When I first heard about this book several months ago, my first thought was The Cutting Edge because I LOVE that movie. Ice skating + romance + drama! But this book is so much more as the reader follows Kat and Heath's journey from being childhood sweethearts to champion ice dancers to their final skate. Their story unfolds through interviews with those who knew them and from Kat herself. 

I'll be honest, I'm not very familiar with Wuthering Heights since I never read the actual book. I only know the general plot of the classic story, but if you're a fan of it or of ice skating, then grab this book! The book is utterly addicting and a very quick read. I could feel Kat's ambition and drive, Heath's need to give her everything, and their passion and desperation for each other (to an unhealthy level at times). I could feel the intensity of their relationship coming off the pages. However, this book wasn't solely about their relationship, but also touched on the bias and discrimination based on the perception of a person's upbringing, gender roles, and elitism.

The book was well written with vivid descriptions of the competitiveness in the figure skating world and what a small community it actually is. I could envision everything from the sequins on the outfits to the silence of the rink. It made me flash back to my childhood days when I was so enamored watching Michelle Kwan take the ice. This book had me totally picturing the electricity in Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir's performances (though they aren't a couple). If you're ready to be obsessed, check out this book.

Kat and Heath have been skating together since they were children--Kat because she wanted to be like her idol Sheila Lin and Heath because he loved Kat from the first moment he saw her. They follow Kat's dream all the way out to Sheila's training facility in Los Angeles, starting them on a whirlwind of emotions, betrayals, highs, and lows.

This book is very different from Fargo's other books--this one is more of a romance, though you can't truly take the thriller author out of the romance author because there are plenty of twists in this to keep you invested in Kat and Heath. Kat is dealing with an alcoholic older brother that was tasked with being her guardian far too young when their father dies, and Kat is determined to not let their financial troubles and her brother's hatred of Heath from being the best ice dancers in the world. I think Fargo might have upped the backstabbing aspect of the ice dancing world, but this book was amazing, a perfect romance for someone like me, who occasionally likes them but is so far stuck in the thriller genre it's hard to come up for air. This gave me just enough suspense to keep me guessing while at the same time rooting for Kat, for Heath, and even a little bit for the Lin twins. Frannie, however, can go take a leap off a cliff lol. There was just something about her that I DID NOT like.

I can't wait to see what Fargo brings us next--whether it be another romance or maybe even a sequel for Scarlet?

The Favorites is a book that captivated me from start to finish. The intensity of the relationship between Kat and Heath, paired with the fierce ambition that drives them both, makes for a story that was impossible to put down. Fargo masterfully weaves a narrative full of raw emotion, complicated characters, and shocking twists that kept me on the edge of my seat.

Katarina Shaw’s determination to reach the top, despite her lack of resources or family support, is incredibly inspiring. The dynamic between her and Heath, starting with their childhood bond and evolving into a complex, roller-coaster relationship, is intense and magnetic. The chemistry between them, both on and off the ice, was electric and had me rooting for them.

The addition of the unauthorized documentary, reopening old wounds and offering new perspective, added an entirely new layer to the narrative that I enjoyed. I love how Fargo unraveled the story through multiple viewpoints, revealing the truth behind the scandal and the dark secrets that have haunted both Kat and Heath. It was hard to know who to trust and I couldn’t eat to discover the truth behind the headlines and the rumors.

Highly recommend this book!

First of all, my thanks to Net Galley and the publisher for my advance copy of The Favorites. When I heard that an ice skating drama for adults was coming out, I HAD to read it. I love figure skating and ice dancing. I remember becoming invested in the Tonya/Nancy drama of 1994 as a tween. I had a favorite YA ice skating romance in the 90s. I love the movie the Cutting Edge. I was the target audience for this book.

I had heard going in that it was a bit melodramatic and the writing was just ok. The latter is true. The former is a vast understatement. This is VERY melodramatic. This makes Kristin Hannah books look like super artsy dramatic Oscar-winning films. This makes soap operas look like Emmy winners for best drama. The characters are SO CHILDISH through most of the book, even when they’re pushing 30. I wanted to slap them; and throw my book against a wall.

But damn, did I have fun reading this. I’m not sure what just happened. I’d normally hate this kind of reading experience. So…4 stars. It can’t be 5 with all of that melodrama, the writing, and the maddening characters. But it can be 4, for a fun time.

oh my god!! easily one of my new favorite all time books. the addictiveness, the back & forth, the drama, the tension, the twists!! safe to say you had to pry my kindle out of my hands to get me to put this book down. i listened to the audio and followed along in my ebook and on top of the story/plot being exquisite the narration performance was unforgettable. the entire cast did such an amazing job. i could literally gush about how much i loved this book and all the emotions it put me through for hours but instead i’ll list some of my top favorite things you can look forward to when you inevitably decide to pick it up

here’s what i love:
⛸️ the writing was so exquisitely beautiful and you can tell how much research and time was spent on developing the plot
🎙️ the interview style gave major daisy jones & the six vibes especially with the full audio cast, i ate it up!!
⛸️ the short chapters gave me life!! literally almost every chapter was 2-5 mins and it made the pace of the story so fast!!
🎙️ the whole timeline of the story from small town wannabes to big city olympic trainers made my heart soar
⛸️ the ice dancing aspect and all the characters determination for olympic gold was perfection. i felt like i was there training alongside them
🎙️ kat & heath are my babies. i loved that we got to see so much of both characters change and develop throughout the book
⛸️ kat is an ATHLETE!! never forget that! her determination and perseverance even through the insane things that happen was so admirable
🎙️ garrett was such an amazing side character and was at one point the only character i didn’t want to aggressively shake to get it together
⛸️ bella oh my i definitely had a love/ hate relationship with her. i think her growth was so beautiful but she definitely put me through it at times
🎙️seeing all the different competitions and how quickly things could change was so fun to watch
⛸️ when the media aspect came into play,
i loved seeing how popular heath & kat became but hated seeing it over shine their talents on the ice
🎙️ i DREAM about kat’s necklace she wore, it was described so perfectly
⛸️ the maturation of characters and the way we got to see them all go through things before they came out on the other side was such a beautiful depiction of flawed humans and i loved every second of it
🎙️ chapter 72 crushed my soul a bit but in the end after i got over my hurt feelings i saw the positiveness it brought to the book
⛸️ me listening to the last time by taylor swift on repeat
🎙️ definitely so many twists and turns that kept you on the edge of your seat but it made the book so addictive!!
⛸️ the end had me bawling!! i loved how everything wrapped up and kat & heath will be in my head for a long long time (i’m already ready to reread)
🎙️ invisible string vibes all the way

i could literally say SO much more but i think everyone should read this book. it definitely reads like more of a litfic with a background romance subplot but i promise you it is one of the BEST books you’ll ever get to experience. i kinda wish i could wipe it from my brain and experience it for the first time again

When I originally saw the author's name, I figured this would be a thriller. Imagine my surprise when it was an epic contemporary fiction about ice dancing. Imagine my further surprise when I realized I LOVED it. This book is like an Olympic romantic dramatic playing on the silver screen. It'll keep you hooked to the very last page.

Great read! This hooked me from the very beginning. I especially loved the alternating chapters and transcripts to really add another layer of suspense and intrigue. This is my first novel by Layne Fargo, but it won’t be my last!

When I tell you I lived and breathed this book for two days straight. OBSESSED doesn’t even begin to cut it. The Favorites is the perfect mix of Wuthering Heights meets Daisy Jones and the Six/Carrie Soto is Back with all of the toxicity and backstabbing drama you’d expect to find in a telenovela.

The bond between Katarina Shaw and Heath Rocha runs deep. Kat has wanted to be an ice dancer since she was young, ever since she saw Sheila Lin win gold at her Olympics. And Heath? He’ll do anything for Kat. The Favorites follows Kat and Heath’s road from teenage skaters from small town Illinois to the most talked about figure skaters in the world. But the higher you climb the farther you have to fall.

I loved the style this book was told in. This is Kat’s story, but we get snippets of interviews from her colleagues and friends, so it feels like we get all sides to the story. The side characters were all fully fleshed out and really felt alive on the page. The ferocity of the ice dancing competitions really paralleled the intense relationship between Kat and Heath, and I could not put this book down. Bonus points for all of the late 90s/early 2000s references.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for my first 5 star of the year!

The Favorites by Layne Fargo
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

The Favorites dives into the world of competitive Olympic skating, where ambition, rivalries, and toxic relationships dominate. Written in a gripping documentary style, the story focuses on Katarina, a fiercely driven athlete, and the tangled lives of those around her. It’s a raw and emotional exploration of the price people pay to achieve their dreams.


This book is worth every ounce of hype. It took me on an emotional rollercoaster with drama so intense that I found myself pausing, anxious about what might happen next. The writing is so good that it gripped me instantly and left me shaken. I found myself questioning the characters’ decisions over and over—jaw dropped at the twists and turns. The story unfolds in unexpected ways, and the ending left me satisfied yet reflective.

A Biblical Perspective:
As a believer, this book challenged me to reflect on the dangers of misplaced identity. Each character in the story defines their worth through created things—whether it’s the approval of others, their ambition, or their achievements—rather than the Creator. This misplacement causes a ripple effect in every relationship they encounter. Their choices are marred by this misplaced identity, leaving their actions tainted by selfishness, bitterness, and destruction.

Watching Katarina’s laser-focused ambition to win at all costs was heartbreaking. When she finally achieved her ultimate goal, it came at the expense of her own sense of self. It reminded me of the verse, “What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul?” (Mark 8:36). Each character in the book makes devastating sacrifices, losing pieces of themselves to gain what ultimately leaves them empty. This story serves as a cautionary tale of what happens when we prioritize worldly success over the health of our souls and the truth of who we are in Christ.

Final Thoughts:
I recommend The Favorites to readers who enjoy multi-layered characters, a documentary-style narrative, Olympic skating, and imperfect, flawed protagonists. It’s a gripping story, but it also offers deeper reflections on ambition, identity, and the cost of our choices.

Content Warnings:
🌶️ it’s a bit spicy (though not overly explicit), f
⛔️ explicit language & toxic relationships


Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing for this eARC in exchange for my honest review.

Wow! The drama, the angst, the backstabbing, the politics, the jealousy, the weirdness, the ice dancing. Wuthering Heights meets Daisy Jones and the Six. It really is a Wuthering Heights retelling with Kat and Heath playing the roles of Catherine and Heathcliff. Told from Kat’s pov with interview style retrospective from coaches, competitors, journalists, etc. Wow! This book explodes off the page and is compulsively readable. I loved this story. 4.5 stars. Thank you to #netgalley and Random House Publishing for my advance reader copy.

Artistry, rivalry, romance, and sabotage. What at first seems like a clear cut ice dancing rivalry between elite pairs becomes anything but that in Layne Fargo’s new novel. This book kept me turning the pages & constantly wondering who I should be rooting for. Fargo strikes the balance here for lovers of multiple genres who will each find something they enjoy in Health, Katarina, Bella, and Garrett. (Not to mention the fabulous and flawed cast of supporting characters.) I especially loved the framing of this book with interspersed transcripts of a documentary. One of my best books of January!

The Favorites by Layne Fargo is a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ gold medal win!

Katarina Shaw and Heath Rocha (Kat and Heath I’m CRYING) are skaters who form an unshakable bond in childhood and transfer their love to the ice as competitive ice dancers. Their obsessive relationship is tumultuous and fiery, but nothing will stop them from reaching their Olympic dreams… or so they think. After an unauthorized documentary about “The Shaw & Roca Story” drops, Katarina breaks her silence and tells her own story. Layne Fargo weaves in transcripts with Kat’s POV that made me feel like I was literally talking to Kat while watching the documentary.

I laughed, I cried, I’m still obsessed with these characters! (Even the side characters, like hello Ellis Dean is hilarious??)

For anyone who has ever tuned into the Winter Olympics just for the ice skating, or gotten a little too into celebrity gossip, or just really loves Wuthering Heights… this book is for you.

Happy pub week, The Favorites. Can’t wait to see you shine! ✨

This book felt like 10 books in one and I am emotionally drained! It is filled with nonstop drama, toxic relationships, rivalries, revenge, and general chaos, in the cutthroat competitive skating world. Move over "The Cutting Edge"…if The Favorites becomes a movie...shew.

I feel like I read an entire book series, but it was one long, crazy book. While there is a LOT that I take issue with in the storyline, it gets 5 stars because I will not be able to stop thinking about this book and the characters for a long time.

This was my first Layne Fargo book, and now I'm ready to read her entire catalog.

Publishing 1-14-25! Check it out!

Kat and Heath come from nothing, but that won't stop them from doing anything to win gold at the Olympics. Along the way they face rivals, become rivals, fall in and out of love, and inflict and suffer immense heartaches.

First five-star book of the year! I absolutely adored this book. I could not put it down, but I didn’t want it to end. I loved They Never Learn, so when I saw Layne Fargo had another book, I jumped at requesting the arc, even though I am not particularly interested in figure skating, or even romance books for that matter. But I am so so glad I did!

Every character was infuriating, yet I loved each and every one of them. Each of them were so complex, but felt so real. I was rooting for (and against) every character at one point or another. The ending was a surprise, but I still loved it.

Thank you NetGalley for an arc of this book in exchange for my honest review.

The Favorites is a gripping romantic drama that blends suspense with heartfelt storytelling. Written in a compelling documentary style reminiscent of Daisy Jones & The Six, this novel captures the electrifying journey of Heath Rocha and Katarina Shaw, two talented figure skating dancers in their relentless pursuit of gold.

From the very first page, the story is packed with intense drama and swoon-worthy romance, keeping me hooked and racing through the chapters to uncover what happens next. The vivid characters, high-stakes competition, and emotional depth make this book an unputdownable read. Whether you're a fan of love stories, sports dramas, or simply great storytelling, The Favorites delivers on every level.

I started seeing amazing reviews for The Favorites in mid-December, and I decided that I needed to read it ASAP! I requested an early copy, but then I decided to (finally) join Book of the Month in order to make sure I got a copy right away. Of course, the same day that my BOTM blue box arrived was when I got approved for the ebook copy via NetGalley 🤣 Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for early access in exchange for my honest opinion.
The Favorites is a drama that is both skating (ice dancing in particular) and romance focused. I think it helps if you like and possibly know something about ice skating (or at least have experience watching it during the Winter Olympics every four years), but the writing style is so engaging that you probably could get sucked into this one if you had no prior knowledge of the sport. It is formatted like a documentary in parts, and I enjoyed the foreshadowing provided in those portions, making it hard to put down. While The Favorites is a longer book (464 pages), I was never the least bit bored while reading. I feel like I gobbled the book up, forcing myself to stop reading it and go to bed to be able to get a reasonable amount of sleep at night. I’d never read this author before, but I am already looking into her backlist. She thanks Taylor Jenkins Reid in the acknowledgements for her research webinar, crediting that for helping her pull off this project. I love when authors I read thank other authors I love! If you are a fan of TJR’s books, I think you will enjoy this book, too. Even before reading that note, it was clear that a lot of research had been done to create these characters and fit their experiences into the arc of the Olympics over the last 30 years.
I hope you enjoy this one as much as I did - and check it out when it’s available tomorrow! I’m hearing great things about the audiobook, too, which has a full cast. I will definitely be listening to that version, too!

It took me an embarrassingly long amount of time for me to remember this book was a "Wuthering Heights" retelling. Like, 25% of the way through the book kind of embarrassing. My excuse is that I didn’t read this book in one sitting, picking it up on Christmas, putting it down for a family vacation, and then back up again a few days after New Year’s. It’s a good excuse. When I finally realized that it was a retelling, everything clicked into place. If I didn’t think a name all the way through, I’d figure it out a little later in the book, never all at once. It was like a jawbreaker – a new flavor and color to fawn over with each layer.
Though I can’t tell whether or not I would have had an even better experience reading this book if I had not known it was a "Wuthering Heights" retelling. I read "Wuthering Heights" last spring for my one of my English classes, and I loved it in the way I love “The Jerry Springer Show” – it was dramatic, it was toxic, and it was a little bit incestuous. I hated Heathcliff, I hated Catherine, and I hated that prior to reading the book, I assumed Catherine and Heathcliff were star-crossed lovers because of how often they were talked about as such. Once I understood this book to be a retelling, I had decided I had liked Catherine Earnshaw, or at least, this version of her. In this novel, Kat Shaw is determined and committed to her dreams of becoming the next Sheila Lin. She makes it very clear from the very beginning that she may love Heath Rocha, but skating was her first love, and she won’t let her feelings for him get in the way of that.
Heath, however, I have mixed feelings on. Like his predecessor, he is stubborn, hating of those better off than him, and obsessed with Kat to the point that he learns to compete in the Olympics just so that Kat can follow her dreams. While some may find that to be romantic, I sort of find it to be suffocating. It’s clear that he is only there for Kat in the beginning of the novel, and then when he comes back from his sabbatical professionally trained, it’s because he wants to get back at Kat. It doesn’t always seem that he has his own opinions on anything, which says how amazing the author is at adapting the classic to a semi-modern setting. By the end of the book, I couldn’t tell whether or not I hated him. I guess I could say with age comes wisdom, and that’s what I’m going to tell myself to justify why I can hate a character in the original work, but love him in the adaptation.
Readers follow Kat more than Heath, as a lot of the story is told from her point-of-view. However, what’s not told from her perspective is told in an interview-documentary format telling the tale of the great Kat Shaw and Heath Rocha, as well as their tumultuous love affair.
In my class last spring in which we read "Wuthering Heights," we were given an assignment in which were to take the novel and adapt it for a modern setting. Never in my wildest dreams would I have come up with an ice-skating adaptation, but after reading this novel, I’m glad Layne Fargo did. The characters you’ve come to hate/like in "Wuthering Heights" may not leave you with the same feelings that they do in The Favorites, but perhaps that is a good thing.

Are you obsessed with ice dancing? DO YOU WANT TO BE?! 🤣⛸️🤣
•
Wow. What a book. If you’re a fan of messy, dramatic, can’t get out of their own way love stories, this is your book. If you enjoy rooting for characters so hard and also wanting to strangle them, let me introduce you to Katarina Shaw and Heath Rocha. If you’re into complicated friendships, rivalries, and competitive sports, look no further. Scandal, tell all documentaries, coming of age? Check, check, check. This book really had it all. 🥹
•
The comparisons to Carrie Soto and Daisy Jones are 100% correct. Parts of the book are documentary/interview style and this is truly one of my favorite reading experiences. Everyone is spilling the beans on what really happened ten years ago when Katarina and Heath stopped competing, interspersed with Katarina telling her own story.
•
I listened to The Last Time by Taylor Swift as I read chapter 82 and had full body chills and the biggest lump in my throat. It was so emotional and I truly felt connected to the story. I will never forget Shaw + Rocha. 😭😭
•
There were a couple of things at the end that I wished were different. But if they had been different it might not have gone with the vibe of the book so idk. I don’t want to spoil any plot points but I’ll just say Jane is the worst kind of villain. 🤪 It’s still an easy five stars from me and will be a favorite of the year. 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 Thanks so much to Random House and NetGalley for the advanced copy!

On the tenth anniversary of the worst day of Katerina Shaw's life, a documentary comes out about the ups and downs of her skating career in ice dancing with her partner, Heath Rocha. But Kat is determined to tell her story on her own terms.

Alternating between Kat and Heath's past and interviews for the documentary, decades of scandal, love, and ambition collide to tell a fascinating story. I read over 400 pages of this book in two sittings. It was fabulous.

Katarina Shaw didn't come from much, but her dreams were big. Kat dreamt of becoming a famous Olympic skater like her idol Sheila Lin. As a child, Katarina, develops an unbreakable friendship with Heath Rocha, the boy stuck in the foster care system. Together, they bond over their love of skating becoming one of the most talented pairs the world had ever seen. They are destined to be champions, until a tragedy strikes at the Olympic games and their partnership ends.
Ten years later, the public is still obsessed with the famous duo fueled even further by a documentary featuring interviews from their friends and rivals. Kat doesn't want anything to do with the documentary, but she is not going to just sit aside while her story is told by everyone else. She wants to tell her story and her legacy herself and she is ready to set the record straight.
Review:
4.5 stars
Wow! The story of Kat and Heath is riveting. It is beautiful, it is tragic, and it is full of drama. I absolutely loved the way that this book was written. The chapters start off with Kat telling her story in her POV and end with an interview style layout of the documentary being filmed. There are a lot of characters and at first I had a hard time keeping them straight, but Layne Fargo does a great job writing these characters so that they are easily distinguishable. with their own unique voices. I especially loved the female characters, they are strong independent women with strong voices regardless of the repercussions. This story is full of ups and downs, triumphs and tragedies, and overcoming obstacles; not just in the skating world, but their personal lives as well. I simply did not want to put it down and I was cheering Kat and Heath along the entire way! This is a story that will stick with you forever!
The Favorites is available tomorrow, 1/14 and I highly suggest pushing this one to the very top of your TBR!!
Thank you to NetGalley, Layne Fargo, and Random House for this ARC of The Favorites in exchange for an honest review!