Dramatic, messy, over the top obsession centering two ice dancers who each want one thing above everything else. For one, it's an Olympic gold medal. For the other it's an all consuming love for their partner.

I knew this was a spin of Wuthering Heights before starting to read, but I don't think I was fully prepared for just how toxic Heath and Kat's relationship was going to be. It's messy from the start, as the two grow close due their troubled childhoods and lack of familial love. Their relationship is codependent at best. Heath wants someone to need him, to allow him to care for them. And Kat wants someone with the ambition to match hers to take her to the Olympics. All she's ever wanted since she was 4 years old was to match her idol Sheila Lin and be the best ice dancer in the world. And she will stop at nothing and no one, breaking hearts and families along the way, to achieve her goal. Heath is often left trailing in her shadow at first, fighting to keep up. But it's when he returns with revenge on his mind after a particularly painful fight that the drama really starts to unfold. Add in the Lin twins Garrett and Bella and this is a foursome that is endlessly convoluted and messy. If anything I would have liked a little more from Heath and Kat's childhood, building up this love story that takes over their whole lives. It seemed to develop really quickly and I just wanted that little bit more from it.

I also liked the way this was told, and felt very similar to 'Daisy Jones' with documentary style comments from former family and friends interspersed between the chapters told by Kat. It's set up to act as a documentary exposing the truth behind this ice dancing power couple, with all the infamous headlines and gossip and the real truth behind it all. It made the whole thing feel that little bit more realistic amongst this highly dangerous and outrageous storyline. By the last 50 pages I was speed reading the pages to find out what really went down in Sochi. I was not disappointed.

An addicting, highly volatile read that is as dramatic off the ice as it is on. Heath and Kat are one of the most complicated and dynamic couples I've read about for quite some time.

Initially I wasn't sure about the concept, not knowing a thing about ice skating at all really let alone ice dancing; but the drama and suspense takes over and it is addictive. The format of the book is unique in that the main narrator is the main character, however several other characters interject with their opinions on the story with the premise being this is a documentary looking back on the events and interviews with key players, very cleverly done and brings so much nuance to the plot.
High drama, jealous rivals, young star-crossed lovers and huge stakes, this book is full of thrills and I enjoyed it all in spite of myself.

I really enjoyed reading this and didn't want to put it down, I was quickly drawn in and just kept reading! I'm not a big Wuthering Heights fan so I didn't spend a lot of time noticing similarities or deviations from that, but I appreciated the gothic vibe brought forward to a different century.

Interesting characters but I just loved the figure skating world Fargo created and the atmospheric detail.

Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book.

This book absolutely hooked me. I read it in one sitting and felt sad when it was done. I have no interest in skating but it was just so well executed I found myself enjoying the technical detail.

4.5 ⭐️ rounded up.

I don’t know what I was expecting when I went into this but I definitely wasn’t expecting to love this as much as I did

I became completely invested in the characters, their fierce ambition, their unwavering love for each other. The tension and drama that unfolded throughout the novel was EVERYTHING!!

A totally addictive read that follows their ice-skating journey, packed with wild scandals and twists that kept me constantly guessing and wondering what was coming next.

The story is told through Katarina’s perspective, but the inclusion of mixed media, in the form of interviews with side characters and snippets from a documentary. It added so much depth and drama, making it an incredibly fast and engrossing read.

The blend of backstory and scandal had me on the edge of my seat the entire time. I’ll be thinking about Katarina and Heath, and everything they went through, for a while. This is definitely your next obsession!

I really loved this book. I loved the characters and the confidence through out it. They wanted their dreams no matter what odds stacked against them. In the end, was it worth it?

It is not something I would usually read but the drama throughout had me constantly engaged. My only thing was there was a lot of back and fourth and I just could not decide what team I was on! Part of me found it frustrating and then part of me loved it all. I wish there was just a bit more suspense!

Absolutely obsessed with this book!
I was not expecting to love this story so much. I got so attached to the characters, their ambition, their love for each other.
An addictive read following Katarina and Heath, and their ice skating journey. The drama and the scandals following them is a wild ride.
The story is retold through Katarina’s perspective, while intertwining snippets of interviews with side characters, adding to the drama of the story. A brilliant book and definitely your next obsession!
I will not be able to stop thinking about Katarina and Heath for a long time!

"Everyone thinks Heath Rocha was my first love. He wasn't.
My first love was figure skating."

It's been a while since I found a book that made me want to continue reading this much. If I could have, I would have finished it in one sitting. At first I was a bit sceptical of the Wuthering Height retelling aspect, but it almost became my favourite thing. Finding the similarities, comparing it to the classic, being reminded of the time I read Wuthering Height. I was amazed by how well it worked! Beside this being a really cheesy dramatic soap-opera-y pageturner, Fargo absolutely managed to create atmosphere. Unfortunately it disappointed me that halfway through she changed from the classic storyline. Nonetheless a "popcorn novel" that you cannot get enough of.

"I didn't become a skater because I harbored some childish fantasy of wearing sequins and spinning around like a pretty little top. I became a skater because I wanted to feel like that. Fierce. Confident. A warrior goddess covered in glitter. So sure of myself, I could make my dreams come true through sheer force of will."

An entertaining and absorbing read that kept you reading and rooting for the characters succeed in a world where everything seems stacked against them. Katarina and Heath are the stuff of modern-day legends, The format of the book is interesting, using a transcript style approach in some sections with views from people involved in the story, contrasted with more reflective accounts from Katarina about her version of events. Altogether a rollicking good read and an eye-opener to the lengths people might go to in order to win.

As a figure skating fan I loved this, you could definitely tell the author cares about the sport and put all that love into the story. I was less invested in the romance side (sorry but I've not read Wuthering Heights!), but overall was a great story filled with drama and ambition!

A roller coaster of a ride from the world of ice skating. there's love, loss, corruption and competition. I loved the characters and really empathised with them all although Kat and Rocha's relationship was frustrating at times! A great read. Thanks to the author, Publisher and NetGalley for the ARC.

The Favourites by Layne Fargo @laynefargo ⛸️
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 5 stars, spectacular, no notes!!

I know we love comparisons in the book community, so this is ”Daisy Jones and the six” mixed with the classic film “Ice Princess” and with all the romantic struggle and intensity of “Magnolia Parks”.

This book is a TRIUMPH, one of the best things I’ve read all year. Set in the heyday of figure skating, this book follows our protagonist Katarina Shaw as she strives for greatness as a competitive figure skater. The favourites is both an epic love story full of scandal, obsession and determination and social commentary on self love and success within elitist sports and fields.
This was so nuanced, deep and touching combining an incredible sport with a passionate love that was absolutely all consuming.
As glittery as this novel is, it’s also meaningful and important. It tackles race, ethnicity, nationality, gender, class and sexual orientation bias in competitive sport with a healthy dose of found family, sizzling gossip and good old-fashioned trauma.

I will never shut up about how incredible, fresh and unique this book is and you truly don’t want to miss this. It is a genre all of it’s own and I cannot get enough of Layne’s writing. If you treat yourself to one book after Christmas I truly believe it should be this.

Thank you so much to @chattobooks and @penguinrandomhouse for the E-ARC. I will be pre-ordering a physical copy AND booking the day off on launch day JANUARY 16TH to queue at Goldsboro books trying to get my hands on this.
This is about to become my whole personality and I’m not sorry.

This was an absolutely wild retelling of Wuthering Heights set in the world of competitive ice skating. It was an engrossing and well-crafted book that I think completely delivered on what it set out to do – it was perfectly paced and a fun, chaotic, sabotage-filled read, great for a holiday.

But, unfortunately, I hate Wuthering Heights, and the kind of possessive all-consuming relationships it depicts. I probably wouldn't have picked this up if I had realised lol.

The relationships in this one were a bit healthier than the original – just! – but there was more than enough possessive, pathetic, bitchy, downright abusive behaviour to make me roll my eyes. I did enjoy reading it overall and I have absolutely no complaints about the storytelling or the research that must have gone into it... but I just really do not like Wuthering Heights.

*The Favorites* by Layne Fargo is a sharp and gripping psychological thriller set within the cutthroat world of a prestigious theater program. The novel centers on three women—two ambitious students and their enigmatic, manipulative mentor—whose complex relationships unfold against a backdrop of power dynamics, jealousy, and dark secrets. As the women’s lives become intertwined, the line between admiration and obsession blurs, leading to betrayal, rivalry, and dangerous consequences.

Fargo’s writing is tense and evocative, capturing the intense emotions and psychological turmoil of her characters. The plot is full of twists, keeping readers on edge as the narrative explores themes of ambition, trust, and the cost of success. While the pacing can be slow at times, the deep character development and the unsettling atmosphere make *The Favorites* an engaging and thought-provoking read.

Overall, *The Favorites* is a thrilling exploration of manipulation and ambition, perfect for readers who enjoy dark, character-driven stories with plenty of suspense.

Oh my word I loved this book!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for the copy to review.

If you enjoy Taylor Jenkins Reid then try this one.

Competitive ice dance meets Wuthering Heights!

The wuthering heights nods were well appreciated, and I loved the documentary style write up, paired with Kate's POV. However I found the angst a bit repetitive and struggled to buy in to Kate and Heath's romance.

This was one of the best books I have ever read I absolutely adored it and I’m desperately sad that I have finished it. I don’t really read romance books but this one just appealed to my when I read the overview and I’m so glad I took the chance as this was far more than a romance it was thrilling, sad, uplifting, heartbreaking and captivated me from the first few pages. I knew little about the world of ice dance but it really didn’t matter this was a story more about obsession, wanting to win and how far you would go to achieve your goals and when you get there is it what you wanted !
I’m not doing the book justice as I just don’t have the words to convey what an amazing story this is and how it captured me and wouldn’t let go till the end when I ended up in tears and my heartfelt thanks goes to Layne Fargo for a stunning read.
So please don’t miss this one it’s far too good to be missed and one of my best reads ever!
My thanks also to NetGalley and Random House UK , Vintage, Chatto & Windus for giving me the opportunity to read the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

This is a great read. It reads like the ice skate dancing it is about, at times it is slow, at others fast, but with plenty of highs and lows and twists and turns. I really enjoyed this read, the relationships, and characters feel very believable and honest which made it a pleasure to read.

Ten years after the Olympic games where their passionate and tempestuous partnership imploded an unauthorised biography of Katerina Shaw and Heath Rocha is being written, speaking to friends, ex-partners, rivals, judges, and coaches to discover what really happened.

Katerina Shaw and Heath Rocha were the kids from the wrong side of town who dreamed of representing the USA as Olympic ice dancers, well Kat did, Heath just wanted to do anything Kat did. The two of them do anything they can to stay at the prestigious ice dance school, run by former Olympic gold medal figure skater Sheila Lin. Sheila is hoping to create an Olympic skating dynasty with her twins Bella and Garrett, Kat and Heath's biggest rivals.

I requested this book because The Cutting Edge is one of my favourite films of all time and this made me think of that film. I was not disappointed.

This has a great soap opera feel, in the blurb at the back Layne Fargo thanks Taylor Jenkins Reid and although I haven't read any of her books I did see the mini-series and this gives off a similar vibe. There's backstabbing, sabotage, mind games, sacrifice, love, betrayal - basically everything!

I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley.

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6960142572

Scheming, sequins and sex in the world of Olympic figure skating. Possibly not one I'll remember in a year's time but a real page turner, lots of fun, and I couldn't put it down.

Thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the ARC.