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libraincarnate's review against another edition
emotional
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
I mean holy shit I loved this. I got the ARC, started it, stayed up super late and then was reading it on my phone between clients đ
Finished it in under 24 hours... The love/hate chemistry between Katarina and Heath, his obsession with her, her obsession with making it to the Olympics, the sheer DRAMA of it all, the relationship dynamics in the end, I loved this all and I'm absolutely certain I'll reread this again closer to the publication date.
riniya's review against another edition
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
â¨MINI NETGALLEY ARC REVIEWâ¨
I donât even know where to start with this review so firstly, thank you to @netgalley and @randomhouse for this ARC in exchange for my honest thoughts.
I guess Iâll start off by saying Iâm probably in the majority with having no idea what Ice Dance was, and this book was my introduction into an absolutely beautiful sport. As someone who didnât have any information into this niche sport, it was nice that the author didnât get too detailed into the technical aspect of the skills. It would have been over my head.
I felt the chemistry between our MCs and even some of the side characters was so well written. It was leaping off the page and kept me engaged, desperate for more. This book had me FEELING in a way I hadnât in a long time. I got scared, angry, and worried. I was swooning and experiencing the joy right along with our characters.
I did feel that the plot got a bit repetitive. It seemed like every time a major competition was about to occur, something bad happened to our skating duo. It felt like we kept getting told that they cared about nothing outside of the sport, but right before getting on the ice, something caused them to get In their heads and blow the events. It got a bit redundant but with so much else going on, this was just a blip on my radar.
The format and writing style of this book is the most unique that I have ever seen. Itâs chapters can be broken up into two parts, the first half is our FMC, Kate, telling us the story from her perspective in First Person Past tense. The second part is as if you were sitting in front of a tv watching a documentary where others talk about what happened (but youâre reading it). It was honestly the most engaging story Iâve ever read and it felt so immersive, like I was there. I could picture the TV screen showing those parts of the chapters.
Such a great and unique read with a fiery romance for the ages.
Release date: January 15th, 2025
jude_hoo's review
adventurous
challenging
emotional
inspiring
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
hncbixby's review
5.0
4.5 âď¸ I could not put this book down!
Synopsis: âThe Favoritesâ follows the story of Katarina and Heath as they work their way up the ranks of the ice dancing world. Itâs inspired by âWuthering Heightsâ, which I may have to move higher up on my TBR list.
If you enjoyed Daisy Jones and the Six like I did, you will also enjoy this one. Part of the novel is told in the style of a documentary transcript and part is told from the perspective of Katarina, one of the main characters.
From the very beginning, I was hooked. I loved the format, I loved the writing style, and I loved the characters. The chapters were fairly short, which kept me engaged and frantically turning the pages, especially toward the end of the book. I will be reading some of Fargoâs previous works and will definitely re-read this when itâs released next year.
Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for an advanced copy of this book.
Synopsis: âThe Favoritesâ follows the story of Katarina and Heath as they work their way up the ranks of the ice dancing world. Itâs inspired by âWuthering Heightsâ, which I may have to move higher up on my TBR list.
If you enjoyed Daisy Jones and the Six like I did, you will also enjoy this one. Part of the novel is told in the style of a documentary transcript and part is told from the perspective of Katarina, one of the main characters.
From the very beginning, I was hooked. I loved the format, I loved the writing style, and I loved the characters. The chapters were fairly short, which kept me engaged and frantically turning the pages, especially toward the end of the book. I will be reading some of Fargoâs previous works and will definitely re-read this when itâs released next year.
Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for an advanced copy of this book.
thatbookbetchhh's review
5.0
The way I screamed when I was approved for this book on NetGalley!!!
I have been such a big fan of @laynefargo since first reading âThey Never Learnâ a few years ago. Since then Iâve vowed to read any words written by Layne, from now until forever â¨đĽš
Thank you @randomhouse for the review copy!
âď¸THE FAVORITES, out JAN 14âď¸
#thefavorites #laynefargo #randomhouse #thatbookbetchhh
At first I wasnât sure if i was going to like a book based on Olympic Ice Dancing, but it being written by one of my favorite authors i should have known that i would be utterly obsessed! In my opinion Layne Fargo can do no wrong. Her writing is phenomenal and draws me in every time, for hours at a time! Also her character development is always PERFECTION! The ability for an author to make a 2D flat charter in a book into a fully fleshed out character in my mind, is simply amazing!
This book truly had everything!! It was salacious, full of drama, full of real deep emotions and sadness. I couldnât recommend this book more!
I have been such a big fan of @laynefargo since first reading âThey Never Learnâ a few years ago. Since then Iâve vowed to read any words written by Layne, from now until forever â¨đĽš
Thank you @randomhouse for the review copy!
âď¸THE FAVORITES, out JAN 14âď¸
#thefavorites #laynefargo #randomhouse #thatbookbetchhh
At first I wasnât sure if i was going to like a book based on Olympic Ice Dancing, but it being written by one of my favorite authors i should have known that i would be utterly obsessed! In my opinion Layne Fargo can do no wrong. Her writing is phenomenal and draws me in every time, for hours at a time! Also her character development is always PERFECTION! The ability for an author to make a 2D flat charter in a book into a fully fleshed out character in my mind, is simply amazing!
This book truly had everything!! It was salacious, full of drama, full of real deep emotions and sadness. I couldnât recommend this book more!
rejena's review
I think you need to be really interested in ice skating to enjoy this and Iâm not.
cbookaddiction's review against another edition
tense
5.0
Layne Fargo can do no wrong. To be honest I was a little hesitant to read this book because itâs not my usual go to genre but I absolutely loved They Never Learn so I knew I had to give it a shot and let me tell you, I was obsessed. Once I picked it up, I couldnât put it down. I finished it in less than 24 hours.
Kat and Heath stole my heart, they are both flawed and nowhere near the perfect couple but I was just as obsessed with them as they are with each other. I loved Kats complicated relationships with other characters in the story.
I loved how the story is told with the alteration between Kats POV and the documentary style. I think the added interviews from the documentary add so much to the overall story.
I highly recommend this book, even if itâs not your usual genre, it is 100% worth it.
Kat and Heath stole my heart, they are both flawed and nowhere near the perfect couple but I was just as obsessed with them as they are with each other. I loved Kats complicated relationships with other characters in the story.
I loved how the story is told with the alteration between Kats POV and the documentary style. I think the added interviews from the documentary add so much to the overall story.
I highly recommend this book, even if itâs not your usual genre, it is 100% worth it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent
alyh2000's review
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
bookwormymegan's review
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0