinse repeat. I feel like Fargo does a great job at not getting too bogged down in some of those more monotonous sects of the story, but it’s still a fairly long book overall.

I expected this to be much cornier but it *is* a Layne Fargo so while it had some cinematic vibes there’s still a dark undercurrent and none of this book would fall in the fairytale section. I felt the ending was appropriate and appreciated the flawed protagonists as they navigated growing up with this unflinching pressure always surrounding them. Overall I don’t think I’ll go for any more romance novels, but this was a well written read and if you do like romance, definitely give this one a go.