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The Three Lives of Cate Kay

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The Three Lives of Cate Kay

By: Kate Fagan
Narrated by: Corey Brill, Daniel Henning, Emily Woo Zeller, Fred Sanders, Genevieve Kingston, Helen Laser, Hillary Huber, Imani Jade Powers, Jackie Sanders, Kevin R. Free, Marin Ireland, Tessa Albertson
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About this listen

Bloomsbury presents The Three Lives of Cate Kay by Kate Fagan.

Read by Marin Ireland, Tessa Albertson, Genevieve Kingston, Imani Jade Powers, Corey Brill, Kevin R. Free, Daniel Henning, Hillary Huber, Helen Laser, Fred Sanders, Jackie Sanders, and Emily Woo Zeller

For fans of The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo, comes a debut novel from an amazing new talent.

‘Such clever and multilayered plotting from a highly original storyteller.' Edel Coffey, Irish Times bestselling author of Breaking Point

'If you loved the Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo, then you will be obsessed with this' Cosmo

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.

If you asked, she’d say her name was Cass Ford. That’s what her barista shouts each morning. And it’s how she introduces herself to the woman she’ll eventually call the love of her life.

Three names, three lives. But Cate Kay is finally ready to tell you who she really is.

And when the truth is out, will everyone’s favourite novelist hold on to her place in our hearts or are some betrayals impossible to forgive?

Kate Fagan is the author of several New York Times bestselling non fiction books. Her debut novel is an astounding achievement. The Three Lives of Cate Kay explores the cost of ambition, the longings of first (and second and third) love, and how it's never too late to go home.

©2025 Kate Fagan (P)2025 Bloomsbury Publishing Plc Friendship Genre Fiction Literature & Fiction Heartfelt Marriage

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Critic reviews

The Three Lives of Cate Kay is the perfect book for anyone who has ever had to choose between a relationship and the pursuit of a dream. A delight from beginning to end. (Tasha Coryell, author of Love Letters to a Serial Killer)
Readers who crave a thriller’s pulse and a literary novel’s perception will be rapt and delighted by Fagan’s gripping and heartfelt debut. (Emily Habeck, USA Today bestselling author of Shark Heart)
An emotionally driven thriller that explores friendship, love, and the pitfalls of fame. I couldn’t stop reading this twisty, big-hearted novel. The Three Lives of Cate Kay is simply unputdownable! Kate Fagan is a masterful storyteller. (Emiko Jean, New York Times bestselling author of The Return of Ellie Black)
An addictive page-turner infused with humor and heart, The Three Lives of Cate Kay balances the dishy allure of The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo with the empathy of Slow Dance. A joy to read from first page to last. (Melissa Albert, New York Times bestselling author of The Hazel Wood)
The Three Lives of Cate Kay is a captivating novel of deep friendship and dark secrets. Come for the twisty turns and celebrity glamor, stay for Kate Fagan's bighearted writing and all-too-human characters. I can't stop thinking about it. (Laura Hankin, author of A Special Place for Women)
All stars
Most relevant  
What a good story- and kept you going with the multiple voices (chapters told from main character and minor character perspectives). Loved understanding how Cate Kay evolved and why. Really enjoyable.

Really enjoyed this multi layered story of friendship, love, loss and redemption

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A wonderful story with great characters that is bound to stay with you. Couldn’t stop listening. Felt like it was made to be an audio book.

Fantastic.

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Loved this. Read after it was recommended and had no idea what it was about but was hooked!

Beautiful

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This is a really good book, the style was very good, and the audio book being read by different people for the different characters, was just superb!

A good listen!

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It’s beautiful. The writing, the characters, their lives, the intricate way their lives are threaded together. The love, loss and pain that grips your heart from the outset and doesn’t let you go until the very end. She holds your heart with her words and cradles your hope throughout shocking moments (I blurted out ‘NO!’ in shocked disbelief while listening on headphones during my workout at the gym - you’ll know where, when you read it), and then gently lets you go. It will stay with me forever.

There’s a reason this is No.1

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One of the most compelling and emotional books I have read in a really long time. I am so conscious not to spoil anything for all of the lucky future readers that I’m going to leave it at that. Enjoy!

Everything!

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Excellent listened in one sitting. It’s funny, sad and very moving. Fav book of the year so far …

Couldn’t stop listening

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I enjoyed the story but so many questions were no answered. I still don’t understand why she would leave her friend when she didn’t even know if she was ok or not when she was meant to be in love with her. Yes she was scared but is that really enough motivation to leave the love of your life, make yourself homeless and start from scratch. I’m not convinced. Also why did Amanda forgive her? That thought process was not explored. I also didn’t like all the different perspectives, yes the three main characters were useful but did we really need a chapter of perspective from the guy who sorts the mail? Probably not. Also I did not enjoy the bits from the author they were just pointless interruptions.

I enjoyed this but so many things unanswered

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a very very tentative three stars, realistically 2.5?

there were two things about this book i could not get behind: the utter speed at which the plot and character relationships moved and how every single thing had to be explicitly explained as soon as it was hinted at. nothing was left to the readers. any kind of mystery or question the book gave was immediately solved/answered in the next chapter, as if the book was afraid that anything left up in the air would leave it unreadable. the characters relationships were also so shallow and none of the relationships were believable. there was a lot of telling rather than showing and that doesn't work for a story built on what is supposed to be complicated relationships.

this book is a great example of less is more in terms of plot and more is less in terms of character dynamics

i give it two stars instead of one because it started off SO strongly and when there was (unearned) romantic tension, it was really, really good. but ultimately very disappointed in this book, it should have been a hundred pages longer with WAY more character development and dialogue.

below average unfortunately

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I purchased as the review said if you liked the 7 husbands of Evelyn Hugo this is for you. Nowhere near as good and not a good comparison. The first book I’ve purchased that I couldn’t wait for to end. Characters not relatable and therefore had no interest in what was happening to them.

Disappointed

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