A novel covering the brutality and rivalry of international ice dancing in the 1990s and 2000s. Katarina Shaw and Heath Rocha have been skating together since they were 10 years old. At 16 they are ready to break onto the international circuit. Meeting Kat's all time idol Sheila Lin is special and so begins a lifelong rivalry with her daughter Bella who skates with her twin Garrett. The four become frenemies and rivals for the Olympics. Dramas ensue. Partnerships change. Through it all Kat and Heath have an unbreakable bond. Their personal life and dramas often overshadow their professional careers. Told in the form of a documentary being made a decade after the dramatic event that ended their careers I went from being annoyed at this approach to intrigued. It read like a real life story. #netgalley #TheFavourites

'The Favourites' takes us into the world of Olympic Ice-Skating. We follow Katharina Shaw and Heath Rocha and their rivals, twins Bella and Garrett Lin on their quest to win Olympic Gold. This is an unputdownable novel laced with determination, rivalry, love and intrigue.
Part of it is written in documentary style which reminds of 'Daisy Jones And The Six'. This gives the reader a good oversight to the rest of the narration which is from Kat's viewpoint.
I adored this novel and couldn't put it down. My favourite book of the year so far.
Thanks so much to NetGalley and Vintage Random Hose for the ARC.

I don't think I can quite sum up how much I adored this book. And it's apt that it's called The Favourites, as it is now a firm favourite of mine that I will be recommending to anyone who will listen.
The highs, the lows and the push and pull are executed flawlessly and I lost count of how many times I gasped or felt a punch to my gut.
Even if you're not a fan of ice dance, it's not too technical to be off-putting and it completely immersed me in that world.
I loved the nod to Wuthering Heights and had my fingers crossed that it wouldn't end quite as tragically as the classic. For me, Wuthering Heights never felt like a true romance, whereas this and Kat and Heath's relationship was much more absorbing.
You're rooting for them and each and every character added to the story and the drama.
Let's just say, I was completely hooked and could not put this book down.
It definitely reminded me of some of Taylor Jenkins Reid's books, primarily Daisy Jones & The Six (because of the way it was set out in interview snippets) and Carrie Soto Is Back (which just so happens to be another one of my favourite books of all time), which isn't a bad thing at all, particularly as a big fan of hers too.
It was just such an easy 5 star read for me. And after loving They Never Learn, as well, I cannot wait to see what Layne Fargo does next.
Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I haven’t felt this way after reading a book in a while. This book is a freaking masterpiece. If you have read and loved The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo/Daisy Jones and The Six, this gives off similar writing vibes. WHY AM I CRYING OVER FICTIONAL CHARACTERS?! THEY’RE NOT EVEN DEAD. THIS IS SO WEIRD

When I say this book consumed me for 2 days… absolutely NO NOTES. Wow, wow and wow.

The only way I can describe it is like the best quality car crash tv like you cannot look away... The way this book reads, the pacing, the storytelling and the mixed media setting on the audiobook is 5.

Katarina and Heath were some of the most complex yet compelling characters I’ve read in a long time. Their story spanned decades of love, loss, competition and scandal and this book makes you feel like you are skating alongside them.

Perfect for fans of Taylor Jenkins Reid, the story of Kat and Heath was so much fun. I loved the documentary format (I think it would be fantastic as an audiobook!), and watching it unfold was so exciting.
There were so many tense moments, and many times I was so angry whilst reading (angry with some characters more than others...) and I did find myself a little disappointed with the ending, but overall a brilliant read.

The perfect escapist read for all those who grew up watching ice princess and reading wuthering heights. It’s a novel full of drama and twists (although these are somewhat predictable if you know wuthering heights) that kept me entertained throughout. Just what I needed to brighten a gloomy January.

I was asked to review by NetGalley

I dont think I have been transfixed about skating since I cried through Champions a Love Story or watched Torvil and Dean get Gold at the 1984 Winter Olympics in Sarajevo.

I am new to the table with this author, and was engrossed from chapter one.

Wow this has ambition, sadness, betrayal - gosh who would have known the world of skating was so toxic, tense and horribly cut throat. Maybe I have been in a bubble I do not know.

All I can say is this is a must read in 2025 and was published 16 January 2025.

Good Twin, bad twin and everything in between.
I have never being particularly interested in figure skating, I shall certainly look at it in a different light now.
Katerina and her brother Lee are being bought up by her Father after her Mother dies. Kit watches ice skating after her Mother dies and wants to learn how to skate. She first skates at age four and pushes herself, Heath an unhappy boy watches her and falls for her, she teaches him to skate. The two become close, Heath is a foster child and is due to be moved away, Kat's Father offers to foster him as Kat can not face losing him. When her Father dies Lee tries to throw him out, despite Lee's aggression Heath sleeps in barn and continues skating with Kat. The two escape and go to a skating academy run by Kat's heroine Sheila, they meet her twins Garrett and Bella, Garrett welcomes them and tries to help while Bella ignores them.
Kit and Heath work hard at skating, a partner swop happens and Heath eventually leaves a lot of gossip surrounds this. Eventually reunited, can the couple get placed in the Olympic games? lots of underhand dealing, backstabbing and dirty tricks.
The story has interviews with various friends, supporters and rivals, these are eventually used in a documentary, it adds to the book and keeps us guessing .

In a similar vein to Taylor Jenkins Reid’s ‘Carrie Soto is Back’, ‘The Favourites’ is a thoroughly engaging read. I was so invested that I sobbed all the way through the final dance! I loved every scandalous, high-stakes minute and I can't wait to read more of Layne Fargo’s work.

Oh my god I LOVED this! I can't believe these characters aren't real! This is so compulsive, readable, the action leaps of the page and the interview/documentary style is a great way of breaking up the narrative and adding something different. Everyone needs to read this!

This book is FUN, and Layne Fargo has evidently researched the world of ice dancing. Whilst highly entertaining the novel reads as though it has been written with a TV adaptation in mind. I’d watch it!

“We were adults, and we were children, and we were skating at the Olympics and also on the frozen lake back home, laughing and twirling and holding each other tight. It felt like flying and falling and being caught, all in the same instant.”

THIS BOOK

Omg this book was a total whirlwind. It is perfect for fans of Taylor Jenkins Reid, especially those who loved the documentary style of Daisy Jones and the Six.
This book had me gasping, jumping out of my seat, angry at characters and upset for them. It was such a whirlwind of emotions and to make me feel so much even if I didn’t like many of the characters at different points, shows it is a masterpiece of writing.
It was so immersive and fast-paced.
This is definitely not a classic romance book, but love is a key theme throughout. So while this may not be your cup of tea if you need your perfect happily ever after, it shows how love comes in all different forms.

The Favourites is a thrilling, high-stakes ride through the world of Olympic ice dancing! Katarina and Heath’s passionate, rollercoaster relationship will have you hooked from the first page. With its blend of intense emotions, drama, and behind-the-scenes drama of competitive skating, it’s like Daisy Jones & The Six on ice! Fast-paced, addictive, and full of twists, this book will keep you on the edge of your seat. If you're into love, rivalry, and a little bit of scandal, this one's for you!

What a fun and possibly enlightening read. I was never sure just how much back stabbing there is in the sports world, let alone in such a competitive sport as Ice Dancing! We all know about the Tonya Harding and Nancy Kerrigan debacle, which I wonder if this gave the author some material for this novel.
I really enjoyed the way the different journalists, bloggers, judges, friends were inserted to give their opinions on what was happening during the whole story. Such a sad but understandable passion these sports stars have to win at all costs, though not by cheating or hurting fellow competitors, that is going to o far.
The story follows a particular pair through their childhood and all the trials and tribulations they had to go through to get to the top of the Ice Dance world. So well told and described, this was quite the page turner.

Wow. Pitched as Withering Heights on ice, this book really does have it all - love, passion, betrayal, revenge, friendship, sabotage, ambition, and tragedy.

Katarina and Heath are teenage runaways at 16, escaping turbulent homes to follow their dreams of being Olympic Champion Ice dancers. They are everything to each other and they don’t need anyone else, but just how far will they go and what boundaries will they break in order to reach the top when they are pitched against all odds?

The Favourites tell the story of Kat and Heath’s rise to champions in the present, as well as from the point of view of a 10 year anniversary documentary with interviews from those who featured in Kat and Heath’s journey. The dual timeline aspect gives a real perspective as to how everyone saw the events that unfolded - often in scandal - and their insight into what it takes to become a champion… how far people will go to become the very best… and what people are willing to give up to achieve their dreams.

I was invested in both of these main characters right from the very start and wherever their story took them I was still rooting for them. The book has the capacity to evoke strong emotion from the readers and even after finishing this book, I find myself thinking about Kat, Heath and their story.

I thoroughly recommend this book, and I look forward to reading more from Layne Fargo.
Thank you to Layne Fargo, NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for an electronic copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to the publishers and Netgalley for the ARC!

The perfect blend of first person narrative and Daisy Jones style documentary, this story is full of drama. I have always loved reading about ice skating, and it was interesting to hear the difference between figure skating and ice dance. This is the first Layne Fargo book I’ve read and I would definitely recommend it!

This one's going to be huge!

Katarina and Heath are childhood sweethearts. He's a kid in the foster system, and she's a figure skater who dreams of winning an Olympic gold medal. On the ice, they're perfectly in sync, and even as teenagers, their trust in each other - and passion for each other - is clear to see. But their unconventional style of ice dancing doesn't fit within the beaurocratic confines of elite skating.

This novel spans decades as we witness Kat and Heath defying boundaries and challenging their rivals in the hope of achieving their dreams. Kat wants gold; Heath wants her. But the journey to the podium is paved with obstacles.

The Favourites is an epic melodrama; a sweeping, Wuthering Heights-inspired love story about two souls who revolve around each other on the ice and off. It's an addictive tale of obsession, ambition, betrayal, and rivalry, and it's dripping in scandal.

I loved Layne Fargo's novel They Never Learn, a fast-paced female revenge thriller about campus sexual assault. The Favourites has the same punchy writing, but it's also heavily influenced by the work of Taylor Jenkins Reid, who the author thanks in her acknowledgements. The narrative structure is similar to that of Daisy Jones & The Six, in that it's in the style of a documentary, with many characters providing an oral history of Kat and Heath's career and relationship. It works brilliantly on audio, because also like Daisy Jones, it has a full cast. It also reminded me of Carrie Soto for its depiction of professional sport, and of Evelyn Hugo for its decades-sweeping saga of female power and ambition.

I couldn't put this book down - it absolutely enthralled me! I loved Kat and Heath's story, and their chemistry was electric. The other characters and the novel's structure made it such a compelling, engaging read, and I am certain many readers are going to love it.

There's the faintest whiff of cheese, but I ate it up. Five big, sequinned stars!

Whilst it was an interesting insight into the world of skating, this wasn’t really a book for me. The characters were very driven but didn’t feel very rounded to me and I was struggling to feel any empathy with them. The story did seem to go on a little too long some of the personal connections in the story line did stretch credibility.