In a similar vein to Taylor Jenkins Reid’s ‘Carrie Soto is Back’, ‘The Favourites’ is a thoroughly engaging read. I was so invested that I sobbed all the way through the final dance! I loved every scandalous, high-stakes minute and I can't wait to read more of Layne Fargo’s work.

Oh my god I LOVED this! I can't believe these characters aren't real! This is so compulsive, readable, the action leaps of the page and the interview/documentary style is a great way of breaking up the narrative and adding something different. Everyone needs to read this!

This book is FUN, and Layne Fargo has evidently researched the world of ice dancing. Whilst highly entertaining the novel reads as though it has been written with a TV adaptation in mind. I’d watch it!

“We were adults, and we were children, and we were skating at the Olympics and also on the frozen lake back home, laughing and twirling and holding each other tight. It felt like flying and falling and being caught, all in the same instant.”

THIS BOOK

Omg this book was a total whirlwind. It is perfect for fans of Taylor Jenkins Reid, especially those who loved the documentary style of Daisy Jones and the Six.
This book had me gasping, jumping out of my seat, angry at characters and upset for them. It was such a whirlwind of emotions and to make me feel so much even if I didn’t like many of the characters at different points, shows it is a masterpiece of writing.
It was so immersive and fast-paced.
This is definitely not a classic romance book, but love is a key theme throughout. So while this may not be your cup of tea if you need your perfect happily ever after, it shows how love comes in all different forms.

The Favourites is a thrilling, high-stakes ride through the world of Olympic ice dancing! Katarina and Heath’s passionate, rollercoaster relationship will have you hooked from the first page. With its blend of intense emotions, drama, and behind-the-scenes drama of competitive skating, it’s like Daisy Jones & The Six on ice! Fast-paced, addictive, and full of twists, this book will keep you on the edge of your seat. If you're into love, rivalry, and a little bit of scandal, this one's for you!

What a fun and possibly enlightening read. I was never sure just how much back stabbing there is in the sports world, let alone in such a competitive sport as Ice Dancing! We all know about the Tonya Harding and Nancy Kerrigan debacle, which I wonder if this gave the author some material for this novel.
I really enjoyed the way the different journalists, bloggers, judges, friends were inserted to give their opinions on what was happening during the whole story. Such a sad but understandable passion these sports stars have to win at all costs, though not by cheating or hurting fellow competitors, that is going to o far.
The story follows a particular pair through their childhood and all the trials and tribulations they had to go through to get to the top of the Ice Dance world. So well told and described, this was quite the page turner.

Wow. Pitched as Withering Heights on ice, this book really does have it all - love, passion, betrayal, revenge, friendship, sabotage, ambition, and tragedy.

Katarina and Heath are teenage runaways at 16, escaping turbulent homes to follow their dreams of being Olympic Champion Ice dancers. They are everything to each other and they don’t need anyone else, but just how far will they go and what boundaries will they break in order to reach the top when they are pitched against all odds?

The Favourites tell the story of Kat and Heath’s rise to champions in the present, as well as from the point of view of a 10 year anniversary documentary with interviews from those who featured in Kat and Heath’s journey. The dual timeline aspect gives a real perspective as to how everyone saw the events that unfolded - often in scandal - and their insight into what it takes to become a champion… how far people will go to become the very best… and what people are willing to give up to achieve their dreams.

I was invested in both of these main characters right from the very start and wherever their story took them I was still rooting for them. The book has the capacity to evoke strong emotion from the readers and even after finishing this book, I find myself thinking about Kat, Heath and their story.

I thoroughly recommend this book, and I look forward to reading more from Layne Fargo.
Thank you to Layne Fargo, NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for an electronic copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to the publishers and Netgalley for the ARC!

The perfect blend of first person narrative and Daisy Jones style documentary, this story is full of drama. I have always loved reading about ice skating, and it was interesting to hear the difference between figure skating and ice dance. This is the first Layne Fargo book I’ve read and I would definitely recommend it!

This one's going to be huge!

Katarina and Heath are childhood sweethearts. He's a kid in the foster system, and she's a figure skater who dreams of winning an Olympic gold medal. On the ice, they're perfectly in sync, and even as teenagers, their trust in each other - and passion for each other - is clear to see. But their unconventional style of ice dancing doesn't fit within the beaurocratic confines of elite skating.

This novel spans decades as we witness Kat and Heath defying boundaries and challenging their rivals in the hope of achieving their dreams. Kat wants gold; Heath wants her. But the journey to the podium is paved with obstacles.

The Favourites is an epic melodrama; a sweeping, Wuthering Heights-inspired love story about two souls who revolve around each other on the ice and off. It's an addictive tale of obsession, ambition, betrayal, and rivalry, and it's dripping in scandal.

I loved Layne Fargo's novel They Never Learn, a fast-paced female revenge thriller about campus sexual assault. The Favourites has the same punchy writing, but it's also heavily influenced by the work of Taylor Jenkins Reid, who the author thanks in her acknowledgements. The narrative structure is similar to that of Daisy Jones & The Six, in that it's in the style of a documentary, with many characters providing an oral history of Kat and Heath's career and relationship. It works brilliantly on audio, because also like Daisy Jones, it has a full cast. It also reminded me of Carrie Soto for its depiction of professional sport, and of Evelyn Hugo for its decades-sweeping saga of female power and ambition.

I couldn't put this book down - it absolutely enthralled me! I loved Kat and Heath's story, and their chemistry was electric. The other characters and the novel's structure made it such a compelling, engaging read, and I am certain many readers are going to love it.

There's the faintest whiff of cheese, but I ate it up. Five big, sequinned stars!

Whilst it was an interesting insight into the world of skating, this wasn’t really a book for me. The characters were very driven but didn’t feel very rounded to me and I was struggling to feel any empathy with them. The story did seem to go on a little too long some of the personal connections in the story line did stretch credibility.

When 5 stars feels like an understatement!

Set to be a modern adaption of Wuthering Heights (which you don't need to have read) the Favourites was unputdownable. Many times the book left me speechless and I was obsessed with finding out what happens next - when I say nothing happened the way I wanted it to - I remained fully invested so that at every plot twist, I was praying for peace and happiness and a happy ending for the characters. What I have to emphasise is that this is not a fairytale story although the FMC has big dreams that she wishes would come true; to be an Olympic Gold Ice Dancing Champion. 

I haven't read anything by Layne Fargo before but with this offering, I have immediately noted her down as an auto-buy author. The Favourites is scandalous, intense, toxic, dark in one breath and yet beautiful, alluring, passionate and addictive in the next. The book is like watching a movie play out in front of you (the writing is *that* good and I'm sure we will see an adaptation on the silver screen soon - or I am certainly wishing for that anyway!!) With the plot centred around professional ice skating, whether you are a fan or not, Layne is able to take the reader into that world to show the beauty and the ugly side and all that is at stake for these sportspeople. The reader experiences all the moments of high adrenaline and speed, the competitiveness and betrayal - I would find myself holding my breath where some scenes carried such intensity and drama across the pages. The format of writing the book in first person narrative and then broken down with 'interviews" of key players built up the mystery, emotion and sometimes humour - it ensured the reader is hooked and wanted to find out what happens next. 

Did I find the characters loveable? Actually, yes. None of the characters are black or white in this book, some have more of one shade than the other, but I can't label them as bad/negative characters because they would argue every decision or option was the correct one and stand by that decision, hailing from "the ends justify the means" - mentality. Layne's ability to flesh out a complicated bunch of characters is also *chefs kiss*, they all have moments of weakness and yet, they're all so brutally human, you can't help  but root for them at one point or another.

Katarina with her fierce, no nonsense attitude, committing to the sport first and foremost, and bending everything to her will to realise those dreams, was everything. I really loved her growth and development in the book. The childhood friends to lovers to enemies trope with Heath and that equation was a flickering flame in this book that just dimmed and set the pages ablaze at certain points and was everything you would want from the protagonists to move the story ahead, anything but mediocre or boring. I really loved Heath's backstory and his own struggles were well written by Layne so you could really emphasise with his character. Katarina's competition with the Lin Twins as well as her adulation of Sophia and complicated familial relationships are also dealt with wonderfully in the book. Special mention also to Ellis Dean and his comic timing, although he did frustrate me at times but he absolutely was the reason behind a couple of laugh out loud moments for me!

It really is a journey as you turn each page with the book dealing with every shade of raw human emotion and serious/sensitive topics in a very realistic setting; The Favourites is totally unpredictable and a book that pulls at your heartstrings!  Take all the stars for your brilliance Layne Fargo! This was the easiest 5 star I have given this year so far (maybe even my first?). 

Thank you @Netgalley @RandomHouseUK and @Vintage for the advance  copy in exchange for an honest unedited review.

Seeing so much hype for this, I was keen to read this to see what the excitement is all about. It is very addictive like watching a binge able tv show. However for me this book never quite completely gripped me and I wasn’t as interested in Kat and Heath. I got sick of the repetition regarding their “chemistry”. I think because this story is a retelling of Wuthering Heights, a book I know quite well, a lot of the plot felt predictable and I could see where the plot was going.
I get why other readers loved this but it just wasn’t for me.

As soon as I saw the blurb for this, I knew I wanted to read it! This was the perfect combination of books like Magnolia Parks, and told in the same way as Daisy Jones - though to say that doesn’t mean it doesn’t stand on its own two feet as a real solid story!

I enjoyed the writing style so much, and the mixture of the story told by Katarina and other perspectives from interviews in the documentary really kept my attention throughout. It was messy, raw and captivating. I absolutely thrive off this level of drama, and I though the emotion was written well. It shows how cutthroat the world of ice dance is and I have absolutely loved learning more about it, especially as I knew nothing beforehand!

I feel like the author has definitely done her research, and her passion for these characters shone through.

Thank you for the ARC NetGalley!

This is a book that has been all over my social media feed and I see why. If you have an itching left from Daisy Jones and the Six and want something to fill that void, this is the perfect read for you. It’s emotional, it’s full of drama, and romantic in a bittersweet way. Painful and heartbreaking! I devoured this book.
Ten years in the noughties Heath and Kat were one of the top, competitive ice-skaters. They were passionately in love. All eyes were on them. Until something tragic happened. Now a decade later a documentary is being made with interviews and Kat’s own narrative to set the record straight.
This was a gorgeous read. Immersive and interesting with I,Tonya vibes. This is a sport I don’t know much about but found myself completely engrossed. This is my first Layne Fargo. I just hope her previous novels also get a re-release in the UK cause they are so darn hard to find here.

A dramatic & emotional story about the complexities of love, rivalry, intense competition and the true cost of fame set in the high-stakes world of competitive sports.

The story centers around Katarina Shaw, a competitive ice dancer who wants to be the best and win an Olympic gold medal like her idol did. The story is told in alternating documentary interview on the anniversary of the 2014 Sochi Olympic games, and Katarina’s POV.

This book had me hooked, it was full of drama and angst. I loved the exploration of the media portrayal, showing her as bitch if she stuck up for herself and being more interested in a wedding and if she wanted children than winning a gold medal🥇. There were so many elements to this book, strong women, friendships, sabotage, romance, heartbreak, overcoming the odds, the list goes on but it’s safe to say you won’t get bored. I love a book that makes me think and before this I had absolutely no idea how expensive the world of ice dancing at an Olympic level could be!

I do wish we had had more from Heaths perspective but I understand that this was both Kats story and not the writers place to write from his minorities point of view.

If you like TJR books then you will enjoy this, it has the transcript element like Daisy Jones and short chapters that reveal just enough to make you hungry for the next with lots of twists. I have heard some amazing things about the audio to so if your an audiobook fan I’d definitely check it out!

I’m now off to watch you tube clips of Olympic ice dancing…

What was the last book that completely hooked you

I could not put this book down. If you want a book that has so much tension and drama that you feel like you are going to throw up then look no further than here. From start to finished I was hooked on each word. This takes place is the elite level of figure skating. We see how Katarina and Heath became the iconic pair skaters. It starts all the way when they are in middle school and goes until they are well in their adulthood. You the good, the bad, and the ugly. You see the pressures and lifestyle that elite skaters have to face. You also see the betrayal and deceit at such a high level. If you love Carrie Soto or Daisy Jones definitely check this one out.

What a dream of book. This had me hooked from the start and would not let me go until I made it to the end. I loved the way it was written and the documentary aspects of it were so fun and interesting and a great way to keep the intrigue going. The way this narrative was spun and written was so engaging and did such a good job of displaying the characters and their flaws but also their strengths.
The way Kat was so unapologetically herself, even though it cost her in some ways, was so wonderful and refreshing. The same for Bella. They were such good counterpoints for each other. I also really liked Garrett and his whole character arc made me so happy. And there was Heath - my heart was in my mouth for the last 5% of this book I was so worried about Heath. The whole Sochi Olympics part was so stressful and great and heartbreaking.

Overall, a really great book that gave me the drama and tension that I needed.

I’m confidently predicting that if you are a big fan of TJR, and especially Daisy Jones and The Six, that you will love this novel about the cutthroat world of ice dance.
Written in documentary style, and spanning decades, this tells the story of Kat and Heath. Childhood sweethearts from poor backgrounds, driven by obsession (mostly Kat) to become ice dance champions, this charts their complex story, and the lengths that people will go to in order to win.
Kat and Heath are invited to train with twins, Bella and Garrett Lin, who are the the children of a former Olympic champion. This adds a layer of complexity to their lives which unfolds in multiple ways.
This book is not about ice dancing per se, but I learnt a lot about how the system of selection works. We know that it’s a ruthless world; remember Tonya Harding and Nancy Kerrigan? This book brings it all to life, alongside a love story, asking if love or the desire to win is more important.
Great stuff. Thanks to NetGalley for the digital ARC.

The way this book is written is what kept me interested, I enjoyed the documentary structure and how the timeline unfolded.
Shaw & Rocha aka Kat & Heath grow up together and also grow in their skating career, this book follows the trials and tribulations of competitive ice dance. I have to say for me personally there are no likeable characters but this didn’t stop me getting stuck in.

I would recommend this book, especially to anyone with an interest in the sport.