I feel like this book is not getting enough attention online and gah, readers are missing out.

Anyone who is even remotely interested in ice skating/ice dancing will want to read this in one setting - and it may take all day because this book is long.

I had to read it in spurts over several days because of ... life and this is the perfect book to start on a Saturday morning on the sofa and end it at midnight.

I loved all of the drama, obsession, toxic relationships (yes, those two were toxic for each other), sabotagers, the setting, the cold, the backdrop of the documentary as a way to tell the story...

My only complaint. and it's not a complaint really, I felt it was too long. There were a couple too many competitions because it would start off the same as the others, but then something dramatic would happen - which helped push the plot.

If I were in the rink as a spectator right now, I'd throw roses at this book.

Thank you NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Random House for an e-copy of THE FAVORITES to review.

I rate THE FAVORITES five out of five stars.

This book was stunning, breathtaking, heartbreaking and hopeful all at once. I’ve never felt so emotional about a book in a long time like I did with this one. What a powerful story that needed to be told. Thank you to Netgalley for the advanced copy.

3.75/5 stars
1/5 spice

Although this was well written, it was such a challenge to finish. I liked the documentary style writing, but the drama of the story dragged longer than necessary (in my opinion). Practically every character was unlikable, which added to me having a hard time finishing. I just didn't care about any of these characters except Garrett. But I guess that is the appeal of stories like this. It brings to light the terrible repercussions of blind ambition. The betrayals were unforgiveable, and yet they were forgiven over time. Regardless, this story didn't lack in shock factor.

If you love soap opera drama, ambitious characters, betrayals, and twists... then you'll love this. It was my favorite, but I was entertained.

Thank you to Netgalley and Random House Publishing Group for the ARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own and offered voluntarily.

WHAT A RIDE. I think I want to leave my review at that because everyone just needs to read it and enjoy it and let it consume you.

Thank you NetGalley for this copy.

I keep seeing The Favorites compared to Daisy Jones and The Six and on the one hand, I totally agree. Actually, I almost entirely agree and this is precisely the kind of thing that I would appreciate as a comp. A book that makes characters feel real about a thing that I otherwise wouldn't have cared too terribly much about with the multimedia focus and full cast audio to handle the interviews? My ideal fiction novel, honestly. On the other hand, I do feel like The Favorites is actually better described by looking at Carrie Soto is Back with a blend of Daisy for the interview format excerpts. Because if we're talking characters, Kat has the exact same will and drive to win no matter the costs as Carrie Soto. And furthermore, I think this book is very much Kat's book in the way Carrie Soto is Carrie's book, but Daisy is actually about the full band and Daisy (just mostly about Daisy and Billy).

But let me turn away from comparing this book to other books because that's not fair. The Favorites is about Katarina Shaw, who from the time she saw Sheila Lin and Kirk Lockwood win their second gold medal in ice dancing said, "That's going to be me one day." She and Heath Rocha become partners, best friends, and eventually more than that, despite being so young. From the get go in this book, you see how much Kat is willing to suffer, willing to sacrifice, to be the best. And you can also tell that Heath is in this sport because Heath is there for Kat. This book follows Kat and Heath, by way of Kat specifically, from the time they're 16 until... Well, let me not tell you when. While I was reading this book, I had no idea what was coming next. I was having a lot of feelings, I wasn't sure how to feel about a variety of things, and I was so deeply invested. I did the thing where I would get so anxious about what was about to happen that I paused the book at least twice. In case it wasn't clear, I would HIGHLY recommend this book and I do think that the audiobook is a fantastic way to read it.

The Favorites is told from the perspective of a documentary and prose. The interviews in the documentary tell the story of ice dancers Katarina Shaw and Heath Rocha and the "unprecedented events" that happened at the 2014 Olympics. I think the story could benefit from more description of the settings, internal conflict, backstory and characteristics. I didn't feel appropriate emotions, however, I liked the short chapters and Fargo's writing style. It has high readability and using the documentary is a unique way to introduce many points of view. As for the plot, I loved the beginning and then it was downhill from there. Some parts are repetitive. I was interested in knowing more about Kat and Heath, but I didn't care about any other characters or if they won their competitions. There are a few elements that didn't make sense and I don't like how the queer characters were treated. I also don't like the miscommunication trope and I feel like the book is too long. Overall, it was just okay for me. I'm in the minority on this one as 88% of Goodreads reviewers gave it 4 or 5 stars
› Final Thoughts
• The Favorites is an angsty story about childhood trauma, classism, toxic relationships, manipulation, lies and betrayal. I think an adaptation would be compelling. I recommend this to people who like messy relationships. I've heard good things about the audiobook.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Wow!
What a powerful book. It sucked me in from the beginning and didn't let me go.
I remember when the events of Nancy Kerigan and Tonya Harding took place but, let me tell you the amount of lies, manipulation, and intense pressure on oneself to win this book had makes that situation seem like something that happened in a jungle gym.
Getting to know these characters, seeing life through the eyes of someone who has one mission in life to win ... it was intriguing, powerful, and the emotions seen throughout the book were raw.
The subchapters (interviews) gave me so much more information about personalities and people, that it made the book even more powerful.
Definitely a Five Star Read. Thank you Netgalley and Randomhouse Publishing for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

OMG I was obsessed with reading this book. I had to keep telling myself to slow down so I could make it last longer. The characterization of Katerina and Heath was so good and I loved really getting to know these characters. This book was suspenseful but also filled with drama and love and heartbreak and I really could not get enough of it. I wanted the best for Katerina, but I also kind of wanted to see her fail because we saw all the best parts of her as well as the nitty gritty ugly parts. This was my first Layne Fargo novel, and I immediately requested her backlog at my library because I was so hooked on her writing style. Counting down the days until I let myself reread The Favorites!

I didn’t want to be like the rest… but sadly I am - obsessed with The Favorites. If you devoured Carrie Soto is Back like I did, I have a very strong feeling that you will like (if not love) this book as well!

I think what I loved most about this book is how flaws the characters were while still being likable. Katarina’s story captivated me from the beginning while Heath’s dedication kept me reading until the end.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for the ARC to this novel in exchange for my honest review!

A captivating read set in the world of elite figure skating. The story blends ambition, passion, and the complexities of a high stakes sport. Katarina and Heath’s love story is epic.
Many thanks to Random House and to Netgalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

This was a fun time. I absolutely loved the glimpse into the competitive ice dancing world and I was never bored with the multiple plot twists. It sometimes read a bit too YA for me and would have appreciated a bit more substance.Really liked the documentary transcripts throughout. Overall was never bored and was quite entertained, though unsure how long it will stick with me. Thanks to NetGalley for an advanced copy. 3.5 stars

4⭐️
Not sure if I went in with too high of expectations or what but I didn’t LOVE this book like every other person seems to have. It was good-but in my mind not 5⭐️. Too much drama and toxic relationships got in the way for me in this one. But maybe because I wanted to know/read more about the ice skating rather than the toxic romance.

Thank you the publisher and Netgalley for providing this advance copy in exchange for honest feedback. Recommend for fans of Taylor Jenkins Reid

This book was incredible. It was a little daunting that it was so many pages but from the jump I was sucked in. The writing was superb, the interviews happening at the times they did worked so well to help push the story along. The character development was immaculate altho my critique would be that what was happening between Bella and Health in the last round was under-cooked. That being said: given that the story was Katarina's perspective this all does make sense even if I want to know more. At a certain point Ellis popping up when and how he did became a little too convenient and I think he wore out his welcome... but I think that everything that happened was way too necessary to move the story along nicely. I think the growth of all the characters across the book was so well done and I could tell that by the end they were as tired of the shenanigans as I had been. Their approach to their goals shifted through the book as well and it was good to see that you can be so driven for something, but also to be able to look back later and realize how foolish you were. I think this book has messaging far and wide. What I appreciated so thoroughly is that there was a wide variety of representation and none of it was turned into a plot point. When it became clear Garrett was gay I worried and the way it was handled made me love him more and now when they walked into the hotel arm in arm I was rooting for them to hang out. This book will set a standard in this area for me forever. I think it will stick with me for a long time.
I so have appreciated the opportunity to read it!

The DRAMAAAAAAA the Wuthering Heights girlies are gonna love this one!!

I could not put this one down, and I'm so glad I listened to the audiobook because it's a full cast and told mostly in documentary style. It was messy and intense and I just had to know what was coming next. Devastating at times, which I love, it definitely lives up to the hype.

Who knew I’d care so deeply about ice dancing?! Absolutely engrossing and dramatic. I ended up pairing with the audiobook and both formats are excellent. You can’t go wrong!

An edge of your seat documentary style novel featuring POV narrative and interview portions that keep the pace at a break neck speed. The drama never stops as we go on this ride through the world of competitive ice dancing on the back of a determined athlete while she battles cut throat nemeses, a turbulent relationship, and her own demons. An excellent read and an even better listen with a full cast!

Thank you to NetGalley for my digital copy and LibroFM for my audio copy. These opinions are my own.

This book was…. SO DAMN GOOD. The scandal, the drama, the angst, the passion, the everything. I was thoroughly addicted from page 1! My only note would be that the ending could have used a little more fleshing out and as the reader, I wanted to understand more about Heath and Bella as individuals and as a dynamic. I get that it was Kat’s pov and she was okay with leaving some things untouched, but when you have all the business out there, can you really blame me for getting caught up in the details? That being said, if the ending was more than a quick HEA after everything we had been through in the rest of the book, it would’ve been perfect. I would’ve loved to see them building their lives in the aftermath.

THE FAVORITES

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5

This book is everywhere to kick off 2025 & so I HAD to listen to the audiobook!

In the northern suburbs of Chicago, Katarina Shaw & Heath Rocha use skating as an outlet from their lives: Kat wants to escape her abusive, alcoholic brother, and Heath is an orphan. When they get the chance to train with the Lin twins and their famous, Olympic-gold-winning mother, new worlds of ice dance open up to them. As Kat & Heath rise in both fame and skill alongside Bella & Garrett Lin, they realize the cost of putting everything on the line to win. Ten years after the Sochi Olympics, a documentary is being produced about Kat and Heath’s epic story to answer: what really happened all of those years ago?!

You’ll like this if you like:
⛸️ documentary-style writing: in the vein of TJR, we have character interviews between chapters. the audiobook has a full cast and it really brings the “documentary” to life. (i personally loved Ellis Dean’s narrator!)
⛸️ unpredictable (messy) relationships: the ups-and-downs and back-and-forths with these characters - sheesh!! Genuine friendship + love meets manipulation and sabotage
⛸️ Olympics / competitive showdowns: there are so many tense “must win” scenes in this book

At first I felt like this book sped through some of Kat & Heath’s development in their early career, but I see now that there is so much to cover throughout their 20s that the pacing choice makes sense. There are truly so many parts of this book - it’s a rollercoaster.

I wasn’t fully convinced on where we landed at the end (no spoilers!), but the journey to get there was so wild & entertaining, I’m not even mad. Also, the “The Last Time” by Taylor Swift was a perfect choice to encapsulate the back half of this book — it’s been a sneaky favorite of mine since putting it on my “ride to school” mixtape CD in high school 🥹

I definitely recommend adding this to your 2025 TBR list, and I’d opt for the audio — it lives up to the hype!! For those that have read it, LMK what you think of all of the twists 👀

When I think of ice dancing, I think of a light, sweet, easy breezy love story. The Favorites was not that at all. It was gritty and hard. This is told in first person along with interview documentary excerpts. The foreshadowing is top notch. It gives you such a foreboding feel while keeping you on the edge of your seat. I knew something devastating is coming but I couldn’t look away. It also has that celebrity gossip rag feel of the early aughts that was so nostalgic. It gave Daisy Jones feels and sucked me in immediately. I’m wavering between 4.5 and 5 stars but I feel sometimes Heath’s actions felt like whiplash and I didn’t understand exactly why he made some of the choices he did. Overall I highly recommend this one! It will definitely be one of my faves for the year.