The Favorites

by Layne Fargo

A love story set in the sparkling, savage sphere of elite figure skating about a woman determined to carve her own path on and off the ice

She might not have a famous name, funding, or her family’s support, but Katarina Shaw has always known she was destined to become an Olympic skater. When she meets Heath Rocha, a lonely kid stuck in the foster care system, their instant connection makes them a formidable duo on the ice. Clinging to skating—and each other—to escape their turbulent lives, Kat and Heath go from childhood sweethearts to champion ice dancers, captivating the world with their scorching chemistry, rebellious style, and rollercoaster relationship. Then a shocking incident at the Olympic Games suddenly ends their partnership.

As the ten-year anniversary of their final skate approaches, an unauthorized documentary reignites the public obsession with Shaw and Rocha, claiming to uncover the "real story" through interviews with their closest friends and fiercest rivals. Kat wants nothing to do with the documentary, but she can't stand the thought of someone else defining her legacy either. So after a decade of silence she's telling her story, from the childhood tragedies that created her all-consuming bond with Heath to the clash of desires that tore them apart. Sensational rumors have haunted their every step for years, but the truth may be even more shocking than the headlines.

Genres: Romance, Fiction, Audiobook, Contemporary, Sports, Sports Romance, Book Club

448 pages, Hardcover

First published January 14, 2025

About the author

Layne Fargo has a background in theater, women’s studies, and library science, so it’s only fitting that she now writes deliciously dramatic, unapologetically feminist stories for a living. She’s the author of the novels THE FAVORITES, THEY NEVER LEARN, and TEMPER, as well as co-author on the bestselling YOUNG RICH WIDOWS series, and her work has been translated into over a dozen languages. Layne lives in Chicago with her partner, their pets, and an ever-expanding collection of books she’s definitely going to read before she dies.

Reviews

[Sara Carrolli · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 ⭐️

Oooo this one was gooooood!!!!!!

The messiness, the obsession (with each other & winning), the side characters that pushed them, the rivalries, (all of it honestly) was so well done!

Suchhhhh compelling storytelling, it felt like I was reading about real figure skaters history coming from nothing to everything and what it did to them. I also really enjoyed the documentary/interview style!!! It kept me turning the page & needing to know where the main characters eventually ended up. And of course I love me a strong female character & ones who aren’t perfect 👏🏼 Katarina is real and wonderful to me!

[Clace · Rating 5 out of 5]

All the stars!

“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.”

It's been such a long time since a book has consumed like this, I actually was speechless because I was so obsessed with this story and how the events were taking place, the way the story was crafted and executed was so well done, and there were so many twists that would leave you gasping till the very end like I was practically begging for happiness and peace but ahahahahah I hate you Layne. This book reminded me of that one TJR book that I have read (Malibu Rising) and the way of writing resembled that so much like I was getting the same vibes but this was so much better?? It was honestly so good and I think what amplified my reading experience was that before picking this up I watched the movie (I, Tonya) and when I saw this book being along the same genre I was so excited to read it!! The pretty cover was also a plus point.

This was my first book by Layne Fargo and it was soo good that I had to put her immediately on my auto-buyers shelves!! This was so scandalous and toxic but also so beautiful and addicting. Honestly this book like a drug because I had to read this arc on my phone since Netgalley on my Ipad wasn't working and I hate reading on my phone but this was so hard to put down that I would just sit and read for hours. Layne managed to capture the beauty and dangers of the sport so beautifully, the competitiveness was also so well written and ufff the way my heart would be full on racing like I was at the edge of my seat for some scenes because they got so intense and the drama, it was SO DAMN GOOD!! . The interviews that were moving alongside the story was such an interesting way to keep the readers hooked because it created this sense of mystery where you would just want to know more and the main characters were not in the interview so you had no idea where this story would go or what would happen and I loved that feeling so much!!

Happiness couldn't be won. It couldn't be hung around our necks while a crowd of thousands cheered. It wasn't a prize, something we had to suffer and toil to earn. If we wanted happiness, we had to create it ourselves. Not in one shining moment on a medal stand, but every single day, over and over again.

Katarina, her character was so intense and passionate and I loved her development throughout the book but the way she was literally giving everything for the sport while the sport gave her nothing back ugh I hated it but I loved how she was determined to move forward, she lost so much but she always managed to move forward and it was so strong to read her determination and her intensity when it came to Ice skating and the sequences that she delivered were amazing and honestly I loved how so many people looked up to her and how when she got angry and stormed off from an interview and how the interviewer looked up to her from that events onwards lmaoo and I also loved the way she didn't give a shit about what people had to say about her, she had one job to deliver and she aced that.

“I thought our story was epic, you know. You and me. Spanning years and continents. Lives ruined and blood shed. Epic.”

Heath, was such a complex character to read about but I loved his character, it was kind of a mix there were moments when I was frustrated by him but he just made this book so much better because his presence to the story was so important and like I just loved reading about his whole storyline with Katarina, all the problems that they had. He himself was such a mysterious character because while we knew about Katarina's past and read about it his was very mysterious and I liked how it unraveled and we finally got answers, it was very satisfying to read. Bella, Idc what you guys say but this friendship was so fun to read, it had so many ups and downs and the competition between them at times would be so intense but friendly. Yes, there were moments when I was so angry at her but I don't know I just like how these two couldn't be separated and went back to each other until everything worked out. Garrett Lin Cute patootie. Ellis Dean, this fucking bitch with camera, I hated him and the slap was soooo satisfying but I kinda was okay with him near the end. Sheila Lin she was soooo intimidating lmaoo. She kinda gave me Shalom Harlow vibes for some reason lol but the cast of characters were absolutely stunning.

People didn't want Heath and me to be "subtle" or "refined." They wanted a grand, epic love story. They wanted raw rip-your-clothes-off passion. They didn't simply want us to be lovers they wanted us to be so in love, we'd burn the whole world down to be together.

The romance was *chefs kiss* it was messy and so out of control at times but I loved the chemistry between them, I just loved how everything between them felt so natural and I like the trust they held had but the thing that I loved the most was how inseparable these two were like these to quite literally went through hell, they faced sooooo many problems but came back to each other! Their chemistry literally could be seen on the ice as well the sequences that they pulled were so hot and honestly they were such a good pair that I just loved reading about them. I grew to be so close and attached to them that whenever something bad was happening to them I felt it!! it was THAT good.

"We used to joke they were going to die in each other's arms or kill each other with their bare hands. Nothing in between."

The plot and the setting, I feel like the writing was off the charts, it created this atmosphere, this world where we literally feel like sitting in the audience watching them, she just created it so good that I just dont how to explain it but I felt it like theres this inexplainable feeling but ugh it was so good. The whole championships that took place but the I loved how the timeline changed and with it how the characters changed and how we saw them develop leading to so many good scenes, some of the scenes were just straight up amazing like so well written. The insane competition was showcased so well, the ending sequence made me soooo mad like AHH I didn't see it coming and the epilogue was so needed it was so NEEDED like I loved it and the plot twists....dont even get me started on them because my mind was blown, jaw was on the floor, thoughts were scattered.

"It isn't a competition." I reached for her hand, "There are lots of different kinds of love."
Love like a steady, warming campfire that keeps you alive in the cold. Love like a raging blaze that burns down everything in its path until nothing but ash remains.

Overall, you guys need to read this book!! GO READ IT!
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I have no words. Honestly 😭 like what do I write for this. Definitely among my top 5 🙂‍↕️ rtc
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I've read a decent amount of this and so far it's shaping up to be a 5 star read 🤭 could honestly be one of my favorite arc reads because this is just amazing!!

*Thank you to Random house publishing for an E-Arc of this book.*

[bruna · Rating 3 out of 5]

★ 3.25 stars

𝅄 𓂃 𖥻 “Happiness couldn’t be won. It couldn’t be hung around our necks while a crowd of thousands cheered. It wasn’t a prize, something we had to suffer and toil to earn. If we wanted happiness, we had to create it ourselves. Not in one shining moment on a medal stand, but every single day, over and over again.” 𑇛 ˚

i went into this book with the highest of expectations after seeing everyone praising it left and right, but unfortunately, i couldn’t love it as much as i thought and hoped i would.

see, it is not a terrible book. not even remotely. even though i didn’t love it, i can still admit that The Favorites has a lot of strong points; it has a good writing, interesting format, complex and flawed characters that actually feel human, and a well-crafted story filled with lots of emotions. but the problem is that i just... wasn’t profoundly amazed by it like most people were.

for starters, i didn’t feel connected to the protagonists, which is probably the biggest issue here i’d say. a book can have the most compelling story ever — but if you don’t feel that profound emotional connection to the main characters, the whole thing kind of loses its impact a bit. Katarina & Heath, like i said earlier, are both complex and flawed characters. they don’t have an ounce of perfection in them and most of the times they weren’t necessarily easy to like (trust me when i say that these two can be absolutely infuriating). but honestly? that’s okay for me. it wouldn’t be interesting if they were perfect and flawless people that only made right decisions, there’s no fun on that. the protagonists’ complexities and flaws made them feel more human, vulnerable and authentic, and while they frustrated me more times than i can count, i still liked that the author made a nice effort to create fleshed out characters. so yeah, i don’t think they were badly written characters or anything like that, that’s not my point. the thing is that i just didn’t feel deeply, emotionally connected to them, and that prevented me from loving Kat & Heath and being truly invested in everything that was happening to them.

and i didn’t feel emotionally connected to the love story between Kat & Heath either. at the beginning, i did think it was going to be deep, addictive and remarkable, but at some point i’ve come to the conclusion that it wasn’t neither of these things. in the blurb of the book we read that their love story is epic and that Kat & Heath are an obsession to one another — but i, personally, couldn’t quite see that. their romance failed to evoke such strong emotions on me unfortunately. at times i did feel sort of touched, but in general i just... felt bored and nothing else, that’s the reason why i didn’t root for them to end up together. i wanted more angst, more chemistry, more intensity, and most importantly, more depth. it saddens me because the potential was right. there.

as for the overall story... well, i have to say that it made me feel super conflicted.

in one hand, i think it was interesting. it started kind of slow, but luckily, it didn’t take long to pick up the pace — i quickly got immersed by it and wanted to keep going to see how things would turn out. i mean, i wasn’t loving it completely, i had a few issues here and there and some aspects were weak/not good, but i was still having a nice time nonetheless and i didn’t want to put the book down due to my immense curiosity. and the storytelling made things even better, it alternated between Kat’s perspective and transcripts of documentary interviews, which i was a fan of. i listened to the audiobook and the narration was absolutely amazing, it actually felt like i was listening to a real documentary. it just felt so real and unique. needless to say, i was entertained.

in the other hand, it wasn’t exactly what i expected. i was told beforehand that this would be a super messy book full of drama and toxicity, but in my humbe opinion, it wasn’t as messy and dramatic as i thought it would be. sure, there is messiness, toxicity and drama — those things weren’t lacking, don’t get me wrong — but i just felt like it wasn’t enough. nearing the end, i thought “so... that’s all of it? what a bummer.” i wanted and needed more drama, messiness and crazy twists and turns. the twists and turns we had were definitely surprising, but still, i don’t think it was super crazy. the author should’ve been messier.

additionally, i also had problems with the pacing. it was a bit odd to me. it was either too fast or too slow, and i didn’t like that. i feel like some events needed more attention and time, and others didn’t, but the author still focused on them, which was... not very interesting. and on top of that, i couldn’t find the last couple chapters super good. i was obviously still curious to see how it would end, but somehow i wasn’t as entertained anymore. i wholeheartedly think that the first half was stronger than the second half.

with all that being said... i didn’t hate this book, but i didn’t love it either like i mentioned, it has a lot of strong points, but they just didn’t amaze me that much. win some, lose some i guess.

even with the issues i’ve had though, i still firmly think that The Favorites is a well-written book that deserves all the praise that it’s getting. i’m a little sad that i didn’t completely love it, but i do have hopes that other people will. i recommend this novel to those who are looking for an unique story that manages to hold your interest from the beginning to the very end.

many thanks to my friend charlotte for being the best reading buddy and for listening to my super long and chaotic rants about this book. 💌

[Sydney Books · Rating 5 out of 5]

450 pages and I still didn’t want it to end!! All the stars. More coherent review to come 😅

[Brady Lockerby · Rating 2 out of 5]

Alllllllll of that... for what?!?! omg I am so frustrated by this book lol. I wanted to love this book SO much and the audiobook was definitely a good time, but it was so much back and forth, the petty fights, young "love" that just didn't work for me. I like reading about emotionally mature characters with real life problems and this was quite literally the complete opposite of that 🤣 BUT if you like that kind of story, you would still like this!

[Em (semi-hiatus) · Rating 1 out of 5]

My only favorite thing about the book is how the author didn’t discriminate, they made everyone equally slap-worthy.

[Emmy Rosam · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautifully brutal. This book gives a mix of ‘Daisy Jones & the Six’ meets ‘Magnolia Parks’. Perfection!

[Violet · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Favorites by Layne Fargo is pure perfection!! ✨

I am new to Fargo's work but a huge fan of Taylor Jenkins Reid, and this one really resonated with me. In the vein of Daisy Jones & the Six, this interview style mockumentary was as fascinating as it was moving.

Not since the world, as a whole, sat slack-jawed watching Nancy Kerrigan's infamous ugly cry have I been so enamored by figure skating! The Favorites immediately pulled me in and never let go. A tragic story of two young ice skaters who have the odds strongly stacked against them in every sense. With no money or family support, and only each other, they manage to claw out of their less than ideal circumstances while staying determined to make their dreams come true. Spanning decades, this story has it all...young love, love triangles, family drama, self discovery, scandal, betrayal, sabotage, tragedy, triumph, and a cutthroat will-stop-at-nothing passion for Olympic gold.

As enamored as I was by the pages of this story I can only imagine the level to which it will rise to with an audio book & coming to life up on the big screen. Couldn't have asked for a better book to kick off 2025. A must read!
Lace up and enjoy the ride!

Thank you to Random House & NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for my honest review. 5 stars!!

[Nilufer Ozmekik · Rating 5 out of 5]

Scandalous, stimulating, thrilling, addictive—this book is the true definition of obsession! You don’t want it to end and just want to spend more time in the wild ride madness of Kat and Heath.

This is an epic sports romance with a heart-pounding, exciting, hyperventilating, and also very realistic approach to the ice dance world. It delves into how far contenders will go to win an Olympic medal, with ambitions, power games, speculations, and manipulations taking over their high efforts and performances until the skaters hurt themselves physically and mentally, pouring their souls, sweat, blood, hopes, dreams, and hearts into their dance. Eyes on the prize, stakes are getting higher at each contest, and only winning ensures survival. Prepare yourself for betrayals even from your closest circle—nobody is trustable. When the gold medal is within reach, you cannot see anything except that before your eyes! That’s the dog-eat-dog world of competitive sports!

This epic journey centers on the passionate, yet sometimes toxic and dysfunctional, love story of two Olympic skaters, Katarina Shaw and Heath Rocha—childhood sweethearts who ran away from home at the age of 16 to become an ice dance skating couple. Katarina escapes from her alcoholic abusive brother, while Heath is an orphan raised in the foster care system. Katarina is the only person he can truly be himself with.

Their fate changes when they meet the Lin twins—children of legendary Olympic Games golden medal-winning skater Sheila Lin. The Lin twins, living privileged lives, become new stars of ice dance competitions, following in their mother's footsteps.

When Sheila invites Katarina and Heath to train at her school, where they have the opportunity to reach the top of their game, Katarina feels like her dreams are finally coming true. She has admired Sheila Lin since childhood, seeing her as a role model, and is obsessed with becoming as tough and successful a skating star as her.

Katarina finds herself in the orbit of Bella Lin—a relentless rival, straightforward friend, and the charm of her brother, Grant Lin. Her close interactions with them and her thirst for winning create problems with Heath and ruin the relationship they built over the years.

Eventually, they find themselves in a rollercoaster relationship with so many ups and downs that push them to hurt each other, even though their passionate love still prevents them from killing each other in front of their fans. When a tragic incident leads to a sports scandal, a series of unexpected shocking events bring their partnership to a heart-wrenching end.

Ten years later, an unauthorized documentary reignites Shaw and Rocha's obsession, uncovering the truth about their untold story. The narrative moves through the timeline, telling how Katarina and Heath met, how they escaped from their hometown, and how their lives changed with the Lin twins. Interwoven are the perspectives of various characters, including ex-skater and popular gossip blogger Ellis Dean, Kat and Heath’s instructors, and their rivals.

The questions remain: what really happened ten years ago? Could Kat and Heath train for a surprise comeback? How will their epic love story resolve? Will they kill each other, or will they push each other like magnets forever against all odds, finding their kind of happy ending?

I fell in love with this book! It’s the best thing I’ve read lately. I can honestly declare it one of the best fictions of 2024, deserving more than five stars! Interestingly, sometimes I wanted to slap the characters, scream at their faces. Especially Katarina brings out so many mixed feelings from you. You respect her, but you also hate her for acting like a vindictive, self-absorbed person who only focuses on the gold medal, walking over anyone without looking back to get what she wants.

Heath made my eyes roll at some points, as he acted like a loyal puppy, letting Katarina treat him like trash without defending himself.

Let’s not forget Bella, who is also reckless when it comes to winning, manipulating people against each other.

Interestingly, I easily connected with each of these characters, even though they have qualities that made me irritated. Even Ellis Dean was the secret ingredient of this book—he was an antihero you dislike, but you get arrested by his weird charm.

Overall, this book made me excited, as if I’m watching sports performances in real life. It made me cry at some tragic parts, but honestly, it brought out so many complex emotions that I embraced them with the help of this powerful and somewhat inspirational, honest story!

And did I mention I adored the conclusion, which might be the best end or the beginning for the characters?

So far, this is the best Layne Fargo book I’ve read, and I advise you to read it over and over again!

Many thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for sharing this marvelous book’s digital reviewer copy with me in exchange for my honest thoughts.

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[chloé ✿ · Rating 4 out of 5]

carrie soto is back except ice dancing rather than tennis and a lot more romance.

”i’d convinced myself if i became the best, it didn't matter who i hurt, because in the end, it would be worth it. even if I hurt myself most of all.”

this was addicting, interesting, and immersive. it felt real and made me want to search hours worth of ice dancing videos on youtube. (highly recommend looking up tessa virtue and scott moir‘s performances fyi👀)

i was convinced this was going to be a five star read until two major things happened that i DESPISE in books. i won’t give away anything specifically due to spoilers but there’s no doubt the relationships in this book are toxic, intense, and a bit frustrating on occasion. the drama!!!!!

overall i do really recommend this read. if anything can ever feel like a taylor jenkins reid book, i’ll make it my life’s mission to read it asap.

”we weren't enough, and then we were too much.”

(seriously go look up tessa & scott. THE CHEMISTRY!!! that’s what i imagined this entire read.) 🤭🤍

[Sophie Jayne Miller · Rating 5 out of 5]

hey siri play The Last Time by Taylor Swift on repeat please (literal goosebumps)

[Paige (semi-hiatus) · Rating 2 out of 5]

⭐️ 2.5 stars

The Favourites lives up to the toxic drama it sets itself out to be, but was it an enjoyable experience? No. If I had my time over, I wouldn't have picked this up.

The book itself is captivating and will suck you into the story. I went into this with high expectations from the glowing reviews and it had a promising start. I love toxic, messy and drama filled books, however, I lacked a connection to the characters and this had some questionable plot choices. It had the potential to be a 5 star read but it completely missed the mark.

The first half of this book, I was intrigued. I can understand the comparisons to Taylor Jenkins-Reid (Daisy Jones & the Six and Carrie Soto is Back). The interview/documentary format, combined with Katarina telling the story through her own perspective allowed me to feel apart of the action and provide outsiders perspectives.

One thing I did enjoy, was the in-depth knowledge/research around the figure skating world. I've always loved figure skating and while i'm no expert, I found Fargo done a great job of capturing both the beauty and cut-throat nature of the sport.

As for the second half of the book, I had to force myself to continue. So much time was spent building up the "shocking incident" which wasn't all that shocking — just recycled plot. The characters were underdeveloped and one dimensional and the cracks showed as the plot begun to unfold. The lack of development made me seriously question why I should care about any of the characters. Where are the stakes if you don't build a solid foundation? Why should I believe what I'm told if you don't show me why I should feel that way? Too many things were off page and left for the reader to draw their own conclusions.

Full disclaimer — I had a feeling where this book was heading towards the middle, so I partially spoiled myself. If it wasn't for the fantastic audiobook, I would have dnf'd this. I wish I did but I was hopeful it would turn around.

જ⁀➴°⋆ The Characters

Katarina was unapologetically herself. She was determined and everything she needed to be, to be successful in this sport. This shows you the ugly side of ambition. She fought for everything she had to compete in such an elitist sport, where money, power and influence were stacked against her. She is a complex character you will either love or hate. While I did not agree with everything she did, I respected her ambition. She deserved SO much better.

I liked Heath (at the start) and the bond he shared with Kat, through their shared trauma. His character was never developed beyond his fixation with Kat. Unfortunately, his character was ruined for me and I couldn't have cared less about him by the end.

As for the romance, the author just told me how I should feel about their love rather than showing me actions that made me want to root for them despite the tumultuous nature of their relationship. He may have become an elite athlete for her, but they never talked about anything that mattered and they weren't happy together or apart.

I never liked Bella as a friend, although I can admit she pushed Kat to be the best skater. I loved Garrett, it was so unfortunate that this sweet man had such a garbage human as a sister. Ellias was a funny, complex character and I enjoyed what he brought to the story.

🚨 Spoiler warning — skip this section if you don't want heavy spoilers (I will warn again once the spoilers are over) 🚨

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Kat finding herself in a 10 year situationship, playing step-mum to Heath & Bella’s child because "winning isn't everything" had to be the most cliche and disappointing endings I've ever read. It just goes to show this story was never as complex as it made itself out to be.

Heath cheating with Kat's "best friend" was the moment I was ready to pull the pin. I feel strongly that it was cheating, but even if they had properly separated, nothing justified their disgusting behaviour. There was no grovelling. I don't even remember an apology. He just MOVED IN with Bella and continued to sleep with her while Kat practically gave up her entire career for 3 years after walking in on them. He never reached out during this time. It is presumed Kat was celibate the entire time. Bella made Kat come back into their lives just to continue to sleep with Heath in the same house as Kat AND get herself pregnant?! No, they weren't together at this stage and he didn't love Bella, but we are meant to believe that Heath and Kat are soulmates. Did such a trivial argument justify this? Could their epic love just fizzle out over a bit of celebrity status? Why didn't he try to win her back? Why didn’t Kat care enough? Were Bella and Kat ever friends? Can Heath still love Kat, but support Bella sabotaging her? I will never know. While i agree they needed time apart, these plot choices destroyed the romance and characters. Calling Kat auntie Katie was diabolical. I don't normally mind bittersweet endings, but Kat being reduced to being the other woman in some weird relationship dynamic just so Heath got everything he wanted infuriated me. This should not be marketed as a romance book.

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🚨 End of spoilers 🚨


Everyone should read this and form their own opinion as I'm definitely in the minority. It's been fun to chat about this to people who felt similar because I honestly felt like I read a different book to everyone else. While this was trigging and an unenjoyable experience for me, I can do understand the hype it's getting.

[Yun · Rating 3 out of 5]

Phew. There was a lot I enjoyed in this story, but also a lot that was a bit too much.

Let's start with the good stuff. The ice dancing! It was fascinating to get a glimpse into this well known, if lesser burnished stepsibling of the figure skating discipline. The competitions, the practice, the sacrifices, the years and years of hard work just for one glorious moment that will live on forever or a mediocre one soon to be forgotten, are all things I can get behind.

I'm loving this recent trend in books of following a fictional athlete, movie star, or musician on their path to superstardom, offering a behind-the-scenes look into their meteoric rise as well as their shocking fall from glory, often using a mixed media format to make the whole thing feel as authentic as possible. Layne Fargo must have done tremendous research into ice dancing to achieve this level of detail, and it makes for a riveting read, one that's hard to look away from.

I thought the first half of the book was about as exciting as they come. I was totally invested in Kat and Heath's journey from kids who loved skating to world-class champions on the international stage. I'm never going to say no to stories about starting from nothing and—through sheer determination and grit, hard work and sacrifices—end up achieving all their hopes and dreams. Those tales will always be special to me.

But even in the first half, I was starting to get an inkling of the things to come that would annoy me. Kat and Heath gave off tragic, melodramatic vibes in pretty much every scene they're in together; the interpersonal relationships of almost all the characters in here whiffed of toxic; and eye-rolling obstacles would pop up right before every major competition, preventing anyone from ever getting the coveted gold medal.

So imagine that, but dialed up even more, and we have now arrived at the second half of this book. Every small quibble I had in the first half was magnified, with more drama, more heartbreak, more miscommunication, more more more. I tell you, my fairly simple drama-free heart couldn't take such overload.

I have to wonder, how did the author come up with so many different yet equally unpleasant characters and manage to squeeze them all into the same story? Their selfishness and interpersonal theatrics led to conflicts popping up left and right, often to lamentable results. And what I loved from the first half, the ice dancing, was forced to take a backseat.

But that isn't the crux of the issue. Where this really went off the rails for me was its confusion over exactly what type of story it was trying to be. Was this meant to be a realistic sports docudrama or an over-the-top psychological thriller? For one is meant to depict things so realistic that we forget what we're reading is fiction, while the other requires us to suspend our disbelief in order to ingest as much craziness as we can.

And so this story tries to straddle both, expecting the reader to suspend disbelief while also expecting us to take everything we read as gospel. And that just didn't work for me. The lead up to the climax, in particular, was so eye-popping looney, I totally lost my ability to buy into this story.

My thoughts are decidedly in the minority here, so don't let me dissuade you. I think if you're looking for a salacious bonanza and you're able to buy into it no matter how wacky the tale gets, this is a good one for you. I guarantee you won't be able to put it down.

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[♥︎ Heather ⚔(Semi-Hiatus) · Rating 5 out of 5]

OMG Masterpiece! 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻 Bravooo! Layne Fargo!! I loved this!!!

˗ˏˋ ★ ˎˊ˗ 𝔸𝕝𝕝 𝕥𝕙𝕖 𝕤𝕥𝕒𝕣𝕤!! ˗ˏˋ★‿︵‧ ˚ ₊⊹

To the world, they were a scandal. To each other, an obsession.

An epic love story set in the sparkling, savage sphere of elite figure skating about a woman determined to carve her own path on and off the ice

From a young age we follow Katarina and Health’s friendship, love for each other and their love of ice-skating grow. We are walked through the cut throat world of ice skating your way to the Olympics, country rivalries, sabotage and the loss of loving your dream so much you lose sight of your real love.

These two obsessive, willful teenagers have dreams they are unwilling to let go of: Katarina, to take gold in the Olympics; Heath, to love Katarina.

Penniless, reckless, the two fight their way in scuffed skates and ill fitting costumes into the skating academy of Kat’s idol and former gold medalist, Sheila Lin. Once there, they will train with Lin’s twins and ice dance competitors, Garrett and Bella.

What transpires between these four on and off the ice as they entangle themselves in each other’s turbulent lives has devastating consequences.

Oooooohhhweeeee! Let me just tell you guys! Wuthering Heights is one of my ALL-TIME favorite classics. This is SUCH a great retelling! Omg I loved every single word of it!

The tension! The drama! The cut-throat business of it all! It's all so scandalous and delicious!

Layne Fargo did a brilliant job with this one! The characters just pop right off the page - or in my case, right out of my beats headset. I went with the audio on this one, being that it's written in documentary format - with an entire audio cast. What a fantastic audio production! If you loved Daisy Jones? You'll love this.

I was so invested in all of these characters and their lives. What a roller coaster for real! Omg the highs and lows of this book are indescribable! I swear! When I say this really gave me Wuthering Heights... These are characters you love to hate and hate to love! You can't help but get emotionally tied up in this absolute toxic mess lol... I swear.

The development and growth was amazing though and I really ended up just loving them in the end. (Not all lol but most of them)

I thought this was excellently crafted! A super immersive read that feels like it's real life... And you have to remind yourself... Oh yeah, they're not actually real.

⋆✴︎˚｡⋆ Connect with me on Instagram ˗ˏˋ★‿︵‧ ˚ ₊⊹

Throwing all the roses to Layne Fargo! This was spectacular! Highly recommend!


╰┈➤ˎˊ˗ Wuthering Heights Retelling
╰┈➤ˎˊ˗ Figure Skating
╰┈➤ˎˊ˗ Multiple POV
╰┈➤ˎˊ˗ All the Drama x Angst
╰┈➤ˎˊ˗ Sports Romance
╰┈➤ˎˊ˗ Documentary Style
╰┈➤ˎˊ˗ Full Cast Audiobook

[anh · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars

"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."

The Favourites by Layne Fargo is a captivating, intense rollercoaster of emotions that had me hooked from start to finish. It’s a brilliant mix of passion, obsession, and toxicity—everything I didn’t know I needed in a story about elite figure skaters.

Centred around Katarina Shaw and Heath Rocha, a pair of childhood sweethearts turned Olympic ice dancers, this book delves into the chaotic whirlwind of their relationship, their struggles, and the fiercely competitive world they inhabit. The way Layne Fargo paints their story full of love, ambition, and devastating decisions made this an unforgettable read.

The drama in this book was next level. The messiness, the obsession (both with each other and with winning), and the rivalries were so well done, I couldn’t help but eat up every page. The writing itself gave me major TJR vibes, with its rawness and ability to pull you into the whirlwind of these characters’ lives. There’s a certain beauty in the way Fargo portrays the dangerous allure of ambition and how it can consume people—especially in a world as cutthroat as figure skating. Every moment felt so real, as though I were reading about actual skaters, who, against all odds, made it to the top only to find that getting everything they wanted wasn’t as fulfilling as they imagined.

What really kept me turning the pages was the documentary/interview style incorporated throughout. It added an intriguing layer of mystery and tension to the narrative. You’re constantly on edge, trying to piece together the truth about what happened to these characters. The interviews, interspersed with the main storyline, are so engaging. They give insight into the past and allow you to see the characters through the eyes of others, while creating a sense of anticipation as you wait to discover how their story will unfold.

“I became a skater because I wanted to feel like that. Fierce. Confident. A warrior goddess covered in glitter. So sure of myself, I could make my dreams come true through sheer force of will.”

Katarina Shaw—what a character. She’s intense, passionate, and not at all perfect, which made her feel incredibly authentic. She gives everything to the sport, even though it gives her nothing in return. The way she continuously pushes forward, despite losing so much, is inspiring. She doesn’t care what people think of her, and her only focus is skating. Her growth throughout the book is so satisfying to witness, and her determination to succeed, no matter the cost, is both admirable and heartbreaking.

“His love for me hadn't been motivation enough to reach his full potential. His hatred, though? That made him capable of anything.”

Heath Rocha on the other hand, is a complicated character. I both loved and hated him at different points. His role in the story is so essential, though, and the layers of mystery surrounding him made the eventual reveal of his past all the more satisfying. His relationship with Katarina is fraught with tension, and while his obsession with her can be suffocating, it also makes their connection undeniably powerful. The way their relationship both fuels and destroys them is a testament to the complexity of love and ambition.

"Even as children, they were so intense. That was their greatest strength, and their greatest weakness. But they loved each other, and they loved skating. I think that’s what people will remember most: their love."

Their love story is one for the ages—intense, wild, toxic, and beautiful all at once. I couldn’t help but root for them, even though their actions toward each other were so frustrating. Their bond is electric, and you can feel the passion in every dance move, every stolen glance. But it’s also destructive. It’s a mess, but it’s their mess, and you can’t help but want them to make it work, even when they’re their own worst enemies.

Bella and Katarina’s friendship adds another layer of toxicity to this already complex dynamic. The competition between them is fierce, and while their friendship is toxic, it’s also oddly compelling. I didn’t always like Bella, and there were moments when I wanted to scream at her, but she’s a crucial part of the story. The way these two women constantly clash, yet can’t seem to stay apart, shows how the intense world they inhabit can warp relationships. It’s messy and competitive, but it’s also fascinating.

Honestly, every character in this book has a level of toxicity that makes you want to hate them at times, but that’s what makes their arcs so satisfying. The transformation they undergo by the end of the story is nothing short of impressive. By the time I turned the last page, I found myself understanding these characters more than I thought possible, and, somehow, even liking them despite their flaws.

"Happiness couldn’t be won. It couldn’t be hung around our necks while a crowd of thousands cheered. It wasn’t a prize, something we had to suffer and toil to earn. If we wanted happiness, we had to create it ourselves. Not in one shining moment on a medal stand, but every single day, over and over again."

At its core, The Favourites is a story about ambition—the relentless drive to win, to be the best, and to prove yourself at any cost. But in chasing greatness, Katarina, Heath, and Bella leave a trail of hurt behind them. They knock each other down in the pursuit of glory, revenge, or simply the need to come out on top. Yet for all their victories, they also endure immense suffering, proving that success built on pain, whether your own or someone else’s, will never bring true fulfilment.

Ultimately, achievements like medals, trophies, fame, and fortune can't offer you the love or fulfilment you truly crave. No accolade can fill the emptiness within. True happiness isn't something you win—it’s something you must build for yourself. That, to me, is the most powerful message of this story.

This book is a thrilling, emotionally charged ride that kept me on edge until the very end. It’s messy, intense, and dramatic in all the best ways, but at its heart, it’s a story about ambition, obsession, and the cost of success. If you love character-driven stories filled with passion (and a fair amount of toxicity), this one is absolutely worth the read!

[ellen · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5⭐️

[kenzy · Rating 2 out of 5]

i'm actually being generous

[ashlyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Layne Fargo, OH MY GOD, the woman you are!!! You deserve a standing ovation for this masterpiece. No joke this book will win so many awards. The Favorites had me hooked from page one and refused to let go. The tension?? INSANE. It’s like every moment had a heartbeat of its own, pulling me deeper into the cutthroat, glittering world of elite figure skating.

This story is everything I’ve ever wanted: raw ambition, heartbreak, betrayal and a love so consuming it’s impossible to look away. Katarina Shaw deserves the entire world and then some. Her journey is both gut-wrenching and awe-inspiring. And Heath? Don’t even get me started every part of their dynamic is fire and PASSION.

The skating world is brutal, and Fargo doesn’t shy away from showing its darkest corners. It’s cutthroat, ruthless, and oh-so addictive. This gave me major Daisy Jones & The Six vibes also, reminded me of the huge train wreck in the 2023 Olympics (specifically with the figure skating queen Alexandra Trusova) ,but with its own unique brilliance.

Layne Fargo took passion and ambition, cranked it to eleven, and gave us a story that is as electrifying as it is unforgettable. This is the kind of book that lingers with you, leaving your heart aching and your thoughts racing. Bravo, Layne.

[myo ⋆｡˚ ❀ * · Rating 2 out of 5]

kinda starting to hate when you can tell that books are being written in hopes to become a limited tv series

[Ri ♡ · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 perfection stars!

“Everyone thinks Heath Rocha was my first love. He wasn’t. My first love was figure skating.”

There is only one word to describe this book—‘masterpiece’. It completely consumed me in every possible way. I have always loved reading messy and toxic stories; they’re my kryptonite, and this kind of story always hits right in the heart, body, and soul. The Favorites was no exception. I loved the story—it’s unique, captivating, and so unputdownable that you feel like you exist in Katarina and Heath’s world. It’s theirs, and everyone else is merely living for the show they’re putting on to win.

The Favorites is an addictive, profound, and complicated yet impactful and beautiful story about two people—the infamous favourites of the skating world, Katarina and Heath. I am obsessed with their story, their lives, their competitive nature, and the way they dance so soulfully and skilfully. Layne Fargo’s writing is riveting, and the exquisitely detailed narrative pulls you right into the story, into the world she created. It feels like being part of the audience, a part of their ice-skating world.

Katarina Shaw is an ambitious, confident, and competitive ice skater whose only dream was to be just like Sheila Lin, the queen of ice dancing, and win gold. Her character is so intense and raw that it could make you hate her at times, but I never did. Not even when she did everything in her power to win competitions, even pushing and hurting the people she loved. She embraces her spiteful demeanour, even when it gets her into trouble, but she is the queen of her own world. Her character is multilayered, filled with complexities that make her difficult to love, yet her determination and passion for ice dancing make it impossible not to. She gave everything to the sport, practically worshipped Sheila Lin, and kept coming back stronger and smarter every time the sport, and the people within it, tried to break her. That resilience makes her even more compelling. She may be an ambitious bitch, but you can’t deny the legacy she left behind for all the women in her world.

“He wanted to be everything to me, the way I was everything to him. And I would always want more.”


Heath Rocha is the most complicated and mysterious character in this book. I loved him, but there were times he made it difficult to do so because of the petty things he did to hurt Katarina. His entire life revolved around her and her dream of winning gold, he was so pathetically in love with her that he followed her dream just to be with her, until he became the best ice skater, the one Katarina could never have. I admire the way he loved Katarina, however messy and toxic it was, his love for her was all-encompassing and consuming. I loved his growth over the years they skated together, how he eventually found his own place in the sport and fought for it. He helped Katarina in many ways but also tore her down with his hurtful antics, which frustrated me. But despite that, I understood his choices and decisions. I may not have liked them, but I understood them.

“He looked at me like he’d been wandering in the dark for years, and I was the sunrise.”


Heath and Katarina are everything to each other—ice dancing partners, childhood sweethearts, star-crossed lovers, rivals, haters, and soulmates. Their story is epic and unforgettable in a way that completely consumes you. The way they perform on the ice is mesmerising, and the way they love each other is toxic and messy, yet all-encompassing. It’s everything. I am utterly enamoured with their love. The yearning, the hatred, the love, and the rage they feel toward each other are poured into their dance performances, making them even more beautiful and addictive. You can hate them or love them, but you cannot ignore their talent on the ice, or their love story.

“There are lots of different kinds of love.” Love like a steady, warming campfire that keeps you alive in the cold. Love like a raging blaze that burns down everything in its path until nothing but ash remains.

Their chemistry, both on and off the ice, was everything. They truly bring out the best and worst in each other. Since childhood, Katarina and Heath have been inseparable, bonded by sadness, loneliness, and their shared love for skating. They’ve been through hell together, put each other through hell, yet they always found their way back to each other. The push and pull was maddening, but so damn good. Heath and Katarina are the very definition of right person, wrong timing, and it took them years to finally get it right, the last time.

“You’re my home, Heath had said to me once. Despite all the years we’d spent apart, all the time we’d wasted, he was my home too. He always had been.”

Bella was such an interesting character to read about. I struggled to love her at first, but once I did, I never looked back. She’s similar to Katarina, but more intense in a mean and competitive way. I loved her and Katarina’s friendship, however unhealthy it was at the start, because it was real for them. Garrett is the best, the most precious character, who deserved only good things from the very start. I loved him, even though I had my suspicions early on, but he turned out to be such an incredible, exceptional human being. Sheila Lin was a calculating, conniving, and ruthless bitch, but one you hate but also admire.

The world competitions, the Olympics, the drama, the romance—everything was so intense. Yet, the new and old friendships between the characters added a layer of warmth and comfort, even as the rivalries continued. The interviews added a layer of mystery that kept me hooked, and the drama only made the story more intense and addictive. I loved the side characters and how everyone had their own stories unfolding, each pushing the other to their absolute limits. Layne beautifully and intricately captured the challenges and complexities of ice dancing, along with the spellbinding beauty of the performances.

The ending was perfect. It was true to Katarina and Heath’s story of winning and losing. Layne must have put some kind of drug into this book because I’m now addicted to watching ice skating!

———————
did i finish the book or did it finish me?

this book is now haunting my dreams so i guess it's time to give it a try 🫢

[manas · Rating 3 out of 5]

➳ i am a hoe for toxic shit ☆

to the world, they were a scandal. to each other, an obsession.

➺ this book was a breath of fresh air. i have currently been reading some DUMBASS flops and i appreciate how exhilarating this felt. lots of people compared this to wuthering heights, i personally will be reading that to verify, and then update of course. majority of this novel felt like an old time classic, taylor jenkins reid, and magnolia parks blended into one story. while there are elements to this story that are different and work better, i do believe there is a lot of the narrative that was either under utilized or over done.

⌞kat & heath⌝

katarina shaw and heath rocha are our prominent characters in this novel. there is a lot of back and forth, toxicity, and mutual obsession our two main characters display. while on the surface lots of people called this a love story between the two, i say this reads more like a drama, with glimpses of their relationship. this is told through kat's POV and through a multi POV interview style in sections. at the fore front, this narrative usage worked really well for the story. i found both characters to be passionate, driven, and primal with their wants and needs. however, layne started to really lose me with their forced mutual pernicious. this toxic nature felt very forced at times for the sake of sexual tension and angst. take it from a dancer, you don't need to force these scenes as dancing and skating are naturally sports that will seamlessly allow these characteristics to shine through. while there are some really well plotted scenes, due to the length of the novel and the lack of consistent direction with the side characters, there was lots of plot lines which became superfluous to the overall story. lastly, people compare these two characters to magnolia + blowjob, i have to DISAGREE. while katarina & heath had their issues and drama, i believe they did everything for the other persons' benefit.

⌞side characters, plotting, & pacing⌝

this is where layne fargo started to really fumble the story for me. there is a lot of unnecessary importance she emphasizes throughout the plot. when people described this story as «intoxicating», i expected some REAL drama and sabotaging. instead, i felt like we got some kindergarten〝tom & jerry〞fights which lead... NOWHERE. one thing i believe that could've worked is making this 100 pages longer. there are too many side quests and characters that are thrown in for 5 pages here and 10 pages here which do NOT help the continuous flow of the plot. to emphasize this point, there entirely too much repetition in the latter 40% that we could've done without. ultimately, the pacing truly suffers since this novel in parts is a sports literary fiction, a messy romance, and a theatrical drama. i don't feel like layne had the best sense of what she wanted to write. the concept was there, but the execution is lacking severely.

⌞the writing⌝

the last relevant note that i wanted to point out was the way this novel was written. now... i am no damn expert but this truly feels like a grab at a big picture. the entire time i was listening to the audio book, something was bereft. after i finished the book i realized that this book reads like a movie script rather than a novel. there is too much off page reconciliation and redemption that was jarring to witness, since there is ZERO indication as to HOW or WHY the characters got to that point in their lives. while i am not saying this is poorly written—the opposite in fact—this immoderate erratic behavior displayed through the relationships—romantic, platonic, hateful, and lustful—was choppy and blaring. this would've worked better had we SEEN this with our eyes, rather than read about it in passing.

➺ as i mentioned, this was something i DID enjoy reading. very overhyped for me, especially since these recycled concepts she used ARE done better in other prominent works. i would however, like to see this get adapted. i truly believe this will work better as a live action, rather than a book.

[ଘRory (Guillaume's version) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Where is my oscar award of acting everything is ok in the favorites ???

[Hoda · Rating 5 out of 5]

” you’re my home, heath. Had said to me once. Despite all the years we’d spent apart, all the time we’d wasted, he was mu home too. He always had been.”

OMG, this was so intense! I’ve never experienced this level of frustration and toxicity while reading a book since I finished Wuthering Heights, but even Wuthering Heights wasn’t as frustrating as this! 😭 It kept me on edge the whole time. It was so captivating that I couldn’t even put it down unless I was forced to. The ending of every chapter made me want to go to the next, and the whole interview style was perfect. I loved it because it showed us what happened from everyone’s perspective and how differently they saw and translated everything that happened. It was honestly so intense, thought-provoking, and frustrating, and I loved every minute of it!

” we’re shaw and rocha,” I said.” And there’s nothing we can’t do together”

the characters

The toxicity of all the people in this book is on another level, but OMG, I savored it! I hated all of them halfway through the book and i still hated them, and I think that was the point. Like, yes, we were supposed to hate them to be able to see how much they changed by the end and then love them! But the way I was so frustrated with them—OMG, I was screaming with my friends for hours because we were all frustrated. Then I turned to Clace and freaked him out with my screaming because this book made me this frustrated! ✋🏻

”even as children they were intense. That was their greatest strength, and their greatest weakness. But they loved eachother, and they loved skating. I think that’s what people will remember most: their love”


Heath & katarina

They’re toxic. The way I wanted to smash their heads against the wall so many times just to knock some sense into them! But ugh, they just kept being frustrating! I hated everything they did to each other, but I also couldn’t fathom the idea of them not being together because it’s always Shaw and Rocha! Their love was so strong, intense, wild, beautiful, and breathtaking. OMG, you could see it from the way they danced and the way they couldn’t keep their eyes away from each other. Every time they got away from each other, I just knew that they would still go back to one another because it’s them. They belong to each other no matter what.

I understood kat obsession about skating and her determination to win it was honestly so admirable but frustrating at the same time but her actions were so selfish and she didn’t even notice. And i loved how heath loved kat but I didn’t love how he made his whole world revolves around her it was honestly so suffocating because the smallest unintentional act from one caused the other to hurt. But i loved the ending it was honestly so refreshing and i didn’t see it coming 😭

”heath rocha and i will be in eachother lives until we die. Even if we end up killing eachother.”

bella & katarina

I'm just going to say that their friendship wasn’t for me because let’s be honest: if Bella were my best friend and she pulled all that stuff on me, I would have killed her long ago! Both of them were bad friends. But I think this was only because of how competitive they were back then, and that was Sheila's doing. Once Sheila was gone and they stopped being so competitive, I really enjoyed their friendship and how they supported each other in the end.

the thing is, when pushing you limit is all you know, when it seems normal to you.. it’s-hard to remember you even have limit. Until you run right into them”

Garrett

I feel guilty for feeling suspicious of him at the beginning but in mu defense he was overly nice like really nice which was so weird since every single character in this book was selfish and toxic 😭 i love him tho 🤍

Overall i definitely recommend like 💯 it’s soo good 🤍

[✨Julie✨ · Rating 5 out of 5]

✩ 4.65 stars ✩

What to Expect:
➼ Childhood Friends-to-Lovers
➼ Chosen Family
➼ Ice Dancing Partners
➼ Olympic Skaters
➼ Toxic Relationships
➼ Child Abuse
➼ Poverty & Dysfunctional Family Dynamics
➼ Character Growth
➼ First Person POV

If you’re a Taylor Jenkins Reid fan, this book is for you. The writing style of these two authors is so similar that I had to google pictures of each of them and look at them side by side to convince myself that they were in fact two different people. I’m going to take it one step further and say that I personally liked this book more than any of the TJR books I’ve read. 🙃 Op… I said it.

The drama and toxic relationships had me completely locked in. Katarina was consumed to the point of obsession with achieving her goal of winning the Olympic gold. I loved her character growth as the story progressed, but it was tragic to watch her sacrifice so much along the way. I personally thought Heath’s choices were extremely unpredictable which added a lot of intrigue to the plot. This story didn’t have the picture perfect happily ever after that I tend to prefer, but it still ended in a place that felt right for the characters and the story.

This was such a great book and an exceptional audio narration! I highly recommend downloading this one! The hype is valid.

✼　 ҉ 　✼　 ҉ 　✼　 ҉ 　✼　 ҉ 　✼　 ҉ 　✼　 ҉ 　✼

Pre-read: Is this the ice skating equivalent of Carrie Soto is Back? 😅 I was fully expecting a foo foo palate cleanser romance and now I’m struggling to shift gears…

[fadheela ♡ · Rating 3 out of 5]

ˏˋ°•*⁀➷・❥・“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.”・❥・ˏˋ°•*⁀➷

⤿⛸️07/02/25
➸3.5 stars~spoilers ahead, you've been warned💫~

*rant incoming* You know what I hate the most when it comes to books? MISCOMMUNICATION & CHEATING. And guess what? this book exactly had that!😃🔫 This was my first book by the author and I did love her writing style. This book grabbed my attention from the very beginning, the chapters were short and you can't help but keep turning pages until you get it done with. For the first 1/3 of the book, I really thought this was going to be a 5 star read, but what really ruined the book for me was the miscommunication between the characters, leading one of them to cheat on the other just to get back on them like a revenge. No matter how great the book was, or how addicting it was, I do not tolerate cheating. And what really irked me was the fact that the one who got cheated on was willing to forgive and get back together with the lover. Like who does that irl?😬 Part of me really wanted to love this book, but I couldn't just ignore and get past the cheating. It frustrated me so much.

what to expect 📖:
⛸️ Toxic relationships
⛸️ Ice skating partners
⛸️ Childhood Sweethearts
⛸️ Friends-to-lovers-to-rivals-to-lovers
⛸️ Docuseries Interviews
⛸️ Redemption & Reputation
⛸️ Sports rivalry

“One way or another, Heath Rocha and I will be in each other's lives until we die. Even if we end up killing each other.”

Katarina Shaw~ One thing I really did appreciate about this book and loved was this character. Something I admired about her was her passion and strong will to be the best and do the best in everything to attain her dream, of being the World Champion in Ice Skating. She never gave a damn about what others said about her.

“I thought our story was epic, you know. You and me. Spanning years and continents. Lives ruined and blood shed. Epic.”

Heath Rocha~ I think I really did have a toxic relationship with him when I read this book. One moment I loved him because he was always there for Kat, the next moment I hated him for leaving her. He's one of the complex characters I've read in my entire life. Such a huge red flag imo.

I get it, I get the hype, and I can see why so many loved this! The plot was driving me insane and I couldn't put this book down. But honestly, I can't say I loved it. If you love this book, good for you.😌🙌🏻 This was simply not my cup of coffee!!☕✨


ˏˋ°•*⁀➷・❥・𝓟𝓻𝓮𝓿𝓲𝓮𝔀・❥・ˏˋ°•*⁀➷

⤿⛸️05/02/25
apparently, everyone and their moms have been raving about this book 👀 (obv clace, hoda & heather), so I've decided to give in to the hype finally—this better be worth it!😏🔪

[Youssra · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 stars of course!

Layne Fargo did that👏 You can really tell she poured her heart and soul into this book and it paid off! This book was like a drug and I inhaled it in DAY. It was that good!

This book was brimming with drama, toxicity, messiness, romance, rivalry, friendship, frenemies, and betrayal. It gripped me from the very first minute I started that audiobook (which was a full cast and very well produced)



This was a loose retelling of Wuthering Heights, but boy does it match it with the ANGST AND TENSIONNNNN. The figure skating plot just made this so DELICIOUS with all the competition and betrayals.

Kat and Heath's relationship was a rollercoaster of emotions. I found myself simultaneously rooting for and against their relationship at some points because at some moments throughout the book, they were just so bad for each other. However, my hopeless romantic self of course wanted them to get their HEA, and they did but man did they have to go through it to get there. 😮‍💨

Overall, if you are like me, and enjoy toxic and messy dramas, do not hesitate and pick this up!

me:

---------------------------------------------------------------------------
pre-read
Soo Excited for this!! I loved They Never Learn by this author, so I have high hopes for this one 🤞

[Deepak · Rating 3 out of 5]

Alright, let’s get it lmfao. Informal review style.

I enjoyed this but Im also inexplicably dumbfounded.

Get ready to witness my outlier mindset cause, yes, and nah. A hit? Sure. Overhyped? Fuck yes.

Dramatic sigh, coupled with my frustrated what the fuck expression 🤦‍♂️.

First.
Things that I unequivocally swooned over.
The FMC, Katarina Shaw 😍. Those who know my preferences, know I’m an get on my knee type of swooner for an independent boss lady that doesn’t need a man in any way shape or form. Katarina does it HER way. After ravenously highlighting hard hitting quotes on top of quotes form her own utterance, It’s safe to say Katarina will go down as a bonafide trend setting fictional heroine you remember, even after these pages hit the end.

Another thing I loved, the profound message of woman’s involvement in sports - how they are deserving of much more admiration for their physical exertions and mental endurance. My feminist self was yet again raving over the painted canvas where I experienced woman athletes dominating a sport, despite the disgusting trajectory of societal stigmas that surface. All the ladies in this book, were in it to win. Give me that.

Now. the absolute fuck shit, fuck all, part of this book.

Predictable ass anticlimactic events. The first half of this book is impressively engrossing, but the formula is so easily seen after act four. Then my attention is turned all the way down. Let me explain without hitting spoiler territory. This whole story revolves around ice skating tournaments and training sessions. Which was great. Brilliant. Something was always happening, someone was always shady, and the drama truly stayed captivating my toxicity is art philosophy, I admit 😂.

BUT.. then - after act three each event had the most foreseeable outcomes. The typical ah things are hitting the fan moments , what a surprise, cue my dramatic fake shock reaction type of thing.

I was then like nah, the clear bland facade of trying insanely hard to poorly deliver this “ it will be worth it ending” was outrageously unacceptable. I mean all chaos lost its allure and had the same message. It was like meeting a word count, thinking of all ways of how to waste a readers time with eye rolling bullshit.

With that being said, showering, the last quarter of the story in pathetic turn of reveal scenes that, I remind you, were not surprising or fun anymore, tore this whole book in halves. Perhaps even a star rating would suit this.

Ah, the most hated aspect of this book. MMC, Heath Roscha. No brains, undeserving, and poorly developed. Which is funny because he was holding his weight in the first three acts and truly exuding this fierce yearning love for Katarina. Good things are short lived though, because this motherfucker turned into the most insensible person in the whole book. No motive, no real substance, just there.

Let’s just say his “secrets” were straight up dismissing and the chemistry died out in tenfolds. Oh yeah, just wait after what he does near the end of the book. A thank me later type of hint, trust me here ✍️.

If it wasn’t for Katarina, I wouldn’t have enjoyed this for any semblance of a moment. I said what I said.

Thereby, I declare the executive ass decision by saying I truly understand the negative reviews for this , y’all mvps to me 😂🫶.

[charlotte ✩ · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 ★

The level of emotional damage this book caused me is beyond explanation. Also, I can't remember the last time I was so frustrated with the characters I had to turn off my kindle and go touch some grass. So, obviously, I loved it 🤭

This book is the story of Katarina Shaw and Heath Rocha, who were ice dancing partners, soulmates, rivals, and everything in between.

“Kat and Heath were themselves, always. Whether you loved them or hated them, you sure as hell couldn't ignore them”

・❥・ Katarina

First off, I loved her. I will start with that because I know a lot of people didn’t enjoy her character at all. Now, I don’t know how much of my liking her comes from the far-leftist, men-eating, 16-year-old feminist still living inside me and how much of it is just her being an icon, but I’m honestly good with it either way.

She might be the most ambitious and driven woman I’ve read about yet. She knew what she wanted to achieve from the very beginning, was willing to make sacrifices for it, and made no apologies. I love that she is a character that shows girls and women that it is okay to strive for more, that it is okay to want to be recognized for your talent and accomplishments, and not the social roles people would like to see you in.

That being said, don’t think I’m not noticing the mistakes she made. The fact that she was not only making sacrifices herself but also accepting or even expecting others to make them for her being one of them. Also, her getting so caught up in winning, she lost the ability to enjoy her successes. But again, I love that those flaws were shown. Finding balance between striving for accomplishments and being able to create your own happiness is, at least I think so, a very common struggle. I’m glad we got to sae Kat’s journey there, even if reading it at times made me want to bite my own head off.

“I didn't want to be forgotten. I wanted to be remembered for the right reason.”

“I’d convinced myself if I became the best, it didn't matter who I hurt, because in the end, it would be worth it. Even if I hurt myself most of all.”

“But what was the point if you had everything and enjoyed nothing?”


・❥・ Heath

My feelings for Heath, however, went through way more changes. I loved him in the beginning. The depth of his love for Kat was unreal. The things he was willing to do for her? Unrealer. But obviously, that level of devotion is rarely healthy, especially if you add in all of his past unresolved trauma. Still, I thought he was a sweetheart.

However 👹 some things he did there in the middle left me with both my jaw and my kindle on the floor. So out of character and so uncalled for. I won’t go into details because I don’t want to spoil anything. Fortunately, we did get some character growth towards the very, very end.

Even with all his choices I hated with passion, I have to say I still do like him, and enjoyed his character. I can criticize what I want, but how much he cared and how deeply he felt things are out of the question.

“And whatever Kat loved, Heath at least pretended to love too.”


・❥・ Shaw & Rocha

They were soulmates, sure, they were also an absolute mess. Their relationship made me almost lose my mind. I quickly learned not to expect anything to happen because it probably wouldn't happen anyway. There were moments where I confidently said that she didn't deserve him, only to choke on that and say he didn't deserve her. So my take is: they deserve each other. That may sound like a bad thing, but I honestly think that either of them being with anyone else would cause everyone more pain in the end. And with Kat learning how to put people before winning, and Heath learning to put literally anything before Kat, they might actually make a semi-healthy couple.

“We’re Shaw and Rocha,” I said. “And there is nothing we can’t do. together.”

“Some way or another, Heath Rocha and I will be in each other's lives until we die. Even if we end up killing each other.”

・❥・ The writing

Here, I don't have a single bad thing to say. The writing itself was great to both read and listen to. The documentary interview style made things even more interesting. Also I want to say that this was so fast-paced that even though the chapters were short, I sometimes had to put the book down between them just to process everything I’ve read. That’s not necessarily good or bad, just a fact I thought I’d throw in here.

・❥・So the takeaway from this is, the characters are flawed and at times unlikeable, there is drama and toxicity, a lot happens, and I loved it.

Also thank you Hoda for putting up with my 4 a.m. updates when I was dying. And thank you Bru for being my reading buddy (until you fell behind 🙄).

𝓜𝔂 𝓯𝓪𝓿𝓸𝓻𝓲𝓽𝓮 𝓺𝓾𝓸𝓽𝓮𝓼:

“For Katarina, Tonya, Surya, and all the other badass women who've shown me what it means to win on your own terms.”
➺ This already had me hooked and that's only the dedication.

“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.”

“They were going to die in each other's arms or kill each other with their bare hands. Nothing in between.”

“I missed him the way a soldier misses a severed limb.”

“He looked entirely different from the Heath Rocha I’d known and loved. And yet recognition struck my heart like a bell.”

“He looked at me like he’d been wandering in the dark for years, and I was the sunrise.”

“There are lots of different kinds of love. Love like a steady, warming campfire that keeps you alive in the cold. Love like a raging blaze that burns down everything in its path until nothing but ash remains.”
➺ Tell me these last two aren't sooo bjparks coded.

“We’ve wasted so much time, haven’t we?”
“We’re here now,” I told him. “Let’s not waste any more.”

And so many more but I’m gonna let you experience some of them for the first time while reading.

Also here is a link bookstagram review and some edits for it, if you’d like to check it out 🤍

pre-review

everyone who recommended me this give me your addresses you will be receiving my therapy bills from now on

review and rating to come but i need to digest this first


✮ pre-read ✮

5 stars from clace, heather aaand hoda?

atp not starting this immediately just feels wrong lmao

[Nicole · Rating 4 out of 5]

4,5/5
Loved it

[emilybookedup · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 rounded up to 5 for GR! 👏🏼❄️⛸️❤️‍🔥 i really liked this book—Fargo took a step out of her thriller comfort zone and brought us a TJR-inspired documentary re-telling litfic and it was so good!

i highly recommend the audiobook version (full cast narration) and physical—i alternated between the two and fully enjoyed both.

this book will be a buzzy 2025 release! i’m sure it’ll get picked up as a major book club pick and have 🎬 news shortly after release—this is your sign to pre-order 👀

if you like competitive sports/Olympic athletes, learning about new topics, drama, documentary style retellings, back and forth/up and down love stories and badass female characters, you’ll love this one ⛸️

this book is being compared to DAISY JONES & THE SIX and while it’s similar in a lot of ways (full cast audio, documentary style format, lots of characters/drama, etc)… it’s just not the same ok so please stop comparing 😂😅🥹 BUT if you like TJR’s writing style, this will likely appeal to you!

i LOOOOVED the first 50% of this book. truly was obsessed, couldn’t stop thinking about it, had my jaw dropped at the drama, was totally shook. the backhalf lost me a bit (had some issues with two “twists”) and the length was simply too long so it all got a bit repetitive. but, it was not short on the drama that’s for sure!! there was so much going on, it’s impossible to be bored while reading this one.

this book explores figure skating and the elitist, cut throat environment that it brings. it was a fascinating topic to read about and i could picture it all sooo vividly. a tv series adaption would be a gold mine!!

i looooved Kat but two characters made me SO angry. one of them i could never forgive for their actions iykyk 🥹

kept thinking about the book and characters after i was done despite not totally loving the resolution.

so much more to say in a full review on my feed but net net—this was a really fun read. will be a hit and well deserved!!

thanks to PRH Audio and Randomhouse for the gifted early copies!! 🖤