Ice skating plus romance, what more could you ask for?
The Favorites by Layne Fargo intertwines a passionate love story with the high-stakes world of elite figure skating. It centers on Katarina Shaw and Heath Rocha, two skaters from hard backgrounds who rise to Olympic fame through their intense chemistry on the ice and relationship of the ice. Their partnership captivates audiences but ends after a shocking incident.
Years later, an documentary threatens to tell their story the wrong way, prompting Kat to share her version of events. Throughout the book, we see the true story unfold.
If you’re a fan of emotional stories with a strong female lead and a messy romance, let me introduce you to your next 5 star read: The Favorites by Layne Fargo. This book is like if Daisy Jones & The Six had a baby with the world of Olympic figure skating. It centers on Kat Shaw and Heath Rocha, once the golden pair of skating. Their chemistry was incredible on and off the ice until something explosive happened at the Olympics that changed everything. Now, ten years later, a documentary is about to expose the truth…or at least a version of it.
The story jumps between Kat’s brutally honest narration and interview snippets from the documentary crew, which makes you feel like they are real people living in our world. So much so that I googled them when I was done reading to make sure it wasn’t a true story! You get a first-hand glimpse into all of the lies and secrets of their world. And Kat? She’s not here to make herself likable, which honestly makes her even more fascinating.
Fargo writes with so much feeling that you can feel the pressure and the heartbreak in every scene. This is a story about love, obsession, power, and the cost of being extraordinary. I loved every single second of it.
The Favorites needs to be on your TBR.