Thank you to NetGalley, Random House UK Vintage and Chatto and Windus for the ARC.

I’ll start this off by saying I’m a huge Taylor Jenkins-Reid fan and Daisy Jones is one of my favourite books in the world, so I was instantly drawn in by the comparison.

Add to this that I was a child who grew up watching the UK classic reality show, Dancing On Ice which was always plagued with romantic drama, injuries and scandal 👀

So I really really enjoyed this book. I loved the documentary style of writing, the rivalry, the drama. I found myself between resenting and understanding Kat, our main character, but ultimately, ending up relating to her feelings.

I flew through this book in just two days and it was the perfect palette cleanser after a long fantasy book I’d finished earlier in the week. I could not put it down and it played out so seamlessly in my head like a film.

Dramatic, bingeable, fun and captivating read! Would definitely recommend.

Thank you to NetGalley and Layne Fargo for providing me with an ARC, I really enjoyed reading this book and discovering a new author!

This book is an amazing friends to lovers romance with lots of drama, the perfect sporty romance! The story is gut wrenching and really keeps you wanting to read more, I couldn’t put it down!

Layne Fargo truly has the ability to make a reader feel every emotion that character feels, and some!

I’d recommend this book to any romance book lovers or anyone giving romance a try! It really is a phenomenal read 🩷

The only thing I would say is that as someone who has never ice skated or knows very limited of the sport, some of the terms are quite technical, however, its very nice to see that an author is so specific and careful with their details! ⛸️🩷

The Favourites is a new favourite!
Ice skating meets Daisy Jones and the Six (but much better)!

According to the media, Katarina Shaw is a bitch, a diva, cold-blooded, a sore loser, a manipulative liar.
She is also one of the most (in)famous Olympic ice dancers alongside partner, and lover, Heath. This follows their obsession. Scandal. Tragedy.

Starting with a banger hint of what is to come (blood on the ice, headline news), we go back to the start of Kat’s ice skating journey. From Heath being sequestered firmly into her life after a bad foster past, her childhood with an abusive brother, and Heath’s protective relationship.
Heath is the only person to understand her. People joked they were either going to die in each other's arms or kill each other with their bare hands. Nothing in between.
Two poor small-town Midwestern trash who don’t belong in the elite sport.

<b>That free dance was the story of us: Heath and me, spinning away from each other one second, only to clutch each other close the next.
Never still, never simple, always pushing and pulling, shattering each other and putting the pieces back together again.
</b>
Told through both Kat’s perspective as well as interview transcripts from people who knew the couple, or professionals from the sport, these short chapters keep you on your toes and biting your nails.

This will put you through your emotions. Love, angst, pride, pain, rage, suspense, anger. I couldn’t stop turning the pages… it was so addicting.

I am a sucker for anything to do with dance or ice skating as a former competitive dancer myself. I know how the sporting world functions and seeing this through a thriller, romance, lit fic form was so enticing, ambitious, passionate!

Thank you to Penguin Books for sending me a PR box!

Loved it. It's a book that grabs you by the throat on entry and does not put you down til the end, which I was sad to get to so soon! We are thrust into the Olympic ice dance world of Kat and Roach - two souls who have had an unbreakable connection since childhood. As their namesakes, they are found together for all time. I loved and hated the main character of Kat- she really is one of the most self-absorbed, self-centred driven women I've ever read but on the flip side she is searching for love, for home and to belong. I really liked the format and differing points of view - it gave the book a great pace.
A really good read and one we'll be recommending again and again!

I really liked this book. It took me a while to understand what was happening but once i did i was hooked and kept wanting to turn the pages to find out what happened next.

Thank you for letting me read and review this book on Netgalley.

THE FAVOURITES - LAYNE
FARGO - ARC
Kat and Heath are all each other have, Ice skating is all they have. Kat will do anytking to succeed ANYTHING! This book flips between Kats story and a documentary on Kat and Heaths career.
There are so many ups and downs in this book. I didn't expect most of them. I was screaming at the pages as though they would rewrite and not do whatever they were going to do! Honestly it was as turbulent as Kat and Heaths relationship!
Kept me thouroughly entertained though and I couldn't put it down! Would love to see this one made into a movie.
Release Date - 16th January 2024
@rachaelmcreads

This was a gossipy, frothy book about the world of elite figure skating. I enjoyed it for what it was.

A pet peeve of mine is when books are described with the tagline, "If you liked [insert successful novel], then you will love this one" or worst still, "Perfect for fans of [insert three incredibly successful authors". I tend to think those types of descriptions are lazy and don't allow a book to stand on its own two feet.

However, allow me to break a cardinal rule of mine. Jodi Picoult describes this novel as Wurthering Heights meets Daisy Jones and the Six, and I honestly couldn't think of a better way to describe this one.

The book tells the story of Kat(arina) Shaw and Heath Rocha, who meet as troubled, young children who develop a passion, and skill, for ice skating. During the course of their trials and championships, they come into contact with Bella and Garret Lin, twins of the famous ice seater, Sheila Lin, who takes Kat under her wing.

What follows is a documentary type novel of the amazing careers of the four, from childhood skaters to the Olympic games. There are highs, lows, sabotage, vindictiveness, love, talent, hatred and many more emotions before coming to an excellent conclusion.

It is one of those books which just immerses you in the life of others and loses you a few hours of your afternoon.

Thanks so much to Random House UK, Vintage | Chatto & Windus for an ARC in exchange for an honest review

Set in the world of glittering, gruelling ice dance this story has as many twists, turns and spins as a four minute ice dancing programme. With a nod to the passion and darkness of Wuthering Heights (all the names and pseudonyms) the narrative sweeps along with addictive success.

This book will be very high in top of the best books read in 2024. The characters, the drama and the idea of ice dancing all make such a great combo that I just didn't want to get to the end of the book. The book deserves a movie that's for sure. I am so happy that in December Goldsboro has a special edition of the book.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

The Favourites

Thank you @laynefargo and @netgalley for providing me with a e-copy of this book to read and review!

Katarina Shaw and Heath Rocha are childhood best friends turned world famous Olympic ice dancers. Known for their unique routine style and the turbulent drama that always seemed to follow them; this documentary-style x Interview-style book tells all for the first time. Details shared on the final time Shaw and Heath took the ice, and the devastating routine that shook the ice dance sport.

This book is in the same gripping, twisty format as books similarly, but not the same as ‘Daisy Jones & the Six’ and ‘The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo’. With multiple character interviews and input, gossip, drama, twists, plots and so much more.

I stayed up until 2:40am reading this book - I could not stop turning the pages. Kat’s character is so complex…she is perceived in such a different way to how I took her true personality. She is just a woman with dreams trying her hardest to get where she wants to be.

The romance aspect of this book is so sad, it builds you up, to tear you down, to rebuild the broken pieces, to then rip up the foundation…but it is all worth it; Heath is as complex as he is talented.

All of the characters are so definable and have their own voice through words. This talented author is able to personify a whole person through interview excerpts and it really feels like you are following a documentary and these people could be on the TV screen in front of you.

Touching on some and delving into other areas of sport politics, it is the truthful tale of some less than glamorous aspects of young athletes.

Truly unforgettable, unputdownable and a story that seems devastatingly realistic - a must read!

Layne Fargo is an author of "The Favourites". Amazing novel coming out on 16th of January 2025 is definitely going to be talked about.
Combination of Carrie Soto and Daisy Jones showing rivalry on and off the ice skating ring. It's a story of passion, lust, betrayals and behind the scenes of many athletes and their journeys.
When I was reading it I felt like watching documentary and was immersed into the story from the very first pages. My only regret was that it only lasted me for 2 evenings as I couldn't get enough of it. What I loved about it most was that it wasn't just your typical childhood sweethearts story but a real life experience with ups and downs and a lot of in between.
To all of the future readers - you're in for a treat
Huge thanks to @netgalley and @randomhouse for providing me with the early copy in exchange for an honest review. Easy 5 🌟 or deserved gold medal for @laynefargo

I loved this book. It would make a fantastic film. I felt like I was there with the characters. It had me hooked from the very beginning and I couldn’t put it down. I read this book in 24 hours. Can’t wait to read more from this author!

This was a great, extremely fun read! Loved the documentary style and the drama of the highly competitive world of ice dancing (which i knew nothing about prior to this).

The Favourites - Layne Fargo ⛸️🩵
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The EASIEST 5 ⭐️ I’ve given in ages. Oh my GOODNESS!!! I absolutely adored this book - it was full of scandal, drama, tragedy and the most stunningly written on again, off again romance you could ever witness. I can say with 100% certainty - this will be a bestseller & you’re going to want to read this 📖
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Katarina is strong willed, determined and fiery - she is going to win Olympic gold, no matter what it takes. Heath loves Katarina, and if it takes becoming a world class ice dancer, at the expense of his own identity to keep them together, he’ll do it.
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The Favourites follows our two main characters, along with their friends, foes, coaches and competitors on their route to becoming Olympic medalists. I was enthralled from very early on and desperate to know what became of all of these characters I grew to love so quickly. The book having multiple timelines (first person vs. a documentary with multiple interviewees) made for great reading, and meant every character got their moment to weigh in on the story of Heath & Katarina.
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From a personal perspective, I have a background in dance, having danced competitively until I was 18, and can appreciate the competitive environment the characters are written into. I’m no ice dancer (broke my wrist skating earlier this year!), but I can say with certainty that the trials and tribulations of a competitive performer have been captured immaculately in this book 🩰
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Layne Fargo has written a masterpiece - truly. It’s like Daisy Jones and the Six met Wuthering Heights and had a modern sports-romance baby & I can’t wait for this to come out in the new year so I can get my hands on a physical copy!!🫶🏻
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Huge thanks to NetGalley & Random House for giving me access to this ARC, and thank you to @laynefargo for writing such an amazing book - I can’t wait for the world to read this ⛸️🩷

I fear I’m going to be the dissenting voice on this book!

Despite really looking forward to picking this up, it just didn’t do it for me I’m afraid.

I enjoyed the documentary style format but I didn’t really ‘feel’ the heat with Kat & Heaths relationship and I found the whole high and lows of competition and the falling out and making up got a bit repetitive.

Overall, an OK read for me but sadly didn’t hit the heights I was hoping for - maybe my expectations were too high?

This was a simple, fun, easy and quick read. The perfect type of book for your holiday, beach, pool kind of read. This is a first for me by the author and one I enjoyed and I would read more of their work. The book cover is eye-catching and appealing and would spark my interest if in a bookshop.

Read more at The Secret Bookreview.

I picked this up before bed the other night thinking I would just read a couple of chapters to get a feel for it. Well, the first chapter grabbed me by the throat and didn’t let go, and I finished it in a day (and stayed up way too late reading).

We follow Katerina and Heath through their tumultuous relationship. I’m not really interested in winter sports or ice skating, but I was riveted. The pacing is lightning fast and the storyline is so dramatic. I’m so appreciative for the ARC, because I don’t know if I would have picked up this book otherwise, and I’m so glad I did.

I would absolutely recommend The Favourites to fans who like high drama stories.

Thank you to the publisher and to Netgalley for granting me an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Are you a fan of ice dancing, documentaries, angst, and drama? Add childhood sweethearts and the relentless drive to win at any cost—then "The Favourites" might be just what you're looking for!

Having grown up watching ice dancing (mainly because my country had a strong couple competing), I’ve heard stories about the shady and volatile world behind the scenes. This book pulls back the curtain, giving a fascinating insight in that type of high-stakes environment.

The story follows Katarina and Heath, who meet as children and grow up together. Heath becomes a skater because Katarina needs a partner, and their journey spans decades—full of victories, betrayals, and a love that endures, even through the most difficult moments. The narrative unfolds like a documentary (think "Daisy Jones and The Six" by Taylor Jenkins Reid), with different characters offering commentary alongside Katarina’s story that is told in real-time. The stakes are high from the outset, making for an intense read!

Reading this book was like being on an emotional rollercoaster (which, for the record, I hate!). I wanted to throw my book across the room* multiple times due to the intense twists and frustrations. The characters are complex and, in many ways, unlikeable, yet I found myself respecting Katarina for knowing exactly what she wanted, even if it meant hurting others. While I’m not a huge fan of angst and drama, "The Favourites" drew me in just enough to keep reading—and I’m so glad I did. It’s one of the most memorable stories I’ve read in a long time.

If you’re into winter sports, reality TV, and twisty, well-written narratives, I highly recommend giving this one a try!

4.25/5 ⭐

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review!

*Ebooks are harder to throw across the room

So fun, and absorbing! A little clunky in places but you don't mind because the plot is pacy. For fans of Daisy Jones & The Six for sure!