A generous 3 star on this one…because while it wasn’t for me, I could totally see why others enjoyed it. We just weren’t a book match made in heaven lol.

So I’m really behind on my ARC reading and trying to read everything in order of its pub date BUT I couldn’t resist diving into this one right away because I saw that it was likened to The Seven 𝙃𝙪𝙨𝙗𝙖𝙣𝙙𝙨 𝙤𝙛 𝙀𝙫𝙚𝙡𝙮𝙣 𝙃𝙪𝙜𝙤.

This one is described 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.” Unfortunately, I couldn’t finish it fast enough…because I wanted to be done with it. Honestly, the MC’s PAST was the most interesting thing about her.

Here’s the thing, I didn’t really like any of the characters and struggled to care about the story. However, I will say, Annie and Amanda’s relationship and their story kept me intrigued, I liked how all of that came full circle. All of the other stuff in between just really didn’t keep my attention…except Sandi every so briefly…I got bored with her too. I just felt like it went on and on forever…but the book was under 300 pages.

Others have really loved this book so I could totally be an outlier. It just wasn’t for me, at all. Maybe I’m just too impatient of a reader or maybe that Evelyn Hugo comparison had my expectations way too high. Either way, I say check it out for yourself. It would absolutely be a fun book club read.

Read the ARC on Netgalley, thank you Atria books for the ARC!

This book is about a two girls, one of which goes on to be a bestseller novelist of a huge trilogy series but she is anonymous to the world.

This book is marketed for readers who liked Seven husbands of Evelyn Hugo (not Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle)

This is a fictional memoir of the author.

When I first read the premise I imagined time travel and everything because it said (Cate Kay doesn't exist)

The larger theme of this book is how we change as we grow up and the people we love. Overall, it's a very nice read!

A tale of friendships, relationships and growing up. I was hooked immediately and loved every minute of this book! It was a joy to read!

Oh I really, really loved this one!!! The first 10-15% was a little bit slow, but after that I truly could not put this book down. I ignored notifications on my phone, skipped watching a basketball game I wanted to watch (if you know me you know that doesn’t happen), and missed out on sleep because I had to finish this book.

I just adored these characters (except one - you know who you are! 😡) and was so invested in every storyline and how everybody was interwoven. The majority of the chapters were written from the perspective of the main character. However there were a lot of chapters from side character’s perspectives. The way this was executed by the author was nothing short of brilliant. The story was so compelling, and I think I was fully holding my breath for the last few chapters in the hopes that things ended how I wanted.

Thank you to the publisher, author, and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest rating and review.

This is a really entertaining, multi-faceted read that I enjoyed. This book is complex and fascinating. I loved how when you sit and think and just marinate in what you’ve read, your mind comes up with deeper meaning. I love books that do that! I’m still trying to peg the deeper meaning of this book, really narrow it down. I think that it boils down to connectiveness and accepting yourself. I struggle when books are compared to other books, especially so when I loved the book they are being compared to, Evelyn Hugo in this case. In most cases I get upset because the books are nothing alike, but that is not what happened here. This book had the same vibes as Evelyn. Yes, it’s about the vibes. Ah and the writing is just fantastic. Getting this story told via multiple points of view only added to the layered complexion that I came to adore. This book kept me guessing in so many ways and I never really felt like I had a good handle on what was happening. It was wild, and loose, but I went with it and it worked!

This one is a lot of fun. It’s predictable at times, but I was so caught up in the book that I didn’t care at all.

Thank you @netgalley and @atriabooks for allowing me to read this title early. 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐓𝐡𝐫𝐞𝐞 𝐋𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐂𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐊𝐚𝐲 publishes January 7th.

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐓𝐡𝐫𝐞𝐞 𝐋𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐂𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐊𝐚𝐲 is a very character driven story. I feel like I can’t say much because I don’t want to give too much away, but the story literally takes you through every period of Cate Kay’s life. I was just an average read for me. I enjoyed the ending - everything was tied up into a neat little bow and it definitely felt worth my time.

I’m sitting here trying to find the perfect way to describe The Three Lives of Cate Kay by Kate Fagan and I’m at a loss for words.

Though I tried to pace myself in order to completely take in every piece of this book, once I started I knew I was going to have to dedicate time to give myself over fully to the (electronic) pages. Fagan has written such a beautifully complex, yet relatable story capturing the essence of relationships and how the ripple effects of tragedy can lead you down paths you’d never knew you’d take.

The story is propulsive. I needed to know: Who is Cate Kay? How did we get here and where is this going?

The answers surprised me and left me considering my own desires for cosmic bigness. I will absolutely be rereading this and looking forward to more works of fiction from Kate Fagan.

*Thank you for my ARC, which was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.*

This book was incredible. I wasn’t sure what to expect, but within the first few chapters I was hooked. This may end up being my favorite book read in 2024, and I can’t wait to see it explode come its release in january 2025.

The Three Lives of Cate Kay is a phenomenal story of finding one’s self while accepting both your past and present. It will leave you captivated with each chapter through its multiple points of view. Seeing how each character is uniquely connected to this story adds intimacy and depth. These different pov’s add a thrilling aspect to each page and will keep you craving more.

Cate Kay, I love you and all three lives you have lived! Told from multiple perspectives (but with Cate Kay’s footnotes sprinkled throughout) over the span of 20ish years we find out just way Cate Kay has had 3 lives and how sometimes we trust people too much, just to feel connected. This novel had me staying up through all hours of the night just to see what happens next! I know it’s marketed as the next Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo, but I disagree, it’s so much better than that!!

Thank you Kate Fagan, Atria and NetGalley for the ARC in return for my honest review!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC!

The tag line got this one exactly right - this book gives huge "Evelyn Hugo" vibes, in the best way possible. I really can't emphasize enough how much I loved this book, how quickly I devoured it, and how much I think it is going to be a smash success. This will be picked for everyone's book club next year, and it will cross genre lines and audiences. This is a queer love story (or several), a tragedy, a suspense, a bildungsroman, and a slice of life into the rich and famous all wrapped into one book. It was so quick and easy to read, it's easily a one-sitting book, especially with the short chapters and alternating viewpoints. I'm happy to say that this is one of my favorite reads of the year, and I'm immediately going to read anything by Kate Fagan I can get my hands on.

I was lucky enough to win an e-ARC of THE THREE LIVES OF CATE KAY by Kate Fagan in a Shelf Awareness giveaway. Thank you for the early look, and have a safe and happy Halloween season!

spectacular. give me fourteen of them now.
the easter eggs in this book are on par with taylor swift and her fans.
I don’t usually enjoy multiple POVs but this was good. The queer romance was A+.

Unfortunately, this book didn't work for me that much, which was a surprise to me, considering that I pretty much always like/love books I read from this publisher (I'm currently reading The Family Recipe, by Carolyn Huynh, and I'm loving it!). So, I'm sorry to the author and to Atria Books, but this one was a 'miss' for me.
I didn't enjoy the characters or how the plot was executed - and how similar it was to The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo. I wasn't particularly drawn to the writing, either.
Maybe it is just me. I didn't clique with this book, but I do want to encourage other readers to pick this up if you like the synopsis.

People love, love stories. Especially sweet sweeping ones that you don't expect to be so sad... there are parts of this book that hurt.

I didn't have any expectations for this book picking it up on a whim because the synopsis seemed interesting and I liked the cover. Anyhow it crept up on me, the writing style was effective and vivid, painting beautiful scenes of New York sunsets and grand Hollywood dreams.

It was nice to read about Annie and Amanda's friendship.. to be that close with someone to have such niche inside jokes that just a look and you know what someone else is thinking. Their friendship was comforting like a big hug.

Learning about Cate Kay, Cass Ford and Anne Marie all different personas of the same person was intriguing like how did we get here?
How did this all come to be? There was an element of mystery unfolding by jumping between 2013, 2006 and 1999 it kept me turning the pages with a need to know exactly what the hell happened. like watching a freaking train wreck, I just needed to see what was the damage. It was definitely the more engaging part of the story for me.

The aspect of inserts from Cate Kay's Sci-fi novel 'The Very Last' was an interesting way to shape the story, same with how this book was written like a fictional tell-all memoir. It warmed me to reread the foreword part of the story already knowing how everything turned out.

Unfortunately onto things I didn't necessarily love: firstly swapping perspectives, like don't get me wrong I can enjoy multiple POVs but in this book, some perspectives were just more enticing than others. I truly did not care as much about some (I did not want to read about Sidney going to SoulCycle sigh.)

The next thing that might bother some, for as many gay women characters are in this book not a single person utters the word, lesbian. Positively or negatively. I can understand to a certain extent that it does take place in the '90s and 2000s but at some point, it's in 2013 and yet.

Closing statements: I think there will be lots of readers to enjoy this type of coming-of-age book. The aspects of a famous author, a sweet soft romance... in the background of a dystopian book/movie trilogy -everyone can picture being obsessed with- and at its core, it's a love story spanning decades.

Thanks to the publishers and NetGalley for the e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

Overall, I thought this was a great read. This book can definitely be compared to The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo, but with a different spin which makes it a consuming read. I would for sure recommend this book for fans of Evelyn Hugo.

The story throughout the book was beautifully written while interweaving multiple point of views of all of the characters throughout which made you not want to put the book down. It was heartbreaking at points, but then absolutely thrilling when the plot picked up and made you guess what would happen next in the life of Cate Kay. Kate Fagan did a great job of not only writing the book, but allowing you to be the judge of which characters were likeable and which weren't. You will get angry at some and cry for others, but all of these characters bring so much impact to the story which I haven't seen in a book of this style since reading Evelyn Hugo.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (4/5 stars)

The Three Lives of Cate Kay by Kate Fagan is a gripping exploration of identity, friendship, and the high price of running from your past. Cate Kay, a bestselling author whose book trilogy became a blockbuster film series, knows how to keep secrets—chief among them being her own identity. In a world where authors are celebrities, Cate has chosen to remain in the shadows, but the walls she’s built around her life are finally closing in.

Fagan crafts a compelling narrative that hooks you from the start. Cate’s story is full of intrigue as we watch her navigate the pressures of fame while carrying the burden of a painful past. The mystery of why Cate has hidden her identity and what really happened with her best friend Amanda adds depth to the book, keeping readers engaged as secrets slowly unravel. Cate’s journey back to the home she left behind and her reckoning with past tragedies makes for an emotional, yet relatable, storyline about facing our fears and embracing our true selves.

One of the novel’s strengths is how it weaves between Cate’s past and present. You really feel for young Cate and Amanda’s dreams of escaping their difficult upbringings, and the heartbreak of seeing those dreams shattered. Fagan does a great job of building sympathy for Cate’s choices, even if they were far from perfect. The supporting characters—especially Amanda—are equally well-drawn, making the emotional stakes of Cate’s return home feel all the more real.

If I had to nitpick, some parts of the story felt a bit predictable. Cate’s journey to self-discovery follows familiar beats, and there were moments when I could see where the plot was headed. Still, Fagan’s storytelling is sharp enough to keep it engaging, and the emotional payoff is satisfying.

Overall, The Three Lives of Cate Kay is a thought-provoking read that will resonate with anyone who’s ever felt the weight of their past, or who has wrestled with the need to reinvent themselves. It’s a powerful reminder that no matter how far we run, the road to healing often leads back to where it all began.

I really did not enjoy this book unfortunately. It felt like it was trying to be "The Seven Lives of Evelyn Hugo" way too hard, and the story was just not nearly as captivating.

I received an ARC of this novel from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Novel about friendship and a horrible accident that fractioned their lives. One is grievously injured, the other runs and goes off to live her best life. Is there forgiveness? Should there be?

I’m really torn with whether I liked this book or whether it was just meh. Due to it claiming to be the next Seven Husbands, I went in with high expectations and I think because of that it fell a little flat.

I enjoyed the style and I do love me a good memoir (fictional or not) but I just didn’t really feel that invested in the book. The first 25% was a bit of a struggle but once I pushed through the middle of the book definitely had me invested. But then the final quarter had me bored again, the book kind of just… ends.

I knew something was going to sabotage the relationship between Annie and Amanda, so it felt a little predictable. Similarly with the relationship between Cass and Sidney. I was invested in Cass’ relationship with Ryan and yet when we circle back to that at the end of the book, you don’t really get closure, this again fell flat for me.

I wanted more from the reunions between all the characters and I found the chapters styles kinda worked but also for a memoir, there was a lot of unnecessary detail about side characters you meet once or twice.

There was also no introspection on any of the trauma that happens, it’s just kinda like -oh-well-that-happened-I-moved-on- and I wanted more reflection on that stuff. I couldn’t tell if I was meant to like Cate Kay or not and I’m still undecided.

Overall, I think the premise was great but the execution needed a bit more sorting out as it didn’t have me reaching up pick it back up. That being said, I do think I’d like to re-read it over a shorter period of time to see if I feel the same or not, perhaps in a paper copy instead of kindle as I do love the cover.

Thanks to NetGalley and Atria Books for providing me with this ARC.

This was a hard one for me to finish. I was very excited by the plot, but the actual fabric of the story couldn't hold it together. There were so many storylines and names - it quickly became a confusing read.

I couldn't connect with the characters enough to care what they were doing or what became of them, and there was no apparent chemistry between the main characters.

This one was just not my cup of tea unfortunately.