The obvious comparison to make with this book is The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid, which the publisher also lists on their press release with the book. (Strangely enough I also felt the same way about The Scandalous Life of Ruby Devereaux – are these similarities intentional from writers and publishers, I wonder?) Fans of those books may well enjoy this one for the same reasons (warning that there are spoilers for both books in the following review!): the sense of a mysterious central celebrity heroine looking back on her life, writing about it, wanting to tell her story in her own words. However, the queer relationships are more front-and-centre in this novel rather than being the background twist, which I appreciated. This novel is told in fragments from different perspectives, and I did sometimes wish that there was more differentiation in the voices between the different characters and styles, especially as an important element of the book is that the eponymous Cate has lived multiple ‘double lives’, so it was sometimes harder to follow the relationships and stakes.
REESE'S BOOK CLUB PICK! "This story swept me away with its big dreams, love, and unexpected twists." --Reese Witherspoon (Reese's Book Club January '25 Pick)
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.
'Such clever and multilayered plotting from a highly original storyteller.' Edel Coffey, Irish Times bestselling author of Breaking Point
Readers love The Three Lives of Cate Kay: 'I really enjoyed this book. It was original, creative with a great story and is very well written' ***** 'A beautiful and captivating story' ***** 'I didn't want it to end, a book I really couldn't put down' ***** 'The way that this book has been written is pure genius' ***** 'I loved this book' ***** 'Keeps you turning the pages well into the night' *****
Author
About Kate Fagan
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 further non-fiction titles, a former professional basketball player, and spent seven years with ESPN. Kate currently lives in Charleston with her wife.
