When I say I could not put this book down, I devoured the 400+ pages in less than 24 hours, which is rare for me these days. I loved the stylistic choice to bounce between Katarina's POV and the taping of the documentary. I loved hearing from the secondary characters in the story from years down the line, it gave such depth and intrigue.

Kat and Heath were obviously an electric couple to read about. The childhood trauma that brought them together in the first place, and the crushing need to win that alternatingly kept them together and drove them apart. But their relationship wasn't even necessarily my favorite to read about. Kat and Bella, Sheila and the twins, all of the contentious dynamics as a result of the hyper competitive atmosphere of Olympic training rinks were fascinating.

It's clear that Fargo not only was dedicated to researching and realistically representing this sport, but also representing the mind games of these types of athletes. I felt like I was on the ice with them more than once. Just an absolutely fantastic, immersive read.

The Favorites by Layne Fargo is the story of Katarina Shaw and Heath Rocha, two ice dancers, and their quest to become Olympic gold medalists. Fargo’s writing sucked me in from the very beginning and I could not put it down until I knew what happened with Kat and Heath. The format is half interview style (a la Daisy Jones and the Six) and half retelling from Kat’s perspective. This forms two conflicting narratives that keep you guessing the entire way through the book. There are love triangles, sabotage,obsession, betrayal, and even a figure skating version of Perez Hilton. For a book with a timeline that spans over more than a decade, nothing felt rushed or left out.

This book, for me, struck the perfect balance for a book set in the world of figure skating. Fargo clearly did her research and all of the skating parts had an air of authenticity about them without getting lost in the weeds. I have seen some people talking about this book as a romance, but I don’t think that classification is correct. I think “love story” might be an apt descriptor, but it’s also so much more than that. I can’t wait to see what Layne Fargo comes up with next.

Thank you @NetGalley and @Randomhouse for the ARC. Wow, this book blew me away. I think this might be my top book for 2025. I knew Ice Dancing was hard but lethal, no way. Yet, the backstabbing and sabotage to win is crazy. Katarina and Heath are friends turned partners in Ice Dancing. Both are wanting an out of their family drama and to win a gold medal in the Olympics one day. Except Katarina might want it more than Heath and that starts a disconnect with them. I loved that the story was Katarina's view but it was also filled with a documentary style interviews with those who are part of Katarina and Heath story. A must read.

While I overwhelmingly enjoyed this book, I did find the middle bits to be a bit repetitive and a bit of a slog by the time we got to the endgame (yes, I understand that this sport definitely has its ups and downs and the author was trying to represent that, but there were only so many times I could read that "wow they're doing amazing but oh look! They are self-destructive and of course messed it up right when they needed to be at peak performance!" The end was also a bit disappointing for such a high-stakes novel. While it is one I really enjoyed and will recommend, this isn't one where the author has now become a must-read for me.

I loved this epic love story set in the ice dancing world. This book brought out so many emotions. Sometimes I loved all the characters other times, was so frustrated and angry with them. They were so well developed that I was able to love them one minute and then hate them the next. I loved how this was set in a sports world. It felt very realistic of the sacrifices that one has to make to get to the Olympics.

Would definitely recommend. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the copy to review.

I requested this book because i love to watch ice skating. I didn’t even know if I would like nor what to expect but i ended up absolutely loving every second of it. The drama. The scandal. The added parts like an interview. Fantastic.

wow this was a rollercoaster. I was having fun until a certain plot line developed and the ending fell super flat for me. Bummed.

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

An epic love story set in the sparkling, savage sphere of elite figure skating, starring a woman determined to carve her own path on and off the ice

This was a beautifully written story about very messy people and their very messy relationships. The author did an amazing job of developing the characters and making them seem real and relatable. I grew up watching figure skating competitions on tv. I was transfixed with the beauty of the sport, the competitiveness of the sport and the skaters' relationships. This book brought on all the nostalgia.

Thank you NetGalley for ARC read in exchange for my personal opinion.

I absolutely LOVED this book! I was soooo skeptical since I have read They Never Learn by Layne Fargo and clearly this was not going to be the same type of read! But who doesn't love an ice skating saga filled with drama, romance and scandal!? I loved the format having current interview bites mixed with the story from the past. Loved the characters! I'm definitely hoping to see this one on the big screen someday!!

One of the most hyped books of 2025 is almost here and let me tell you the hype is well deserved!!! This is DEFINITELY a book you want on your shelf and in your ears. It was SO GOOD! And in my opinion, if you have the ability to listen to the audiobook, that is ABSOLUTELY the format to choose. The full cast narration is AMAZING and you don’t want to miss Johnny Weir as Ellis Dean! He steals the show!

The book is over 400 pages, but believe me you will fly right through it. If you have any interest in ice dancing, the Olympics, and or love books by Taylor Jenkins Reid then you will absolutely love this.

HIGHLY RECOMMEND! 🥇🥇

OMG! OMG! OMG! OMG!

This book is PHENOMENAL. If you love reading about scandals, ambition, figure skating, passion, and love & hate you’ll adore this book just as much as I did.

It’s special when a book can pull you in and take you for a ride. That’s exactly what The Favorites did to me. It was a journey that I didn’t want to end. I’ll absolutely be reading it again in the future.

GO GRAB/LISTEN/BINGE THIS BOOK ASAP.

4.25 - this book was delightful. The MCs were so toxic, but so interesting, and I loved the twists and turns in their adventure. I liked that it isn't a standard HEA, and that there's complexity and depth to it.

Although *The Favourites* by Layne Fargo presents an intriguing format that initially promises a gripping psychological thriller, I didn’t like it. While the concept of exploring obsession and manipulation holds potential, the execution falls flat. I just truly didn’t feel compelled by the characters. While the structure is creative, it just wasn’t enough for me.

Katarina Shaw has always known what she wanted= to go to the Olympics. As a struggling teenager, her and her best friend Heath are determined to make those dreams come true. But how far is one willing to sacrifice and give up for their dream?

What a fun juicy novel! The favorites is a retelling of Wuthering Heights and I loved all the drama in the world of competitive ice dancing

This book completely consumed me! I couldn’t put it down—the tension, the drama, the toxicity—I lived for every second of it. The angst between the characters was so intense and Layne masterfully layered every relationship with twists that caught me completely off guard. It’s messy, it’s frustrating, and it’s absolutely brilliant.

It’s been a really long time since a book has made me stay up into the middle of the night to finish it. And then The Favorites by Layne Fargo came into my hands.

I read her book They Never Learn and loved her storytelling in a Dark Academia thriller setting. She just has a way of writing complicated humans and getting you to feel something.

The same is true here. Each character was messy, flawed, selfish, and incredibly lovable. It was clear from the name choices that Fargo heavily took Wuthering Heights and brought it into modern times with Olympic Ice Dance Sports as a catalyst and background.

Kat and Heath are endearing and infuriating at the same time. I was rooting for them and wanted them to fail at the same time. I kept reading to see how they overcame each obstacle.

In a way, their obsession drove me into an instant obsession to read the book. With a busy teaching schedule, young kids, and a crazy sickness season, any chance I could get, I was picking up this book. And when I wasn’t reading I was thinking about it.

This book swept me away on an epic journey that I never wanted to leave. I’ll admit, I wanted a different ending, but that isn’t because the ending isn’t good. I appreciate how the book wrapped up, but there’s something special about how Wuthering Heights leaves a hollow feeling inside that isn’t found in this one. Which isn’t a bad thing.

This pulled me in like many of my old favorites.

I’d highly recommend Adored by Tilly Bagshawe for another messy story about humans you hate and love to root for.

Thanks so much to Netgalley and the Publisher for this Advanced E-Reader Copy. I’ll definitely be purchasing a hard copy for my forever shelf.

I cannot wait for the next book by Layne Fargo because no matter what topic she tackles, I’m there for the ride.

⛸️𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗙𝗔𝗩𝗢𝗥𝗜𝗧𝗘𝗦⛸️
𝒸ℴ𝓃𝓉ℯ𝓂𝓅ℴ𝓇𝒶𝓇𝓎 𝓇ℴ𝓂𝒶𝓃𝒸ℯ
🗓️𝙿𝚞𝚋: 𝙹𝚊𝚗𝚞𝚊𝚛𝚢 𝟷𝟺, 𝟸𝟶𝟸𝟺
🤩𝕄𝕪 𝕣𝕒𝕥𝕚𝕟𝕘: 𝟜.𝟝 𝕤𝕥𝕒𝕣𝕤!

🤏𝚃𝚎𝚎𝚗𝚢 𝚝𝚒𝚍𝚋𝚒𝚝...To the world, they were a scandal. To each other, an obsession.⛸️🥇

🌷𝚆𝚑𝚊𝚝 𝙸 𝚑𝚊𝚟𝚎 𝚝𝚘 𝚜𝚊𝚢...This book has gotten the most rave reviews & I am so happy to say the hype is definitely real! It was the most compelling, drama filled story & I think would be a book you could recommend to everybody!

Thank you for the eARC! Thank you to @PRHAudio and @Librofm for the gifted copy!
This book is absolutely a must to listen to the audiobook version. The production is top notch, the inclusion of Johnny Weir on the cast and his character?! Perfection.
This starts off a bit of a slow burn and then picks up at the exact right moment. From that point I was glued to my headphones. I was entrenched in the gossip, the fanfare, and the journey to what would hopefully be a gold medal. I loved the characters, they were messy and had many faults. To me, this feels so authentic, who among us hasn't been messy and made mistakes?
I've seen a lot of comparisons to Taylor Jenkins Reid, specifically Daisy Jones, I agree that if you liked one you'll most likely enjoy the other - I also can see similarities between this and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow.
I thoroughly enjoyed this and I think it deserves all of the hype! Five stars!

OH MY GOD

Someone please make this into a tv series - I’m begging. This book is unlike anything I’ve ever read before. The characters. The drama. The stress my poor heart was put under!!!

One of the top books of 2025 without a doubt