The Favorites (Italian Edition)

About This Audiobook

Katarina Shaw is a gym rat with a singular focus: to become the best gymnast in the world, no matter the wreckage left behind. When she catches the eye of her ruthless coach—who sees her talent as his ticket to legacy—she’s drawn into a dangerous game of favors and manipulation. This isn’t a story about wholesome competition; it’s a raw, glitter-streaked dive into the underbelly of elite sports, where ambition is currency and loyalty is a one-way ticket. Fargo’s razor-sharp prose doesn’t just describe the physical toll of gymnastics—it dissects the psychological warfare of chasing greatness at any cost.

The narration by Ilaria Egitto and Erica Laiolo is a standout, with Egitto delivering Katarina’s grit with a voice that crackles with intensity, while Laiolo’s performance as the predatory coach oozes slithering menace. The audiobook’s pacing is relentless, mirroring the sprint toward Olympic gold, and the dual perspectives ensure you’re never more than a few sentences away from the next gut-punch revelation. If you crave romance that burns hotter than a competition burn, this is your match."

"review": "I’ll admit, I was skeptical about a romance set in the brutal world of elite gymnastics—I mean, how many ways can you really describe a back handspring? But Fargo turns the sport into a metaphor for obsession, and damn if it doesn’t work. Egitto’s narration is the secret weapon here; she doesn’t just voice Katarina, she *breathes* her—every grunt, every exhausted exhale feels like it’s coming from the next machine over in the gym. Laiolo’s coach is a slow-motion villain, her voice dripping with false warmth, and I found myself actually recoiling when she purred into the microphone.

That said, the romance between Katarina and her rival feels a tad underbaked compared to the rest of the story. It’s hot, sure, but the emotional beats are rushed, almost like the audiobook editors realized they were 30 minutes off schedule and glossed over the chemistry. Also, the ending hinges on a twist that’s bold but maybe just a *touch* too convenient—I wanted more friction. Still, if you’re here for a dark, glittery, sweat-soaked power struggle wrapped in a love story, this audiobook delivers. Just don’t expect a gentle landing."

"tags": ["dark romance sports thriller