The Three Lives of Cate Kay by Kate Fagan @katefagan3 @katefagan.bsky.social @simon.audio @simonaudio.bsky.social #FullCast #TheThreeLivesOfCateKay

the setup…
Annie Callahan and Amanda Kent are the epitome of best friends forever, having met at a theater summer camp at nine years old. Their friendship was “like no other” and as high school graduation approached, they prepared to leave their upstate New York home and head to Los Angeles in her beat up Civic for what they imagined to be their highly successful acting careers. But the day before, tragedy strikes and a panicked Annie runs and never looks back, changing her name in the process. Even more remarkable is the book she later writes under yet another pseudonym that becomes not only a bestseller but is developed into a movie trilogy. Cate Kay the writer is an enigma, her identity a mystery known only to her lawyer…until now.

the heart of the story…
Annie has the primary point of view, transitioning to Cass after she leaves Bolton Landing. Even before the catastrophic event that sent her running, you could sense her shifting away from Amanda as her feelings were now romantic and Annie’s were not. Serendipitous encounters shape pivotal moments in her life, none more influential than when a desperate literary agent found her diamond-in-the-rough manuscript. Along the way she develops relationships with people who shape the paths she chooses, not always with her best interests in mind.

the narration…
I love multicast performances, especially with the number of consequential characters here, even when their page time is limited. I always knew Annie/Cass and Amanda as their voices fit their characterizations like gloves. All were exceptional storytellers.

the bottom line…
It took a bit for me to get engaged and then I couldn’t let the story go. It’s a more complex story than what appears on the surface as some of Annie’s choices were manipulated by others who she allowed to questionably be in her life. It all felt like a natural order as she slowly came to terms with her past and started feeling comfortable in her own skin. This is much more than a love story with some really complicated emotional connections. I’ll be mulling this over for a while.

Book Info

• Release Date: January 7, 2025
• Narrators: Marin Ireland, Tessa Albertson, Genevieve Kingston, Imani Jade Powers, Corey Brill, Kevin R. Free, Daniel Henning, Hillary Huber, Helen Laser, Fred Sanders, Jackie Sanders & Emily Woo Zeller
• Audio Length: 9 hours, 52 minutes
• Publisher: Simon & Schuster Audio

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(Thanks to Simon & Schuster Audio and Libro.fm for my complimentary copy. All opinions are my own.)