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We are so excited to share that Kate Fagan’s The Three Lives of Cate Kay is the Reese’s Book Club pick for January!

The Three Lives of Cate Kay is published by Atria in the US and Bloomsbury in the UK.

Congratulations, Kate!

We are starting the new year by wishing a very happy publication day to Kate Fagan for THE THREE LIVES OF CATE KAY! One of the most anticipated novels of 2025, THE THREE LIVES OF CATE KAY is published by Atria in the US and Bloomsbury in the UK. It has been chosen as a Target Book Club pick, Book of the Month, and on the IndieNext list. Translation rights have sold in Poland, Spain, and Germany.

‘Electrifying’ and ‘propulsive’, THE THREE LIVES OF CATE KAY is the story of an elusive bestselling author who decides to finally confess her true identity after years of hiding from her past.  

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 additional nonfiction titles, a former professional basketball player, and spent seven years as a journalist at ESPN. Kate currently lives in Charleston with her wife, Kathryn Budig, and their dog, Ragnar.

Congratulations, Kate!

Praise for THE THREE LIVES OF CATE KAY:

“By writing her memoir, Cate/Cass/Annie attempts to ‘throw open the windows’ and reveal herself to a ravenous public on her own terms. She acknowledges that her life is ‘a mass of bad decisions and selfishness,’ but she confesses: ‘I want you to love me anyway.’ And by the end of this propulsive puzzle of a novel, we do.”—Nina LaCour, New York Times Book Review

“Fans of Taylor Jenkins Reid will love this propulsive novel…I couldn’t put this book down. There are so many threads woven together beautifully to tell a story about friendship, ambition, and love. It is sexy, gripping, heart-breaking, and ultimately, redemptive. I dare you not to read this in one sitting.” —Abby Abell, Amazon Editor

“The conceit of using a memoir to frame a fictional narrative is not new, but it’s hard to think of an author who deploys the format as intriguingly as award-winning sports journalist Kate Fagan does in her entrancing debut novel…In addition to whiplash-inducing twists, The Three Lives of Cate Kay also packs an emo­tional punch as Fagan thoughtfully explores complex topics including identity, sexuality, ambition and female friendships.” —BookPage, Starred Review

“To call The Three Lives of Cate Kay epic in scope feels like an understatement. In her debut novel, Fagan succeeds in crafting a beautiful story of one woman’s life across three parts, and also fully realizes a moving post-apocalyptic trilogy that reveals as much about Kay—and what it means to be human—as Kay’s own experiences. Fagan deftly explores themes of friendship, romance, intimacy, coming of age, coming out, ambition, and narrative form in a captivating, heartfelt novel bursting at the seams with love in all its incredible, messy forms.” —Kerry McHugh, Shelf Awareness

“Centering on the experience of this small-town girl with burning ambitions, the book is exquisitely plotted with its inventive story structure, placing nuggets of information throughout to reel the reader in. Though the pace is leisurely, the tension of the story is taut and explores how ambitions clash with genuine connection and test the humanity of compassionate relationships. Fagan’s journalism-honed observational skills make her fiction debut shine.” —Booklist, Starred Review

“An electrifying story of a bestselling author’s secrets. Fagan fascinates with her enigmatic and shape-shifting protagonist, and the tightly woven plot will keep readers on the edge of their seats. It’s a blast.” —Publishers Weekly, Starred Review

“The Three Lives of Cate Kay peels back the provocative pretense of superstardom to tell a tale about friendship, love, ambition, and the burden of selves we bury but carry with us through time. 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

“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

“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

“I couldn’t stop reading. 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. It asks how we balance our public and private selves and whether it is worth keeping secrets in order to advance a career. A delight from beginning to end.” —Tasha Coryell, author of Love Letters to a Serial Killer

Happy 2025! We are excited to start off the year by sharing the Paper authors featured in 2025’s most anticipated lists.

Austin Taylor was featured as one of Publisher Weekly’s 2025 Writers to Watch, she shared her inspiration for her debut novel Notes on Infinity which will publish from Celadon in June 2025 in the US and by Michael Joseph in the UK. Notes on Infinity has already received a wonderful endorsement from internationally bestselling author Chris Whitaker of All the Colors of the Dark, who called it ‘mesmeric . . . it stole my breath and my heart. It’s a grand story of science and startups, a simple story of first love and belonging and a perfect portrait of friendship, family, and that fine line between exhilaration and agony. I couldn’t have loved it more.‘ 

Lauryn Hamilton Murray’s Heir of Storms was named one of Waterstones’ Must Read Children’s Books of 2025. Heir of Storms will publish in June from Penguin UK and Macmillan Roaring Brook in the US. #1 New York Times’ bestselling author, Melissa de la Cruz described Heir of Storms as “The Hunger Games with more spells, more stakes, and way more swoon. A must-read!”

Kate Fagan’s The Three Lives of Cate Kay and Austin Taylor’s Notes on Infinity were featured in Goodreads’ Hottest Debuts of 2025 list.

Here’s to 2025!

We are delighted to announce US and UK deals for Natasha Siegel’s As Many Souls as Stars. Vicky Leech Mateos at Bloomsbury triumphed in a competitive four-way auction for UK rights and North American rights were acquired by Ariana Sinclair at William Morrow in a six-figure pre-empt. Italian rights were acquired by DeAgostini.

A darkly captivating gothic fantasy, beginning in 16^th century in Suffolk, As Many Souls as Stars opens with a Faustian deal struck between two women: one the cursed daughter of an alchemist and the other an immortal demon determined to consume her soul. In exchange for lifting the curse, the demon promises reincarnation – as many times as it takes to get what she wants. What follows is a transaction writ across generations and lifetimes as these two characters meet again and again through history – becoming further entangled and forever changed. Filled with legacies, curses and love this is a tale of magic and power dynamics within passion – As Many Souls as Stars examines what we owe those we love, and what we as women inherit from those who came before us.

The book is described as Kate Atkinson meets The Invisible Life of Addie La Rue by way of Katherine Arden. A tale of magic and power dynamics within passion, As Many Souls as Stars examines what we owe to ourselves and to those we love.

Vicky Leech Mateos says: I instantly fell in love with this tale of magic, love and time. Full of the joys of fantasy and yet brilliantly genre-defying, this is an exceptional read that cast a spell over us all at Bloomsbury. Natasha’s writing is full of transporting historical detail, with thrilling twists and an abiding, thought-provoking romance. The first of two standalones, As Many Souls as Stars will leave you convinced Natasha Siegel is a brilliant new voice.

Catherine Cho says: This novel completely swept me away – magical, deliciously dark, and transportive. I’m delighted that Natasha has found such a brilliant UK home with Bloomsbury and incredible champions in Vicky and Ariana.

Natasha Siegel says: ‘It’s such a privilege to work with Bloomsbury, which has so many incredible authors and such a talented team. I can’t think of a better home for my UK debut. As Many Souls as Stars is a book that has haunted and consumed me for years: a story about feminine fury, sapphic longing and the weight of history. It’s a perfect fit for the amazing list Vicky is building, and I’m so excited to work with her in bringing my work to my home country.’

Natasha Siegel is a writer of historical fiction, fantasy, and romance. She was born and raised in London, where she grew up in a Danish-Jewish family surrounded by stories. As Many Souls as Stars is the UK debut for London-based author Natasha Siegel, who has published acclaimed historical fiction novels with Penguin Random House US.

Wishing a very happy publication day to Laura Kennedy!

SOME OF OUR PARTS publishes today from Bonnier. It explores the complexity of identity labels with warmth, insight and signature humour, considering how we might figure out who the hell we are in a world so eager to tell us.

“I have worn a lot of labels, by choice and otherwise. Here, I consider the ones I’ve picked up, rejected, lost, had stuck to my back like a ‘kick me’ poster in the schoolyard at lunch time, worn for a while and lost connection to. In its way, each one makes a discrete claim on who I am, as the labels you bear do for you. Each one is a means of translating who we are to the world and, when seen as the most important or truest element of who we are, shrinking and flattening us. Each one is part of our story, nothing more.”

A thought-provoking exploration of identity, Some of Our Parts casts a philosophical eye over the labels that shape our lives, considering how they can both help us to communicate our values and how they have the potential to trap us.

A memoir explored through a life in labels inherited, accrued and cast off, Some of Our Parts considers the power in reclaiming our own story and challenges readers to question how we define ourselves in a world that is so ready to decide for us.

We are delighted to announce that R.N. Swann’s debut, IN CASE I GO MISSING has been acquired in a six-figure pre-empt. Kelsey Murphy at Viking US acquired North American rights from Catherine Cho.

Pitched as FARGO meets A GOOD GIRL’S GUIDE TO MURDER, IN CASE I GO MISSING is a page-turning YA mystery about a teen detective gone missing, and her best friend who must finish her investigation in their small South Dakota town. Publication is set for Summer 2026.

IN CASE I GO MISSING is a tightly-plotted, twist-filled mystery, it’s also a bittersweet story about friendship and coming of age in a small town. It marks an impressive new voice in YA fiction.

R.N. graduated from the University of Iowa and is currently living in Baltimore with her two cats, Havoc and Toast. When she isn’t writing, she works in communications, listens to podcasts, and enjoys adding to her increasingly large collection of flavored tea.

Congratulations, R.N.!

We are delighted to announce that Melissa Poett’s debut YA novel, The Enemy’s Daughter, has been acquired in six-figure deals in the US and UK. Senior Commissioning Editor, Megan Reid at Harper Fire acquired UK & Translation rights in a six-figure pre-empt. Executive Editor, Karen Chaplin at Quill Tree acquired North American rights in a ‘significant deal’. Publication is set for Summer 2025.

The Enemy’s Daughter is a stunning reimagining of the medieval Tristan and Isolde legend, set in a dystopian world woven with magic.

After civilization crumbles, all that’s left of the Republic is the five clans and their enemy, Kingsland. Isadora, daughter of a clan leader, is a healer, desperate to bring back the medicine of the old world to help her people. Tristan is the young assassin-prince of Kingsland, determined to get revenge on the clans.

When Isadora is shot with a poisoned arrow, only Tristan can save her, in a magical ceremony that will bind them together forever. As she recovers in enemy territory, she begins to question the truth of their violent history.

Kingsland is everything she’s ever wanted – including Tristan – but as the clans bay for blood, one side is setting a trap, and Isadora must decide which truth to believe.

Melissa Poett says: ‘I am thrilled to be working with Megan and Karen and the amazing publishing teams at Harper Fire and Quill Tree. Their enthusiasm for this story and belief in me as a debut author has been overwhelming, and to be published by such rockstars is a huge honour I don’t take lightly. I wrote The Enemy’s Daughter as an epic romantasy, but almost as equally it became my love letter to a generation of girls who are finding their way in this world. I’m so grateful to HarperCollins for this opportunity, and to my agent, Catherine, for picking me out of the slush pile and taking me on this journey.’

Harper Fire Senior Commissioning Editor, Megan Reid says: ‘With a gorgeous forbidden lovers romance, exquisite magic, high-stakes adventure and the most immersive, addictive prose, I fell completely in love with The Enemy’s Daughter from the first captivating meeting between Isadora and Tristan. Melissa is an incredible new talent, and I am thrilled to be welcoming her to Harper Fire.’

Quill Tree Executive Editor, Karen Chaplin says: I was thoroughly captivated by the gorgeous prose, the page-turning romance, the intriguing magic, and the high-stakes politics of the world. I couldn’t put this down, and can’t wait for readers to fall in love with Isadora and Tristan like I did. Melissa has written a stunning debut, and we are very excited to welcome her to Quill Tree Books.’

Congratulations, Melissa!

We are delighted to announce that Sara Jafari’s YA debut has been acquired by Bria Ragin at Delacorte.  HEAVENSENT AND HELLBENT is a romantasy, inspired by Persian mythology for fans of THIS WOVEN KINGDOM.

A British teen who moves to Denver discovers that not only is the boy from her nightmares real—and a literal angel—but she’s a jinn, the sworn enemy of an angel; upon finding out that their souls have been entwined for centuries, they must decide whether their love in this lifetime is worth fighting for, especially against the divine forces that forbid them from being together.

Sara Jafari is the author of The Mismatch and People Change, published by Penguin UK. Congratulations, Sara!

Happy Publication Day to Sarah Underwood! GENTLEST OF WILD THINGS publishes today in the UK from HarperCollins UK. GENTLEST OF WILD THINGS is a stunning novel inspired by the myth of Eros and Psyche:

On the island of Zakynthos, nothing is more powerful than Desire—love itself, bottled and sold to the highest bidder by Leandros, a power-hungry descendent of the god Eros.

Eirene and her beloved twin sister, Phoebe, have always managed to escape Desire’s thrall. Until Leandros’ wife dies mysteriously and he sets his sights on Phoebe. Determined to keep her sister safe, Eirene strikes a bargain with Leandros: if she can complete the four elaborate tasks he sets her, he will find another bride. But it soon becomes clear that the tasks are part of something bigger; something related to Desire and Lamia, the strange, neglected daughter Leandros keeps locked away.

It’s received some wonderful praise:

‘A delightful reworking of myth with a Sapphic romance at its core. Gentlest of Wild Things is a beautiful celebration of the reparative power of love.’ – Bea Fitzgerald, Sunday Times bestselling author of Girl, Goddess, Queen

‘Underwood weaves a tapestry of mysteries, myths and machinations, all held together by a shimmering thread of love between women’ – Samantha Shannon, internationally bestselling author of The Priory of the Orange Tree

“An ensnaring mythical retelling of the courage, strength, and healing found in love and the light it lends in darkness. The women in Underwood’s works shine brightest with characters raw and bold, stubborn and soft, in an aptly-named tale that is at once wild and tender” – Amélie Wen Zhao, New York Times bestselling author of Song of Silver, Flame Like Night

“Exquisitely written and poignantly romantic―Gentlest of Wild Things is a hopeful exploration of beauty, monstrosity, and love.” – Pascale Lacelle, New York Times bestselling author of Curious Tides