The Favourites

To the world, they were a scandal. To each other, an obsession.‘Part Wuthering Heights and part Daisy Jones and the Six . . . As brilliantly choreographed as a gold-medal performance’ JODI PICOULTEveryone 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, but the truth may be even more outrageous than the headlines.

'The Favourites is a true literary triple axel- a smart and nuanced retelling of a classic, a tense sports drama, and a perfectly twisted romance.', ‘A glittery compulsive whirl of a book, filled with spite and love and sequins and ambition’, 'An addictive read... as shimmering and lethal as ice-dancing itself.', 'If you have ever watched Olympic ice dancing teams and wondered if the chemistry between them persists when they’re not competing . . . well, have I got a book for you. Part Wuthering Heights and part Daisy Jones And The Six, this novel is as brilliantly choreographed as a gold medal performance, and will keep you guessing until its last page.', ‘A scorching saga of rivalry, betrayal and love’

Layne Fargo has a background in theatre, women’s studies and library science, so it’s only fitting that she now writes deliciously dramatic, unapologetically feminist stories for a living. She’s the author of psychological thrillers They Never Learn and Temper, as well as co-author on the bestselling Young Rich Widows series, and her work has been translated into over a dozen languages. Layne lives in Chicago with her partner, their pets and an ever-expanding collection of books she’s definitely going to read before she dies.

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