Thank you to the author and the publishers for this arc.

This is the story of Ice dance partners Katarina and Heath. It starts as a friendship between two young kids that then develops into ice dance partners but also a relationship. However, when they start to attend Shelia Lins ice academy things start to change. Katarinas idol is Shelia Lin and ever since she saw Lin pick up an Olympic medal it has been her dream to follow in Lins footsteps. But is it all worth it and will she lose her best friend, boyfriend and ice dance partner to get what she wants, the Olympic gold.

This book had me at the blurb. I enjoyed the writing style and the mixture of the story told by Katarina and also snippets from interviews of the tell all documentary. This has Daisy Jones And The Six vibes but replace the singer and the band with ice skaters and this is The Favourites. It shows how cutthroat the world of ice dance is and I have absolutely loved reading this book.

I loved this book - the ice skating version of Daisy Jones and the Six that I didn't know I needed. Fabulous characters, great story, 5*.

I did really enjoy this book. I hadn’t read any work by the author before, but I am glad I checked this one out.
Definitely pictured this as a future movie the more I read.
It was a little bit slow to begin with, and also felt a little bit rushed at the end. But I was able to complete it within a day.
I felt a lot of emotions through this book, and will be recommending it to others.
Fantastic read!

A book about the behind the scenes of ice dancing, written by Layne Fargo… yes please!!

They Never Learn is one of my all time favourite books, but this is a very different book but I loved it just as much. Not released until January 16th, 2025, this will be in my top reads of 2024. No it is not a dark crime thriller but I could not get enough of this book. It is long book but if I had the time I am sure that I could have devoured it in a single sitting. It was so addictive, so twisty and fun to read.

In 1984, UK team of Torvill and Dean won gold at the Winter Olympics in Sarajevo, with their Bolero Program. I was 9 years old and mesmerised. Ever since then I have been a big fan of ice dancing. In June 2025, I will get to see my childhood heroes in person in Sydney, skating for their last tour. I could not be more excited.

Anyway, The Favourites. This book shows the cut throat world of ice dancing. Kat Shaw and Heath Rocha are the next big thing, but they don’t do things the easy way and emotions are high.. They have to scrape for every penny and their biggest rivals are the Lin twins, children of a former Olympic champion. The story is told through a documentary, with interviews from those who were in their world. It is a story of love, friendship, betrayal, ambition, revenge and much much more. A must read.

Thank you so much to Random House UK Vintage for granting my wish for this amazing book. I need a physical copy for my shelf!!

i thought that wuthering heights retold in the cutthroat world of competitive figure skating was an absolutely wild proposition - but lemme tell you, layne fargo has pulled it off. the wuthering heights aspects are subtle enough to be considered inspiration rather than a play-by-play, which definitely works in the story's favour.

i devoured this in a day. the drama is fast paced and compelling, and the documentary interview style cut with kat's first-person account of the events worked really well. i hate that it is categorised as a romance !!!!! but i also hate that wuthering heights is considered romantic.

absolutely one for the taylor jenkins reid fans

This behind the scenes faux tell-all set in the world of competitive ice dancing may start slowly but it pulls you in quickly. If you enjoy scandal, intrigue, complicated relationships and sequins you will have the best time with this book. Kat Shaw, the flawed ice dance champion, is a really interesting well-rounded MC and the whole book was a joy.

Really enjoyed this one. I loved the different format as it was not something I'd read before where it switched between the past and present but in an interview setting very cool.

I really enjoyed this story - it is a well-written, layered sports romance. The story basically traces the lives of Katarina Shaw and Heath Rocha, both personally and as professional skaters.

The structure of the novel is reminiscent of [book:Daisy Jones & The Six|40597810]. Interlaced between the chapters is the transcript of a documentary on the skaters and the documentary helps to build tension. As you read the transcript, you know that *something* happens. The interviewer brings in most of the major and minor characters (but not either of the skaters), so we get to see some of the 'behind the scenes' action.

The novel is told in 5 parts - The Hopefuls, The Rivals, The Champions, The Game, and The Last Time. It traces the lives of Katarina and Heath from their late childhood when they meet. Both of them have lost their parents. Kat poured herself into the sport of ice dancing after the loss of her mother. Heath is in foster care and goes to the rink where she is practicing as an escape. As they bond, Heath learns to skate and eventually becomes Kat's ice dancing partner. Kat's dream of winning Olympic gold is boosted when they encounter her childhood idol, Sheila Lin, and Lin's twins who are now competing in ice dance. The story is not only about Kat and Heath's relationship, but also about the mental and physical effort that competitive athletes endure, the dog-eat-dog world of Olympic sports, and the lengths that some go to win. The story has been likened to [book:Wuthering Heights|6185]. Not only are the main characters named Kat and Heath, but their love story is tumultuous and obsessive and fraught with drama. However, in some ways, it is not as dark as that novel. It is a roller coaster ride - ups and downs, twists and turns. As the story and the documentary converge, the reader is left to decide what happened at the height of their success.

So if you like
-skating
-Olympics
-friends to lovers to enemies to frenemies to...
-second chances
this should be on your TBR list.

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Random House for the opportunity to read this.

I loved this - completely compulsive read that I literally couldn't put down. It intersperses documentary-style interviews with narrative, focusing on the stormy on and off-ice relationship of a famous skating duo. The life of skating was fascinating, the characters were magnetic and charismatic and the pace never stopped. Feels like this is a movie in the making.

The Favourites is an intensely drama tic compelling read with two main characters whose epic love story you follow avidly.
From meeting in the foster care system this is Kat and Heath’s journey from the beginning of their relationship to he Olympic ice skating championships to when a heart stopping misunderstanding tears them apart.
A documentary is made that charts their ambitions, romance and very personal struggles and an unforgettable story that flows beautifully and leaves you breathless
I loved every age of this book and it will stay with me for a very long time and will probably be reread many times.
My thanks to net galley and publisher for the opportunity to review this book honestly.

Whoah stop the ride, but I don't want to get off!

This book was like a fast ride at the fair where I felt drawn and torn in all directions and felt a bit shaken by how twisty it was but I still didn't want it to end.

Wuthering Heights meets Daisy Jones and the Six.

My god, this book made me feel all the emotions. Very well written and the author did a fantastic job

This is such a good read... I wasn't sure what I would think of it at first as it began in a rather different way but I was totally drawn in and ended up devouring this story.

The story tells of Katarina who has dreamt all of her life of being an ice dancer like Sheila Lin who she adores. So when Sheila invites her to be part of her training academy, Katarina feels as though her dreams have come true... well, almost. Her dream is to win Olympic gold... but there are so many hurdles to get through from competitors, injury, and her own skating partner...

Throughout the story we see how Katarina and Heath - her dance partner - develop and become a very complicated couple where emotions run high.

What I loved is the way that Katarina came across as very strong-willed, fiery, that she courted the press in one respect but also wasn't afraid to let her true-self show.

The insight into the world of competitive team sports at Olympic level was absolutely incredible, I hadn't ever considered so many aspects which this story touched upon.

I never knew what would happen. Usually in novels I can guess what the 'twist' is or how it will end, but I genuinely didn't know. I just kept turning the pages.

By the end of the novel, I felt as though I knew exactly who Katarina was. Such an incredible story, one of the best I have read this year!

I loved the setting of the competitive world of competitive ice dance- including the seedier underbelly that you never imagine when watching the smiling, glittering performances on the TV!
I also liked the way the book was set out, in a series of documentary interviews set some years after an "event". My only criticism would be that I felt the build up to the event was so tension filled that what actually happened was something of an anti-climax. That said this is a well plotted book full of intricate details.

I enjoyed this book a lot , lots of intense emotions and I felt like I was just sitting in the room while the story was unfolding before me , will definitely recommend my friends read this book thank you

Katarina Shaw only ever had one dream, to be the best. Early photos showed her as a four year old posing on her skates. Heath came later. They met at school, started skating together and their partnership was a match made in heaven. Or was it?

As teenagers they rose up through the rankings, obliterating other pairings that came up against them, podium placings, the nationals, the world, the Olympics it was all there for the taking.

You don't need to be an ice skating fan to enjoy reading this novel, my one visit to the rink ended with a broken hand and I never went back for a second go. It didn't stop me getting caught up in the glitz, the competitiveness, the betrayal and the angst that this novel delivers in bucketloads.

The narrative is broken up by excerpts from a documentary made several years later about the events that happened and the format worked well.

An insightful look behind the scenes at the cutthroat world of competitive ice skating brought to life in a novel. Bright lights, dazzling costumes and pure toxicity, this novel has TV/movie written all over it

Wow, this book was thrilling, exciting and intense in equal measure. I couldn’t put it down. I loved how the story was broken up with interviews.

Fans of Daisy Jones and Magnolia Parks will love this.

Thank you NetGalley and Vintage Books for sending me this ebook. All thoughts are my own.

This book made me experience every emotion known to man (but mainly stress?) Sometimes it made me feel so much that it actually hindered my enjoyment at times because I was anxious. But I think the sheer fact that it affected me is a testament to the book’s strength. Heath and Katarina’s relationship was messy and complicated and intense. And the supporting characters were just as fascinating. You really are on the journey with them, and somehow you can’t help but root for them, no matter what. An impressive feat.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for granting me free access to the advanced digital copy of this book.
4 stars book from me. Loved the plot and the storytelling and relatable, likable characters,. Loved every single second reading it.

🌟 Book Review: The Favourites by Layne Fargo 🌟

Easiest five star I've ever given.

If you’re looking for a dazzling blend of ambition, romance, and the high stakes of elite figure skating, The Favourites is your perfect match! Layne Fargo delivers an epic love story that glides seamlessly between heart-pounding competition and the personal struggles of its unforgettable characters, Katarina Shaw and Heath Rocha.

From their first encounter in the foster care system to the Olympic stage, Kat and Heath’s journey is anything but smooth. Their chemistry is electric, and you’ll find yourself rooting for them as they navigate a world that’s as unforgiving as it is glamorous. When a shocking incident tears them apart, you can't help but feel the weight of their lost dreams—making the upcoming documentary all the more tantalizing.

Fargo's writing is sharp and captivating, reminiscent of Daisy Jones & The Six but set against the glittering backdrop of Olympic ice skating. The way she intertwines past and present, exposing the raw truths behind the rumors, is nothing short of brilliant. It’s a reflection on legacy, love, and the lengths we go to reclaim our stories.

With a whirlwind of passion and ambition, The Favourites keeps you on the edge of your seat. I give it a solid 5 stars! If you’re ready for a thrilling dance of love and rivalry, grab this book—you won’t want to miss a single thing. ⛸️💖✨