I am a huge Layne Fargo fan, having been OBSESSED with They Never Learn, so I jumped on this novel as soon as I saw it. However, be aware it is quite different from They Never Learn. So once I got over my original disappointment that no one was murdered in the first chapter (I am primarily a mystery and thriller reader), I became obsessed again with Fargo's beautiful writing, this time set in the melodramatic and cutthroat world of competitive ice skating. Though not a traditional thriller, there is no shortage of adrenaline and drama here. This book at times has Flowers in the Attic vibes, but in a much more mature and intelligent way. The Favorites is more literary than Fargo's last work and makes me very excited to read whatever she does next. Hopefully I won't have to wait another two years for her next one, but if she continues at this level of quality, I'll wait as long as it takes. Five stars.

Such an amazing read! I literally read it in one sitting because I was obsessed. I loved the writing style and how it jumped from the events of the book and then the interviews. The Favorites reminded me so much of Daisy Jones and the Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid however I felt like there was so much tension in the Favorites compared to DJ. I definitely related to Kat in a lot of the ways especially with how determined and driven she was to accomplish her dreams. Also, the romance was a 5/5 for me!!

3.5 stars
I can see why this book is getting 5 stars but it didn’t quite work for me. Between the length (could have been 100-150 pages shorter) and how far removed we are from the characters real psyches it was hard for me to stay connected. Some moments and chapters worked better for me than others.

4.5 stars.

I was an avid figure skating fan in the 1980s, 1990s and 2000s and so this novel set in the elite figure skating world immediately appealed to me.

From the outset, I was quickly pulled into the figure skating world that I remembered reading about in the news and the many exciting competitions I faithfully watched on television.

The story is fascinating and really gives an inside view of the life of an elite athlete, the pressure, drama, and sacrifice necessary to compete at the world level, and the machinations of the figure skating judging and coaching establishment. There are several things that happen in the novel that made me think of real events that transpired in the 1990s in figure skating. I also loved the references to the changes in the figure skating world over time, from the obligatory compulsory figures to the revamped scoring system.

Amidst this backdrop is the love story of Katrina and Heath, ice dance partners who become romantically involved and who experience the ups and downs of life, both personally and professionally. The story is told through Katrina’s point of view, interspersed with interviews with Katrina and Heath’s coaches, competitors, a gossip blogger, and a figure skating judge. I found these extracts of interviews to be very effectively done and were a great addition to the storytelling.

I also liked that the story touched on self-worth, love, betrayal, and the way society views young women who are confident, strong and talented.

I really enjoyed the story and was immersed in the plot - my only quibble was that the middle was a little slow.

P.S. I think this story would make a great movie!

Thanks to the publisher for a complimentary copy. All opinions are my own.

This review is already posted on Goodreads. It will be posted on my bookstagram (link below), X, and Threads on December 11.

I am very torn on how to review this book. There were parts that were absolute page turners with strong stories and there were other parts that really felt meh. I am a huge ice skating fan, so that part definitely grabbed my attention.

The story focuses on 4 ice dancers, although the main character is Katerina. Katerina and Heath are childhood best friends and skating partners. Heath had a less than stellar childhood and was taken in by Kat’s father. He would do anything for Kat, which is how he wound up both figure skating and skating with her. Katerina was driven to be the absolute best and she dreamed of Olympic gold. When given the chance to skate under the tutelage of her idol, Sheila Lin, she jumps at it. Bella and Garrett are Sheila’s twins, growing up in her shadow and expected to go for the gold.

Part of my frustration was that I did not like any of the characters, except for maybe Garrett. The other frustration was in the fact that a lot of it felt choppy. The story was being told in part as Katerina’s perspective of what her career had looked like and part of it was interviews of people in the skating world recalling events. I would have liked to know more about Heath and his story, but the format didn’t allow for that.

All in all, it was a book that I enjoyed reading, it just wasn’t a personal favorite.

A story about ice dancing, sign me up! Now add in drama, love and toxic relationships and I’m hooked. The Favorites is the story of ice dancers and childhood friends turned lovers, Kat and Heath. They are underdogs who claw their way to the top. Although mostly fast paced, there were a few slow parts with some things drawn out a little too much in my opinion. I especially enjoyed the structure of this story with it being told in between documentary type interludes. The characters were well developed, the story was entertaining and held my attention. A very enjoyable read. Thank you to Net Galley and the publisher for my copy of this book.

"To the world, they were a scandal. To each other, an obsession."

The Favorites was, quite literally, my favorite book of 2024. I’m envious of anyone who gets to experience it for the first time when it’s released in January 2025.

As a longtime figure skating fan, I was immediately swept into this epic love story that revolves around Katarina Shaw, Heath Rocha, and the high-stakes world of elite figure skating. From the moment Katarina and Heath meet as kids, their friendship and ice dancing partnership create a bond that evolves over decades—through turbulent upbringings, backstage drama, intense love affairs, fierce rivalries, and the journey from childhood sweethearts to world-class champions.

Layne Fargo masterfully weaves a roller coaster of storytelling that had me savoring every page. The scorching chemistry between Katarina and Heath, paired with the intricate world-building, made this an unforgettable read. Fargo’s portrayal of figure skating is astutely accurate, blending behind-the-scenes details of real-life events (like the Grand Prix, Nationals, Worlds, and Olympics) with a fictional competitive skating universe that feels as vibrant as the real thing. I even caught myself double-checking for actual skater names, but Fargo’s original characters were so compelling, I didn’t mind the entirely fictional world one bit.

My only (minor) critique is that while the book is long, the final section—set at the Sochi Olympics—felt a bit rushed. The resolution to Katarina and Heath’s experiences at the games and their internal conflict with each other deserved more time to breathe, given how much had been building up to it.

If you love figure skating, Olympic drama, sizzling chemistry, and a story packed with twists and turns, The Favorites needs to be on your must-read list. Trust me—you won’t want to miss this one!

4.5
I am so grateful to receive an arc for such a compelling read! A fast-pace plot of figure skating and drama within sports that kept me hooked throughout the entirety of the novel. Never was I distracted when I read this in just one-sitting! This book reminded me of Carrie Soto via the sport elements that delved into the details just enough without boring you. I went through an entire rollercoaster of emotions while reading this and never once guessed what was going to happen next. The couple in this had me invested! One of my only critiques was that I wanted the book longer because I wanted to know every little thing about these characters!

Getting completely drawn into a cutthroat story about competitive ice dancing wasn’t on my winter reading bingo card, but here we are!

This skating saga of tumultuous love and die-hard ambition follows orphans Katarina Shaw and Heath Roca as they chase Olympic gold. Told in a multimedia format, the story reads like a juicy tell-all documentary. We meet former coaches, teammates, and members of the press and these characters jump right off the page.

With backstabbings and betrayals amidst the triple axles, this was such a great winter book to get lost in. At nearly 450 pages you need to be prepared for more than a bit of drama, but overall this was a great read from a promising debut author.

READ THIS IF YOU:
are known to be a bit competitive
love a good underdog/comeback story
have ever been moved by a Taylor Swift song

RATING: 4.5/5 stars (rounded up to 5 stars)

Many thanks to Netgalley and Random House for an electronic ARC in exchange for an honest review

I read Layne Fargos last book and I thought this would be similar. I was expecting a thriller. I was thinking of the Olympics meets Tanya Harding. This book isn’t what I was looking for. Its more of a slow burn toxic romance.

Thanks to netgalley for a copy of this book.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ I didn’t know if I would like a book about ice dancing but I loved it. It sucked me in right from the beginning. I was rooting for Kat the whole time even though she wasn’t likable at times. Thanks to NetGalley and publisher for the ARC.

Wow! I loved everything about Layne Fargo’s exhilarating novel, THE FAVORITES. I raced through this epic love story set within the demanding, cut-throat world of competitive ice dancing. It’s a unputdownable story filled with fascinating characters and all the drama we love both on and off the ice. A must read!

I initially checked out this book due to the age of the characters. If I had a New Adult section, I would add in heartbeat. I enjoyed the characters and the description of the novel by the publisher was spot on.

Thank you so much for this ARC!

Reading this was like watching one of those documentaries on Netflix but having the person they're talking about sit right next to you telling you what really happened. It was insane. All of it. Heath and Katherine's story has me with my mouth open the whole time I was reading. And that ending? Katherine, honey, I wish I could be like you, but hell no. Once I would have found out about what had happened between them, I would've left and never looked back.

The Favorites is my favorite book of the year!

This novel has it all: friendship, love, jealousy, hatred, scandal, heartbreak, reconciliation, betrayal.

Katarina Shaw has always known she was meant to be an Olympic skater. Her partner and her soul's mirror, Heath Rocha, would do anything for her. The unlikely skaters fight their way to the top where they encounter fame, death, and a scandal that might ruin their chances of ever being Olympic skaters.

The Favorites is told in a series of vignettes by Katarina herself interwoven with documentary interviews. The story is compelling, the characters are enthralling; I was ravenous for this book.
I would recommend this for fans of both Taylor Jenkins Reid and Rachel Hawkins.

This is the first ARC I've ever had the pleasure of reading! The Favorites is fiction, but is read as a documentary/memoir about a woman who is determined to win Olympic Gold, the friends/foes she meets on her journey, and all the challenges she must overcome.

Although this is quite different from what I usually read, this was an interesting story. There was drama at every turn that kept me interested. My feelings for each character changed multiple times, but each showed growth as well. I will buy a copy of this book when it hits shelves and I cannot wait to decorate the edges!

I requested this ARC because They Never Learn was my favorite book of this year. This book was quite the opposite, and I felt it was a bit too long. Overall, a good read with a satisfying conclusion.

More than three years after reading They Never Learn, Layne Fargo’s last book, I’ve been waiting for a new novel from her. I can definitely report that The Favorites was truly worth the wait!

Inspired by an American gold medalist in ice dancing when she was young, Katarina Shaw knew this is what she wanted to do. But as a girl growing up without money or family connections, just talent and drive, she has to work triply hard to make her dream come true.

She meets Heath Rocha, adrift in the foster care system, and she knows she’s found her partner. While Katarina is hungrier for greatness than Heath, he wants what makes her happy, so he commits to making their Olympic dreams a reality. And their turbulent relationship, along with a take-no-prisoners attitude and raw, unbridled talent, sees them reach the highest of highs and the lowest of lows—together and apart.

Yet when they finally reach the pinnacle of their career, tragedy strikes. Ten years after that fateful evening, an unauthorized documentary has been released, purporting to tell the whole story of Shaw and Rocha, chronicling their achievements, their failures, their supporters and detractors, and the unshakable bond between them.

This book is soapy, suspenseful, and absolutely addicting. I never thought a nearly 500-page book about drama in the ice dancing world would hook me so much, but this absolutely did. There’s lots of drama and even a little camp, and the book reminded me a bit of Daisy Jones. Bravo, Layne Fargo!

Thanks to Random House and NetGalley for the advance copy of the book. It will publish 1/14/2025.

Layne Fargo is one of my favorite authors! She writes women characters so well! This book was atmospheric as well as thought provoking. I love the writing style and how it just pulls you in and you feel like you’re almost part of the story! Read this book immediately.

I was admittedly suspicious when the marketing for this book kept comparing the content to Taylor Jenkins Reid, but this comparison was rather on the nose. To best sum up, this was as if Carrie Soto is Back and Daisy Jones and the Six had a baby. And make it ice skating.

With elements of the movie I, Tonya in there as well, THE FAVORITES follows (in)famous ice skater Katarina “Kat” Shaw and her scandalous rise to fame. Starting from Kat’s humble beginnings and spanning to her rocky relationship with her on-ice-and-real-life-partner, Heath Rocha, this book has it all.

Clocking in at almost 450 pages, there were parts of this novel that were drawn out and other sections that were very fast-paced; either way, I couldn’t put this book down and I didn’t want it to end. With all the twists and turns, there were multiple times where this book reminded me of a soap opera— not to say that that’s a bad thing (it felt rather well-suited to me), but I could also see this not meshing well with other readers. Given the (very) high rating this book has so far, I hope I’m mistaken.

I’m also a huge fan of Layne Fargo’s writing style. It’s simplistic to understand yet layered and nuanced at showing the complexities of the female experience. I can’t wait to read more stuff of her’s going forward!

All in all, I would undoubtedly recommend this to anyone looking for their next read. It has something for everyone to enjoy. My deepest thanks to Netgalley and Random House for the ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review.

The premise sounded so amazing, I had high expectations. However, it should be marketed more towards YA audience, in my opinion. This reads more like a YA sports romance than an adult book, in that the pleasure in reading this was not for the in depth exploration of the main characters' psyches - especially pertaining to sports psychology or the effects of childhood trauma on one's motivations or outlook on life- or the beautiful prose. Rather, if you enjoy toxic romance abound with gossip, misunderstanding, assumptions, high drama, this one's for you. I do enjoy reading about that kind of messy relationship IF I believe in the romance, but this book was structured in a way that most of the scenes take place on competition days, or through the perspectives of interviewees in the documentary, so I felt removed from both Kat + Heath, despite them being the main characters.

The development of the romance should take place during practice, during downtime, during dialogue scenes between the two lovers, where they talk about things. Instead, Heath was absent for a good chunk of the novel, and when he was present, was very one dimensional. I simply didn't feel a deep connection between the two. If anything, there was a stronger relationship between Kat + Bella, because we actually got scenes of their budding frenemyship! Also, this book is way too long for what the thin plot is. I felt like I was watching the same people have the same arguments, over years.

Overall, serviceable book if you want to turn your brain off and enjoy a toxic romance, but for a deeper exploration into an athlete's psyche and personal relationships, this book sadly missed the mark.