happy pub day to The Three Lives of Cate Kay by Kate Fagan.

I really enjoyed the narrative and thought it was interestingly built through lots of POVs.

the story follows Anne Marie, who, after a tragic accident, becomes bestselling author Cate Kay -- hiding her true self from the world.

the story follows her rise to fame but it told through the POVs of those around her. at the end of each chapter, there are Cate's notes where she comments on the way others are telling the story. I really liked this element of the writing as it helped get a glimpse into how she saw things if they were different than the person telling the story.

Cate Kay is a reclusive best-selling author; but she has more secrets than just her pen name. In reality Cate was previously Cass who was previously Annie. The Three Lives of Cate Kay is a fictional memoir that tells the story of Cate's life and past identities.

Told from Cate/Cass/Annie's viewpoint across multiple points in time, the story outlines who Cate is and why she has been running from her very complicated past. The story also includes the viewpoints of her former friends and lovers- her childhood best friend from when she was Annie, her girlfriend she met and fell in love with as Cass, and the movie starlet she romanced as Cate when her top of the charts book series was adapted into a movie.

We learn who Cate was/is/is becoming as she discovers this herself, and also what she sacrificed to hide her identity- and many parts of her true self- along the way to her road to fame. One of my favourite parts were the excerpts from Cate's dystopian bestseller, and I could have read a whole other book about that alone! However, there were some situations that I found to be less than believable and had trouble accepting some of the choices made by the characters.

I have seen some comparisons to The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo, and while I don't feel this book is in the same category, I did find the narrative very compelling and think this will be a very popular read. Thank you Atria and Netgalley for my earc in exchange for my honest review.

First thank you to Atria and NetGalley for an e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Synopsis: cate Kay is the best selling author of a beloved trilogy that was turned into a huge film series
However cate Kay is not her real name. This book explores how she became cate Kay and the relationships she and her work have had.

What I liked: this book was beautifully written and loved how it slowly reveals pieces of information. I highly recommend that you don’t try to read this too fast because you will miss some of the subtle connections and clues to the stories. I see the comparison to Evelyn Hugo and did feel the same vibes but it is a different book. They both are great books. I liked cate but think the supporting cast of characters were so interesting. I really would have liked to know more about Amanda. Also I think she did a great job of wrapping up the story and showing how a person and book can come into your life right when you need it.

Happy pub day to Kate Fagan and her dynamic debut novel!!!

Oh this was EXCELLENT! And felt unlike anything I've read before. It got me hooked from the very first page, and I truly wasn't sure what was going to happen - a rare treat!

Cate Kay is the infamous author known for two things: her bestselling trilogy and the fact that no one knows who she is - using a pseudonym for her writing and never sharing her identity.

This story is told as Cate's memoir, but including the perspectives of those closest to her. We start at the beginning - when she was Anne Marie but known affectionately as Annie by her best friend, Amanda. They were inseparable and had dreams of moving to LA and making it big as actors. We follow their last days in High School and their actions that set in motion an unexpected future.

This book took me on a RIDE. Varying perspectives could have been hard to follow, but Fagan's excellent writing made it work and added so much complexity and nuance to the story. It is a story about love, about growth, about home and about second chances. I still have so many questions about Cate Kay, and this is a book that will stay with me for some time.

Big thanks to Atria and NetGalley for this ARC! This book is out in the world TODAY and is also a Reese's Book Club pick AND a January Book of the Month selection - pick it up today and let me know what you think!

Happy publication day! The start of this book was sort of confusing and I was trying to keep track of all the characters. Once I got to the 30% mark, things locked into place. This is a very character driven book and I found myself rooting for the main character. I also liked the unique way this story was written-it's like we're reading an autobiographical of "Cate Kay" from key characters in her life. That was such an engaging aspect for the book!

Cate Kay, bestselling author with a hidden identity who realizes it’s time to confront her past, uncovering the truth behind her years of running. A gripping tale of secrets,

My first book by this author and throughly enjoyed. Would highly recommend to anyone that loves a fast paced read that’s very entertaining.

Thank you NetGalley for the advanced ARC in exchange for my honest review.

My opinions on this book are complicated. Overall, it was a unique story, well-written, and very engaging for the most part. I’m going to start with my criticisms; so I can end this review with the positives.

The middle third of the book was quite slow. This was around where Cass was visiting Ryan in California, and I had a difficult time believing Ryan and Cass’s once-in-a-lifetime type love, given the short time they spent together. I just didn’t feel like chemistry between them, despite this being the part of the story that sets up a huge part of the ending.

Now onto the good…

With the exception of what I mentioned above, I was thoroughly invested in the characters and their stories. The entire time, I was anticipating Cass finding out the truth about Amanda with bated breath. I loved getting so many perspectives, even from the super minor characters. The sections of the story within the story made me want to read the entire trilogy of The Very Last.

This reminded me a lot of Rainbow Black, one of my favorite 2024 books, just not nearly as dark. Definitely a book I’d recommend!

My expectations for this book were high because it was compared to one of my favorite books of all time, The Seven Husbands or Evelyn Hugo. I can understand the comparison but this book was extremely different especially in the sense that it was more contemporary fiction than historical but with the much-needed Hollywood glam. There was a little mystery and a good 1/3 of the book read like a thriller. This is one that is BEST to go into blind. I read it again, more focused this time and LOVED it.

(3.5 stars)

Thanks to Atria Books and NetGalley for an advanced reader’s copy.

I can see how the book is compared to The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo but it still stands as its own unique story and fictional memoir. The Three Lives of Cate Kay is a very character driven novel, delving into themes of identity and the path we create in life from our decisions. We follow different characters, but essentially, the story revolves around Cate Kay, a bestselling author who has chosen to keep a pseudonym to avoid any association with her past. The characters felt very real and fleshed out, and I appreciate how flawed they are. I’m not one to dislike multiple POVs, but I thought this book could’ve done without a couple character POVs. That said, I liked the subtle changes in what really happened during an event as we see the story unfold from different perspectives. However, one of my gripes from this book is that I didn’t find myself emotionally invested in the plot or the characters because some parts of the book felt rushed or disjointed.

If you like fictional memoirs, LGBTQ relationships, female friendships, drama, and romance, this might be the book for you.

Cate Kay is the author of the wildly popular book/movie franchise based on her book series “The Very Last.” She’s incredibly elusive: no one has ever seen her, not at a book signing, not at a movie premier, nothing. Because the thing about Cate is, she doesn’t actually exist. Cate Kay is just the pen name that keeps Cass Ford anonymous. Before she was Cass, she was Annie. And Annie has a tragic past that she’s been trying to hide from ever since she ran from it.

There’s so much to love about this book, a story of growth, forgiveness, healing, and opening oneself to love. It’s cleverly written as if it’s a memoir of Cate Kay’s life. Its nonlinear structure takes us back in time to Annie’s naïve but ambitious teenage years and her relationship with her bestie Amanda. Of course we get Annie/Cass/Cate’s perspective through the years, but we also get lots of others too, which help round out the story. I loved the unique perspective of getting to know the characters through others’ eyes as well as their own, and how those perceptions sometimes differed, especially when Cate would add a footnote with her own thoughts at the end of someone else’s chapter (I do love a good footnote!). The sense of dramatic irony is strong as the story unfolds and the reader knows things that Cate doesn’t, creating an addictive tension that held me in its grip until the novel’s tender and cathartic ending.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Atria Books for providing me an advance copy of this book.

Thank you Atria Books for my #gifted ARC and thank you Simon Audio for my #gifted Advanced Listening Copy of The Three Lives of Cate Kay! #atriabooks #AtriaPartner #atria #TheThreeLivesOfCateKay #KateFagan #simonaudio

𝐓𝐢𝐭𝐥𝐞: 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐓𝐡𝐫𝐞𝐞 𝐋𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐂𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐊𝐚𝐲
𝐀𝐮𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐫: 𝐊𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐅𝐚𝐠𝐚𝐧
𝐍𝐚𝐫𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐬: 𝐌𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐧 𝐈𝐫𝐞𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐝, 𝐓𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐚 𝐀𝐥𝐛𝐞𝐫𝐭𝐬𝐨𝐧, 𝐆𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐯𝐞 𝐊𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐧, 𝐈𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐢 𝐉𝐚𝐝𝐞 𝐏𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐫𝐬, 𝐂𝐨𝐫𝐞𝐲 𝐁𝐫𝐢𝐥𝐥, 𝐊𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐧 𝐑. 𝐅𝐫𝐞𝐞, 𝐃𝐚𝐧𝐢𝐞𝐥 𝐇𝐞𝐧𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠, 𝐇𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐚𝐫𝐲 𝐇𝐮𝐛𝐞𝐫, 𝐇𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐧 𝐋𝐚𝐬𝐞𝐫, 𝐅𝐫𝐞𝐝 𝐒𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬, 𝐉𝐚𝐜𝐤𝐢𝐞 𝐒𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬, 𝐄𝐦𝐢𝐥𝐲 𝐖𝐨𝐨 𝐙𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐫
𝐏𝐮𝐛 𝐃𝐚𝐭𝐞: 𝐉𝐚𝐧𝐮𝐚𝐫𝐲 𝟕, 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟓

My advice to you, do not give up on this one. I will admit, it took me a little bit to get into this book, but once I did, I really enjoyed it. It’s a character driven book, which are some of my absolute favorites. It’s compared to The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo, which I can see why, and I just loved the format once I got into it. Once I felt like this book got rolling, I could not read it fast enough. There were lots of characters, but some only get a chapter or two. Still, with multiple points of view, it’s easy to follow along. It’s a really hard book to review without giving much away. I will just say that if you enjoy character driven stories, it’s definitely worth checking out.

🎧I started with the physical book, but eventually switched to the audiobook, which was narrated by a full cast of narrators. Wow! This one included some of my favorite narrators. Even with all of the points of views and narrators, it was easy to follow, which was my fear with a cast this large. I loved this one on audio and I felt like each voice was easy to distinguish. I definitely would recommend this one on audio. The narrators were top notch!

Cate Kay is a successful author and her books have been turned into a very successful film series. Problem is, she doesn't exist. As her star rises, her past begins to break in. As she has been on the run for many years, this is a problem. Can she go home and make her life whole again?

The Three Lives of Cate Kay by Kate Fagan. I really enjoyed this debut novel.
The premise of the book was both quite entertaining and thought provoking. It follows a story of Cate Kay told in multiple POVs. This story felt interesting and unique. I really liked it.
Thank you, NetGalley, for the advanced copy of this book.

A best-selling author, Cate Kay, has chosen to keep her identity an absolute secret as she feels haunted by her past growing up as Annie Callahan in a small upstate New York town where she had run away as her best friend Amanda fell off a backyard zip line while showring off. Annie summons help but not knowing if Amanda survived the fall and flees for a host of confusing reasons from Hollywood ambition, always feeling in Annie’s shadow, and an unrequited crush on Amanda. Kay currently lives under yet another assumed identity of Cass Ford in Charleston, South Carolina.

The novel’s tense and emotive plot unspools as if it’s pages from Kay’s unpublished memoir, incorporating alternating first-person perspectives of the main people in Kay’s life. These include Sydney, a lawyer and female lover who encourages Cass’ writing and controllingly creates an elaborate legal structure to keep Cass anonymous and isolated from all but herself. Cass then abandon’s Sydney as she falls for closeted Hollywood starlet Ryan, who’s been tapped to play the lead in the movies inspired by Cass’s novels. The emotional struggles encompass Amanda deciding if she has the courage to face her past and the maturity to sort out her sexuality. As the three lives of Kate Cay all race to merge, Amanda has to powerfully confront some inner truths and repair toxic relationships. A fun, powerful read.

Thanks to Atria Books and NetGalley for an advanced reader’s copy.

[4.75 stars]

Cate Kay is one of the most successful authors - but she's not only hiding her true identity. Cate Kay (or Cass Ford or Anne Marie Callahan, depending on who you're talking to) is also hiding what has caused her to change her name twice and leave behind her home in New York. This event has haunted her for over a decade and she will do anything to keep it - and the person at the center of it - from harming the life she has carefully crafted. That is, until now. Cate, after years of success and living life anonymously, has decided to publish a memoir and reveal the "three lives" she has lived. Her hidden past is now in the open - compete with messy relationships, people with less than savory intentions, and a soul-searching journey that leads Cate back home. If you thought Evelyn Hugo had a complicated life, wait until you meet Cate Kay.

I loved, loved, loved this book! I truly had no idea what to expect going into it, but once I hit the 40% mark, I couldn't put it down (I read the remaining 60% in one sitting). At times, the multiple timelines and narrators were confusing, but I was quickly able to "catch up" and make sense of what I was reading. Also, I wanted a bit more from the ending. With all of the build-up and mystery toward the end, the final scene fell a little flat for me. Aside from these two small gripes, I think this is a phenomenal book! The blurb is absolutely correct in saying this gives The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo vibes! So, if you were a fan, please pick this one up too! I quickly fell in love with Cate/Cass/Anne Marie and hope that you do too. I have so much to say about this book, but I don't want to risk spoiling anything! Trust me, give this one a try; you won't regret it!

I read this baby in one sitting since it was both so addictive and wonderfully written. I adored getting to see how Cate shaped her life throughout the year and tried to keep her identify hidden. Fagan crafted characters that were interesting and had unique perspectives. There have been comparisons to Evelyn Hugo which I definitely see but this holds it’s on and tells a unique story.

I was drawn right into the story Cates desire to hide her identity hide her previous life.The writing was so involving a true page turner a book I will be recommending perfect for book club’s terrific way to start my 2025 best of list.#netgalley#atria

When I saw this book described as "The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo" meets "First Lie Wins" (two of my favorites), I knew I had to read it. As someone who mostly reads psychological thrillers, I sometimes struggle with contemporary fiction, but I really enjoyed this book. It had a little of something for everyone: mystery, romance, drama. Fagan is a masterful storyteller, and I was captivated by this tale of friendship, love, and fame. I was surprised to learn this was the author's debut fiction novel. There are a lot of heavy topics in this book, making it an excellent choice for a book club.

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The Three Lives of Cate Kay is a powerful exploration of identity, choices, and the lives we build. At first, I struggled to connect the characters and follow the disjointed narrative, but as the story unfolded, the writing deepened and pulled me in. The characters are wonderfully flawed and real, and the emotional range—from hurt to joy—was incredibly moving. I found myself highlighting many poignant lines.

Kate Fagan’s writing reminded me of The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo, and I can see why this book is marketed to its fans. The queer love stories were natural and unforced, and the multiple points of view added a fresh layer to the storytelling. The banter kept me entertained, and I was never bored.

This is my first book by Fagan, but I’m already excited to read more. Highly recommend for anyone looking for a beautiful, emotional read that stays with you.

The Three Lives of Cate Kay has been marketed for fans of The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo and I think they are right.

The Three Lives of Cate Kay is the first book I’ve ever read by Kate Fagan and I think I will read more from this author. . She was was able to weave this story together and the banter will have you laughing.

The queer love stories was not over done. I feel like everything in the story was plausible. I was not bored. I wanted to keep reading.

There are multiple point of views that allow you to get in the characters mind. It was an interesting twist to the storytelling. I would definitely recommend.j