Book Review: The Favorites by Layne Fargo

Pub Day: January 14, 2025

Genres: Sports Romance, General Fiction

Trigger Warnings: Toxic friendship/relationship, violence, bl00d, emotional abus€, b*llying, d€ath, injury/injury details, sexism, body shaming, gaslighting, etc.

My Thoughts:

The intensity! The drama! The ruthless world of competitive ice skating!

This book is a whirlwind of ambition, obsession, and scandal, and once I started, I could not stop. Layne Fargo crafts such a vivid story that it’s hard to believe it’s fiction. If you loved Daisy Jones & The Six, you’ll love the mix of first-person storytelling blended with documentary-style interviews—it makes everything feel real.

I listened to the audiobook, and let me tell you—it was phenomenal. The full-cast performance makes every rivalry, sacrifice, and gut-wrenching moment hit even harder. And yet… I hated every single character. Every. Single. One. But somehow, that made it even more addictive. I just had to know how it all unraveled.

Katarina and Heath’s relationship is a collision of love and ambition—childhood friends turned ice-dancing partners turned… something far more complicated. So complicated—for no reason!

Kat’s obsession with Olympic gold consumes her, while Heath, with his past and relentless drive, is right there beside her. Their journey, spanning decades, is filled with heartbreak, passion, betrayal, and redemption. I had to shake my head more than a few times.

I really wish we got Heath’s perspective—it would’ve added so much depth. By the end, I felt like I didn’t really know him. And speaking of the ending… it felt like a slap in the face. I had so many questions, which is why this wasn’t a 5-star read for me. I didn’t hate it, but I didn’t love it either—even though I couldn’t stop listening.

It was like watching a slow-motion car crash. Miscommunication was a dealbreaker for me! I also couldn’t connect with the side characters—or Bella, for that matter. And Heath and Bella’s relationship? It made zero sense to me. But hey, life is messy and often irrational, which is probably why it all felt so real. And let’s be honest—this sport is brutal.

If you’re craving ice-skating drama, skip the fiction and watch “I, Tonya” instead—the biographical film about Tonya Harding starring Margot Robbie. Now if you love all the drama and ice skating, that’s a story worth watching.

Read if you’re into:

🏆 The Olympics & ice skating

⛸️ Friends-to-lovers

💕 Second chances

🎤 Documentary-style storytelling

🔥 All the drama & angst

🎧 Full-cast audiobooks

❤️‍🔥 Toxic relationships

📖 Retellings (Wuthering Heights)

😍 Taylor Jenkins Reid vibes

Layne Fargo absolutely nailed the tension and drama—if that’s your thing, add this to your list!

Songs:

— For the intense, obsessive, and dramatic vibe of The Favorites, here are rock and metal songs that capture its energy with some pop-ish exception:

• “Going Under” – Evanescence
• “The Beautiful People” – Marilyn Manson
• “My Curse” – Killswitch Engage
• “Love Bites (So Do I)” – Halestorm
• “Black Honey” – Thrice
• “Hurricane” – 30 Seconds to Mars
• “You’re Gonna Go Far, Kid” – The Offspring
• “Bury a Friend” – Billie Eilish
• “The Kill” – 30 Seconds to Mars
• “Take Me to Church” – Hozier (but the extreme rock cover by Starset)

Description: 

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, starring a woman determined to carve her own path on and off the ice

“Part Wuthering Heights and part Daisy Jones & The Six, this novel is as brilliantly choreographed as a gold medal performance and will keep you guessing until its last page.”—Jodi Picoult, New York Times bestselling author of Wish You Were Here

She might not have a famous name, funding, or her family’s support, but Katarina Shaw has always known that 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 roller-coaster relationship.

Until a shocking incident at the Olympic Games brings their partnership to a sudden end.

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. 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.

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 of 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 Author’s Website Instagram: @LayneFargo

Happy Reading!

S A N N A

P.S.

I’ve taken individual images from Pinterest that were used to create a “poster” image in this post. If you’re the owner of any of them, please let me know so I can credit you. These were used solely for creative purposes.