The Three Lives of Cate Kay is the epitome of the human experience. It has so much nuance, and is filled with humour, love, loss, and pain.

All the characters jumped off the page, no matter how minor they were. They felt so realistic and flawed, with their own views of the world and their own lives.

This book feels like an ode to hope, and how it's never too late to have hope, no matter the circumstances.

The book also has an incredibly unique format, and is written in such an intriguing way, that I couldn't stop reading. The tone of voice is so profound and sincere, it feels like the author truly wrote from her heart.

I especially loved the disability representation, and Amanda's view on feeling like you're constantly taking from people. As a disabled person, I have never read something so true and hard-hitting as that profound guilt. Truly one of the best characters I've had the honour of reading.

I genuinely cannot recommend this book enough, to any and all readers.

This is one of those books that grows on you andhas you thinking about the characters for weeks after.

A best-selling author decides after years to finally reveal her true identity. The novel is told from the perspective of everyone who knows the true story of the author of a best selling trilogy. From childhood friends, people in the business, past romantic interests, the actress who plays the roles in the movies based on her books, family members, and the author herself.

Positives
Multiple povs and timelines
Many themes done well: grief, romance, friendship, identity, guilt, price of fame, family trauma, etc.
I felt like I really got to know the characters from the way they were written. Great character development
The ending did not disappoint

Negatives:
It did take me a bit to get into the book but then I really cared about the characters
You had to keep track of the timeline

While I enjoyed this book, I can see certain people LOVING it.

Thank you to Atria Books for my copy of THE THREE LIVES OF CATE KAY. This one is out Jan 7.

I really loved this strange little story. It was fun getting swept up in this world within a world within a world. I love this style of fiction that reads almost like it's real, I want to find more stories like this one.

Thank you so much Atria Books and NetGalley for this ARC! This book was SO GOOD. It gave such a fun Hollywood vibe and really took you on an adventure. I was a little slow to dive in but once I was into it, I was hooked! This will be one of the books of 2025, I can just feel it!

Unfortunately this one wasn't for me. I am really picky about "coming of age" type books and I wanted to read this for the intrigue, and yet that part was the most ho hum. Her big secret was dramatic yes, but also revealed early on and basically her only personality trait? I just felt like everyone in the book talks reverently about Cate as if she is this amazing mystical person, and yet she fell sooooo flat for me. No personality at all, except that she used people and then cheated on them or left them, and then blamed them all for her problems. Maybe I'm missing something, but I did not find this book all that interesting. I do love the writing and honestly would LOVE to read the fictional novel that Cate "wrote". I appreciated the discussions of coming out, or realizing one's sexuality, which is ALWAYS fascinating and lovely to read about. I also appreciated the theme of how your childhood friendships and loves can really shape who you are forever, but again just most of it wasn't that interesting or novel for me.

I didn’t not finish this book. It wasn’t because I wasn’t interested but I do think it moved very slow for me.

I was anticipating more action closer to the beginning. I may pick this back up again at a different time when I am prepared, or listen to it via audiobook.

Sometimes I feel like I was the only person who loved The Life and Death of Sophie Stark since it went out of print so quickly, but this book reminds me of that title.
There's a lot to like here- good Queer rep, piecing together a person's life through various narratives and points of view, but I get frustrated with misunderstandings and a single person's machinations to derail an person's entire life and relationships. I understand why this deceit was used in terms of the story, and there was a really fun bit with a mail center because of this- this is just a personal pet peeve.
Overall, it was a fun read, but I felt like it could have been more, been deeper and richer. 3.5 Stars

The Three Lives of Cate Kay is the first book I’ve ever read by Kate Fagan and I am very pleased. This was such a solid and fun read. I loved the multi POV concept. It worked so well here. This felt fast paced but still managed to dive deep. I thought it was a great fast read to start the year.

👩🏽 The Three Lives of Cate Kay 👩🏽
Thank you, Atria Books, for the gifted copy of The Three Lives of Cate Kay {partner}

Genre: Fiction
Format: 🎧📖
Pub Date:  1.7.2025
Pages: 304
Star Rating: ☆☆☆.5

"{She} shot words straight light arrows, often pointed at my heart. But me, I burned my feelings alive, just smothered them down." 

When I think about The Three Lives of Cate Kay, what stands out most to me is the beautiful complexity of the relationships between the characters. The book isn't about soulmates or grand, destined love—it's more about the fleeting yet significant connections that come into our lives at just the right moment. These romances aren't meant to last forever but hold meaning to that character's story. Each love interest served a purpose, offering something to Cate's journey. 

However, as much as I enjoyed the book's emotional layers, I did struggle to connect with the characters on an individual level. And, as much as the synopsis drew me in, the book didn't quite deliver on the mystery aspect. I went in expecting a thrilling, conwoman-centered plot—something along the lines of Kate from Lost—but instead, I got something different. Still intriguing, yes, but definitely not the story I anticipated.

Read if you enjoy:
🗣️ Multiple POV
🔀 Non-Linear Timeline
❤️‍🩹 Complex Relationships
🐌 Slow Paced
📖 Debut Novels
📚 Books Within Books

A best selling author that writes under a pseudonym decides to reveal herself. This is the story of how she came to be. I love the way this one unfolded and getting the glimpses into each of her relationships.

As soon as I heard the premise for this book, I knew I needed to read it. And I think it overall delivered! I can see why the author/Cate Kay herself used multiple points of view to tell the story, because everyone has a different version of events. However, sometimes I got a bit lost with how many different POVs there are and jumping back and forth in time. Also, the premise for The Very Last sounds cool and I want to read it. I received an advance review copy for free and I'm leaving this review voluntarily.

Kate Fagan's 'The Three Lives of Cate Kay' totally blew me away. This wild ride follows Annie, a writer who's hiding under a pen name, as she tries to figure out who she really is.
The story is a mix of suspense and those deep, introspective moments that really make you think. Annie's past comes back to haunt her in the most unexpected ways, forcing her to confront some seriously tough issues. Fagan does an amazing job of weaving together the present and the past, and you just feel for Annie as she tries to piece everything together.
I loved how Fagan developed the characters – they feel so real, you almost forget you're reading a book. And the way she explores themes like self-doubt and the impact of the past? So powerful.
'The Three Lives of Cate Kay' is definitely a thought-provoking read. It's one of those books that stays with you long after you turn the last page. If you're into character-driven stories with a touch of mystery and a whole lot of emotion, you'll absolutely devour this.

I had a challenging time getting interested in this story, and while it was not for me, and I could not make myself finish it, I’m still giving three stars for it because the writing is pretty good, and my lack of interest is perhaps just me. I can see how others rave about this book, but I found it hard to follow from the start, which is likely why I didn’t finish this book. Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC of this book. One of the best fiction novels I've read in so long - the weaving of voices to tell the story of one person was incredibly skillful. I loved how there was also essentially another story woven in with chapters from the protagonist's book. And of course, I loved that it was a queer story that wasn't just about being queer. Highly recommend for fans of fiction, queer stories, and even memoirs.

Thank you to Atria and NetGalley for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I found The Three Lives of Cate Kay to be compelling and the writing to be so engrossing. I felt like I was surrounded by the characters. It was a quick read with a fleshed-out story. I did feel like Annie’s, and to a lesser extent the journalist Jake’s, misdeeds were over-exaggerated, but that did make their actions have consequences. I would have only liked to see Amanda’s reaction to finding out about Sidney’s lie. Overall, I really enjoyed this book!

This book was a welcome surprise!! Heart warming while also gut wrenching at times! It filled my whole cup reading this unique, well developed novel! I love that the author is from my neck of the woods too! Can’t wait to read more from Fagan!

Annie has a best friend, Amanda. They do everything together. They plan to take Hollywood by storm and become great actresses. Then, after a tragic accident, their lives change forever.

Marketed as The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo meets First Lie Wins, this definitely caught my attention. Both books are favorites so I was excited to dive in. The beginning was a little slow for me, I had a hard time understanding Annie’s decision, even though she was young and scared. The story evolved nicely and it then took off for me. I enjoyed seeing Annie reinvent herself as Cass/Cate, all the time never forgetting her past while figuring out her future and finding her truth. Amanda, while going thru a life changing situation, found her voice. This book is full of forgiveness and friendship, life and love. This cover is a perfect representation for this story. I can’t wait to read Ms. Fagan’s next book.

Thanks to NetGalley and Atria Books for this ARC. This is my honest opinion.

This is a character driven story about women and friendships, relationships, identity, and coming of age. This is NOT mysterious or unusual. In fact, the main “mystery” of who Kate Cay is isn’t even that compelling. I was a little disappointed by this, but clearly others aren’t as this book is super buzzy. I think if you enjoy character driven novels about writers and female. friendship/relationships, then you’ll enjoy this. But it wasn’t for me!

📖Book Review 📖
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Thank you @netgalley and @atriabooks for the advanced copy of the three lives of cate Kay. This was chosen as the Reese’s book of the month and has been drawing comparison for the 7 husbands of Evelyn Hugo (one of my faves ever). This was a great book, it was well written but at times it was hard to follow with so many different pseudonyms and time lines. It was a super unique story; I was most interested in the Amanda time line/past tense. It really came together beautifully at the end but I didn’t love it as much as I wanted.
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Rating- ⭐️⭐️⭐️.75
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Summary- Cate Kay knows how to craft a story. As the creator of a bestselling book trilogy that struck box office gold as a film series, she’s one of the most successful authors of her generation. The thing is, Cate Kay doesn’t really exist. She’s never attended author events or granted any interviews. Her real identity had been a closely guarded secret, until now.

As a young adult, she and her best friend Amanda dreamed of escaping their difficult homes and moving to California to become movie stars. But the day before their grand adventure, a tragedy shattered their dreams and Cate has been on the run ever since, taking on different names and charting a new future. But after a shocking revelation, Cate understands that returning home is the only way she’ll be a whole person again.
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QOTD- do you have a nick name ?! What is it?! My name is Madeline but everyone calls me Madi, at home I’m just babe 🤣.

I loved the premise of this book and was intrigued by the overall story around Annie Amanda. The multiple POVs and the book within a book also made this book unique and interesting. However, I personally don’t really think I was ever truly invested as I didn’t particularly like any of the characters. A lot of the time I also felt like nothing was really happening.
I truly think the comparison to The Seven Husbands Of Evelyn Hugo set my expectations very high and it ended up kind of ruining it for me. I am an outlier in this situation, though, because a lot of people loved this book, so I’d love to hear your thoughts if you read it/when you do read it!

Thank you @atriabooks #atriapartner for the gifted copy