5 stars out of 5! Can I give it more?! It was that good.

Wow, what an incredible book! This has been one of my favorite reads so far this year and a top 5 ever. I was immediately drawn into the book and could not put it down. The book had a great set up where after every chapter there was dialogue from the interviews of the documentary about "The Favorites". I found myself invested in Heath and Katarina's relationship and was routing for them the whole time. This book was a perfect love story and I highly, highly recommend reading it!

In The Favorites, we follow the lives of Heath and Katarina. They met and grew up in a suburb of Chicago and both had a passion for skating. Kat wanted to be an olympic skater and would do everything she could to get there and win. The books gives us an inside picture of what happened during those years. We get the highs, the lows, and everything in between.

Thank you Netgalley and Random House Publishing Group - Random House for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This was intense. I loved the use of interviews at the end of each chapter - they added so much depth and intrigue to Kat’s recollection of events.

I was riveted by the first 70% or so of the novel but then was a little exhausted by the constant push and pull of Kat and Heath and the devastation they inflict on one another. I found it hard to root for them to be together. Still, this is an enjoyable, addictive read.

Thank you to Random House and NetGalley for the opportunity to read a copy.

Thank you to NetGalley.com and Random House Publishing for an advanced copy of this book.

The Favorites follows the skating careers of Katarina Shaw and Heath Rocha. Both come from shattered families, and it is on the ice where they find solace from the world around them. Right from the start, Shaw and Rocha have an intrinsic connection that is electric both on and off the ice. Theres is a love story that sends the reader through a roller coaster of emotions as the pair finds their way through the cutthroat world of competitive ice dancing.

This book grabbed my attention right from the very beginning. The format was unique in that it switches between the perspective of a documentary about the duo complete with interviews from those who knew them best and Shaw’s first person narrative. I felt that this was highly effective in making this a fast paced read that had me tearing through the pages to see what would happen next.

I fell in love with Katarina and Heath. They were raw, and flawed, and real. This was not a saccharine sweet, fluffy love story. These characters loved each other and hurt each other, supported one another and betrayed one another. So many times while reading this my heart broke into pieces, just to bandaged back together again shortly thereafter. I also enjoyed the supporting cast of characters, who added so many dynamic layers to the highly dysfunctional skating world that we got a glimpse of.

And finally, speaking of the skating world, I ate every moment of that up. The chaos, the blood sweat and tears, the fierce rivalries… I loved it all. It was drama reminiscent of the Tonya Harding scandal wrapped up with the familiar sentimentality and reverence to elite skaters of years gone by. It made me feel like a kid again engrossed in the magic of figure skating during the Olympics.

A Wuthering Heights retelling that I wanted to love. I had a difficult time connecting to the characters and their motivations. I did enjoy the multiple perspectives of Kat and the documentary.

I am blown away by the author’s sheer talent. Their writing style would have you hypnotised. Their words consume you, they lure you in and spit you out. They caress, they anger and make you want to cry leaving you exhausted and yet renewed. I would definitely be reading more from the author.

Thanks to NetGalley for the advanced reader copy

2024 has lots of time left but this might end up in my top 5 books of the year. The premise (the rise and fall and rise of an olympic hopeful ice dancer) and the structure (first person chapters with documentary oral history snippets in between), kept the momentum going in a way that made me want to read "just one more chapter"

This is my latest obsession. I loved the passion and drive as we follow these professional athletes. I loved the betrayals and the anything to win kind of mindset. This had a little bit of everything, the story and characters were so complex. I couldn’t have asked for anything more.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for providing this book, with my honest review below.

The Favorites was an absolutely beautiful book that had complex storylines that flowed so perfectly it didn’t feel like a dense read at all. Interspersed with voiceover from a documentary on two figure skating stars, Katarina and Heath, we are told of a mysterious scandal or event (actually a series of them) and follow Kat and Heath through their childhood and careers in pairs figure skating. This book came together so well and had the right level of drama, insight into the sport, and relationship and world building to keep me hooked.

If the plot at all grabs you pick this up! I would most closely liken it to and even more grown up version of Judy Blume’s adult novels in that we grow up with the characters and see their development throughout, even as they remain flawed, but the events happening to them and around them really build up to a compelling story.

Book Stats:
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐(5/5)
Tropes: HAE-somewhat
Publisher: Random House Publishing Group
Review:
*Thank you to Random House Publishing Group for providing me a free copy of this book in exchange for a honest review-Serouisly, It means a lot that you trust little old me!*
To the world, they were a scandal. Katerina and Heath were the biggest Ice Skating scandal of the late 90's and 2000's. The constant drama, the sex appeal, you name it. Everything they did drew a crowd. But before that, they were Midwest nobodies just trying to get somewhere. After all, Katerina wants the gold, and she will stop at nothing to get there, no matter what.


First off, if you are a fan of The Seven Husbands Of Evelyn Hugo, you have to pick this one up. Same type of vibes, just with Ice Skating. Famous person surround by scandal jut trying to get the real story out to people. If you like any kind of dramatic/reality tv, be sure also to pick this one up. There is certainly enough drama in this one!

Katerina, the female MC is a real complex character, and has some amazing really well written depth to her. Honestly, all of the characters do. They are complex and emotional and your right there in it with them. They are all just written so so well. The relationships between the characters are also just amazing! They don't just fit into one box. Each of them have there up's and downs and have some impact on the plot as a whole. Even the small side characters are all part of the bigger picture that creates the story of Katerina and Heath.

I can't really talk about the plot without giving much away but I will say the book has amazing pacing. Fast in high tense scenes and slow in emotional ones. It adds so much more to the book as a whole. I also love how I truly was guessing the entire time on how it was going to end- and even then, I didn't want it too. I got really attached to these characters(See previous paragraphs on how they are written so well) and just wanted the story to keep going. The entire time I read this book I was engaged, so much so that I finished this on in twenty four hours.

I seriously applaud the author for writing such a stunning book. I think there is something in this book for every time of reader, and will keep even the biggest of bookworms guessing and wanting more! Whether that is the writing style, the complex characters, the never ending plot, or even the just curiosity of what a ice skating scandal could look like.

This was fantastic. As an avid Olympic fan, Layne Fargo crushed it with this modern retelling of Wuthering Heights. I’ll be thinking about it for quite some time.

Thoroughly enjoyed this! A compulsive read with morally gray characters set in the world of competitive ice dance. The pacing in this was a little funky in parts, but I appreciated the amount of time this book covered and really enjoyed the documentary-style interludes. Could see this being a really good movie or TV show! Would recommend for fans of Carrie Soto is Back and Daisy Jones and the Six

I’ve been salivating over this book since Layne spoke of drafting it! I’ve adored her earlier works but THE FAVORITES is a whole new level! I already know I’ll be rereading this steamy take on WUTHERING HEIGHTS every Olympic year!

I really enjoyed reading this book. Wurthering Heights is one of my all time favorite classics and to see that sort of retold but in a drastically different way was truly inspired. The characters held true to their classic counterparts while still being the author’s own creation. Which is often not executed well. So, I was surprised in a good way. One of the only things I really didn’t care for was the sports element of the story. Sometimes it was a bit to technical for the average reader, but perhaps those more familiar with ice skating wouldn’t find it as difficult to understand. I definitely think people who enjoy the classic tale and this author’s work will love the story just as I did. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC in exchange for my review.

The Favorites by Layne Fargo is without a doubt a favorite for me!! While I have read many sports themed romances & rom-coms, this story was unique as it involved the world of figure skating. The cover of this book is gorgeous, the story is powerful & beautifully written. I was glued to this book but didn’t want to finish it because I didn’t want the story to be over. This book had scandal and obsession & I couldn’t put it down. I could very easily see this one becoming a movie & I am so hoping it does! One of my favorite reads of the year so far.

Thank you NetGalley & Random House Publishing Group for an ARC copy of this book.

Fun romp through the world of figure skating with a strong main character and lots of intrigue and interesting side characters. I really enjoyed it.

In The Favorites, we are introduced to Katarina and Heath, young and ambitious ice dancers whose goal in life is to win Olympic gold.

The beginning takes us through their troubled teen years, which helps the reader understand why they are so desperate to succeed.
It gets a little messy towards the middle, but everything ties up perfectly with the ending.

My only criticism is the use of a lot of technical ice skating terminology, which I’m assuming the average reader is not up to speed with. That said, it wasn’t difficult to understand and enjoy the story Layne Fargo so effortlessly tells.

4.5 ⭐️
Thank you to NetGalley, Random House, and the author for this ARC in exchange for my review.

The Favorites will be released January 14, 2025.

Scandalous, stimulating, thrilling, addictive—this book is the true definition of obsession! You don’t want it to end and just want to spend more time in the wild ride madness of Kat and Heath.

This is an epic sports romance with a heart-pounding, exciting, hyperventilating, and also very realistic approach to the ice dance world. It delves into how far contenders will go to win an Olympic medal, with ambitions, power games, speculations, and manipulations taking over their high efforts and performances until the skaters hurt themselves physically and mentally, pouring their souls, sweat, blood, hopes, dreams, and hearts into their dance. Eyes on the prize, stakes are getting higher at each contest, and only winning ensures survival. Prepare yourself for betrayals even from your closest circle—nobody is trustable. When the gold medal is within reach, you cannot see anything except that before your eyes! That’s the dog-eat-dog world of competitive sports!

This epic journey centers on the passionate, yet sometimes toxic and dysfunctional, love story of two Olympic skaters, Katarina Shaw and Heath Rocha—childhood sweethearts who ran away from home at the age of 16 to become an ice dance skating couple. Katarina escapes from her alcoholic abusive brother, while Heath is an orphan raised in the foster care system. Katarina is the only person he can truly be himself with.

Their fate changes when they meet the Lin twins—children of legendary Olympic Games golden medal-winning skater Sheila Lin. The Lin twins, living privileged lives, become new stars of ice dance competitions, following in their mother's footsteps.

When Sheila invites Katarina and Heath to train at her school, where they have the opportunity to reach the top of their game, Katarina feels like her dreams are finally coming true. She has admired Sheila Lin since childhood, seeing her as a role model, and is obsessed with becoming as tough and successful a skating star as her.

Katarina finds herself in the orbit of Bella Lin—a relentless rival, straightforward friend, and the charm of her brother, Grant Lin. Her close interactions with them and her thirst for winning create problems with Heath and ruin the relationship they built over the years.

Eventually, they find themselves in a rollercoaster relationship with so many ups and downs that push them to hurt each other, even though their passionate love still prevents them from killing each other in front of their fans. When a tragic incident leads to a sports scandal, a series of unexpected shocking events bring their partnership to a heart-wrenching end.

Ten years later, an unauthorized documentary reignites Shaw and Rocha's obsession, uncovering the truth about their untold story. The narrative moves through the timeline, telling how Katarina and Heath met, how they escaped from their hometown, and how their lives changed with the Lin twins. Interwoven are the perspectives of various characters, including ex-skater and popular gossip blogger Ellis Dean, Kat and Heath’s instructors, and their rivals.

The questions remain: what really happened ten years ago? Could Kat and Heath train for a surprise comeback? How will their epic love story resolve? Will they kill each other, or will they push each other like magnets forever against all odds, finding their kind of happy ending?

I fell in love with this book! It’s the best thing I’ve read lately. I can honestly declare it one of the best fictions of 2024, deserving more than five stars! Interestingly, sometimes I wanted to slap the characters, scream at their faces. Especially Katarina brings out so many mixed feelings from you. You respect her, but you also hate her for acting like a vindictive, self-absorbed person who only focuses on the gold medal, walking over anyone without looking back to get what she wants.

Heath made my eyes roll at some points, as he acted like a loyal puppy, letting Katarina treat him like trash without defending himself.

Let’s not forget Bella, who is also reckless when it comes to winning, manipulating people against each other.

Interestingly, I easily connected with each of these characters, even though they have qualities that made me irritated. Even Ellis Dean was the secret ingredient of this book—he was an antihero you dislike, but you get arrested by his weird charm.

Overall, this book made me excited, as if I’m watching sports performances in real life. It made me cry at some tragic parts, but honestly, it brought out so many complex emotions that I embraced them with the help of this powerful and somewhat inspirational, honest story!

And did I mention I adored the conclusion, which might be the best end or the beginning for the characters?

So far, this is the best Layne Fargo book I’ve read, and I advise you to read it over and over again!

Many thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for sharing this marvelous book’s digital reviewer copy with me in exchange for my honest thoughts.

I'm a huge Wuthering Heights fan, so I was absolutely delighted to receive an ARC of The Favorites. This book had me hooked from the beginning, and the way Fargo wove elements and characters from WH into the storyline was so well done. I loved all the character name changes and how similar the characters' personalities were to their WH counterparts. The only thing, and I do mean the ONLY thing, I disliked about this book was the way the Heath/Bella betrayal was written. But that's probably just me being salty because I'm team Heatharina forever. I do appreciate that this didn't completely tear me to pieces emotionally like Wuthering Heights continues to do.

Overall, I'm incredibly impressed by this book and Layne Fargo's writing. Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for the ARC!

It has been almost a week since I finished The Favorites and I haven't stopped thinking about it since!
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

The Favorites is an upcoming release from Layne Fargo. I read They Never Learn from her last year which is why I was first interested in reading The Favorites. Aside from them both being written by Layne, they are vastly different but equally as enjoyable.

The Favorites follows elite figure skaters, Katarina Shaw and Heath Rocha, through every step of their tumultuous career, partnership, and on-again/off-again romance. This is a story of obsession, toxic relationships, and dedication to a fault. Katarina, Heath, and everyone they interact with in the skating world are incredibly toxic characters who stop at nothing to get what they want, but that is what makes the story so addictive. I know nothing about figure skating but I was immediately sucked into this world. I felt every range of emotion reading this book and I've thought about it every day since reading it. I can't wait for everyone to get their hands on it when it comes out next January.

This falls into the same category of sexy, competitive, sports drama as The Challengers does, which recently came out in theaters. I loved that movie, and of course this book, so if anyone has any similar recommendations please let me know!

QOTD: What is a recent movie, book, or show that you become completely obsessed with?

The Favorites, by Layne Fargo, is fire. The story, the characters, the passion, the betrayal. (and the cover, too!!) Wuthering Heights—but replace dreary West Yorkshire moors with ice rinks, Olympic dreams, and the post #metoo reckoning. I raced through every page and now have a massive book hangover! Highly recommend!!!