I'm a big ice skating fan, so this book hooked me by just the summary alone! Once I started reading, I found myself equally hooked by the storyline and the absolute twists and turns that I did not see coming -- like at all. I was completely drawn in by the compelling language and the mysterious hook on the page. It's thrilling and intriguing, and yes, as I already mentioned, hooked me the whole way through. I did not know what would happen until the very and, and woah, I'm literally shook by every single twist. Kept me on my toes until the very last page.

First of all, thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advance copy of The Favorites.

Told in a style reminiscent of Daisy Jones & the Six with documentary transcript and conversation interspersed with Kat's truth, The Favorites caught my attention right away. Somehow I missed that it would have shades of Wuthering Heights when I requested the title, but when I realized it, everything kind of clicked into place for me. Honestly, I enjoyed The Favorites more than Wuthering Heights. Where I disliked and felt disconnected from most of the characters in WH, I didn't find myself despising any of the characters in The Favorites, no matter how flawed they were. Each one had nuance in their character that allowed the reader to see the motivation behind their actions, even if we disagree with what they did. I could definitely see this being optioned as a limited series or being added to celebrity book club lists.

This is also a good crossover read for older high school students who are making the transition from YA books to more adult fare. I like having some choices like this in my back pocket to recommend to my older readers who are looking to make that jump.

The only reason I'm not giving this title five stars is because there was a little bit of drag in the middle for me, and I think that will cause some readers who are not persistent to lose the momentum you need to fully enjoy the story.

📚: The Favorites by Layne Fargo
⭐️: 5/5

The gist: Set behind the glittery surface of the world of ice dancing, Katarina Shaw and Heath Rocha are a figure skating pair from the "other side of the tracks" that go from childhood sweethearts, to champion ice dancers, to a public scandal. Now a decade after their final performance, an unauthorized documentary gives a "real look" into their story, reignites public obsession with their lives, and forces Kat to finally tell her truth beyond the salacious headlines.

I devoured this entire read #inonesitting during an all-day readathon this past weekend. and I honestly want to write this review in all caps, that's how much I loved this book. Not only is it an absolutely genius and imaginative take on Wuthering Heights, but if you too were a kid that was obsessed with figure skating in the 1990s (thank you Nancy Kerrigan and Tonya Harding), this book will be a perfect 6.0.

This is a bit of a departure from Layne Fargo's other work -- this is a lot more emotional romance, some competitive backstabbing, but not so much vigilante feminine rage. And while I could have used some feminine rage after this past week, Fargo pivots genres effortlessly. I can't wait to keep this one on my shelf and re-read it again in the future.

A huge thank you to @randomhouse for the digital ARC in exchange for an honest review. The Favorites is out on January 14th, 2025 and can be pre-ordered now!

Spun me into a twizzle from the beginning and never let me go until the grand finale. A captivating, tense book, The Favorites exposes ice skating life through the personal, intertwined stories of several skaters and their families.

Thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for the opportunity to read this ARC.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC in response to an honest review:

What I did like about this book was the depiction of ice dancing itself. The detailed descriptions of the sport, including the grueling hours of training and the dedication required to succeed, were both fascinating and inspiring. It’s not easy to shine a light on the intense physical and emotional endurance these athletes go through, and the author does a great job of illustrating that. Kat’s relentless pursuit of her goals and the perseverance she shows in her journey is also something I found admirable. I also liked Kat and Bella’s relationship. I found their shared drive to win and make it to the Olympics added a sense of true friendship and understanding that felt lost between Kat and Heath. However, while I can see what the author was aiming for, the story ultimately didn’t hit the mark for me.

I was initially drawn to this story by its premise—an intense love story set against the backdrop of an Olympic athlete’s quest for greatness. Katherine Shaw is laser-focused on winning an Olympic gold medal in ice dancing, and her ambition, drive, and single-minded dedication are clearly reflected in her actions. She’s willing to sacrifice anything, including her relationship with Heath, in pursuit of her goal.

I really wanted to enjoy this book, but I found myself hoping for a shift that never came—something to break up the repetition and detailed descriptions. The narrative often felt like a blend of Kat’s personal diary/depictions of events and a documentary-style interview, constantly teasing the next scandal. The chapters ended with attempted cliffhangers that only contributed to a feeling of repetition.

The relationship between Kat and Heath was hard to witness. What started as a strong connection, full of love and chemistry, ultimately became toxic for both of them. It seemed that their intense physical chemistry overshadowed any real compatibility in their personalities, and that’s what kept drawing them back together rather than substantial learning of who the other person is. While the story tries to portray Kat as a strong, unapologetic woman driven by ambition, I struggled to reconcile her ruthlessness with any real likability or personal growth.

As the story progressed, the twists began to feel overdone and contrived, as though there was added drama just for the sake of more drama. The already complicated interpersonal relationships were intensified by the nature of the sport, but I felt the added layers of conflict only became repetitive rather than adding depth to the story.

The Favorites is a captivating exploration of the world of competitive figure skating, a world of glitz, glamour, and intense rivalry. Layne Fargo masterfully weaves a tale of love, ambition, and the sacrifices made in pursuit of a dream.

The central characters, Katarina Shaw and Heath Rocha, are a dynamic duo. Their passionate yet tumultuous relationship is both inspiring and heartbreaking. Their journey, from childhood friends to world-class skaters, is filled with both triumphs and tragedies.

One of the strengths of this novel is its unique format, blending first-person narration with a documentary-style interview format. This allows the reader to experience the story from multiple perspectives, adding depth and complexity to the narrative.

The author's vivid descriptions of the exhilarating world of figure skating transport the reader to the ice, making the competitions feel almost tangible. The tension and excitement are palpable as the characters strive for perfection.

However, the novel is not without its flaws. At times, the pacing can be uneven, and the plot can feel a bit convoluted. Additionally, some of the characters, particularly the supporting cast, could have been developed further.

Despite these minor shortcomings, The Favorites is a compelling and engaging read. It's a story of love, loss, and the relentless pursuit of dreams. If you're a fan of sports dramas, romantic thrillers, or simply a good story, I highly recommend giving this book a try.

Rating this: 3.75/5 Stars

When I first started this I wasn't sure with the interview part what it was about but this book was so good. Once I got the hang of writing style I got right into it. Great characters, great storyline and a great ending

Thanks to the author ,the publisher and Netgalley for an early release of this book.

If you love the Olympics, telenovelas, and so much drama – this is for you. Layne Fargo did not give any time to catch your breath with the pace she takes the reader through. I thorough enjoyed it. So much dark and broodiness juxtaposed with the documentary interviews (some of which I caught myself chuckling with how different the point of view each party was). I wasn’t exactly happy with the ending (too neat and tidy for how the rest of the story went down --- and maybe I would not have been okay with all the acceptance between certain characters), but not a deal breaker.

Just think of the main characters as kind of incestual and twisted ‘best friends squad’ if you watched the latest iteration of She-Ra on Netflix with She-Ra as Katarina, Bo as Heath, and Bella as Glimmer.

Still, I love the Olympics, and this reminded me of my youth with Tanya/Nancy (how could it not) blended with the Cutting Edge (regardless of it being ice dancing).

4.25

This was amazing.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this early review copy, and thank you to Ms Fargo for giving me a rollercoaster ride of ALL the emotions in this truly delectable and sometimes edge-of-your-seat retelling of Wuthering Heights.

I have to admit,  I didn't expect much from <i>Catherine and Heathcliff on Ice</i>, because ... well, who would?  Ice dancers???  are you kidding me with that???  And yet it WORKS SO WELL.  The angst! the jealousy! the anger! the longing! the egos!  the PASSION!!   Celebrity tabloids just WISH they were this juicy.

The format was perfect, alternating between a tell-all documentary transcript, and the story from Katarina's POV, with short juicy chapters that will keep you saying "just one more chapter" as you delay the rest of your life to keep reading.  There's even an "oh no there's only one bed!" scene, which was a super fun nod to traditional romance novels (which this is NOT), but it is not what you think it will be.

There's enough story here that you don't need to have read Wuthering Heights to appreciate it, but you'll appreciate it a lot more if you had.*

In the beginning, it has a very YA feel, which makes sense, since Katarina and Heath are teenagers.   If Bronte were alive today, she would have written it just like this.  Gradually, Katarina and Heath grow up, and the intense "burn it all down" tone becomes closer to the original WH.

At the halfway point, I had NO IDEA how Fargo was going to wrap this up.  The plot had followed WH so closely, and yet it had also diverged quite a bit, but the changes were so much fun since they were all nods to the original.   Were Kat & Heath going to end up burning down the world, like Catherine and Heathcliff, or was Fargo figuring out a happier ending for them?  Was it going to remain faithful to the feel of the original??  

I was SHOCKED at the twist of who was involved in sabotaging Shaw & Rocha during the final Olympics competition.  I did NOT see that coming at all!

I absolutely ADORED the ending.  It was so satisfying ... without it feeling sappy or fake or disloyal to the original.  Bravo!

* I always enjoy lining up characters in a retelling with the original characters.  A quality retelling has unique characters who are still obviously the stand-ins for the originals. 
Heath Rocha - Heathcliff
Katarina Shaw - Catherine Earnshaw
Lee Shaw - Hindley Earnshaw
Garrett Lin - Edgar Linton
Bella Lin - Isabella Linton
Sheila Lin - Mrs Linton
Ellis Dean - Nelly Dean (I'm a bit embarrassed at how long it took me to see this connection, when it's right there staring you in the face!)
Kirk Lockwood - Mr Lockwood

The rest of the characters have no counterpart in the original, to the best of my knowledge.

As a huge Olympics fan, I was so excited about the concept of this book! Overall I enjoyed it, but reading the first 1/4 I thought it had potential to be one of my favorite books of the year, but by the end I just thought it was a decent read. Kat was a touch too unlikeable, and there were too many setbacks they experienced for me to really enjoy it. I also have not read Wuthering Heights, so any of those references went over my head.

What a story!!! I was absolutely glued to this high stakes drama from page one. I grew up glued to the tv screen whenever skating was on and of course followed the drama with Tanya Harding. I knew little going into this book but was pleasantly surprised that it kept me so engaged. The character development was fantastic and there was plenty of DRAMA. I think fans of the sport will really delight in this upcoming release. A very satisfying and enjoyable read.

Totally forgot to rate this one awhile ago while the Summer Olympics were on and I wanted to read it at the same time. This was a fun sports romance involving ice skating and I havent read a sports type romance in awhile so it was a nice change. We get two characters, Katarina Shaw and Heath Rocha who grew up together who both loved Ice skating and they ended up running away as teens. Their lives both change when they meet the Lin twins who are the children of a famous ice skater. Later on a tragic thing happens and tons of things go down that everyone wasnt expecting.
Later on a documentary gets written and it unveils the truth about their past and what all happened.

Def was a interesting story and I am sure many would like this one.

As always, Layne Fargo's writing makes me wonder if she's hiding a thesaurus on her person at all times. Could her glasses be those google goggle things? I truly don't know how she does it. Her word choice is so precise you end up picking up on a few of the cool words to use, making a fool out of yourself in front of your husband (...or does this only happen to me?). The way she's able to play with her wording while maintaining an overall feeling of brevity always stuns me.

*"they had us in the first half, not gunna lie" gif*

I'm not the first to say that this didn't hold up for its entirety. Unfortunately about 40%ish in it started feeling too soap opera-y for me. If I'm totally honest, I'm not even sure I know what I mean by that... The twists started coming too fast, not sustainable for a 400+ pg novel about these
specific characters (IMO, obviously). As a result, the predictability set in too early for me to stay completely engaged through the end.

{Thank you bunches to NetGalley, Layne Fargo and Random House for the DRC in exchange for my honest review!}

What begins as a captivating journey into the gritty, high-stakes world of competitive ice dancing—where Katarina Shaw and Heath Rocha, both survivors of turbulent pasts, are chasing the ultimate Olympic dream—quickly escalates. This isn’t just a story about skating; it's a raw, unfiltered look at the harsh realities beneath the glitter, with fierce rivals, stark financial struggles, and the dizzying pressures of early fame. Think Daisy Jones & the Six, but with ice-dance rivals and a gripping romance at the heart.

The first half of the story pulled me in, with unexpected twists and a layered drama that kept me reading. But as the narrative moved forward, I found my interest waning. By the 60% mark, I started to feel disconnected—despite some clever twists, the pacing began to drag, and I couldn’t muster much sympathy for the cast of characters. While the 468 page book does move rather quickly, I just simply stopped caring.

For fans of nuanced thrillers that peel back the layers of a unique sport, this novel is likely to hit the mark. While the end has the biggest twist of all, it was also a massive eye roll. As for me, maybe this slice of the athletic ice world just isn’t my thing.

Katarina Shaw and Heath Rocha are childhood friends turned ice dancing partners and lovers, with a fraught relationship both on and off the ice. The Favorites follows their career path from young and broke Olympic hopefuls through their career peaks and valleys, in alternating chapters from Kat's perspective, with transcripts from a docu-drama about their career. This book is loosely inspired by Wuthering Heights, but don't expect it to follow the same path exactly if you are familiar with that story.
This book pulled me in from the first page, and I honestly devoured it. The drama is juicy, their relationship is incredibly unhealthy but so captivating. The discussion of the sport and their competitions were intriguing and well done. I enjoyed that this was a coming-of-age story primarily about Kat, how she holds her own success above her relationships with both Heath, and their closest competitors and friends, Isabella and Garrett Lin, but eventually changes as she grows as a person. Heath was a bit one dimensional at first, but as their relationship changed, the author did develop his character further.
As I mentioned, I devoured this book, and overall certainly enjoyed it. That said, for me this still remains a high 4-star book because the sabotage and drama surrounding the 3rd act conflict felt a bit contrived and out of nowhere.
Thank you to Random House and NetGalley for the electronic ARC of this novel for review.

If you love found family, high stakes competition, passionate love, and above all else, DRAMA - then this book is for you.

The Favorites tells a story of a young ice dancer from the sticks whose only goal is to win. This book starts around the time of Katarina Shaw’s first major qualifying competition at the age of 16 and follows her life through competitions, true love, betrayal, heartbreak and downright psychotic behavior. I was hooked from page one and never wanted this story to end.

I guessed a few of the twists on my own but I was so completely captivated by the whole plot that it didn’t bother me. I also loved the Daisy Jones & The Six format with all the interviews mixed in to paint the whole picture. Itching to now rewatch I, Tonya because I need more figure skating drama in my life apparently. 10/10 recommend. Run to get this one on 1/14/25!!

Thank you so much NetGalley and Random House Publishing for the advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

I’ll leave you with one non-spoiling quote to get you in the mood: “Katarina Shaw was in the building, and that bitch had come to win.”

As a diehard Wuthering Heights girlie, I was thrilled by this fresh take that mixes all that intense, stormy romance with the competitive world of figure skating - a match made in heaven.

Layne Fargo is an expert in writing women who are real, flawed, and incredibly interesting. Following Kat's ups and downs was a ride, and her journey of figuring out what winning really means hit close to home for me. And of course, the chemistry between Kat and Heath was absolutely electric. Their friends to lovers to enemies to lovers arc had me on the edge of my seat, and I loved the way the lines were blurred between their personal and professional relationship.

The skating itself is wonderfully described, and even if you don't know an axel from a lutz, you can almost picture yourself in Kat's shoes (/skates?) - Fargo perfectly captures the movement, the energy, the adrenaline of competing on the ice, which makes the whole experience that much more immersive.

If you want a story that grabs you and doesn't let go, filled with drama, professional rivalry, and hot, hot sex scenes...this is it! (And yes, my TikTok FYP is now 99% skating edits and I have no regrets)

These people! This book! Wow. This book is not my usual type of read but I do love figure skating so I was intrigued. I was quickly hooked by this tense romance/thriller combo that looks at ambition and the figure skating world with a sharp eye and a fierce writing style that made this hard to put down. I was surprised by how much I loved it even when I thought all of the characters were totally awful. It's a dishy story that isn't your typical romance by any means even though there are some truly romantic moments. It's not really a thriller but it reads like one, and it's not a documentary although it effectively uses that format to propel the story along. A great read!

"The Favorites" by Layne Fargo is an exploration of ambition, love, and the relentless pursuit of identity against the backdrop of elite figure skating. The author skillfully weaves a tale that is both an epic romance and a poignant reflection on the pressures of fame and the search for self-definition.

Katarina Shaw is an unforgettable protagonist, embodying resilience and passion as she navigates the challenges of her turbulent upbringing. Her relationship with Heath Rocha is electric, filled with an intensity that is both beautiful and heartbreaking.

"The Favorites" is not just a love story; it’s an exploration of legacy and the fight to reclaim one’s narrative. Layne Fargo has crafted a compelling tale that lingers long after the final page, making it a must-read for anyone who appreciates stories of passion, resilience, and the complexities of human relationships. I will definitely read more by this author.

Thank you to NetGalley and the Publisher for an ARC of "The Favorites" by Layne Fargo in exchange for my honest review. I raced to NetGalley to request this book after seeing dozens of positive reviews on Facebook groups and GoodReads. I was over the moon thrilled that I got approved and raced to read it, finishing it in a few days. This is definitely a 5-star read and had everything you could possibly want in a book - developed characters; an engaging layout (reminiscent of Daisy Jones and the Six with the interviews) walking through interviews given for a documentary; and a great story arc. The book follows the ice dance journey of Katarina Shaw and Heath Rocha, friends (and more) since childhood who both come from a less than stellar background. Without giving too much away, the team of Shaw and Rocha are followed over the course of a decade as they navigate their relationship and the world of professional/competitive ice dancing. It was a wonderful read and I wish I could wipe it from my memory and read it all over again.