Is this one of the top books of 2025 so far?

We spend so much time reading books that are often overrated, but one of the most-talked about books of the year is living up to hype.

I started reading The Favourites by Layne Fargo this month and had exceptionally high hopes.

I was hesitant about reading The Favourites because I was worried people were praising it a little too much.

However, the rave reviews are completely justified.

The book kept me occupied on the train journey to Cork and I was hooked for the entire journey.

The book has been described as Wuthering Heights meets Daisy Jones & The Six, which are two of my all time favourite books.

Heath and Kat's love story certainly mirrors Heathcliff and Kathy in Wuthering Heights if you take away the modern-day setting and ice rinks.

What I loved is how some of the story is told through interviews just like in Daisy Jones & The Six.

It makes it that little bit more enjoyable to read because you're not just reading one side of the story.

There's something so special about this novel and there's a reason so many people are talking about it.

What is The Favourites about?

'Everyone thinks Heath Rocha was my first love. He wasn't. My first love was figure skating. Katarina Shaw has always known she's 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 fans with their scorching chemistry, rebellious style, and rollercoaster relationship. Until, at the Olympic Games, as the world holds its breath, a shocking incident instantly destroys their partnership.

Ten years later, an unauthorised tell-all documentary reignites the public obsession with Shaw and Rocha. If Kat wants to own her story, she must break her silence. As Kat's account of her dramatic rise and fall alternates with scandalous interviews from the film, The Favourites spins into a dance between passion, ambition, and what it truly means to win.

Sensational rumours have haunted Kat and Heath's every step for years. However, the truth may be even more outrageous than the headlines. The first print run of The Favourites will have purple sprayed edges, while stock lasts.