Synopsis
To the world, they were a scandal. To each other, an obsession.
An epic love story set in the sparkling, savage sphere of elite figure skating about a woman determined to carve her own path on and off the ice
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.
Audiobook Review
5 brilliant stars!
The full cast was perfect for that novel (full cast below)!
Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the cutthroat world of ice dancing where you give your life and your pain to become world champion. Where razor blades in your skates are a thing and where your passionate personal life will be exposed for all to see in its highs and lows. Where passion meets ambition and idols get shredded to pieces.
Welcome to The Favorites.
It’s the ten year anniversary of Katarina Shaw and Heath Rocha’s final skate, after a shocking incident put an abrupt halt to their career, and an unauthorized documentary is filmed, interviewing friends and rivals. But Katarina is determined to tell her own version of the events and finally, talk about her life.
Prepare for a roller coaster of emotions.
Get ready to throw your book or your headset to the wall in a fit of rage at some character choice. Have your favorite hiking boots at the ready to go for a long walk to cool down and clear your head before resuming your read.
Because even if like me, you like your stories low on angst and drama, even if you message a friend for spoilers because “you can’t stand it anymore”, you won’t be able to stop reading the formidable story of Katarina Shaw and Heath Rocha.
Alternating between Katarina’s narration and friends/enemies interviews, we follow their story in chronological order.
Heath and Kat met as kids when Katarina already knew she wanted to become the next Sheela Lin and get that Olympic gold in ice dancing. Like Sheela, Katarina wanted to be fierce, have no fear and control her destiny.
“I became a skater because I wanted to feel like that. Fierce. Confident. A warrior goddess covered in glitter. So sure of myself, I could make my dreams come true through sheer force of will.”
From scraping coins to attend ice competition, sewing their costumes from second hand clothes to attending the famous Lin Academy, all their lives will be dedicated to skating.
Spanning decades, that book will give you everything: sweet protective young love, love triangles, self-growth, betrayal, sabotage, tragedy, triumph, and unstoppable ambition.
The characters are complex and multi layered.
Katarina is fierce, dedicated, ruthless, ambitious, self-centered, passionate. She loves Heath but loves skating and winning more. Or at least, before life teaches her a hard lesson. Some will have a hard time loving her maybe.
Heath has made Katarina his whole world. Abandoned by his parents, going from foster home to foster home, he has lost everyone and he will latch onto Katarina, vowing to never part from her, even at the cost of sacrificing his own desires and dreams for hers.
Their relationship was explosive. Wonderful and toxic at the same time.
The side characters being their rivals the Lin twins, Garett and Bella offered the polished counterpart to Katarina and Heath rawness.
It’s explosive, fascinating, dramatic and it will be on my top books of 2025!
Full narrator cast: Christine Lakin for Katarina and all the side characters done by Louisa Zhu, Amy Landon, Elena Rey, Valerie Rose Lohman, Suzanne Toren , Graham Halstead, Julia Emelin and Eric Yang.
Thanks for reading.
Sophie
I also listened to the audio, and I was so happy I did. I am not sure if it would have made the impact it did if I had read it myself. This was a crazy story. So much delicious drama. It’s incredible how invested in Kat and Heath’s love story. I really wanted them to workout. I can’t say everything went how I expected, but I was left hopeful for everyone.
I totally agree about the audio! That was also my favorite format for Daisy Jones and the Six!