My opinions on this book are complicated. Overall, it was a unique story, well-written, and very engaging for the most part. I’m going to start with my criticisms; so I can end this review with the positives.

The middle third of the book was quite slow. This was around where Cass was visiting Ryan in California, and I had a difficult time believing Ryan and Cass’s once-in-a-lifetime type love, given the short time they spent together. I just didn’t feel like chemistry between them, despite this being the part of the story that sets up a huge part of the ending.

Now onto the good…

With the exception of what I mentioned above, I was thoroughly invested in the characters and their stories. The entire time, I was anticipating Cass finding out the truth about Amanda with bated breath. I loved getting so many perspectives, even from the super minor characters. The sections of the story within the story made me want to read the entire trilogy of The Very Last.

This reminded me a lot of Rainbow Black, one of my favorite 2024 books, just not nearly as dark. Definitely a book I’d recommend!

My expectations for this book were high because it was compared to one of my favorite books of all time, The Seven Husbands or Evelyn Hugo. I can understand the comparison but this book was extremely different especially in the sense that it was more contemporary fiction than historical but with the much-needed Hollywood glam. There was a little mystery and a good 1/3 of the book read like a thriller. This is one that is BEST to go into blind. I read it again, more focused this time and LOVED it.

(3.5 stars)

Thanks to Atria Books and NetGalley for an advanced reader’s copy.

I can see how the book is compared to The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo but it still stands as its own unique story and fictional memoir. The Three Lives of Cate Kay is a very character driven novel, delving into themes of identity and the path we create in life from our decisions. We follow different characters, but essentially, the story revolves around Cate Kay, a bestselling author who has chosen to keep a pseudonym to avoid any association with her past. The characters felt very real and fleshed out, and I appreciate how flawed they are. I’m not one to dislike multiple POVs, but I thought this book could’ve done without a couple character POVs. That said, I liked the subtle changes in what really happened during an event as we see the story unfold from different perspectives. However, one of my gripes from this book is that I didn’t find myself emotionally invested in the plot or the characters because some parts of the book felt rushed or disjointed.

If you like fictional memoirs, LGBTQ relationships, female friendships, drama, and romance, this might be the book for you.

Cate Kay is the author of the wildly popular book/movie franchise based on her book series “The Very Last.” She’s incredibly elusive: no one has ever seen her, not at a book signing, not at a movie premier, nothing. Because the thing about Cate is, she doesn’t actually exist. Cate Kay is just the pen name that keeps Cass Ford anonymous. Before she was Cass, she was Annie. And Annie has a tragic past that she’s been trying to hide from ever since she ran from it.

There’s so much to love about this book, a story of growth, forgiveness, healing, and opening oneself to love. It’s cleverly written as if it’s a memoir of Cate Kay’s life. Its nonlinear structure takes us back in time to Annie’s naïve but ambitious teenage years and her relationship with her bestie Amanda. Of course we get Annie/Cass/Cate’s perspective through the years, but we also get lots of others too, which help round out the story. I loved the unique perspective of getting to know the characters through others’ eyes as well as their own, and how those perceptions sometimes differed, especially when Cate would add a footnote with her own thoughts at the end of someone else’s chapter (I do love a good footnote!). The sense of dramatic irony is strong as the story unfolds and the reader knows things that Cate doesn’t, creating an addictive tension that held me in its grip until the novel’s tender and cathartic ending.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Atria Books for providing me an advance copy of this book.

Thank you Atria Books for my #gifted ARC and thank you Simon Audio for my #gifted Advanced Listening Copy of The Three Lives of Cate Kay! #atriabooks #AtriaPartner #atria #TheThreeLivesOfCateKay #KateFagan #simonaudio

𝐓𝐢𝐭𝐥𝐞: 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐓𝐡𝐫𝐞𝐞 𝐋𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐂𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐊𝐚𝐲
𝐀𝐮𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐫: 𝐊𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐅𝐚𝐠𝐚𝐧
𝐍𝐚𝐫𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐬: 𝐌𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐧 𝐈𝐫𝐞𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐝, 𝐓𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐚 𝐀𝐥𝐛𝐞𝐫𝐭𝐬𝐨𝐧, 𝐆𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐯𝐞 𝐊𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐧, 𝐈𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐢 𝐉𝐚𝐝𝐞 𝐏𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐫𝐬, 𝐂𝐨𝐫𝐞𝐲 𝐁𝐫𝐢𝐥𝐥, 𝐊𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐧 𝐑. 𝐅𝐫𝐞𝐞, 𝐃𝐚𝐧𝐢𝐞𝐥 𝐇𝐞𝐧𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠, 𝐇𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐚𝐫𝐲 𝐇𝐮𝐛𝐞𝐫, 𝐇𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐧 𝐋𝐚𝐬𝐞𝐫, 𝐅𝐫𝐞𝐝 𝐒𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬, 𝐉𝐚𝐜𝐤𝐢𝐞 𝐒𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬, 𝐄𝐦𝐢𝐥𝐲 𝐖𝐨𝐨 𝐙𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐫
𝐏𝐮𝐛 𝐃𝐚𝐭𝐞: 𝐉𝐚𝐧𝐮𝐚𝐫𝐲 𝟕, 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟓

My advice to you, do not give up on this one. I will admit, it took me a little bit to get into this book, but once I did, I really enjoyed it. It’s a character driven book, which are some of my absolute favorites. It’s compared to The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo, which I can see why, and I just loved the format once I got into it. Once I felt like this book got rolling, I could not read it fast enough. There were lots of characters, but some only get a chapter or two. Still, with multiple points of view, it’s easy to follow along. It’s a really hard book to review without giving much away. I will just say that if you enjoy character driven stories, it’s definitely worth checking out.

🎧I started with the physical book, but eventually switched to the audiobook, which was narrated by a full cast of narrators. Wow! This one included some of my favorite narrators. Even with all of the points of views and narrators, it was easy to follow, which was my fear with a cast this large. I loved this one on audio and I felt like each voice was easy to distinguish. I definitely would recommend this one on audio. The narrators were top notch!

Cate Kay is a successful author and her books have been turned into a very successful film series. Problem is, she doesn't exist. As her star rises, her past begins to break in. As she has been on the run for many years, this is a problem. Can she go home and make her life whole again?

The Three Lives of Cate Kay by Kate Fagan. I really enjoyed this debut novel.
The premise of the book was both quite entertaining and thought provoking. It follows a story of Cate Kay told in multiple POVs. This story felt interesting and unique. I really liked it.
Thank you, NetGalley, for the advanced copy of this book.

A best-selling author, Cate Kay, has chosen to keep her identity an absolute secret as she feels haunted by her past growing up as Annie Callahan in a small upstate New York town where she had run away as her best friend Amanda fell off a backyard zip line while showring off. Annie summons help but not knowing if Amanda survived the fall and flees for a host of confusing reasons from Hollywood ambition, always feeling in Annie’s shadow, and an unrequited crush on Amanda. Kay currently lives under yet another assumed identity of Cass Ford in Charleston, South Carolina.

The novel’s tense and emotive plot unspools as if it’s pages from Kay’s unpublished memoir, incorporating alternating first-person perspectives of the main people in Kay’s life. These include Sydney, a lawyer and female lover who encourages Cass’ writing and controllingly creates an elaborate legal structure to keep Cass anonymous and isolated from all but herself. Cass then abandon’s Sydney as she falls for closeted Hollywood starlet Ryan, who’s been tapped to play the lead in the movies inspired by Cass’s novels. The emotional struggles encompass Amanda deciding if she has the courage to face her past and the maturity to sort out her sexuality. As the three lives of Kate Cay all race to merge, Amanda has to powerfully confront some inner truths and repair toxic relationships. A fun, powerful read.

Thanks to Atria Books and NetGalley for an advanced reader’s copy.

[4.75 stars]

Cate Kay is one of the most successful authors - but she's not only hiding her true identity. Cate Kay (or Cass Ford or Anne Marie Callahan, depending on who you're talking to) is also hiding what has caused her to change her name twice and leave behind her home in New York. This event has haunted her for over a decade and she will do anything to keep it - and the person at the center of it - from harming the life she has carefully crafted. That is, until now. Cate, after years of success and living life anonymously, has decided to publish a memoir and reveal the "three lives" she has lived. Her hidden past is now in the open - compete with messy relationships, people with less than savory intentions, and a soul-searching journey that leads Cate back home. If you thought Evelyn Hugo had a complicated life, wait until you meet Cate Kay.

I loved, loved, loved this book! I truly had no idea what to expect going into it, but once I hit the 40% mark, I couldn't put it down (I read the remaining 60% in one sitting). At times, the multiple timelines and narrators were confusing, but I was quickly able to "catch up" and make sense of what I was reading. Also, I wanted a bit more from the ending. With all of the build-up and mystery toward the end, the final scene fell a little flat for me. Aside from these two small gripes, I think this is a phenomenal book! The blurb is absolutely correct in saying this gives The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo vibes! So, if you were a fan, please pick this one up too! I quickly fell in love with Cate/Cass/Anne Marie and hope that you do too. I have so much to say about this book, but I don't want to risk spoiling anything! Trust me, give this one a try; you won't regret it!

I read this baby in one sitting since it was both so addictive and wonderfully written. I adored getting to see how Cate shaped her life throughout the year and tried to keep her identify hidden. Fagan crafted characters that were interesting and had unique perspectives. There have been comparisons to Evelyn Hugo which I definitely see but this holds it’s on and tells a unique story.

I was drawn right into the story Cates desire to hide her identity hide her previous life.The writing was so involving a true page turner a book I will be recommending perfect for book club’s terrific way to start my 2025 best of list.#netgalley#atria

When I saw this book described as "The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo" meets "First Lie Wins" (two of my favorites), I knew I had to read it. As someone who mostly reads psychological thrillers, I sometimes struggle with contemporary fiction, but I really enjoyed this book. It had a little of something for everyone: mystery, romance, drama. Fagan is a masterful storyteller, and I was captivated by this tale of friendship, love, and fame. I was surprised to learn this was the author's debut fiction novel. There are a lot of heavy topics in this book, making it an excellent choice for a book club.

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The Three Lives of Cate Kay is a powerful exploration of identity, choices, and the lives we build. At first, I struggled to connect the characters and follow the disjointed narrative, but as the story unfolded, the writing deepened and pulled me in. The characters are wonderfully flawed and real, and the emotional range—from hurt to joy—was incredibly moving. I found myself highlighting many poignant lines.

Kate Fagan’s writing reminded me of The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo, and I can see why this book is marketed to its fans. The queer love stories were natural and unforced, and the multiple points of view added a fresh layer to the storytelling. The banter kept me entertained, and I was never bored.

This is my first book by Fagan, but I’m already excited to read more. Highly recommend for anyone looking for a beautiful, emotional read that stays with you.

The Three Lives of Cate Kay has been marketed for fans of The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo and I think they are right.

The Three Lives of Cate Kay is the first book I’ve ever read by Kate Fagan and I think I will read more from this author. . She was was able to weave this story together and the banter will have you laughing.

The queer love stories was not over done. I feel like everything in the story was plausible. I was not bored. I wanted to keep reading.

There are multiple point of views that allow you to get in the characters mind. It was an interesting twist to the storytelling. I would definitely recommend.j

This books tells the story of a life of a woman with a secret identity and how our choices shape our life. Initially, I had a hard time reconciling all the characters in this story and figuring out how they all fit. The writing was gorgeous but felt a bit disjointed at the beginning, however, as the story progressed, the writing deepened and I had a hard time putting this book down. The characters are real and flawed and beautiful and the details really made this special. It made me feel a full range of emotions - hurt, betrayal, hope, comfort, and joy. I highlighted so many lines because they were so poignant and moving. Definitely would recommend this one for a good read!

“It’s like you hold me steady without holding me still” 😭

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Publishing for the eARC of this book to review!

Very rarely do I finish a book thinking that it could have gone on for another twenty pages. Or that I wanted it to. However that was the case of The Three Lives of Cate Kay. There's a mystery at the core of the book, but at its heart, this is a novel of the events and people that shape our lives, the decisions we make, and then having to live with those decisions.

No spoilers here, so my critique will stay at the Storygraph.

Overall, a fun read. I was surprised by how much I enjoyed it.

I liked this one but didn't love it. It was interesting enough and a fast read, but some of the major emotional moments towards the end felt glossed over. The comp to Evelyn Hugo is something I can see, but it didn't touch Evelyn on an impact level - I am not sure this one has the staying power. It lacked the depth IMO.

I was positively surprised by how much fun I had reading this book, especially since the main character is quite unlikeable.

The Three Lives of Cate Kay is a fictional memoir of the author Cate Kay which is actually a pen name of Cass Ford, which is a new name for... You get the idea. Three lives, three different names, and one person.

What is unusual is that this memoir is also written by other people from Cate's life. Sometimes we get the same moments written from two perspectives, and I loved seeing how the characters remembered things differently. A really great idea for making this book more interesting.

The plot seems a bit chaotic at first, we go from 2014 to the 90s, then to 2006 and back to the 90s. We get the story in pieces from different people, and for a moment it is up to us to imagine what exactly happened to Cate to make her change her name and then hide under another one. For some people it can be annoying, but I didn't mind it.

What I minded was how annoying Cate could be. Even in chapters from her pov I couldn't understand her. For most of the time, she just let things happen to her, but somehow everyone who meets her would throw their life for her. I don't have a problem with unlikeable protagonists, but Cate is just dull, she keeps acting like a child who keeps running from responsibility.

And the other thing that didn't make this book a 5* for me was the lack of plot in the later part of it. We just get quick chapters that are mostly about nothing. There's a quick mention that Cate wrote the second two books in the series, but we never see her writing her. There's actually not a lot about Cate as an author in the whole of this story.

I really enjoyed reading this book. If you're looking for an unusual character-driven story with a little bit of mystery, then this is for you.

Thank you to Atria Books and Simon Audio for the ARC and ALC to review.

This is one I did not know that much about prior to reading, and when I started the audio I loved the full cast, and ended up loving this book overall. It is fiction, but the novel is written like it is a memoir with the FMC finally telling her story. What makes this interesting is she has written an extremely successful book trilogy that was turned into blockbuster movies, she lost her best friend from childhood prior to writing these books, fell in love but that is a whole other story, oh and no one other than like two people really knows who she is, it has all been kept a secret, which is the point of ‘this book’, to finally reveal it all. One of the things I loved in here was that the FMC would break the fourth wall in the best way, affirming how other people felt or how other people thought she felt in specific situations, and via audio it was lovely.

I found that I could not stop listening once I started, so it was basically a one sitting read for me. There was a huge twist at the end that I suspected, and found myself emotional when it was confirmed. The writing is fantastic, and if you have not added this to your list you absolutely must. January is starting off pretty spectacular with new books, let me tell you.

Cate Kay has finally decided to write her memoir, facing her fears and her past to unravel all three of her identities. Born as Annie, she had a difficult homelife but found refuge in her best friend Amanda. Annie and Amanda have big dreams of moving to California and becoming famous actors until tragedy sends Annie on the run. Cass is working at a diner when she meets Sidney, who helps her realize her dream and talent as an author. Sidney, an attorney, helps to transform Cass into Cate and works diligently to keep her past a secret for her own selfish reasons. After years in the shadows, Cate agrees to reveal herself to someone and it changes the trajectory of her life, realizing she needs to look backwards to move forward.

The story is told mostly in [fictional] memoir form, from varying perspectives, with Cate's footnotes accompanying many of the chapters. This format made it really unique and interesting to read. I really appreciated the footnotes because it connected all the characters together and added more emotion to it. The narrative flowed well, the characters were very relatable, and best of all -- the character development was phenomenal...all around! I felt all the things throughout the character growth, from sad, annoyed, mad, happy, proud...it was a rollercoaster!

I requested to review this book because: 1) I kept seeing it everywhere, 2) I love a good alias, and 3) the format sounded really interesting. While it did not disappoint, I only rated 3.5 stars because it was a little bit of a slow burn. Honestly, the only thing that kept me engaged in the beginning was the format. But once I got to know the characters and became more invested in Cate's story, I was more interested in seeing how it all played out.

If you like memoirs, strong female friendships, an array of LGBTQ characters, and feeling all the feels while you are reading...this one is for you!