This book is very entertaining that will hook the reader from chapter 1. Amanda and Annie are close friends and plan to become famous stars after high school until a tragic accident separates them.

Told in multiple POVs, the reader can get into the mind set of each character. Cate Kay is telling her "memoir." Her story is twisted and crazy. This is fast paced with all the Hollywood glamor. This is the Annie/Cate/ Cass's story. With very short chapters and copious use of footnotes.

The first 30% of the book is a struggle before it really takes off. It is somewhat predictable and the ending just ends. It can be compared to "The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo."

A Book Journey, Heartwarming, and a Great Debut! 3.5 stars!

Thanks to NetGalley for the advanced copy! This book will be released 1/7/25.

A very impressive fiction debut! This story is perfect for readers who are fans of "The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo." The story is told through the form of a memoir written by Cate Kay, the best-selling writer of a very popular trilogy. The use of multiple POVs throughout this book was done very well. Each character had their own distinct voice and added a lot to the story. I really enjoyed learning about Annie/Cass/Cate and how she evolved as a person throughout her many "lives."

This book touches on so many important topics including friendship, dysfunctional family, relationships, the cons of fame, and the price people are willing to pay for success. I was intrigued from start to end wanting to learn more about Annie and to see how her story unfolded. I will definitely be reading more from this author!

This book was touted as "First Lie Wins" meets "The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo" so I had pretty high expectations going in. I didn't love Evelyn Hugo but First Lie Wins was one of my favorite books of the year. So I had pretty high expectations going in. Unfortunately, this book just didn't quite meet them.

Cate Kay is the bestselling author of a science fiction trilogy. But she is completely anonymous. In "The Three Lives of Cate Kay" we read the story of how she becomes Cate Kay with contributions from the people in her life that crossed her path along the way.

The author's writing is really beautiful. But, I had a hard time reconciling myself with the fact that this wasn't a mystery or stolen identity story at all. I had a hard time getting into the flow, but that got better as I got deeper into the story. I just kept waiting for more action and instead I got an emotional story with long pieces of reflection from both Cate and the secondary characters. I had trouble connecting with many of them and trouble understanding why they were taking up so much space in the pages. There were moments of redemption and self-discovery that I enjoyed but mostly I was left hoping for more.

Thank you to Atria Books for the advanced digital copy via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review! I think many will love this story and this debut author.

Thank you Netgalley and Atria books for providing an E-ARC in exchange for my honest review!

4.25 Stars
It took me a little bit to get into this book. The first half was 3 stars, but then I fell in love with the characters (most of them), the writing, and the individual stories that eventually tied together. Once I was in the story, I was invested. I can see why it is compared to Evelyn Hugo and the references to First Lie Wins. I love both books; however, they are just very subtle similarities!
If you like character-driven stories, short chapters, and multiple POVs, this one is for you!

This book is billed as "The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo meets First Lie Wins" and honestly I could not disagree more, but in the best way possible.

The Three Lives of Cate Kay is a beautiful book that crosses so many themes, that at it's core, I really think it is about life and love, mistakes and how it's never too late to correct them, and about how we can run from the past, but it will always find us.

The premise of the story is that it is a memoir of "Cate Kay"-- Cate being the pseudonym of a famous blockbuster author's whose true identity isn't known to the world. The novel is made up of different POVs from major characters who tell her life story from various perspectives. We hear about her childhood, and the trauma that caused her to go anonymous, as well as her life story.

Honestly, some of the POVs were pure gold. That single "Carl" chapter just brought me to tears. I could not put this down and I loved every minute. This is a love story, a mystery, a thriller, a coming of age story, and so much more.

I enjoyed this one, but it never quite got under my skin the way I hoped it would.

The character perspectives skip around a lot, which I don't always love. I think it worked well here - I never felt lost on who the characters were or why we were getting their perspective, but it did also mean we didn't always get the depth that I'd want.

I liked the way our main character's life evolved and the way the story wrapped up - and it was an interesting ride along the way.


A huge thank you to the author and the publisher for providing an e-ARC via Netgalley. This does not affect my opinion regarding the book.

”My mind’s long been divided on the question of my goodness—and now here you are, the deciding vote.”

The early hype and marketing efforts over The Three Lives of Cate Kay had my hopes unrealistically high for how good it was going to be. And while I did love Kate Fagan’s writing style and her impressive, lifelike characterizations, it didn’t live up to what I was expecting.

The comparisons to Evelyn Hugo and First Lie Wins had me expecting old Hollywood Regency glamour, legendary fame & fortune, elaborate cons & schemes, and a totally propulsive plot. Instead, it’s a relatively simple, character-driven story of a young woman, haunted by a poor choice she made as a teen, and the successes, failures, and relationships she finds over the years as she tries to figure out when/if she can go back home.

”Annie Callahan, I’ve never met anybody who dreams as hard as you do.”

Much of the story is well written, and the characters are three-dimensional & interesting. The book is told from so many different perspectives (even a book-within-a-book) that it got hard to follow in places. A full cast audiobook narration, a la Daisy Jones and the Six might solve that problem, but I read a physical copy.

”The trick of life, as I see it now, is to make what’s around you beautiful. It’ll grow from there. Took me a long time to see that.”

The last 10% of the book, however, felt so rushed and incomplete, so much so that I didn’t even realize it was over when it ended. I thought my copy was missing pages—that’s how abruptly it ends, right on the cusp of almost-getting closure. Instead, the ending is incredibly vague, and multiple story arcs remain unresolved.

I can appreciate some ambiguity when an author wants readers to draw their own conclusions, but that works better for me in a plot-driven narrative where we’re left asking, “What really happened?” In a character-driven story, after we’ve gotten totally invested in these people and their lives / relationships, it is deeply unsatisfying when we don’t get to see MCs make amends, find closure with each other, figure out where they stand in each other’s lives, or decide how to step into their future.

”Broken things are beautiful. More beautiful in the end than perfect things, which are usually an illusion of some sort.“

——

A huge thank you to Kate Fagan, Atria, and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

I get why people are raving about this book, even though some of it didn’t work for me. The story is truly compelling. It flew through it because I desperately wanted to know what was going to happen. The structure was perfect - I loved the small chapters and all the different POVs that were scattered throughout to get the whole picture. I also love that it commits to the fact that it is a memoir and tells the story entirely through that lens.

The writing was nice. A few of the lines were the type that hit me in my core. I thought Fagan had some great insights about the world. I, however, did not like the writing of the fictional book, so those excerpts confused me. I didn’t understand why everyone would be going wild over such a mediocre sci-fi book.

I think the main reason this didn’t hit it out of the park for me is it all wraps up too neatly. There are some genuinely bad people in this who aren’t punished for their actions. There are some characters who make misguided choices and everything works out perfectly for them by the end. There are no lasting consequences for anyone - it all capped off in a nice little bow. And I just didn’t find that realistic or satisfying as a resolution. Still a good book, but I don’t think it was as good as it could have been.

Thank you to Atria Books and Netgalley for this ARC. The Three Lives of Cate Kay comes out 1/7

What a great way to end my 2024 reading year! This book is everything. Wonderful writing, great characters, super story. Utilizing multiple timelines and character perspectives, but never confusing, the pacing of this book was fantastic. A unique way to tell the story of Cate Kay. It is effective and made me want to keep reading. I can’t wait to read more fiction from this author. Thank you NetGalley for providing the ARC.

Thank you, NetGalley, for providing me with an advanced reader copy of The Three Lives of Cate Kay by Kate Fagan.

The Three Lives of Cate Kay starts with an intriguing premise—one that pulled me in right away. The layered narrative of Cate’s life, intertwined with the lives of those closest to her, created a dynamic and compelling story. I enjoyed the exploration of identity and reinvention, and there were moments that reminded me of novels like The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo, where a woman’s past slowly unravels through those around her. However, as much as I appreciated the setup, the introduction of numerous characters at different stages felt a bit overwhelming and occasionally detracted from the emotional core of Cate’s journey.

While the first half of the book felt dense and occasionally meandering, the second half was much more engaging. I found myself flying through the final chapters, eager to piece together the mystery and uncover how Cate’s story would conclude. There were stretches where the pacing slowed, but ultimately, the desire to understand Cate’s choices and the consequences of her actions kept me invested. The complexity of Cate’s relationships—particularly with her best friend and t mother and others from her past—added emotional weight, even if certain plot points felt a little scattered.

The writing itself is thoughtful and evocative, though at times it veers into over-explaining. I appreciated the glimpses into Cate’s internal struggles, but I felt some scenes could have been condensed for a tighter, more cohesive narrative. The “story within a story” element was interesting, but I wasn’t entirely convinced it added as much depth as intended. For me, the heart of the novel lay in the raw, genuine moments between Cate and those who shaped her life.

Despite its flaws, The Three Lives of Cate Kay ultimately left a positive impression. The emotional beats hit hard, and Fagan’s portrayal of complicated friendships, personal ambition, and the desire for reinvention resonated with me. It’s not a perfect read, but it’s one I’d still recommend—particularly for readers who enjoy multi-layered stories that blend character-driven drama with a touch of mystery.

Thank you again to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this ARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

3.75 ✭
Thank you, NetGalley, for providing me with a copy of The Three Lives of Cate Kay.
From the very beginning, I was captivated by Annie's story and find it very unique. It reminded me a little bit of The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo, being about a woman navigating her complex world.
I liked the writing, however, as much as I was invested in the characters, I began to lost interest near the end of the book, specially because I thought the plot was predictable. Overwall, I still would recommend this book and I think it had a good narrative with a good message and great characters.

Fantastic. Not a slow or boring moment. The story of Annie and her best friend, Amanda. They are as close as can be with big plans for after graduation. Then, tragedy befalls the pair.

As time passes, we see how the pair suffers and are never far from one another. Annie hides from her past while becoming a wildly successful author with so much happening from being mistreated and falling in love. All the while, Amanda is left to try to navigate life.

Despite the turmoil and emotional distress in this book, there’s hope and growth with this compelling and quick paced book.

Advanced reader copy provided by Atria and NetGalley but all opinions are my own.

"we're all so much more, and less, than our best, or worst, moment"

A wonderfully woven story about a story - about a hidden author and how she lives and writes under her pseudonym. The story starts when Annie is young - and it's told not only from our main character POV but also from those her life bumped against and were affected. It's a great way to tell the story, through those that knew Annie as well as Annie. It gives us moments from other POV and also shows some of the cracks of how you see yourself versus how others see you. The story itself is a great mystery along with many other genres. I loved getting to know the characters and wondering how all the pieces would fit together. The addition of Annie's story within the story was another added addition and one that helped build the pieces to see the full picture. This story felt refreshing and unique. I loved it!

A huge thank you to the author and publisher for providing an e-ARC via Netgalley. This does not affect my opinion regarding the book.

I found the second half to be much better than the first… which is kinda rare?
I felt like the first was just all “telling the story” with no dialogue. Second half was much more immersive.

-Easy enjoyable read but with some parts were too far fetched to me
- I didn’t love the addition of the “book inside a book” aspect of this one

📚 PRE-PUBLICATION BOOK REVIEW 📚

The Three Lives of Cate Kay By Kate Fagan
Publication Date: January 7, 2025
Publisher: Atria Books

📚MY RATING: ⭐⭐⭐⭐✨
(4.5 ⭐ - Rounded Up To 5⭐)

📚MY REVIEW:

I didn't really know what to expect with The Three Lives of Cate Kay, but its synopsis piqued my interest and I decided to give it a try. And oh my gosh! This book was UNPUTDOWNABLE for me - the story absolutely pulled me in and I was enthralled with this read from the very beginning.

This book featured themes of love, friendships, secrets, lesbian relationships, unrequited love, and learning to live confidently within one's own skin. It had an atmospheric vibe with a slow burning storyline. Though it was a general adult fiction book, it contained many of my favorite elements: multiple POVs, short chapters, brilliant character development, multiple timelines, secrets, and even a little mystery.

This is a fictional story, written in the style of a non-fiction memoir, about a best-selling author who hides her true identity from the entire world. The story begins with two teenage best friends, Annie and Amanda, who are inseparable and plan to move to LA together after high school graduation. But a tragic event changes their plans and Annie leaves town on her own, changing her name to Cass after she leaves. To help her process her past, Cass writes a novel under the pseudonym Cate Kay, clinging ferociously to the secret of her real identity.

While this story was incredibly captivating to me, there was a lot going on. I struggled, at times, with the myriad of multiple POVs and the plethora of timelines throughout the book. It seemed like nearly every character in the book got at least one chapter to share their perspective about something that happened. And I always had to double check the time period at the start of every chapter. These things were great for character depth and perspective, but there were times this created unnecessary confusion for me and stopped the natural flow of the read. It didn't detract from my overall enjoyment of the book, however.

I was truly blown away by the riveting storylines in this debut novel from Fagan! If you love richly developed and strong female characters and emotional storylines, or if you're looking to read books with positive representations of the LGBTQIA+ community, The Three Lives of Cate Kay needs to be one of the first books you put on your TBR list in January 2025! Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for this advanced e-copy of the book in exchange for my honest review!

#TheThreeLivesofCateKay #KateFagan #AtriaBooks #NetGalley #NetGalleyReviews #ARC #debutnovel #slowburn #characterdriven #generaladultfiction #womensfiction #LGBTQIAreads #booklover #bookreviews #bookrecs #bookrecommendations

I was not ready for this. For two reasons. This is NOT a thriller and should not be compared to First Lie Wins. But secondly, this was one of the best contemporary fiction books I have read in a long time. The characters were realistic, I mean people live this way. I have browsed reviews and someone said the book lacked realism because none of the characters went to therapy. How many people do you know IRL who avoid therapy and their feelings? This was a well crafted, beautifully written story about accepting your mistakes and knowing that you can’t hide out forever, no matter how hard you try. I seriously highly recommend this book as your first read in 2025. Thank me later.

The three lives of Cate Kay by Kate Fagan, when the book 1st started when she gets the manuscript from her ex lover/Manager and starts telling us the story I was really into the book and even when her and her BFF were growing up making plans to run away to Hollywood I still was down with the book, but somewhere between that in the middle of the book I lost interest it all just felt like minutia and something either uninterest or convoluted to my taste. once again we come to the summary not being the books reality and I just couldn’t go through it again. I tried my best to finish and almost did at 76%, but when they walked in the pizza shop and she said if he says hello, we get cheese if he says anything else we get whatever… I was just not down with the book anymore and couldn’t go any further. Having said that I could see me liking this book as a younger reader but not so much today. I really dislike not liking a book and I’m sorry to the author, but the book has 4.1 stars on Goodreads so this review may not make a difference. #NetGalley, #KateFagan, #The3LivesOfCateKay,#AtriaBooks,

An advanced copy of a debut author of a book I haven’t yet seen on bookstagram? Always a gamble but WOW DID IT PAY OFF THIS TIME! In my top five books of this year and sorry you have to wait til next year but I am honored to (probably) be the first to tell you about it. I loved this book so much - found it to be both page turning and heart warming and will be recommending it to all my friends

Synopsis: A best-selling author who has never revealed her identity to the public decides to share her story with the world after coming to terms with her tragic past.

Thoughts: What a lovely debut! This cleverly written story is crafted through the lenses of multiple characters contributing to a memoir of sorts. It adds a lot of depth to see the story through different lenses, and the author does a great job of tying them together and keeping everything cohesive. The characters are well-developed with a depth and complexity that I found to be super impressive for a debut novel. I won’t say much about the story itself because I think this is one you should go into blind, but it is definitely an intriguing page-turner!

Read this if you like:
✏️ fictional memoirs
✏️ literary fiction
✏️ lgbtq+ rep
✏️ multiple pov

Thank you NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for this ARC! I truly couldn’t put this book down, and even though there were moments when I questioned some decisions made by the characters or was frustrated by a miscommunication, that level of complexity of these characters and their relationships is what ultimately made this great.

This book follows Annie from her youth alongside her best friend Amanda, and after a life changing event, her transition to become Cass, and publishing her bestseller novels under pseudonym Cate Kay. I was moved reading about the childhood friendship between Annie and Amanda, and without giving away any spoilers, I was constantly trying to rationalize the choices made by Annie. I love a story that really makes me think and question what I would do when faced with such a difficult situation, and I imagine I will think about this story and these characters for a long time!