This is such a good story that I found myself putting it down just so that it would not end.

The way the author gave even minor characters their own POV was a great move in my opinion.

I didn’t get the comparison with Evelyn Hugo while I was reading (and after I finished) the book. But, now that I think about it, I see it.

This is a wonderful debut and I can’t wait to read this author’s next book!

Read this!

This review has been posted to Goodreads and Storygraph on January 1st, 2025. Links provided.

In this gripping debut by Kate Fagan, a mysterious bestselling author finally decides to reveal her true identity after years of hiding. Cate Kay, the mind behind a blockbuster book series turned hit movies, has captured fans’ hearts without ever stepping into the public eye. But Cate Kay isn’t who she seems - she’s a carefully crafted persona hiding a painful past. Years ago, a tragedy ruined her dreams of stardom and tore apart her closest friendship, sending her on the run under a new name. Now, a surprising discovery forces her to confront her choices and the secrets she’s been avoiding for years. This emotional story is full of twists, heartbreak, and the search for redemption.

I cannot emphasize enough how much I loved this book. When it was likened to The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo I was cautiously intrigued, but this book completely blew any expectations I had of it out of the water and gripped me in a way few stories have. The exploration of love in all its forms - self-love, familial love, platonic love, and romantic love - was beautifully woven throughout the narrative. Cate’s journey is told across various timelines and through multiple perspectives, each voice distinct and purposeful, and it felt like piecing together a living, breathing memoir. The short chapters and fast pace made it impossible to put down, while the clever use of footnotes and easter eggs added depth and meaning to every page. The flawed, deeply human characters and their struggles with broken homes, identity, and healing were both heartbreaking and hopeful. By the end, I was left both with a full heart and yet still wishing there was more. This is one of those rare books that as soon as I finished I wanted to immediately start reading it again. I cannot recommend this book enough and am incredibly excited for Kate Fagan’s undoubtable success.

Thank you to Atria Books and NetGalley for the opportunity to read to an ARC of The Three Lives of Cate Kay in return for my honest review.

Millions have read her books. Thousands more have watched the resulting movies, attended the theme parks, and purchased merchandise related to her best-selling trilogy. Though it seems as if all the world has Cate Kay on its tongue, the person behind the name remains a complete mystery. And that's exactly how Cate Kay wants it to be... until now. In The Three Lives of Cate Kay, a mysterious best-selling author is finally ready to tell the ultimate story: her own.

"Cate Kay" was born as Anne Marie Callahan ("Annie") in a small lakeside New York town. Her father wasn't in the picture, and her mother habitually chose alcohol over her. Annie found solace in acting and her deep, all-consuming friendship with Amanda, a fellow latchkey kid and promising actor. Together, the girls plan to leave their town after graduation in pursuit of big Hollywood dreams—but after a freak accident, Annie bolts and leaves her best friend (and old life) behind. First, she becomes Cass Ford, a barista and auditor of writing classes at the local college. Then, a chance partnership (in every sense of the word) with a budding lawyer, Sidney, severs her past life completely and fully plunges her into the world of Cate Kay. But the past always has a funny way of creeping back in...

First, let me say what worked for me in this story. I love reading sapphic characters written by sapphic authors. Since this book is being compared to The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo, I'll add that I was rather disappointed by the queer representation in that novel, as it felt like it hinged on tokenism. That's not at all the case in this novel. You can tell that a sapphic author wrote these characters, and I love and appreciate that deeply. Thank you, Kate Fagan. ❤️🧡🤍 Fagan also had a deep understanding of her character's motivations, and she wove facets of her characters' personalities and relationships throughout the novel. I was particularly amused by how the "Cate with a K" dialogue between Annie and Amanda inspired Annie's pen name. (I legitimately did not even notice that the author is also a "Cate with a K" until I came to review this. LOL, kudos, Kate.) The strength of female friendship and the guilt of losing such a deep connection were also powerful themes in this one, and ones that I liked very much. Also, while it was minor, I found myself thoroughly enjoying the chapter wherein Annie/Cass/Cate attends a book club discussing her novel. It was interesting to see a character confronted head-on with other's perspectives of her life choices.

Unfortunately, though, this novel strongly suffered in its structural integrity. The start of this book teases this as Cate Kay's tell-all memoir. I was expecting chapters told from the perspectives of each of Cate's three lives: Annie, Cass, and Cate. Instead, we get everyone-but-the-kitchen-sink POVs—seriously, we get single-chapter perspectives from characters as insignificant as Cass's first coffee shop job boss and a mailroom employee. This would have been more acceptable if all the POVs didn't have the same exact voice. If you pulled a random paragraph from any chapter of this book, it would be hard to know which character is speaking. Everyone sounded the same... and this is not even a dig at Kate Fagan, because she clearly has a strong voice as a writer; it's just that multiple POVs do not suit her writing. Apart from the similar-sounding POVs, I was also disappointed by the ending. It was abrupt, and chapters upon chapters of guilt, frustration, miscommunication, and yearning were resolved either off-page or without much introspection. Finally, while I actually liked the excerpts of Cate Kay's novel The Very Last (it was like book-Inception, a book inside a book inside a book), I found myself questioning how exactly this debut novel from an unknown author was such a hit, resulting instantaneously in movies, theme parks, and Broadway adaptations. This is a minor complaint compared to the rest, but it was a complaint nonetheless, as it removed me from the book quite a bit. (Also, justice for Sidney's character.)

Overall, I wouldn't say this is a bad book, it just wasn't a book for me. And that's okay. I think this would make a pretty solid women's book club read. There's a lot to discuss about the character's motives, their differing perspectives on events, and the seemingly binary decision for women between their ambitions and their relationships (whether platonic, romantic, or maternal). This book is being compared to The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo and First Lie Wins. I haven't read the latter, but I have read the former. As mentioned before, if you felt a bit disappointed by the queer representation in Seven Husbands, then I think you'd enjoy this representation in this one a lot more. (There's also disability representation in this book, which were some of my favorite chapters to read. Though a lot of the narratives blended together, I found that the disability chapters had a much stronger, distinctive voice.) For some reason, though—and I can't pinpoint exactly why—this book was not as strong as The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo... and I didn't even think that book was all that great. (Though, that book did make me full-on sob. This one did not.) Altogether, this book was just okay. Please note, I am somewhat in the minority on this! Read some of the 4 and 5-star reviews to inform your decision before deciding to read or to pass on this one.

With all of this said, I would not write off Kate Fagan as an author entirely after this. I see that she's written some non-fiction, which sound intriguing to me. Moreover, this is Fagan's debut fiction novel, and it was strong in many regards. I feel that subsequent novels by Fagan could polish out the kinks that this one had and be even stronger.

This book! These characters! Except you, Sidney (🖕🏻)
I read this book in one day. Yessss it was the last day of the year when I was trying to squeeze one more in, but also I couldn't put it down!
The format probably won't be for everyone, but I enjoyed it. It's written memoir-ish and is about a famous author, except that her real identity is a mystery. There are several POV throughout as we learn about different parts of her life. There is also a book inside of a book and I loved all the tie-ins between the two books.
Read this one if you like character driven books and if you want to feel some feels. Much of the book was heart-wrenching. It would be a good one to discuss with friends or as a book club as it explores decisions and their impacts, and how identity changes over time.

Thanks so much to NetGalley and Atria for the ARC. I am choosing this one for my BOTM selection because I know I'll want to re-read it!

This book was engaging from the start and I think it will be a big hit when it comes out. The multiple POVs did confuse me at times, however that is just a me thing I think. Sometimes I cannot keep up. They did have a similar feel to one another, but overall they were really well done. The characters and story were interesting and kept me turning the page. A very solid book! Thank you netgalley for letting me read this.

The first 30% or so of this was a really gripping as the frame narrative opens into a multi POV multi timeline accounting of someone who has had many identities on their journey away from hometown trauma and towards fame and reclusive fortune. But then the POVs just keep piling on and before you know it, you've read half the book and still waiting to really care about any of the characters, including the protagonist. The writing style relies on moving fast between characters so you can get through big chunks at a time, but honestly, at the end of the day, it's doesn't really do much in terms of emotional introspection. This could probably benefit from a personable or full cast audiobook to elevate otherwise flat voices of too many otherwise uninteresting characters.

**3.5-stars**

💖💛💚💖💛💚💖💛💚💖💛💚💖

The Three Lives of Cate Kay was a quick and enjoyable read. I particularly enjoyed the quality and tone of Fagan's writing. It was easy and fast-paced. While I wasn't crazy about the arrangement of how the story was told, I still really appreciated the lovely character work.

I was drawn to this because of the synopsis. The idea of following a mysterious author, Cate Kay, and learning all about her life and success appealed to me. I would say Fagan def delivered in that regard. Kay wasn't quite the kind of mysterious I tend to vibe with though. I don't know, it's hard to explain. This just didn't pack the punch for me that I was hoping it would. It was nice, but also felt a little safe.

There's a lot of different characters introduced over the course of this tale, and we get all of their various perspectives and the timeline varies as well. I'll admit to at times needing to remind myself, who I was reading from at any particular time, and where they were in time. I think as an audiobook, if it is done with full cast, like Daisy Jones, this could flow well and be quite impactful. Unfortunately, reading it with my eyeballs, it sometimes felt a little disjointed.

With all this being said though, I did really love Annie and Amanda's relationship. I think that aspect of this book captivated me the most and kept me moving forward at a steady clip. Further, I think for Literary Fiction fans this is going to be a big hit. It did remind me in certain structural ways of Daisy Jones and the Six, and I'm anticipating many, many comparisons to Evelyn Hugo. I've never read EH, so can't comment in that regard personally. I would recommend this though to anyone who enjoyed either of those books. I feel like for the right Reader at the right time, this book could be sheer perfection.

Thank you to the publisher, Atria Books, for providing me a copy to read and review. Even though this is a little outside my comfort zone, I'm really glad I picked it up. It was a nice change of pace.

Cate Kay is a best selling author, but it's really a pen name and the world has no idea who she really is. The book takes us back in Cate's life to her childhood as Annie, along with her best friend Amanda, and what happened to break up their friendship. It then follows Annie as she transforms into Cass and how she becomes a writer living incognito.

The book was told from multiple points of view, and at times I liked that technique, but at other times it felt a bit much. Either way it kept me on my toes and paying attention to make sure I knew who was speaking. It also contained a book within a book, as Cate continues her writing career. I think I could have lived without that part, but it didn't make a huge negative impact on my reading experience.

I felt engaged with the story and was eager to keep turning pages to find out how the story ended.

What a debut! The Three Lives of Cate is a beautifully crafted tale of self-discovery and resilience. Following Cate Kay’s identities, the novel dives deep into the complexity of life. Perfect for readers who enjoy emotionally rich stories with a touch of Evelyn Hugo vibes, Three Lives of Cate Kay is a poignant reminder that every life holds the potential for transformation.

The Three Lives of Cate Kay - an electric, voice-driven debut novel about an elusive bestselling author who decides to finally confess her true identity after years of hiding from her past.

I was initially drawn into this one by the premise of Evelyn Hugo, but it was so different in a refreshing way. While we are reading "Cate Kay's Memoir", we are seeing her come to terms with her identity and decisions and regrets through her eyes and from snippets from those who were a part of her life, too.

I had a slow start with this one, but after a few chapters of the "memoir", I needed to know what happened next. Some characters are extremely likeable, some could be extremely frustrating, but they felt so human to me with them letting their emotions and mistakes dictate big decisions.

This was a refreshing book to end the year with, and I highly recommend you adding it to your TBRs for 2025!

Thank you, Atria Books and NetGalley, for an ARC in exchange for a review!

Thank you to the publishers and NetGalley for the eARC copy in exchange for an honest review! This was propulsive and engaging and I think it will be a big hit this winter. I did find the multiple POVs a little confusing and too similar in tone, it made it difficult for me to connect with the characters. The middle lost its footing a bit and seemed to drag, but the beginning and ending were strong and the mystery/hollywood elements kept me intrigued. Despite a few shortcomings this was still a solid debut!

Wow! I have had this ARC on my shelf for months and I cannot believe I just picked it up- a week before its release day. Told through the perspective of a memoir, The Three Lives of Cate Kay is about a best selling and mysterious author who is hiding from her past. I really enjoyed the multiple POVs and the short chapters made this book fly by. We do follow “Cate” through many years and many relationships, I would not compare this book to The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo- although I do believe if you loved Seven Husbands, you will love Cate Kay!

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I liked but didn't love this. I think the plot was interesting, but something about the writing didn't work for me. Will recommend it to those I think will love it though!

*The Three Lives of Cate Kay* by Kate Fagan is an interesting read that mixes mystery with personal discovery, though it doesn’t completely hit the mark. The story follows Cate as she navigates the complexities of her life, uncovering hidden truths along the way. The concept is compelling, and the writing is engaging, but I found the pacing a bit uneven, especially in the middle. Some parts felt a little slow, and the character development could’ve been deeper. That said, it’s still an enjoyable book with enough twists and emotional moments to keep you interested. A solid 3.5 stars – definitely worth reading, but not without its flaws.

There is so much to say about this book! I thoroughly enjoyed this and think it’ll be a hit when it’s released. Some particular favorites were the multiple POVs, the snippets of The Very Last throughout the story, and witnessing the character growth from Amanda in particular. Honestly, I wish there was more of a fallout for Sidney once Annie realized she had lied about Amanda’s death. I think Annie let her off the hook too easily. Perfect length and wonderful pacing! 4.25 stars.

Life is messy and complicated and filled with miscommunications and lies. Sometimes we completely trust someone or give control of our life to someone when we shouldn’t. This is a great book about all of that and more. I enjoyed and looked forward to reading it each night, because it was well written and thought provoking for me. It also shows life is beautiful and works out how it should in the end.

The Three Lives of Cate Kay dives into the cost of ambition, the nostalgia of childhood friendships, the longing of lost love, and the transformative power of embracing your true, authentic self. It’s a reminder that it’s never too late to find your way home again.

The story uses a “book within a book” structure that I thought was really well executed. Bestselling author Cate Kay—whose true identity remains a mystery to the public—sets out to write her memoir with the help of those she’s met along the way. Told from multiple points of view and across different eras of her life, we get a glimpse of just how many lives Annie/Cass/Cate Kay has lived.

Having read some of the author’s nonfiction, I knew she had a gift for capturing the nuances of the human condition in her writing, and her fiction debut is no exception. I couldn’t put it down. Even when I found myself questioning the characters’ decisions, I fell in love with their complexity and the beautifully written relationships—familial, platonic, and romantic.

Add this to your to-read list. I have a feeling it’s going to be huge.

⚠️Warning: Spoilers Ahead⚠️

The Three Lives of Cate Kay is as complex as it sounds like it would be, with a protagonist who re-invented herself twice and seems unsure who she left buried beneath all the layers painted over. Most of the book is the story of Cate Kay’s past, a memoir, but it is told from multiple points of view as significant figures from her past are invited to add their perspective on events they were witness to. The book pogos forward and back a bit on the timeline, which is a bit jarring at first, and I will freely admit that for the first quarter of the book I jotted down notes to help me keep track of everyone.

The thing about The Three Lives of Cate Kay – and I am fully aware that this may just be my own perception - is that for much of the book none of the characters are actually likable, including Annie / Cass / Cate. It’s as though they’re all stuck at that angsty, self-involved, pre-teen stage where every word and every action or reaction is viewed only through the lens of how it affects them. It’s not until the scene where Cass wakes up after watching Ryan film the final scene of the book adaptation and begins writing The Rain Check (which is around 85% through the book) that you feel as though they are finally beginning to grow up.

And while I warmed more to the relationship between Ryan and Cass as it deepened, I have to say that in the beginning I really wasn’t feeling it. In her description of her time with Cass, Ryan speaks of an energy between them so intense it felt like a tornado. But, to me, the author did not build that in writing the initial interactions between Ryan and Cass. There is an attraction between them, but it read in those moments more as a potential to me than a burning desire. They’re both attracted more to the idea of the other than they are the individual. To me they did not seem to have true feelings for one another until they’d destroyed it. And I have to wonder how much of this was strategic on the author’s part, because this is just that kind of book.


A moment I found especially intriguing was the scene, three quarters of the way through the book, where Cass attends a book club – under false pretense! – for new moms. They select her very own book for review, not knowing who she is, of course, and one of the moms questions Samantha’s behavior in leaving Jeremiah (which is, of course, a close approximation of Annie leaving Amanda). And the mom wonders if it is the author’s way of illustrating the conflict between ambition and relationships. In the book, Cass denies it (and as part of her Cate persona I tend to think it would be more a way of confessing her guilt in an anonymous way to alleviate the weight of it), but I find myself wondering if this is in fact at least partially what Fagan was doing.

And it struck me that this is one of the things about The Three Lives of Cate Kay that twists the reader a little sideways. There are so many terrible decisions made by these characters that it beggars belief, honestly; you can’t help but feel that any one of them would have done better simply by tossing a coin and allowing chance to decide their fate. And of course, one of the effects this has is to have one reflecting, even if just a little, on decisions made in their own lives that set them on one path or another. But it also has to make you wonder how much Fagan has hidden here for the reader to parse out. How much of the book is actually Cass as Cate, writing this character’s life story? And how much is Fagan as Cass as Cate, subtly planting seeds for thought?

The Three Lives of Cate Kay is an enjoyable book even when read purely surface level: it’s an interesting story. But what makes it intriguing is the way it lingers in your mind after you’ve finished it. The Three Lives of Cate Kay is one of those books that hasn’t quite finished with you when you’ve turned the last page.

4.5⭐️

Disclosure: I received an ARC of this book from the publisher via NetGalley and am leaving a voluntary review.

Unfortunately I DNF this one around the 30% mark. I tried to love it but just couldn’t get into it. I felt it was tad bit too similar to another book I’ve read.

Thanks to Atria Books for gifted access via Netgalley. All opinions below are my own.

This was an interesting story. It blends several genres as it tells the story of a writer who has written a bestselling book trilogy that has been turned into a blockbuster movie series. She has managed to remain anonymous under a pseudonym and people are dying to know who she is. We get her story in three parts: as a teen falling for her best friend and acting, in her first relationship as she begins to write and then as a successful writer meeting the star actress of the series. We move back and forth getting her POV interspersed with the people she has interacted with in each period as well as clips from the novel she wrote. We learn of her choices, her mistakes, their motivations and their repercussions.

I really enjoyed the journey and the unique structure of the story. I like a story that makes me think without being too heavy handed.