What an amazing book. Written like a documentary, you get the raw and the real while also getting the perspectives of others in between chapters.
The characters are well developed and written. They raw and relatable and although you’re met with twist after twist, you cannot help yourself but to like or dislike all the people Katarina likes or dislikes.
A super interesting plot, at the end I felt like I grew up watching Heath and Kat skate every if I’ve never once seen the sport.
The scenes are described perfectly and the imagery is delivered superbly.
I now wish this was a documentary. I sure would watch it.

My name is Morna and I’m an ice skating nerd. Ever since Torvill and Dean made their comeback in Sheffield Ice Arena with their Let’s Face the Music and Dance routine I have been obsessed. So when I saw this book on Net Galley I knew I had to have it!

Unlike The Running Club, where I lamented a distinct lack of running this story had ice skating front and centre. I loved all the skating detail, the discussions around choreography, lifts and costumes and, most importantly, the blow by blow accounts of multiple competitions. I felt this book truly nailed the sports novel genre. In some ways it reminded me of Carrie Soto is Back which is about the greatest compliment I can pay a book!

I loved the mixed format with the story being told partly as a Netflix documentary with multiple talking heads and partly as a first person narrative by Katarina the main protagonist. The insights into the other characters made the story and really helped to make the twists at the end even more shocking.

This isn’t a romance, but Katarina and Heath’s tumultuous relationship really is at the core of the story. I found it heart warming, toxic, distressing and utterly unrelatable at times but I couldn’t drag myself away from them either.

I powered my way through this and pretty much loved every minute. There were a couple of twists close to the end which I struggled to accept but I can understand why the author chose to end it the way she did. I can only hope that this sparks a string of copycat stories because I’m hungry for more ice dance novels now!

This was messy, filled with drama and action packed and I loved every minute! I was throughly entertained and sat throughout needing to know every single detail of Katarina & Heath’s story! They felt so real to me!

I love when a book makes me feel several different emotions and this did just that! Chapter 72 had me like 😤🤯😳..
I couldn’t put this down, so bingeable!!!


This novel will be perfect for fans of Daisy Jones & The Six with its writing style and immersive story! I can’t wait for everyone to read this!

Thank you to Layne Fargo, Random House, Vintage, and NetGalley for the e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

I devoured this in one sitting! Incredibly immersive setting and such a well-thought out plot. The mixed media format was great. 100% recommend for fans of Daisy Jones and The Six. I felt the characters could mesh together a little sometimes but as a contemporary fiction, I would rate it a solid 4.25 / 4.5.

I loved the mixed format of this book - the "talking heads" sections really added to the suspense and contrasted really well with the otherwise quite calm narrative from Katarina.

The Favourites had me hooked early on and I was constantly trying to figure out what the big twist was going to be and, more importantly, who did it. Whilst the plot twist was a surprise it had been clear for quite some time who the perpetrator would be. Nonetheless, I was hooked the whole way through. The main characters started off a little two-dimensional but as their story was fleshed out their characters also developed and I felt a little more empathy towards the main character despite her ego sometimes getting in the way of her humanity. The will they, won't they element of the love story was engaging and I noticed I changed my mind quite a few times about whether or not Kat and Heath should be together or not.

This was a quick read and, as Fargo no doubt intended, reads like a gripping docudrama. It would translate perfectly to the screen were it ever to be picked up!

I saw this all over Bookstagram and had to pick it up. The cover drew me in first (honestly probably my favourite I’ve ever seen!) but the reviews solidified it for me. Everything you’ve heard about this book is true. It’s messy, it’s dramatic, it’s an incredible read. I can see the comparisons to Daisy Jones & the Six, with its interview format, but I’d say this is a better story (and I loved that book too!). It’s not just a sports romance, it’s a story about ambition, rivalry and obsession. The plot, the competitive elements, and the characters are so well written, I truly felt like I could imagine watching this as a documentary as I was reading. The build up to the finale was also spectacular, and didn’t dip in the last chapter the way a lot of books do!
My favourite thing was that no character came across as perfect, Bella, Garrett, Katarina, Heath, Sheila, Ellis, they all came across as real, flawed, well rounded, good and bad. And that’s harder to find in a book than you’d think.
A great book to start the year!

The Favourites by Layne Fargo is a brilliant debut novel that will undoubtedly be a popular read this year! It follows our main characters Kat and Heath from young childhood friends to world famous figure skaters. The book is written in a biography style with the pov of Kat and interspersed with interview style clips from other characters. This worked really well to set the scene and add context to the story. The book is really gripping and I found myself unable to put it down as I got completely immersed in this world. There were lots of twists and turns that kept the drama going with all the characters. They are all driven and flawed and not always likeable but this made for a great read.
Highly recommend this book and I look forward to reading whatever the author next publishes!

I absolutely adored this book and devoured it over a couple of days! For me it will definitely be one of the biggest book of 2025 and I will be recommending it to all of my friends!

Overall an entertaining read. The story centres around Kat in a soap opera-esque style of story as she navigates the tumultuous life of a girl coming of age within the prestigious world of ice skating.
As there are parts interspersed throughout the book of people being interviewed for a documentary looking back at Kat's career, I feel listening to the audio book may enhance the reader's experience of this book.
I'd recommend this book to a YA audience.

Thank you for my copy Netgalley and Random House. When I heard it’s Carrie Soto and Daisy Jones vibes, I knew it will be up my street. Add figure skating which I’ve been obsessed with since I was a little girl and I was hooked. I loved the documentary/interview style and the whole story was gripping, fast paced, I couldn’t put it down. Maybe Katarina is not the most likeable person but you can’t help admiring her hard work and determination to win. I liked the mystery around Heath but at the same time I wish there was more depth to his character.
If you like (sports)drama, I highly recommend this book

As a fantasy reader, contemporary romances usually aren’t my go-to genre. However, my love for this sport compelled me to pick up this book, and I wasn’t prepared for the incredible journey it took me on.

The Favourites by Layne Fargo follows Katarina Shaw and Heath Rocha, two skaters who rise from difficult beginnings to become Olympic ice-dancing sensations. The novel explores both their meteoric rise and dramatic downfall—both in their careers and personal relationship—through the lens of a documentary-style narrative.

While most of the story is told from Kat’s perspective, the unique structure incorporates viewpoints from various side characters who were part of Kat and Heath’s journey. I found this storytelling approach fascinating, as it provided deeper insight into how the main characters were perceived by those around them.

That said, while I appreciated the book’s portrayal of the ruthless world of competitive sports, I sometimes found myself bored with the relentless twists and turns. At times, it felt like the same conflicts were repeating, just with different characters.

Nevertheless, the novel is exceptionally well-written and fully immerses the reader, making you root for the characters despite their flaws. It provided a truly captivating and immersive experience that I think the majority of romance readers will appreciate.

The Favourites is a gripping exploration of the high-stakes world of Olympic-level ice dancing, blending elements of documentary-style transcripts with a compelling first-person narrative. This structure allows the story to flow seamlessly, immersing readers in both the intense training environment and the deeply personal struggles of its protagonists, Katarina and Heath.

The novel captures not only the physical and emotional toll of elite competition but also the complexities of personal relationships under pressure. Katarina and Heath’s journey is fraught with rivalry, betrayal, and ambition, making for a dynamic and unpredictable read. Yet, amidst the tension, the story also delves into themes of friendship and self-awareness, showing how personal growth can emerge from even the most challenging circumstances.

With its engaging storytelling and well-crafted characters, The Favourites is a must-read for fans of sports dramas and character-driven narratives alike.

The Favourites by Layne Fargo brings all the mixed feelings. I was hooked from the start by the story of Kat and Heath (I mean, Wuthering Heights, anyone?) and the fact it was told in a style similar to Daisy Jones and the Six really hammered down the way in which the author envisaged this book as a tell-all biopic. I loved Kat’s sheer single-mindedness of an athlete that is competitive and cares about the sport and her own success. Heath was a bit too hidden in this story to get a good glimpse at him as a character, but the air of the mystery played well in this context. I really, really liked Bella and Garrett and their personas shaped by their one-minded mother, Sheila. Bella might have been cruel but she was also Kat’s equal, and it was good to see another heroine who chose sport over a more conventional life. Garratt was a sweetheart. So far so good. When I started the book I expected love stories and triumphs and grand gestures. Here, the author managed to surprise me – it is very much true that Kat’s first love was skating – not Heath – and I liked the way this got more obvious as the book progressed. BUT. I really think this book was far too long. The complications and the heartbreaks people suffer in this book might have filled in another novel. They triumph. They fail. They triumph. They fail. They split. They come back. They love. They hate each other. They split. Come back. Sort of come back. Suffer? Not suffer? Are fine…? I really want to avoid spoilers, but the ending was good but not great. And yet. I was still somehow invested in the story. Possibly because I love figure skating – I still remember Anissina and Peizerat performing, and her lifting him (!!!) and Papadakis and Cizeron absolutely smashed their free programme a couple years ago. So maybe I am biased and this is why I was still somehow gripped by The Favourites, despite the length and occasional eye-rolling moments. In the end, skating is all about performance, drama and attitude, and this book has it all.

This book had so much hype i was so excited when this appeared. I heard it was like 'From Lukov with Love' and 'Daisy Jones and The Six' and this really lived up to its hype. I loved the obession and the way this was written and I cannot wait to tell everyone about it!

The Favourites pulls you into the ruthless world of ice skating, where ambition and obsession blur the line between love and destruction. Kat and Heath’s relationship is intense and all-consuming, making every triumph and betrayal feel larger than life. The dual timeline keeps the tension sharp, slowly unraveling the secrets behind their rise and fall. It’s dramatic, compelling, and impossible to put down. If you’re into competitive sports, messy relationships, and high-stakes drama, this one delivers.

Thank you to NetGalley, Random House UK (Vintage), and Layne Fargo for a review copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

My goodness! What drama! This is definitely one for the Daisy Jones and The Six fans out there. The Favourites follows Katarina and Heath (yes, this is a Wuthering Heights retelling) throughout their career as Olympic-level ice dancers and the thirty-odd years they've known each. Told as both a documentary transcript premiering ten years after "the worst day of [Katarina's] life" and also told directly from Katarina's perspective, you uncover the absolutely insane journey they went on to achieve Olympic gold.

I was definitely hooked after about a quarter of the way through, the first quarter being a bit slower-paced. But as soon as the drama, the lies, and the betrayal started to unfold, it did not stop! There were times when so much was happening that I began to feel slightly overwhelmed, and a lot of the Wuthering Heights references felt a bit too on the nose that they did become a distraction at points.

Overall though, if you like fictional historical stories, à la Daisy Jones and The Six or The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo, and prefer a lot of twists and turns throughout - keep The Favourites in your mind when looking for your next read.

Wow. I am still recovering from this book&can’t stop thinking about it. I haven’t felt physically sick while reading a story in so long&the tears I shed. Damn.

I’ve always loved the novel ‘Wuthering Heights’ and when I heard ‘The Favourites’ was a retelling of it, I was instantly very curious.

The book follows Kat&Heath, childhood friends, trying to become professional ice dancers&make it to the Olympics. The writing style is fantastic and so special. Each chapter is partly narrated by Kat and half is told through interviews of coaches, judges, friends, fellow ice skaters as part of a documentary.

I was instantly so immersed in the story and read this book in less than a day. This is not your usual ‘happy romance’ story; there’s toxicity, betrayal, competition, love, friendship, self-growth, etc. the characters were all complex, had so many layers and I would cry and root for them.

Having grown up doing competitive sport, I loved how you get to see how competitive sport is and how it takes over your life.

I had to instantly order a physical copy of this book to have on my bookshelf and can’t wait to recommend it to everyone.

Thank you so so much to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for letting me read this masterpiece 🖤⛸️✨

I fear I may never recover from this book. Even if I do, it will stay with me forever.

This book was incredible. The characters were so well fleshed out and felt genuinely real; I expected to Google them and see videos of all their performances. Kat, Heath, Bella, and even Garrett are such real people in my mind, each having to make such difficult decisions. The character growth was phenomenal. Heath is a man you hate to love, but I fear I'll never forgive him for one thing he did. Bella and Kat's friendship was toxic and dysfunctional, yet I can't help but respect and understand why.

The event that happened around the 80% mark absolutely ripped my heart out for Kat.

In January, I restarted my figure skating lessons, and at one point, I was reading this on my Kindle before my lesson. With everyone performing on the ice, it created the most immersive experience ever.⛸️❤️‍🩹🏅

There is a lot of hype about The Favourites on bookstagram but oh my goodness is it well deserved.

Katarina and Heath are outsiders in the world of ice dancing. They’re poor, unconnected, fiery, and desperately, madly in love.

Their journey from teenagers with dreams through to competitive skating on a global scale is filled with trials, tribulations, missteps and misdeeds.

It’s a really engaging and enjoyable read that keeps you on your toes right until the very end.

This was such a fun and engaging read. The mixture of documentary transcript and first person narrative from Katarina provided a mixture of the outsiders perspectives to Kat's emotional experience. It also meant the book was quite fast to read. Katarina was deeply complex; her ambition, her drive and strength were tested in the face of her relationship and partnership with Heath. I will admit Heath was the character I was most dissapointed by, he felt like a shadow to Kat's star. It would have been nice to have gained his perspective at some point in the book, maybe the Epilogue? The other characters were well fleshed out with their own complicated relationships with Katarina and each other. This was a fun jam packed novel that kept me completely hooked.