Shameth upon me because yes, I did beg on my hands and knees to read this early, and then I did, and now it’s June. Blasted idiot I am. But I do need to yell about how obsessed I am with this book, so let’s not dwell on the negatives,,,

⛸️

Maybe I’ve also not written this review for so long because I’m still speechless and don’t know how to comprehend my thoughts. We’ll give it a shot and start with the writing, which was breathtaking and floored me on multiple occasions. This book is quite literally the most terrifying and exhilarating rollercoaster of emotions and gave me whiplash about once a chapter, but I loved every second. And I hate rollercoasters, so that should tell you something.

Like you cannot put this book down. It’s literally I-M-P-O-S-S-I-B-L-E!!! She sucks you right onto the ice and you cannot leave. You’re… frozen. Ha like my joke? You should, it was genius.

Don’t even get me started on the multimedia, which I realise I don’t read enough of, seeing as I love it so much. Mental note to pick up more books with multimedia. This book is compared to Daisy Jones & The Six, and they couldn’t be more spot on, except the romance is dialled wayyyyy up and my DJ6 heart is NOT mad about that.

I’m also not Katarina by any means, but Miss Fargo got me relating real hard to an ambitious cutthroat figure skater. Though I do have a need to do my best at all times, so maybe it’s time for a career change? There just HAS to be a reason I love this sport so much, right? I’m taking this as my official sign!

Moment of silence for the side characters who know how to knock us off our rockets. Like howwwwww are they all that interesting? The interview format was only the surface, and I was absolutely living for all of their tea-spilling drama, and at the same time, wanted to duct tape their mouths for sprouting nonsense

Okay fine, I’ll try to be serious. Be warned that I will most likely fail because this book has driven me insane. Mostly because of THE FREAKING ROMANCE. God, I love some good angst, and I think this is the best angst I’ve ever seen. You know what I also love? Second chance angst where the next time they meet the rizz levels are through the roof, and the chef added a sign of yearning. Punch me in the gut, why don’t you?

Whilst my one critique with this book is that the ending was rushed and some things with the romance were not alllll in for me, I almost didn’t care because the rest of the book was too delicious. Heath is a,,, a smol baby boi who I want to hug. I want to simultaneously run away but also stroke Katarina’s hair. They love each other, but they’re so stupid and obsessive and gahhhhhhh!!!!!! One thing about Layne Fargo is she KNOWS how to write messy characters, and I’m so here for it.

If you’re looking for a gut-wrenching, cut-throat figure-skating sports romance to induce the biggest adrenaline rush maybe ever, then you’ve 1 million percent come to the right place. You’ll probably faint from being obsessed so I recommend preparing yourself. K thanks for coming to my Ted-Talk xoxox

What a romp! So much fun to read - this book really has it all. Romance, rivalry, rags to riches. Hugely enjoyable.

The Favourites is a compelling and well-crafted story that kept me hooked from start to finish. The characters are richly developed, and the plot unfolds with just the right amount of intrigue and emotional depth. While a few pacing moments felt a bit slow, overall, it’s a satisfying read that explores themes of friendship and ambition in a nuanced way. Perfect for fans of Taylor Jenkins Reid, who appreciate character-driven narratives with a mix of drama and heartfelt moments. Definitely worth picking up!

🎧 Audiobook Review 🎧

#adprproduct

I want to thank NetGalley for approving me for an ARC of this book. I have seen lots of buzz about this one and was intrigued to see if it lived up to the hype.

The audiobook narration is fantastic. The multiple voices were very effective during the interview segments and I can see why people are referencing Daisy Jones and the Six for a comparison.

Set in the world of ice skating, this coming of age story also gave me Carrie Soto vibes and I really liked getting a better glimpse of the ice skating world and what these athletes endure for olympic success.

Katarina was a character you didn't always like but you could also understand some of her actions. The determination and bold attitude create a lot of stirs but I wanted to see her succeed. The on and off relationship between her and Heath kept me intrigued. There was a lot of tension and once again I found myself hoping they'd find their way.

Whilst I did find this entertaining there were parts that felt overly long and my attention sometimes waivered. I was also expecting a bit more from the ending, and felt slightly disappointed. Nevertheless it was an entertaining listen and I look forward to reading more from Layne Fargo.

🌟🌟🌟✨

I was looking forward to reading this after seeing all the hype on social media. Unfortunately, this was one that did not live up to the hype for me. I found it pretty boring. Not much happened, and what did happen, could have been dealt with in 200 pages.

I absolutely adored this book. It was everything I wanted! Figure skaters and Olympics and drama and relationships and the darkness of families and love in all its forms. Absolutely wonderful and I will read what ever comes next!!!

The Favourites by Layne Fargo – ★★★☆☆
All the drama, not quite enough depth.

Figure skating is the perfect setting for rivalries, ambition, and glittering tension, and this book had all the drama but I kept waiting for that extra something to truly hook me. The characters had potential, but I never felt fully connected, and while the story had twists, it didn’t quite land with the impact I was hoping for.

That said, I totally think this would shine as a TV series slow-mo rivalry stares and all! But Daisy Jones & The Six it is not. A solid three stars from me, enjoyable, dramatic, and fast-paced, but not quite a gold-medal performance.

#BookReview #TheFavourites #LayneFargo #Bookstagram #SportsDrama #FigureSkatingFiction

This story goes behind the scenes of ice dancing and shows it is not a sport for the faint hearted. Katarina and Heath have only their love for each other and their passion to win going for them. Lacking money and support they struggle to make their way into the top tier, until getting picked up by the top training school. It is no easy ride though, every time they look like achieving their dreams there seems to be a catastrophe in waiting to take it away from them. Full of ups and downs, this story has interesting characters, lots of plot twists, and describes the ice dancing so well that you can nearly see and hear it

Thank you to Vintage Books for the NetGalley ARC of this brilliant book by Layne Fargo, out in January.

When I say this is about to become your new obsession, I mean it. This novel is sprinkled with that magical thing that keeps you turning the pages, no matter how late it is!

This is a modern take on Wuthering Heights, set in the glitz and glamour of the world of professional ice dancing. Think I, Tonya mixed with Daisy Jones, and a sprinkling of Disney films like The Ice Princess, but turn up the heat.

I couldn’t put this book down - Fargo has deftly weaved elements of the original Brontë novel into the modern day, with some great meta inclusions of Kate Bush music. It has wit and is as sharp as a blade, the characters really coming to life on the page. I loved the alternate ways of telling the story, between interviews and Kat’s own words.

Like I said, it will be your new obsession.

finally, a [mostly] accurate figure skating novel

After reading *They Never Learn*, I was impatient for Layne Fargo to write another book. When that book was about ice dance, I lost my mind. I am a staunch fan of figure skating and have been for years. The underrated discipline of ice dance has always been my favorite (ha), and I was so happy to finally see it represented in fiction. I was especially grateful to see figure skating represented in fiction by someone who actually knows what they’re talking about – listen, I liked *Icebreaker* plenty, but the rants I subjected my coworkers to about the inaccuracies of skating basics had them fantasizing about my murder.

Fargo crafts unlikeable characters expertly. Every single character is unlikeable but has just enough redeeming characteristics for the reader to still care about their fate. They are also all complicated and unlikeable in unique ways, making their interactions compelling.

Despite their huge flaws, I was very invested in hoping for a positive outcome for all the characters, even Ellis. I was very stressed for them the whole time. Kat and Heath are obviously toxic, but I hoped they’d be able to grow and settle into a good relationship.

My small criticisms of this book: it should have been shorter, and some of the dramatic incidents should have been cut. Figure skating is indeed a very dramatic sport, but several of the incidents in this book felt like `__` overkill to me. I can see hints of the Tonya Harding story, Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir’s chemistry (and they’re rivalry and close training relationship with Meryl Davis and Charlie White), creepy commentaries about Maia and Alex Shibutani, and the judging scandal at the 2002 Olympics regarding the scores of pairs skating teams Jamie Salé and David Pelletier and Elena Berezhnaya and Anton Sikharulidze. I appreciate the nods to these titans of figure skating drama, but they did not all need to be included. Finally, Fargo obviously knows so much about the sport – enough to mention the now-defunct compulsory figures and compulsory dance aspects of figure skating competition – but fails in the category of music rules. It was perhaps a choice of pure artistic license, but it took me out of the story. This story takes place in the 2000s, culminating in 2014, and the characters frequently skate to music with vocals and lyrics – vocals were expressly forbidden in program music until *after* the 2014 Olympics. I was losing my mind. My coworkers are once again contemplating violence.

I saw a lot of people comparing this to Daisy Jones and The Six, which I can see in the sense of the format and the drama, but that’s where it ends.

When I first finished the book I was left thinking “is that it?” The ending felt unsatisfactory to me, but a few weeks on from reading it I think it was perfect. Katarina and Heath were made for each other and I spent the entire book screaming at them 😂

The Favourites by Layne Fargo
Elite figure skating, a complicated, coming of age love story, friendships, obsession and multi media storytelling? What's not to love? I thoroughly enjoyed Fargo’s storytelling as we followed our MC’s from their early days through to competing at the Olympics and beyond. I was very invested in all parts of this story and couldn’t put it down. Highly recommend
Thank you to Random House UK, Vintage | Chatto & Windus and Netgalley for access to an early copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This book was an emotional rollercoaster—if the rollercoaster was the kind that’s been banned because it has killed multiple people.

The story follows Katarina Shaw, a former Olympic figure skater whose partnership—and entanglement—with fellow skater Heath Rocha captured the world’s attention both on and off the ice. I’ve always been a bit fascinated by figure skating, in the same way I'm interested in people who climb Everest. I know I'm never going to do it but want to scratch beneath the surface of what makes the people who do these things tick. This book certainly delivered on giving an insight into the glamour, the precision and the theatre of it all so getting to see that world up close, with all its beauty and brutality, completely hooked me. Kat and Heath’s skating partnership is the heart of the story, but their relationship is messy, obsessive, toxic in ways that feels completely believable.

The novel alternates between Kat’s perspective as she finally tells her side of the story ten years after a shocking Olympic incident, and transcripts from a documentary about their rise and fall. I enjoyed this narrative choice, it gave the book a really dynamic, almost voyeuristic feel, like you’re piecing together a scandal in real time from interviews and soundbites. It added layers to the characters because you’re seeing how others perceive them versus how they see themselves. I kept thinking that it would make such a brilliant film or TV series. The format, the skating sequences, the high-stakes drama—it’s made for the screen.

The pacing was a bit uneven at the start, and I found it dragged a bit. I also wanted the estrangement between Kat and Heath to simmer a little longer, to dig even deeper into the angst before things started unravelling again. But once it took off, it was wild from start to finish, and I couldn’t put it down. The ending was the perfect bittersweet blend of catharsis and ambiguity, staying true to the complicated, tangled relationship at the book’s core. About half an hour or so from finishing the book I was sure I'd hate the ending but it worked for me in the end.

If you like messy characters, morally grey dynamics, and a backstage pass to the dark side of competitive sports, this one’s worth the ride. And seriously—someone needs to adapt this. I’d watch it in a heartbeat.

Oh it's also a riff on Wuthering Heights if that wasn't clear enough from the name but there's no digging up of corpses this time (unfortunately)

An utterly captivating contemporary romance set against the glittering, high-stakes world of figure skating. The Favourites is as sharp as a triple axel and just as breathtaking—delivering a story rich with emotional nuance, simmering chemistry, and characters you can’t help but root for (even when they’re at odds). Fargo perfectly balances ambition and vulnerability, crafting a slow-burn romance that feels both authentic and electrifying. The competitive skating backdrop adds intensity without overshadowing the tender, complicated love story at its heart.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an advance copy.

Never did I think that a Wuthering Heights retelling would fit so seamlessly into the world of figure skating! The stakes were real, the drama was on point and the suspense was insane.

I was always interested in the world of skaters so I was hooked from the description. But once I started reading the book I couldn’t put it down.

Love love loved this book. I knew absolutely nothing about ice dancing before reading but my goodness I couldn’t put the book down.

Kat and Heath are wonderfully tragic characters, their history intertwined with their present storyline. I loved the way it was written, using the interviews for the documentary mixed with the narrative made for keeping the reader entertained and drawn in by the other more minor characters involvement.

I honestly felt a little bit addicted to this, like Kat and Heath were to each other. All the stars possible.

Drama, scandal, and savage rivalry aren't themes I typically seek out in books, however, The Favourites fed off them and I was absolutely here for it. I couldn't get enough of Kat and Heath's passion, obsession, and tumultuous relationship (on and off the ice), as well as the commentary from other ice dancers, coaches, judges, and associates. Revolving around a sport I did for 15+ years, I thought the competitive natures and toxic environments were brought to life in a very realistic way.

From teenage sweethearts to Olympic-driven ice dancers, Kat and Heath have everything they need to be the best in the world - undeniable passion, perfected technical skills, and the determination to win. That is, until it all falls apart.
Fast-forward 10 years, and cue a drama-fuelled documentary on the pair claiming to reveal what really happened. Kat has kept her silence... until now, where it's time to tell her side of the story - the real side.

The ice skating theme, of course, was an easy win for me, although I'm not as familiar with ice dance (except twizzles - my nemesis), which I always considered the 'easier' route. However, it's evident how much precision and skill is required at a competitive level, and I loved all these technical insights.

The interview style was perfect for audio. I was intitally put off by the 10 narrators (I can barely keep up with one, let alone 10), however each perfectly assumed their character's voice and personality, making it easy to differentiate who was speaking. This comparison to Daisy Jones was accurate - the interviews felt authentic to the point where I was convinced we were listening to true accounts. This back and forth with multiple characters also kept the pace moving.

Granted, some of the characters annoyed me after a while and I think the length could have been trimmed down a tiny bit. I'm also confused about the "part Wuthering Heights" comparison; besides the characters' names and turbulent relationship, I'm not really seeing any other connections. It felt more like an attention grab and would have been strong enough to hold its own without the reimagining element (in my opinion).

That said, overall this book was a winner - I binge-listened for hours on end, instantly sucked into the addictive story about doing what it takes to achieve your dreams, and not letting anyone stand in your way.

Tropes:

⛸️Wuthering Heights Retelling
⛸️Figure Skating
⛸️Toxic Relationships
⛸️Angst
⛸️Lies & Betrayal

📖
Written in the unique style of swapping between documentary interview transcripts and Katerina’s POV we hear the story of famous figure skating duo, Katerina Shaw & Heath Rocha and how their seemingly unbreakable bond becomes fractured as their stardom elevates.

💭
Wow this book was incredible and I particularly loved looking out for the little bits that reflected Wuthering Heights, one of my favourite classic books.

It had me completely captivated and I just couldn’t stop reading. I loved how the prose of Katerina’s POV was broken up by the documentary style commentary.

Is Katerina the most likeable MMC? Definitely not, but I really cared for her and what was going to happen to her character, It was the way these characters are so flawed and honest that made it a great read for me.
Same with Heath, did I want to shake him at times, again yes. But sometimes life isn’t picture perfect and this is what this book reflects and what makes it so impactful.

The style of this book was very TJR so if you love her books I really recommend it.

Thank you to the publisher for my e-arc.

The Favourites is a wonderful retelling of the Wuthering Heights story set in a backdrop of Olympic figure skating drama.
I absolutely adored this book, I may be biased as a figure skater myself, but it was so gripping, the drama so realistic, and the story so believeable.
As someone who's read and loved Daisy Jones and the Six (which anyone who knows, knows is a similar premise), I was concerned that it could fall into a hole of being too similar, however this was not the case and I absolutely loved this even more!
I really enjoyed the cuts between the 'tv documentary' scenes and Kat's pov 'exposé'. I felt that these were really well done, even at times funny with well placed humour in the cuts between the two.
To be honest, the only thing I didnt like about this book was how Heath left and got with Bella, but for the story and the retelling aspect I know that it was necessary and to be fair it was very well done!
I will be recommending this strongly across my platforms, and by word of mouth. I've already recommended it to many of the girls I skate with, and I know some of them have already confirmed plans to read it!
Thank you so much for sharing this early copy with me.