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.

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.!

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.

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.

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!

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

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

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.

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!

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.

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!

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!

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.
•
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.
•
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 ⛸️🩷

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 was lucky enough to receive this book as an arc through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. I knew from the minute I started this book that it was going to be a five stars. When I couldn’t read this book, I was constantly thinking about when I could next pick it up and thinking about what was going to happen. This book follows Katarina and Heath and they are aspiring ice skaters. It follows them through their story and journey to the Olympics. It is told through story and also interview style which really engaged me as a reader. This book is absolutely breathtaking and I could not recommend it enough.

I fucking loved this!!!!!!! I’m almost a little bit gutted that this is a book and isn’t real because I am so so invested in Kat and Heath! I loved the documentary style weaved in with Kat’s own monologue. I am obsessed with the tension and the push and pull dynamic between the two of them. I didn’t know that this was a wuthering heights retelling until about half way through and all I was thinking was I hope Kat/Heath don’t die because I will riot!!!! This is the kind of book that makes you think do you actually like the main characters (yes is the only correct answer here). I have so many emotions right now about this book I may never be able to get them all out on the page. I absolutely wish and hope this is made into a tv show (daisy jones and the six style) because it would be just as incredible as this book. Wow wow WOW.

omg I absolutely devoured this, and loved it. This is like Daisy Jones & the Six's ice-skating baby cousin, and its so freaking good.
An absolute epic and thrilling sports romance centred around Kat, who wants nothing other than to win, and Heath, who wants nothing other than Kat. And both will do WHATEVER it takes!!
I forgot I was reading majority of the time, and that these weren't real people because it felt like I was actually watching part-documentary, part-their real life. I actually missed them when I had to put the book down 😅
So much drama, many intense moments, amazing storytelling and incredible characters.
A million percent I'd read this again, and I guarantee when I do, I'll feel all the same emotions. AMAZING!!!

If I could give this book more than 5 stars I would without any hesitation. I honestly can’t even explain how incredible this book was and I thank the publisher and NetGalley for allowing me to read this phenomenal book.

The writing style of this book is mixed interview alongside storytelling from Kat’s perspective in a style reminiscent to ‘Daisy Jones and the Six’ creating a documentary that plays out in your mind spectacularly.

The story follows Kat and Heath, two kids who grew up together with dreams of being professional ice skaters and winning the Olympic gold. You go through all the trials they experience while trying to ultimately meet this goal. Their connection and passion on and off the ice makes them a formidable team and the world can’t get enough. Tragedy is mixed with triumph and there is so much love/hate going on with their relationship both on and off the ice that you don’t know if you want to root for them or not.

I finished this book within two days of starting as it was so gripping. The ice skating elements were amazingly written and it was like I was watching their dances myself in the audience alongside. I honestly don’t think any sports romance book will live up to this for me. Intoxicatingly incredible.

I absolutely loved this book and would fully recommend. Characters that are well defined and even with their flaws make you root for them. Would be a great film or series.

The favorites
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Thank you to @netgalley and @laynefargo for the early digital copy of this book.

My main obsession of September was this book, as it combines figure skating with one of my all time favorite classic, I was inmediatly in.

Katharina Shaw and Heath Rocha (oh the names 💔) are best friends since childhood and figure skating competitors at the Olympic level, however, the relationship between the two, both personal and professional, is constantly marked by drama and public scrutiny. It is not random, therefore, that the author chooses to present the story as a documentary, narrating the events that marked the lives of the protagonists (and those around them) through different points of view that little by little offer a complete image of the events (in a somewhat similar way to Daisy Jones and The Six although with its own distinct style).

The novel kept me hooked from beginning to end. Anyone who has read or seen any of the adaptations of Wuthering Heights will know that the toxicity, the complexity of the characters and the angst are well served, but I like that, despite being a kind of retelling of the classic, it is handled differently certain aspects to provide a new story that had me constantly wondering how everything was going to end.

It is also noteworthy that the figure skating aspect is not only there as a subplot, but the author goes deep into describing the routines, nutrition, pressure and the most and least glamorous parts of this sport.

The book will not be released until 2025 but I hope that if you know English, you will read it as soon as it is published!!! I hope some publisher brings it in Spanish too. 100% recommended.

Wow what a debut novel. The story of Heath and Kat has it all backstabbing families, friend enemies, fame, fortune, Olympics, skating and a ton of rivalry written in a format of book I haven't seen before.

I absolutely loved how Fargo wrote this book. It's so different and unusual and it's one that going to put her on the map. I can absoutely see this as a tv series or a film it has that much grit and drama to it. It's impossible not to fall in love with the main characters, even if it is over 400 pages long.

But my question is now what happened to the next generation? This needs a sequel for sure.

Absolutely phenomenal. Kat Shaw’s determination to be the best is so compelling. I was hooked by her and Heath’s story, their relationship and the fight for survival amongst their competitors. I felt as if I was watching the story unfold on the television, the detail, the raw emotion present in every character and on every page. I loved the media coverage quoting, contrasting the actual events. This is my first Layne Fargo book, and I can’t wait to see what she writes next.

Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this.

Kat watches a gold medal champion ice dancer on the tv when she is 4yrs old and decides that's what she wants to do. She meets a young boy, Heath, at 10 yrs old who becomes her ice dancing partner. The book follows the ups and downs, jealousy and infighting of this highly competitive world.
There are also comments and opinions by others involved in this world.
I loved reading this book as their lives unfold. So gripping.

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!

🌟 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. ⛸️💖✨

This is an amazing book. Literally full of twists and turns! Some very interesting characters and a great insight into competitive skating and it's issues.

This novel is an exhilarating blend of passion, ambition, and heartbreak that had me completely entranced. The layered narrative weaves together the intoxicating world of figure skating with a deeply emotional story of love and betrayal. Katarina’s journey from aspiring Olympian to a woman confronting her past is both heartbreaking and empowering.
The chemistry between Kat and Heath is electric, and their relationship is a perfect storm of obsession and ambition, making every twist and turn feel visceral and raw. It’s a poignant reminder of how public perception can distort reality and how the truth can be even more scandalous than imagined. It’s about finding your voice amidst the chaos. A must-read for anyone who loves a captivating tale of love, loss, and the relentless pursuit of dreams.

The Favourites by Layne Fargo 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟/5

Emotional, thrilling, heartbreaking, addictive - Ice dance meets Daisy Jones & The Six in this scandalous story about Katarina Shaw and Heath Rocha’s dramatic rise to champion ice dancers, captivating fans with their scorching chemistry, rebellious style and rollercoaster relationship.

Loved the formatting style of the book, switching from first person to third person interviews, making the story dynamic.

One of my top reads this year! Grab it on 16th January 2025!

Thank you to NetGalley, Layne Fargo & Chatto Books for the ARC!🩵

After reading this book, it’s hard to think that these aren’t real people.

Set out as a documentary, the story focuses on Shaw and Rocha (Katie and Heath) and their rise to fame and the Olympics

Childhood friends, skate partners turned lovers to enemies. They go through it all!

Life changes when they meet the Lin’s.

Will they stop at anything to become gold medalists.

Such a good read, you really get sucked in and transported to the world of Ice Dance

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.

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

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.

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.

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*.

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 was SO fun and gripping - I literally couldn't put it down and was totally submerged in the world of Kat and Heath. It's like everything I wanted CARRIE SOTO IS BACK to be (but better and with figure skating instead of tennis). The romance! The twists and turns! I have already recommended to multiple friends as I know this is the kind of book that so many people will enjoy.

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 wasn’t expecting to enjoy this book, having zero interest in ice dance - how wrong I was - I absolutely loved it. It was a great format, the story interspersed with interview snippets, and the outcome was perfect- and not necessarily the ending I was expecting. Highly recommended.

Compulsive reading.
Following from childhood ambition to the Olympics. Ice dance, training, costs both financial and emotional.
Dysfunctional family, ambition, sabotage and drive.
Fame and notoriety.
A romance at it's core, I couldn't put it down.

I couldn't put it down. The elements were handled superbly to deliver us this toxic love story that compels you to turn to the next page. This will have consumers of reality TV hooked. It is just drama after drama.

Phenomenal! I really didn’t know what I was expecting and then when I saw another reviewer say “I will never get to read this book for the first time again”, I realised the a book could be something special and it was!

Katarina Shaw and Heath Rocha are mesmerising characters. The chemistry between them is off-the-scale intense. There’s romance, yes, but it’s more than that. A deep connection that began when Heath saw Kat skating as a teenager and learnt to skate, just for her. To be with her, to be her skating partner, her life partner, her everything. Kat and Heath defy every odd and make it to the Olympics, but not everyone wants them to win.

The writing was so emotive, I couldn’t stop turning the pages. A documentary style retelling of an incredible journey from poor kids to national heroes. But Kat and Heath can trust no one. Even the people that are on their “team” don’t act in their best interests in the cut throat sport of figure skating. Sizzling scandal and scorching sabotage is the name of the game, when every competitor wants to stand on the top step and only one duo can win gold.

5 ⭐️ Thanks to Netgalley, Layne Fargo and Random House for an ARC in return for an honest review.

This is a great read. It reads like the ice skate dancing it is about, at times it is slow, at others fast, but with plenty of highs and lows and twists and turns. I really enjoyed this read, the relationships, and characters feel very believable and honest which made it a pleasure to read.

A roller coaster of a ride from the world of ice skating. there's love, loss, corruption and competition. I loved the characters and really empathised with them all although Kat and Rocha's relationship was frustrating at times! A great read. Thanks to the author, Publisher and NetGalley for the ARC.

The Favourites by Layne Fargo @laynefargo ⛸️
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 5 stars, spectacular, no notes!!

I know we love comparisons in the book community, so this is ”Daisy Jones and the six” mixed with the classic film “Ice Princess” and with all the romantic struggle and intensity of “Magnolia Parks”.

This book is a TRIUMPH, one of the best things I’ve read all year. Set in the heyday of figure skating, this book follows our protagonist Katarina Shaw as she strives for greatness as a competitive figure skater. The favourites is both an epic love story full of scandal, obsession and determination and social commentary on self love and success within elitist sports and fields.
This was so nuanced, deep and touching combining an incredible sport with a passionate love that was absolutely all consuming.
As glittery as this novel is, it’s also meaningful and important. It tackles race, ethnicity, nationality, gender, class and sexual orientation bias in competitive sport with a healthy dose of found family, sizzling gossip and good old-fashioned trauma.

I will never shut up about how incredible, fresh and unique this book is and you truly don’t want to miss this. It is a genre all of it’s own and I cannot get enough of Layne’s writing. If you treat yourself to one book after Christmas I truly believe it should be this.

Thank you so much to @chattobooks and @penguinrandomhouse for the E-ARC. I will be pre-ordering a physical copy AND booking the day off on launch day JANUARY 16TH to queue at Goldsboro books trying to get my hands on this.
This is about to become my whole personality and I’m not sorry.

This was one of the best books I have ever read I absolutely adored it and I’m desperately sad that I have finished it. I don’t really read romance books but this one just appealed to my when I read the overview and I’m so glad I took the chance as this was far more than a romance it was thrilling, sad, uplifting, heartbreaking and captivated me from the first few pages. I knew little about the world of ice dance but it really didn’t matter this was a story more about obsession, wanting to win and how far you would go to achieve your goals and when you get there is it what you wanted !
I’m not doing the book justice as I just don’t have the words to convey what an amazing story this is and how it captured me and wouldn’t let go till the end when I ended up in tears and my heartfelt thanks goes to Layne Fargo for a stunning read.
So please don’t miss this one it’s far too good to be missed and one of my best reads ever!
My thanks also to NetGalley and Random House UK , Vintage, Chatto & Windus for giving me the opportunity to read the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book.

This book absolutely hooked me. I read it in one sitting and felt sad when it was done. I have no interest in skating but it was just so well executed I found myself enjoying the technical detail.

4.5 ⭐️ rounded up.

I don’t know what I was expecting when I went into this but I definitely wasn’t expecting to love this as much as I did

I became completely invested in the characters, their fierce ambition, their unwavering love for each other. The tension and drama that unfolded throughout the novel was EVERYTHING!!

A totally addictive read that follows their ice-skating journey, packed with wild scandals and twists that kept me constantly guessing and wondering what was coming next.

The story is told through Katarina’s perspective, but the inclusion of mixed media, in the form of interviews with side characters and snippets from a documentary. It added so much depth and drama, making it an incredibly fast and engrossing read.

The blend of backstory and scandal had me on the edge of my seat the entire time. I’ll be thinking about Katarina and Heath, and everything they went through, for a while. This is definitely your next obsession!

Absolutely obsessed with this book!
I was not expecting to love this story so much. I got so attached to the characters, their ambition, their love for each other.
An addictive read following Katarina and Heath, and their ice skating journey. The drama and the scandals following them is a wild ride.
The story is retold through Katarina’s perspective, while intertwining snippets of interviews with side characters, adding to the drama of the story. A brilliant book and definitely your next obsession!
I will not be able to stop thinking about Katarina and Heath for a long time!

Intense. Heart wrenching. The intrigue was real, and often extremely well hidden.

"To the world, they were a scandal. To each other, an obsession."

Kat lives for her figure skating. Heath Rocha was a way to get there - not her first love.

Kat is determination.
Heath is power, dark power.

The figure skating world is manipulative, where being best is closely linked to having money, and people in your hands. To always wanting more of everything.

Quote from the book:

"But what was the point if you had everything and enjoyed nothing?"

I loved the layers of this story. It would be fab on the big screen!

OMG, The Favourites by Layne Fargo is EVERYTHING. 💃⛸️ Is it a groundbreaking, world-changing work of fiction? No. But does it deliver on pure, unfiltered joy? 1000%. This book whisks you away into the glittering, high-stakes world of competitive ice dancing—a place brimming with passion, rivalries, and soap-opera-worthy drama.

Think: Blades of Glory meets Gossip Girl with a healthy dose of romance and scheming. 🕺💔 There are twists, betrayals, and jaw-dropping moments, all wrapped up in a sparkling bow of pure escapism. You’ll laugh, you’ll gasp, and you’ll absolutely want to binge-read this in one sitting.

It’s not about changing the world—it’s about leaving yours behind for a few glorious hours, and this book does that flawlessly. ✨ If you love books with big feelings and even bigger drama, this one’s for you.

❄️ Grab a blanket, pour yourself a glass of something festive, and get ready for a riot of fun. I couldn’t adore it more!

One of my favourite books of the year ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ out of five

A book about the behind-the-scenes world of ice dancing by Layne Fargo? Count me in!

While They Never Learn is one of my all-time favorites, this new release, out January 16th, 2025, quickly became a top pick for 2024. It's not a dark thriller, but it’s just as gripping. The book is long, but so addictive and twisty, I could have easily read it in one go.

The Favourites dives into the competitive and cutthroat world of ice dancing. Kat Shaw and Heath Rocha are rising stars, but their path to the top is anything but easy. Their rivals, the Lin twins—children of an Olympic champ—add extra tension. The story unfolds through a documentary-style format, with interviews revealing the drama, love, betrayal, ambition, and revenge that define this intense sport.

Inhaled this book in a day... if you like the layout and story of Daisy Jones and the six, I think you would love this. I really wanted Shaw and Rocha to just catch a break, but then that wouldn't be the story. Kept me on the edge of my seat, rooting for characters who were flawed yet still likeable.

This was so engrossing. Katarina and Heath’s relationship was a wild ride and the ice dancing backdrop made for a tense and exciting story. Absolutely loved this!

I could not stop highlighting even when I read the acknowledgments (something that has never happened before) which speaks to my experience of this story. I’m happy I got to read this book slowly over a longer period of time with the Spotify playlist, it felt as if I was living with them. It was a bumpy ride but in a way that just highlighted human nature, life and how we experience competition. The characters grow so much but nothing is ever developed in a way that felt forced. The interview style that’s woven in is fantastic it really drives home the intrigue and fear for the future that they’re living in. They have a hindsight we the reader don’t and it amps up the unsettled feeling you get. I’ve always been intrigued by ice dancing and this has left me feeling even more interested.

Heath and Kat frustrated me in the most realistic way I wasn’t even mad at it. Their relationship built from a young age was filled with so many moments we can all recognise. Their backstories solidified so much of the pain and trauma they both survived. They fought for everything they wanted even when that want was someone else’s. The devastation of their sense of self like a wound being torn open again and again on the ice. I could feel the bite from the ice and the system they were fighting to gain respect within. Not hearing from them in the interviews really made the reader suffer in a delicious way. It was too easy for me to feel was though this was non fiction. Even the other characters jumped off the page.

I heard about this book back in October and knew it would change my life. It’s a strange feeling that comes around only a few times. I just knew this book would change my life. It really has I feel both torn apart and healed me. I feel recognised and ready to persevere. I had preordered the hardcover back in October and today have preordered the audiobook. The way this book is told is perfect to drive everything home and boy did it.

Now for the cheeky moment that none of these characters would bat an eyelid at. If there is a physical arc in an office sat alone looking for a forever home, I’d be honoured.

Thank you to #NetGalley for an ARC of #TheFavourites by Layne Fargo. 

I loved it! 5 stars 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

The drama surrounding Kat and Heath and the whole cast of characters kept me hooked throughout. The way it was punctuated with excerpts from the documentary just added to the tension. If you liked Daisy Jones and the Six and Carrie Soto then this is for you. A sports romance but with scandal, tension, corruption, competition and ultimately, found family. Totally addictive!

"Even as children, they were so intense. That was their greatest strength, and their greatest weakness."

Katarina Shaw and Heath Rocha. Ice skating royalty. Ice skating elite. Ice skating controversy. The couple everyone was and still is talking about. Some love them, some hate them. But whatever they say, they won't be forgotten or stopped being talked about.
A new tell all documentary about the infamous skating duo is about to air and despite refusing to take part in that, Katarina is now ready to tell her side of the story.

I am writing this in December 2024, but as this book is not yet out, I can tell you that this will be one of my top books of 2025.
Told in a style that is reminiscent of Taylor Jenkins Reid, we essentially follow the lives of Kat and Heath from being young children until the present day and how everything happened in their ice dancing career. The successes, the failures, the truth behind the tabloids, their tumultuous relationship.
It felt real, leading to me spending far more time than I'd like to admit watching previous ice skating performances at the 2018 winter Olympics.
Gripping, funny, toxic, tense, witty, thoroughly researched and so well written - The Favourites will undoubtedly be a new favourite for many.
I need this to become a tv show or film because it just felt so real. I never wanted it to stop.

Congratulations Layne Fargo, this story is absolutely fantastic.

I absolutely LOVED this! Definitely a top read of the year for me and I predict this will be huge in 2025! Daisy Jones meets Magnolia Parks meets From Lukov with love. The romance had my head spinning constantly and I loved the characters, they felt so authentic. Heartbreaking and gripping, I just know this one is going to be all over bookstagram after January!

This was so unbelievably good!! So twisty, so many turns - I was completely on the edge on my seat. And that ending? WOWZERS!!!

Every now and then i’ll read a book that I know is special and is going to be a massive hit, and this book gave me the same feeling as I got when I finished Daisy Jones And The Six for the first time - and that’s no mean feat.

The Favourites is loosely based on Wuthering Heights but set in the world of ice dancing. Katarina and Heath have been in each others lives since they were children and their all-consuming relationship leads them to the ice where they compete for their country until one day something tears them - and their world apart.

Years later a documentary airs and journalists and people in the skating world who knew Kat and Heath best try to piece together what really happened.

The book is told partly in a documentary style - similar to Daisy Jones and partly from Kat’s perspective of the events that lead up to what happened.

I loved this book and tore through it, I was hooked from the very first page until the last. It was heady and dark - transporting you into the cutthroat and competitive world of ice dancing, whilst also examining a highly co-dependent and sometimes toxic relationship between two people who cannot live without each other.

Kat was a brilliant character, messy, selfish and often unlikeable - everything you’re told a female character shouldn’t be but I loved her, even if I did hate some of her decisions. She’s definitely up there with some of my favourite female characters ever.

The supporting cast (especially the women) were also great, I loved Kat’s complicated relationship with both Bella and Sheila and the book explored difficult relationships SO well.

This was my first Layne Fargo book but it will definitely not be my last.

What a wonderful, wild ride The Favourites takes you on. Told through snippets of interviews, flashbacks, and moments in time, is an addicting and scandalous story of Kat and Heath.

The Favourites takes sports romance to another level, the emotional turmoil this book put me through was next level, never has a book reduced me to tears in one moment and had me smiling like a fool the next. This book is a reminder that life isn't perfect, nothing goes to plan, and no matter how sure you are in the direction you are headed, things can always change.

I was influenced to pick up this book and I'm grateful that I did, The Favourites has forever changed me, there was no drama spared and this will remain one of my top books for the foreseeable future. How this isn't being talked about more I will never know, I'm eagerly looking forward to see what Layne Fargo conjures up next.

Full review to come closer to publication.