Instant Classic

by Kate Fagan

From the author of the USA TODAY bestseller and Reese’s Book Club Pick The Three Lives of Cate Kay comes an enthralling new novel about a young movie director who bets her career on making a film about an overlooked trailblazer in women’s basketball and in the process finds her own voice.

With only one more film under contract after two flops, movie director Marion May is at a career crossroads and in desperate need of a win. It feels fated when at a Lakers game she meets Jaz Jones, a magnetic WNBA player, who pitches her on an idea. Jaz tells Marion about her coach, Harper Kidd, a once-brilliant athlete whose legacy was erased before it could truly begin.

In the 1950s, Harper Kidd was a rising star on the Hanes Hosiery team until the end of the season when everything unraveled, and she was forced to leave the game she loved. Only decades later, when a young, fiercely talented Jaz enters her world, does Harper find her way back to the court—and to herself. As Marion sets out to write and direct Harper’s story, the project becomes something more. Immersed in a lineage of women who fought to play, to love, and to be seen, Marion begins to confront the parts of herself she’s long kept hidden.

Kate Fagan’s Instant Classic is a radiant love letter to women’s sports and queer identity as well as a gripping narrative that explores how the stories we tell can bridge decades, heal old wounds, and lead us back to who we truly are.

Genres: Queer, Fiction, LGBT, Adult, Lesbian

320 pages, Hardcover

Expected publication January 26, 2027

About the author

Kate 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.

Reviews

[cyd · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an advanced readers copy in exchange for an honest review. I was pleasantly surprised by this book and I really enjoyed reading it. This book is definitely for fans of The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo. It almost feels like it was split into two separate books. The first half mostly took place in the last but the second half was present focused and covered a larger span of time. I preferred the first half to the second half but overall the book was very enjoyable. Some of the veins half felt a little bit unnecessary and it made the book feel a bit less cohesive. The pacing was the main problem that I had with the book but it wasn’t super distracting. I would definitely recommend this to women’s sports fans and fans of Taylor Jenkins Reid.

[Brooke! · Rating 5 out of 5]

i am going to think about this book for the rest of my life. this STORY was fantastic and it ended perfectly and was just so good i don’t even have the words. this was so good that i WISH this movie was made in real life. these characters are just so perfect and this was just such a good book.

[Grace Roberts]

Yikes

[Chelsea · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you to Atria Books eGalley for this digital advanced copy and to Kate Fagan for the dopamine surge.
*inhales*
I love a novel I can savour. An arc that really wraps around you and holds you while you're reeling from the emotion. I, however, must also be humbled and reminded that you always should TRUST THE STORYTELLING OF YOUR FAVORITE AUTHORS.
*exhales*
Buckle up, because this book has 54 chapters, and each one is used systematically. This review is written within ten minutes of finishing this book, with my Kindle still on my chest as I hold my phone to write in my notes app the overwhelming sensations of this read. AND a warning that this novel has a cold open.

I don't say this lightly, as the mental journey I have just finished really did start off with what I would compare to drinking a lukewarm glass of water, and even made me think, had I misremembered Fagan's writing or my previous enjoyment of her work? In Ch. 2 we are given a saltine of a sentence with "She decided long ago not to be gay-" and while my throat felt thick with deception, as if this is a choice at all, I persevered.

Fagan expertly peels back the layers of fear, of standing at the base of a mountain, and the anxiety, still prevalent in 2026, that people across the globe feel as they realize who they know themselves to be. The act of looking at one's reflection is used several times, and it remains powerful to hold eye contact with oneself. It identifies the privilege of being surrounded by those who will accept and nurture you, and also highlights that this is not a given or the majority.

The timing of this book is perfect. The narration and multiple POV is handled and written flawlessly. It's inspirational, emotional, loud and PROUD AF! While I have mentioned above that the book starts with a saltine, by the crescendo of the plot, you are devouring warm focaccia with olive oil and licking rosemary and salt from your fingertips.

Your thirst for strong, authentic, female leads will be quenched. You will have all ten courses, and you will be satiated by the dessert presentation, and then you'll need to leave room for the digestif. Fagan calls out homophobia, societal discomfort, misogyny, and the weakness of men who are otherwise praised and uplifted by their peers. She speaks into the shadows and the spotlight. She is inclusive and welcoming. No one is left on the outskirts.

This is a stunning and heartfelt journey which was an honour to read.

I absolutely thought it was wild to drop in that Coach Harper had dementia - I didn't understand why we hadn't been privy to the conversation of diagnosis, AND THEN THE CONVERSATION HAPPENS AT THE FIRE PIT AFTER FINDING OUT BUDGET DELAYS, quite literally a written back-against-the-ropes-ten-second-on-the-clock moment.

[Angie Miale · Rating 4 out of 5]

“A story isn’t the what, it’s the why and the how.”

Kate Fagan’s Instant Classic is subtitled A Love Story, and I initially assumed I was picking up a romance. Instead, it’s something much more expansive. This is a story about the love of basketball, the bonds between women across generations, the friendships that shape our lives, and the power of telling stories that deserve to be told.

The novel weaves together several timelines centered on the legendary Hanes Hosiery women’s basketball program. Harper Kidd dreams of escaping her small-town life through basketball before eventually becoming both a coach and a mentor to future WNBA superstar Jaz Jones. As Jaz’s remarkable career attracts the attention of a filmmaker hoping to bring her story to the screen, the novel shifts beyond the court into a thoughtful exploration of legacy, representation, and whose stories Hollywood chooses to tell.

One of the themes that resonated with me most was Fagan’s commentary on women’s sports—both on and off the screen. She points out how few films center female athletes, and even fewer celebrate queer women. That absence gives this novel an added layer of purpose. One quote in particular stayed with me: “The number of men holding back women’s sports while telling themselves they were its protectors was infuriating.” Fagan makes a compelling case that these stories matter, not simply because they’re about sports, but because they’re about people whose lives have too often been overlooked.

You don’t need to know anything about basketball to appreciate this novel. While sports provide the backdrop, the emotional heart lies in the relationships, the mentorships, and the determination to preserve history before it’s forgotten.

For me, the book truly came alive in its third act as the characters fought the Hollywood machine to get this story made. Those chapters were deeply moving and highlighted the importance of authentic representation in film. I also appreciated how Fagan explored the many different ways love can manifest outside of traditional romance.

My biggest reservation was the structure. While I enjoyed each timeline individually, I found myself wishing for a stronger thread connecting them throughout the novel. I also would have loved a bit more time spent developing the characters, as I occasionally felt at a slight emotional distance from them.

Even so, Kate Fagan continues to be one of the strongest voices writing about women, sports, and identity today. I still prefer her memoirs to her fiction, but her compassion, insight, and passion for these subjects shine through on every page. If you enjoyed Carrie Soto Is Back but are looking for something less about competition and more about legacy, storytelling, friendship, and the enduring love of the game, Instant Classic is well worth picking up.

Thank you to Atria Books and NetGalley for the advance electronic copy. Instant Classic publishes January 26, 2027.

[Becca Thomas · Rating 4 out of 5]

Women’s Sports are having a moment right now and it wouldn’t be possible without all the amazing women, especially queer women, who have been fighting for decades for the right to play. Instant Classic starts out as an ode to these women and I can’t think of an author more suited to write this story than Kate Fagan.

Jaz Jones is recovering from an injury and grappling with the fact that it might be the end of her basketball career. As she thinks about what comes next, Jaz decides it’s time to tell the story of her coach Harper Kidd and who better to do it than director Marion May who’s seated next to her at the Lakers game.

There were so many important storylines at play in this novel that it’s hard to know where to start, but I’m confident there will be something for everyone to enjoy.

When it comes to basketball, the novel doesn’t get bogged down in the details of particular games, instead just highlighting enough of the play to understand how the rules have changed and the moments that were most important to the players. This makes the novel accessible to readers who may not be big basketball fans. We see both the community that can come from a team sport like basketball and the silencing of queer players in order to present a version of women’s sports that is more “wholesome.” We even get the coaches and owners taking advantage of their power and players.

Marion’s denial of her sexuality was an interesting piece of the story that I would have liked to see explored more. Maybe just a conversation between her and Jaz acknowledging it at any point. It was great to see her reconcile with her Mom at the end.

Partway through it felt like focus shifted from basketball to the movie industry and we got to see all the grittiness that exists in Hollywood. Marion’s father is a jerk and the way he treats her fits right in with the Hollywood vibe. It was great to see her finally eschew that way of doing things throughout making the movie.

This review is already long without me discussing Harper’s aging, the final hurdle to get the movie made, and Harper and Ivy’s relationship. So to avoid spoilers I’ll leave those to be discovered on your own but just know that I have lots of thoughts about how they all play out.

At the end of the day I found myself wishing I could actually watch both the movie they made and a movie of the book. I don’t know what’s better storytelling than that.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC!

[Jamie P-Kretzschmar · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Powerful Love Letter to Queer Legacy and Sports
Kate Fagan is well-known for her heavy-hitting, impactful narratives, so I will admit I was slightly intimidated to pick this one up. However, Instant Classic completely captivated me. The cover—with its retro typography, palm trees, and the "A Love Story" subtitle—gives off a breezy, contemporary romance vibe. But readers should know going in: this is a sweeping work of women's fiction rather than a traditional, trope-heavy romance.

Instead of a straightforward rom-com, the book delivers a profound dual-timeline story centered around the love of basketball, female mentorship, and the fight for authentic queer representation. We follow Marion May, a modern-day Hollywood director trying to salvage her career, alongside a 1950s timeline focusing on Harper Kidd, a rising star in women's basketball whose legacy was unjustly erased.

What makes this book shine:

The Nuanced "Love Story": While there is romance, the true love story here is about queer history, the love of the game, and the deeply forged bonds of female friendship. Fagan draws heavily on her own background in sports, making the basketball elements feel incredibly grounded and authentic.
The Thematic Depth: The book tackles the erasure of queer identity and the struggles of being a woman in the public eye. It treats queerness as an important, celebrated legacy to be uncovered rather than just a plot device.

A quick note on structure:

The only reason this is a 4-star read instead of a full 5 is the dual-timeline structure. I often struggle with back-and-forth narratives because I inevitably end up favoring one era over the other, which can make the reading experience feel a bit uneven as you rush to get back to your preferred storyline. While Fagan handles the transitions beautifully and the connective tissue between Marion and Harper is incredibly strong, the pacing occasionally dips when jumping between the decades.

Overall, if you are looking for an expansive, thoughtful piece of women's literature that honors queer history and sports legacy, this is an absolute must-read. It is a heavier, more contemplative story than the cover suggests, but the emotional payoff is entirely worth it.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Danna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Instant Classic by Kate Fagan earns four stars for storyline and five for execution overall, though the pacing wobbles early on, averaging 4.5 stars rounded down for me. The novel weaves between the early 1950:, following Harper Kidd, a player on the real life Hanes Hosiery women's team out of North Carolina, and the present day, where an older Harper lives with a WNBA star she once coached, named Jaz. Jaz pitches the story of Harper's playing days to Marion May, a Hollywood producer struggling to step out from under her blockbuster director father's shadow, and together the three women turn it into the instant classic the title promises.

The premise alone is a delight, but what makes the book sing is how fully realized its characters are. Harper, Jaz, and Marion each feel distinct and lived in, and the historical sections do lovely work bringing the early days of women's basketball to life, the grit, the stakes, the sense of a sport still fighting for legitimacy while its players struggle to balance what society expects of them with their love for the sport. Fagan's prose has the smart, sharp wit her readers have come to expect, and it carries the book even through its rougher patches.

Those rougher patches show up mostly in the first third to half of the novel, where the back and forth between timelines goes so deep into each thread that it gets hard to find your footing again after a switch. You settle into one storyline only to be yanked into the other just as it's picking up steam, which made we want to stay put rather than jump. The book also runs a touch long overall, and tighter editing with smoother transitions between eras would have made for an even stronger read. That said, once the story hits its stride around the midpoint, the back and forth smooths out and the pages fly.

Overall, this comes recommended. It's a rich, funny, tender story with a premise you don't see often, and I'll be first in line for whatever Fagan writes next.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Favorite quotes:

“I think what’s happening is that you’re conflating the universe with the world,” Jaz said. “In my experience, those places are run by two very different CEOs.”

quote—if you don’t have time to do it right, when will you have time to do it over?—and

[Kristy · Rating 5 out of 5]

INSTANT CLASSIC is a love story, alright, a love story about basketball, women who love women, women's sports, and more.

Director Marion May needs a hit. Growing up in the shadow of her distant, famous father, she feels she has one last shot to make a film that matters. When she meets Jaz Jones, a star WNBA player, she feels sparks--both romantically and creatively. Jaz tells Marion the story of her coach, Harper Kidd, and her basketball legacy that goes back to the 1950s.

Marion has suppressed her own lesbian feelings for years, but spending time with Jaz and Harper opens up a whole new world. She learns about the one season Harper spent in the 1950s on the Hanes Hosiery women's basketball team, a pioneering team--and the devastating series of events that led her to leave the team (and basketball) behind. And how, many years later, she came to coach the spunky, irresistible Jaz.

The timeline in this story is slightly confusing; I was never fully sure if Marion had already heard a story from Harper and Jaz, or if she was adjusting something for her movie script, so I just went with it. No matter what, Harper's early years are absolutely fascinating and bringing in Jaz only adds more intrigue.

Fagan excels with the multiple POVs, letting us hear from these amazing talented women. It's an exercise in learning about early women's sports, but even if you aren't a basketball fan, you will love this story. It covers the pain and difficulty of feeling different, how often women were overlooked and mistreated--and how they persevered nonetheless. It's so easy to get lost in the narrative and Harper and Jaz's stories. I really enjoyed this one. 4.5 stars.

I received a copy of this book from Netgalley and Atria Books in return for an unbiased review.

[liv · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of my goals this year is to read more books with sapphic couples and more especially lesbian couples and this book hits that goalpost several times and beautiful so.

There so many elements here, Hollywood and women's basketball and what happens after the audience is not longer looking and how to be queer in both those spaces throughout history and how to survive it authentically to the best of your abilities.

Despite feeling like some chapters just ended a tad too abruptly for me, I overall loved how Kate Fagan constructed this story. We get to live it with Harper as she's telling it to Marion since we travel in time as the events unveil and I felt like that made a big difference in how we connect with those characters.

Instant Classic is one more instance where we can see how representation matters, not only queer but also female representation where we are repeatedly told it's not our place, sports is just one more prevalent occasion. Kate Fagan affirms and shows in an achingly beautiful way that we deserve to be where we want to be, when we went to be in and with who want to be with.

Thank you to Netgalley and Atria Books for providing me with this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

[Julia Gonsalves · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this!!

Going into Instant Classic, I wasn’t sure how much I’d connect with a story centered around basketball, but it ended up being about so much more than sports. It’s really about legacy, identity, and making sure the stories of women who came before us don’t get forgotten. That was easily my favorite part of the book.

I also loved the friendships and the relationships throughout the story. Everything felt genuine, and I found myself rooting for the characters. The multiple timelines were a little confusing for me at first, and it took a while to really get into, but once everything started connecting, I was hooked. The ending especially pulled everything together so well.

The only reason this wasn’t a five-star read for me is that I wish I’d connected with some of the characters a little sooner. It felt like it took me a while to become emotionally invested, but once I did, I was really glad I stuck with it.

Overall, this was a thoughtful, unique read that shines a light on a part of sports history I didn’t know much about. I’d definitely recommend it, even if you’re not a basketball fan.

Thank you to Atria Books and NetGalley for providing me with an advance copy in exchange for an honest review..

[Corky · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 rounded up

This is a tough one because while there was a lot of good things about this book, the pacing was all wrong and I felt checked out early. 


Early in the book as dive into Harper's young basketball days, I'm captivated. Then we transition to this weird limbo where we learn little more about the most interesting topics. We unfortunately spent a lot of time with Marion who I found boring and adolescent. 


The opening, set post production, honestly ruined the story for me because I knew the whole time the film was going to get produced/aired! So every setback was like 'oh well'.


I really like this author, but I do notice a pattern of sorts on her storytelling in novels that makes me frustrated as reader. A lot of telling rather than showing, jumping around between time lines and narrators without adding value, and big plot holes. Will I come back for sapphic protagonists? Probably.

[Fernanda (ivyfer_isreading) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Instant Classic is about a director making a movie telling the story of a women's basketball player. I love this type of book format, where we learn the story with our protagonist via someone telling their life story, so I really loved that part. The beginning of the book was the strongest part for me, the middle was a little stale but we picked up rhythm again once the filming process started. You can clearly see the author knows a lot about the subjects, the historical parts dealing with racism and the difficulty of being a woman playing sports in the 1900s(and to this day, let's be honest) was very good.
I like the ending, but the solution to the conflict was a little sloppy for me, I don't think it was believable but men are stupid so who knows.

Thank you Edelweiss+ and Atria for the ARC.

[Garrett · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you to Atria Books, Net Galley, and Kate Fagan for this ARC! Instant Classic is set to publish in January 2027!

I was so excited to read this one! It just took me a little longer to read and I felt like my interest ebbed and flowed throughout (but that may be due to external factors).

I really liked the character development throughout the book. I do think the plot sort of drug on at times. I also think there was a lot happening and some of the shifting timelines didn’t make sense. I feel like while the story was cohesive in the end, it may not have felt that way the entire time (if that makes sense). I definitely was more invested in the beginning than the end. I loved the combination of sports and film, so I was definitely motivated to stick it through. Overall I enjoyed this one and liked it!

[Tori :) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you to Simon & Schuster for the ARC!

Instant Classic was a wonderful story of inter generational friendship, coming to terms with ourselves, and finding love along the way. I love how descriptive Kate Fagan is with the journey of the movie’s production, I felt like I was watching a movie in real-life!

At the beginning, the multi-person narrative was a bit hard to keep up with. Once I established the characters clearly, I didn’t have as difficult of a time. I’m always a sucker for a happy ending, and Instant Classic delivers just that.

I’m excited to dive into Fagan’s other works now!

[Leah Jones · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the Advanced Copy in exchange for an honest review!

I loved this book, more than I even expected to. This was unlike anything I’d ever read. Part Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo, part sports story, all love story.

This is the story of women in love. In love with life, in love with sports, in love with art, in love with each other. The format is unique, and I love how pieces were revealed in almost “real time” as Marion uncovers them.

There were several lines that made me stop and reflect on how beautifully written they were. I know this is one that I’m going to be thinking about for a long time.

[Lindsay Hughes · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read, and generally enjoyed, Kate Fagan’s first book when I read it. However, looking back on my review of it now, I have many of the same qualms still with this book and don’t remember a thing about it.

I really liked the premise of this and I was enthralled by Harper’s POV back in the beginning of women’s basketball. However, that piece isn’t as long as I’d like it to be, and we spend a lot more time with Marion, who felt a little underdeveloped and immature, and the will they/won’t they relationship with Jaz, which made the pacing feel off and far too long. There were a lot of extraneous subplots that felt unnecessary, and everything wrapped up just too perfectly at the end.

[Stephanie Peterman · Rating 3 out of 5]

two sapphic love stories on a genre-bending hollywood sports metaphor! i enjoyed this book overall, but it felt like there was too much happening — stories within stories, alternating POVs, and shifting timelines every other chapter — it really needed my full attention and i still couldn’t keep every character straight (pun intended lol). an entertaining read that felt a bit heavy-handed at times, but obviously a product of lived experience.

thank you to netgalley and the publisher for the ARC. 3.5 ⭐️

[Julianne Nanzer · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you to Atria Books and Net Galley for the opportunity to dive into this Advanced Readers Copy of Instant Classic.

I enjoyed one of Fagan’s other books, thought this cover was cute and thought I’d be interested. If I can be honest, this book immediately read super YA, corny and overly descriptive. While the premise of the story seemed really unique and fun, I just don’t think this is my vibe. I wanted something a bit more serious and less YA.

DNF at 5%.

[Claire B · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m a sucker for a mid-twentieth century lesbian story!! And one this well-written, with its dual plot lines of the past and the present? Icing on the cake! Definitely will be recommending to my friends.

(Not quite five stars - I felt like there were some pacing issues)

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria for the ARC in exchange for my review.

[Mary Ann Slovick · Rating 4 out of 5]

Oh man this book had it all! Women's sports, civil rights, dual timeline with characters you can't help but cheer for. It's a love letter to basketball and the powerful stories we need to preserve, rooted in friendship and coaching with a tender journey through Queer identity. Thank you Atria Books and NetGalley for the ARC! Out January 2027!

[Samantha Dowd · Rating 5 out of 5]

A story about love, loss & finding ourselves, Fagan wove real history into her latest book. My favorite character was Jaz & my favorite relationship was Harper & Jaz - their intimate familial relationship was a joy to read about. Highly recommend!

[Donna · Rating 4 out of 5]

DRC from Edelweiss and Atria Books / Simon & Schuster
Heartwarming historical fiction story about some of the women who broke barriers while playing women’s basketball on a National level. Told in two time-lines, Marion, a former basketball player now makes movies. Looking for ideas, she runs into Jaz, a basketball star. Jaz has a movie idea for Marion and introduces her to Harper, Jaz’s former coach. Harper the tells the story of basketball, women’s rights, or lack thereof, and being a lesbian in the 50’s. What follows is part fiction, part history, part romance, and part perseverance in order to shed light on a forgotten part of history.

[Carolyn Fagan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Marion was a bit of a wild card for me, and it took me a while to warm up to her, but Jaz and Harper were perfection from the get-go. I loved Jaz for living as her true self, and Harper for her immense perseverance. Fagan takes us on an incredible journey, exploring a lesser-known facet of women’s basketball history from the mid-1900s through the current WNBA. At its heart, it is a beautiful story about Harper and Jaz and their dynamic relationship as coach, player, mentor, and friends. The process of turning their history into a movie felt completely cinematic in its scope and description. The episodes of blatant homophobia and misogyny that the characters endured were handled masterfully, perfectly capturing the heavy toll that microaggressions can have on a person. I devoured this in less than 24 hours—her best book yet!

Thanks to the author, NetGalley and Atria for the ARC