Behind the scenes in the world of ice skating. Enjoyed this very much. Liked the style of writing as well. Just flew through it wanting to know what happened next.
Thanks to Netgalley for this ARC in return for my honest review

An epic love story set in the world of competitive ice dancing. This story was intriguing and kept me hooked from the start. Loved it.

I had seen so many reviews on The Favourites by Layne Fargo that I felt compelled to read it so when it came up for review on Netgalley I jumped at the chance and luckily got accepted.

This is an epic love story that blew me away and made me realise that I actually love a good romance story.

We meet main characters Katarina Shaw and Heath Rocha, two very different individuals brought up in very different circumstances. Both ice skate partners that raise to be Olympians, we follow them on this beautiful yet very emotional journey and their story really gripped me.

Both characters were so intriguing that I did not want this novel to end, its such an amazing journey.

Thanks to the author, Netgalley and the publishers for allowing me an ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

This book had a great plot with intriguing characters. I’ll definitely be looking out for more from this author.

I initially put this book on my list after audible recommended it as one to watch out for. Then it started getting a ton of hype, which put me off picking it up for a while, having had a lot of disappointment in the past from hyped books. However, for me, this is a book that absolutely deserves the hype. It’s so bingeable - the chapters are really short but the end of each one leaves you wanting more. Most of all, the characters felt so real that I found myself feeling all of their emotions, and also wanting to go on YouTube to watch videos of Kat and Heath skating, only to remember I can’t because this is a work of fiction!

I’m a big fan of Taylor Jenkins Read and loved Carrie Soto is Back. I completely agree with those drawing the parallels between these two authors and, if you enjoy TJR, I would definitely recommend giving The Favourites a try. Like Carrie (and real life athletes like Serena Williams), Kat is trying to navigate a world where being a strong, competitive woman is more often perceived as being arrogant and difficult. While she is extremely selfish at times (which I think is often a necessary part of being an elite athlete) and makes some frustrating decisions, it’s also easy to forget (because of her accomplishments), that for most of this book she’s a teenager/very young woman whose grown up without a mother and, more recently, without a father too. The character growth both she and Heath go through is extremely satisfying, even if it’s also extremely painful at times. I loved it, and I think it’s a story that will stick with me for some time ❤️.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the e-arc of this book.

The Favourites by Layne Fargo🩷⛸️

I had been seeing this book everywhere for a while and so many people seemed to be loving it. I saw lots of comparisons to TJR writing which immediately had me sold. It was to expensive on kindle but I didn’t really want another hardback (just because I don’t have much room left on my shelves and they take up space!) until one day I just caved and ordered it from Amazon🤣 and I’m so glad I did.

I’m not going to say much in this review because I don’t want to spoil anything and I went into this more or less blind, I knew it was about two ice skaters but other than that I was clueless which I definitely think is the best way to go into it. I was hooked from the beginning to the end to be honest, if I wasn’t reading it I was thinking about it. I ended up listening to some of the audiobook on Spotify while doing some jobs in the house and I would recommend listening to it as well. I was so intrigued by all the characters and how the story was going to go. Right up until the end I still had no idea how it was going to end but I do think it wrapped up perfectly. This is my first read by this author but her writing was completely addictive! I definitely want to look into reading some more of her books. I definitely agree that this is similar to TJR writing, you’re just completely immersed in the story and it has the same interview element as Daisy Jones and The Six.

The characters did have a bit of a toxic element (but sometimes that is exactly what I love), which just made it even more addicting. There were so many twists and turns I was on the complete edge of my seat the whole way through in the best way possible. I loved the feeling this story left me with and would 1000% recommend picking it up.

A modern Wuthering Heights, yes please!

This was addictive, in all the right ways. The tension, emotion and characters were unlike anything I’ve read in a book for a while. I saw that people were comparing it to TJR’s Daisy Jones, and I think it worked really well!

Definitely one of my FAVOURITES of the year so far!

Thank you for my earc of this book. I like the premise but DNF because I found the writing style and drama a bit tiresome. I might try again on audio!

The Favourites is an incredible read and one of my absolute favourites this year so far! I adored this story and its characters! The documentary style is reminiscent of Daisy Jones and the Six, but the competitive ice skating world is a perfect new twist. I found this book incredibly difficult to put down, there were so many twists, turns and shocking moments, I couldn't get enough! I loved how dramatic and immersive it was! A brilliant read, I can't recommend it enough!

Wuthering Height gets an update in this romantic and intense reimagining set in the American world of ice-skating with some I,Tonya vibes.
This is an immersive story that sucks you in with its Netflix documentary style narrative. It’s quick and pacy. I did feel that you do need to suspend your disbelief a little, but it’s just the perfect escapist, romantic and heady read.

Katarina Shaw made up for in passion and raw talent what she lacked in wealth and legacy. Her determination to become an Olympic ice skater began at a young age and she was just as equally committed to taking her foster brother and partner, Heath Rocha, along with her. No matter the odds stacked or foe standing against them, they were a force to be reckoned with when placed together. However, every home relies on the foundations it was built upon and Katarina and Heath might find theirs rocked as they raise themselves far from their meagre beginnings.

I adored this novel's layout which felt very reminiscent of Taylor Jenkins Reid's Daisy Jones & The Six. Each chapter began with an interview transcript from various individuals the pair encountered in their life, leading the reader to acknowledge early on that they became household names and that drama had dogged them on their rise to the top of their sport.

The focus remained on the sport however and I found the character's ambition, dedication, hard work ethic, and drive to be very uplifting. It also made for harrowing reading when they fell short of what they aimed to achieve or they encountered injury or illness that made them unable to perform at their bests. This really showcased how gruelling the sport is and the limits all will surpass, even when unhealthy or unwise to do so, in reaching their goals.

This was a tragic romance like few others I have read and I was captivated by the duo at its centre throughout. This was full of sorrow and heartache and time and time again the characters hurt each other viciously but the reader could feel the passion and love that still remained, although depleted, after every argument and row. Years passed as the novel did and the characters altered but the seeds of love remained. It made my chest ache to see them distant and removed before reconciling once again but with seeds of doubt or mistrust that then blossomed into more years of separation.

I had no idea where the story would take me but I was surprised and delighted by the direction it took and the realistic, although slightly bittersweet conclusion, the author provided them with.

I can see why this is being recommended for people who love Taylor Jenkins Reid! The angst and the drama got a bit much for me at times but there were moments where my jaw literally dropped. I also thought the tension between the characters was well written.

So I'm going to start by saying I watch a *lot* of figure skating, and although I'm not a skater, I know a fair amount about how the sport works and the politics of it all. And my experience of fiction featuring skating has been a bit mixed - but I couldn't resist this because it was getting comparisons to Daisy Jones and the Six, which I really, really loved. So I took a chance. And it's really good. Everything is turned up to eleven, but apart from all the (on ice partner) swapping the skating details felt pretty flawless and as an alternative universe of the early 2000s Olympic cycles it's a real page turner. I wouldn't say that all the characters are tremendously deep or well developed, but there's so much plot and it moves so fast that you don't really notice until you're looking back at the end.

I really wanted to love this as there was so much buzz around it, but it just didn't land with me. I wasn't engaged with the characters who all seemed a bit vacuous and it was very long length wise for such a continuous parade of low level drama. It made more sense that I didn't enjoy this once read some reviews noting that this was a Wuthering Heights retelling, because I hated that book. Shame because the format of Kat's POV intermingled with the documentary footage of interviews and talking heads was really great.

It was good, I just felt it could have gone further with the twists? I dunno what that says about me that I wanted more drama and nothing really surprised me 😂 I did love the daisy jones and the six style storytelling. I also feel the author did her job in me not particularly gravitating towards any of the characters as they were all problematic in their own right - but that’s what made it feel real! It was a nice break from romance, and I did love reading about the competitions and the rivalries! It was fast paced and never felt drawn out.

This is the story of two ambitious young people who want to become Olympic figure skaters, we meet Katarina and Heath as young children learning to skate separately and then together and follow them throughout their figure skating career.
Setting the novel in the world of competitive dance skating is immediately interesting to me. It’s a highly Visual sport and easy to imagine. The author describes both the active figure skating and the relationships of her characters beautifully , she has a clear easily read flowing prose style and the novel progresses at quite a fast rate throughout. I was very quickly invested in the characters wanted to know more. I read the book in one sitting I didn’t want to put it down .
The book starts with various characters commentary as if a documentary is being made about the ice skaters I rather like this other day an element of unusualness to the book. The book continues to be told in this format interwoven with the story being seen from the point of view of Katarina.
I love the on off element of the relationship with the two main characters . There are times when the relationship is a wee bit far-fetched but this is a novel and if you allow for the needs of the story this is something that you easily overlook.
I loved the ending which builds to a crescendo, which is quite exciting the Russian teams apparent attempt to throw the competition that comes in increasingly sinister as our main characters attempts to win the gold medal or sabotaged. Again this is a little bit over the top, but it’s fun and kept me entertained.
The main characters are well described and their relationship is vital to the story. There’s also a selection of minor characters who are also well described.
I read an Ellie copy of the novel or NetGalley UK in return for an unbiased review. The book was published in the UK on the 16th of January 2025 by Random house UK vintage.
This review will appear on NetGalley UK, StoryGraph, Goodreads, and my book blog bionicSarahSbooks.wordpress.com. It was also appear on Amazon UK and Waterstones.

I LOVED this! So fast paced, likeable characters that evoke genuine feeling for the reader! I’d never read anything with a ‘narrator’ or comments from other characters in this format before and I found I was able to understand more of the story as I was able to experience the thoughts and feelings of other characters. I hate to compare authors because they are all unique, but this gave me very strong Taylor Jenkins-Reid vibes and I thoroughly enjoyed it! Brilliant!

Unfortunately this just wasn’t for me, i’m not sure if it was the interview style or all the drama but i couldn’t wait for it to end.

I loved this my grandmother was a figure skater and grew up with her stories of life on the ice. The rivalry the competitiveness amazing. And the style of story telling was so unique and interesting.

Absolutely gripping. I seriously couldn't stop reading, deep into the night.
A story of obsession, love, hate, passion and envy, all wrapped up into a world of competition rarely exposed. I'd love to know how much is reality and how much is fiction.
Brilliant writing, superb character building and just when you think it must be all over, there's more.