Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for the ARC.

I have a secret affinity for sports stories featuring compelling characters. I don't actually know anything about Olympic-level ice dancing, but I will be tuning in to the next winter Olympics thanks to Heath, Kat, and the Lin twins, bitter rivals and life-long friends, in The Favorites.

Layne Fargo has reimagined Wuthering Heights through a Taylor Jenkins Reid lens. There's romance, back-stabbing, class dynamics, impulsivity, obsession, secrecy, and a desire for redemption--on and off the ice--as these world-class athletes push their bodies to their limits.

I gasped out loud several times and felt a lump in my throat as the storylines wrapped up. It was slow at first, but once I was 30ish percent in, the pace picked up, and I couldn't put it down. I kept thinking that it would be a great movie or TV series...and, since I've become the sort of reader who reads the acknowledgements, I feel confident that we're going to see this come to life. Don't mind me while I sit over here and plot the perfect cast.

I LOVED this book! What a great read! This novel was just so much fun.

The characters were interesting and although overall unlikable, the author still made me really care about what happened to them. I didn't know until after I had read the book that it was a twist on Wuthering Heights. I hated Wuthering Heights when I read it and have no desire to read it again, but this was GREAT! And looking back, it really is a twist on the classic, but so much more entertaining! I don't know if the author has a history in ice dance, but if not, she really did a great job researching and weaving in the details because it is so well developed.

I loved the plot, it was well paced so that it didn't drag, but it also didn't give you whiplash with too much happening at once. The storyline is strong and makes sense for the novel and the characters. Just an overall fun, great read!

I will definitely be recommending this one to lots of people!

AHHH this book was absolutely brilliant! Layne Fargo delivers a heart wrenching, thrilling, beautiful and suspenseful read with The Favorites. You will feel sooo connected from beginning to end! Regardless if you enjoy ice skating, you'll adore this story.

This is a fabulous novel about two sixteen-year-olds, Heath and Katerina who train ferociously to become the best ice dancers in the world. Who would believe that this sport is so cut-throat that competitors would literally do anything to thwart your chances at winning! But the two are dedicated both to each other and the ice so they train until they are worn out. It becomes a true love/hate situation as they win many competitions until they make it to the Olympics. And then all hell breaks loose! It's a fascinating story that is often difficult to read as I had no idea what lengths athletes will go to in order to reach the pinnacle of success! I so enjoyed Fargo's other novels and this one is beyond good!
Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC!

This book has all of my favorite components: ice skating, interview formatting, and a badass FMC. This book had me absolutely obsessed and flipping pages to find out what happened next in Katarina and Heath’s skating career. As quick breaks, I’d look up ice dancing videos from past Olympics, having never paid it any attention before (spoiler alert: it’s stunning!). Basically, for the few days it took me to read this book, it was all I could think about. I obsessed over this book like Health obsessed over Kat and Kat obsessed over winning. Needless to say, this is a good one and I’ve already recommended it to several people.

While I would call this book a romance, it wasn’t very romantic. The main characters’ relationship was often toxic and wasn’t always the focus of the book. I find sports books fascinating as I was able to learn more about it in a digestible way (also was invested in the characters which helped). There were so many plot twists I didn’t expect, and the author did a great job of increasing the intensity of the book as we got closer to the end.

I would highly recommend this book for fans of From Lukov with Love, Tonya Harding, and Daisy Jones and the Six. If that sounds like a confusing mix, well, just read the book and then you’ll understand.

i loved the documentary style chapters with the other characters’ opinions to make the book more interesting and it felt more complete that way, Layne is so talented.

Thank you NetGalley and Random House for this early edition of The Favorites. I enjoyed this novel so much! About a third of the way through I texted a friend and told her to request it because we both love Taylor Jenkins Reid and Layne Fargo gave of Reid vibes strongly in this novel about unlivable athletes who put winning above all else. And that’s one thing about this book, you’re not gonna like much of anyone in it! But I didn’t want to put it down! At first the “chorus” of interviews kept taking me out of the story and bothering me a bit but eventually I enjoyed those parts of the book, once I got to know those characters. Five star read for me! I can’t wait to see what Layne Fargo comes up with next!

I did not like a single character in this book. Everyone was so toxic and crazy and the drama was over the top

Great cover tho!

I enjoy figure skating almost as much as I enjoy reading. I was thrilled to come across this book and it did not disappoint! Even if you're not a fan of skating, the story of these young people and their pursuit of skating excellence is compelling. I highly recommend this great book! Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an e-arc in exchange for an unbiased review.

Thank you to Netgalley and Randomhouse for this amazing book. I never thought me a male could relate to this book so much. I think all want so bad to fight for our dreams and it's the resilience that fuels us and keeps us moving forward.

so so so so good. everything that you could want from a wuthering heights retelling. the olympic ice skating setting is perfect. this will especially entrance fans of taylor jenkins reid

this didn’t give what i wanted it to. I was so hyped reading the description I thought it would be my next obsession but it was not.

A lot of thngs appealed to me about this book going in - from the gripping description to the breathtaking cover. It is told in half narrative, half interviews with the characters (think Daisy Jones and the Six style), and Fargo did a fantastic job using the two to weave the threads of a complex story together seamlessly. While there were many things I really enjoyed, I felt that the book just kept building up and up and up...and then it didn't have a shock factor that swept my feet out from under me. Perhaps it just went on a little bit too long and it began to feel repetitive, or maybe I was able to anticipate the ending. Nevertheless, this is a great read if you're looking for something to feel immersed in, and if you're yearning for the excitement of sport, celebrity, and scandal.

The Favorites is about one woman’s ambition to become a an Olympic Gold medalist and what she is willing to give up With her skating partner by her side since adolescence she moved through the ranks followed by struggle and heartbreak. Not a typical romance novel but one that takes a lifetime to see and she strives for the gold and finds out what is really important in life. Written from her perspective with flashes to the present (future) of what happened behind the scenes with interviews for a documentary to explain her rise to gold.

It gives me Taylor Reid vibes in a way. I liked this book a lot and was entertained the whole time. Its hard for me to read fiction but this kept my attention.

I thoroughly enjoyed "The Favorites" for its compelling exploration of obsession, scandal, and drama within the world of figure skating. Layne Fargo masterfully weaves a narrative that immerses readers in the intense competitive atmosphere of the sport, where ambition and personal rivalries fuel gripping tension. The novel delves deep into the characters' obsessions and the moral complexities they face, creating a thrilling story that kept me eagerly turning pages. Fargo's depiction of the behind-the-scenes drama and the psychological depths of the protagonists makes "The Favorite" a standout read, offering a nuanced and captivating look into the darker side of athletic ambition.

With the Olympics just around the corner this book was totally ON POINT for me! Admittedly I am a bit of a sucker for ice dancing - Virtue and Moir anyone?!?! That said, I also LOVE characters with complexity and darkness and realness and this book delivered! I was hooked from the get-go and LOVED the different PoVs, fast paced short chapters and the gossip perspectives. This books is a 4.5 for sure! No doubt it will make a BIG impact when it is released. Can't wait! Sign me up to read more from Layne Fargo.

Oh my gosh this BOOK! I was hooked from the first page and couldn’t put it down. It was a wild ride for sure; it was definitely not a typical romance and the characters were not always likable but their development was fantastic. The author did a fantastic job retelling Wuthering Heights. I have also looked every where for an ice skating novel that touched on all aspects of the skating world and this book is it!

4.5/5 stars!

Thank you to the publisher, and NetGalley for allowing me to read the ARC.

I loved this book, easy to pick up read a chapter and read more later. The book is told from a first person perspective, with intermittent present time news interviews documenting the story.

So many emotions. I cheered, I raged, I questioned myself. I NEEDED the main characters to stay together, and I needed them to split. I wanted to watch them succeed, and watch them crumble.

The cast of the book was colorful. You had the mean girl become friends, the constant questioning if it’s true.

I can’t wait for this book to come out.

‧͙⁺˚*･༓☾☆ 4.75 GOLD stars ☆☽༓･*˚⁺‧͙

Who let the Layne Fargo train depart without me on it and why are you just now letting me board?!

playlist 🎧: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/68p6m34QuKPd35vcjf0QSc?si=0d08c2f20dc343ff

A passionate tale of the bitter triumphs and self-inflicted tribulations of the elite figure skating world, The Favorites is a story that details the jarring reality of making a name for yourself in spite of those determined to oppose you for their own corruptive gain.

˚₊ · »-♡→ characters

In her own way, on her own terms, just as promised, our story is narrated by Olympic hopeful, Katarina Shaw. Every ounce the powerhouse I hoped she’d be, our female protagonist will convert you from a silent supporter of women’s rights, to a proud advocate of women’s wrongs. It goes without saying that you’ll probably pull out a couple hairs along the way though, her strong-willed disposition an acquired taste at times. As for me, I believe I’ve been designed to love even the sharpest of edges unapologetically.

Lost in the orbit of her protective and all-consuming nature, Katarina’s orphaned childhood sweetheart, Heath Rocha, finds himself chasing the dreams of his lover at the expense of his own self identity. A man you hate to love, Heath disparagingly turns the ashes of his desperate and dysfunctional relationship into wounded and ruthless ambition.

Keep your friends close and your enemies closer, Isabella Lin’s golden rule. As the poster child of Olympic gold-medalist, Sheila Lin, Bella’s learned that any relationship, platonic or romantic, is a distraction; a means to an end when it comes to her own competitive ambitions. A character that will keep you on your toes from beginning to end, the only person capable of taming the thoughtless and sometimes reckless abandon she conjures is her partner and twin brother.

The voice of reason, Garrett Lin is a reliable, yet reserved individual. With integrity that sets him apart from his familial counterparts, he kept me sane amidst a tragic rollercoaster of emotions.

Lovers, rivals, and champions, Kat and Heath’s dynamic is an enigma. Call it a scandal. Call it an obsession. Either way, as an angst lover, I’m down bad. I was rooting for them. I was rooting against them. I was rooting for everything in-between. Their partnership both on the ice and off is nothing short of salacious, cutthroat, and inevitable.

With a legacy destined to stay forever intertwined, the end is just the beginning for these two.

˚₊ · »-♡→ writing

Perfectly and predictably unpredictable, there’s no keeping a poker face with this one. I gasped, I laughed (okay, okay…snorted), I cried, I stared at the wall with a dropped jaw. You name it, I experienced it to a degree so extreme, it would sound made up if I even dared attempt to verbalize it.

I am just BEGGING, on my knees, absolutely salivating for this to be adapted for the screen. A sentiment, I would like to emphasize, I very rarely entertain. The imagery is far too surreal not to at least consider the mere possibility of it extending beyond the pages. The entire time, all I could think was, “oh the Daisy Jones and the Six girlies are going to eat this up!”

˚₊ · »-♡→ structure

The story being told in alternating timelines through documentary transcript and first-person POV give even the most sparsely seen characters a in-depth nuance. The suspenseful accounts from a colorful cast of potentially biased coaches, judges, and colleagues (excuse me, rivals) creates an addictive and thrilling tone that will make you lose all sense of time and reality.

Needless to say, Fargo’s mastered the art of captivating even the rowdiest of audiences with an unputdownable read.

˚₊ · »-♡→ tropes

That being said, forget hockey, the girls want more figure skating romances! I am the very anti-thesis of the word athletic, but I’ve somehow acquired the desire to become an Olympian. I mean, is it too soon to re-read? Asking for a friend…(it’s me…I’m the friend).

I would like to take a moment to appreciate 2021 me for going down the Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir rabbit hole that led me here. I will forever be indebted to you.

Thank you to Random House and Layne Fargo for so kindly providing me with an ARC. As always, all thoughts are my own and are in no way influenced by early access to this title.