I have been anticipating this book for so long, ever since I heard it was about figure skating. It did not disappoint. It got me so addicted I could not put it down

Thanks to net galley for this e arc! I was drawn to the cover.
Of this book immediately and when I read the synopsis I knew I would be interested. This story follows the drama of two ice skaters and the messy relationship that follows. The interview / documentary style that was weaved into this story was so fun and I loved it! This story was messy and so different from anything l've read before! 4 stars!

SUCH a fun book. If you have any passing interest in ice dance or Olympic skating this is a MUST READ. It's so dramatic, over the top, and sexy. This is def going to be a hit next year.

I thought this was really good and I was on pins and needles almost the entire book. The writing was intense and I could feel the chemistry coming off these two. It did have the Wuthering Heights feel that I hoped for and I couldn’t get enough. It was a very satisfying read. The author did a great job with the ice skating competition and I was holding my breath with each performance. Loved the ending and I highly recommended it.
Thanks Random House Publishing Group via NetGalley.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for the ARC.

I have a secret affinity for sports stories featuring compelling characters. I don't actually know anything about Olympic-level ice dancing, but I will be tuning in to the next winter Olympics thanks to Heath, Kat, and the Lin twins, bitter rivals and life-long friends, in The Favorites.

Layne Fargo has reimagined Wuthering Heights through a Taylor Jenkins Reid lens. There's romance, back-stabbing, class dynamics, impulsivity, obsession, secrecy, and a desire for redemption--on and off the ice--as these world-class athletes push their bodies to their limits.

I gasped out loud several times and felt a lump in my throat as the storylines wrapped up. It was slow at first, but once I was 30ish percent in, the pace picked up, and I couldn't put it down. I kept thinking that it would be a great movie or TV series...and, since I've become the sort of reader who reads the acknowledgements, I feel confident that we're going to see this come to life. Don't mind me while I sit over here and plot the perfect cast.

I LOVED this book! What a great read! This novel was just so much fun.

The characters were interesting and although overall unlikable, the author still made me really care about what happened to them. I didn't know until after I had read the book that it was a twist on Wuthering Heights. I hated Wuthering Heights when I read it and have no desire to read it again, but this was GREAT! And looking back, it really is a twist on the classic, but so much more entertaining! I don't know if the author has a history in ice dance, but if not, she really did a great job researching and weaving in the details because it is so well developed.

I loved the plot, it was well paced so that it didn't drag, but it also didn't give you whiplash with too much happening at once. The storyline is strong and makes sense for the novel and the characters. Just an overall fun, great read!

I will definitely be recommending this one to lots of people!

AHHH this book was absolutely brilliant! Layne Fargo delivers a heart wrenching, thrilling, beautiful and suspenseful read with The Favorites. You will feel sooo connected from beginning to end! Regardless if you enjoy ice skating, you'll adore this story.

This is a fabulous novel about two sixteen-year-olds, Heath and Katerina who train ferociously to become the best ice dancers in the world. Who would believe that this sport is so cut-throat that competitors would literally do anything to thwart your chances at winning! But the two are dedicated both to each other and the ice so they train until they are worn out. It becomes a true love/hate situation as they win many competitions until they make it to the Olympics. And then all hell breaks loose! It's a fascinating story that is often difficult to read as I had no idea what lengths athletes will go to in order to reach the pinnacle of success! I so enjoyed Fargo's other novels and this one is beyond good!
Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC!

This book has all of my favorite components: ice skating, interview formatting, and a badass FMC. This book had me absolutely obsessed and flipping pages to find out what happened next in Katarina and Heath’s skating career. As quick breaks, I’d look up ice dancing videos from past Olympics, having never paid it any attention before (spoiler alert: it’s stunning!). Basically, for the few days it took me to read this book, it was all I could think about. I obsessed over this book like Health obsessed over Kat and Kat obsessed over winning. Needless to say, this is a good one and I’ve already recommended it to several people.

While I would call this book a romance, it wasn’t very romantic. The main characters’ relationship was often toxic and wasn’t always the focus of the book. I find sports books fascinating as I was able to learn more about it in a digestible way (also was invested in the characters which helped). There were so many plot twists I didn’t expect, and the author did a great job of increasing the intensity of the book as we got closer to the end.

I would highly recommend this book for fans of From Lukov with Love, Tonya Harding, and Daisy Jones and the Six. If that sounds like a confusing mix, well, just read the book and then you’ll understand.

i loved the documentary style chapters with the other characters’ opinions to make the book more interesting and it felt more complete that way, Layne is so talented.

Thank you NetGalley and Random House for this early edition of The Favorites. I enjoyed this novel so much! About a third of the way through I texted a friend and told her to request it because we both love Taylor Jenkins Reid and Layne Fargo gave of Reid vibes strongly in this novel about unlivable athletes who put winning above all else. And that’s one thing about this book, you’re not gonna like much of anyone in it! But I didn’t want to put it down! At first the “chorus” of interviews kept taking me out of the story and bothering me a bit but eventually I enjoyed those parts of the book, once I got to know those characters. Five star read for me! I can’t wait to see what Layne Fargo comes up with next!

I did not like a single character in this book. Everyone was so toxic and crazy and the drama was over the top

Great cover tho!

I enjoy figure skating almost as much as I enjoy reading. I was thrilled to come across this book and it did not disappoint! Even if you're not a fan of skating, the story of these young people and their pursuit of skating excellence is compelling. I highly recommend this great book! Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an e-arc in exchange for an unbiased review.

Thank you to Netgalley and Randomhouse for this amazing book. I never thought me a male could relate to this book so much. I think all want so bad to fight for our dreams and it's the resilience that fuels us and keeps us moving forward.

so so so so good. everything that you could want from a wuthering heights retelling. the olympic ice skating setting is perfect. this will especially entrance fans of taylor jenkins reid

this didn’t give what i wanted it to. I was so hyped reading the description I thought it would be my next obsession but it was not.

A lot of thngs appealed to me about this book going in - from the gripping description to the breathtaking cover. It is told in half narrative, half interviews with the characters (think Daisy Jones and the Six style), and Fargo did a fantastic job using the two to weave the threads of a complex story together seamlessly. While there were many things I really enjoyed, I felt that the book just kept building up and up and up...and then it didn't have a shock factor that swept my feet out from under me. Perhaps it just went on a little bit too long and it began to feel repetitive, or maybe I was able to anticipate the ending. Nevertheless, this is a great read if you're looking for something to feel immersed in, and if you're yearning for the excitement of sport, celebrity, and scandal.

The Favorites is about one woman’s ambition to become a an Olympic Gold medalist and what she is willing to give up With her skating partner by her side since adolescence she moved through the ranks followed by struggle and heartbreak. Not a typical romance novel but one that takes a lifetime to see and she strives for the gold and finds out what is really important in life. Written from her perspective with flashes to the present (future) of what happened behind the scenes with interviews for a documentary to explain her rise to gold.

It gives me Taylor Reid vibes in a way. I liked this book a lot and was entertained the whole time. Its hard for me to read fiction but this kept my attention.

I thoroughly enjoyed "The Favorites" for its compelling exploration of obsession, scandal, and drama within the world of figure skating. Layne Fargo masterfully weaves a narrative that immerses readers in the intense competitive atmosphere of the sport, where ambition and personal rivalries fuel gripping tension. The novel delves deep into the characters' obsessions and the moral complexities they face, creating a thrilling story that kept me eagerly turning pages. Fargo's depiction of the behind-the-scenes drama and the psychological depths of the protagonists makes "The Favorite" a standout read, offering a nuanced and captivating look into the darker side of athletic ambition.