4.5 ⭐️

This book had me at the edge of my seat the entire time. This is unlike anything I’ve ever read. I was so immersed in the story, that I read this book in basically one sitting.

It’s a gripping tale of pride, revenge, betrayal, love, and loss, and I was spellbound from start to finish. Deliciously scandalous, I devoured every word!

Katerina Shaw was unapologetic about her desires. I loved that the author didn’t shy away from showing us the good and bad. The chemistry between Heath and Kat was intense and palpable, I couldn’t stop reading! The way the dances mirrored the ups and downs of Shaw and Rocha's relationship was brilliant. I found myself rooting for them, even when I probably shouldn’t have! 😂

I really enjoyed this and I highly recommend it 🤍

Thank you NetGalley and Random House UK, Vintage for the e-arc

The Favourites by Layne Fargo follows Katarina Shaw who wants to become an Olympic skater. She meets Heath Rocha and develops an instant connection with him. They both cling to skating but at the Olympic Games an incident destroys their partnership. Ten years later, a documentary tells the story of Shaw and Rocha. Kat has the chance to say what really happened after the childhood sweethearts fell.

This was okay but I honestly just didn’t love it like others have. I just didn’t get the hype around Shaw and Rocha. I think this was too long and I was bored for quite a bit of this. Plus some of the documentary sections added nothing to the story. That said I do think this is reminiscent of many books involving fame. This most reminded me of Where Are You Echo Blue? by Hayley Krischer in terms of the tone.

Wow!!!!… Amazing… Absolutely fantastic, unputdownable… Kept me on the edge of my seat and then on the edge of my bed until late at night as I just could not put it down!!!… Perfect… Addictive, page turning… I LOVED it

I can’t remember the last time I loved a piece of contemporary fiction as much as this.

As someone who loves watching figure skating, I was so excited to get my teeth stuck into the drama of the skating world and this didn’t disappoint. Seeing the two of them grow up together and then apart was everything I wanted.

The relationship between the two of them is brilliant - I also loved the way it was written. It gives me Taylor Jenkins Reid vibes but in the best possible way.

I didn’t want to put it down and i immediately started it again once I finished to see if I could squeeze anything else out of it, I loved it that much.

Came for the drama, stayed for the characters.

First of all thank you for approving my request!

I thoroughly enjoyed this book! The authors writing style had me hooked throughout this book.

I didn't want it to end, a book I really couldn't put down.

This was much more literary than I was expecting! I thought the romance and the characters were very convincing, and it offered a fascinating glimpse into competitive figure skating. It reminded me a lot of Challengers (the movie).

I am pleasantly surprised by this!
As someone who loves Wuthering Heights, I was curious to see how this book was influenced by it and I want to say I had a good time with this book.
Felt all the emotions and I think this book will be a massive hit!

This book is absolutely stunning. The drama was immaculate, the suspense and the tension and characters were perfectly crafted. The plot was executed brilliantly. This book is perfect. This book was like a documentary playing out in real time. I loved the different characters and how their personalities shone through the interview format. Layne Fargo is such a brilliant author and her writing and storytelling is on a league of its own. I can't wait for readers to get their hands on this book in January 2025.

This book from start to finish was incredible. This is hands down my favourite non fantasy book of the year. I’ve been desperate to feel the same adrenaline rush that TJR gave me when I read Carrie Soto is Back and Daisy Jones & The Six and boy did this book pack a punch. I was hooked from the very first few pages.

The impeccable writing style, combining the interview/documentary footage with Katarina’s account of her’s and Heath’s tumultuous lives on and off the rink was flawless. The time jumps living out the biggest moments in their lives made for a fast paced, page turning read.

Inspired by the epic Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë, the characters are gritty and flawed. With equal amounts of love and hate for each other. You are rooting for Katarina but you also want to punch her at the same time. The characters and the story are riveting, compelling and sexy. This is the type of ‘sports romance’ I want to be reading. It’s gripping, heart wrenching, addictive and I’m utterly obsessed.

The build up to the reveal of the outcome of their final skate was so well executed, I wanted to find out what happened so badly but I also didn’t want the book to end.

This book deserves all the awards, all the attention. It was phenomenal.

Thank you Netgalley, Vintage Books and Layne Fargo for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

WOW. This was such a wild ride from the very beginning.

I cannot believe this is a debut… the characters, the plotting, the setting, every part of this book was incredible.

I’m a true sucker for ice skating and mixed with Wuthering Heights? This truly deserves a gold medal.

Passionate, witty and so goddamn messy - you absolutely cannot miss this one.

The easiest 5 stars!

I don’t know what you put in this book but I am addicted, obsessed and I absolutely devour it! My girl Katarina deserved gold and everything in between. Easy 5 stars!

A Daisy Jones and the Six style take on competitive ice skating, which caters to my very specific obsession with Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir's Moulin Rouge routine at the 2018 Olympics. Full of twists and highs and lows, this completely delivers and I really enjoyed.!

The Favourites had a great way of using music to evoke a certain era, and I really loved that about the book. I struggled with all the different formats e.g. the narration of the documentary. I can see that perhaps the author was going for a Daisy Jones type format, but for me it detracted from the story itself. Still, a great story, and I liked that it's set in the world of ice-dancing which I haven't read about before.

Katarina Shaw and Heath Rocha made an unlikely pair in many ways - the girl who dreamed big, focused on Olympic skating gold, and the troubled foster kid from the wrong side of the tracks.

Yet their scorching chemistry threatened to melt the ice even as their choreography and skill took them from success to success. Until it all went to pieces amidst a huge scandal.

Now, nearly a decade later, Katarina faces some tough choices. With a documentary coming up to commemorate those events, she must decide whether she will maintain the narrative with regard to her own story or allow it to go out of her control. Either choice has implications for her...

This is an engrossing story, both as a romance and as a drama. Kat is a relatable character, and a strong woman. My favourite thing about this book was the way that music with used to evoke the different eras featured here. It will be enjoyed by most readers, and gets 3.5 stars from me.

I can and will not shut up about this book. I felt every emotion possible throughout this book and a week later I am still feeling them. 5 out of 5 stars! Can I give it more?! It was that good. Kat wants to be an Olympic figure skater and will do everything she can to get there and win, so she partners up with Heath, her childhood sweetheart. The book follows theirs highs, the lows, their crazy love story and everything in between and it is an emotional rollercoaster. Bonus points for the songs mentioned - they transported the reader right into the correct year (and Swifties will be screaming). This book is going to be huge. I can't wait for the TV adaptation.