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.

Thanks to NetGalley and Atria Books/Simon and Schuster for the arc in exchange for my honest review.

I would like to note that I first read this book in fall 2024. When I read this book then, I liked this book enough, but if I am being honest, I found it a little hard to keep up track with the different characters and who was who...especially the three different iterations of the main character. Thankfully, I was able to get a copy of the audiobook in January from the Simon Audio influencer program through LibroFM. I found the audiobook much more enjoyable and it was much easier to keep the characters in line with the audiobook version. The audiobook was narrated by a full cast including Marin Ireland, Tessa Albertson, Genevieve Kingston, Imani Jade Powers, Corey Brill, Kevin R Free, Daniel Henning, Hillary Huber, Helen Laser, Fred Sanders, Jackie Sanders, and Emily Woo Zeller, Many of these audiobook narrators I was familiar with, but it was also nice to listen to some new voices as well.

Given my experience, This just might be a book that you need to listen to as opposed to read if you find yourself not connecting with the story. And there is nothing wrong with that! I would like to check out more books by Kate Fagan in the future!

Thanks to NetGalley and Atria Books/Simon and Schuster/Simon Audio for the arc in exchange for my honest review.

Phenomenal!

I give *The Three Lives of Cate Kay* a well-deserved five stars. The concept of the story is truly captivating, and the use of multiple points of view propels the narrative at a fantastic pace. It’s a delightful blend of fiction and fictional memoir immersing the reader in Cate Kay’s life from multiple angles.

The seamless transitions between perspectives add depth and richness, making the characters and their journeys feel incredibly real. This genre of fictional autobiographical storytelling is something I'm absolutely here for, and this book delivers it in spades.
Thank you NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Wow!! I couldn't put this book down! Fagan's writing pulled me from the start and wouldn't let go. While this book has been compared to The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo, I believe Cate Kay will stand out on its own merits. The uniquely structured memoir-esque story impressed me with its intricate layering.

Kate Fagan's use of multiple POVs adds incredible depth to the story without detracting from the overall narrative. Some perspectives last only a chapter, while others are woven throughout the entire tale. I liked both past and present timelines equally because they allow a complete understanding of Cate/Cass/Annie. The themes of self-acceptance, loving who you want, female friendships, and the journeys toward healing and forgiveness are beautifully interwoven throughout the story. And the name Cate Kay is absolutely brilliant; you'll understand exactly why when you read it.

Other Highlights: mystery, twists, footnotes, short chapters, and I adored Carl’s chapter & loved the book club chapter - awkward 😂

The Three Lives of Cate Kay by Kate Fagan was a gem! And I devoured it!
This story grabbed me from the first chapter and never let go. The multiple POVs
With complex friendships, about the choices that shape us, secrets, and, no doubt, love.
It’s emotional, thought-provoking, and so beautifully written.
I absolutely love reading this book and I’m looking forward to reading more like this in the future from Fagan.

Thank You NetGalley and Atria Books for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this amazing eARC!

happy pub day to The Three Lives of Cate Kay by Kate Fagan.

I really enjoyed the narrative and thought it was interestingly built through lots of POVs.

the story follows Anne Marie, who, after a tragic accident, becomes bestselling author Cate Kay -- hiding her true self from the world.

the story follows her rise to fame but it told through the POVs of those around her. at the end of each chapter, there are Cate's notes where she comments on the way others are telling the story. I really liked this element of the writing as it helped get a glimpse into how she saw things if they were different than the person telling the story.

Cate Kay is a reclusive best-selling author; but she has more secrets than just her pen name. In reality Cate was previously Cass who was previously Annie. The Three Lives of Cate Kay is a fictional memoir that tells the story of Cate's life and past identities.

Told from Cate/Cass/Annie's viewpoint across multiple points in time, the story outlines who Cate is and why she has been running from her very complicated past. The story also includes the viewpoints of her former friends and lovers- her childhood best friend from when she was Annie, her girlfriend she met and fell in love with as Cass, and the movie starlet she romanced as Cate when her top of the charts book series was adapted into a movie.

We learn who Cate was/is/is becoming as she discovers this herself, and also what she sacrificed to hide her identity- and many parts of her true self- along the way to her road to fame. One of my favourite parts were the excerpts from Cate's dystopian bestseller, and I could have read a whole other book about that alone! However, there were some situations that I found to be less than believable and had trouble accepting some of the choices made by the characters.

I have seen some comparisons to The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo, and while I don't feel this book is in the same category, I did find the narrative very compelling and think this will be a very popular read. Thank you Atria and Netgalley for my earc in exchange for my honest review.

First thank you to Atria and NetGalley for an e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Synopsis: cate Kay is the best selling author of a beloved trilogy that was turned into a huge film series
However cate Kay is not her real name. This book explores how she became cate Kay and the relationships she and her work have had.

What I liked: this book was beautifully written and loved how it slowly reveals pieces of information. I highly recommend that you don’t try to read this too fast because you will miss some of the subtle connections and clues to the stories. I see the comparison to Evelyn Hugo and did feel the same vibes but it is a different book. They both are great books. I liked cate but think the supporting cast of characters were so interesting. I really would have liked to know more about Amanda. Also I think she did a great job of wrapping up the story and showing how a person and book can come into your life right when you need it.

Happy pub day to Kate Fagan and her dynamic debut novel!!!

Oh this was EXCELLENT! And felt unlike anything I've read before. It got me hooked from the very first page, and I truly wasn't sure what was going to happen - a rare treat!

Cate Kay is the infamous author known for two things: her bestselling trilogy and the fact that no one knows who she is - using a pseudonym for her writing and never sharing her identity.

This story is told as Cate's memoir, but including the perspectives of those closest to her. We start at the beginning - when she was Anne Marie but known affectionately as Annie by her best friend, Amanda. They were inseparable and had dreams of moving to LA and making it big as actors. We follow their last days in High School and their actions that set in motion an unexpected future.

This book took me on a RIDE. Varying perspectives could have been hard to follow, but Fagan's excellent writing made it work and added so much complexity and nuance to the story. It is a story about love, about growth, about home and about second chances. I still have so many questions about Cate Kay, and this is a book that will stay with me for some time.

Big thanks to Atria and NetGalley for this ARC! This book is out in the world TODAY and is also a Reese's Book Club pick AND a January Book of the Month selection - pick it up today and let me know what you think!

Happy publication day! The start of this book was sort of confusing and I was trying to keep track of all the characters. Once I got to the 30% mark, things locked into place. This is a very character driven book and I found myself rooting for the main character. I also liked the unique way this story was written-it's like we're reading an autobiographical of "Cate Kay" from key characters in her life. That was such an engaging aspect for the book!

Cate Kay, bestselling author with a hidden identity who realizes it’s time to confront her past, uncovering the truth behind her years of running. A gripping tale of secrets,

My first book by this author and throughly enjoyed. Would highly recommend to anyone that loves a fast paced read that’s very entertaining.

Thank you NetGalley for the advanced ARC in exchange for my honest review.

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.