𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐅𝐚𝐯𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐞𝐬
𝐋𝐚𝐲𝐧𝐞 𝐅𝐚𝐫𝐠𝐨
𝐑𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐨𝐦 𝐇𝐨𝐮𝐬𝐞 𝐏𝐮𝐛𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠
𝐏𝐮𝐛 𝐃𝐚𝐭𝐞: 𝐉𝐚𝐧𝐮𝐚𝐫𝐲 𝟏𝟒, 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟓
𝟒.5⭐️

Happy Thursday! So I usually try to read new releases closer to their expected pub date, but when I saw Layne Fargo’s newest book on NetGalley I had to request it and read it right away! Her previous books 𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐍𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐋𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐧 and 𝐓𝐞𝐦𝐩𝐞𝐫 are still to this day, two of all my all time favorite reads!

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐅𝐚𝐯𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐞𝐬 is an Olympic figure skating, romance story, filled with drama, scandal, and so much emotion. This genre isn’t my favorite but the romance aspect was far from cringey and I loved how we follow main characters Kat and Heath from a young age and their journey to competing in the Olympics.

I was rooting for Kat & Heath the entire time, hoping their relationship would work and rooting for them in each competition. I really loved this story as a whole- it was beautifully written, fast paced, and a nail-biter.

This would’ve been a 5 star read but there was one situation that really made me 🤬. It was a great twist, and it made the story more scandalous butttttt I just wish it didn’t happen(I’m not going into detail, as this is a spoiler). If you know what I’m talking about I’d love to know your thoughts too!

Special thanks to for the early copy. This amazing read is out January 25th, add it to your TBR!

Olympic Games often dominate the headlines while they are taking place, but only so often do Olympic sports and related scandals stay in the news after the medals have been awarded. In The Favorites, Layne Fargo does a masterful job of creating a whole microcosm of Competition Ice Dancing and the politics and drama it encompasses. The cast of characters is all here - the grand dame of the sport, the dangerous rebel, the heir apparent, and the wide-eyed ingenue to name a few - and most are being interviewed as part of an anniversary documentary. They are all re-visiting the scandal of Shaw & Rocha and dissecting their own roles in the drama. The format of using confessional type dialogue with flashbacks is effective and entertaining. One can truly imagine the retrospective feature being aired in primetime.

I received this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

In this powerful debut readers are thrust into the dazzling yet brutal world of elite ice dance through the eyes of Katarina Shaw, a determined skater with Olympic dreams. This is an emotional and gripping exploration of love, ambition, and the price of success, perfect for fans of sports dramas and complex, character-driven stories.

4-4.5⭐️

A story with Olympic figure skating, obsession, and scandal?! Sign me up!

On the whole, I really enjoyed this story and the interspersed documentary/interviews sprinkled in. That said, it felt slow and like I had been reading it for a while and still had so much story to go. I’ve struggled to put my finger on why, but I think it has to do with Katarina’s character. Without spoiling, I think her laser like focus on her goals maybe slowed the pace because she knew what she wanted right out of the gate. I’d still recommend it, though!

This is one of the coolest books I’ve read all year. I’ve known since “Daisy Jones and the Six” that the documentary style narrative really works for me and this only further cemented it. Reading those pieces and then Kat’s perspective made for a highly engaging experience. So much tension was created from having incidents and outcomes alluded to by guests on the documentary and then watching them play out firsthand.

The premise instantly captured my attention. Orphans who had no one but each other, the sport that began their relationship and then became the center of it, for better or for worse. What they wouldn’t do for and to each other- it was electric.

And yet. I still wish I hadn’t read and loved “Wuthering Heights” so much and so recently. I had forgotten that Catherine and Heathcliff served as inspiration (even though it’s in the blurb) and I was happier before I made the connection. You can say many things about Heathcliff (and many have been said). You could call him a dozen adjectives and argue them well, but I would never allow ”dull” to fall among them. Heath never lived up to the man who inspired him, he was never as chilling, never as interesting.

The romance was the only aspect I struggled with but everything else I adored. I had a similar feeling to when I read “Dare Me” by Megan Abbott where the sport, the art, really comes alive. It feels like anything can be justified in the name of it.

I love reading about fictional accounts of sports so I could have gone for even more specific mentions of lifts and elements, even scoring. More excerpts of commentary too would’ve been great to really build up the legendary status. I also think spacing could’ve been used more creatively in service of certain descriptions.

“The Favorites” is an excellent transit book. I read over 300 pages of it in one day commuting back and forth from Hoboken. It took me a few chapters to be truly gripped by it but about 15% of the way in I could not put it down.

I was reading as fast as I could, seared by every new revelation. I felt like a fan, it was exhilarating. Almost missed my stop though, and it would’ve been worth it!

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for the e-arc. Definitely one of the most fun reading experiences I’ve had in recent memory.

This book is my new obsession. I love ice dancing and I love Daisy Jones and the Six and this is a combination of both plus Wuthering Heights which I’ve never read but now feel like I need to. The characters are deeply flawed but utterly engrossing. I’m supposed to be studying for a medical school test and yet I can’t seem to put it down. I need this to be adapted to tv and to see these beautiful routines on ice although the writer does a decent job of letting you visualize it in your mind.

Pros: I requested this book from NetGalley immediately after I heard Annie B. Jones rave about it on her From the Front Porch podcast. It was the perfect post-Olympics read--I read it in one sitting on an airplane, and it was such a fun reading experience. This book is for anyone who loves the drama and intrigue of the ice skating/dancing world. I liked the first-person narrative meets oral history structure of the story and found myself cheering for the main character, even though I'm not sure I was supposed to. What was most interesting to me about this book is that it is a modern retelling of Wuthering Heights, and coincidentally, I read another modern retelling of it (Alice Hoffman's Here on Earth) the week before. These books would make an interesting reading flight.

Cons: None that I can think of--this book seems to do exactly what it sets out to do.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for the opportunity to read this book.

A steamy, revenge filled retelling of Wuthering Heights?! I said sign me up right from the start, I was easily was engrossed in this story and the continued obsession seen by the characters. I enjoyed this start to finish, but never wanted it to end and could have stayed in this world for 500 more pages.

Thank you to the publisher for providing me with an eARC of this novel.

I was very intrigued by the cover and the idea of delving into the world of competitive ice skating. Unfortunately, this book was severely not for me. The best way I could describe it was like a CW/Freeform show or a Lifetime movie, which may be up some readers' alleys. If you like soapy dramas, this may appeal to you. However, it was a bit too melodramatic for my taste that I became less invested with each "twist" or "reveal." Perhaps even more fundamentally, I really disliked one half of the romance. Heath had little redeeming qualities. His ultra possessiveness was more of a red flag than anything "cute," and I wasn't rooting for them to be together.

Sure, Kat had flaws herself, which make characters whole. But I at least somewhat liked her. Heath's jealousness was a huge turn-off for me. Bella as a side character was OK at the beginning, but veered into caricature territory as time went on. Same for Garrett (and the "twist" with him I could see coming early on and was hoping it WOULDN'T go there because it's so obvious and almost a stereotype at this point). Additionally, I felt the book was too long. This is a personal preference thing, but I think a good 100 pages could've been cut.

The ending I also disliked, but for sake of spoilers, I'll leave it at that.

This was such a great read. I could not put it down. The interview style made it very interesting and dramatic and gave me Daisy Jones and the Six vibes. I loved the drama in it. And it was so interesting how the ending gave the characters a happy ending but not in the way you would expect. I went on a journey with this book and loved every second of it.

First of all, thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for allowing me to review this amazing story early. Now on to my review.

OH MY GOSH!!!! This story will keep you up late trying to finish it. For all of those who love figure skating and the glitz and glamour that come with it plus all the drama behind the scenes, this book is for you. The story of two children with horrible family lives who come together to form an ice dance team. What follows is their journey to get that Olympic gold that all athletes strive for. There are so many unexpected turns to this story that I was constantly surprised every step of the way. It was a train wreck and a love story and I wouldn’t have missed it for the world! All 6.0s is what I would rate this book on our old judging system. The perfect read for those winter months especially around Nationals in January!

This novel describes the love story of two young ice dancers and the people they encounter in their quest to become gold medal winners in the Olympics. I did not get the Wuthering Heights comparison but it definitely brought back shades of Tonya Harding and the bias of the judges she experienced.
I enjoyed the book but felt it could have been shorter and found many of the characters unlikable. I wanted to root for their success but wasn’t quite feeling it.
Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The Favorites by Layne Fargo is one of the most compelling novels I’ve read this year. Fargo crafts a narrative that dives deep into the psyche of her characters, creating a story that is both thrilling and unsettling. The protagonist, Katarina, is a perfect example of an unlikeable narrator who captivates the reader with her ruthless ambition and obsessive drive to win, no matter the cost. Her unyielding pursuit of her goals makes her a character who is as fascinating as she is chilling.

Adding to the tension is Heath, Katarina’s partner, whose obsessive devotion to her pulls him deeper into a toxic and destructive relationship. The intensity of their dynamic keeps the reader on edge, making The Favorites a gripping exploration of ambition and obsession.

Layne Fargo masterfully examines the lengths people will go to for their passions and how powerful emotions can distort one's reality. The result is a thought-provoking read that delves into the dark paths we tread in pursuit of desire.

I’d like to extend my thanks to Random House Publishing Group and Netgalley for providing me with a copy of this incredible book.

After reading so many meh books in 2024, THE FAVORITES reminded me why I read. This book has it all! It's a fun, thrilling addictive read w all the feels. You really feel as if you know the characters and are part of their journey. There were parts were my heart was racing. As I read. I kept thinking about which Asian actors would play Sheila, Bella & Garrett Lin, as well as who would be cast as Kat, Shaw Heath Rocha & Ellis Dean. The commentary between chapters really helped move the story along. I felt as if I was a part of their lives competing in ice dance competitions. The ending did not disappoint. This is the first book I've read by Layne Fargo and now I need to read all of her other books. I'm giving this book 5 gold medals 🥇 🥇 🥇 🥇 🥇

Thanks to Random House and NetGalley for the free e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The Favorites by Layne Fargo follows Kat Shaw and Heath Rocha, a champion ice dancing team with a complicated past. Posited as a steamy Wuthering Heights retelling, this book follows the twists and turns in Kat and Heath's relationships and careers. Their on-and-off relationship spans decades and several Olympics cycles.

I've seen a lot of praise for this book, and I was really excited to pick it up. I love figure skating and angsty romance books, so I thought this would be right up my alley. I didn't mind how dramatic the characters were, but the plot veered into unrealistic territory and kept moving to heights I couldn't quite follow along with. I get going for all-out drama, but this was just a step too far for me. I'm interested in reading Fargo's other books though, so I'll definitely keep an eye out.

Stupidly on my part I did not realize this was a Wuthering Heights reimagining and that is just not for me personally and therefore my excitement went down expeditiously.

I never thought I would like a book about the path to the Olympics by way of ice skating but alas, I absolutely devoured this book. Katarina and Heath were deliciously flawed and their interactions with the Lin twins was so interesting! There's love, betrayal, competition, hope, and toxic actions. They weaved together into a story that truly kept me entranced.

EPIC! Completely out of this world.

Katarina and Heath came from nothing but they will not let that stop them from clinching gold. Based primarily at an elite training facility, enter the competitive world of ice dancing. Via interviews and flashbacks we learn everything the duo overcame and what transpired at their last public competition.

Fargo has a way of teasing the story to the absolute edge and then bringing you back...again and again. This story could easily be a movie or a series and I would hang on every minute of it!

So join the wealthy, the hard working, the scheming and the cut throat in Layne Fargo's excellent novel! #randomhouse #thefavorites #laynefargo

The Favorites by Layne Fargo was an entertaining book. I was hooked. I couldn't stop reading it and had to force myself to put the book down at points. It's definitely a very unique spin on Wuthering Heights and I give it credit for it.

The Favorites is a breathlessly obsessive journey into the cutthroat world of Olympic ice dancing, one that revolves around the potently charged fusion of ambition, power, and passion. Katarina Shaw and Heath Rocha are childhood sweethearts who flee their troubled pasts to chase their dreams on the ice in this fierce sports romance.

From the instant Katarina saw her hero Sheila Lin take gold at the Olympics, she was hooked. Katarina teams up with Heath, an orphan with a dark history, and these two misfit fencers bond over their brokenness to form an unstoppable, if not tumultuous, partnership. Their lives are forever changed when the pair joins Sheila's elite training school, where they encounter the Lin twins, Bella and Grant, who shake up their lives and dreams.

As Katarina and Heath climb the ranks, the stakes rise higher and higher, and the pressure becomes more unbearable. The story alternates between present day—when an unauthorized documentary resurfaces old wounds—and the past, revealing what dramatically caused a scandal that detonated their partnership. The mixed media format combines the first-person POV from Kat, along with third-person interviews, to provide an immersive dynamic layer not so different from Daisy Jones & The Six.

Layne Fargo weaves a tale both so gripping and heartbreaking, yet peopled with characters both hugely flawed and incredibly compelling. There is Katarina, the supposedly cold, manipulative figure that the media seem to have portrayed—complicated heroine whose fierce determination and vulnerability make her impossible to dismiss. Only her devoted partner and lover, Heath, to whom she has been joined by a relationship both on and off the ice as long as anyone can remember, really understands her.

From the outset, The Favorites is an emotional read that includes high-stakes competitive sports and the subtle underlying suspense of who's going to come out on top. Here, there are themes of ambition, love, and betrayal and the cost of success against the backdrop of a sport where every move means either glory or ruin.

Be it the Olympics, ice dancing, or a good story full of drama and emotion, The Favorites will keep you on tenterhooks as you are biting your nails, waiting to see how this epic love story ends. Much like the rest of the book, the ending is big, impactful, and memorable, leaving the reader with one final thought: that thin line between love and obsession, and what it really means to win.