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A review by rachrreads
The Favorites by Layne Fargo
challenging
emotional
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Thank you Penguin Random House and Layne Fargo for the ARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
ADD THIS TO YOUR TBR NOWWWWW
I haven’t devoured a book like this in a while. This book hooked me from the start!
As a kid, Katarina Shaw was mesmerized by Olympic gold medalist Sheila Lin. Kat knew that one day she wanted to be an Olympic gold medalist in ice dance. When Kat meets Heath Rocha, a kid stuck in the foster care system, they have an instant connection. The two begin to skate and their connection makes them a formidable ice dancing pair. The two begin to win competitions, and capture the hearts of everyone with the searing chemistry, rollercoaster relationship, and unconventional skating routines. Their partnership comes to a shrieking stop when a shocking incident occurs at the Olympic Games.
As the ten year anniversary of the incident, and their final skate, approaches, an unauthorized documentary reignites the public obsession with Shaw and Rocha claiming to uncover the “real story” through interviews with fellow skaters and close friends. The two want nothing to do with the documentary, but Kat can’t stand the thought of someone else defining her legacy. So after a decade of silence, Kat opens up— about everything. From their tragic childhood that kept them clinging to each other to what tore them apart, nothing will be left out.
This book had everything I wanted— drama, backstabbing, intense chemistry, characters with interesting backstories, and had me constantly wondering what was coming next. I am still reeling over the ending days after finishing. It didn’t end totally the way I was hoping, but it was still a fantastic end to a whirlwind of a book. I think the ending was a perfect end to a story with so much intensity.
Fargo does a fantastic job of making you feel the electricity that was buzzing between Katarina and Heath. The side characters were so well thought out— I had a love/hate relationship with them, especially the Lin twins!
I am still struggling to put my thoughts into words, but this is definitely a must read in 2025!
Read if you like:
• dramatic stories
• figure skating/ice dancing
• the Olympics
• intense chemistry
• the drama of Evelyn Hugo put together with the public craze of <i>Daisy Jones and the Six
• complex family dynamics
ADD THIS TO YOUR TBR NOWWWWW
I haven’t devoured a book like this in a while. This book hooked me from the start!
As a kid, Katarina Shaw was mesmerized by Olympic gold medalist Sheila Lin. Kat knew that one day she wanted to be an Olympic gold medalist in ice dance. When Kat meets Heath Rocha, a kid stuck in the foster care system, they have an instant connection. The two begin to skate and their connection makes them a formidable ice dancing pair. The two begin to win competitions, and capture the hearts of everyone with the searing chemistry, rollercoaster relationship, and unconventional skating routines. Their partnership comes to a shrieking stop when a shocking incident occurs at the Olympic Games.
As the ten year anniversary of the incident, and their final skate, approaches, an unauthorized documentary reignites the public obsession with Shaw and Rocha claiming to uncover the “real story” through interviews with fellow skaters and close friends. The two want nothing to do with the documentary, but Kat can’t stand the thought of someone else defining her legacy. So after a decade of silence, Kat opens up— about everything. From their tragic childhood that kept them clinging to each other to what tore them apart, nothing will be left out.
This book had everything I wanted— drama, backstabbing, intense chemistry, characters with interesting backstories, and had me constantly wondering what was coming next. I am still reeling over the ending days after finishing. It didn’t end totally the way I was hoping, but it was still a fantastic end to a whirlwind of a book. I think the ending was a perfect end to a story with so much intensity.
Fargo does a fantastic job of making you feel the electricity that was buzzing between Katarina and Heath. The side characters were so well thought out— I had a love/hate relationship with them, especially the Lin twins!
I am still struggling to put my thoughts into words, but this is definitely a must read in 2025!
Read if you like:
• dramatic stories
• figure skating/ice dancing
• the Olympics
• intense chemistry
• the drama of Evelyn Hugo put together with the public craze of <i>Daisy Jones and the Six
• complex family dynamics
Content Warnings
Graphic: Misogyny, Medical content, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Emotional abuse, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Outing, and Classism