Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for the eARC in exchange for an honest review!

Non-spoiler synopsis:
Cate Kay has lived many lives, three to be exact (to our knowledge), and has gone by many names: Anne Marie, Annie, Cass, Cate. She’s been a: best friend, lover, self-deemed fugitive on the run, recluse, “ghost writer” of her own books. This unique sapphic pseudo-memoir peels back the layers of her “lives,” her identities, and her relationships from childhood through early adulthood through the lens of Cate and those close to her at different points in time.

Review:
I absolutely adored The Three Lives of Cate Kay! I never wanted it to end, and when it did, I felt like I was in mourning. This is the type of book that I know I will reread and yearn to read it again for the very first time, to feel all of the emotions and the excitement of the mystery of it all.
Kate Fagan’s writing is phenomenal – she does an incredible job of creating a scene and employing and evoking true emotions through her writing. There was a lot going on at all times, but that was honestly just the nature of Annie’s life, and Fagan very intricately connected all of these plot points throughout; no loose threads remained by the end of the book. I had so many theories along the way. It was fun to play detective and try to piece things together on my own, then see them play out later down the line.
I don’t think I’ve read anything this deep, complex, and thought-provoking in quite some time, and it was truly a pleasure. And it was sapphic?! Like PLEASE! I’m obsessed! I need more!

Please read The Three Lives of Cate Kay if you love multiple POVs, long lost lovers, and sapphic pining; it publishes on January 7th!! And if you do, I absolutely must know what you think of it!
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TW: mentions of death and loss, mentions of addiction (alcohol), dysfunctional families and relationships

I'm a little biased since I'm from Kansas and there are parts of Kansas in snippets of the book. (It's rare for me, ok?!)
I really enjoyed this book. It had a little mystery and a lot of love. I'm fascinated by the ways people can evolve and change - either organically or because they were forced.
Cate is a chameleon, in not only does she drastically change herself each time (for different reasons) but she grows from what she has learned in her "previous" life.
I really enjoyed the structure of this book. All the POVs were a little overwhelming but I feel timed well throughout the book. My favorite were Amanda, Cass, and Ryan because they actually added to the climax and resolution instead of diminishing them. Their POVs really helped anchor Cate's progress through the book. The people who knew her in her "first life" also had to evolve in different ways in order to show the reader the full extent of Cate's character development.

When you have big dreams and a burning desire to be anything but the current you, what can you do about it? Well Anne Marie Callahan and her bff Amanda Kent decided that after high school they will move to Hollywood and become actors. But an accident impedes this from happening and Anne Marie decides to continue on her journey sans Amanda. Anne Marie creates Cass and meets Sydney who helps her with her new identity and a whole knew life as business and life partners. However, it is never good enough for Cass Ford and when she decides to write a book about her life as Anne Marie with Amanda, Cate Kay arrives to live another new life with the glamorous and beautiful actress Ry Channing.

Though small glimpses we see Anne/Cass/Cate's life and choices create different paths and different lives for her. Sometimes her choices don't always benefit her but she always chooses herself. She is strong, vulnerable, real and never lies to herself, well mostly never. It is a person's journey of discovering how far you are willing to go to be happy, to have what you want and ultimately to believe in yourself and realize that all you wanted was to come home.

The Three Lives Of Cate Kay is the "It book" of 2025. Do not miss this great novel!

First thing I’ll say about this, is that I was seeing this constantly marketed as a book that people who loved “The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo” and… hammer, meet nail. Similar vibes of existing in a Hollywood that wasn’t as kind to the queer community, feeling the need to hide oneself.. missed chances with the person you love. All wrapped up with a huge secret from Annie’s past that weighs heavily on her whole existence. This books was incredible, finished it in 2 days haha.

Thank you as always to NetGalley for the chance to read an ARC! This comes out in January 2025, highly recommend picking up a copy when you can.

Too me a while to get into it but after I did it was touching and sweet. I disliked Evelyn Hugo and other than the fact that this book features lesbian characters (and one is an actor) I don't see the comparison at all.

It takes a bit to sort out what is going on. Basically, this is a fictional memoir of a woman known by three different names for different times/aspects of her life. She grew up with one name (Annie), changed it to Cass after something horrible happens in her life, and then writes under the name of Cate Kay. The "memoir" follows her life via different chapters written by her and those closest to her.

It's a uniquely written story, and once I got into the rhythm, I was invested and engaged throughout. I thought the narrative flowed well and the characters were well developed and three dimensional. I appreciated the journeys that each of the characters took, and was filled with so many emotions while reading--sadness, anger, frustration, and joy. When a book takes me through a cascade of feelings it endears me to the story.

While most of the characters felt real, there were a couple (I'm looking at you Sidney) that seemed more like caricatures than real people. It made some of the sections kind of trite and cliched, but overall it's not difficult to move past that to get into the flow of the novel.

Highly recommended if you like character driven stories.

This story was many things and did them well. The narrative voice(s) felt distinct from one another and personable. They worked well together to create the overall story which kept me reading. I enjoyed how meta the book was about storytelling and publishing. There was a focus on queerness, young female friendships, and how the two interact; it was beautifully done and felt so true to life.

This book about an author who writes under a pseudonym and whose books become wildly popular got off to a slow start. However, I eventually got roped into it as her story unfolded through different people who know her. It felt somewhat voyeuristic but in a good way and is definitely discussable.

I really enjoyed this book, with female friendships and slow reveals that didn’t feel like it was building up and you just wanted to skip to the pages ahead. The characters were well fleshed out and I really enjoyed the book.

The start of the book intrigued me but the pace of the book just wasn’t suited to me at all. It would suit another reader that likes a slow plot but this just felt very dull for me.

Thoroughly enjoyed reading this book! What a fabulous debut from Kate Fagan. The storyline was captivating - similar to Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo - I see why it is being compared to that novel - but different enough to be enjoyed and appreciated on its own. I was intrigued by the different POV and how the chapters were all set up. I really enjoyed the footnotes by Annie/Cass/Cate and often found myself going back to see what she was referencing. If I had a critique, it would be the ending. Endings are hard to write and this one was obviously a struggle. It was a semi-satisfying conclusion to a wonderful love story. I look forward to reading anything and everything that Kate Fagan writes next. A strong 4.5! Thank you for the opportunity to read this ARC.

4.5 rounded up!

Cate Kay is one of the most successful authors of her generation, but she doesn’t really exist. Growing up in a small town in New York, Annie and her best friend Amanda dreamed of leaving and becoming big-named actors. However, tragedy strikes and Annie flees, leaving herself behind and becoming someone new in the process. Changing identities and constantly running, it’s finally time for Cate Kay to return home.

THE THREE LIVES OF CATE KAY by Kate Fagan is a fictional memoir told from multiple characters’ POVs, which I found to be done in such a clever and effective way.

Compared to EVELYN HUGO, what we get is a story spanning decades, full of love, loss, heartbreak, and Hollywood.

While I don’t think this book should have the “thriller” label attributed to it, I did find myself flying through this one thanks to the shorter chapters and the puzzle piece dropping that comes with the multiple points of view! It’s more of a fictional drama if anything and I ATE THIS SHIT UP!

Kate Fagan brings a beautiful new voice to fiction!

Thanks to NetGalley and Atria Books for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Publication Date: January 7

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the advance digital copy. Cate Kay is a bestselling author of a trilogy that is also a successful movie series. But her real identity is a carefully guarded secret. In this book "Cate" tells her life story, along with chapters told by other characters and excerpts of her books. The reader sees her as a teen Annie with her best friend and soulmate Amanda. When a tragic accident changes the direction of her life, "Cate" makes a decision and reinvents herself as Cass and writes her book with the Cate Kay pseudonym. As she becomes professionally successful she struggles in her personal life. Years pass and she finds out a truth that changes everything she thought she knew. This book was just ok for me. I found a lot of the characters unlikable and the ending seemed trite.

* I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley. Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for this book. All thoughts are my own.

I loved the formatting of this story with the different characters “writing” their own chapters but with footnotes from Cate. I thought it brought an interesting POV to the book. I unfortunately just didn’t connect to the book or the characters in any way so I didn’t enjoy the content very much. I was also very underwhelmed by the last couple of chapters; I felt like it was a let down from the rest of the book.

Probably wouldn’t recommend.

This book is marketed for fans of “The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo” and I can definitely say that is correct.

This book had me hooked from the start and I am glad and grateful I got it as an ARC. The characters just had me in all the feels. I really connected with them and their feelings and everything about them were so in depth.

I loved the way the book was laid out, from so many different perspectives with the FMC making notes throughout. It just felt so personal.

I was satisfied with the ending and overall it was great. I just think I had huge expectations due to the marketing but there were no sort of twists. Overall though, I would definitely recommend it to friends and followers and urge them to buy when released!!

The Three Lives of Cate Kay by Kate Fagan is an engrossing debut novel.

Anne Marie “Annie” Callahan’s life takes an incredible turn after she becomes friends with Amanda Kent. Annie’s mom is mostly emotionally and physically absent so her childhood is lonely. She and Amanda quickly cement a strong bond that is unbreakable until they are on the cusp of leaving for California after their high school graduation. Both young women yearn for the bright lights of Hollywood. Don’t they?

As Annie’s life takes an unexpected turn, she reinvents herself after leaving home. She eventually writes a bestselling trilogy and her lawyer girlfriend, Sidney, is pivotal in keeping Annie’s identity secret. But is Annie and Sidney’s relationship destined to last?

The Three Lives of Cate Kay is a journey of self-discovery that is quite interesting. Annie does not like confrontation and her go to when trouble strikes is to run. She is quick to act and slow to make thought-out decisions. The supporting cast of characters is not always acting in Annie’s best interests. With chapters alternating from various characters’ perspectives, the storyline is engaging. Although a little slow-paced initially, Kate Fagan brings this wonderful novel to a delightful conclusion.

2SLGBTQIA+ Contemporary Fiction about an elusive bestselling author who decides to finally confess her true identity after years of hiding from her past.

1/5 stars: This is Fagan's stand-alone 2SLGBTQIA+ Contemporary Literary Fiction that features a mega-bestselling creator of a book trilogy that struck box office gold as a film series who has kept her identity a closely guarded secret, until now. Something tragic happened in her past and she's been on the run ever since, slipping into different identities. Three names, three lives. Everything changes, however, when she receives a letter that turns her past on its head and she's given a second chance to make things right. Fagan explores the price of ambition, the longings of sapphic love and the power that comes from being true to yourself. Written in multiple POVs and timelines, Fagan's writing and character work are nicely done. Fagan touches on some sensitive topics; so take care and check the CWs. Unfortunately, this just wasn't a book for me; leading me to DNF it at 16%.

I received this eARC thanks to NetGalley and Atria Books in exchange for an honest review. Publishing dates are subject to change.

Memorable. The quality of the writing and the memoir format really stood out. The multiple points of view added depth and richness to the story. Cate’s character was a highlight for me—ambitious and laser-focused. The writing was so vivid I could feel her pain, and I admired her determination to build a different life for herself. I also loved learning about her deep loves and connections. The touch of drama was enjoyable, though I didn’t feel that what she witnessed entirely justified changing her identity. Still, a great book with a stunning cover. Truly memorable.

This was an impressive debut from Kate Fagan. The storyline was unique and compelling for the reader. I enjoyed the change of point of view and the cliffnotes at the bottom from Cate. There were lots of a-ha moments throughout the book. I will definitely read another book from this author.

Where the book fell a little short was the ending. The ending was rushed in my opinion. I would have liked to have read a chapter where Annie and Ryan come together after Annie finds Ryan's letter. I also wanted a bit more conclusion and maybe revenge for Sidney and Annie's mother. Then again, Annie wasn't a confrontational character.

Lastly, I'm not sure I would market this book as being similar to the Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo. While I do think they have some plot points in common, I think holding a debut novel like this to the writing of Taylor Jenkins Reid might actually harm how much people enjoy this book, since Evelyn Hugo is so widely loved by so many, myself included.

Still I enjoyed this book and will happily read another book by this author.

It was challenging to connect with the characters, and the narrative presented multiple perspectives, making it difficult to maintain a clear understanding of who was who. I found the author’s writing style to be unappealing. The story would progress for a chapter or two, only to slow down to the point of boredom for a few chapters.

My review is voluntary and all comments and opinions expressed are my own.

This was a thrilling read from beginning to end, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I've never read another sapphic novel that so accurately depicts the yearning for a childhood friend and the intense blurring of romantic and platonic love. Beyond the novel's excellent depiction of the complexity of sapphic love as a whole, I think this was an invigorating tale about identity, exploring your passions, and just all the complicated emotions that make one human! I was never bored and always excited to see which way the story would lead me next. I loved the multiple POVs and the way they flawlessly came together. That's not a skill level all authors have!

In terms of my criticisms, yes, you do need to kind of suspend your disbelief at times. It's true Annie/Cass/Cate could have figured out Amanda was alive with a certain Google search. and there are other plotholes scattered through this novel that exist in a similar vein too. However, I'm fine overlooking those nitpicky details since the rest of the novel made up for it.

Laslty, I know there's some discontent with the ending and how a lot was left open-ended. Even though I experienced some slight frustration, I think this was a bold artistic choice that paid off. In a novel that's wrapped in mystery and secrets, isn't it only fitting that the ending follow a similar pattern? From a creative standpoint, I think it's brilliant.

Overall, "The Three Lives of Cate Kay" was a fast-paced and tense read with a lot to say, and I hope many readers pick it up once it's published in January!