The Favorites by Layne Fargo is exceptionally thrilling! Every single character was so interesting to follow, and I felt deeply immersed in the world.

My last five star read of 2024! I absolutely LOVED this book. I could not put it down. One of my favorite movies as a kid was The Cutting Edge and this gave me similar feels. I enjoyed the drama, the characters, I even loved to hate some of them! The characters were wonderfully written. I was hooked from page 1 and there were so many twists I didn't predict or see coming. The vibes of this novel reminded me of Taylor Jenkins Reid.

I really want to see this on the big screen. I get this book will not be for everyone as it is heavy on Ice skating. Katarina sole purpose in her life was winning Gold at the Olympics with the only boy she had ever loved and known, Heath. But Life doesn't always go to plan. I enjoyed the commentary in between chapters, I thought it was fun. The audio had so many to list and made the Audio, so good. This is my first Layne Fargo read and will definitely read more from Layne. Thank you netgalley for the ARC, this review is my own opinions.

Re-edit: I literally can't stop thinking about this book. Katarina is unforgettable and made this book a literal ******. Thats 6 Stars I believe it will be my favorite of the year. I know it's only January, but I literally want to meet Katarina and family. I did feel like there was a false ending as I was geared up for it to end soon and at that point it was a 5-star read and really good and the Everything hit the fan and chaos erupted. But Katarina is grown now and is in charge of her life. I absolutely love the ending, as I am still smiling hours later. How do I move on to another book now, as nothing can live up to this.

P.s. I hope I did not hype it up too much and it's not your cup of tea. I hope everyone loves it and wants more.

Wow! Written in a very similar format to Daisy Jones & The Six (interview with mixed media, etc), this book is gripping from the beginning & takes you on a wild ride that is well worth the read (or listen, trust me - the audio is perfection!) I don't know what more to say about this one than I'm sure everyone else has said, but if you grew up watching pairs ice skating at the Olympics & fantasizing about what their relationship looked like & dreaming to be one of those fabulous skakers one day, this book is for you! A love letter to pairs ice skating (ice dancing in particular) with a side of tortured romance & a crazy dramatic cast of side characters, this book was phenomenal & I can not wait to read anything else Layne Fargo writes! Highly recommended.

As someone who grew up watching figure skaters like Kristy Yamaguchi, Michelle Kwan, and others, I've always been enthralled with that world. They made the sport look so effortless. Now I know better, that making anything look easy means it's probably even harder. All of that to say that The Favorites was exactly what I was hoping it would be. Insight into a lifestyle that looks so glamorous on the outside, but is grueling and competitive and rewarding. The characters were compelling, and I really enjoyed how the story was told.

Such an engrossing read, I gulped this book right down! I did find myself wishing for a twist ending and found myself a tiny bit let down by the HEA, but the journey getting there more than made up for it. I’m so excited by the tease of a screen adaptation in the author’s acknowledgements, I would watch the H-E-double custom ice skates out of it! Looking forward to seeing what this author does next!

“The thing is, when pushing your limits is all you know, when it seems normal to you… it’s hard to remember you even have limits. Until you run right into them.”

This is a book I was SO EXCITED to read after seeing nothing but glorious reviews! And OMG!!! It is Carrie Soto + toxic love/ obsession + the behind the scenes of elitist sport + drama. So much drama!!!

I mean IT 👏🏻 IS 👏🏻 WORTH 👏🏻 EVERY 👏🏻 BIT 👏🏻 OF 👏🏻 HYPE 👏🏻

As soon as I started reading THE FAVORITES I was sucked into it. When I tell you this book is addicting, I mean it was impossible to put down! I have watched some ice dance during Olympic Games here and there but now I feel like I need to know more.

My only complaint is that I wish that Heath would have been more fleshed out. Given that technically the story is about both Katarina and Heath, not much is actually known about him. But that didn’t deter me from obsessing over this story.

It would be so exhausting stanning any of these people.

I’m gonna be so honest when I say that I originally picked this up because I share a name with the main character, but I’m so glad I did.

The Favorites follows Katarina Shaw through her skating career as she chases her dream of becoming an Olympic gold medalist.

I absolutely loved the way that this story was structured. As you’re reading you flip back and forth between Katarina’s POV from the past as well as documentary style “tell all” interviews from other characters in the present. It reminded me a lot of what I loved about reading Daisy Jones and the Six. There is constant build up to the scandal and just when you think you’ve heard the worst of it more drama goes down.

I’m an absolute sucker for stories about characters that are ultimately not good for each other so let me just say, this delivered! These characters were so messy in their constant push and pull dynamics I would be stressing out if this was my friend group. However, I do wish I felt more connected to the romance aspect of this story. The relationship Katarina and Heath had didn’t feel believable enough and with more angst and longing I think this entire book would have been a home run for me.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Random House for providing me with this ARC.

This novel tells the story of a (fictional) famous ice dancing couple, Kat and Heath, set in the 1990s-early 2000s. Most of the book is told from the perspective of Kat, looking back at their lives from small kids to all the ups and downs of their relationship and career. Interspersed are interviews with various people who knew them, documentary-style. Think Carrie Soto Is Back or Daisy Jones & the Six, but about the competitive world of ice dancing.

I totally could not put this one down, such an entertaining ride with the documentary structure also creating a bit of mystery. I will say I found Kat and Heath’s relationship kind of toxic so it kept me from finding this to be an epic love story like the book blurbs proclaim. But I still enjoyed every minute of reading it! If you’re looking for something to tide you over til the next Taylor Jenkins Reid book, look no farther!

4.25 stars

Much like Kat and Heath were obsessed with each other, I am obsessed with this book. I have a feeling it is going to be my favorite book of 2025. It is THAT good!!! The hype is real.

I'm aging myself here, but for those of us who were around in the 90's, this gave Nancy Kerrigan/Tonya Harding/Kristi Yamaguchi Olympics vibes, except The Favorites focuses on pairs ice dancing, not figure skating. It was such a fun read. I could not put it down! It is full of drama, backstabbing, toxic relationships, unlikable characters (except Garrett... loved him!), and wild love. I thoroughly enjoyed the format- part documentary commentary, part Kat's point of view.

If you love Taylor Jenkins Reid and enjoyed Carrie Soto Is Back, you will devour this one. Hats off to Layne Fargo for crushing it. I also loved her other book, They Never Learn. If you enjoyed this one, I highly suggest reading that one too.

This didn’t hit the mark for me. There’s so much hype about this book right now, and I was expecting more?

The first half of the book kinda had me reeled in, but by second half I was bored. I started out reading on kindle but listened to most on audio. I recommend the audio, as it’s easier to follow and more entertaining.

I didn’t connect with the characters. There’s messy relationships and lackluster chemistry.

I do however like how this dives into what may go on behind the scenes of a professional sport like ice dancing. The writing style was different but good.

This is the story of two toxic ice dancers and their dream to become Olympic gold medalists told in a documentary style way. It was such a unique concept and I loved the author kept the chapters short. The tension and angst I felt the entire time reading kept me wanting to go… “just one more chapter”. When I say Kat & Heath but the toxic in toxic relationships, that’s understatement. However, the author does a good job of still making you feel connected to them and wanting to root for them to succeed. At some points, I actually had a stomach ache bc I was so stressed over what was going to happen 😂. Definitely a memorable book that I won’t forget for a while.

⭐⭐⭐⭐.5 !!!

"We were adults, and we were children, and we were skating at the Olympics and also on the frozen lake back home, laughing and twirling and holding each other tight. It felt like flying and falling and being caught, all in the same instant."

When I read The favorites' blurb I was immediately captivated: childhood best friends who become Olympics skaters??? SIGN ME UP. I can easily describe Heath and Kat's story as dysfunctional, but I enjoyed it nevertheless. However I don't think that their love story is the center of the book, it's more about their journey as a figure skating couple. Also, I could understand if someone didn't like Kat as a main character because she's so self-absorbed and focused on her goal, but I really enjoyed her ambition and determination,

This book was messy, full of drama and angst... of course I loved it! Kat and Heath’s story is told through a documentary / interview style similar to Daisy Jones and the Six and I found this narrative style incredibly engaging; the main POV is Kat’s but in this way the author was able to show us the comments and thoughts of all the other characters, so it was really interesting imo. This book was beautifully written! Among all the secondary characters, I appreciated Garrett Lin the most: his voice felt like a breath of fresh air, a reliable character in a very competitive and shady environment.

Good thing I’m not Katarina Shaw though because I never would have survived all those betrayals and twists, but I enjoyed reading her story from the sideline 👀

What more can I say to convince you? If you have an hyperfixation on ice skating and drama like me, The favorites is perfect for you!

Thank you to Netgalley and Random House Publishing Group for providing me with an ARC!

Firstly, I would like to say I really wanted to enjoy this. I read "Wuthering Heights" last year and it was an adventure for sure. The main reasons why I enjoyed it was because Emily Bronte's writing is very beautiful, and her characters are utterly ridiculous. It was hilarious to me to read people acting super toxic in that time period. Just humans being humans no matter the timeline. In a hypocritical fashion, I've realized that a modern day "Wuthering Heights" inspired story is just not for me and sadly I did not finish this title. I will say that I really did like the interview style parts. I wish the entire book was written that way.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for this arc!

TOXIC romance and I didn't really like any of the characters. BUT it was still a fun read?! lol. So, I guess I hate read it? I enjoyed the premise and writing style. I need to read Wuthering Heights and see if that changes anything for me. 😅

Wow oh wow. This book was everything to me. I am obsessed with Heath and Kat and their story. This book was jam packed with drama and action, and figure skating and longing. The stakes always felt so high and I was addicted to reading, I had to find out where this story was headed and what would happen to Heath and Kat's Olympic medal hopes, as well as their personal relationship. This book was truly incredible, and I cannot wait to read anything else this author publishes.

The Favorites by Layne Fargo was an intense, thought-provoking and gripping story from the very beginning.
Her characters come to life and she shows so much emotion throughout them.
I truly enjoyed reading this book and look forward to her next one.

The Favorites by Layne Fargo tells the story of Katarina Shaw and Heath Rocha- two small town ice dancers who make it big and end up competing at the Olympics. The book reads like a documentary of the two and their journey from obscurity to champions- complete with commentary from reporters. It really enjoyed this book despite some parts seeming a bit repetitive for me. This would make a fantastic tv series! Perfect for fans of the Daisy Jones style of book/audiobook.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 5/5
Book: The Favorites by Layne Fargo
Genre: Women’s Fiction

I was absolutely hooked by this book!!!! Layne Fargo’s The Favorites is such an incredible, modern spin on Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë, but this time it is set in the cutthroat world of competitive figure skating. The book totally nails the same wild, obsessive vibes as Emily Brontë’s classic. Katarina Shaw and Heath Rocha have this fiery, intense relationship that feels so much like Catherine Earnshaw and Heathcliff. Even their names are little nods to Brontë’s original, which is such a fun touch! The book pulls you right into the drama from the very first few pages—there is ambition, jealousy, revenge, and all these big emotions playing out in a high-stakes skating world. It is just so addictive.

I have to say, Wuthering Heights has been my all-time favorite book EVER since I read it in my senior year of high school. The passion and drama in it totally blew me away, and it has stayed with me ever since. So when I saw that The Favorites was a reimagining, I was all in—and it did not disappoint!

If you loved Brontë’s masterpiece, you will totally catch those familiar themes: wild love, societal pressure, and the whole doomed-but-can’t-look-away romance. But The Favorites also brings this fresh, modern energy with a feminist twist that makes it totally its own thing. Katarina and Heath’s chemistry is off the charts, and the little winks to Wuthering Heights made me love it even more. This one is an easy five stars—completely gripping and so much fun to read!!

Thank you so much to #NetGalley @netgalley and @randomhouse Random House Publishing for sending me this wonderful eARC in exchange for my honest review. #TheFavorites #NetGalley

My review is posted on my instagram and goodreads today! (15Jan2025)
https://www.instagram.com/p/DE3cnYGSkm7/
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/7199940548

𝑨𝑹𝑪 𝑹𝑬𝑽𝑰𝑬𝑾
𝚃𝚑𝚎 𝙵𝚊𝚟𝚘𝚛𝚒𝚝𝚎𝚜 - 𝙻𝚊𝚢𝚗𝚎 𝙵𝚊𝚛𝚐𝚘

Genre: Sports Romance / Women’s Fiction
Format: Kindle
Length: 464 pages
Pub date: January 14 (OUT NOW!!!)
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (5/5)

𝚀𝚞𝚘𝚝𝚎𝚜:
“𝖨𝗆𝖺𝗀𝗂𝗇𝖾 𝖻𝖾𝗂𝗇𝗀 𝖽𝗈𝗐𝗇 𝗌𝗈 𝖻𝖺𝖽 𝗒𝗈𝗎’𝖽 𝗆𝖺𝗌𝗍𝖾𝗋 𝖺 𝗐𝗁𝗈𝗅𝖾 𝖮𝗅𝗒𝗆𝗉𝗂𝖼 𝗌𝗉𝗈𝗋𝗍 𝗍𝗈 𝗌𝗉𝖾𝗇𝖽 𝗍𝗂𝗆𝖾 𝗐𝗂𝗍𝗁 𝗌𝗈𝗆𝖾𝗈𝗇𝖾.”

“𝖨 𝗅𝗈𝗏𝖾𝖽 𝖧𝖾𝖺𝗍𝗁 𝖱𝗈𝖼𝗁𝖺 𝖻𝖾𝖿𝗈𝗋𝖾 𝖨 𝗄𝗇𝖾𝗐 𝗐𝗁𝖺𝗍 𝗅𝗈𝗏𝖾 𝗐𝖺𝗌.”

“𝖳𝗁𝖺𝗍 𝖿𝗋𝖾𝖾 𝖽𝖺𝗇𝖼𝖾 𝗐𝖺𝗌 𝗍𝗁𝖾 𝗌𝗍𝗈𝗋𝗒 𝗈𝖿 𝗎𝗌: 𝖧𝖾𝖺𝗍𝗁 𝖺𝗇𝖽 𝗆𝖾, 𝗌𝗉𝗂𝗇𝗇𝗂𝗇𝗀 𝖺𝗐𝖺𝗒 𝖿𝗋𝗈𝗆 𝖾𝖺𝖼𝗁 𝗈𝗍𝗁𝖾𝗋 𝗈𝗇𝖾 𝗌𝖾𝖼𝗈𝗇𝖽, 𝗈𝗇𝗅𝗒 𝗍𝗈 𝖼𝗅𝗎𝗍𝖼𝗁 𝖾𝖺𝖼𝗁 𝗈𝗍𝗁𝖾𝗋 𝖼𝗅𝗈𝗌𝖾 𝗍𝗁𝖾 𝗇𝖾𝗑𝗍. 𝖭𝖾𝗏𝖾𝗋 𝗌𝗍𝗂𝗅𝗅, 𝗇𝖾𝗏𝖾𝗋 𝗌𝗂𝗆𝗉𝗅𝖾, 𝖺𝗅𝗐𝖺𝗒𝗌 𝗉𝗎𝗌𝗁𝗂𝗇𝗀 𝖺𝗇𝖽 𝗉𝗎𝗅𝗅𝗂𝗇𝗀, 𝗌𝗁𝖺𝗍𝗍𝖾𝗋𝗂𝗇𝗀 𝖾𝖺𝖼𝗁 𝗈𝗍𝗁𝖾𝗋 𝖺𝗇𝖽 𝗉𝗎𝗍𝗍𝗂𝗇𝗀 𝗍𝗁𝖾 𝗉𝗂𝖾𝖼𝖾𝗌 𝖻𝖺𝖼𝗄 𝗍𝗈𝗀𝖾𝗍𝗁𝖾𝗋 𝖺𝗀𝖺𝗂𝗇.”

🤍childhood friends to lovers
⛸️ice dancing
🤍betrayal
⛸️tension
🤍drama

I LOVED “They Never Learn” and when I saw that Layne was coming out with a new book, I knew I had to get my hands on it. When I read the synopsis and learned that it wasn’t a thriller, I was even more intrigued!

Y’ALL. If I could rate this SIX stars, I would!!! ⭐️✨ I DEVOURED this book and can see myself thinking about it for a LONG time. You’re guaranteed to go on a hell of an emotional rollercoaster while reading The Favorites! There were times I cried, I giggled and I even gasped (at quite a few parts😱).

You know the writer is fantastic when I could visualize everything playing out like a movie in my head. AND speaking of that, can we get a movie adaptation soon? Please and thank you!☺️

Also, I heard that the audiobook was an even better reading experience because of the full cast. WHEN I do a reread, I’ll definitely be listening to the audiobook! 🎧

Thank you to @netgalley , @randomhouse + @laynefargo for this arc in exchange for an honest review!! 🫶🏽