Initial review (August 2024)- What I've read is really good and reminded me of Genuine Fraud, but the formatting of the ebook didn't work for me as it was all over the place on kindle and too small print on Netgalley. I might try it again because it is very good so far.

Edit 15.1.24 - the publishers have very kindly sent an epub version which is much easier to read. I would recommend this fantastic book to fans of E. Lockhart and Taylor Jenkins Reid. Thank you to Netgalley and Bloomsbury Publishing for the ARC.

Well this one really got me. We start with two true soulmate best friends as teenagers. When a tragedy happens, they both struggle to deal with the fallout in their own ways. Meanwhile we follow the story of Cate Kay, esteemed author and mysterious figure in the literary world. Everyone wants to know who Cate Kay is but almost nobody knows her whole story. Amongst the mystery, we explore a host of relationship dynamics. Romance between women, controlling relationships, chosen family, instant connection and lost love. A special read that kept me hooked.

I enjoyed this book, but it’s not one that particularly stands out for me. I liked the queer romance, or romances I should say. The longing and the different types of relationship that the main character had with each of the characters. I liked the journey she went on and the level of meaning in the novel she wrote, though I kept wondering whether this book would have equal meaning to someone out there in the world.

I have to mention the disability rep in this book, because it’s something I care about a lot. This could easily have been a character becoming disabled in order to change the main character’s life. And in many ways, the accident did change her life. But I felt that Amanda was well fleshed out and the author put effort into showing her life beyond the disability. I loved how it didn’t fall into the trap of saying her life was over because she was disabled. It may be a low bar, but showing that a disabled person’s life isn’t lesser because they’re disabled is important.

I also really liked Ry a lot. I liked how fame was shown in this book, especially queer fame. How Ryan wasn’t able to be out at first because it was the 90s and a lesbian film star would have been a bigger deal than it would be today.

Overall, it was a good book. I enjoyed it a lot and I might read things from the author in the future.

A simply wonderful book! I have to say, one of my top 20 best-ever reads.

A life within a life within a life as Annie segues into the life as Cass, who makes a huge splash as Cate. And yet, as Cass struggles to find herself in the pages that Cate Cay writes, she finds herself always called back by the echoes of Annie and her small-town home life… and what happened to drive her away.

I’ll say no more about the story itself so as not to spoil a single word.

Kate Fagan has created a compelling narrative and neatly used multiple POVs to flesh out the life of one woman suffused in three identities. (I defy you not to cry at Carl’s brief section, seemingly unrelated at first but with a lovely payoff.)

This is a magnificent story of living your life in the present, in the moments… and how easy that is to say but how very hard it can be when your past never ceases its whispers of blame, guilt, and regret. And what might have been.

Yet, who is to say which paths, ultimately, are better? Those we would choose or those we endure? Will Annie/Cass/Cate (“with a motherfucking C!”) understand the tapestry of her life as fate, or can she grasp and hold onto what she wants? Although, does she deserve to?

I fully expect this amazing book to make a real splash this year. If there is any justice, it will.

Thank you to the author and publisher and to NetGalley for the opportunity to laugh and cry as I folded myself into the pages of this masterpiece.

Demolished this book in record time. The author cleverly ensured an unrelenting pace, switching between points of view, past and present, and adding a third medium, chapters from the lead characters book. Lots of clever ideas and mystery that kept the reader completely engrossed and desperate to understand the journey and outcome of Cate Kay.

Thank you #NetGalley for the opportunity to read and rate Kate Fagan’s debut novel. I loved this book and the way it provided a multi-layered fictionalised memoir of three lives of one character over a long period. It was interesting the way it was a book placed inside a book as was interlaced with chapters from Cate Kay’s famous novels.

It explores longing and love. Desire and fear. How taking the wrong path can make us vulnerable and afraid to turn back to out things right. How we can be taken advantage of and never question things that can be untrue.

You just want the lead character to be happy and find what makes her complete. Friendship can be so powerful when we are young and it shapes who we are.

I found the narrative engaging and didn’t mind the shifting timelines.

When I come to the end I was truly satisfied and found it all came together in a rounded why that felt perfect.

I really enjoyed this book. Reminded me of a little of a taylor Jenkins reid novel. If you like glamour and just good stories. Pick up you won't be disappointed.

The novel is an interesting multi-perspective, multi-timeline journey. Fagan expertly interlaces Cate’s real-life struggles with excerpts from her fictional work, creating a novel-within-a-novel effect that’s utterly captivating. The chapters from Cate’s books are so vivid and compelling, they made me wish I could read that book too.

Cate’s journey is both relatable and frustrating. She’s a character you root for, even as she makes questionable choices that make you want to reach into the pages and steer her in another direction.

The shifting timelines and perspectives keep the narrative engaging, the emotional payoff is satisfying, and the resolution ties together the threads of Cate’s three lives in a way that feels just right.

I loved this book, it reminded me in pace and energy of Daisy Jones & The Six and I couldn't put it down in much the same way. Whilst the story in itself felt simple and believable the depth of writing and the unfussy way in which the author developed the story and characters was wonderful. It's a book I want to re-read and have already recommended to others. I'm sure it will be a huge hit

I was completely absorbed by this book, which unravels the story of the secretive bestselling author Cate Kay: why did they come to be such an enigma? It's told as a biography-in-progress from the perspective of multiple characters, with excerpts from the author's bestselling book woven in too.

While some elements of the storyline/outcome could feel a little predictable, the way we got there wasn't. I was also totally absorbed in it and rooting for the characters and the eventual outcome. I sped through it, addicted to the book in a way I haven't been for a long time. And the way the LGBTQIA+ storylines feel packaged in a bestseller-ready novel is refreshing too.

If you love stories about people, intertwining narratives, a bit of Hollywood and stories about love in its many forms, give this book a go.

If you like Evelyn Hugo, you will adore Cate Kay!

It's not so glamorous. It's not old Hollywood vibes, golden era or blink so you can see in Evelyn.
Here, we have a real life, with true problems, serious danger and being in the middle of someone life who is known at least under 3 different names. Why? That's a good question and I'll let you find out while reading.

Complex story about finding yourself. About dreams bigger than life. About fear, shyness and desire to be more at the same time.
Full of emotions, you can fill it on every page, chapter, part.

I woudn't say I understand every decision made by Cate, but I'm absolutely impressed how she managed even though her life is far from perfect.
Great atmosphere, awesome story.

Thank you Bloomsbury Publishing + NetGalley for the opportunity to read an ARC of The Three Lives of Cate Kay. This took a hot minute to get into because of all the names mentioned but once you get into the changing POVs and timeline it’s an engaging read. It reads like a real memoir and I constantly had to remind myself it was fiction. I was half expecting to be able to find a Wikipedia page for Anne Marie Callaghan, Cate Kay or even Cass Ford by the time I finished it, they felt like a real life person.

It took me a beat to get into this as I kept getting muddled with the names, but once I did I couldn’t read it quickly enough. Kate Fagan has created three enchanting characters that I just wanted to know everything about and a story with so many layers that you can’t help but get pulled into it.
One of the things that really appealed to me was the exploration of how one action/decision drives so much of what comes after, the tendrils snaking out across the years and wrapping around seemingly unconnected situations, shaping them to their will.
The comparisons to Taylor Jenkins Reid make perfect sense to me, it has the same vibe as Evelyn Hugo and Daisy Jones, and the writing evokes that familiarisation and recognition of the emotions and reactions the characters experience - it’s very relatable even though the lives are extraordinary.

An engrossing read.

Cate Kay is a famous author - a very famous author - and yet no-one knows who she is. Anne Marie Callahan is who she used to be, but no-one she grew up with would know her now. If asked, she introduces herself as Cass Ford. Three names, one woman ... and she's finally ready to tell her own story and reveal herself to the world.

Firstly, let me say that I haven't read the Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo but if I had it would have put me off reading this one - I find that kind of marketing to be a real turn off. Nor am I particularly interested in the labels given to books except the most basic, i.e. mystery, romance etc. So I came to this book with an open mind and no expectations and I LOVED it! Beautifully written, well paced and a novel which kept me interested and entertained all the way to the end. Kate Fagan is certainly a writer I'll be happy to read again in future. For me, 4.5* and my recommendation.

My thanks to the publisher for my copy via NetGalley; this is - as always - my honest, original and unbiased review.

I really enjoyed this novel, and I can see why others have linked it to 'The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo' because there are similarities - if you liked Evelyn Hugo, you will like this novel, too!. Cate Kay is the pseudonym of writer Cass Ford - but Cass is the name chosen by Annie, who, following a tragedy at the age of 18, leaves behind her hometown and dysfunctional family to re-invent herself. The story is told partly by Cate/Cass/Annie, and partly by those around her. I particularly enjoyed Cate's footnotes on the chapters written by other characters - her notes on their versions of what had happened. I read it over a couple of days, so a good choice if you are looking for a page turner.

Felt strange reading a book within a book but loving the idea of it being the memoir of a famous writer who wrote her books using a pen name and took lots of steps to prevent anyone ever finding out her name.
Ive seen this book advertised everywhere as “if you loved the seven husbands of Evelyn Hugo you will love this” but it’s actual true. It’s a similar style and the author pulls it off so well.
I seen some reviews saying they didn’t like the side characters chapters and they were unnecessary but I enjoyed them I felt as though it gave a full rounded pov on her life and character and also the actions behind others who made decisions that changed the course of her life.
I also loved the little added humour of the author who obviously has to spell her name to everyone she meets. Cate with a K
🌟🌟🌟🌟

Release Date - 9th January 2025

Reasonably entertaining but a bit of a slow starter and I found it a little hard to keep up with whose story I was reading due to the multiple povs.

My thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book.

I loved this book, it felt very personal to go on this journey with Cate and discover her truth, I felt very invested.

I really enjoyed this book. It's a memoir of someone who has 3 different identities. It took me a while to get into it, but I liked it.
I wanted to keep reading, couldn't get enough, and I actually thought it was quite an emotional read.
I liked it.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The Three Lives of Cate Kay by Kate Fagan is a glamorous and unique romance with some dramatic turns and heartbreaks. This is a story about what we want, what we need and do we care what others think. Story that shows - that not all we want is actually what we want..

I really wanted to love this story because we were promised by Cosmo 'If you loved the Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo, then you will be obsessed with this'... I loved Evelyn Hugo. This is different, this is so different!

First of all, I was constantly confused by timelines and points of view, some timelines I struggled to follow and some timelines I loved. It was confusing as some chapters lost me completely and some chapters sucked me back in... I wish I would read separately each storylines as there were many: Annie, Kerri, Ryan, Mr. Riley, Cass, Brett, Sidney, Amanda, Melody, Jake, Janie, Patricia and Carl - you know what I mean? I was lost!

Based on the good ratings I believe that it was too complicated for me and you must to read it to know, if this is your next five-star book!