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.

Layne Fargo’s The Favorites is a beautifully crafted, high-stakes tale that explores love, rivalry, and ambition on the ice. With complex, magnetic characters and a plot filled with passion, betrayal, and unforgettable moments, this story grabs hold from the start. Katarina and Heath's journey is intense, capturing both the thrill and agony of Olympic dreams with a raw, emotional depth. Fargo’s research shines through, offering a vivid, realistic portrayal of the world of ice dancing, which only deepens the story's allure. The mix of first-person narrative and documentary-style interviews pulls readers into the drama, making it impossible to look away. It’s a story that left me gasping and lingering on every twist, making it both a page-turner and a book I didn’t want to end. If you’re drawn to tales of fierce competition and turbulent relationships, this book is a must-read.

"The Favorites" by Layne Fargo is probably one of the best books I've read this year. I don't normally gravitate toward darker stories, but this one was an exception since it features ice dance. As an adult figure skater, I appreciated all the small details and hidden gems Layne added to her novel. The world of skating has gotten so crazy, I wouldn't be surprised if antics mentioned in the book ended up occurring in real life.

When I first started reading, I wasn't sure what to make of Heath and Kat, but the deeper I got into the novel, the harder I fell for them. By the midway point, I couldn't put the book down and needed to keep going until I finished it. I deeply appreciated the storyline and how well written both main characters were. I felt as if I was growing and developing as they both were over the years. The ending had me going through a full rush of emotions, but without giving away any spoilers, readers will be satisfied with the ending.

This is my first Layne Fargo book, but it certainly won't be my last. If you are a fan of figure skating, this book is a must read for you.

5/5 stars.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Random House for allowing me to enjoy and advance reader copy of this book.

All opinions and thoughts are my own.

I'm not sure what I was expecting with this book. They Never Learn was one of my favorite reads last year. This was a really slow burn, like really slow, and then the last part of the book just felt extremely rushed.

I'm from the suburbs, just north of Chicago , so I appreciate her accuracy of the area ave setting. I just started this one with that was inspired by Wuthering Heights with
⤵️

⛸️ ice skating
🔪 murder
🔎 Mystery
📹 Documentaries

Katarina and Heath have been childhood friends and have really only had each other. Kat lost both of her parents fairly young but luckily had mentors who helped continue her ice skating dreams. Around age 11, heath would go to the ice rink to hang out and watch the skaters as this was an escape from his foster home. Him and kat become friends, and she teaches him to skate. Together, they try to achieve kats dreams of becoming a world-renowned skater who wants to win worlds and Olympic medals. The road to success is never easy as their journey will try to be sabotaged, death will come to some, and jealousy and envy are a guarantee.

The Favorites follows Kat and Heath over ten years. Will their relationship make it, and will they achieve their goals? Can they beat the odds, or will they come short like most skaters?

Release date January 25, 2025

Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This book had me absolutely enthralled from start to finish. The story of Katarina Shaw and Heath Rocha spans decades. From meeting as young kids and starting to ice dance together, to national championships, controversial performances, injuries, romances, splits, reunions, and a shocking end to their career. The story is a retelling of/inspired by Wuthering Heights, but because that’s one of the classics that I’ve never read or seen an adaptation of, all of the twists and turns of this plot surprised me. So I can’t say how well it works for people who know the source materials, but I had a blast with it.

The book is told through documentary interviews that are being recorded 10 years after their last competition together and in a traditional narrative from Kat’s point of view as the events are happening. I really enjoyed having the dual perspectives of the book. The interviews from the different people in their lives and the skating world provided interesting commentary on the sport as well as fun foreshadowing and intrigue when you realize which characters aren’t being interviewed in the later years. I was on the edge of my seat waiting to find out what the disastrous event was at the 2014 Olympics.

On top of being a compelling personal story of the romance, friendship, and partnership between Kat and Heath, there’s also a lot of interesting commentary about ice dance and the ways that women are treated by the media. The characters talk about the strict gender norms in figure skating, pressure to stay closeted, old fashioned judging, how opinionated women are treated, online gossip blogs, and so much more.

This is one of those books about fictional famous people where everything is so fleshed out that it starts to feel like reading about real events. The story is expansive without ever feeling like it’s too drawn out or confusing with the number of different characters. If the plot of this sounds interesting you should definitely add it to your TBR!

3.75 rounded up

I was super excited to receive an ARC of this book because I had loved the author's previous book "They Never Learn" and this seemed very Tonya Harding-esque, which had me immediately interested. I feel like I went through a lot of different thoughts while reading this book; first off, it was a pretty long book. My kindle doesn't show me page numbers but it was 85 chapters told in 5 parts, so even when I felt like I had read a significant amount, there was still a lot left. However, I also don't know that there are any clear sections that I think could be cut out and I read the whole thing in about 2.5 days. From how the book starts I feel like I was anticipating a much more dramatic incident than what was actually revealed at the end, but I stayed fully invested throughout the whole journey. I actually loved both Katarina and Heath, even though they weren't necessarily the best people -- I was rooting for them the whole book. Going back and forth between transcripts of the documentary and chapters of the actual story also helped keep me engaged.

Overall I really enjoyed this book and while I was afraid I would be disappointed with the ending, I actually loved it. Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC!

This book was a little out of my comfort zone, I usually stick to general fiction or thrillers and The Favorites by Layne Fargo falls firmly into the sports romance category. It employs one of my favorite tropes: documentaries. The story revolves around Kat and Heath and their ice dancing legacy. According to the description, it is “inspired by the love and hate that fueled Emily Brontë’s Wuthering Heights.”

The Favorites has plenty of steamy scenes, love and romance. For a book about Ice Dancing (similar but not exactly the same as figure skating) it was full of drama , heart, action and even includes a full cast of love-to-hate them enemies. The characters were detailed and well executed. One does not have to glide far to feel the humanity imbued in each character.

Even though this book fell outside of my usual genre, I enjoyed it. The story often inserts packages of documentary footage to help set the stage, and this plot device helped the plot. Reading and seeing each character’s name set forth as though one was reading a play helped enhanced the drama and made it easy to imagine hearing each character’s unique voice. I tend to shy away from sports dramas, but given the subject matter of this one, I am glad I decided to take a chance. Ultimately, The Favorites is a winning story. Any medal will do.

I received this advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review and feedback.

I did not realize this was Wuthering Heights on ice until.i started reading it. I am not a huge fan of Wuthering Heights, but I do love ice skating. My opinion of the book reflects that. The inside scoop on the hypercompetitive sport of ice dancing was fascinating. The toxic romance between Katarina and Heath felt overdramatic and tired. Both characters seemed one-dimensional. Katarina was all ambition and Heath was the jealous, creepy ex. Instead of wanting them to get together, I wanted her to get away from him. So clearly this did not work for me. Because the characters were one note, the book felt repetitive. If you love a soap opera/tragic romance, you will love this. I just don't. Thanks to NetGalley for the eARC.

Amazing!! I was sooo drawn in to the storyline. It was such an incredibly fun and exciting read! I hope everyone gives it a shot! I will say the first couple chapters felt a little long to me and I had trouble connecting with the story and characters. But after a few chapters, woah!! It picks up and really has you thinking what did I just read! It's like watching a really drama full story unravel right before your eyes! Such a fun and quick read.

I want to love these salacious, scandalous competitive skating world novels and I just can't. I will say the writing was spectacular and the story was good. I will read other works by this author.

thank you to NetGalley and Random House for the advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review <3
⭐️4.5 rounded up

I absolutely LOVED this book and I reaaallly loved Fargo’s approach and modern take on a beloved classic. This is the story of two childhood best friends with dreams of achieving Olympic gold in ice dancing and the heartbreak, triumph, betrayals, manipulation, and everything in-between along that journey.

The Favorites is Wuthering Heights meets Daisy Jones and Carrie Soto, with the characters mirroring WH, mixed media story telling like Daisy Jones and the focus on a determined, seemingly unfeeling but actually very human main character in the sports world like Carrie Soto is Back. (I actually don’t know if any of those comparisons make any sense, but I can definitely see the Taylor Jenkins Reid inspiration all over this book, which I loved.)

My one and only critique is the mystery introduced in the last part of the book. Maybe I didn’t pick up on the suspense early enough, but the whole thing kind of came out of nowhere and was resolved before it ever really had time to develop. Other than that, I really adored the characters and this story. I already loved Layne Fargo after reading They Never Learn, but The Favorites has cemented her as an auto-buy author.

HOLY FUCK HOLY FUCK HOLY FUCK HOLY FUCK HOLY FUCK HOLY FUCK HOLY FUCK HOLY FUCK HOLY FUCK HOLY FUCK HOLY FUCK HOLY FUCK

I never thought I would like an ice skating drama, but here we are. This book had everything we needed for a great read - one that keeps you up at night, one that reminds you we are all human, one that gives us a love story full of twists and turns. I loved the drama. I loved the way this one was written, and I would L O V E a spinoff just based on Ellis Dean. This one would make a wonderful book club, so now I need to wait till January to float it to mine. 10/10.

The way I devoured this book!! Top read of the year. If you liked Daisy Jones and the Six and watching ice skating growing up #ninetieschild omg this book is for you. I want to listen to it as well as I think it will be such a good read through that medium as well. Off I go to look up this author's other books!! So so so good! Recommend! Thank you Netgalley for this advanced copy!! Going to be recommending this one come Jan 2025!