My jaw is ON THE FLOOR. This was a wild ride--I had an absolute blast reading it. First and foremost: I was extremely leery when I saw this being compared to the works of Taylor Jenkins Reid. However, if you like TJR, this is a must read in my opinion. It wasn't copy paste at all, but the story and the way this is written feels similar in a lot of ways to Daisy Jones & the Six and Carrie Soto is Back specifically to me, and I think any fans would also enjoy this.

Similarly to these works from TJR, the characters in this story are very multi-dimensional, and endlessly frustrating. I loved them nonetheless, but do not go into this book expecting a traditional hero, that is for sure. It was at points like a train wreck I couldn't look away from. There was never a dull moment, and if you love a dramatic read, you're going to absolutely eat this up.

While I physically read this one, I just know the audiobook of this is going to be excellent. I MUST do a re-read and listen to the audio at some point, because the mixed media and interview sections are going to be phenomenal. Who doesn't love mixed media in general, but especially in an audiobook?!

Overall: I cannot recommend enough!! 4.25 rounded down.

Thank you so much to Random House and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

It's only January 3rd, and I have just read my first 5 ⭐ book which most likely will be ending up in my 2025 favorites, just like its title. It's a documentary-style laser-focused view into figure skating world of dedication, hard work and backstabbing. Alternating between the script of a documentary and the POV of Katarina Shaw, a fiery ambitious ice dancer, the story recounts the trajectory of her partnership with Heath Rocha and the fight to win Olympic gold. Riveting!

Drama! Layne Fargo brings the reader into the dramatic and cut throat world of ice dancing. This book is filled with love, betrayal, competition, strength, and drama!

NetGalley Review — my rating ⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

“The Favorites” by Layne Fargo is written in a Daisy Jones-style documentary format. Half told in real time, half told in an interview format. It follows the story of the childhoods and rise of Katarina Shaw and Heath Rocha, Olympic ice dancing hopefuls.

This story is very Taylor Jenkins Reid esque and an absolute shift from Fargo’s normal genre. It was a fine read but I much prefer her thrillers.

If you like Daisy Jones, I think you’d enjoy this one! Check it out on JANUARY 14!! I also saw that it’s the BOTM pick!

Big thanks to @randomhouse for this ARC!

#netgalley #randomhousepublishing #laynefargo #thefavorites #arc

An epic figuring skating sports romance told in a documentary style similar to Daisy Jones and the Six that is sure to be a favorite book of the year for me!! This was amazing on audio with a full cast of narrators and captured me from the very first chapter as we get to see the rise (and fall) of an unforgettable ice dancing pair who rise from humble beginnings to become gold medal winning champions. I absolutely loved it and it's sure to delight fans of The cutting edge movie or real life skating duo, Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital copy and @prhaudio for a complimentary ALC in exchange for my honest review!

3.5 stars.
Could possibly be a cautionary tale for people thinking about aiming for the Olympics. Don’t let dating be a distraction. This book started off strong, but it didn’t stick the landing for me. To be fair, I went into it thinking it was a romance, so that’s on me, but the ending felt anticlimactic. The awkward love triangle made me uncomfortable, and the characters’ relationships were so toxic. I like the structure of the book for sure though. I just think every single character was horrible. Not one healthy relationship. Anyway, I was still entertained, I still felt a need to see it through because I was invested as well. I think maybe the problem is that I felt such strong emotions while reading and I just wanted more for Katarina. I wanted her to have it all, I wanted that gold medal! Kat wanted it so bad. Ughhhhh

That said, I don’t think Heath and Katarina’s HEA should have been with each other. Bella is definitely not Katarina’s best friend, and honestly, none of these people treated each other well. Heath, Bella, Garret, Ellis—every single one of them drove me nuts at some point.

After all the drama and chaos, I really wanted Katarina to leave them all behind. She should’ve gone back and won gold without them. Instead, she stayed tangled up in the mess.

If you liked From Lukov with Love by Mariana Zapata or Daisy Jones & The Six, I think you’d enjoy this

This book so fast paced and entertaining! It was full of so much drama and tons of twists. There were definitely times when I wanted to throw my kindle against the wall because of how mad the characters made me but it honestly just added to how entertaining the book was. The characters are incredibly flawed but there also is a pretty good amount of development throughout the book.

If you liked Daisy Jones and the Six I highly recommend this book! I also highly recommend the audio because this book is written in an interview format and the audio has a different narrator for each character so it really helped me get into the story.

This was a really great audiobook (was planning on reading it as an ebook and Libro.fm had the ALC). The cast of narrators really brought the story to life. As far as the story goes I would recommend this for fans of Taylor Jenkins Ried. It had the level of drama and type of plot I expect from her stories so I think fans of hers will enjoy this a lot. I thought the story was interesting and complicated. It felt like a real story and look into the ice dancing world. I rate this 4 stars because after some really dramatic things happened... more just kept occurring and these characters could never catch a break. It seemed a little over the top towards the end.

The Favorites is a captivating novel that promises to be a big hit with readers in 2025. The love story follows Katarina Shaw and Heath Rocha who have grown up together and are trying to make it in the world of ice dancing. Their journey is one of passion, ambition, and emotional turbulence, as they navigate the ups and downs of both their careers and their relationship. From breaking up to finding each other again, the bond between Katarina and Heath is tested in ways that will keep readers hooked until the very end.

The book shines not only through its central couple but also thanks to its great supporting cast, who add depth and richness to the narrative. The Favorites strikes a perfect balance of romance and drama, with a dash of real-life complexities.

This is a novel that will resonate with readers who love women’s fiction, offering a heartfelt, engaging story full of emotion, drama, and the perseverance it takes to chase dreams and love. With its compelling characters and intense storyline, The Favorites is sure to become a fan favorite. I am recommending to readers of all ages. I could see this one headed to the big screen. I look forward to the next book from Layne Fargo.

⭐⭐⭐⭐✨

🥰Thank you so much to Random House for the ARC 🥰

📖Title: The Favorites
✍️Author: Layne Fargo
📅Pub date: January 14, 2025

⛸️This book was nothing short of an absolute BLAST! I flew through this in lightening speed at ATE. IT. UP. The drama was over the top and I was LIVING for it!

⛸️The best way I can describe this is that it felt like a grown up and ten times more dramatic version of Ice Princess (one of my fav movies ever).

⛸️If you love addictive characters, reality TV, documentaries, Olympic drama, ice skating, etc., you will be obsessed with this book.

⛸️The book is told in TV documentary format from MANY perspectives, which not only makes it easy to read, but extremely entertaining. Each character's voice is so well done and fleshed out, it feels like there are no background characters because they all have that 'main character energy' we love to love!

⛸️While some of the character's choices made me want to SCREAM (I think that was the point), and I wanted more for some of them, I can still appreciate how everything was wrapped up (even if I'm sad about some of it, LOL). I wouldn't be mad about a sequel 👀

⛸️Pick this up, you won't be disappointed and you won't be able to put it down.

This was like a mix between Carrie Soto Is Back and Daisy Jones and the Six but make it figure skating. I had a love/hate relationship with Kat and Heath both, but I couldn’t get enough of them. Kat is such a strong female character who won’t take shit from anyone and I loved her for it. As the reader I could really feel Kat and Heath’s passion and love for each other. I enjoyed all of the side characters too, at first I didn’t love the interview style but it grew on me.

The first 30% was a bit slow, and I could have done without the Taylor Swift references. It felt a tad bit long but the mystery side plot at the end held my attention. The ending was perfect.

If today was any indication, my reading year is going to be amazing.

The Favorites combines some of my guilty pleasures-the world of figure skating, tell-all documentaries and strong female protagonists.

Remember when Taylor Jenkins Reid wrote Daisy Jones &the Six and it became our mission as readers to Google everything about that book and it became all of our personalities? Those who truly loved it, like me, recommended the audiobook as passionately as the book. Then Prime made it into a show and suddenly our Spotify Wrapped showed our devotion to a fictional band.

I want all of those wonderful glorious things for The Favorites. I need all of those things to happen. I want to watch Kat and Heath battle against the Lin twins and the Russians for that ice dancing gold. I want us all to become obsessed with the cutthroat world of figure skating


Oh Reese Witherspoon....


No, this book has the potential to put us all in a serious reading slump. I started reading this book after midnight and reluctantly put it down to sleep.


But I couldn't... in the mere hours of the morning, I needed to follow Kat and Heath out to LA to be coached by Sheila Lin, the Olympic champion. I was at the rink with them for practices and championships and debated how toxic Heath and Kat were to each other.


Then I did what every good reader tries to do when they don't want to rush themselves through a book.

I attempted to be a productive member of society.

I took down my Christmas decorations.

I cleaned my sock drawer.

I cleaned my boyfriend's sock drawer.

I made lunch.

I tried to surrender to the world of espionage. Sorry, Kiera and Ben, it didn't work.


As I ventured on to the championships, the breakups, the Olympics, and the secrets, I became obsessed with a fictional figure skating couple.

Honestly, I am quite ready for a book to take over my personality. I'm afraid I may not be able to convince many of you that the hype is warranted. After all, there are 364 days left in the year, society will expect us to be productive members.


But what can be more productive than sitting on the edge of your couch and watching two figure skaters try and win the gold for Team USA? After all behind the scenes, documentaries in between the chapters can be classified as devoting yourself to hours of research. Can't it?

I already downloaded the Spotify playlist of the book and am dreaming of the day I will see the "Wicked Game" piece on the ice.

It will be a figure skating lover's dream come true.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing for access to this title.
Expected publication date. 14/01/25
Goodreads review published 01/01/25
#TheFavorites #NetGalley

I finished this book a week ago and I still cannot stop thinking about it and about Katarina and Heath.

The format of this book was masterfully done. The whole documentary style layout was such an engaging way to tell this story. It was the perfect vehicle for all of the drama, twist and turns, and all of the moments that gutted me.

This book is set in the world of competitive ice dancing where Katarina's sole purpose in life is to win an Olympic gold metal with Heath by her side. The amount of unpredictable obstacles, heartbreak, and dramatics that get in Katarina's way is unimaginable. I swear I was audibly gasping every few pages - it was great lmao. It was definitely interesting to see Katarina's motivations change throughout the book and to witness the different phases in her and Heath's relationship. I swear, they had me so stressed the entire time.

I think it's important to note that this book isn't really a romance. Yes, there's a love story all throughout, but the book primarily focuses on Katarina's ice dancing career. That is not at all a deterrent though - at the end of the day, this is an incredibly addicting and enthralling read that I highly, highly recommend picking up on release day (January 14, 2025)

Thank you to Random House & NetGalley for the ARC!

My first read of 2025 was a gem! The Favorites is a story about the rise of fictional competitive ice dance skating partners Katarina Shaw and Heath Rocha. From a rough upbringing and growing up together and learning to skate at a local rink, to running away to train at an elite skating academy across the country, to striving to make it to the Olympics, The Favorites captured my attention from the very start. If you’ve read Taylor Jenkins Reid’s book Carrie Soto Is Back, it’s told in a very similar style to that: it flips back and forth between Katarina’s POV and a series of interviews for a documentary among Katarina’s fiercest competitors, sports commentators, former athletes and other stakeholders.

I found myself so engrossed and invested in the story and the way it is told made it feel like the characters were so real. I felt the emotional rollercoaster of the semi-toxic push and pull of Katarina and Heath’s evolving relationship throughout. At times, I found myself irritated by Katarina’s fierce competitive drive and how much she wanted to win no matter the cost, but I also couldn’t help but root for her. I personally didn’t know much about competitive skating going into this book, so it was interesting getting that glimpse of the elite competitive skating life. There was also no shortage of backstabbing competitors, scandal, and untrustworthy characters that kept me heavily invested.

Overall, I really loved this book and know that this one will stay with me for awhile. If you liked Taylor Jenkins Reid’s Carrie Soto Is Back, I think you’ll enjoy The Favorites! The Favorites will be officially published on January 14, 2025.

Thanks to NetGalley and Random House for the advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

📚 PRE-PUBLICATION BOOK REVIEW 📚

The Favorites By Layne Fargo
Publication Date: January 14, 2025
Publisher: Random House Publishing Group

📚MY RATING: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

📚MY REVIEW:

Yowza, did I ever pick a gorgeous read to kick off 2025! Never have I read a book that I so immediately knew was destined to be on the big screen. The Favorites is a salaciously brilliant and obsessive love story set in the world of ice dancing. There was a palpable sense of yearning in this book that kept me completely riveted from page one. And as I read, the words just seemed to become a blockbuster movie in my head.

Alternating chapters in a mixed media style, this book featured the narrative of main character Katarina Shaw, spliced with interviews and video descriptions from a fictional documentary about Shaw and her ice dancing partner, Heath Rocha. This was a fast read, with its short chapters that compelled me to 'just read one more chapter' until I was reading its epilogue.

While vibes from 1992's The Cutting Edge flashed through my mind, Fargo's book about Shaw and Rocha was unique and captivated me with its story-telling style. I cheered them on for the entire book -- and simply couldn't wait to see what came next for them! Fans of sports romances will be swooning over this story, as will anyone who craves a salacious love story that feels ripped from the headlines. I desperately wish this story was true.... Because it is THAT GOOD.

This book may be a bit of a departure from Fargo's usual genre, but her writing prowess shines in this undeniable masterpiece. Trust me when I tell you that you're going to want to get this book in your hands immediately when it releases on January 14th. I am so happy that I chose it as one of my selections in this month's BOTM box too - this is one of those beautiful reads that I need to have on my bookshelf. Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for this advanced e-copy of the book in exchange for my honest review!

#TheFavorites #LayneFargo #RandomHousePublishingGroup #NetGalley #NetGalleyReviews #ARC #BOTM #adultfiction #womensfiction #salaciousreads #fivestarreads #mustreads #booklover #bookreviews #bookrecs #bookrecommendations

This was fabulous!! So emotional and addicting. I was drawn in from the beginning and loved the interview/documentary snippets. The characters were so dimensional, as were their relationships. I was constantly shocked by their abilities to simultaneously hold a grudge and let bygones be bygones. Even when I was frustrated with them, I still rooted for them. I am recommending this to everyone I know and can 1000% see myself rereading. I think I would enjoy it even more the second time!

Thank you so much for the ARC!

First thank you to random house and NetGalley for an arc in exchange for an honest review

⭐️⭐️⭐️✨

Synopsis: Katarina and Heath are two kids growing up in a small town that love each other. Katarina wants to be an Olympic gold medalist and will stop at nothing to get it. This covers their quest from the beginning to end

What I liked: this was so addicting and the way it was written you kept turning pages. Katarina and Heath were toxic and Katarina is the cause of most of that toxicity. There is a whole cast of characters and it plays out against the Olympics and world skating events. This makes it exciting and gives it a sense of urgency. There are also the good guys versus the villains with the competitive environment. The villains kept changing and you never really know who is the bad guy

1st book of 2025 done! This was actually fast-paced and so gripping to read. Prior to receiving the earc (advanced reading copy), I already knew of The Favorites and have heard/seen such promising reviews online that made me very excited to get started.

I would say it totally delivered, especially with its melodramatic plot and over the top characters. You have an MC who is obsessed with winning, her partner who is insanely in love, and ice dancer rivals who would do ungodly and messy stuff just to be victorious. It all felt like a major soap opera or intriguing documentary you can't help but watch. For me it definitely gave off some Taylor Jenkins Reid vibes.

Decided to give this one a 4 because even though I was hooked, so many things that happened came off as predictable (and also too convenient at several points of the story). The last 20% of the book didn't in my opinion do justice to the first 80% and I didn't like that the author decided to add a suspenseful little twist of completely different tone and rather turned flat in the end.

The most intoxicating un-put-downable, book I’ve reads in ages. This book follows Kat Shaw as she goes from an orphaned, impoverished girl with a dream of going to the Olympics for ice dancing to a World Champion. Kat’s skating career is intimately tied to Heath Rocha, her childhood best friend turned skating partner turned lover. This books feels reminiscent of Taylor Jenkins Reid’s Mick Riva universe. Kat and Heath (and Bella and Garrett) are fictional celebrities who feel so real, I had to fight the urge to look up there nonexistent Wikipedia pages. Similar to TJR’s Daisy Jones, this books takes place in the midst of a retrospective looking back on Kat and Heath’s careers. The book is part narrative from Kat, part transcript from the retrospective. This storytelling choice from Fargo helps illustrate just how big of a deal Kat and Heath were and shows us how their actions impacted those around them.
This book is also slightly reminiscent of the Magnolia Parks books. The love story between Heath and Katarina is so complex. You get the sense that being together will kill them, but so will be being apart. Their relationship made my stomach hurt. It made me want to throw my Kindle. It made me want to scream. But it also compelled me to keep reading late into the night.

If you want a book that will take you through the full range of emotions, this is it. Love, betrayal, hope, fury, uncertainty, joy, toxicity. The joy I felt reading this book was only overshadowed by my devastation that it ended.

I adore figure skating, so I was so excited to receive this ARC! It’s an epic love story set in the world of competitive ice dancing in the late 90s and early 00s. The story alternates timelines and features commentary from the documentary made about Shaw and Rocha ten years following their chaotic Olympic performance.

Katarina Shaw is a competitive skater, who we meet as a young teenager. Heath Rocha is a little older and down on his luck, living in foster care. They meet and bond quickly and become ice dancing partners. The novel is told largely through Katarina Shaw’s perspective. The quotes from the documentary about them were interspersed and added great color to the novel.

I loved how dramatic the novel was. Cutthroat competition, soapy romance with edge, and ice skating. What’s not to love?! The cast of characters was fantastic. You don’t always love them, but they are compelling. I especially liked Kat Shaw and the Lin twins. Kat is fiercely competitive and unapologetic. She made me think of singles skaters, Tonya Harding and Amber Glenn, who are phenomenally talented but don’t fit the precious figure skater mold. I wholeheartedly enjoyed this one!

Though I read this as an ebook, I listened to part of the audiobook, and it was phenomenal! It’s narrated by a full cast, including a smaller role voiced by Johnny Weir. I think I would recommend that instead of the physical/e book.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing this ARC. All thoughts are my own.