Don't let 2025 end before you read this book

The Favourites was one of the first books that really blew me away in early 2025, and one you need to add to your reading list.

The novel by Layne Fargo is not only captivating but also full of so much escapism that you'll forget about your reality when engrossed in these pages.

The book follows Heath Rocha and Katarina Shaw, gold-medal-winning figure skaters who have been friends since childhood. They've got the world at their feet, but a shocking incident instantly destroys their partnership at the Olympic Games.

Now, a tell-all documentary reignites the public's obsession with Shaw and Rocha, but will the truth be even more outrageous than the headlines?

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.

Buy The Favourites here.

Buy the Kindle version here.