Member Reviews

'The Three Lives of Cate Kay' is the mock-memoir of a bestselling author, Cate Kay, whose identity remains unknown to the public. However, her memoir is not her singular story. Jumping through different perspectives and time, we are able to see just how many lives Cate Kay's actions have touched. From her childhood best friend Amanda to those who have read her book, no one is left unaffected.

I didn't expect anything profound when picking up this novel, but what an emotional, and raw exploration of the human condition. Kate Fagan weaves a story that is so incredibly real it wraps itself around you and swallows you whole. I could not get enough of the characters, even though at times I hated them very deeply. I loved the way different relationships were written here too. I thought the complexities of familial, platonic, and romantic love were portrayed really well. I don't want to spoil anything too badly, but Cate and her mother's relationship was a beautiful touch to the ending of the story.

I am also at awe over the intricate web that is Cate Kay's life. As we get to the perspective of those relevant to the time, you as the reader are shown the whole picture and are given the burden of deciding what matters to you. It was incredibly special to witness the small pieces of information we are given eventually fall into place as well.

The obvious influence that non-fiction writing has had on the novel is one thing I'd like to mention briefly. Every character feels whole, whether likeable or not, which is something I find being poorly executed with a lot of fiction books. Even the 'villains' in the novel are humanised and given meaningful traits. The memoir style is also just executed pretty perfectly considering the person does not exist.

The feeling of reading this for the first time will stick with more for a while. I do however wish the author would use the word lesbian for the characters!!!!

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4.5 stars.

✨This is a multi-layered, absolutely heart wrenching book filled with themes of love, longing, tragedy and, ultimately, healing. A beautifully told story.

✨ I saw this one compared to Evelyn Hugo, and while I can see it, I think this one deserves recognition on its own merit.

✨ I was blown away by the intricate storytelling in these pages – and I can honestly say this is one of the most unique premises I’ve seen. The structure of this book is truly brilliant.

🌿Read if you like:
✨Multiple points of view and timelines
✨LGBTQ+ rep
✨Books within books
✨The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo
✨Female friendships
✨Flawed, complex female characters

My thanks to @atriabooks and @netgalley for the opportunity to read and review this book before its publication date.

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What a fun read! Well developed characters and smart writing. Does a great job at capturing the joys of childhood friendship and later, true loves of adulthood. This was a page turner for me to discover all the lives and mystery of Cate Kay. I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

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4.5 ⭐️

I loved this book! The exploration of queerness and its impact on identity throughout different periods of life was so relatable and accurate, and it frankly meant a lot to me. 

I thought the characters were so complex and interesting, and were definitely what made the book so strong. It was refreshing to see such a variety of queer characters with different coming-out experiences, different morals, different ambitions, and different attitudes towards relationships. Even the most toxic and unsympathetic characters were all so well-written and layered.

None of the POVs felt unnecessary and I enjoyed every chapter no matter who told it. This combined with the relatively short page count made this such an easy read and I never found myself getting bored or losing interest in the plot.

The themes of queerness, the price of fame, the importance of friendships, and the complexity of identity were so empowering and nuanced. The themes were all written so well and incorporated so well into the different plot arcs, helping to make the pacing feel absolutely perfect in my opinion. The story never felt like it was losing momentum and each chapter offered new insight into the events of the story. I loved the ending as well, and the way it brought all of the plot threads together in such a satisfying and enjoyable way.

However, an ironic downside of the characters being so strong was that the framing device didn't work for me and made me feel awkward, almost like I was prying into a real person's life. I couldn't believe that real people would admit such personal things, knowing that the person they were writing about would read them. I'm not sure if this would bother many people (it may well just be me being British) but it was the one thing that stopped me from fully engaging with the story. 

Despite my issues with the framing device, I would still absolutely recommend this! The story itself was so compelling and I definitely think any queer, and especially any sapphic, readers will find this very relatable and meaningful.


Thanks to NetGalley and Atria for providing me with this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

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The Three Lives of Cate Kay was not what I was expecting!

I did feel like it started off a little bit of a slow burn but it eventually got really good and was so hard to put down. I love multiple POVs and the way all the characters connected in this story was so wonderful and very well done. Very character driven! I really enjoyed the "footnotes" of the memoir. Some of the scenes in the story were so well written and were very easy to picture.

I have seen this compared to Evelyn Hugo and while I understand the comparison, I wouldn't put the two together. I do think this would be a great book club pick.

Thanks to NetGalley and Atria for my ARC in exchange for my honest review.

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honestly this novel is being marketed towards fans of the seven husbands of evelyn hugo, and respecfully lets put some name on miss Kate Fagan. Because we all know the problems correlating around the bisexuality of Evelyn's character. And this portrays it in such a loving caring light. i inhaled this book but also have mixed feelings i am rating it a 4/5 stars rounded 3.5 stars. because i totally see the positive light and enjoyment that can be found in this book, and believe others deserve to form their opinions on a book, without review checking. in all amazing book!

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A generous 3 star on this one…because while it wasn’t for me, I could totally see why others enjoyed it. We just weren’t a book match made in heaven lol.

So I’m really behind on my ARC reading and trying to read everything in order of its pub date BUT I couldn’t resist diving into this one right away because I saw that it was likened to The Seven 𝙃𝙪𝙨𝙗𝙖𝙣𝙙𝙨 𝙤𝙛 𝙀𝙫𝙚𝙡𝙮𝙣 𝙃𝙪𝙜𝙤.

This one is described an “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.” Unfortunately, I couldn’t finish it fast enough…because I wanted to be done with it. Honestly, the MC’s PAST was the most interesting thing about her.

Here’s the thing, I didn’t really like any of the characters and struggled to care about the story. However, I will say, Annie and Amanda’s relationship and their story kept me intrigued, I liked how all of that came full circle. All of the other stuff in between just really didn’t keep my attention…except Sandi every so briefly…I got bored with her too. I just felt like it went on and on forever…but the book was under 300 pages.

Others have really loved this book so I could totally be an outlier. It just wasn’t for me, at all. Maybe I’m just too impatient of a reader or maybe that Evelyn Hugo comparison had my expectations way too high. Either way, I say check it out for yourself. It would absolutely be a fun book club read.

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Read the ARC on Netgalley, thank you Atria books for the ARC!

This book is about a two girls, one of which goes on to be a bestseller novelist of a huge trilogy series but she is anonymous to the world.

This book is marketed for readers who liked Seven husbands of Evelyn Hugo (not Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle)

This is a fictional memoir of the author.

When I first read the premise I imagined time travel and everything because it said (Cate Kay doesn't exist)

The larger theme of this book is how we change as we grow up and the people we love. Overall, it's a very nice read!

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A tale of friendships, relationships and growing up. I was hooked immediately and loved every minute of this book! It was a joy to read!

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Oh I really, really loved this one!!! The first 10-15% was a little bit slow, but after that I truly could not put this book down. I ignored notifications on my phone, skipped watching a basketball game I wanted to watch (if you know me you know that doesn’t happen), and missed out on sleep because I had to finish this book.

I just adored these characters (except one - you know who you are! 😡) and was so invested in every storyline and how everybody was interwoven. The majority of the chapters were written from the perspective of the main character. However there were a lot of chapters from side character’s perspectives. The way this was executed by the author was nothing short of brilliant. The story was so compelling, and I think I was fully holding my breath for the last few chapters in the hopes that things ended how I wanted.

Thank you to the publisher, author, and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest rating and review.

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This is a really entertaining, multi-faceted read that I enjoyed. This book is complex and fascinating. I loved how when you sit and think and just marinate in what you’ve read, your mind comes up with deeper meaning. I love books that do that! I’m still trying to peg the deeper meaning of this book, really narrow it down. I think that it boils down to connectiveness and accepting yourself. I struggle when books are compared to other books, especially so when I loved the book they are being compared to, Evelyn Hugo in this case. In most cases I get upset because the books are nothing alike, but that is not what happened here. This book had the same vibes as Evelyn. Yes, it’s about the vibes. Ah and the writing is just fantastic. Getting this story told via multiple points of view only added to the layered complexion that I came to adore. This book kept me guessing in so many ways and I never really felt like I had a good handle on what was happening. It was wild, and loose, but I went with it and it worked!

This one is a lot of fun. It’s predictable at times, but I was so caught up in the book that I didn’t care at all.

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Thank you @netgalley and @atriabooks for allowing me to read this title early. 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐓𝐡𝐫𝐞𝐞 𝐋𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐂𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐊𝐚𝐲 publishes January 7th.

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐓𝐡𝐫𝐞𝐞 𝐋𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐂𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐊𝐚𝐲 is a very character driven story. I feel like I can’t say much because I don’t want to give too much away, but the story literally takes you through every period of Cate Kay’s life. I was just an average read for me. I enjoyed the ending - everything was tied up into a neat little bow and it definitely felt worth my time.

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I’m sitting here trying to find the perfect way to describe The Three Lives of Cate Kay by Kate Fagan and I’m at a loss for words.

Though I tried to pace myself in order to completely take in every piece of this book, once I started I knew I was going to have to dedicate time to give myself over fully to the (electronic) pages. Fagan has written such a beautifully complex, yet relatable story capturing the essence of relationships and how the ripple effects of tragedy can lead you down paths you’d never knew you’d take.

The story is propulsive. I needed to know: Who is Cate Kay? How did we get here and where is this going?

The answers surprised me and left me considering my own desires for cosmic bigness. I will absolutely be rereading this and looking forward to more works of fiction from Kate Fagan.

*Thank you for my ARC, which was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.*

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This book was incredible. I wasn’t sure what to expect, but within the first few chapters I was hooked. This may end up being my favorite book read in 2024, and I can’t wait to see it explode come its release in january 2025.

The Three Lives of Cate Kay is a phenomenal story of finding one’s self while accepting both your past and present. It will leave you captivated with each chapter through its multiple points of view. Seeing how each character is uniquely connected to this story adds intimacy and depth. These different pov’s add a thrilling aspect to each page and will keep you craving more.

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Cate Kay, I love you and all three lives you have lived! Told from multiple perspectives (but with Cate Kay’s footnotes sprinkled throughout) over the span of 20ish years we find out just way Cate Kay has had 3 lives and how sometimes we trust people too much, just to feel connected. This novel had me staying up through all hours of the night just to see what happens next! I know it’s marketed as the next Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo, but I disagree, it’s so much better than that!!

Thank you Kate Fagan, Atria and NetGalley for the ARC in return for my honest review!

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Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC!

The tag line got this one exactly right - this book gives huge "Evelyn Hugo" vibes, in the best way possible. I really can't emphasize enough how much I loved this book, how quickly I devoured it, and how much I think it is going to be a smash success. This will be picked for everyone's book club next year, and it will cross genre lines and audiences. This is a queer love story (or several), a tragedy, a suspense, a bildungsroman, and a slice of life into the rich and famous all wrapped into one book. It was so quick and easy to read, it's easily a one-sitting book, especially with the short chapters and alternating viewpoints. I'm happy to say that this is one of my favorite reads of the year, and I'm immediately going to read anything by Kate Fagan I can get my hands on.

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I was lucky enough to win an e-ARC of THE THREE LIVES OF CATE KAY by Kate Fagan in a Shelf Awareness giveaway. Thank you for the early look, and have a safe and happy Halloween season!

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spectacular. give me fourteen of them now.
the easter eggs in this book are on par with taylor swift and her fans.
I don’t usually enjoy multiple POVs but this was good. The queer romance was A+.

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Unfortunately, this book didn't work for me that much, which was a surprise to me, considering that I pretty much always like/love books I read from this publisher (I'm currently reading The Family Recipe, by Carolyn Huynh, and I'm loving it!). So, I'm sorry to the author and to Atria Books, but this one was a 'miss' for me.
I didn't enjoy the characters or how the plot was executed - and how similar it was to The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo. I wasn't particularly drawn to the writing, either.
Maybe it is just me. I didn't clique with this book, but I do want to encourage other readers to pick this up if you like the synopsis.

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People love, love stories. Especially sweet sweeping ones that you don't expect to be so sad... there are parts of this book that hurt.

I didn't have any expectations for this book picking it up on a whim because the synopsis seemed interesting and I liked the cover. Anyhow it crept up on me, the writing style was effective and vivid, painting beautiful scenes of New York sunsets and grand Hollywood dreams.

It was nice to read about Annie and Amanda's friendship.. to be that close with someone to have such niche inside jokes that just a look and you know what someone else is thinking. Their friendship was comforting like a big hug.

Learning about Cate Kay, Cass Ford and Anne Marie all different personas of the same person was intriguing like how did we get here?
How did this all come to be? There was an element of mystery unfolding by jumping between 2013, 2006 and 1999 it kept me turning the pages with a need to know exactly what the hell happened. like watching a freaking train wreck, I just needed to see what was the damage. It was definitely the more engaging part of the story for me.

The aspect of inserts from Cate Kay's Sci-fi novel 'The Very Last' was an interesting way to shape the story, same with how this book was written like a fictional tell-all memoir. It warmed me to reread the foreword part of the story already knowing how everything turned out.

Unfortunately onto things I didn't necessarily love: firstly swapping perspectives, like don't get me wrong I can enjoy multiple POVs but in this book, some perspectives were just more enticing than others. I truly did not care as much about some (I did not want to read about Sidney going to SoulCycle sigh.)

The next thing that might bother some, for as many gay women characters are in this book not a single person utters the word, lesbian. Positively or negatively. I can understand to a certain extent that it does take place in the '90s and 2000s but at some point, it's in 2013 and yet.

Closing statements: I think there will be lots of readers to enjoy this type of coming-of-age book. The aspects of a famous author, a sweet soft romance... in the background of a dystopian book/movie trilogy -everyone can picture being obsessed with- and at its core, it's a love story spanning decades.

Thanks to the publishers and NetGalley for the e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

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