Side Bar on pivots, reality TV, and the internet being a scary place

02/14/25 • 30 min

Pop Fiction Women

Side Bar on pivots, reality TV, and the internet being a scary place

Previous Episode

Layne Fargo & 'The Favorites': Complicated Conversations Series

*with a spoiler section - listen if you want to hear Layne explain THOSE moments*

On this episode of Complicated Conversations we welcome Layne Fargo to discuss her new novel, The Favorites, 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.

The Favorites is a retelling of Wuthering Heights set in the world of Olympic ice dancing. While it has vibes of Daisy Jones & The Six mixed with Carrie Soto Is Back, it is uniquely its own page-turning sensation! We had so much fun gushing to Layne about our mutual love for the novel and chatting about themes of female ambition, intense rivalry, the complexities of toxic relationships, and her highly effective narrative style that combines her main character Kat's perspective with documentary elements. Layne shares a passion for astrology so we also delve into the influence of astrology on character compatibility and the creative process behind writing.

Warning - there are some spoilers in this one because we just had to talk about reader expectations and reactions to some of the reveals/twists in this book! Don’t worry - we give spoiler warnings on air mark them here:

Spoilers begin at 15:56 and end at 28:35, which is where the astrology chat starts!

The Favorites is out now! Listen to our spoiler-free chat wherever you get your podcasts.

Next Episode

Yellowjackets Season 3, Episodes 1&2 recap

It’s been almost two years since we’ve convened with the wilderness, but it’s finally time to go back to the world of Yellowjackets for a third season. Did you spend your Valentine’s eating your heart out with this two-part premiere? If so, listen now to our recap where we chat about what did and didn’t work for us, where we think this season may take us, and THAT soundtrack.