The Favourites by Layne Fargo (PRE-ORDER)

DATE OF RELEASE: 11 SEPT 2025

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, but the truth may be even more outrageous than the headlines.

Paperback
Publication: 11 Sept 2025, Penguin
ISBN: 9781529927337
Extent: 448 pages