The Three Lives of Cate Kay is a beautifully written and engrossing story of trauma, love, self identify, and coping.

Fagan does a wonderful job of weaving the threads of Annie’s life together that I was so emotionally invested and just couldn’t put this book down. I loved the interplay of the various character perspectives which felt organic and provided such rich insights into the story. The characters of Annie, Amanda and Ryan were so endearing and relatable, and loved the little twists and nuggets of detail throughout the story which felt like we were getting the inside scoop.

The story is well paced and I really enjoyed Fagan’s writing style. Whilst the book dealt with some heavier topics, there was a strong sense of hope throughout, making this a truly absorbing read perfect for fans of The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo.

Thank you Atria Books for a copy of this book. Opinions expressed are my own.

Oh my goodness I loved this. I devoured this in two days and stayed up late, despite being tired, to finish because I just needed to know how it ended. Not to mention one of the settings is very close to me (Albany, NY) so seeing some of the local area landmarks included was a fun treat. Full review below.

Kate Fagan’s The Three Lives of Cate Kay is a beautifully written, emotionally resonant story that immerses readers in the tangled lives of its complex characters. The novel shines with its multiple perspectives, offering a well-rounded view of events and relationships that feel both authentic and deeply human. Each character, no matter how flawed or unlikable at times, pulls you into their story, making it impossible to stop turning the pages. Fagan’s rich and engaging prose creates vivid settings that add depth to the narrative, transporting readers to every scene with ease.

What truly sets this book apart is its ability to make even questionable choices and imperfect personalities compelling. Fagan skillfully explores the messy, layered aspects of her characters’ lives, allowing readers to empathize with them despite their imperfections. Fans of Taylor Jenkins Reid’s The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo or Charmaine Wilkerson’s works will appreciate the similarly intricate storytelling and emotionally charged moments in this novel.

With its lovely writing and gripping narrative, The Three Lives of Cate Kay is a must-read for anyone who loves character-driven stories filled with depth and nuance. This book isn’t just a story; it’s an experience. I gave it a glowing 5-star rating and wholeheartedly recommend it to anyone looking for a captivating read.

Thank you to Atria and Netgalley for access to the eArc. This book comes out on Tuesday, January 7th.

The Three Lives of Cate Kay has been compared to Evelyn Hugo, which is one of my favorite books, so naturally, I want to read it. This book tells the story of an author named Cate Kay, and no one really knows who she is. In this fictional memoir, we delve into her life and discover why she chose to change her name three times. I find books like this very intriguing; when they are well written, I want to learn more about the character, which makes them feel more realistic. I really enjoyed the multi-timeline story, and it was a great first book of the year. Overall, I enjoyed it a lot and can't wait to read more from Kate Fagan. I highly recommend it if you like character driven stories. Thanks to NetGalley and Atria Books for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Great read to start out 2025. If you like Taylor Jenksins Reid, you will enjoy The Three Lives of Cate Kay. Complicated relationships, deceit, writers and Hollywood. The recipe for a can't-put-it-down read.

I received an Advanced Reader Copy via NetGalley.

Cate Kay is a world famous author, but no one knows who she really is. She fled her hometown after a devastating accident changed her life, and the plans she had with her best friend. She used her grief and loneliness in writing the book that would make her famous. The Three Lives of Cate Kay reads like a biography of the writer, what led to her writing her story, and the impact it had on the world.

This book has been compared to The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo, and I completely understand why, but this book is so much better. There are similar story elements, but at its core this is a book about finding one's identity, and forgiving oneself for past wrongs. It is a story about love, friendship and being true to who you are and who you love. There are elements of Hollywood throughout, but it is not the central setting for the story.

I first found Kate Fagan's writing with her story What Made Maddy Run, which intrigued me as an avid marathon runner, I'm always looking for great books about running. Maddy wasn't just a great running book, but a great book, so when I saw this fiction writing, I knew I had to grab it. Her writing was even better than I remembered. Fagan writes beautifully flawed characters that are well rounded and just trying to figure life out, like the rest of us. This book is my first of the year, but I know it's one I'll love and remember all the way to the end of 2025!

I loved this book for the first half and liked it for the second. Cate Kay has been 3 different people with three different names. She had a reason for all of them. The first part of the book is engaging with a character that shows grit and layers. During the last 3rd or so I started to wonder what happened to that woman. And it's kind of sad that almost all of this could have been avoided if just one character had been honest more than once in her life.

I absolutely loved this story within a story. This gave vibes of Daisy Jones and the Six. It has genres of romance, historical fiction, friendship and sisterhood. The characters were fully conceived and so dynamic. I loved the alternating timelines, it never felt confusing or overwhelming, it just aided in telling the story.

The Three Lives of Cate Kay is an amazing story about the exploration of identity, queerness, and complexity of friendship. I loved this book. I was kind of confused at the beginning with so many characters, switching POVs, and names but quickly got into it, and from that point, I couldn't put it down.

Ever you ever read a book, and had to cancel your whole day? This is how I felt about The Three Lives of Cate Kay.

Every time I thought I knew what was coming in this book, I was thrown for a loop. I think the oddest thing about this novel is the release timing. I could see reading this on summer vacation at the beach, because I just wanted to get lost in the world of Annie/Cass/Cate. The POV and character timelines made this book and concept fresh and exciting. I think this might be a hard book to review without spoiling parts of it, so all I'll say is I hope you read this in a book club because this is going to be a book that you finish and immediately want to talk about.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster Atria Books for gifting me a digital ARC of the debut novel by Kate Fagan. All opinions expressed in this review are my own – 5 stars!

Cate Kay is the author of a bestselling book trilogy that struck box office gold as a film series. But Cate Kay doesn’t really exist. Her true identity has been hidden until now. As a teenager, she and her best friend, Amanda, dreamed of escaping their difficult home lives and moving to California to become movie stars. But the day they were to leave, tragedy struck. Cate has been on the run ever since.

This is a fabulous debut and I love how the story is told in snippets from the POV of a whole cast of characters, even very minor ones, to completely flesh out the events. In addition, Cate has footnotes at the end of most of those other voice chapters, filling in even more information from her point of view. It also includes a book within a book, which I thought was done really well because it again added dimension to the story of the two friends. It was unique, very well written and completely absorbing. I was always anxious to get back to reading and loved the ending. Can’t wait to read more from this author – bravo for a wonderful debut!

This is a poignant and entertaining debut fiction novel. (The author is an award-winning journalist and best-selling sports writer) The emotions conveyed and the cleverly structured story stand out to me in this book. It is a journey that delves into identity, longing, growth, success, and the complexities of emotion and relationships, with a sapphic love story at the heart of the novel.

Told in a memoir style and a multiple POV format, the story follows three different identities of an enigmatic best-selling author who writes under a pseudonym and has kept her true identity hidden. She has lived a life of anonymity since running away after a terrible accident in high school and is about to face that past.

This is well-written, with a structure and style that bears mention. The author skillfully weaves the threads of the multiple POVs, timelines, and the dystopian book within the book. The short chapters make it easy to binge this, as I kept thinking, "just one more." The prose is lovely, and the observations are sharp. There are even footnotes at each chapter's end with Cate's impressions of events and characters, which were fun to read.

The characters are well-developed, nuanced, and flawed. FMC Cate is a mystery, so an air of mystery surrounds her, but I was glued to the pages as the picture of her came into focus. A bit of ambiguity also remains and works well with the story. Packed with emotion as relationships and events are recounted, I genuinely felt connected to these characters. I enjoyed this so much, and highly recommend it.
I look forward to whatever Kate Fagan writes next!

Thank you to Atria Books and Netgalley for the gifted ARC

Having read What Made Maddie Run, Kate Fagan's excellent exploration of a promising young athlete's suicide, I was excited to read this fictional memoir of a successful author who wishes to remain anonymous. To do so, she assumes a new identity AND a pen name. When the story explores her past and uses his birth name, I admit I was confused about what was what and who was who. Fortunately, everything sorted itself out and I settled into what was a very entertaining read. Cate/Cass/Annie struggles with a traumatic event from her youth into a relationship with a very controlling partner who helps her move forward with her new identity and become successful. That success comes with a price and watching Cate/Cass/Annie work through it was very satisfying.

Oof I loved this. A unique read that I wasn’t expecting. I devoured this in under 24 hours. I needed to know what happened.

I do think the marketing is off - the book comparisons are weird and inaccurate. Don’t go into this expecting a thriller or Evelyn Hugo. It is a sort of mysterious memoir within a book with some mention of Hollywood aspirations, but that’s where the similarities end.

DNF'd this pretty early on because I got the sense it was very similar to other books I haven't liked. Definitely an interesting format with different points of view, and the main character assuming other identities, but just not my vibe. Could see people who loved Evelyn Hugo going for this one!

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC copy of this book!

I had such a fun time with The Three Lives of Cate Kay!

I really enjoyed the narrative style, and I thought the multiple POV's within Cate Kay's "memoir" brought so many extra layers to the story and made it such a fun read. While there were a lot of different POV's introduced, I never found it confusing, and I thought it added a great rhythm to the storytelling. Getting to experience the same moment through multiple lenses and through the eyes of different characters was so fascinating. Even though you only hear from a couple characters a handful of times, every character pushes the story forward and comes together in the end to give Annie/Cass/Cate her ending.

There are so many easter eggs and strings hidden throughout this story, and the way everything comes full circle in the end is so...*chefs kiss*. Kate Fagan weaves this story together so beautifully, and I think every aspect of this novel is executed wonderfully.
 
If you enjoy queer, character-driven stories, The Three Lives of Cate Kay is definitely worth a read!

I am so glad to have had the opportunity to experience the magic of this book before it publishes, and I can't wait for everyone else to experience the magic too!

This was like a much worse Evelyn Hugo written by someone very much trying to mimic the narrative style and form of Taylor Jenkins Reid except for readers with no attention span. The story is written as a fake autobiography of a famous author, supplemented by the perspectives of people who knew her throughout her life. I found the themes & symbolism to be agonizingly blunt and the characters flat and uninspired. This will certainly go super mega platinum on BookTok and I will be banging my head against the wall of media literacy trying to understand how such a thing could possibly happen.

This is a hard book to like given that the heroine makes an unforgivable choice very early on in the novel especially because she and Amanda are allegedly such good friends and care about each other so much. After that, it is hard to care about her that much. Amanda and Ryan, an actress with whom Cass has an affair and who is allegedly her true love, both deserve so much better. It is almost fitting that Cass spends so long with Sydney, who is clearly manipulative and like Annie also cares more about herself and her own needs than other people's.

The ending of the story is quite unsatisfactory. Given what Annie has done, it should not be so easy for others particularly Amanda to forgive. Also, it's too rushed. Too much of the conclusion occurs off the page leaving the reader out.

Not for me. This felt like a mess from the start. Too many perspectives and stories going on and not enough interest to bind it all together. I’m sure it works for others.

Thank you so much Netgalley for allowing me to read an early copy of The Three Lives of Cate Kay. I was able to get this book as an instant read and I didn't really know too much about it going into it. So for the most part I went into this blindly. It gives The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo vibes without being historical fiction. I spent a bit of the beginning confused. Our main character has 3 names and there are multiple perspectives and some time jumping. So I had to ask myself wait is this a new person or Cate Kay, but once I finally situated who was who I was able to follow it without a problem and I found myself appreciating the way the story was being told. Cate Kay is hard to get an emotional connection to as a reader, which I feel like is fitting because she herself struggles with emotional connections as a character. I wanted to connect to her more than I did because I think it would have made the ending more impactful. There are many emotional moments with twists and turns throughout the book that I wish my connection to them was stronger because it would have made those moments even more meaningful/stronger for me as the reader. Overall though I was pleasantly surprised with my experience since I wasn't really sure what I was getting myself into in the first place. This is a story of finding yourself, the importance of relationships/connections, and truly living life. I'd recommend this to other readers who like multiple perspective stories that span time.

I was astounded by this book from the very first page. I didn’t know what to expect in terms of storytelling or narrative but I remain utterly impressed and awed by Kate Fagan’s mastery of this artform.

For a fiction debut this novel was so ambitious and, I imagine, a huge undertaking, but it was executed so beautifully. From what I learned about the author, she seems to be well-versed in writing nonfiction — in telling other people’s stories, and in a way, she stuck to her roots with this book, played to her strengths; she told someone else’s life story, it just so happens that the person whose story she chose to tell is fictional.

I’m a sucker for messy female leads because it makes me feel better to know not everyone has it figured out and that they make spur of the moment decisions that are less than perfect — Cate has made those choices. But I appreciate the fact that those are choices she doesn’t take lightly later in life, when she’s dug her hole so deep she can’t see a way out.

I am particularly fond of the characters in this book and the way in which they each had voice to tell their part of Cate Kay’s story, in how paths crossed to create the woman who became the world’s mystery. Everyone was so distinctly themselves, and I liked that there were first person accounts from each person Cate deemed important to her story when she finally chose to share it.

The ending itself was such a perfect full-circle moment, leaving me feeling content in a way I found so many novels have not accomplished.

Thank you, netgalley and Atria books for this arc. All opinions are my own.