Layne Fargo’s The Favourites isn’t just a book—it’s an obsession. From the first page, it throws you headfirst into the brutal, dazzling world of elite ice dancing, where the stakes are as sharp as the blades carving across the rink. But beyond the glittering surface, this is a story of love and destruction, of two people whose connection is as breathtaking as it is catastrophic.
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Instagram | @laynefargo
Synopsis
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 rollercoaster 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 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.
Inspired by the powerful love and hate that fuel Emily Bronte’s classic, Wuthering Heights, “The Favorites” is an exhilarating dance between passion, ambition, and what it truly means to win.
Katarina Shaw and Heath Rocha aren’t just skaters; they are a force of nature. Brought together as teenagers, their chemistry electrifies audiences, setting them apart from their competitors. They don’t just perform routines—they tell a story on the ice, one laced with passion, defiance, and a hunger for something more. But behind the carefully choreographed moves and press-ready smiles is a tangled web of ambition, betrayal, and heartbreak.
Fargo structures the novel around an upcoming documentary investigating the infamous scandal that ended their partnership a decade ago. As the media frenzy reignites, Kat is forced to confront not just the public’s perception of her, but the truth she’s been trying to escape. What really happened between her and Heath? And can a love story that burned so brightly ever truly fade?
A portrait of obsession
At its heart, The Favourites is an unflinching look at the price of ambition. The novel explores the sacrifices made in the pursuit of greatness—what is lost, what is taken, and what is willingly given up. Fargo masterfully captures the suffocating world of professional skating, where everything is controlled, from diet and wardrobe to media narratives and personal relationships.
Kat is a protagonist who demands attention. She is fiercely talented, ruthlessly determined, and often difficult to love. But that’s what makes her so compelling—she refuses to be reduced to a likeable, palatable heroine. Her relationship with Heath is the novel’s beating heart, messy and destructive yet impossible to look away from. They are drawn together by shared trauma and an understanding that no one else can offer. Their love is the kind that consumes, leaving no survivors.
Instagram | @laynefargo
A thriller disguised as a sports novel
What begins as a sports drama quickly spirals into something darker. Fargo blends intense psychological tension with an almost thriller-like pace, keeping readers on edge. The dual timelines—the present-day documentary investigation and the flashbacks to Kat and Heath’s rise and fall—create a sense of inevitability, like a routine building to its final, devastating move.
The novel thrives on its shifting perspectives. The media interviews, the unreliable narrators, and the selective truths all mirror the way public figures are dissected in real life. Fargo doesn’t just tell a story; she makes you question what’s real. Every revelation lands like a punch, and just when you think you have a grasp on the truth, the ice cracks beneath your feet.
Instagram | @laynefargo
Love, rivalry, and the pursuit of legacy
Fargo clearly understands the world she’s writing about. The skating sequences are choreographed with cinematic precision, making you feel the rush of a perfect landing and the agony of a misstep that could cost everything. The rivalries are razor-sharp, and the supporting cast is just as fascinating as the leads. Whether it’s Kat’s closest confidants or the opportunistic filmmakers circling like vultures, every character plays a role in shaping the narrative.
But perhaps the most striking thing about The Favourites is how it refuses to give easy answers. This isn’t a story about redemption or a neat resolution. It’s about survival, about who gets to tell their own story when the world is determined to write it for them.
Final verdict
If you love books that blend searing romance with psychological drama, The Favourites is unmissable. It’s I, Tonya meets Daisy Jones & The Six, a novel that grips you with its ferocity and refuses to let go. Kat and Heath’s story is not a love story in the traditional sense—it’s something far more haunting. But like the best performances on ice, it leaves a mark long after the final note fades.
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Featured Image: Instagram | @laynefargo
