I absolutely adored this book. I do want to say, that I do not think it's really anything like either Evelyn Hugo or Daisy Jones; which it was marketed as. However, I don't think it needed to be compared to either. It was something wholly unique and spectacular. Once you settle in and are able to distinguish fully between each voice, you're in for something really special.

“People say power is intoxicating; you say you’ll be the first to stay sober. But let me tell you, everyone gets drunk. So, when you wonder about our sanity, way out here in these Hollywood hills, remember that we’ve all pretty much lost it.”

I was a little confused as to how this story would unfold with the three lives of Cate. And then BAM! At about 25% there is an event that slammed me in the gut and I couldn’t put it down.

But this book had a lot of moving parts and I found that distracting at times. There are a plethora of viewpoints, multiple timelines, and stories within stories within stories. Although I did enjoy it I will admit I almost DNF’d it a few times. Am I glad, though, that I stuck with it and finished? Yes.

Thank you to Netaglley, Atria Books, and the author for the gifted ARC.

The Three Lives of Cate Kay by Kate Fagan is a poignant and gripping exploration of identity, fame, and the elusive nature of self-knowledge. Cate Kay, the protagonist, is a literary and cinematic sensation—her bestselling book trilogy turned box office blockbuster has made her one of the most celebrated authors of her generation. Yet, behind this successful, public persona, there lies a far more complicated and tragic backstory. Cate Kay is a construct, a name shrouded in mystery, and her real identity has been carefully hidden from the world—for reasons that are both deeply personal and haunting.

At the heart of this novel is Cate’s journey of self-discovery, as she comes to terms with the secrets of her past and the pain that has shaped her present. As the narrative unfolds, we learn that the name Cate Kay is a facade—a product of years of running, of reinventing herself over and over again, as she fled from a life marked by tragedy. A tragedy that stole away her dreams of becoming a movie star alongside her best friend Amanda, a tragedy that turned the course of her life onto a path of isolation and secrecy.

Cate, as we discover, was once a young woman full of hope, with a future brimming with promise. She and Amanda had big dreams of escaping their difficult homes and venturing to California to chase fame and fortune. But just as they were about to embark on this grand adventure, a devastating event shattered their shared vision and set Cate on a course of self-imposed exile, assuming new names and leaving behind the remnants of her former life. Her attempts to outrun her past through a series of reinventions have come at the cost of genuine human connection, leaving Cate a ghost of the person she once was.

Fagan’s writing is sharp and evocative, and her exploration of identity is both tender and raw. The novel delves deeply into the complex and often painful relationship we have with the versions of ourselves we present to the world. Cate’s journey is not just about uncovering the truth behind her secret life, but also about confronting the emotional wounds that have long been buried under layers of lies and self-deception.

The stunning and intimate journey of a woman desperate for a life of greatness. A story of horrid manipulation and ultimately a story of love and acceptance.

I received an advance copy from Netgalley for free and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Annie dreams of a life on stage. Together with her best friend Amanda she plans to conquer Hollywood and dazzle the world with their talent. The car is packed for them to leave during the summer after high school graduation, but fate decides differently. Annie leaves Amanda behind and strikes out on her own. She decides a new identity is needed and she adopts the name Cass. Also, maybe it’s not acting she really wants to do. No, it’s writing. Under the pen name Cate Kay she writes a huge best seller. Cate Kay remains a mystery though, nobody can know who the author really is. A decision that leads to a life full of half truths and manipulation.

This story gripped me from page one. The idea of this woman taking you by the hand and guiding you through all her life’s choices, her proudest moments but mainly her mistakes, is endlessly intriguing. The story is told from different perspectives, not only Annie/Cass/Cate’s but also various other characters that played a significant role in her life. They provide necessary glimpses into how different people perceived Annie/Cass but also provide answers as to why some of them treated her the way they did. All these little snippets build up to a complete picture of a truly eventful life.

Annie/Cass makes some very questionable decisions. Decisions that aren’t even fathomable to me. On the other hand she was a victim of other people’s lies. I wasn’t sure I even liked her, but somehow while the story continued, she won me over. This woman has been used and played by different people for very different reasons. It’s heartbreaking to see her run away from all the good things, making decisions based on corrupted information. Her happy ending is indeed hard fought, but how I cheered for her to get that HEA!

The Three Lives Of Cate Kay is a story that will stay with me for quite a while. It’s so deeply human, with the good, the bad and the very ugly. It’s not a light read, but a story to savor page by page.

Thank you so very much to author Kate Fagan, Atria Books, and NetGalley for providing this free eARC in exchange for an honest review!

The Three Lives of Cate Kay follows, well, titular Cate Kay in her various personas that she has crafted throughout her life. Before Cate Kay became a a successful best selling author with a blockbuster series of film-adaptations under her belt, she was simply Cassandra "Cass" Ford. Similar to Hannah Montana, Under the mask of Cate was the Miley of the story: Cass. Or was she? Before Cass was "born" she was simply a teenager running from a traumatic event from her past. At the heart of all her personas? Her name was Annie Callahan--aspiring actress and one half of a very dynamic duo.

I really enjoyed this book, and found that it wasn't what I originally expected of it. At its heart it is a story of two friends and the way that one event can haunt each other and the relationships around them. Beyond this, it also featured a vast array of miscommunication; whether it be on purpose or on accident.

One thing that did stand out to me was the overall voice of the characters. This was both a blessing and a curse in this case. I did enjoy being able to read the different POVs in this story, especially when one scene was told from another characters perspective. And on a side note I REALLY loved the inclusion of footnotes from "Cate" at the end of each chapter. It really made it feel like I was reading a memoir and not a fictional one. Back to the POVs. While I enjoyed the multiple perspectives and accounts of events, I did find that none of the characters had a very distinct Voice. I found that I would read a few pages of a chapter and forget whose POV I was reading since the way that the passages were written and the overall voice of each character just seemed too similar to differentiate from each other. Other than that, this was such an enjoyable read!

4 stars

You can read all my reviews at Nerd Girl Loves Books.

I really enjoyed this quick and easy contemporary read. Annie and Amanda are best friends with big plans to take L.A. by storm and become famous actresses. Their relationship is amazing. They just get each other. Their inside jokes and short cuts are the epitome of friends that have known each other most of their lives. Amanda loves Annie, but Annie is in love with Amanda. Not that she's been brave enough to tell her, of course. When a tragedy occurs Annie flees town on her own and assumes a new identity as Cass.

Trying to work through her emotions, Cass writes a book under the pseudonym Cate Kay and ferociously protects her identity. No one knows Cass wrote the book except her attorney. When the book becomes a hit and is turned into a movie, Cass is drawn to the lead actress playing the starring role and agrees to meet with her in L.A. During her stay Cass realizes that she will never move forward in her life until she moves through her pain.

This book requires you to pay close attention as the chapters and POVs alternate through a variety of narrators. The payoff is a beautiful story of friendship, pain, love, and redemption. I loved the friendship between Annie and Amanda. I loved the dynamics between Cass and the actress. I enjoyed the surprising twists and turns the story took, and I loved the way the story ended. It's hard to say much more about the book without spoilers, so I encourage you to read this one for yourself.

I received a complimentary e-copy of this book from NetGalley and Atria Books. All opinions are my own.

The Three Lives of Cate Kay explores how a single event or rash decision can shape your whole world. Annie and Amanda were the best of friends until one incident changes the trajectory of both of their lives. Annie spends the next decades running from her past while Amanda is left wondering. This novel had me reflecting on my own lost high school and childhood friendships. Some bonds can never be broken. 4/5 stars.

I was given this arc in exchange for my unbiased review.

This book is described as The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo meets First Lie Wins and I did get those vibes.
It took me a minute to get into the book, but once I was in, I was IN.
Cate Kay is a best selling novelist whose identity has been hidden, up until now. We follow “Cate Kay” through her early years, what led to her changing her name and writing a novel, and what made her decide to finally reveal her true identity.

This was a pretty good read! It leans on the anonymity and lack of instant communication of earlier decades. There are moments where a few phone calls would have resolved a lot, but that’s part of what makes the story work. Each main character and phase of life felt authentic and believable, which kept me invested. The pacing was excellent. I couldn’t put it down because I had to see how things would resolve. While there weren’t any shocking twists or jaw-dropping reveals, the story was heartfelt and compelling. I only wish there had been more consequences for a certain character’s actions. At times it felt repetitive, but in a way that added to the charm, like an inside joke we’re in on. Overall, it was an enjoyable and satisfying read. Worth picking up!

Thanks to NetGalley and Atria Books for the advanced copy.

This book was a great read! And I think an incredible read for Reese’s Book Club.

I really loved the idea of a “memoir” type read. I can totally see the comparison to Taylor Jenkins Reid novels. Annie/Cass/Cate was a complex character who really stood out to me. I thought the book had a slow start but the overall character development really was done so well.

I couldn’t stand Sidney and wished the worst for her so when it didnt happen, I got mad. :)

I think that people will love this book if they give it a chance!

A fast-paced and easy read about the turmultous life of a formerly anomynous fictional author of a bestselling franchise. This is like Evelyn Hugo exept the main pairing was easier to root for and you don’t have to bother reading about all those husbands before it gets to the good part. Instead this follows the narrator’s relationship with the three women she was the most emotionally engaged with at three different stages of her life: as Annie, as Cass and as Cate. Each of these relationships was deeply interesting for different reasons. Surprisingly, my favorite relationship to read about was not the romantic one (I actually wanted even more yearning). Instead, I found myself deeply moved by the platonic love story that’s at the heart of this book, and hooked by the most toxic relationship the narrator is engaged in – it’s fascinating how wrong we can be about other people, power dynamics and ourselves. My favorite character was Ry and I enjoyed her commentary about the public’s expectations regarding gender performance that come with being an actress and especially the sideplot where she re-evaluates who she’s doing all that for and if it’s what she really wants. Great book! I’m eager to find out what this author publishes next!

At first, it took a bit to figure out what was happening in the story but once I was able to differentiate each of the characters I was hooked on this book. I had to know exactly how things unfolded and where the friendship ends up. Each character felt well fleshed out and easy enough to understand. It was nice to see a true friendship at the root of a story and how a book could lead to friends back to each other. It was also nice to see how the side characters came into play and how it all came together. Definitely a book I would tell everyone to check out.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the arc

“The Three Lives of Cate Kay” by Kate Fagan
What an Emotion filled read ! !
I had read a few chapters of this book and realized I was completely lost. For some reason I had lost track of each character and their relationship with other characters. So, I stared over again and kept a log of who was who. I still had trouble connecting with the story; until, all of a sudden I knew everyone and I was so very anxious to find out what was going to happen next. I am ever so glad I gave this story a second chance to win my attention. It really is a good read and food for thought for anyone so inclined. Happy Reading

I think I can say that I liked this, overall, but not without effort. I was unable to form a connection with any of the characters and I think that’s due to each POV being mostly indistinguishable from the others. Tone, syntax, and attitude was too similar in each. I really held on for the Ryan bits and the Amanda-Annie reunion, but aside from that, I felt there were more times than I’d like where I really had to put apply myself to stay engaged. I don’t think this should be marketed for fans of Evelyn Hugo because it’s its own thing, and that’s okay.

“It’s like you hold me steady, but without holding me still.”

Thank you @netgalley for the eARC!

I was very excited to get this novel by Kate Fagan if only for the description itself: for fans of Evelyn Hugo. Let’s just say that is enough for me.

THE THREE LIVES OF CATE KAY is story of friendship, love, ambition, and big dreams. It is told in various POVs with excerpts from a book, alongside footnotes from the main character.

I can see how this is said to be “Evelyn Hugo” meets “First Lie Wins” but the format reminded me of Daisy Jones. It took me a while to connect to the story because of the format the story is written; it isn’t my favorite as I struggled connecting with the characters and the story itself. But if I looked past it, I enjoyed the book.

As someone who loved the seven husbands of evelyn hugo this book seemed to bring back every single feeling i had while reading this book. i love it

I finished this book at 1:00 a.m. in the morning. Absolutely superb. All the stars.

I have not had a book grab hold of me like this one did in a very very long time. I loved everything about this book. Huge Evelyn Hugo vibes. It’s a must read, friends.

The Three Lives of Cate Kay is a coming-of-age story told in memoir style with multiple POV chapters. I really liked the intermingling of key player voices throughout the story, as I'm always fascinated to hear the other side of the same story. Cate Kay's life lessons can be summed up into 2 overarching principles: 1.) Assume nothing, and 2.) Trust but verify everything. So much anguish could have been avoided by addressing insecurities head-on and by doing a little bit of personal investigation. But, then again, if Cate did that, she probably never would have had the interesting life experiences she did. The final lesson is that you can always go home... no matter how old you are or how many years have passed. The right day may not be today, but there is always someday.

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for the opportunity to read and review this ARC.

Cate Kay was such an incredibly fun and clever read that I will for sure be recommending to readers in my life (I already passed my copy to my mom).

I really enjoyed the format of this book with multiple POV contributing to the storyline. I really enjoyed the book within the book and would actually love to read it on its own as it sounded super intriguing!

While I questioned some of Annie/Cass’s decisions, I was continuously rooting for her and loved her story. There were a lot of good characters in this book that I felt drawn to and interested in. The short chapters kept me reading and I really couldn’t put this one down! It is incredibly engaging.

My only critique is that I would have liked a longer ending. I was satisfied with the way it ended but would have liked it to be more detailed.

I cannot wait to see what this author does next- I loved her writing style and will be eagerly waiting for her sophomore novel.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the arc.

Formal Review to Come - I enjoyed this book. It did take a minute to grow on me though. I think it was a wonderful debut novel into the fiction genre!