I really enjoyed The Three Lives of Cate Kay, it was gripping, twisty and had a great cast of characters. The only thing for me, was that the frequent perspective changes made the story hard to follow at times.

Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the chance to read this.

I enjoyed this very clever and well written book which insisted you read it with full attention and not assume anything about the characters or plot.
Having said that, there were occasions I did have to remind myself who was who, and I wasn't sure about the Cate Kay footnotes but overall an entertaining story of discovering one's true identity
Thank you to netgalley and Bloomsbury Publishing for an advance copy of this book.

Cate Kay is a best-selling author, her dystopian books taking the world by storm. But Cate Kay is a pseudonym, and no-one knows who the author really is. It’s no publishing house stunt to garner publicity though: this writer fully intends to stay absolutely anonymous. 

Everyone loves the chase and the puzzle to solve, but no-one has got close to finding out who Cate Kay really is. And in all of her lives, behind all of her names, there are secrets and betrayals. But now her anonymity is getting more precarious and she needs to decide what matters most.

Cate has a lot to lose. 

The story is told initially primarily from Cate’s perspective, in parallel current-day narratives alongside throwbacks to her younger days. Then later we do get to jump into the perspective of some of the other key characters, and occasionally we get short-chapter glimpses into other characters and their relationships with Cate. There’s also a clever matryoshka-doll construction of books within books, and the annotations and footnotes build a 360° experience that’s immersive rather than dizzying. 

There’s no denying that there’s a strong Taylor Jenkins Reid vibe about the book, in tone and topic, but it stands strong on its own merits: “yes, and” rather than imitative. The tension builds well and there are some brilliant gasp-out-loud dramatic scenes.

Cate / Cass (“what a life I wasn’t living”) as the central character is compelling. She’s complex and sometimes frustrating and unlikeable and almost always relatable and I loved her. 

Amanda (“nothing seemed right”) is where it all began and I loved her. 

Ryan (“my sweet spot was a full redemption arc in about two hours”) hit every Hollywood cliché but also she’s so much more and I loved her. 

Sidney (“morality is a delicate ecosystem”) is a flint-faced lawyer, always sussing the angles, and I loved her. 

The book deconstructs many types of female relationships - friends, family, colleagues, lovers - and does so with both clear-eyed pragmatism and a tenderness that cracked my heart. Where male characters are included in the book they are (though still interesting characters) mainly bridges in the plot, and a satisfying subversion of tired writing tropes. 

The Three Lives of Cate Kay is entertaining and readable, but it’s much more than that. I found a set of characters that were nuanced and engrossing, and a plot that drew me in and kept me guessing. As a debut novel this is a strong start, and I believe there’s great things to come from Kate Fagan.

This title will be released on Jan 7, 2025. Thank you Bloomsbury for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

Who is Cate Kay?
Cate Kay is the most famous author on the planet. But it’s just a name. Somehow, despite her bestselling novels and the record-breaking film franchise, the writer has remained completely anonymous.
Anne Marie Callahan is the name nobody knows. Only the people she left behind. And Annie knows there’s no one there anymore who could connect the dots between the girl who ran away all those years ago and the famous novelist.

This didn’t work for me. Different people’s point of view I found confusing and, in my opinion, added nothing to the flow of the book. I found it painfully slow in places. Sorry, not for me.

This book was so fun to read the writing and pacing was very good. I enjoyed growing up with these characters and especially loved learning how Annie evolved into Cass then Cate. The chapters from many different characters were engaging especially as they were complied like a (auto)biography with occasional input from Cate. Although I am not usually a fan of miscommunication this was done with purpose and felt real. Overall this was a book I looked forward to reading every time I picked it up.

Really enjoyed the Taylor Jenkins Reid vibes that this book gave off! It not only goes over the 'memoirs' of the famous Cate Kay, but also all the other important people in her life, including their perspectives on the controversial event that leaves Cate (Anna Maria? Cass?) sure she can never go back home. Anna Maria escapes the small town she was brought up (by her neglectful mother) after a disastrous event she can't bring herself to talk about. She reinvents herself and discovers new relationship as well as things about herself she thought would stay covered up forever...

I thought that this would work really well as an audiobook as well as a film, and really thought all the various characters came to life with their strong voices and identity.

I would definitely recommend and be interested in anything else that Kate Fagan writes. Many thanks to the publishers and Netgalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I'm still not sure how I feel about this book, it has certainly given me a lot to think about and reflect on, and I am quite pleased there's that conflict there because it's certainly an interesting read.
I initially wasn't sure about the format, with different voices in each chapter giving their own perspectives followed often by "author notes" from the main character. It settles into its own about halfway though and certainly the last 30% of the book I was really invested and I felt that emotional connection finally to the characters and their stories.

The “Three Lives of Cate Kay” by Kate Fagan is a novel about ambition, identity, guilt and the different layers that make up an individual. In it, “Cate Kay” looks back on the various phases of her life, drawing on letters, interviews, and other documents, to incorporate other people’s perspectives. Having written a best seller and achieved her ambitions, Cate should be lauded, and instead she feels she must hide her identity and an incident in her past. This leads to her being vulnerable to others and uncertain who she can trust. For me, this is a fantastic exploration of the complexity of people and how views of them can change and be multifaceted. This was a relaxed read, but also one that left an impression.

Thank you Bloomsbury and NetGalley for this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book is often compared to The Seven Husband of Evelyn Hugo. I understand where that comes from: the book pictures Hollywood glamour, the fmc writes a memoir and there are multiple timelines. Still, The Three Lives of Cate Kay is entirely different.
I liked the multiple povs and thriller-like feel of the book. Most characters were flawed and some were slightly problematic, but I liked their development. The pacing was perfect and kept me reading for hours to figure out what happened in the past and what would happen in the future.
Ryan's pov was the most interesting, and I liked her and Cate's relationship.
However, the ending felt a bit too rushed. I would've preferred more to be shown rather than told since there were some things I still have questions about...

Overall, it was still a good story, and I'd read more of Kate Fagan's books in the future.

I really enjoyed this. It is different to anything I have read before and I loved how it shows how love can last a lifetime even when you don’t see each other. I well recommend this for a quirky read.

A brilliant debut novel! This book has been continuously marketed for fans of The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo and it’s safe to say THEYRE RIGHT!! I couldn't put this book down once I started it A fantastic read, easily 5 stars

I really enjoyed this book! It was easy and quick to read, and it was a nice Saturday evening/Sunday morning gentle read. The characters were fun, I enjoyed all of the POVs and seeing the same events through different eyes. Lots of people are comparing this to the Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo which I can see the similarities to, but it’s definitely its own story worthy of standing on its own two feet. A great read.

This was marketed as for fans of "The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo" and I do think it has enough of the glamour, celebrity and mystery of Evelyn to merit the comparison. What I liked most about this book though was Amanda and Annie's friendship - Kate Fagan really captured that unique dynamic of living in each others pocket, understanding each others thoughts, moods, desires and fears of young female friendship. The type of friendship where you have your own secret language of inside jokes and phrases, and everyone from the outside can see how much you love each other. It broke my heart the whole time they were apart - Sidney was the worst type of person, my god.

Kate also captured that hungry feeling of adolescence where you want to eat the world and everything in it. I've not read that articulated quite so well as in this book. The conclusion Annie comes to regarding this hunger particularly struck a cord with me, I'll be thinking about it for a long time.

I thought the snippets of "The Very Last" were great, giving us insight into Annie's mental state, and how much she loved Amanda.

The odd chapters from minor characters were interesting enough, often seeding elements of unreliable narration - but that element didn't really go anywhere unfortunately, so I'm not sure those chapters were necessary.

I loved Ryan and Annie, I just wish we'd had more of their reunion.

Thank you to Netgalley and Bloomsbury publishing Plc for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I enjoyed this debut novel, the writing was very good and the structure of the story flowed beautifully.

This book reminds me of the seven husbands of Evelyn Hugo in the way we get to know the FMC following different timelines to bring us to the present.

It was easy to get to know the FMC and who she really is. The author provided detail, created specific settings/world building and helped build an emotional connection to the story.

If this doesn’t speak romcom perfection I don’t know what does!… I was so delighted with the warm fuzzy feeling this book left me with
Found myself laughing out loud and smiling throughout this book… If you love cozy stories, some cute romance… this book is for you!

The Three Lives of Cate Kay

Cate Kay is a very successful author but no-one knows who she is... or do they? Because her multi-million bestseller books have lots of references to things that will mean something to someone she lost along the way... or did she? As we read various peoples' contributions to Cate's biography, her three lives are gradually revealed.

Wow, WOW, what a brilliant story, I absolutely LOVED it! Fantastic premise, characters, storylines, intrigue, settings... everything. And I really REALLY loved the friendship between Annie and Amanda, especially the dialogue and in-jokes... Cate with a Kay! Can't wait to see what the author writes next - what a talent. Very VERY highly recommended.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book.

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC of this book!

I really enjoyed the story of Cate Kay and how she came to be, and I feel that the writing style and structure was very novel and intriguing. By choosing to switch between characters and years in each chapter I felt the author allowed me to connect with and better understand each person in Annie’s life. This definitely made it easier to relate to them and, though often I disagreed with them, I understood their purpose.

From the very start I found this book difficult to put down as I felt swept up in the main character’s life instantly. The way the writer describes relationships, settings and emotions is so specific and allows you to instantly picture and empathise with the characters.

The only downside for me was that I felt the book may have been slightly shorter and a few areas felt more like filler, but I would still very much recommend it to others!

I really enjoyed the multi-perspective, back and forth in time style of this book. It’s so easy for books like this to become confusing but I found this so easy to follow despite the different POVs and timelines, and the fact that we’re also technically reading Cate Kay’s memoir.

I can see why this book is being compared to Taylor Jenkins Reid’s work, as it definitely has that Hollywood glamour, gritty underbelly vibe that we know so well from her books, but I think Kate Fagan has done something really unique with the character of Cate/Cass/Annie that I haven’t seen before. I love messy human stories with characters you truly connect with; I wanted to scream at the pages at certain points, and it was so reminiscent of watching a film and knowing what you want to happen and being so on edge as you watch those characters make all the wrong choices!

I was so fully invested in this book, in Cass and Ryan’s relationship and the confusion that tears them apart, as well as Cass’ beautiful friendship with Amanda. There wasn’t a single character that shouldn’t have been there and it was so satisfying to see everything click into place so perfectly at the end. I can truly see this being a film. I could’ve easily read this in a couple of sittings if I didn’t have to work, and would 100% recommend it to anyone!

A haunting exploration of friendship, loss, and the ripple effects of tragedy. From the very first pages, I was immersed in a world shaped by girlhood, love, and the complexities of relationships. The emotional depth of the story kept me engaged, and I didn’t want to leave its intimate world.
The use of multiple points of view is one of the novel’s strongest features. Each character offers a distinct lens on the events, adding depth and complexity to the narrative. Even characters I didn’t necessarily “like” were integral to the story, each contributing to the emotional richness that made the final picture feel complete.
The portrayal of the characters is nuanced and realistic, avoiding simplistic labels of “good” or “bad.” Their flaws, fears, and vulnerabilities make them relatable and the dynamics between them are raw and emotional, reflecting the messiness of real life.
I also appreciated the inclusion of Annie’s cliffnotes, a device that often feels overused in fiction. Fagan uses it effectively, giving Cate’s voice another layer and adding to the emotional impact of the story.
Overall, The Three Lives of Cate Kay is a beautifully complex and captivating tale about how life unfolds in unexpected ways. Fagan’s sharp prose and multifaceted characters stay with you long after the final page. A compelling read that I won’t soon forget.

An interesting and intriguing tale about an author called Cate Kay, told from different perspectives over 3 stages of her life. This book was interesting, unusual, and had me hooked from the very beginning. I read it over a couple of days and it was a definite page turner. Fabulous read!