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The Three Lives of Cate Kay
Goodreads Choice Award
Nominee for Readers' Favorite Fiction (2025)9 hours, 52 minutes
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.
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.
Audible Audio
First published January 7, 2025
8672 people are currently reading
140788 people want to read
About the author
Kate Fagan
10 books725 followersKate Fagan is an Emmy Award–winning journalist and the #1 New York Times bestselling author of What Made Maddy Run, which was a semi-finalist for the PEN/ESPN Award for literary sports writing. She is also the author of three additional nonfiction titles, a former professional basketball player, and spent seven years as a journalist at ESPN. Kate lives in Bolton Landing, NY.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 10,380 reviews
October 31, 2025
You know what, ironically, makes readers care about who has written the book? A pseudonym.
2.5 ⭐ Hmm really? Cause that's not been my experience.
If you know me, you know my usual complaint with books is that they have intriguing premise and lackluster execution. But in this case, we have the opposite problem. The Three Lives of Cate Kay's weak premise makes it hard for the story to go anywhere. And so in order for interesting things to happen, we're forced to watch characters behave in artificial and forced ways, all in the service of having a story at all.
To my absolute consternation, the dreaded miscommunication trope runs amok in here. Every time I see it in a book, I can feel my eyeballs roll to the back of my head. But this story really takes it to town with its liberal and quite frankly, shameless usage. The entire plotline hinges on these pointless misunderstandings that could easily be cleared up, if only the characters behaved in ways that actually made sense.
But really, all the interactions were a little bit off. Everyone was obsessed with the main character, latching onto her the moment they meet her and fighting for her attention. She comes off the pages as pedestrian and even a bit unlikable at times, yet the story makes her out to be super special. The other points of view don't feel genuine either, too polished and into Cate Kay to really be authentic.
There were so many moments sold as insightful or momentous, yet it all felt like much ado about nothing. Like we'd be told how readers really care who the author is behind a book, but do they? Or how profound "cosmic bigness" is, but okaaay? Or what a clever name Cate Kay is, but I keep mispronouncing it as Cat Kay in my head? (That last one might be just me.)
Even the book within a book didn't match its lofty promise. Here is a supposedly bestselling book, one in which the world is in such a frenzy over that everyone is dying to find out who the author is behind the pseudonym. Yet every passage quoted is so drab and dull, I find it hard to believe this could've caught any reader's attention, let alone the entire world.
So it's all these seemingly little things, sprinkled in everywhere, that add up to make me feel unable to buy into this story. There is a cognitive dissonance here that always reminds me what I'm reading isn't real, that these characters are fake. And at the end of the day, when you're talking about a fictional memoir, the characters are the only thing that really matter. If I can't connect with them, then I just can't connect with the story.
~~~~~~~~~~~~
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December 17, 2025
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.
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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.
Follow me on medium.com to read my articles about books, movies, streaming series, astrology:
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January 7, 2025
Took 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.
I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book, all opinions are my own.
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.
I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book, all opinions are my own.
February 6, 2025
Cate Kay had three lives and not one of them was interesting.
January 16, 2025
Audio was the only thing that kept me engaged. Otherwise, this was a perfect example of a book that built itself on a resolvable issue (like google?) which created shallow underdeveloped characters and a weak story. The ending alone made me roll my eyes to the back of my head. I think the marketing for this book gave it too many readers with big expectations since it mentioned The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo as a comparable book. Nooooope, bad idea team! I can see lots of people grabbing it for a summer beach read because the cover is engaging but don’t expect to be wowed.
February 10, 2025
Comparing itself to seven husbands of Evelyn Hugo was a bold choice
December 19, 2024
I wanted to love this, but ultimately it is not for me. At the moment that I'm writing this, the book has a 4.17 star with 460 ratings, so maybe I'm the outlier.
On paper, this is everything I could hope for - I mean, it's marketed as being for fans of Evelyn Hugo; I loved that book and am interested in anything remotely close to resembling it. I was lucky enough to be gifted a physical ARC from the publisher and I'm so thankful for that because I was really excited for it, but I need to be honest in my review.
When I first started this book, the forward made me read the synopsis again because it really did feel like a true memoir. It had been a while since I refreshed myself on what the book was actually about, and it felt like the start of true accounts! Things were really looking up.
As the story went on, I realized that although the book has short chapters which I love, each chapter alternates between a few people, and not in any specific order.
When you are getting accounts from multiple sources and they have short chapters, I find it hard to connect with any of them, even the main character. Not only that, but it was very hard to differentiate each voice; every chapter sounded like it was told by the same person and there were no specific qualities that made me feel like I was actually in that person's perspective.
When it was revealed what made the main character up and disappear from her life, and how she essentially trusted a stranger with false information and that could have changed her mind, it was too hard for me to suspend belief.
The fact that this character left in the first place is hard to understand, because even though I didn't feel like I connected to her, I also didn't feel like she would react that way. She just seemed very easily manipulated out of nowhere, but on the flip side of that, the friendship/ bond between the two girls was not developed enough at that point either for me to feel truly invested.
This book has a good idea, but it has too many plot holes and not enough character development. I felt like I was scratching the surface and there was a lot of telling and not showing.
Don't let my review stop you because a lot of people liked it! But this book wasn't for me.
On paper, this is everything I could hope for - I mean, it's marketed as being for fans of Evelyn Hugo; I loved that book and am interested in anything remotely close to resembling it. I was lucky enough to be gifted a physical ARC from the publisher and I'm so thankful for that because I was really excited for it, but I need to be honest in my review.
When I first started this book, the forward made me read the synopsis again because it really did feel like a true memoir. It had been a while since I refreshed myself on what the book was actually about, and it felt like the start of true accounts! Things were really looking up.
As the story went on, I realized that although the book has short chapters which I love, each chapter alternates between a few people, and not in any specific order.
When you are getting accounts from multiple sources and they have short chapters, I find it hard to connect with any of them, even the main character. Not only that, but it was very hard to differentiate each voice; every chapter sounded like it was told by the same person and there were no specific qualities that made me feel like I was actually in that person's perspective.
When it was revealed what made the main character up and disappear from her life, and how she essentially trusted a stranger with false information and that could have changed her mind, it was too hard for me to suspend belief.
The fact that this character left in the first place is hard to understand, because even though I didn't feel like I connected to her, I also didn't feel like she would react that way. She just seemed very easily manipulated out of nowhere, but on the flip side of that, the friendship/ bond between the two girls was not developed enough at that point either for me to feel truly invested.
This book has a good idea, but it has too many plot holes and not enough character development. I felt like I was scratching the surface and there was a lot of telling and not showing.
Don't let my review stop you because a lot of people liked it! But this book wasn't for me.
January 12, 2025
Reese’s January pick was a success in my eyes! it took me a solid 30-35% to get invested (starts really slow IMO), but once something around that point happened, i was hooked!
read if you like: multiple POVs, genre bending books, memoirs/documentary retelling
i liked this a lot! highly recommend the audiobook as it has a full cast narration (one being Helen Laser aka one of my faves). the storyline was unique—you have an author who is writing a memoir but all her friends, exes, colleagues etc are also helping tell the full picture. i don’t want to say anything else bc i think going in blind would be fun (and something i did for once!!).
i see it being compared to Evelyn Hugo and Daisy Jones and the only ways i see that being true is with the multiple lives/personalities of Evelyn Hugo (the seven husbands) and the docometary style retelling of Daisy Jones. trust me, that is it.
there’s a lot in this book—romance, grief, finding yourself and your path, friendship, family drama, second chances, self doubt. it’s a literary fiction but bends with a lot of romance and suspense. i think the genre bending is what will make it a hit with readers. it also has a solid blend of character development and heavy plot which i appreciated! we really got to understand each character which strengthened the overall story for me, even if the FMC frustrated me at times.
this is one i’d love to see adapted into a film or series 🎬
i also loved how it ended 👏🏼❤️ i think it could have a sequel and would like to learn more about the future of each character…
TLDR: quick and worth the read. pick up the audiobook!
thanks to Atria for the gifted early copy and Libro FM for the ALC 🎧
read if you like: multiple POVs, genre bending books, memoirs/documentary retelling
i liked this a lot! highly recommend the audiobook as it has a full cast narration (one being Helen Laser aka one of my faves). the storyline was unique—you have an author who is writing a memoir but all her friends, exes, colleagues etc are also helping tell the full picture. i don’t want to say anything else bc i think going in blind would be fun (and something i did for once!!).
i see it being compared to Evelyn Hugo and Daisy Jones and the only ways i see that being true is with the multiple lives/personalities of Evelyn Hugo (the seven husbands) and the docometary style retelling of Daisy Jones. trust me, that is it.
there’s a lot in this book—romance, grief, finding yourself and your path, friendship, family drama, second chances, self doubt. it’s a literary fiction but bends with a lot of romance and suspense. i think the genre bending is what will make it a hit with readers. it also has a solid blend of character development and heavy plot which i appreciated! we really got to understand each character which strengthened the overall story for me, even if the FMC frustrated me at times.
this is one i’d love to see adapted into a film or series 🎬
i also loved how it ended 👏🏼❤️ i think it could have a sequel and would like to learn more about the future of each character…
TLDR: quick and worth the read. pick up the audiobook!
thanks to Atria for the gifted early copy and Libro FM for the ALC 🎧
December 19, 2024
The Three Lives of Cate Kay was almost a great read for me. I will definitely pick up future fiction by Kate Fagan - I am interested to see what comes next for her!
Cate Kay is a super famous author - but no one knows who she is, only that it’s a pseudonym. Cass is the real author - only she isn’t Cass either. She grew up as Annie but ran away from her life and changed her name before writing her huge hit The Very Last.
There is a lot going on in this book - a book within a book within a book, a million character perspectives (but they all have a very similar voice) and lots of characters making poor choices. It’s so hard for me to put my finger on what didn’t work but it all just feels like a little too much instead of just settling into the characters and their true story. But at the same time I was still very compelled to keep reading and to see what would happen - but the ending also fell a little flat for me. In the end this wasn’t a favorite for me but I think this would make an amazing book club pick - lots to discuss and I think many will love it!
Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the free ebook to review.
Okay I’ve thought about this some more and realized better what didn’t work for me. Spoilers ahead!!
When Sidney sends the letter coming clean to Cass about Jake, why didn’t she also share her big lie about Amanda being alive? That was an even bigger betrayal to me but fine. Speaking of - Cass’s reaction to learning about the call felt super underwhelming to me considering the huge way it impacted her life for years but fine. Then when Cass finally does find out about Amanda - again no real response toward Sidney??
Then I feel like we were left out of the giant moments the whole book was building toward and the ending was so rushed. Cass goes to see Amanda, sits down next to her, and cut away. Then just the mention they ate the pie every night. WHAT HAPPENED KATE FAGAN??? What were their conversations??? What was that first night like? How did they catch up? Did Amanda share how hurt she was? Did they cry?
Okay - maybe we got cut out of that moment to make room for the big reunion with Ryan. NO - the SAME THING happened again there!!! Right as they are about to reunite, cut! This was so unsatisfying!!!! The WHOLE book was leading to these two big emotional moments and they were not on the page. This book built and built and built and then essentially just stopped.
Cate Kay is a super famous author - but no one knows who she is, only that it’s a pseudonym. Cass is the real author - only she isn’t Cass either. She grew up as Annie but ran away from her life and changed her name before writing her huge hit The Very Last.
There is a lot going on in this book - a book within a book within a book, a million character perspectives (but they all have a very similar voice) and lots of characters making poor choices. It’s so hard for me to put my finger on what didn’t work but it all just feels like a little too much instead of just settling into the characters and their true story. But at the same time I was still very compelled to keep reading and to see what would happen - but the ending also fell a little flat for me. In the end this wasn’t a favorite for me but I think this would make an amazing book club pick - lots to discuss and I think many will love it!
Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the free ebook to review.
Okay I’ve thought about this some more and realized better what didn’t work for me. Spoilers ahead!!
When Sidney sends the letter coming clean to Cass about Jake, why didn’t she also share her big lie about Amanda being alive? That was an even bigger betrayal to me but fine. Speaking of - Cass’s reaction to learning about the call felt super underwhelming to me considering the huge way it impacted her life for years but fine. Then when Cass finally does find out about Amanda - again no real response toward Sidney??
Then I feel like we were left out of the giant moments the whole book was building toward and the ending was so rushed. Cass goes to see Amanda, sits down next to her, and cut away. Then just the mention they ate the pie every night. WHAT HAPPENED KATE FAGAN??? What were their conversations??? What was that first night like? How did they catch up? Did Amanda share how hurt she was? Did they cry?
Okay - maybe we got cut out of that moment to make room for the big reunion with Ryan. NO - the SAME THING happened again there!!! Right as they are about to reunite, cut! This was so unsatisfying!!!! The WHOLE book was leading to these two big emotional moments and they were not on the page. This book built and built and built and then essentially just stopped.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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May 2, 2025DNF @ 29%. No connection to the writing or storyline. I’ve had to reread several sentences over and over again to grasp their meaning. The writing is not flowing well for me and I don’t care for the characters at all…
January 12, 2025
Cate Kay, author of the hottest best-selling trilogy, is a mystery. Nobody knows her face, or her real name, but she’s finally ready to share her story. This book is her memoir: it starts when she was a teenager daydreaming with her best friend about being famous. They were going to go to Hollywood and become eternal. But something went very wrong…
The Three Lives of Cate Kay tells the story of Annie using several POVs that get to know her in different states of her life. The blurb promises The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo vibes and I have to admit they were there, even if the books are very different.
My relationship with this book wasn’t great at first. I was moved only by the mystery surrounding Annie/Cass/Cate and kept mourning the fact that I didn’t really care about any POV besides Ryan’s. That would be my main critique of the book: I couldn’t connect with the other main characters until the 60-70%. At first I thought the author didn’t want me to understand and love them, but by the end of the book I decided it probably wasn’t done on purpose.
In any case, the suspense kept me entertained and I ended up caring for Cate and the others. I think this is a story a lot of people are going to enjoy: it’s fast paced and fun to read, with the Hollywood glamor some readers adore in the background. I advise to go in blind, because I enjoyed a lot not having any idea of how everything was going to end and liked how the author executed it.
I kindly received an ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
*Rating: 3.5 stars
The Three Lives of Cate Kay tells the story of Annie using several POVs that get to know her in different states of her life. The blurb promises The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo vibes and I have to admit they were there, even if the books are very different.
My relationship with this book wasn’t great at first. I was moved only by the mystery surrounding Annie/Cass/Cate and kept mourning the fact that I didn’t really care about any POV besides Ryan’s. That would be my main critique of the book: I couldn’t connect with the other main characters until the 60-70%. At first I thought the author didn’t want me to understand and love them, but by the end of the book I decided it probably wasn’t done on purpose.
In any case, the suspense kept me entertained and I ended up caring for Cate and the others. I think this is a story a lot of people are going to enjoy: it’s fast paced and fun to read, with the Hollywood glamor some readers adore in the background. I advise to go in blind, because I enjoyed a lot not having any idea of how everything was going to end and liked how the author executed it.
I kindly received an ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
*Rating: 3.5 stars
February 17, 2025
I'm puzzled by this one. This felt like it was trying to be something that it wasn't and I really didn't understand why.
This is the story of an author, Cate Kay--except not really, because Cate Kay isn't a real person, and we're following the story of who Cate Kay really is and why. This is a fictional memoir-- at first I thought I had somehow accidentally bought a memoir instead of a fictional book actually, which was starting off great. It's very reminiscent in its storytelling to the works of Taylor Jenkins Reid. I mean, it's literally being marketed as "The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo meets First Lie Wins", and this checks out to me. The issue is that I didn't feel like, if this was going to be the story told, it had any business being this way.
For me, in order for a fictional memoir or other similar pieces to work, I need to believe it. After reading Daisy Jones and the Six, if I didn't know better, I'd have told you that was a real band. I'm still deluding myself into believing Evelyn Hugo is a real human. Pretty sure Carrie Soto is actually a pro tennis player. Cate Kay was unbelievable from very early on to me. I was expected to believe that everyone was obsessed with or cared about her... I never did understand why they would. None of it really made enough sense for me to buy it being real.
This had a ton of different POVs, and the flow of it was fun and easy to binge due to the short chapters and constant shifting of perspectives. However, I was always forgetting what POV I was even in because they all had the same tone. Switching to the audiobook made a massive difference here, and if you're reading this, I really recommend the audio. The narrator did a great job creating unique voices for each character, and the acting really increased my enjoyment of the story overall.
All of that said, I would read another book from this author. The writing itself flowed well, and I think there is potential for me to really love another story written by them. Unfortunately this isn't the one.
2.75 stars rounded up
This is the story of an author, Cate Kay--except not really, because Cate Kay isn't a real person, and we're following the story of who Cate Kay really is and why. This is a fictional memoir-- at first I thought I had somehow accidentally bought a memoir instead of a fictional book actually, which was starting off great. It's very reminiscent in its storytelling to the works of Taylor Jenkins Reid. I mean, it's literally being marketed as "The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo meets First Lie Wins", and this checks out to me. The issue is that I didn't feel like, if this was going to be the story told, it had any business being this way.
For me, in order for a fictional memoir or other similar pieces to work, I need to believe it. After reading Daisy Jones and the Six, if I didn't know better, I'd have told you that was a real band. I'm still deluding myself into believing Evelyn Hugo is a real human. Pretty sure Carrie Soto is actually a pro tennis player. Cate Kay was unbelievable from very early on to me. I was expected to believe that everyone was obsessed with or cared about her... I never did understand why they would. None of it really made enough sense for me to buy it being real.
This had a ton of different POVs, and the flow of it was fun and easy to binge due to the short chapters and constant shifting of perspectives. However, I was always forgetting what POV I was even in because they all had the same tone. Switching to the audiobook made a massive difference here, and if you're reading this, I really recommend the audio. The narrator did a great job creating unique voices for each character, and the acting really increased my enjoyment of the story overall.
All of that said, I would read another book from this author. The writing itself flowed well, and I think there is potential for me to really love another story written by them. Unfortunately this isn't the one.
2.75 stars rounded up
July 20, 2025
The only reason I did not chuck this book away at about the 100-page mark was the vain hope that at least Sidney would get some kind of comeuppance. Alas, it did not happen.
The cornerstone of why this book is awful is that pretty much everyone in it is awful. And not awful in an interesting way, awful as in positively horrific. The book jacket will tell you this book "explores the complex relationships of women" but there is nothing complex here. They're just truly awful people who have zero communication skills!
Oh, it starts out promising enough with Cate Kay aka Cass Ford aka Annie, the elusive author of a best-selling dystopian trilogy turned movie series "The Very Last" who is penning her memoir. (Sidenote: based on the premise of the book and the few excerpts we get of it, I find it very hard to believe you could successfully stretch the premise into a trilogy, much less a freaking theme park.)
Her memoir begins with her childhood friendship (and on Annie's end, more than friendship) with Amanda and their dreams of achieving super stardom together, but with the begins of cracks and the possibility of drifting apart and wanting different things as they graduate high school. All good so far.
The very moment this book fell apart for me at the aforementioned 100-page-ish mark when Amanda is seriously injured in a freak accident and Annie flees town after calling 911 and does not come back to find out if her friend lived. I just... can't get past this. I tried, with thinking things like "maybe Annie is just in shock? Maybe she is afraid to learn the truth if the truth is bad?" But I just can't. How in the hell do you love someone that much and just immediately turn your back on it completely?? Even when she thought Amanda was dead, wouldn't you at least check in with her beloved sister? ? It just felt out of character for the Annie we had gotten up until Amanda's accident.
I think the author even anticipated people having this criticism by including a book club discussion of "The Very Last" with members arguing about the separation of besties Samantha and Jeremiah in that story. (Except in that case, Samantha and Jeremiah were separated by a FUCKING NUKE and Samantha had to leave him with medics in order to deliver important, lifesaving information to survivors. Annie and Amanda are separated by a car ride and Annie doing nothing of great significance at first .)
To her credit, she does consider going back, but then... Sidney.
Sidney, after knowing Annie only a short time from a class, manages to find out about the situation via Annie having a breakdown over it. She promptly drives to Annie's hometown to find out the truth (Amanda lived, though she is paralyzed), and then lies to Annie about Amanda being dead. And for some reason, Annie takes this heartbreaking news at face value even though she barely knows Sidney.
THIS IS SUCH INSANELY SOCIOPATHIC BEHAVIOR AND SHE NEVER FACES ANY CONSEQUENCES OR HAS ANY REGRETS. Sidney's last chapter in the book is her saying everything about her and Annie's toxic as fuck relationship and what Sidney did is "forgiveable." Even when Annie finds out about what Sidney did, her response is more "dang, Sidney sure was clever and manipulative" rather than the apoplectic rage a normal person would feel. If nothing else, I at least wanted someone to tell Sidney off, and we didn't even get that.
From that point on, I admit I had an uncharitable view, so maybe I am being colored by that when I say the rest of the story is weak and honestly kind of boring. Everyone except maybe Amanda is just so terrible and oblivious to how terrible they are. Any examination of their flaws feels performative or still egotistical. (E.g. Annie being oh so embarrassed about how profitable and successful her trilogy was it's so gauche to talk about how wealthy I am.)
Even Persephone, one of the characters from "The Very Last", uses her one brief appearance to make sure we know that she left her best friend in the dead of night without a goodbye for absolutely no clear reason at all. Does anyone in this book know what friendship and love are?? (Sidenote 2: Persephone's existence is a bit confusing. Her mom Samantha is explicitly gay and has been out since she was a teenager. Obviously gay people have kids too, but methods like surrogacy/sperm donors/etc. would almost certainly not be available in a post-nuke NYC and the Persephone section does make it sound like she is Samantha's biological child and not adopted. So did Samantha just decide to have sex with a dude for purely reproductive purposes, even though nothing about her sections suggests she wanted children and Persephone says she seemed like an afterthought to her mother? I'm probably overthinking this.)
The latter half of the book banks hard on having us believe Annie and Ryan (the star of The Very Last films) are this great love story because they are so deeply in love despite only being together about a month before having a years-long falling out that would have been prevented/solved with one simple conversation. (It says how detestable Sidney is that I didn't even care that Annie was cheating on her with Ry. Tragically, Sidney does not seem to care much either.) Their relationship just read as shallow to me and the falling out was so contrived and childish. I did not care whether or not they got back together.
The cornerstone of why this book is awful is that pretty much everyone in it is awful. And not awful in an interesting way, awful as in positively horrific. The book jacket will tell you this book "explores the complex relationships of women" but there is nothing complex here. They're just truly awful people who have zero communication skills!
Oh, it starts out promising enough with Cate Kay aka Cass Ford aka Annie, the elusive author of a best-selling dystopian trilogy turned movie series "The Very Last" who is penning her memoir. (Sidenote: based on the premise of the book and the few excerpts we get of it, I find it very hard to believe you could successfully stretch the premise into a trilogy, much less a freaking theme park.)
Her memoir begins with her childhood friendship (and on Annie's end, more than friendship) with Amanda and their dreams of achieving super stardom together, but with the begins of cracks and the possibility of drifting apart and wanting different things as they graduate high school. All good so far.
The very moment this book fell apart for me at the aforementioned 100-page-ish mark when Amanda is seriously injured in a freak accident and Annie flees town after calling 911 and does not come back to find out if her friend lived. I just... can't get past this. I tried, with thinking things like "maybe Annie is just in shock? Maybe she is afraid to learn the truth if the truth is bad?" But I just can't. How in the hell do you love someone that much and just immediately turn your back on it completely?? Even when she thought Amanda was dead, wouldn't you at least check in with her beloved sister? ? It just felt out of character for the Annie we had gotten up until Amanda's accident.
I think the author even anticipated people having this criticism by including a book club discussion of "The Very Last" with members arguing about the separation of besties Samantha and Jeremiah in that story. (Except in that case, Samantha and Jeremiah were separated by a FUCKING NUKE and Samantha had to leave him with medics in order to deliver important, lifesaving information to survivors. Annie and Amanda are separated by a car ride and Annie doing nothing of great significance at first .)
To her credit, she does consider going back, but then... Sidney.
Sidney, after knowing Annie only a short time from a class, manages to find out about the situation via Annie having a breakdown over it. She promptly drives to Annie's hometown to find out the truth (Amanda lived, though she is paralyzed), and then lies to Annie about Amanda being dead. And for some reason, Annie takes this heartbreaking news at face value even though she barely knows Sidney.
THIS IS SUCH INSANELY SOCIOPATHIC BEHAVIOR AND SHE NEVER FACES ANY CONSEQUENCES OR HAS ANY REGRETS. Sidney's last chapter in the book is her saying everything about her and Annie's toxic as fuck relationship and what Sidney did is "forgiveable." Even when Annie finds out about what Sidney did, her response is more "dang, Sidney sure was clever and manipulative" rather than the apoplectic rage a normal person would feel. If nothing else, I at least wanted someone to tell Sidney off, and we didn't even get that.
From that point on, I admit I had an uncharitable view, so maybe I am being colored by that when I say the rest of the story is weak and honestly kind of boring. Everyone except maybe Amanda is just so terrible and oblivious to how terrible they are. Any examination of their flaws feels performative or still egotistical. (E.g. Annie being oh so embarrassed about how profitable and successful her trilogy was it's so gauche to talk about how wealthy I am.)
Even Persephone, one of the characters from "The Very Last", uses her one brief appearance to make sure we know that she left her best friend in the dead of night without a goodbye for absolutely no clear reason at all. Does anyone in this book know what friendship and love are?? (Sidenote 2: Persephone's existence is a bit confusing. Her mom Samantha is explicitly gay and has been out since she was a teenager. Obviously gay people have kids too, but methods like surrogacy/sperm donors/etc. would almost certainly not be available in a post-nuke NYC and the Persephone section does make it sound like she is Samantha's biological child and not adopted. So did Samantha just decide to have sex with a dude for purely reproductive purposes, even though nothing about her sections suggests she wanted children and Persephone says she seemed like an afterthought to her mother? I'm probably overthinking this.)
The latter half of the book banks hard on having us believe Annie and Ryan (the star of The Very Last films) are this great love story because they are so deeply in love despite only being together about a month before having a years-long falling out that would have been prevented/solved with one simple conversation. (It says how detestable Sidney is that I didn't even care that Annie was cheating on her with Ry. Tragically, Sidney does not seem to care much either.) Their relationship just read as shallow to me and the falling out was so contrived and childish. I did not care whether or not they got back together.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 12, 2025
This book PISSED me off. The worst book I have picked up in a long time. How dare they try to compare this book to the Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo. This was so so messy and so poorly executed. The author is trying to do way too much and it is just so pathetic and confusing for the reader. Also, the footnotes are absolutely ridiculous. I cannot believe I wasted my life reading this. Cate Kay may have three identities but i think I am about to have zero because I may kill myself because of how awful this book was
December 23, 2025
Hot diggity! This is such a good love story. But wait! Don’t go thinking that this is a lightweight romance novel—it’s not! It’s sophisticated with an unusual structure, vivid characters, and a plot that pulls you in. Funny that I liked it, because I was uneasy and frustrated a lot—the (mostly realistic) plot wasn’t going the way I wanted it to. But it was a frustration laced with hope, and combined with suspense, it’s a propelling, compelling read.
This story is about a gay writer who has a couple of loves throughout her life. I’m underplaying on purpose; it’s dramatic as hell without being over the top. Go in blind (I did) and the big dramatic traumatic event is made more intense because it’s a surprise. The event is very well described, so vivid, it gave me the shivers.
Three Lives of Cate Kay is compared to The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo, which I also read (and loved) this year, and I completely agree. Both are gay love stories, both had a writer and an actress as main characters. The plot lines are different, as is the structure, so there was no rip-off happening.
The structure is a little complicated at first, but I quickly got my bearings. The plot is told from multiple POVs—mostly main characters, but a few minor characters as well. There’s also parts of a book that one character has written, and that adds another level of complexity. It all works.
One thing that sort of bugged me but also impressed me and made me think about my stereotyping: I assumed a character with a man’s name was a man when it wasn’t! Besides the name, the actions seemed like those of a man. It threw me off for a short time, but was fun when I realized it was a woman. Part of me wondered if the author did this on purpose. She probably did, but I’m not absolutely sure!
There is one important plot point that didn’t ring true. Since I liked the book, I let it slide. Funny what you can accept when you like a book!
I checked out the writer, something I usually do if I like a book. Fun to discover she was an accomplished basketball player in the past as well as a successful sports writer today. I’m impressed that she ventured into the fiction world and wrote such a good novel. And not one mention of sports, which is interesting given her career. I hope she writes more fiction. I’ll be on the lookout!
This story is about a gay writer who has a couple of loves throughout her life. I’m underplaying on purpose; it’s dramatic as hell without being over the top. Go in blind (I did) and the big dramatic traumatic event is made more intense because it’s a surprise. The event is very well described, so vivid, it gave me the shivers.
Three Lives of Cate Kay is compared to The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo, which I also read (and loved) this year, and I completely agree. Both are gay love stories, both had a writer and an actress as main characters. The plot lines are different, as is the structure, so there was no rip-off happening.
The structure is a little complicated at first, but I quickly got my bearings. The plot is told from multiple POVs—mostly main characters, but a few minor characters as well. There’s also parts of a book that one character has written, and that adds another level of complexity. It all works.
One thing that sort of bugged me but also impressed me and made me think about my stereotyping: I assumed a character with a man’s name was a man when it wasn’t! Besides the name, the actions seemed like those of a man. It threw me off for a short time, but was fun when I realized it was a woman. Part of me wondered if the author did this on purpose. She probably did, but I’m not absolutely sure!
There is one important plot point that didn’t ring true. Since I liked the book, I let it slide. Funny what you can accept when you like a book!
I checked out the writer, something I usually do if I like a book. Fun to discover she was an accomplished basketball player in the past as well as a successful sports writer today. I’m impressed that she ventured into the fiction world and wrote such a good novel. And not one mention of sports, which is interesting given her career. I hope she writes more fiction. I’ll be on the lookout!
February 1, 2025
I love books that emotionally destroy me and make me want to call my mom
November 29, 2025
Could not get into this one characters were awful not for me.
January 7, 2025
The Three Lives of Cate Kay has been continuously marketed for fans of The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo and it’s safe to say THEYRE RIGHT!!
The Three Lives of Cate Kay is the first book I’ve ever read by Kate Fagan and I am thrilled to find a new authour that I will consume from here on out. Her expertise is apparent throughout the entire book from her intricate weaving of a beautiful story to the nuances of the smallest details that will make you weep when revealed.
A slice of life story can become monotonous easily and Fagan is able to avoid this at every turn. I was enamored by her queer love stories while not being heavy handed in any way. Everything was plausible without being boring or even slow burning.
There are multiple POVs that allow for a deeper view into the mind set of our characters while still being told in a “memoir” by Cate Kay herself. It was an interesting twist to the storytelling while not being too meta and my favourite part was her use of footnotes that I would be skipping ahead to read every time they popped up.
It’s been quite some time since I’ve read a story in this genre that was as moving as The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo and I’m so excited for everyone to finally get to experience this.
The Three Lives of Cate Kay is the first book I’ve ever read by Kate Fagan and I am thrilled to find a new authour that I will consume from here on out. Her expertise is apparent throughout the entire book from her intricate weaving of a beautiful story to the nuances of the smallest details that will make you weep when revealed.
A slice of life story can become monotonous easily and Fagan is able to avoid this at every turn. I was enamored by her queer love stories while not being heavy handed in any way. Everything was plausible without being boring or even slow burning.
There are multiple POVs that allow for a deeper view into the mind set of our characters while still being told in a “memoir” by Cate Kay herself. It was an interesting twist to the storytelling while not being too meta and my favourite part was her use of footnotes that I would be skipping ahead to read every time they popped up.
It’s been quite some time since I’ve read a story in this genre that was as moving as The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo and I’m so excited for everyone to finally get to experience this.
March 16, 2025
The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo vibes!
November 6, 2025
so close to a DNF it isn’t funny
couldn’t even tell you what happened this was in one ear and out the other - I’ve never struggled to connect with a story so much in my life.
another reviewer summed it up perfectly when they said “cate kay had three lives and none of them were interesting”
definitely don’t recommend lol
couldn’t even tell you what happened this was in one ear and out the other - I’ve never struggled to connect with a story so much in my life.
another reviewer summed it up perfectly when they said “cate kay had three lives and none of them were interesting”
definitely don’t recommend lol
January 7, 2025
This book is a thought-provoking exploration of second chances and self-discovery. Cate’s journey feels authentic, filled with relatable doubts and unexpected twists that keep you hooked. I was on the edge of my seat the entire time trying to figure out how the book would end. At different points, I was convinced it would be a happy or tragic ending with no middle ground. It’s the kind of book that makes you reflect on your own choices while rooting for the main character’s happiness.
***Thank you Netgalley for an eARC in exchange for my review***
***Thank you Netgalley for an eARC in exchange for my review***
February 16, 2025
Hey so actually the entire conflict could have been resolved by using GOOGLE!!!! This takes place in the early 2000s where the internet does exist. There were so many characters and I hated every single one of them.
October 31, 2024
This was so dull, I think it turned me straight.
The problem with this book is that it so clearly seems to be a knock off Taylor Jenkins Reid, and it suffers dearly in comparison. Jenkins Reid doesn't necessarily write "my kind" of books, but the ones I've read I've lived because she is so damn good at what she does. This mimics all the hits - multiple viewpoints, big dramatic event, problems with parental figures, tangled love stories, happy endings - but it feels like an echo of those. It's flat, there's no real reason behind the choices, everyone sounds exactly the same, and it's combined with a deep awareness of it's inability to hold your attention, which it tries to make up for by never going more than a paragraph or two without a break - which just becomes a self fulfilling prophecy. If you don't believe I will want to read your writing, why on earth would I?
The problem with this book is that it so clearly seems to be a knock off Taylor Jenkins Reid, and it suffers dearly in comparison. Jenkins Reid doesn't necessarily write "my kind" of books, but the ones I've read I've lived because she is so damn good at what she does. This mimics all the hits - multiple viewpoints, big dramatic event, problems with parental figures, tangled love stories, happy endings - but it feels like an echo of those. It's flat, there's no real reason behind the choices, everyone sounds exactly the same, and it's combined with a deep awareness of it's inability to hold your attention, which it tries to make up for by never going more than a paragraph or two without a break - which just becomes a self fulfilling prophecy. If you don't believe I will want to read your writing, why on earth would I?
April 24, 2025
💖💛💚💖💛💚💖💛💚💖💛💚💖
The Three Lives of Cate Kay was a quick and enjoyable read. I particularly enjoyed the quality and tone of Fagan's writing. It was easy and fast-paced.
While I wasn't crazy about the arrangement of how the story was told, I still appreciated the quality of the character work.
I was drawn to this because of the synopsis. The idea of following a mysterious author, Cate Kay, and learning all about her life and success appealed to me. I would say Fagan def delivered in that regard.
Kay wasn't quite the kind of mysterious I tend to vibe with though. I don't know, it's hard to explain. This just didn't pack the punch for me that I was hoping it would. It was nice, but also felt a little safe.
There's a lot of different characters introduced over the course of this tale, and we get all of their various perspectives and the timeline varies as well. I'll admit to at times needing to remind myself, who I was reading from at any particular time, and where they were in time.
I think as an audiobook, if it is done with full cast, like Daisy Jones, this could flow well and be quite impactful. Unfortunately, reading it with my eyeballs, it sometimes felt a little disjointed.
With all this being said though, I did love Annie and Amanda's relationship. I think that aspect captivated me the most and kept me moving forward.
Further, I think for Literary Fiction fans this is going to be a big hit. It did remind me in certain structural ways of Daisy Jones and the Six, and I'm anticipating many, many comparisons to Evelyn Hugo. I've never read EH, so can't comment in that regard personally.
I would recommend this to anyone who enjoyed either of those books. I feel like for the right Reader at the right time, this book could be sheer perfection.
Thank you to the publisher, Atria Books, for providing me a copy to read and review. Even though this is a little outside my comfort zone, I'm really glad I picked it up. It was a nice change of pace.
The Three Lives of Cate Kay was a quick and enjoyable read. I particularly enjoyed the quality and tone of Fagan's writing. It was easy and fast-paced.
While I wasn't crazy about the arrangement of how the story was told, I still appreciated the quality of the character work.
I was drawn to this because of the synopsis. The idea of following a mysterious author, Cate Kay, and learning all about her life and success appealed to me. I would say Fagan def delivered in that regard.
Kay wasn't quite the kind of mysterious I tend to vibe with though. I don't know, it's hard to explain. This just didn't pack the punch for me that I was hoping it would. It was nice, but also felt a little safe.
There's a lot of different characters introduced over the course of this tale, and we get all of their various perspectives and the timeline varies as well. I'll admit to at times needing to remind myself, who I was reading from at any particular time, and where they were in time.
I think as an audiobook, if it is done with full cast, like Daisy Jones, this could flow well and be quite impactful. Unfortunately, reading it with my eyeballs, it sometimes felt a little disjointed.
With all this being said though, I did love Annie and Amanda's relationship. I think that aspect captivated me the most and kept me moving forward.
Further, I think for Literary Fiction fans this is going to be a big hit. It did remind me in certain structural ways of Daisy Jones and the Six, and I'm anticipating many, many comparisons to Evelyn Hugo. I've never read EH, so can't comment in that regard personally.
I would recommend this to anyone who enjoyed either of those books. I feel like for the right Reader at the right time, this book could be sheer perfection.
Thank you to the publisher, Atria Books, for providing me a copy to read and review. Even though this is a little outside my comfort zone, I'm really glad I picked it up. It was a nice change of pace.
September 8, 2024
*Paperback
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.
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.
November 30, 2024
The marketing compares this to Evelyn Hugo and I was definitely skeptical going in, but you know what? I can see that comparison for sure! There’s definitely a similar vibe but this one was very unique and original on its own. At first glance this seems like it may be a bit ambitious as far as structure and plot goes but the author delivered everything in a seamless manner and with a deft hand and I was never confused for a second. There are several points of view, some you only hear from briefly but everyone that does contribute does so for a reason, it’s very thoughtful and purposeful. There’s also a book within a book with I love so much and you also get a queer love story, some mystery, and deeply developed characters and strong writing. I absolutely loved this unique story and highly recommend it when you’re in the mood for a book that is consuming, thought provoking and smart.
July 31, 2024
OH MY GOD… oh my god. SPECTACULAR GIVE ME FOURTEEN OF ‘EM RIGHT NOW. I couldn’t turn the pages fast enough!!!!
The first night I started reading, I put down the book to go to bed. But I couldn’t stop thinking about it, so I woke up and read another 50 pages. Nothing has gripped me like this in so long. The way that Annie/Cate/Cass’s story is set up from the various points of view with easter eggs that are intricately woven throughout every chapter is remarkable. It’s predictable in all of the right ways — as soon as you string one plot line together, another shoe drops. How complicated, yet devastatingly beautiful. These are the queer character portrayals we need more of!! I wish I could rate this higher than five stars. Instant all-time favorite!
KATE FAGAN, YOU GENIUS, YOU!!! The Three Lives of Cate Kay exceeded my expectations in every possible way and I already want to reread it to find more puzzle pieces I couldn’t have picked up without knowing what I know now.
I feel so lucky to have been one of the first to read this book… and I promise I won’t rest until every single one of my friends reads it too.
“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.”
—
Thank you to NetGalley, Kate Fagan, and the publishers for the ARC!
The first night I started reading, I put down the book to go to bed. But I couldn’t stop thinking about it, so I woke up and read another 50 pages. Nothing has gripped me like this in so long. The way that Annie/Cate/Cass’s story is set up from the various points of view with easter eggs that are intricately woven throughout every chapter is remarkable. It’s predictable in all of the right ways — as soon as you string one plot line together, another shoe drops. How complicated, yet devastatingly beautiful. These are the queer character portrayals we need more of!! I wish I could rate this higher than five stars. Instant all-time favorite!
KATE FAGAN, YOU GENIUS, YOU!!! The Three Lives of Cate Kay exceeded my expectations in every possible way and I already want to reread it to find more puzzle pieces I couldn’t have picked up without knowing what I know now.
I feel so lucky to have been one of the first to read this book… and I promise I won’t rest until every single one of my friends reads it too.
“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.”
—
Thank you to NetGalley, Kate Fagan, and the publishers for the ARC!
January 24, 2025
This book loves the smell of its own farts.
December 14, 2025
A life in three acts.
Presented as a fictional memoir, "The Three Lives of Cate Kay" tells the story of a woman who has reinvented herself more than once - and the secrets that drove her to do so.
Cate Kay is a literary phenomenon: the reclusive author of a bestselling trilogy that became a blockbuster film franchise. But Cate Kay doesn't really exist. Born Annie, she became Cass after a tragedy upended her young life, and later Cate Kay, a name she adopted when she began writing books. Now, after years of hiding from her past, she's ready to tell the truth about who she really is.
Kate Fagan structures the book as Cate's memoir, interspersed with chapters from others in her orbit, creating a kaleidoscope of perspectives. At its heart, this is a tender love story. The "three lives" framing works beautifully - Annie, Cass, and Cate each representing a reinvention shaped by grief, ambition, and longing. The metafictional touches, including the shared first name between author and protagonist, make the story feel like an authentic memoir rather than pure fiction.
There's one character whose extensive inclusion feels somewhat implausible (her tell-all confessions don't square with her supposed self-awareness - she's essentially admitting to being a horrible, manipulative person in print, which seems at odds with her personality), and the frequent use of the miscommunication trope occasionally feels more frustrating and juvenile than poignant; not even setting the first part of the story in a pre-smartphone world helped my suspension of disbelief enough. Still, the central story of transformation and forgiveness resonates.
As for the publisher's comparison to "The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo", it doesn’t quite fit. Beyond a nod in the title and the inclusion of a queer aspiring actress, Cate Kay is a quieter, more introspective story - less about glamour and fame, and more about self-reinvention.
The audiobook, narrated for the most part by one of my favorites, Marin Ireland, is exceptional. Her narration brings warmth, humor, and gravity to Cate's voice, grounding the story in empathy and emotion. Ireland's performance elevates the text, making the "memoir" feel deeply personal - like listening to someone you’ve known all your life finally tell you the truth. The rest of the cast does an equally fantastic job narrating the viewpoints of the people closest to Cate.
A heartfelt and engaging exploration of identity and the stories we tell to survive, "The Three Lives of Cate Kay" is a story about becoming, forgiving, and owning your narrative - however many versions of yourself you've lived.
Presented as a fictional memoir, "The Three Lives of Cate Kay" tells the story of a woman who has reinvented herself more than once - and the secrets that drove her to do so.
Cate Kay is a literary phenomenon: the reclusive author of a bestselling trilogy that became a blockbuster film franchise. But Cate Kay doesn't really exist. Born Annie, she became Cass after a tragedy upended her young life, and later Cate Kay, a name she adopted when she began writing books. Now, after years of hiding from her past, she's ready to tell the truth about who she really is.
Kate Fagan structures the book as Cate's memoir, interspersed with chapters from others in her orbit, creating a kaleidoscope of perspectives. At its heart, this is a tender love story. The "three lives" framing works beautifully - Annie, Cass, and Cate each representing a reinvention shaped by grief, ambition, and longing. The metafictional touches, including the shared first name between author and protagonist, make the story feel like an authentic memoir rather than pure fiction.
There's one character whose extensive inclusion feels somewhat implausible (her tell-all confessions don't square with her supposed self-awareness - she's essentially admitting to being a horrible, manipulative person in print, which seems at odds with her personality), and the frequent use of the miscommunication trope occasionally feels more frustrating and juvenile than poignant; not even setting the first part of the story in a pre-smartphone world helped my suspension of disbelief enough. Still, the central story of transformation and forgiveness resonates.
As for the publisher's comparison to "The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo", it doesn’t quite fit. Beyond a nod in the title and the inclusion of a queer aspiring actress, Cate Kay is a quieter, more introspective story - less about glamour and fame, and more about self-reinvention.
The audiobook, narrated for the most part by one of my favorites, Marin Ireland, is exceptional. Her narration brings warmth, humor, and gravity to Cate's voice, grounding the story in empathy and emotion. Ireland's performance elevates the text, making the "memoir" feel deeply personal - like listening to someone you’ve known all your life finally tell you the truth. The rest of the cast does an equally fantastic job narrating the viewpoints of the people closest to Cate.
A heartfelt and engaging exploration of identity and the stories we tell to survive, "The Three Lives of Cate Kay" is a story about becoming, forgiving, and owning your narrative - however many versions of yourself you've lived.
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