Bookseller Reviews
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An addictive story of ambition and obsessive love!
Inspired by the all-consuming love in the classic novel Wuthering Heights, The Favourites is a thrilling and addictive story of passion, ambition and obses... READ MORE
One of my new favourite books
This has instantly entered my 'top five books of all time' list. To say I was obsessed is an understatement. We follow Katerina and Heath, both equally fla... READ MORE
Glorious
My colleague (whose recommendations have never steered me wrong before) kindly leant me her copy of this, with the added promise of a *wild ride*. And wow,... READ MORE
My book of the year?
Thank you to the publisher for gifting me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review :)
It's Wuthering Heights, but they're infamous Olympic f... READ MORE
your next obsession
Absolutely obsessed with this book!
I was not expecting to love this story so much. I got so attached to the characters, their ambition, their love for ea... READ MORE
Can’t stop thinking about this book!
I need 3-5 working years to recover from this book! I just randomly stare off into space thinking about these characters who aren’t real but almost feel li... READ MORE
You will become obsessed!
I don’t know what was put in this book but I am addicted, obsessed and I absolutely devour it! My girl Katarina deserved gold and everything in between. Ea... READ MORE
Kat and Heath may be each other’s obsession, now they are mine!
Thank you so much to Vintage books for a proof copy⛸️
For someone who has never been ice skating because I have a deep rooted fear of being seriously in... READ MORE
Couldn't put it down
I won't lie - I didn't pick this one up with especially high expectations but once I started this book, I was hooked.
This is a modern day take on Wuthe... READ MORE
Passionate, Obsessive, Pacy
My goodness, this book is a wild ride from start to finish and I LOVED it!
Set in the world of elite figure skating and ice dancing where the rivalries ... READ MORE
Atmospheric, addictive, and full of potential!
The Favourites instantly grabbed my attention with its incredible premise - a Wuthering Heights retelling set in the intense, sparkling world of Olympic ic... READ MORE
I never knew I needed this book!
I never knew I needed this book until I discovered it. I have always been interested in the ice dance world and absolutely love watching it at the Winter O... READ MORE
So addictive!
Thank you to the publisher for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!
This was so addictive! I did not want it to end. ... READ MORE
Synopsis
To the world, they were a scandal. To each other, an obsession.
The whole world was obsessed with Kat and Heath.
Childhood sweethearts turned Olympic champions, they captivated fans with their scorching chemistry, rebellious style and rollercoaster relationship – on and off the ice.
Until that fateful day. As the world watched, the unthinkable happened.
Everyone saw it.
Nobody knows the truth.
But that’s about to change.
Publisher information
- Publisher: Vintage Publishing
- ISBN: 9781529927337
- Number of pages: 496
- Dimensions: 198 x 129 x 33 mm
- Weight: 342g
- Languages: English
Customer Reviews
View allOur next obsession
I’m always on the edge of falling down an ice dance special interest rabbit hole. Yuri on Ice, I, Tonya, Ice Princess — I love it all. And so when I saw th... READ MORE
Amazing
What a wonderful, wild ride The Favourites takes you on. Told through snippets of interviews, flashbacks, and moments in time, is an addicting and scandalo... READ MORE
It’s not a drama, it’s THE drama
I absolutely ate up every second of this book. If you were a fan of TJR’s ‘Daisy Jones and the Six’ or Netflix’s ‘Spinning Out’, you’re going to love this ... READ MORE
angsty and obsessive
I don't quite know how I feel about this book on finishing, I liked it...I think but it was so incredibly angsty and messed up that it wasn't exactly pleas... READ MORE
The Favourites is a brilliant in depth romance around ice skating that I loved.
The Favourites has been on my radar for ages and I gave this book 4/5 stars! I love skating romances and this one has been a joy to read. It took me a litt... READ MORE
Brilliant - My 2nd Favourite book of the year
Im honestly not sure what everyone is going on about frankly, this is nothing and i do mean nothing like Daisy Jones and The Six, any comparison to it is f... READ MORE
Must read
A pet peeve of mine is when books are described with the tagline, "If you liked [insert successful novel], then you will love this one" or worst still, "Pe... READ MORE
Great structure!
The way this book is written is what kept me interested, I enjoyed the documentary structure and how the timeline unfolded.
Shaw & Rocha aka Kat & Heath ... READ MORE
Engrossing and quirky.
Set in the world of glittering, gruelling ice dance this story has as many twists, turns and spins as a four minute ice dancing programme. With a nod to t... READ MORE
Kat. Heath. Ice Skating. Drama. OBSESSED.
This book from start to finish was incredible. This is hands down my favourite non fantasy book of the year. I’ve been desperate to feel the same adrenalin... READ MORE
An incredible book
What a dream of book. This had me hooked from the start and would not let me go until I made it to the end. I loved the way it was written and the document... READ MORE
Phenomenal
Absolutely phenomenal. Kat Shaw’s determination to be the best is so compelling. I was hooked by her and Heath’s story, their relationship and the fight fo... READ MORE
Ice skating drama
I am a sucker for an ice skating love story.
It was realistic and didn't gloss over the hard work and heartbreak. Both characters had a bad start in life ... READ MORE
Such a great story!
SPOILER FREE REVIEW!
I don’t know what I was expecting from this book but it wasn’t what I expected. It was really enjoyable, easy to read, really intere... READ MORE
Scandal, sabotage, skating, oh my!
I have been completely and totally enamoured by The Favourites. This may be the best book that I have ever read. I had the time of my life reading it, and ... READ MORE
A MUST read.
What a wonderful, wild ride The Favourites takes you on. Told through snippets of interviews, flashbacks, and moments in time, is an addicting and scandalo... READ MORE
Compulsive reading.
Compulsive reading.
Following from childhood ambition to the Olympics. Ice dance, training, costs both financial and emotional. Dysfunctional family, am... READ MORE
Thrilling
Initially I wasn't sure about the concept, not knowing a thing about ice skating at all really let alone ice dancing; but the drama and suspense takes over... READ MORE
Wuthering Heights via I, Tonya...
I'm going to open this review with one certainty: you (whoever is reading this review) should read this book. If only to get ahead of what I consider to be... READ MORE
Intense, dramatic and incredible
The Favorites is a book that is hard to describe! It is a romance set in the world of sports, but it is so much more than that. It is a story of scandal, r... READ MORE
You need to read this book!
4.5⭐️ (rounded up to 5)
What happens when love, obsession, and ambition collide on the ice? The Favourites delivers all that and more!
“They were an ... READ MORE
Five stars!
This was a simple, fun, easy and quick read. The perfect type of book for your holiday, beach, pool kind of read. This is a first for me by the author and ... READ MORE
If you like Taylor Jenkins Reid's style and books with drama and sports, I think you'll enjoy this!
I really wanted to love this because it sounded excellent, but alas, here we are.
The book follows ice dancing duo Katarina Shaw and Heath Rocha through... READ MORE
Glorious ice dance rivals soap opera romance
Ten years after the Olympic games where their passionate and tempestuous partnership imploded, an unauthorised biography of Katerina Shaw and Heath Rocha i... READ MORE
Good Twin, bad twin and everything in between.
Good Twin, bad twin and everything in between.
I have never being particularly interested in figure skating, I shall certainly look at it in a different l... READ MORE
What a fab read
I was asked to review by NetGalley
I dont think I have been transfixed about skating since I cried through Champions a Love Story or watched Torvil and ... READ MORE
Loved this book
I was so happy when the Random House UK granted my wish. I loved this book. It’s so gripping and unputdownable. The characters are interesting. Their chemi... READ MORE
Love, love, love this!
After reading this book, it’s hard to think that these aren’t real people.
Set out as a documentary, the story focuses on Shaw and Rocha (Katie and Hea... READ MORE
Addictive Documentary Narrative!
This book was so addictive - I literally couldn’t stop listening to it! The audiobook was perfect with the full cast, it really packed so much into the sto... READ MORE
Wuthering Heights on Ice!
This is one of those deeply addictive novels that you just can't stop reading. A modern day re-imagining of Wuthering Heights, set in the competitive and c... READ MORE
Immediately drawn in…
If you’re a fan of “The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo” and “Daisy and the Six” (and Taylor Jenkins Reid) and you like figure skating/ice dancing, then this... READ MORE
Behind the glitter of ice dancing
This story goes behind the scenes of ice dancing and shows it is not a sport for the faint hearted. Katarina and Heath have only their love for each other ... READ MORE
Enjoyable read
Katakana Shaw didn’t have a happy childhood. The only things that kept her going were her dedication to ice skating and her friendship with Heath Rocha. ... READ MORE
A dream, the passion and rivalry
The Favourite has good pace and tension and captures the passions of those with a dream, in this case, that of winning the Olympic gold for ice skating. T... READ MORE
Ice dancing drama!
Many have compared The Favourites to Daisy Jones and the Six - I agree. Although, I enjoyed DJATS fractionally more. Similar also to The Seven Husbands of ... READ MORE
Amazing
Imagine my delight when I realised this was a Wuthering Heights retelling with a differences; it’s nothing short of phenomenal. There were times when I gas... READ MORE
Packed full of chemistry, revenge and glamour- I loved it!
Let me start by saying I love ice skating. Pairs figure skating is my favourite, but I do enjoy watching ice dancing so was really hoping this book would i... READ MORE
A new favourite book for me!
If you loved the reporter style writing in Daisy Jones, the angst of magnolia and BJ, the love and passion for a sport like Carrie Soto and the full on roo... READ MORE
Great read
This is a great read. It reads like the ice skate dancing it is about, at times it is slow, at others fast, but with plenty of highs and lows and twists a... READ MORE
My book of 2025 - already!
Wow, wow, wow!
I loved The Favourites. A brilliant insight into the world of competitive Ice Dance. I have long been fascinated by skating, being a child ... READ MORE
This has it all - scandal, drama, sizzling chemistry and toxicity!
I’ll start this off by saying I’m a huge Taylor Jenkins-Reid fan and Daisy Jones is one of my favourite books in the world, so I was instantly drawn in by ... READ MORE
A new all time favourite
"Even as children, they were so intense. That was their greatest strength, and their greatest weakness."
Katarina Shaw and Heath Rocha. Ice skating roya... READ MORE
Well told story
I grew up watching Torvill and Dean and recently watched "I, Tonya" and have to admit that is probably the extent of my knowledge about ice skating of any ... READ MORE
The Favourites
Katarina Shaw only ever had one dream, to be the best. Early photos showed her as a four year old posing on her skates. Heath came later. They met at schoo... READ MORE
Phenomenal!
Phenomenal! I really didn’t know what I was expecting and then when I saw another reviewer say “I will never get to read this book for the first time again... READ MORE
Ice skating drama
I've been a fan of ice dance since the days of Torvill and Dean so I was interested in this story. The story is told by Kat who saw ice dancing at the age ... READ MORE
When 5 stars feels like an understatement!
Set to be a modern adaption of Wuthering Heights (which you don't need to have read) the Favourites was unputdownable. Many times the book left me speechle... READ MORE
Amazing
If I could give this book more than 5 stars I would without any hesitation. I honestly can’t even explain how incredible this book was and I thank the publ... READ MORE
What a story!
What a fabulous read!
This in-putdownable story follows Katarina and Heath, both troubled in their own ways as they chase an Olympic dream.
What makes T... READ MORE
Would translate perfectly to screen
I loved the mixed format of this book - the "talking heads" sections really added to the suspense and contrasted really well with the otherwise quite calm ... READ MORE
Loved every bit of these imperfect characters
This book!!!! It was a rollercoaster ride. I never would have thought a book about ice dancing (not figure skating) could captivate me so much.
The style ... READ MORE
The ups and downs in this give where giving me mental whiplash
The Favourites 3 stars
The Favourites is a sports romance between Kat and Heath that is told through a documentary style interview with flash backs. It ... READ MORE
Enjoyed the story but not the main characters
Ever since I first watched Torvill and Dean back in the eighties, ice skating has always held a mystique for me, not as something I wanted to do, accident ... READ MORE
Fantastic
Something in the description intrigued me and it definitely wasn’t the ice skating, that is not something I am bothered about, but whatever it was I was ri... READ MORE
Absolutely 5 star read
This is the story of Ice dance partners Katarina and Heath. It starts as a friendship between two young kids that then develops into ice dance partners but... READ MORE
The best book I read in 2024
I won’t go on too much, because there’s not much I need to say to get the point across - this book was dynamic and dramatic, full of scandal and plot twist... READ MORE
Ice skaters get themselves in a real spin
An entertaining and absorbing read that kept you reading and rooting for the characters succeed in a world where everything seems stacked against them. Kat... READ MORE
Spiky, unapologetic ambition and obsessive love… get ready for your new addiction!
‘The Favourites’ by Layne Fargo tells the story of fictional ice dancing superstars Kat Shaw and Heath Rocha, charting the highs and lows of their career (... READ MORE
An amazing book
This is an amazing book. Literally full of twists and turns! Some very interesting characters and a great insight into competitive skating and it's issues.
Competition, drama and twists
So many comparisons to Daisy Jones and the Six, and it's easy to see why. The narrative is predominantly from the point of view of Katarina Shaw, chronicli... READ MORE
Trust me, you don’t want to miss out on this one!
*Thank you to the publisher for gifting me a digital copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.*
The Favourites by Layne Fargo is a captivating... READ MORE
Gripping, wild ride.
I’m confidently predicting that if you are a big fan of TJR, and especially Daisy Jones and The Six, that you will love this novel about the cutthroat worl... READ MORE
.
Here's the thing, I don't care about sports. I know nothing about ice skating in any form. I had no idea there was even a difference between figure skating... READ MORE
Pitched as Wuthering Heights on ice, this book really does have it all!
Wow. Pitched as Wuthering Heights on ice, this book really does have it all - love, passion, betrayal, revenge, friendship, sabotage, ambition, and tragedy... READ MORE
The Favourites is my favourite so far this year!
The Favourites by Layne Fargo has so many great reviews already by others who are far better than I at explaining just why it’s so brilliant, that I just w... READ MORE
Impressive debut
Favourites by Layne Fargo brings all the mixed feelings. I was hooked from the start by the story of Kat and Heath (I mean, Wuthering Heights, anyone?) and... READ MORE
A real page turner - Fantastic Read
The story focuses on the relationship of its main characters Katarina Shaw and Heath Rocha and their journey from being childhood sweethearts to a formidab... READ MORE
Fast paced, dramatic sports romance with a unique documentary style
I absolutely adored this book. The documentary style writing was perfect for the drama. I loved the titbits that were given in the documentary before somet... READ MORE
Daisy Jones and the Six meets The Cutting Edge.
What an exciting, engaging read. I must have audibly gasped in at least three different places! Also I’ve just realised - Katarina and Heath, as in Cathy a... READ MORE
Captivating read
The Favorites is certainly one of my most favourite reads this year.
It is the compelling and captivating story of Kat and Heath as they become world ... READ MORE
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