that was the craziest thing I’ve read in a long time. Literally so much happened I think I’m gonna have to stew for a bit in that before piecing together my thoughts

This one just isn’t for me. I don’t love stories where all the characters are terrible and do terrible things to each other. Love triangles are also one of my least favorite tropes. 

This book is a BANGER! Excellently plotted, full of intrigue, and a tense pacing and writing style that keeps me turning the pages. It felt like it was going to be too long at first, but then I didn’t want it to end. It was compelling in the beginning, but the halfway point really set it on fire for me and I was furiously devouring it. I loved the mix of documentary style and first person account

This book follows Katarina and Heath. They are both Olympic figure skaters/ice dancers who use the sport as a form of escapism from their less-than-stellar home lives. Katarina and Heath's fiery passion for the sport and each other is undeniable. Their lives and careers were on an upward trajectory until a shocking incident occurred at the Olympic Games, leaving their partnership in shambles.
Ten years later, amid an unauthorized documentary, Katarina is speaking her truth. She tells it all, 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 as the saying goes, the truth will set you free.
Oh wow! This book was captivating from start to finish. Its format reminded me slightly of Daisy Jones and The Six. This book deserves a sequel, a movie, or something; I crave more of these characters. The voice cast of the audiobook was phenomenal.

A book about ice dancing, spans many years, lots of drama and competitions. I hate to compare to TJR but its kinda like if Carrie Soto was about ice skating instead of tennis but written in the style of Daisy Jones but a documentary instead of an interview. Plots and writing aren't like super similar or anything but those are well known comps. I liked it! The audiobook was excellent and has a full cast. 

I am so stingy with five stars but damn, this book was amazing. I flew through this book in three days, and if it weren't for work and other plans, I would've finished it in one day. 

The chapters are short and interspersed with "transcripts" from a documentary that was created after the events of the book. I felt at the edge of my seat a lot. And I learned a lot about competitive ice dancing.

I also really liked how the book was self-aware. It wasn't trying to sell the relationships in the book as healthy, it wasn't trying to force the characters to seem likable. Honestly, I enjoyed them for how authentic they were, even if they were absolute stone-cold b*tches. I loved the drama and the little bit of mystery that was woven in the story. 

I also loved that even though Kat went through a huge growth arc (in her own way) throughout the book, she never lost her intensity, her snarkiness, her bad b*tch persona, just to make herself more palatable. She learned that winning wasn't everything, but she never lost her personality or who she was. And I really appreciate that. Just like the author said in their bio - I support women's rights, and also women's wrongs. Also, speaking of women's wrongs, I LOVE how the saboteur was planted right in front of us the whole time through the documentary. Incredible.

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 I know it will stick with me forever.

The story of The Favourites is told through a combination of first person narration from Katarina and documentary/interview footage, providing multiple perspectives of a tale that is both tragic and healing. Katarina and Heath have loved each other since they were children. and I think you could easily consider them trauma-bonded. Their mutual strife and their dependency on each other is both what gives them life and what tears them apart. While Katarina wants whatever skating can give her, Heath wants what Katarina can give him. They are each other's constants, and that gives them each the power to break each other over and over again.

The Favourites broke my heart multiple times. I experienced such a range of emotions, at times feeling genuinely betrayed by these characters and frustrated with Katarina when she didn't share my sentiments. The story is filled with tension, sometimes sexual, often not. It is salacious and scandalous, jaw-dropping and vulnerable. There is the obvious found family that Katarina and Heath create from their childhood, but also gorgeous relationships that blossom with their fellow skaters that broaden their worldview, both literally and figuratively. There is heart-wrenching miscommunication throughout this book, but there are also lessons learned. The documentary begs the question: can you still pass the test if the class ended years ago?

Layne Fargo's world setting is unmatched. I could so perfectly visualise everything that unfolded in the book. Told over two decades, I felt myself grow with these characters. With each twist and turn in their story, I learned and I grieved and I loved. I could feel the yearning that Katarina and Heath carried with them to such a point that I could not put this book down. I needed to know how their story ended, and, as their tale unfurled, I cried and gasped and laughed and smiled. I felt every emotion as if I were witnessing their story play out in front of me, a true testament to Fargo's extraordinary story-telling.

The Favourites is filled with twists, and some of these I did figure out before they were revealed. That did not take away from the story, however, because they were written with such heart that even the twist that I prayed wasn't true and that made me angry, jealous and, frankly, overwhelmed with the feeling of heartbreaking betrayal felt right to me. Yes, I was disappointed that a character had let me down, but it made the story all the more real. This book does not play out like fiction. It is realistic in its devastation. Life isn't perfect, people will hurt you, and sometimes you won't be the best, but you keep going. It doesn't kill you, and that's where you find your strength to keep going.

I could truly rave about this book forever, but I don't want to give anything away. What I will say is that if you want to read a book filled with love and angst, competition and scandal, betrayal and devotion, The Favourites is the book for you. If you want your heart to break and your heart to heal, The Favourites is the book for you. If you just want a bit of gossip? No judgment, The Favourites is the book for you.