This was a wild ride! It's got elements that fans of Taylor Jenkins Reid will love but with the drama dialled all the way up to eleven. Different from what I was expecting but I couldn't put it down. An easy recommend for anyone stuck in a reading rut - this book rips!

I loved this so much. In style very much like Daisy Jones and the Six, and I’m excited to see a tv adaptation if that happens. So many of the characters are inherently flawed and have some incredible unlikeable qualities but that just makes them feel more human and real. I really enjoyed the competitive skating backdrop and that it all felt so real with the different (sometimes unreliable) voices contributing throughout. Absolutely loved the twists and turns in the second half and how the story takes you back to the opening, which really isn’t what you’d expect…

I really enjoyed this. It sucked me in straight away and I liked the style of writing.
I liked the drama and the dysfunctionality.
I liked the characters and how they were so raw and real!
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

That was an interesting read… It kept me stressed, nervous, angry, and completely hooked. I couldn’t stop reading!

As a huge fan of figure skating, I found this book addictive. However, some situations felt a bit over the top, and you lost me at 80% with that awkward turn involving three characters—it just didn’t work for me. It was even unnecessary.

UPDATE:
I keep thinking and thinking about this book, but not for the best reasons. I’m hating the final twist more and MORE! I need to update my rating.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Strap on your skates, readers. You’re in for a wild ride…

Where to start? The Favourites is almost definitely destined to be one of my favourites this year – and perhaps of all time. It’s got a winning combination of sparkling glamour, heartfelt romance and dramatic scandal. I’d genuinely be surprised if this doesn’t end up on many bestsellers lists this year.

I loved the format. It’s a mix of short interview excerpts from a new documentary, combined with a first person narrative from Katarina Shaw. Kat is tired of others talking about her and her illustrious ice dancing career, she wants to share her story, her way. And it’s a riveting read.

“I’d convinced myself that if I became the best, it didn’t matter who I hurt, because in the end, it would be worth it. Even if I hurt myself most of all.”

From a rough childhood growing up in rural Illinois, to the dazzling lights of LA, to the cold competition of Russia, the author takes the reader on a journey through the characters’ lives. All the main characters are relatable but not always likeable – they’re real, and they’re flawed. They make plenty of mistakes, but I loved them anyway.

The book revolves around the romance between childhood sweethearts Kat Shaw and Heath Rocha, but it’s also about their intense battle to try to become Olympic champions. Ice dancing isn’t really something I’ve paid much attention to in the past, but this book made me sit up and take notice. The author has clearly done her research, and she brings the world of ice dance to life in a way I never imagined – the competition, ambition, drama and controversy surrounding the sport. I could practically hear the music, feel the cold and taste the sweat. It’s dizzying, and electrifying.

This is the first I’ve read from this author, but her writing feels very reminiscent of Taylor Jenkins-Reid, and I think it will definitely appeal to fans of that author. It has the romance, music and heart of Daisy Jones combined with the fierce ambition of her newer novel Carrie Soto Is Back.

There’s other authors I could compare this to, but I won’t because this book is a masterclass of drama in its own right. Fargo has effortless captured an authentic and emotional romance, coming-of-age story and brutal sports drama and topped it off with some dark twists and turns which wouldn’t be out of place in a thriller. One not to miss this year.

Thanks to NetGalley, publishers and author for an ARC of The Favourites.

Oh My Days. I feel like I have been on the full journey with the characters in this book. And what a book, what a story. Written in the style of a non-fiction book, I genuinely forgot that this story was not real! Even now I'm struggling with fact that I will never meet Katarina Shaw and Heath Rocha in real life.

Highly recommend.

4.5/5 stars

What a rollercoaster of a book!

Reading the Favourites was very similar to how I felt reading Daisy Jones & the Six, and that’s saying a lot.

The characters Layne Fargo created are flawed, imperfect, they make rash and confusing decisions, but all of this just makes them more human.

I struggled a bit with the dynamics between Katarina, Heath and Bella in the last third of the book, which is why I can’t give it a full 5 stars.

The favourites is my new fave. This book is definitely a dash of romance and a whole lot of toxic love, drama and betrayals.

This is one for the fans of daisy Jones and the six with its mixed media but a whole lot of something more.
I love the fast pace and constant drama. The adlib from the commentary was amazing.

No notes and I can't wait to recommend this to EVERYONE
Thank you to the publishers and netgalley

I heard positive reviews about this book but other than it having a figure skating element I didn’t know what to expect. This is a retelling of Withering Heights, where our characters Kat & Health fight to make their dream of an Olympic gold come true. Years of hard work, success , heartbreak and devastation grip the reader and have you both rooting and hating them at the same time. The sport is ruthless and winning is the ultimate goal.

I loved this book, I was happy, crying and anxious for them throughout. It’s written in a documentary format with comments from interviews as well as Kat retelling her side of events. It reminded me a little bit of The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo. But honestly what a book!

I am speechless. This book was soooooooo good. Oh my god.
This is an absolute 6 star read and I will recommend it to everyone and their mother... I believe this will be THE BEST BOOK OF 2025 for me. I don't know how any other book could top that. Nothing left to say except: I applaude you Layne Fargo! Thank you for this masterpiece!

I really enjoyed this! Not my usual genre but it had me captivated and I finished in one sitting. It’s the story of 2 figure skaters competing against the odds of their difficult childhood and financial difficulties. The relationships felt realistic and complex and I felt like I was in their world

Thanks NetGalley for the opportunity to read this

What a fabulous read!
This in-putdownable story follows Katarina and Heath, both troubled in their own ways as they chase an Olympic dream.
What makes The Favourites particularly gripping is its ability to surprise at every turn. Just when you think you have a handle on the story, the narrative takes an unexpected detour or reveals a new, compelling piece of the puzzle. The sense of wonder, danger, and romance creates a dreamlike quality, keeping the reader engaged until the very last pages.
By the time you reach the final pages, the narrative ties together in a beautiful, unexpected way that leaves you thinking long after the book is closed. It's a masterclass in building tension, using twists and turns not just to surprise, but to deepen the emotional stakes.
A definite must read for any fans of Daisy Jones and the Six, this story will stay with you long after finishing reading.

Very good premises,
I enjoyed reading about the choreographies and the relationship between all the characters. It took me a minute to see that it was a retelling of Wuthering Heights (my favourite classic ) but it never becomes as intense or toxic as in the novel by Emily Brontë.
I thought the book was a real page-turner for the first half but I also found the second part a bit repetitive (competitions, drama, training, etc.)
It’s still a fairly good book despite the quite unlikable characters, I particularly liked Kat but Heath's personality is only on the surface.

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!