- Loved the different POVs throughout the book
- I wish that Annie did a better job of addressing what Sidney did to her regarding the tragedy at the beginning of the book, that was forgotten
- I think more insight into Amanda would have been a nice bonus
- I'm not sure I bought the "memoir" piece of the book, as parts of how it came together was entertaining
- Really enjoyed the story within the story
- Overall, really fun book and I could totally see it catching on!

This is hands down the most thrilling book I've had the pleasure of reading in the past year. I literally couldn't stop reading this and I crushed it in 4 sittings, which is incredible because I'm currently in a reading slump. The story follows Cate from her childhood to her adulthood, exploring how her relationships with others, her dreams, and her identity change as time passes. I have a vision and I kind of need this book to be a limited series!!!

I think the most impressive thing that Fagan accomplished is writing in so many characters and having them all make an impact. It's so easy to go wrong with multiple POVs where unnecessary characters are introduced but there was not a single chapter that wasn't meant to be there. Each character added more depth to the story to create a full circle. While you're not going to like all of them, I found it easy to sympathise or at least understand the ones I dislike which I consider a good marker for complex characters.

I discovered that Kate Fagan is a sports commentator and ex-professional basketball player so now I desperately need a basketball book from her. Thank you, NetGalley, Atria Books, and Fagan for the ARC!

OMG I loved this book from the multiple POVs to the sapphic nature of the book. This had everything and I get why fans of The Seven Husbands would love this book because I loved both of these books. I also dont give a lot of books 5 stars and this got it I loved how Cate and Annies story is weaved. Its beautiful and I truly hope that this is picked up for a movie or a tv series I think it would be wonderful.

3.5 rounded up to a 4. The Three Lives of Cate Kay is contemporary fiction and I would say the pacing is fairly slow and meandering until the last quarter to third of the book. Once I hit that point, I thoroughly enjoyed it but maybe that says more about my reading preferences than the book itself. I prefer a faster paced book.

If I edited this book, I think I'd start in the middle and go backwards with flashbacks. Some of it is written as a fictional memoir of Cate Kay and other parts are written as the fictional novel that Cate writes in the book. I actually really enjoyed the novel. The characters are all a little vague but their relationships and love for each other is somehow clear.

Perhaps this would be good for readers of The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo like the blurb says. It certainly tells a long, meandering and interconnected story that takes place over an extended period of time with a vast collection of characters. If you enjoy contemporary fiction and don't mind a bit of a slower paced, literary novel, you will enjoy this one.

The relationships and descriptions are really clear and I can still picture a lot of the scenes. Thank you to netgalley for an ARC to enjoy.

I really, really, reallyyyyyyy enjoyed this! From page one I felt like I was in such good hands - a twisty page turner, but the writing is also so crisp and smart (which doesn’t seem to be a given in the thriller genre). I think this one is going to be a hit.

I requested and received an eARC of The Three Lives of Cate Kay by Kate Fagan via NetGalley. Cate Kay knows how to craft much more than a story. She has crafted an entirely new life and identity for herself. Born Anne Marie Callahan, but called Annie by her childhood best friend, she has become the successful Cass Ford, better known by her pseudonym Cate Kay. As a young adult she and Amanda dream of escaping their lives and becoming the next big thing in Hollywood. Their dream is shattered by a tragedy and Cate has been on the run from her past ever since. As an adult her successful trilogy of novels and the subsequent film adaptations have skyrocketed her to fame, but the truth is no one knows who Cate Kay is. Cate has never publicly disclosed her identity, but finally she is ready to step forward and reveal to the world exactly who Cate Kay is.

This book is presented as Cate Kay’s memoir with chapters written by those who can offer their perspective interspersed throughout the book. I loved this structure and what it added to the novel as a whole. It offers Cate a certain duality and allows the reader to more certainly see her blindspots and become more familiar with the important people in her life. These added layers really rounded out the book and made for an interesting read. The protagonist was well written and believable, not always likable, but completely unforgettable. I wish some of the complexity used in the writing of Cate had been extended to more of the secondary cast. I left the book with lingering questions about Amanda and Sidney in particular. I personally didn’t really care about the excerpts from Cate’s novel that were included throughout, although I think their inclusion really drove home how deeply affected Cate was by the *big* moment that changes the book. They also didn’t detract from the overall story, which was hard to pull away from! Love, deception, mystery, laughter, tears? Who could ask for more?

I truly enjoyed reading this book. Cate felt so real to me, particularly her response in the moments after the tragedy. So many little moments in the early chapters really resonated with me, particular experiences that come with growing up as a queer kid. These things all made me super endeared to Cate early on. The element of mystery in the plot also really drove me to read this book. I couldn’t help but wonder what circumstances had led the protagonist to her top secret life as an adult, and perhaps more importantly I cared. It also gave me the vibes of a late 90’s/early 00’s Winona Ryder/Natalie Portman/Christina Ricci film but with a Sapphic spin, giving the story this sort of magic that I couldn’t resist. Fagan tackles so many things (parental issues, friendship, queerness, trauma and avoidance) in this book in a moving and convincing way. The solid foundations of this book seemed to somewhat erode for me in the final few chapters. I was pleased with how everything came together, but I was also left craving bigger emotions and firmer resolutions within several relationships between the various characters, which felt deserved in light of everything that unfolds within this story.

I really wanted to like this book, I went in predisposed to like it, but it didn't really work for me. I wanted more depth, more involvement. I kept thinking what is the point, why am i reading this and why did the author write this, and that question was not ever satisfying answered for me. Maybe it was for a younger audience.

First of all, thank you NetGalley and Atria Books for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

I would like to begin by saying that we need more queer and sapphic women at the forefront of popular and thrilling novels. Unfortunately, I feel that the ambition to categorize this book as a thriller might be overstated. I struggled to understand why The Very Last became such an international hit, or why it is titled Three Lives when Annie’s identity change wasn’t particularly dramatic. The explanations left me dissatisfied.

The characters felt flat, and instead of being shown the complexities behind their decision-making, we were merely told about them. I have very mixed feelings because I loved the queer relationships, the atmosphere it tried to build, and the “thriller” aspect. However, it all felt expositional and didn’t delve deeper into why these characters were brought up with the “me voy a comer el mundo” mentality that is instilled in young people. Additionally, why did Annie just take a stranger’s word for what happened to Amanda? There were many plot holes that could have been better resolved with stronger plot planning and a more coherent use of multiple points of view.

To sum it up, it was a very entertaining read but felt too superficial for what the author was trying to criticize and explore.

What a great and refreshing read! A pallet cleanser if you will. It reminded me a lot of books by Taylor Jenkins Reed and that’s not a bad thing. The interview style is something I have learned I throughly enjoy, especially when trying to break out of the routine and enjoy a different format. I also can attest that this helped me read the book in a breeze. Multiple POVs can be messy when done incorrectly, but I felt this book kept everything well centered and I was able to follow along. Ryan was my favorite.

This is the only work by Kate Fagan I've read so far, but I'm definitely gonna be looking for more after this! (I also have skipped out on the two books this one has been compared to in the official synopsis, but now I'm thinking about those too.)

I felt like the different points of view were distinct and fleshed out for the most part, which made the shifts feel less jarring (which is always a threat with structures like these), and lots of good representation. Will definitely be recommending to folks when it comes next year.

I really loved this story—it's close to perfect contemporary fiction. However, I didn't think most of it was realistic (even as fiction).

It is inventive and easy to fall in love with, and the literary gourmand in me wishes it were (much, much) longer. It subtly balances simplistic prose with intense introspective ruminations. That isn't easy to do as an author (especially in a debut), to string along a reader with absorbing drama and throw a pensive tone at the whole affair instead. The characters' distinct personas are fleshed out well in the beginning, but then all melt together, an unfortunate result of multiple POVs ultimately written by the same person. Read if you like drama, endearing characters, and brilliant LGBT representation.

Thank you Netgalley and Atria Books for a free eARC in exchange for an honest review of this book! The Three Lives of Cate Kay is being published in the US on Jan 07, 2025.

I received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review

The Three Lives of Cate Kay by Kate Fagan is a mutli-POV third person Queer contemporary focused on the many facets of identity through interviews, notes from Cate, and excerpts from Cate’s novel, The Very Last. Annie, Cass, Cate—three names for the same woman who is constantly on the run but struck big with a book trilogy followed by film adaptations. Nobody knew who Cate Kay really was until Cate finally decided it was time to reveal the truth.

I know of Taylor Reid Jenkins, but I have yet to read any of her books, so I wouldn't be able to say if I think this matches the same vibes or structure of Evelyn Hugo or Daisy and the Six, though it sounds like it does from what I've heard secondhand. I liked how Kate Fagan used the interview style to slowly peel back layers of Cate’s life, but most of her childhood was from Annie’s (Cate) POV and lingered strongly on her relationship with Amanda. The little notes Cate leaves for clarity or to gently contradict a statement added a layer to how memories change and the importance of context.

Through Amanda, Sidney, and Ryan, we read the different ways people love Annie how they see her, including her worst parts. If Cate Kay was a real author, it would probably be a shock to many fans just how messy she really is and the ways in which she has hurt other people. Amanda was especially heart wrenching, but there is this added layer of Annie loving her and Amanda not really returning those feelings but also subtly giving Annie hope here and there, which doesn’t paint Amanda in a very good light either. Sidney and Ryan are not perfect either and it’s hard to say which relationship is the messiest.

Of all the POVs, I think Ryan’s was my favorite. Her first chapter is brimming with personality and subsequent chapters gradually become more and more full of yearning. I loved seeing Annie, as Cass, through Ryan’s eyes. The other thing I liked about it was how Ryan had a feeling Annie was Sapphic based on a scene in The Very Last around different usages for the word ‘girlfriend,’ which is a source of confusion I have also experienced.

I would recommend this to fans of novels with an interview structure, readers who love books centered on fame and novelists, and those looking for a Queer contemporary that stars messy Sapphics.

I'm not sure how I fully feel about this book. I thought it was well written and very entertaining. I felt like i could relate to the main character to some degree and i loved how it displayed her life throughout the story. Although I felt like something was missing or that it lacked in a few areas.

right now im rating it 3.5 stars. might change it to a full 4 stars later after i've let the story sink in.

I don’t want to give away any spoilers, but I will say I really enjoyed this story and didn’t want to put it down. I loved following the “three lives” of Cate. I enjoyed how her following her character over the years and seeing their personal growth.
Though the story went back and forth over the years, I was a bit lost at times of the event order - but it didn’t take away from understand the story as a whole.

This was a quick and fun read! I was immediately drawn into the story despite not understanding Annie’s choices after the accident. Would have been 5 stars but I was disappointed with the end - it felt rushed.

I was very fortunate to get into this arc. I loved the cover so, I decided to give it a try. I realized I couldn't get into this arc.

unfortunately i did not enjoy this.

so this is marketed as in the vein of the seven husbands of evelyn hugo. now i'm not gonna lie that book was formative for young gracie okay i actually cried when i read it so i had my hopes high for this and unfortunately this book did not meet my high hopes.

this book follows cate kay, a famous novelist who has never revealed her identity and decides to write a memoir detailing her entire life out. her chapters are interspersed with chapters written by people close to her. we see how cate's life has unfolded, from her growing up in a small town with her best friend, to her running away and becoming a writer.

let's start with what i liked: the multiple pov's were a good choice; they allowed us to understand more of cate's character and why peop[e were so drawn to her. i also thought fagan's writing was good; for a debut novel, i was satisfied with the writing. i also thought cate and amanda's relationship was well-done; i was rooting for them.

my main issues are that a. the relationships in this, apart from cate and amanda's relationship, seemed very superficial and not fleshed out. i have a hard time believing that ry and cate fell in love in a month. same with sidney and cate. it's also hard for me to believe that cate retained sidney as her lawyer for all those years following their breakup?? very strange stuff. b. the huge mystery of amanda being dead. one google search and cate probably would have found out the truth so i don't really understand why this is the titular mystery like it's not that big of an issue c. cate is not that interesting of a main character. if you're gonna be an enigmatic novelist and nobody knows anything about you, you better be the most interesting person alive and unfortunately she was not to me. and d. the ending pissed me off so bad because the ending doesn't feel very satisfactory! all the buildup between cate/annie and amanda and it ends there?? i started hitting my pillow i was so annoyed. and also lowkey i feel like the timeline of the books becoming a film feels unrealistic af how does a book get published and get a movie adaptation 1 YEAR AFTER??? i'm sorry i'm not in show business but surely that's too quick of a turnaround? okay nvm

overall this book was disappointing to me. i couldn't fully get into it and connect with the characters. however, i think fagan is a good writer, and this being her debut novel is a good sign, because the writing was satisfactory. i'll keep an eye out for fagan in the future; hopefully i'll be able to read more of her writing. i would recommend this to anyone who enjoys literary fiction and women's fiction

the problem with writing a book about an irresistible, super hot main character who writes an irresistible, super hot book is you have to REALLY be skilled in showing how those things are irresistible and super hot. this book really wasn’t successful in that respect, but the idea was interesting and i did finish it (eventually)

Thanks to NetGalley and Atria Books for the advanced reader copy

This will definitely be in my top ten books of the year. This story was fun and impressive, from a writing standpoint--in that Fagan had to keep multiple character arcs in play while also writing a whole separate book that "Cate Kay" wrote (and I kind of hope she writes that book). Great LGBTQ , lower socioeconomic status, and physical disability representation without anything having a spotlight on it. Loved this book!

Many reviews compare this to The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo, and I do see that a bit. Similarities: the memoir format, the career in Hollywood, the redheaded actress sapphic love interest. But this book juggles a lot more POVs (contributors to the MC Cate Kay's memoir), not just the MC's POV, and I found all characters involved to be as complex yet more likeable than in The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo.

The relationship that hit me the hardest was between Cate and her childhood friend Amanda. Female friendship, childhood dreams, pain, guilt, unrequited romantic love, requited platonic love... I devoured this book mainly so I could find out how their relationship angst was resolved, and the end made me cry like a baby.

*****Spoiler regarding the sapphic relationships: there is some infidelity (Cate is in a toxic relationship and cheats on her girlfriend with the main love interest). I wish I had been aware of the infidelity prior to reading.