I was so happy when the Random House UK granted my wish. I loved this book. It’s so gripping and unputdownable. The characters are interesting. Their chemistry is beautiful. Loved reading about the Olympic skaters. Kat and Heath are childhood sweethearts and they go from variance of emotions from growing up, friendship, love, heartbreak to giving each other second chance. The book has it all mystery, romance, secrets, and twists. Get yourself ready to get to know everything about highs and lows and everything in between about Kat and Heath’s life. And I wasn’t expecting that ending. The book kept me on edge and kept getting engaging and mysterious like an emotional ride.

I only read 10.5%. I maybe wasn't getting it. I think it was supposed to be like a script but I just wasn't gripped. Sorry, I always feel bad saying this about people's hard work but it just wasn't for me. I know if I'll like a book bit the first 10% was so hard that I couldn't invest more time in it

So many comparisons to Daisy Jones and the Six, and it's easy to see why. The narrative is predominantly from the point of view of Katarina Shaw, chronicling her determined ascent through the world of international ice dancing, but it's interspersed with commentary from a number of other characters as part of a documentary ten years after... well, a massive event that we as readers know we're hurtling breathlessly towards, one competition and drama and unexpected twist at a time. The sport itself is depicted in vivid detail, and the narrative also deals with the themes of fame in the fledgling Internet era, ingrained misogyny, and the strength and level of sacrifice required in order to succeed. At the centre of it all is Kat and Heath, two gloriously flawed characters locked in a desperately complicated relationship which everyone seems to have an opinion on - but in the way of all good documentaries, the reader is left to draw their own conclusions based on the characters that we directly hear from, and also the ones that we don't. It's well-paced, it's intense, and it completely drew me in.

This was an addictive read which showcased the determination and motivation it takes to be a world
class athlete.

Heath and Katarina have known each other for a long time and she is determined to be the best skater in the world. Ice dancing with Heath and winning is her dream and we watch as their relationship goes through different phases as she stops at nothing to get her dream.

Heath is only in love with her and isn’t as determined as Katarina is and their relationship is fundamental
to him. As the story is told in a documentary style some years later we learn their journey to stardom and the sacrifices they both make.

I enjoyed this one, it’s quite addictive and I enjoyed their never ending pull to each other. A great read.

I've been really poorly over Christmas, I have this flu/cold bug that everyone else seems to have. It's been difficult to focus on reading, but this one was pure escapism and an easy read.

It has Daisy Jones vibes and there are interviews with other story characters - this blends nicely with the story narrated by the main protaganist, Kat.

It's an entertaining read, with a good, varied cast of characters and the story keeps the reader engaged, there is plenty of suspense. I found some elements a little far fetched, but that didn't diminish my enjoyment. A brilliant story, it has all the elements for a great TV series/movie too. Not sure if it has been snatched up yet, but someone should!

You are going to be seeing a lot about this book in the coming months, I'm expecting a big campaign from the publisher and you should believe the hype! I understand it is out in January, so keep your eyes peeled for it.

Thanks to Vintage and Netgalley for my copy in exchange for a review.

The Favourites is the story of Katerina Shaw and Heath Rocha, following their lives as they meet as children, and start to compete as ice dancers, following their turbulent lives and careers as they fight all the way to the Olympics, determined to take the gold.

The book is framed through an anniversary documentary that has been produced, discussing the career of Shaw and Rocha along with the allegations of wrongdoing, cheating and sabotage that has dogged them throughout their entire career. This is a great way to frame the story as it is a clever way to allow comments from other characters in the story that you normally wouldn’t hear from, so there are talking heads from their Russian competitors, Olympic judges and their old coaches and teammates. I thought this was a really beneficial way to tell the story and be able to move about in the timeline smoothly, and I think that the author employed this well.

I thoroughly enjoyed this story and would wholeheartedly recommend it to others - it was well paced, held lots of interest and had lots of ups and downs, but it felt believable for the world that it was set in and the story was really well told. It was interesting to read about such a competitive environment and how hard every single person has to work in order to have a chance to make it, and how ruthless people need to be in order to compete at higher levels of competition. I thought the characters were well defined and believable, and I just really enjoyed the story as a whole!

Full marks from me for this book - a gold medal all the way!!

I received this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

A Recipe for Success:
- 2 cups of Daisy Jones & The Six
- 5 tbsp of Friends to Lovers and Lovers to Enemies
- 3 tsp of cheorgraphy to bangers from the 80s-00s and
- A generous dash of fiercely competitive Olympic athletes
- Steam, bubble over and bake over 448 pages and bingo you have a binge-worthy novel on your hands.

The Favourites brings us the story of Olympic hopefuls Katerina Shaw and Heath Rocha. Reflecting over their stellar rise to global fame as competitive ice dancers, through a tell all unauthorised documentary.

This style of story telling will forever be linked to Daisy Jones and the Six, and as we know, imitation truly is the best form of flattery but it has to be acknowledged, when it works and this time it does, it *really* works.
It takes no length of time to get caught up in the twists of Katarina and Heath's dramatic backstory and relationship as they strive for success with all the odds stacked against them.

Every 4 years I get absolutely hooked to the screen and watch as much of the Olympics as I can (summer and winter). I also was interested in the return of Simone Biles in 2024 and the documentary she made about the impact competing at the very top had on her mental health, family and personal life.

Layne Fargo did a really good job of bringing those elements through this story. Katarina and Heath are at their peak in the 2000s but there are loads of references to ice dancers from the 80s and 90s which will invoke memories of Torvill & Dean and of course stark rivalry between Team USA and Russia.

We see the ruthlessness of competitors and coaches alike, the corrupt judging space and the personal pain and willingness to give your entire life over to the task of medal success. I absolutely loved it, devoured it and can already see the Hulu spin off and accompanying Spotify playlist.

It has it all 🤩

Thankful to Random House UK for the ARC in return for an honest review.

Many have compared The Favourites to Daisy Jones and the Six - I agree. Although, I enjoyed DJATS fractionally more. Similar also to The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo. I think a conversation between Taylor Jenkins Re8d and Layne Fargo would be brilliant.

The Favourites is a book that is led by a host of vibrant characters; characterisation is brilliant and I could vividly picture them early on. This would make a great series!

As for the plot, predictably there are many ice dancing competitions where our lead characters place in a host of positions. The ups and downs of their professional career mirrors the ups and downs of their relationship. It's all very dramatic - a good thing.

I enjoyed reading The Favourites, and if you are finding the beginning a little slower, then do keep going because it really ramps up in the second half.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an ARC.

The Favourites was AMAZING! So immersive, engaging and fun while also inserting a wonderful level of romance. If you're a fan of Taylor Jenkins Reid and especially Daisy Jones, you'll adore this. And rightfully so.

Well, this was one helluva suspenseful compulsive and utterly addictive sports romance. The first book for me by this author, and im sure it won't be the last. 

I was in awe at both Kat and Heath, as a couple and as individuals. Their strength and sheer determination were equally matched but for different reasons. Kats was to be the best of the best and to win gold medals, but Heaths was to be the best for Kat and for her to want to be with him forever. It was quite sad actually to know that everything Heath was doing wasn't for himself but for Kat. Their backstories were what made them inspirational, their journey from where they came from to where they got to. It goes to show that if you work hard enough that anything is possible. 

The format of the book was great. I really enjoyed kats' POV being in first person, but also, the third person interview / documentary format it gives a different level of insight for the reader. 

Overall, this was a great book of friendships, love, competition, betrayal, passion, and so much more all based around the world of ice dance. 

Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with a digital copy.

Firstly I would like to thanks Layne Fargo , Random House UK, Vintage | Chatto & Windus and NetGalley for providing me with an advanced copy of ' The Favourites' to read and review.

Due to be published in January 2025, the story focuses on the relationship of its main characters Katarina Shaw and Heath Rocha and their journey from being childhood sweethearts to a formidable ice skating partnership. The story spans decades highlighting their tumultuous relationship and the obstacles they face whilst becoming competing champions.
Full of twists and turns , I was gripped from start to finish and read into the night as I was invested in the characters and completely lost in the storyline. I ended up devouring it at every opportunity. Personally I cannot believe that this is the author's debut novel and am excited to read future titles. I cant remember the last time I enjoyed a contemporary novel so much and can easily see this becoming an on screen dramatisation.
The chemistry between the characters leapt from the page and culminated in a riveting tale of passion , betrayal , love and scandal.
It was an easy read , but certainly an unforgettable one . An easy 5 star rating as I didn't want the book to end.
I cant recommend this novel enough
#TheFavourites #NetGalley

𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙙 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙗𝙤𝙤𝙠 𝙛𝙤𝙧…
⛸️ a toxic love story
🎤 childhood best friends
⛸️ it’s always been you
🎤 figure skating partners
⛸️ backstabbing & betrayals

𝙨𝙮𝙣𝙤𝙥𝙨𝙞𝙨…
Ice skating partners Katarina & Heath were an obsession… until a scandal & a tragedy at the 2014 Winter Olympics. Ten years later a documentary interviews those who were close to them, and we get the real story from Kat alongside this.

𝙢𝙮 𝙩𝙝𝙤𝙪𝙜𝙝𝙩𝙨…
Trust me when I say this book is *wild* 😳🤯😂 I loved it, and at the same time wanted to throw my kindle at the wall… but it’s safe to say I was obsessed.

Think a spin on Wuthering Heights with Daisy Jones interview-style prose, a Carrie Soto-esque ruthlessly driven fmc, and Magnolia Parks level of toxicity… on ice ⛸️

It’s a love story, but this isn’t a romance. It’s a look at the ruthlessly competitive world of figure skating and what people will do to get to and stay at the top. And the answer is… a lot 😅

I really expected to dislike our ruthless & driven fmc Katarina, who sacrifices anything & anyone to be the best (including love), but by the end I actually loved her a lot. I felt for her throughout this and think she is treated much worse by Heath than she ever treats him 💔

Which brings me to why this isn’t quite a full house of ★s… I truly couldn’t stand Heath 🫠 He’s toxic & possessive sure, but given his later actions nothing will convince me he actually loves Kat. If she’d have done the same to him..? 🤯 Because of this I wasn’t rooting for them as a couple, and I didn’t find their toxic betrayals as painful as I otherwise might have done!

The Favourites is truly scandalous,- you’ll love and also hate the characters, with each twist more outrageous than the last.

I love ice dance obviously we have Torvill & Dean so was really excited to read this book
It follows the story of Kat who has also loved ice dance all her life dreams of winning an Olympic gold medal herself and her dad pays for her lessons every week
And the story is told from various angles from Kats, from pher partners, publicists and commentators all along the way. Kat starts skating with her friend Heath but soon becomes apparent he isn’t at the level she is and she is taken under her idol Sheila Lin wing and skates with her son at her academy
I have to say the book is great until over half way through then I was bored with it all the same stuff over and over so I did wish those chapters away
Too technical in parts too for us none skaters
But otherwise an ok read

I have been completely and totally enamoured by The Favourites. This may be the best book that I have ever read. I had the time of my life reading it, and I know it will stick with me forever.

The story of The Favourites is told through a combination of first person narration from Katerina and documentary/interview footage, providing multiple perspectives of a tale that is both tragic and healing. Katarina and Heath have loved each other since they were children. and I think you could easily consider them trauma-bonded. Their mutual strife and their dependency on each other is both what gives them life and what tears them apart. While Katarina wants whatever skating can give her, Heath wants what Katarina can give him. They are each other's constants, and that gives them each the power to break each other over and over again.

The Favourites broke my heart multiple times. I experienced such a range of emotions, at times feeling genuinely betrayed by these characters and frustrated with Katarina when she didn't share my sentiments. The story is filled with tension, sometimes sexual, often not. It is salacious and scandalous, jaw-dropping and vulnerable. There is the obvious found family that Katarina and Heath create from their childhood, but also gorgeous relationships that blossom with their fellow skaters that broaden their worldview, both literally and figuratively. There is heart-wrenching miscommunication throughout this book, but there are also lessons learned. The documentary begs the question: can you still pass the test if the class ended years ago?

Layne Fargo's world setting is unmatched. I could so perfectly visualise everything that unfolded in the book. Told over two decades, I felt myself grow with these characters. With each twist and turn in their story, I learned and I grieved and I loved. I could feel the yearning that Katarina and Heath carried with them to such a point that I could not put this book down. I needed to know how their story ended, and, as their tale unfurled, I cried and gasped and laughed and smiled. I felt every emotion as if I were witnessing their story play out in front of me, a true testament to Fargo's extraordinary story-telling.

The Favourites is filled with twists, and some of these I did figure out before they were revealed. That did not take away from the story, however, because they were written with such heart that even the twist that I prayed wasn't true and that made me angry, jealous and, frankly, overwhelmed with the feeling of heartbreaking betrayal felt right to me. Yes, I was disappointed that a character had let me down, but it made the story all the more real. This book does not play out like fiction. It is realistic in its devastation. Life isn't perfect, people will hurt you, and sometimes you won't be the best, but you keep going. It doesn't kill you, and that's where you find your strength to keep going.

I could truly rave about this book forever, but I don't want to give anything away. What I will say is that if you want to read a book filled with love and angst, competition and scandal, betrayal and devotion, The Favourites is the book for you. If you want your heart to break and your heart to heal, The Favourites is the book for you. If you just want a bit of gossip? No judgment, The Favourites is the book for you.

Where do I even start with this book?! I devoured this in two sittings, and would have finished it in one if time would have allowed it. From the very first page, I was absolutely entranced by this story. If you loved Daisy Jones & the Six, Carrie Soto is Back, and Gossip Girl, this book is for you!

The Favourites follows Katarina Shaw, a teenage girl who has always dreamed of being an Olympic ice skater. After she meets Heath Rocha, the pair go from childhood sweethearts to champion ice dancers, captivating fans with their scorching chemistry, rebellious style and rollercoaster relationship. Until, at the Olympic Games, as the world holds its breath, a shocking incident instantly destroys their partnership. Ten years later, an unauthorised tell-all documentary reignites the public obsession with Shaw and Rocha. If Kat wants to own her story, she must break her silence.

Reading this book was such an immersive experience. It’s written mostly in Katarina’s POV, but also has interview transcripts and television commentary scattered throughout. This made the story feel so real, and created so much intrigue. Everyone has their own agenda, and I was so unsure of who to trust.

I am a fan of figure skating (it’s my favourite sport to watch!) and this book catapults the reader into the competitive and cutthroat world of ice dancing. I really enjoyed the competition and training scenes, which were so exciting and exhilarating to read. The author did a great job of portraying the blood, sweat, tears and sacrifices that athletes put into their sport. This book really asks this question - what is the true price of winning? And is it worth the cost?

The characters are messy, flawed, and sometimes toxic and unlikeable. But they also felt so real and complex. I loved following Kat and Heath throughout their careers, and their connection was palpable. The supporting characters were well-developed and there were so many interesting relationship dynamics explored.

The plot is twisty and gripping, filled with drama, betrayals, scandals, sabotage, heartbreak highs, lows, losses and wins. This book had me feeling every single emotion along with the characters. Towards the end, the pace shifts and the book becomes almost like a thriller, and I was physically unable to put my kindle down!

This is an addictive read that I’m sure will become the next popular book when it’s released in January! I can’t wait to see what this author does next. Thank you to NetGalley and Chatto & Windus for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

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

You may have noticed a buzz surrounding this title at the moment as a very exciting 2025 release 👀

I’m so grateful to have been able to read it early and tell you that it is going to take the bookish world by storm, of that I’m sure!

The story follows Katarina Shaw and Heath Rocha, childhood sweethearts turned figure skating champions with big dreams in a savage, cutthroat industry. The book switches between a documentary-style format and Kat’s own POV.

I don’t want to give much away, but if you liked Daisy Jones and the Six, you’ll definitely find a lot to enjoy in The Favourites. It’s truly brilliant and had me completely hooked throughout, plus the writing is off-the-scale fantastic. I’ll be thinking about this story and these characters for a long time!

Thank you to the publisher for my e-ARC.

This book started off as a 4.5, and then dropped to a 4 at 50% and then finally down to a 3.25 by the end. The more melodrama, the less I enjoyed it.

The Favourites started off relatively grounded but as it went on, it felt to be almost nonsensically dramatic. The ramping up of the drama really made it so it became completely unbelievable.

The toxicity of the romance (even in the epilogue!) made it incredibly hard to root for them in the end.

I did really enjoy the documentary-esque format. Hearing from some of the supporting cast added some really interesting nuance to the story. However, it did feel like there was some perspectives really missing from the narrative, which wouldn't have been obvious if the book was entirely set in Kat's perspective.

Overall, I still feel that this is a very enjoyable sports novel. Don't come into this for the romance, but rather for the unapologetically ambitious female main character.

Thank you to the publisher for the e-arc!

Well this book was a complete surprise. I’d seen a few glowing reviews and it was being marketed as Wuthering Heights meets Daisy Jones and The Six, so I was intrigued. I devoured this book in a few days. The angst, the drama, the romance, it was perfect. Plus I’m a sucker for a book written in an interview format!

I adored the pacing, drama and angst that consumed this entire story. The way this story alternates between Kat’s retelling and the interviews from colleagues, rivals and media personalities worked so well, there wasn’t a moment I was hooked.

My only criticism is Kat and Heath really became unlikeable towards the end, their decades of jealousy, anger and severe lack of communication was a bit distracting and Heath’s big secret was a bit of a let down after 300+ pages for teasing.

But I was still desperate to know how it ended, and enjoyed the rollercoaster ride nonetheless.

The favourites by Layne Fargo

If you loved the reporter style writing in Daisy Jones, the angst of magnolia and BJ, the love and passion for a sport like Carrie Soto and the full on rooting for a couple like Stella and Reid (or Nate) in Drive then you are going to eat this up.

The story is set in the 90’s/2000’s in a world of competitive ice dancing. We follow Kat and Heath from children with a dream, skating on the lake near their house to the championships and going for gold at the olympics.

The amount of times I felt completely heartbroken for these characters, and their relationships was not okay. We followed them through so many difficult situations it’s hard to believe they will ever have peace.

This book will definitely stay with me for a while, I am obsessed and can’t stop living for these characters, I didn’t want the story to end. I definitely need to purchase a physical copy for a trophy on my shelf.

Well done Layne Fargo you have written a masterpiece 🫶🏼

Thank you to netgalley for sharing the digital copy of this amazing book with me ♥️

I could not put this book down and lost sleep over it! It was raw, messy, angsty, beautiful and real. This follows teenager, Katarina Shaw. She has dreamed of being an Olympic figure skater ever since she was a little girl and she will stop at nothing to make her dream come true. Then we have Heath Rocha, who is all alone. He has no family and no one who is looking out for him. But one day he spots Kat at the skating rink and wants nothing but to be her friend. They form a close bond and over time they become pair skaters. We get to see both of their highs and lows through out this story. You will cry, laugh, and want to throw your book across the room. This is definitely for people who love Taylor Jenkins Reid cause it is similar to Daisy Jones and Carrie Soto. I cannot recommend this enough!