I really enjoyed everything about this other than the format. It's structured like a memoir of the main character, so many important events happen off-page, and I think the book could have benefitted from a different structure or including some of those important points. I did really love our narrator though -- she's messy, and there's a bit of a mystery that unravels throughout.

✨ The Vibes ✨
A little bit of mystery, a dash of Hollywood magic, and a whole lot of heart

📖 Read if…
✨ You like books with short chapters and lots of POVs
✨ You’re a fan of stories that use the “book within a book” structure
✨ You’re looking for a book that explores identity in a unique and powerful way

The Three Lives of Cate Kay has received a lot of coverage since it hit shelves earlier this year, billed as a mix of First Lie Wins and The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo. That line is what drew me in, but after finishing the book I think the story transcends those comparisons.

The Three Lives of Cate Kay is hard to explain, but at its core it's about a young woman who is forced to reinvent herself in the face of tragedy and finds herself and the true meanings of love and friendship along the way. It’s by far one of the most creative books I’ve read this year, following “Cate Kay” over her life, while also including excerpts of her bestselling book, the POV of the actress that is starring in the film adaptation of said book, and interstitials that share the perspective of various people who have encountered Cate throughout her life. Admittedly, the structure is a bit confusing, but somehow it works? I was really invested in the story and flew through it simply because I needed to know how everything was going to come together.

I think one of the biggest flaws of the book is the way it’s being marketed. Readers who pick this up expecting a crime fiction thriller like First Lie Wins or a sweeping historical fiction like Evelyn Hugo might be disappointed as Cate Kay isn’t really like either of those books once you get into the story, and I think creating those high expectations does a disservice to a truly one-of-a-kind book.

The Three Lives of Cate Kay is out now. Thanks to Atria and NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Really enjoyed this one, I found the differences between Cate's "lives" very interesting to see how each developed due to one event in her lifetime where she ran instead of facing things head on.

I was looking forward to this read but was kind of disappointed. I’m surprised the main character didn’t google what happened or try to get information about her friends “funeral”. I just didn’t find the storyline to be beliveable

I have attempted to start this one multiple times and simply just couldn't get into it. Unfortunately it just didn't hold my attention and therefore this was a DNF for me. I may go back to it in the future but for now it will move to my DNF folder.

I really enjoyed this one! Was such a good read. Quick pace and I didn't want to put it down! I enjoyed the concept of the book as it was different and engaging! Would be a great book to pack in your beach bag!

The Three Lives of Cate Kay feels like finding a secret song you didn’t know you needed—but once you hear it, it runs on loop in your mind. It’s that rare blend of emotional depth, queerness, and speculative wonder you’ve been craving: a story that leaves you both shattered and luminous by the end.

Cate Kay exists in three parallel lives, each shaped by a single choice. What fascinates is how the novel unpacks that divergence—rooting it in grief, desire, identity, and the threads that bind who we are to who we could become. It never leans into sci-fi spectacle; instead, it whispers its speculative elements into the fabric of a lived, grounded character study. You feel the weight of every decision holding her in a life and the absence haunting the ones she didn’t choose.

The magic here lies in precision. Cate’s emotional truth anchors everything. You’re in her mind as she rehearses conversations, replays past mistakes, and navigates three versions of heartbreak, friendship, and family. It’s uncanny how raw it feels—like an intimate confessional, but with the added tension of knowing every life feels both possible and devastatingly finite.

Structurally, the book threads together three timelines with confident clarity. You don’t need spoilers or signposts; the emotional beat in each life guides you. And when you watch Cate’s selves brush past each other across the narrative, that tension hums—a soft reminder that all versions of her are living, breathing people.

The queerness is deeply rooted, not window dressing. Cate’s relationships—romantic, chosen family, self-love—have stakes that feel earned, and the heartbreaks sting all the sharper for it. There's gratitude here too, for the ways a life can surprise you—even when you think you know where it's headed.

I read this in one sitting, then sat with it for days afterward. It’s a story about loss, yes—but also about reclamation. About how one life’s ruin can echo into the next and how the choices we make (and don’t) shape the courage we carry forward.

The Three Lives of Cate Kay didn’t just meet the bar. It became the bar. If you’ve ever wondered who you could have been—or who you might yet become—this is the novel that tells you: all of it matters, all of it counts. A shimmering, heartache-dipped masterpiece.

The Three Lives of Cate Kay by Kate Fagan has a slow start, but it does become interesting. It's a "book about books," which is neat, and the story really plays on that miscommunication trope surrounding Cate Kay's identity. Still, parts of it felt a bit improbable, and ultimately, it just didn't quite click with me.

This book was so wonderful. I read it with my eyeballs and my ears and both experiences were wonderful. There was a lot of heart to this book. The multiple POVs meant you got a really rounded view of this story.

This was such an intriguing read. I really enjoyed the characters and their depth and felt like the plot was pretty unique.

The Three Lives of Cate Kay is a touching and imaginative exploration of what it means to truly live. The novel follows Cate Kay through three alternate versions of her life, each shaped by different choices, regrets, and relationships. It’s a clever concept that’s executed with heart and emotional depth.

Cate is a strong but vulnerable protagonist whose inner struggles feel deeply authentic. Her experiences are sometimes painful, sometimes joyful, and always thought-provoking. The book’s biggest strength lies in its central question: What if you had the chance to live again — differently?

The writing is lyrical without being overindulgent, and the transitions between lives are handled smoothly. It invites reflection and stays with you long after the last page.

This was a very frustrating book to read. On the one hand, I finished it relatively quickly, which is usually a good sign. On the other hand, the book suffers from many plot problems that needed to be fix, in my opinion.
The story revolves around the main character and her relationship with her best friend Amanda. For reasons I won't go into, the two drift apart.
It was from this point onwards that I felt the story was unable to sustain its own premise, creating obstacles through incomprehensible decisions that made me roll my eyes. I found this a shame, because Kate Flagan writes beautifully about the relationship between Amanda and Cate.
However, I don't want to say that I hated the book, because that's not true. It was a very entertaining read, despite the plot problems. I would even say that it is a very cinematic story and that I could easily see it being adapted into a film or series (is that a good or bad thing? I'll leave that up to each individual to decide).
In summary, I think ‘The Three Lives of Cate Kay’ may find readers who are looking for an entertaining read, but one that still manages to offer some depth on themes such as grief and forgiveness.

I kindly received an ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This was an okay read for me, but I think a lot of people will adore this book.

I did like the fact that this book was told in multiple POVs, but I didn’t feel overly attached to the characters. I wanted a little more character development. I don’t think this is a bad book by any means, but I unfortunately just don’t think it was for me.

Bonus points for it being LGBTQIA+ though!

Thank you to Atria Books and NetGalley for the chance to read an early copy!

3.5 stars rounded up. I very much enjoyed The Three Lives of Cate Kay conceptually, but there were a few plot holes that sometimes made it difficult to stay immersed in the world of the book.

The premise is this: A teenager named Annie flees her small hometown after a traumatic incident, reinvents herself as Cass, and then writes a novel that becomes a worldwide phenomenon under the pseudonym Cate Kay. Years later, Annie/Cass/Cate is ready to reveal the truth about her life and decides to write a memoir of sorts – including not just her own perspective, but also those of the people who know all three versions of her best.

It sounds complicated, but it’s easy to get into the flow of the narrative; Kate Fagan’s writing has a fluid, propulsive quality that made me want to keep reading and find out where the book was taking me. The characters are all so interesting and authentic, with unique voices and worldviews, and Fagan uses the structure of the novel to full advantage: The other characters’ perspectives provide a more well-rounded, unbiased view of Annie/Cass/Cate, who doesn’t always see herself (herselves?) clearly. I’m a sucker for a book-within-a-book narrative, and I thought it worked well here, and the queer representation was integrated well and thoughtfully.

All that said, though, the thing that cheapened the book for a me a bit is the tragedy on which the entire plot hinges. It just didn’t feel at all realistic for Annie to react in the way she did – not to mention that a simple Google search could’ve solved the book’s main conflict much, much earlier.

But if you can get beyond that, The Three Lives of Cate Kay is so unique and enjoyable – a book that is much more thoughtful and meaningful than the cartoonish cover would have you believe.

A young woman recounts the major life events that forced her into taking multiple identities and eventually, living a life of anonymity.

I can do a book with an unlikable/highly flawed lead character. In fact, one of my favorite books that I read in 2024 was all told from the perspective of a highly unlikable character with pretty much no redeeming qualities. The issue I take with a book like Cate Kay is the fact that everyone is so in love with Annie/Cass/Cate-and it feels like the readers are supposed to be absolutely smitten with her too. But in reality, she's an extremely selfish, self-centered, singleminded individual and I could not understand why everyone was so enamored with her. What was this magnetism she exuded and this spell she cast over everyone? Because I didn't get it. Amanda? Sure. But Annie? Not so much. I felt like Sidney was introduced to the story solely to act as the true villain and sure-she was terrible-but I couldn't stand how awful Annie was to so many people in her life and hated the fact that I felt like I was then guilted into liking her by the book's conclusion. And that's not even to mention that the pacing of this was slow, the writing was mediocre at best, and the POVs were far too many and too frequent!

I absolutely love it when books are in the format of a memoir (like in this book when we get ‘author notes’ but it’s the character) and books formatted like a podcast. The Three Lives of Cate Kay was a mixture of both and I loved the structure. Sometimes multiple POV’s can get confusing but I actually felt like it worked really well with this story. We got to see the motivations behind certain actions and I think it added to the overall depth of the story.

I personally don’t find this comparable to Evelyn Hugo. I think the only similarity would be the additional POV’s (in Evelyn Hugo we got the articles), and I also don’t think this book is a Thriller/Mystery. This book felt more like literary fiction since it really revolves around the lives of three women. Each one facing their own challenges, relationships, and connection to Cate Kay.

I personally really enjoyed it and recommend it if you’re a fan of Memoirs, Podcasts, or literary fiction.

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for an eArc of this book in exchange for an honest review.

My current favorite read of 2025! This book was phenomenal and everything I love in a book. Intrigue, drama, secrets, good and bad characters and a perfect resolution. Written as a memoir style novel, Cate Kay is one I highly recommend.

From a troubled childhood to literary stardom under a secret identity, Cate Kay has spent her life reinventing herself. But as time went on, she was finally forced to confront the story that matters most—her own.

SO so good! Definitely gave me TJR vibes as I was reading. The storytelling was amazing and the plot points bled into each other seamlessly.

An enchanting and emotionally rich tale, The Three Lives of Cate Fay blends magical realism with heartfelt themes of fate, redemption, and self-discovery. With vivid prose and a compelling heroine, the story gracefully explores how one life can take many paths—and how love and courage shape each one. A captivating, thought-provoking read.

This book was phenomenal. It took some of the craziest turns I've ever seen in any book. Cate was all over the place and I had a little bit of a difficult time identifying with her initially, but as the story went on, I understood her motivations so much more. This was a messed up story in the best way possible!

The premise of this book is so great and I thought it had way more promise, but ultimately I didn’t love it. The miscommunication trope is everywhere in this book and it’s my least favorite trope. Thank you NetGalley and Atria for the eARC.