So I'm going to start by saying I watch a *lot* of figure skating, and although I'm not a skater, I know a fair amount about how the sport works and the politics of it all. And my experience of fiction featuring skating has been a bit mixed - but I couldn't resist this because it was getting comparisons to Daisy Jones and the Six, which I really, really loved. So I took a chance. And it's really good. Everything is turned up to eleven, but apart from all the (on ice partner) swapping the skating details felt pretty flawless and as an alternative universe of the early 2000s Olympic cycles it's a real page turner. I wouldn't say that all the characters are tremendously deep or well developed, but there's so much plot and it moves so fast that you don't really notice until you're looking back at the end.

I really wanted to love this as there was so much buzz around it, but it just didn't land with me. I wasn't engaged with the characters who all seemed a bit vacuous and it was very long length wise for such a continuous parade of low level drama. It made more sense that I didn't enjoy this once read some reviews noting that this was a Wuthering Heights retelling, because I hated that book. Shame because the format of Kat's POV intermingled with the documentary footage of interviews and talking heads was really great.

It was good, I just felt it could have gone further with the twists? I dunno what that says about me that I wanted more drama and nothing really surprised me 😂 I did love the daisy jones and the six style storytelling. I also feel the author did her job in me not particularly gravitating towards any of the characters as they were all problematic in their own right - but that’s what made it feel real! It was a nice break from romance, and I did love reading about the competitions and the rivalries! It was fast paced and never felt drawn out.

This is the story of two ambitious young people who want to become Olympic figure skaters, we meet Katarina and Heath as young children learning to skate separately and then together and follow them throughout their figure skating career.
Setting the novel in the world of competitive dance skating is immediately interesting to me. It’s a highly Visual sport and easy to imagine. The author describes both the active figure skating and the relationships of her characters beautifully , she has a clear easily read flowing prose style and the novel progresses at quite a fast rate throughout. I was very quickly invested in the characters wanted to know more. I read the book in one sitting I didn’t want to put it down .
The book starts with various characters commentary as if a documentary is being made about the ice skaters I rather like this other day an element of unusualness to the book. The book continues to be told in this format interwoven with the story being seen from the point of view of Katarina.
I love the on off element of the relationship with the two main characters . There are times when the relationship is a wee bit far-fetched but this is a novel and if you allow for the needs of the story this is something that you easily overlook.
I loved the ending which builds to a crescendo, which is quite exciting the Russian teams apparent attempt to throw the competition that comes in increasingly sinister as our main characters attempts to win the gold medal or sabotaged. Again this is a little bit over the top, but it’s fun and kept me entertained.
The main characters are well described and their relationship is vital to the story. There’s also a selection of minor characters who are also well described.
I read an Ellie copy of the novel or NetGalley UK in return for an unbiased review. The book was published in the UK on the 16th of January 2025 by Random house UK vintage.
This review will appear on NetGalley UK, StoryGraph, Goodreads, and my book blog bionicSarahSbooks.wordpress.com. It was also appear on Amazon UK and Waterstones.

I LOVED this! So fast paced, likeable characters that evoke genuine feeling for the reader! I’d never read anything with a ‘narrator’ or comments from other characters in this format before and I found I was able to understand more of the story as I was able to experience the thoughts and feelings of other characters. I hate to compare authors because they are all unique, but this gave me very strong Taylor Jenkins-Reid vibes and I thoroughly enjoyed it! Brilliant!

Unfortunately this just wasn’t for me, i’m not sure if it was the interview style or all the drama but i couldn’t wait for it to end.

I loved this my grandmother was a figure skater and grew up with her stories of life on the ice. The rivalry the competitiveness amazing. And the style of story telling was so unique and interesting.

Absolutely gripping. I seriously couldn't stop reading, deep into the night.
A story of obsession, love, hate, passion and envy, all wrapped up into a world of competition rarely exposed. I'd love to know how much is reality and how much is fiction.
Brilliant writing, superb character building and just when you think it must be all over, there's more.

This started off so promising with the messy, obsessiveness and romance of figure skating!

It lost me with that stupid pregnancy subplot, there was just no point in it! I wasn’t a fan of the 2 MCs getting together in the end but of course they did…

The first thing that drew me to this book was the ice dancing. I unfortunately spend a lot of time online and a few years ago I saw the viral video of Tessa and Scott performing their final routine. This led me down various rabbit holes and, long story short, my husband and I are taking ice skating lessons.

The second thing was the synopsis ringing Taylor Jenkins Reid alarm bells in my head. TJR is one of my favourite auto buy authors and I constantly crave books that can give me a similar feeling to hers.

The Favourites delivered.

The way the author mixed the interview style and the first person POV worked well, and as cheesy as this sounds, the pacing and tension of the book followed a similar progression to an ice dance performance, which ended with everything on fire. Fargo's thriller background really showed up here.

Kat isn't a likeable person but she's a great character to read. She has passion, ambition, and focus. I don't think we learnt enough about Heath, and I don't think this is an epic love story as the US marketing is trying to portray. Unless that love story is between Kat and ice dancing.

Really enjoyable and quick read. The book is written in a mix of first person pov chapters and multi-character interviews. Interesting format which reminded me of Daisy Jones and The Six. The story certainly drew inspiration from the Tonya Harding/Nancy Kerrigan rivalry…
Overall it was a fast paced and gripping read but I would have liked the ending to pack more of a punch

I absolutely adored this book. The documentary style writing was perfect for the drama. I loved the titbits that were given in the documentary before something big happened. It also made the story come to life and left me feeling as though this was a non-fiction book. I’d love to be able to Google Kat and Heath and read all of Ellis Deans articles.
The blend of gossip, ambition, and suspense was perfectly executed. I could not stop reading, it pained me to pause and put the book down. If you love a dramatic, fast-paced romance with a unique structure, this is a must-read!

I was hooked from the beginning, the drama! Oh my goodness it was so good, the drama, the betrayal….it was toxic and messy but so so good. I couldn’t put it down

It was a whole experience, I loved the format with the interview/documentary type sessions alongside the first person format.

Katrina Shaw, intense, passionate and not so perfect, she felt so real. Heath Rocha is a more complicated character, there was mystery around his character made. Their relationship together? So much tension, obsessive, almost suffocating. It just added to how the story played out

I heard a lot of hype about the book. Once you know it’s a retelling of Wuthering Heights you can really see it. I loved the setting of the ice skating world and that it was from Kat’s POV. Plus the documentary style was good. While I was reading it I kept thinking is it really as good as the hype. But I kept thinking about it after I finished it.

Loved loved loved this… as mentioned on the cover very much in the vein of Daisy and the Six and Songs in Ursa Major . The Favourites is about having the drive to fight for what you believe in, to believe in yourself at all costs and never let your dreams die all set to the background of competitive ice dancing. A new author for me but will definitely be finding her other books.

This was a wild ride! It's got elements that fans of Taylor Jenkins Reid will love but with the drama dialled all the way up to eleven. Different from what I was expecting but I couldn't put it down. An easy recommend for anyone stuck in a reading rut - this book rips!

I loved this so much. In style very much like Daisy Jones and the Six, and I’m excited to see a tv adaptation if that happens. So many of the characters are inherently flawed and have some incredible unlikeable qualities but that just makes them feel more human and real. I really enjoyed the competitive skating backdrop and that it all felt so real with the different (sometimes unreliable) voices contributing throughout. Absolutely loved the twists and turns in the second half and how the story takes you back to the opening, which really isn’t what you’d expect…

I really enjoyed this. It sucked me in straight away and I liked the style of writing.
I liked the drama and the dysfunctionality.
I liked the characters and how they were so raw and real!
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

That was an interesting read… It kept me stressed, nervous, angry, and completely hooked. I couldn’t stop reading!

As a huge fan of figure skating, I found this book addictive. However, some situations felt a bit over the top, and you lost me at 80% with that awkward turn involving three characters—it just didn’t work for me. It was even unnecessary.

UPDATE:
I keep thinking and thinking about this book, but not for the best reasons. I’m hating the final twist more and MORE! I need to update my rating.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Strap on your skates, readers. You’re in for a wild ride…

Where to start? The Favourites is almost definitely destined to be one of my favourites this year – and perhaps of all time. It’s got a winning combination of sparkling glamour, heartfelt romance and dramatic scandal. I’d genuinely be surprised if this doesn’t end up on many bestsellers lists this year.

I loved the format. It’s a mix of short interview excerpts from a new documentary, combined with a first person narrative from Katarina Shaw. Kat is tired of others talking about her and her illustrious ice dancing career, she wants to share her story, her way. And it’s a riveting read.

“I’d convinced myself that if I became the best, it didn’t matter who I hurt, because in the end, it would be worth it. Even if I hurt myself most of all.”

From a rough childhood growing up in rural Illinois, to the dazzling lights of LA, to the cold competition of Russia, the author takes the reader on a journey through the characters’ lives. All the main characters are relatable but not always likeable – they’re real, and they’re flawed. They make plenty of mistakes, but I loved them anyway.

The book revolves around the romance between childhood sweethearts Kat Shaw and Heath Rocha, but it’s also about their intense battle to try to become Olympic champions. Ice dancing isn’t really something I’ve paid much attention to in the past, but this book made me sit up and take notice. The author has clearly done her research, and she brings the world of ice dance to life in a way I never imagined – the competition, ambition, drama and controversy surrounding the sport. I could practically hear the music, feel the cold and taste the sweat. It’s dizzying, and electrifying.

This is the first I’ve read from this author, but her writing feels very reminiscent of Taylor Jenkins-Reid, and I think it will definitely appeal to fans of that author. It has the romance, music and heart of Daisy Jones combined with the fierce ambition of her newer novel Carrie Soto Is Back.

There’s other authors I could compare this to, but I won’t because this book is a masterclass of drama in its own right. Fargo has effortless captured an authentic and emotional romance, coming-of-age story and brutal sports drama and topped it off with some dark twists and turns which wouldn’t be out of place in a thriller. One not to miss this year.