Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for this eARC!

This book is a serious page-turner! It has wide appeal for readers of mystery/thrillers, romances, queer literature, and literary fiction, and also for young adults. I will be strongly recommending this to the high schools in my district.

All I needed to see was this book compared to The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo and First Lie Wins to grab it immediately. Like Evelyn Hugo, this book was juicy and delicious while offering a good amount of substance.

Despite the cartoonish cover, this book was a lot more literary than I expected — in a good way! This fictional memoir exploring the past life of mysterious bestselling author Cate Kay dove deep into themes of friendship, love, loss, forgiveness and finding oneself. I loved the way the book was told from multiple POVs making the story rich and dynamic.

I know with Reese picking this book for January, it’s likely to be everywhere, and thankfully, I think this one is worth the hype. If you like a story with plenty of plot that’s also rich in character development with solid writing, definitely add this one to your 2025 TBR!

The mysterious best-selling author “Cate Kay” has finally decided to share her story, and reveal her true self to the world. Following a tragic accident, Anne Marie Callahan ran away from home, restarting her life under a new name. From there, she begins to write, using the pseudonym Cate Kay, only to have her novels blow up, with her anonymity just adding to her success.

I really enjoyed this book, and thought it was such a unique premise! This character-driven novel is told from multiple POVs, which I did struggle to keep track of at times, but I loved the different perspectives of the various characters. The story was fast-paced with an element of suspense, and a satisfying ending. I also found the book to be thought-provoking and reflective — I would definitely recommend!

Thank you to Atria Books and NetGalley for my gifted copy!

This was a quick and easy read. I've seen it promoted as a "thriller", but I personally wouldn't call it that. I really didn't get any type of thriller vibes from this book, and at no point was I on the edge of my seat.

I enjoyed the characters, the plot, and the relationships throughout. With it being such a short book, a few of the relationships felt a bit rushed and not fully fleshed out. I would've liked more backstory or more detail to truly feel the depth of the emotions/connections between certain characters. It didn't take away from the plot in any way, I just think it would've given me more of an emotional connection to the book had that depth been there. And even though the main character changed her name several times (this is not a spoiler, it's literally in the title and the synopsis), she actually didn't have a major character arc, particularly in the present-day sections.

That said, I really enjoyed the parts that focused on the friendship between Annie and Amanda. Most of us have had that best friend from childhood who we were attached to at the hip. The memories shared in this book definitely felt nostalgic to me and made me miss my childhood best friend.

There were some twisty elements to the book, but they were more of a twist to the main character, as those things were all revealed to the reader as they happened. So there wasn't any real sense of suspense, which is probably why it didn't at all feel like a thriller to me. It was definitely a different read in that way, as I don't read a lot of books where I feel like I, as the reader, am fully clued in, while the main character is not.

I can say that I tore through this book quickly, I didn't want to put it down, and I enjoyed the experience of reading it. There were things about it that I really loved, but overall, I felt like I wanted more from it.

I'm giving it three stars which is a good review, as that means I liked the book. I just felt like it could've had more depth, more tension, and more of a character arc.

Thank you Atria Books and NetGalley for the e-galley of this book in exchange for my honest review.

First read of 2025 and it was a five star selection!

From the moment I started reading about Cate Kay I knew I needed to know more about her life. Who was she? Where did she come from? How did she end up writing this memoir?

The memoir format is one that alway intrigues me. I love hearing about someone’s life, fictional or real, in first person. Fagan elevates this bird’s eye view style by adding in chapters that allow the reader and Cate to react to how the people in her life felt things unfolded. It allows for Cate to be introspective with fun footnotes throughout the chapters and the reader to gain a full picture of Cate’s life.

I highly recommend adding this one to your reading list!

4/5 stars

Thank you Atria for the advanced reading copy!

This book was fairly hard to rate. I had a hard time getting into the ARC, so I switched to audio around 20% and was super intrigued. Overall, I enjoyed it. There were tons of characters, which is both a pro and a con. It kept things interesting and added a lot of dimension, but also got confusing at times. I did really appreciate that each character had a different narrator on audio — that’s my fav.

The story was marketed as the next Evelyn Hugo and, while I can see how that comparison could be made, I actually think that did this book a disservice — making me go into it with super high expectations. The vibes were similar though — Hollywood dreams, movie stars, complicated relationships, struggle with sexuality, friendship, betrayal, character growth and coming of age. If you’re looking for those things, this book had them all!

On the whole, this was a solid read, albeit different than I expected. Some interesting twists and turns, balance between lovable and insufferable characters and enough mystery to keep you invested. If you’re going to pick this one up, I recommend the audio for sure!

The titular character may know how to craft a story but I don't think Kate Fagan is quite there yet Fagan's debut novel, told in the form of a memoir with chapter footnotes, we follow the three different lives of "Cate Kay", an author whose real identity is unknown to the public. We learn about the circumstances that prompted her to leave her town, best friend behind to build her mysterious literary persona.

Unfortunately, the synopsis is way more compelling than the final draft. I wanted to DNF this book multiple times but pushed through because I was hoping that something good would happen. Everything felt surface level and any problems characters encountered is overcome with minimal effort. There were so many things brushed over and for what? Why include certain character choices if you're not willing to put in the work?

The writing was fine. The book is written as though the characters are "writing" their memories of the events and each voice blended together.

My biggest problem with this book is that the "mystery" surrounding Cate Kay and the reason for her anonymity is so basic and the reason she becomes anonymous is disappointing. It felt like the characters were constantly building up this mysterious writer and then meeting her just didn't work for me.

Criticism aside, I liked the relationship between Annie and Amanda. I wish that we spent more time building on the psychological aspect of it.

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

I had a hard time with The Three Lives of Cate Kay by Kate Fagan. The friendship between the characters in the beginning was fine, but when she left after the accident and never looked back to find out what had really happened to her friend I lost all respect for her, even though she was young. After that I felt the book became discordant, too much jumping around, too many points of view and and I found myself losing interest. I finished, but it was not a good read for me. Thank you to the author, publisher and Netgalley for an ARC of this novel in exchange for my honest review.

I got more than halfway through this one and finally had to DNF at about 45 chapters. The premise sounded interesting, and the format of the book, on the surface, also seemed intriguing. On the page, though, the format just didn't work as well as it should have. The short chapters didn't give me an opportunity to really bond with any of the characters, and some of them seemed to get chapters only to offer convenient plot devices that would move events forward.

My biggest issue with this book was that all of the characters sounded exactly the same. They all "spoke" to readers with the same types of language and turns of phrase. All of them are inviting readers into their lives with the same level of scrutiny. It got incredibly confusing after awhile, especially considering how many people show up to contribute to Annie's memoir. This book needed way more work in the editing phase to make the characters stand out. I kept expecting to find out that Annie was suffering from dissociate personality disorder and that all of the "people" in her memoir were really different personalities of herself and that's why they sounded exactly like her.

This is getting a lot of attention on some platforms and will get even more now that it's a Reese pick, but it wasn't for me.

5☆ READ: A wonderfully nostalgic, sapphic story about friends and love. I was reminded of Idgie and Ruth's bond in Fried Green Tomatoes. Ugh. I'm in love. This story is about love within friendships and relationships, as well as learning when to trust others and when to trust yourself.

Thank you to Lauren Brown, Atria Books, Simon & Schuster, and NetGalley for the digital ARC! This was my first NetGalley read, and I still can’t believe how fortunate I was to secure a copy!

*Note: I requested The Three Lives of Cate Kay because I met the cover artist and was intrigued by the description of the main character. The shattered reflection on the cover hints at Cate’s fragmented identities, and after reading the book, I can confidently say every design detail—from the bold red color to the car imagery—was deliberate and emotionally resonant with the fmc's development; each detail breaks my heart in the best possible way.

Knowing I had a connection to the project, I promised myself I’d approach the story critically and try not to let my bias sway me. I TRIED TO DISLIKE THIS BOOK. ✧ I FAILED. ✧ Miserably. Instead, I fell HARD into Cate's tangled web of identities and the unforgettable friendships and heartbreaks that define her journey. By the time I finished, I was texting my friends through my cathartic tears, begging them to preorder it.

-

What's it about? via Simon & Schuster:

"'The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo' meets 'First Lie Wins' in this 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.

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."

-

What's it about? via me:

'The Three Lives of Cate Kay' is a sapphic story that follows Cate Kay, AKA Cass Ford, AKA Annie Callahan, as she navigates the complex choices made by her (and unfortunately made FOR her) throughout her formative teen years into adulthood. These choices result in Cate living a secluded life with a hidden identity and no family or friends to trust, love, or support her. Discovering how she landed here is a phenomenal tale and one that imo couldn't have happened any other way. 😭

Written in a somewhat epistolary format (some chapters are written from other character's viewpoints with Cate's footnotes, a format which I actually really loved but felt had a few logistics issues that are hopefully corrected in the print version), the reader traces Cate’s journey from her latchkey childhood and aspirations to being an actress to her rise as one of the world’s most celebrated, and enigmatic, authors. (Cate writes books that are converted to film which are basically, imo equivalent to "The Walking Dead" or "The Hunger Games" [think post-apocalyptic NYC]). Her books and eventual films are insanely popular, but no one knows who the author is, and we get THE FIRST-HAND STORY of why she's kept her life a secret, and it's so worth it. We see Cate's struggle being the only queer teen, her self-discovery of who she is and should be, the devastating toll fear and rejection have on her, and the best part, imo, a wonderfully tender and complex story of love and, above all, friendship. Cate’s story is heart-wrenching and deeply lovely. (Can you tell I loved it?)

-

Genre: Women's Fiction, LGBTQ+, Mystery/Thriller

While Cate’s layered identity and mysterious circumstances are kind of the main plot in the story, I was surprised to learn that the book is classified as a thriller/mystery. (I didn’t discover this classification—or realize First Lie Wins was a comparable title—until I was 83% through the book.) At first, I thought the classification was misleading because I usually associate those genres with pulse-pounding danger and high-stakes tension—like involving murder or physical peril. However, upon further reflection, I realized I had been unraveling a mystery all along: the mystery of Cate herself. Who is she—Cate, Cass, or Annie? What happened to her that made her choose a life of isolation? And how did the people in her life help—or harm—her on that path? Finally discovering why she's been running from the past and living in a present devoid of friends and relationships was intense, and by the end, I was on the floor crying yet satisfied. Phew.

-

Despite moments of actual physical tension over this book—sitting up in bed or audibly gasping on public transit—I felt a relative sense of safety within the story, thanks to its initial framework. Cate is introduced at home, receiving a FedEx package from an ex, which let me know that she's not in any physical danger, calming and grounding me.

That said, this didn’t stop me from feeling terrified for her and other characters when necessary. As the story gained momentum, I found myself growing increasingly nervous and making assumptions—some correct, others not. The tension kept me engaged, and I was grateful for the catharsis awaiting me at the story’s conclusion. Without a doubt, The Three Lives of Cate Kay has earned a spot in my top three reads of 2024.

-

Final Verdict: I Loved It, DUH

'The Three Lives of Cate Kay' was an experience I'm glad I didn't miss. Don't be one of those people—like me—who read 'The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo' years after it was published. This books is an absolute must-read that will live in your heart rent free long after the last page.

I've read both its comp titles, and honestly, this one was better than both. Sorry, Evelyn Hugo. >_< I’ve already added it to my top three reads of 2024, and I’ll be eagerly awaiting whatever Kate Fagan writes next. (I was shocked to learn her previous works focus on sports. No, that’s not my usual vibe. But if she keeps writing like this, I’ll preorder every. single. one.)

I just finished the last page of Kate Fagan's beautifully executed, sentimental, and moving work! This heart-wrenching queer love story, combined with an intriguing coming-of-age journey of self-discovery, courage, and navigating life’s darkest moments, truly resonated with me.

That said, I don’t agree with the marketing comparison to The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo—the only similarity is the presence of a queer leading actress—and it’s not akin to Daisy Jones & The Six either, as this book is a multi-POV memoir rather than a docudrama-style narrative. In my opinion, there’s no need to compare this book to other works to emphasize its brilliance; it shines brightly on its own.

At its core, this story follows Annie Callahan, also known as Cass Ford and Cate Kay, as she searches for a life path that satisfies her ambitions, fulfills her desire for love and belonging, and allows her to express herself authentically. Along the way, she explores her sexual orientation and grapples with the loss of her identity, her past, and her greatest love.

The narrative primarily focuses on Annie and Amanda’s deeply connected friendship. Their bond is so strong it feels as though they share the same heart and mind. With no stable family support—her mother being an alcoholic house cleaner—Amanda becomes Annie’s entire world. Together, they dream of moving to Hollywood to become actors, but a tragic twist derails their plans. In the aftermath, Annie makes a life-altering decision that forces her to leave her old life behind and start fresh with a new identity. When she meets Sidney, a young law student who frequents the café where she works, she has no idea how this encounter will transform her life and lead her closer to her true purpose—though not without further losses along the way.

I loved the LGBTQ+ representation and the multi-layered love stories in this book. The characters are compelling: Ryan and Amanda are wonderfully complex, while supporting characters like Kerri (Amanda’s sister) and Patricia (Annie’s neglectful, yet redeemable mother) are well-rounded. Let’s not forget the story’s ambitious, controlling villainess (whose identity I won’t spoil)! Though I despised her, she played an essential role in pushing Annie to uncover her true self.

One issue that bugged me—without giving too much away—is why Annie didn’t investigate more deeply into what happened after she left town, instead relying solely on someone else’s narrative. With access to the internet, newspapers, or other resources, she could have uncovered more about the truth of those events.

When I started reading, I expected a con woman’s tale of survival through identity changes, but this book is less of a mystery and more of a deeply personal journey of self-discovery and queer love.

I’m rounding up my 3.5 stars to 4 and highly recommend this novel as a must-read in women’s fiction and queer romance.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Atria Books for providing me with an advance digital copy of this highly anticipated book in exchange for my honest thoughts.

A sweet coming-of-age/love story told from multiple points of view, The Three Lives of Cate Kay chronicles the story of Anne Marie/Annie/Cass/Cate, who fell in love with her childhood best friend (unrequited) and then abandons her under strange circumstances. More than a decade later, Cass has found success as an author, publishing a hit trilogy that is adapted to film but keeps her identity hidden, still ashamed of her actions many years ago. The story is bit of a typical love story-with-misunderstandings, but with enough unique aspects that it held my interest throughout. I liked the characters and the overall tone of the story and found myself rooting for a happy ending.

A really enjoyable lit fic/ mystery. It took me a minute to get my bearings as there are several characters and timelines, but once I had them I was very into this story. Opt for the audio as it has a full cast narration!

A compelling, emotional read that draws readers along in a compulsively readable manner. Fagan does an excellent job of incorporating romance and thriller worthy twists into this exploration of one woman's journey.

This kept me just interested enough to keep going, but in the first half it was a little bit of a task and in the second I think some of the character development didn't get quite where I wanted it. But this was a pretty interesting and unique read! I've seen it compared to The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo and it definitely does give Taylor Jenkins Reid vibes, though it reminds me more of Daisy Jones and The Six due to all the different perspectives and how the characters' actions influence the overall chain of events. I loved the way it felt like a story within a story within a story and how they all interconnected. The ending was a little bit too neat in my opinion, but overall I enjoyed reading this.

I believe Nina LaCour said it best in her New York Times Book Review: “By writing her memoir, Cate/Cass/Annie attempts to ‘throw open the windows’ and reveal herself to a ravenous public on her own terms. She acknowledges that her life is a ‘mass of bad decisions and selfishness’ but she confesses:’I want you to love me anyway.’ And by the end of this propulsive puzzle of a novel, we do.” I agree, I loved this character and I loved this book.
Once I started reading, I could not stop, it did remind me of many of the documentary/podcast epistolary novels as well because it was told from multiple points of view but in a regular narrative format with annotations from the memoirist (Cass/Cate/Annie).
There was a deeper thread on identity, sexuality, female friendship and female romance that was woven throughout this outstanding story. The memoirist also included excerpts from her coded bestselling novel within the narrative that paralleled and inspired important events in her life. I was captivated by this story within the story as it revealed so many details about how the character thought about the world and life in general.
This was a hit for me, and I can see why it is a Book of the Month & @reesesbookclub selection.

𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙏𝙝𝙧𝙚𝙚 𝙇𝙞𝙫𝙚𝙨 𝙤𝙛 𝘾𝙖𝙩𝙚 𝙆𝙖𝙮
by Kate Fagan
301 pages

Thank you @atriabooks and Kate Fagan for allowing me to read the e-ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.
I can’t wait for the next book by Kate Fagan.
A winner for me 4.5/5 stars!
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

#bookreviews#arcreading #bookstagram #currentlyreading #arcreader #arcreading #netgalleyreads #netgalleyreviewer

“The trick of life, as I see it now, is to make what’s around you beautiful. It’ll grow from there.”

“We’re all so much more, and less, than our best, or worst, moment.”

I really enjoyed this story so much.

It’s told from multiple points of view, which is always my favorite, and has deep character development, also my favorite. This story is layered with mystery and themes of grief, love, and longing explored in a way that keeps you invested until the very end.

I really loved learning about Annie and all that she goes through to become what she is now and so many of us go through transformations like that. Her character demonstrates all the different ways we can search for love and is so relatable.

Definitely one you should add to your 2025 TBR!

4.5 stars!

I really tried to get into this book, but I only made it to the 25% mark. The writing style was confusing for me, and I struggled to engage with the story. I couldn’t determine the point of view I was reading or where I was in the narrative. This book was not for me.

I'm still not sure how I feel about the book. I wanted to like it.
The premise was interesting, and I saw how similar the idea was to 7 husbands of Evelyn Hugo. Sadly, I think the POVs changed too much, and we can read too much of Cate Kay's book inside the story. It made the plot more difficult to follow.
Overall, the plot itself was a bit challenging. The miscommunication and the open end are a bit of a miss for me. You have to post a bit when you're midway to keep going since the beginning is enticing, and the second part also gets better.

Cate Kay has written one of the biggest novels of our time, and it's now becoming a movie staring the gorgeous Ry Channing. But before the book and the movie and all of the mystery surrounding Cate Kay....there was Cassandra Ford and Annie Callahan. All three are the different facets of the same person. Annie runs from a terrible tragedy and her best friend, leaving behind dreams of moving to Hollywood and becoming the next big duo and transforms into Cass, an aspiring writer that works in a coffee shop and lives in her car.

I couldn't put this book down, it was fascinating. Watching Annie run, not knowing where she was headed brings you back to the just absolutely dumb things you and your friends did as teens, and then spending your 20s reinventing yourself and figuring out who you are going to be--though most of us don't actually become a different person. The writing pulls you straight into the story and won't let you go. Each character has both flaws and shining moments. Sydney is a bit flat and one note--hyper jealous lesbian gets a bit...stale after a while. But Ry and Cate will keep you coming back again and again, unable to get enough.

While I wouldn't classify this as a straight thriller, this book does have enough twisty bits to keep you guessing, like when will Cate figure out that Syd lied to her all those years ago and how will she react? Will people figure out who Cate is and then be able to trace her back to that small town and empty swimming pool? I really enjoyed this book.