Whoa!!!! This book is fucking amazing!!! I could NOT put it down. There is no way this book won’t be all over book tok! I love this book so much that i still feel like I should go back to re-read it incase I missed any details I didn’t realise the first time around. If I could rate more than 5 stars, I would!!!

At first, I found the format of The Favorites confusing. It is a documentary woven with Katarina’s, the female lead character, side of the story. After a few chapters, the story started to flow and make more sense. The documentary portion allows the reader to have insight to multiple side character’s thoughts without dedicating chapters to each character.
The story follows Katarina and her childhood best friend and ice dancing partner, Heath, through their adolescence into adulthood. The reader is introduced to the cut-throat and toxic world of competitive sports, as Katarina and Heath dream of competing in the Olympics.
Overall, I enjoyed The Favorites and would recommend it. Why the four stars, instead of 5?There was one specific topic that I struggled with regarding Katarina’s frenemy, Bella. Also, I wanted a more definitive answer regarding the status of Katarina and Heath’s relationship status. I didn’t like the “on and off again” for over a decade.

The Favorites" by Layne Fargo is a captivating novel that kept me hooked from start to finish. This gripping tale follows the journey of fictional Olympic ice dancers, exploring their triumphs and downfalls in a way that is truly unputdownable. What sets this book apart is its accessibility; despite revolving around the world of ice dancing, Fargo ensures that the narrative remains engaging and relatable to all readers. Rather than focusing on technical intricacies, the author delves deep into the emotional landscapes of the main characters during their performances, preventing the story from becoming mired in excessive technicalities. Personally, I found myself enchanted by the storyline and would wholeheartedly recommend this book to anyone seeking a roller coaster of emotions and a truly immersive reading experience.

Layne Fargo can do no wrong. To be honest I was a little hesitant to read this book because it’s not my usual go to genre but I absolutely loved They Never Learn so I knew I had to give it a shot and let me tell you, I was obsessed. Once I picked it up, I couldn’t put it down. I finished it in less than 24 hours.

Kat and Heath stole my heart, they are both flawed and nowhere near the perfect couple but I was just as obsessed with them as they are with each other. I loved Kats complicated relationships with other characters in the story.

I loved how the story is told with the alteration between Kats POV and the documentary style. I think the added interviews from the documentary add so much to the overall story.

I highly recommend this book, even if it’s not your usual genre, it is 100% worth it.

OBSESSED with this novel!! It has every delicious skating scandal from the last few decades. I could NOT put it down! This will definitely be a reread for me. I will absolutely be buying a physical copy when it is released. This one will be an incredible book club pick!

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.