LOVED! How does one even say that this is probably the best book of the year when there is so much reading left to do? This book is like an Olympic figure skating version of Daisy Jones and the six. Honestly it was perfection. If you enjoy women's fiction mixed with sports and an epic love story, THIS IS FOR YOU! Please just pick this book up. It is incredible.

Thank you to Netgalley & The publisher for my early e-arc.

Wow. Wow.... WOW!!!
I mean, this was just the Olympic gold of all ice skating stories!
This was brilliantly told, a mixture of The Cutting Edge (because, of course!) and Daisy Jones, in which you pretty much believe these are REAL people. This book made me want to google the heck out of these characters because they felt that real to me.
This was a wild, chaotic ride, and the audio book cast narration just elevated this already atmospheric novel. Definitely getting this for our collection!

The Favorites follow Kat and Heath as they strive for gold in the olympics. This story is filled with drama and toxicity that keeps you hooked from the very beginning. I loved the characters growth and enjoyed the background information on ice skating. This book would be perfect for fans of Daisy Jones and The Six and Carrie Soto is back. Overall a 4 🌟 due to the story feeling a little repetitive at times.



Thank you NetGalley for a complementary copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

This book was an utterly spectacular ride that never ceased to amaze me at every turn. Sports romance is a subgenre that I truly love every iteration of, but Layne Fargo managed to bring it to new heights with this story. It was addicting in a way that had me gasping, wondering where Katarina and Heath would take us next, and I really hope we get more of this particular intrigue and drama in the future!

The Favorites was an interesting read. I know people are loving it but it just didn’t live up to the hype for me. I loved learning about the skating world and the craziness that goes on behind it all. I think a lot of people will love this book. I definitely will recommend it!

The Favorites by Layne Fargo is billed as a mashup of Daisy Jones and the Six and Wuthering Heights. Told in interviews, news pieces, and traditional prose, this is the story of elite level figure skaters. We specifically follow Katarina Shaw and her adopted sibling, Heath Rocha.

I found this book long but I always wanted to keep reading. I liked the character development around Heath, but felt that Katarina's development was a bit less than I wanted for a nearly 500 page book's main character. The final 20% of this book had me hiding out and trying to block out the noise of many children and adults while visiting family after the holidays, as I was sure it was building to something huge. Alas, it was not- in my opinion.

Many readers are loving this, so if it sounds good to you please go for it! Looking back, I'm not a fan of Wuthering Heights and toxic romance so this is a me problem.

There were parts of this book that I loved and parts that dragged. I think the idea and storyline was definitely fresh and exciting as a reader. But I’m not going to lie - Bella and Heath getting together ruined it for me but I stuck it out until the end.

3.5 stars

I have a new appreciation for Figure skating and the blood sweat and tears that go along with becoming a champion. I adored this book. The character development was so believable and hooked you right in to their competitive world. I loved the back and forth interview style storyline. It made it so real and believable. I was rooting for Katarina and Heath. She is strong and fearless and a force to be reckoned with in terms of a FMC!!!! If you liked Like Daisy Jones & the Six style of book then you will eat this up! Thank you @netgalley for this amazing ARC. I thoroughly enjoyed it. Layne Fargo- you must have been a figure skater to have nailed this sport and the world they live in so well!

The Favorites is fast-paced, addictive and would make an incredible tv show (the drama is never ending!). I’m obsessed and infuriated all at the same time. I get that their relationship was complicated and toxic and that adds to the plot, but I wanted a little more from the romance… I don’t want to give anything away so I’ll leave it at that. All in all, I would wholeheartedly recommend!

this was okay... but I think this was a little too dramatic and over the top for me. a decent read but the characters were so unlikeable and i didnt care much for the ice skating aspect of it. i can see why others enjoyed it but i just dont think it was the book for me unfortunately.

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.