Book 22 of 2025: The Three Lives of Cate Kay by Kate Fagan 

 

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 

 

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. 

 

January @bookofthemonth pick! I really enjoyed this one. Part mystery and part contemporary fiction, this book was full of heart as Cate reveals herself, grapples with past mistakes, and takes ownership of her future. The memoir-esque writing style of the book with excerpts from different characters was also a great touch as it gave a full picture to Cate’s character and evolution. I also enjoyed the footnotes throughout where Cate gave her own musings and interjections to other characters’ comments. There was a lot of drama between the characters and I really enjoyed living in their world. Cate’s struggles to fulfill her ambitions while also expressing herself authentically were really heartwarming and relatable. This book is described as a mix of The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo and First Lie Wins, and while I can see some similarities to these books, I would recommend going into this without and preconceived notions or expectations in line with those books, as Cate Kay is a treat in and of herself. Great read!