Thank you PRH Audio for the ALC of The Favorites in exchange for my honest review.
Publisher: Random House Audio
Published: January 14, 2025
Summary:
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.
My thoughts:
This book wasn’t even on my radar until I started hearing rave reviews about it and then I didn’t hear about anything but this book, so of course I had to see what all the fuss was about. I mean, the figure skating and ice dancing competitions are always my favorite sports to watch during the Olympics anyway and I’ve been loving all the books that have been looking at elite athletes, but this one…this one is something else. It’s all that and more and will be a book I will not stop talking about or recommending for some time to come!
I loved the format of this book – and if you like audiobooks, I HIGHLY recommend going that route. The full-cast narration is PHENOMENAL! And the interviews and documentary style formatting really come alive on the audiobook.
I didn’t think this book would be for me because it’s a sports romance novel and I don’t really read that genre, but this book is so much more than that. It’s a story that is full of emotion and suspense and heart. I fell for these characters much like I do with all the family dramas I read and I loved all the cut-throat competition and scandals that we are made aware of. This book gripped me from the get-go and even though it is a bit long – the audio is over thirteen hours – I never felt like it dragged at any point. If I wasn’t listening to it, I was thinking about the story or the characters.
I highly recommend this book…it was amazing and I’m so glad I took a chance on it! It’s a FAVORITE for sure!
Audio thoughts:
As I mentioned the audiobook is narrated by a full-cast and it was brilliantly done. I was thrilled to see that one of my favorite ice skaters/turned commentators even had a role – Johnny Weir – and let me just say, it was like his part was made for him!
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