If you ever aspire to be a star in Hollywood, read this book first! Narrated by photographer Bea Dupont, the novel follows the Hollywood crowd with its sex, drugs, and rock-and-roll culture. At the center are designers, movie stars, Swiss boarding schools, and plenty of phony people just trying to make it big or at least pretend they matter. It's a fascinating look at a side of society we know exists but are always on the outside looking in. And now that you've looked in, is it something worth selling your soul for a moment of fame? Guess I'll never know as I prefer the "safe" side of life without the glamor and glitz...but this book is a thrill ride for sure!
Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC!

I enjoyed this book. I’m a native Angeleno, and I thought it was fun to take a glance back in history and find out what LA was like in the 70s. It took me a little while to get into it, but overall I liked it.

I went back and forth on whether I liked this book or not. The beginning is good and sets up the characters well. I really liked the narrator Bea Dupont, but the middle was a bit boring. I was never quite sure if Bea liked Theodora or hated her. Because Theodora would do questionable things and Bea would be angry but then would just accept Theodora back like nothing happened.

The ending of this book is fast paced and really good. I wish the entire book had as much intrigue as the last few chapters.

Overall, if you liked Daisy Jones and the Six or Songs in Ursa Major you will like this similar set book that follows the Sunset strip crowd how are famous or trying to be famous all while posing as friends.

I really struggled with the first half/two thirds of this book and considered not finishing (which I rarely do). This part could have been condensed to 2-3 chapters. The unnecessary and redundant references to every media star of the 1970s became very tedious. When the storyline finally took off, I did enjoy the writing, although I did predict the "villian."

2.75/5 stars! This is my first book by author Karin Tanabe and I wasn't quite sure what to expect from this historical fiction story. I was really excited to read a put whose setting was 1970s LA. There were portions of this story I really enjoyed. I liked Kai as a character and felt his arc was handled well. I also found the pacing of the last 35% to be spot on. Unfortunately, the early pacing was so slow and arduous that it was a struggle to continue through the book. I'm worried that casual readers would dnf this before the pacing picks up.

I received an advance review copy for free through NetGalley, and I am leaving this review voluntarily

If you want to relive the 70s in California this is the book for you. It’s slow reading and sometimes I couldn’t keep the characters straight but worth a read

Los Angeles in 1977 was a carefree place without boundaries, where sex, drugs and rock and roll was the “mantra” for the masses. The resident heartthrob in “The Sunset Crowd”, Kai de la Faire, was adored by all women who were lucky enough to have met him, especially his girlfriend Evra, his best friend Bea and the mysterious newcomer, Theodora. They were all vying for his attention amidst the drama and magic of LA parties and movie premieres where everyone was clawing their way to the top. I love the setting for this book, LA in the 1970’s, because it takes us to a simpler time when music, fashion and movies set the stage for our lives.

Besides being an amazing book, I found the title to have other meanings which are relevant to the storyline, most importantly Evra’s boutique, Sunset on Sunset, where LA women flock to see the latest fashions and catch up on the hot gossip. It also describes the surreal LA sunsets after a night of partying at the Chateau Marmont, where deals are made and secrets are revealed. My favorite character is Bea because she hovered on the outside of the golden circle of fame, while observing the drama through her curious photographer's eye. Bea knew Kai better than anyone and she was very protective of him as he was dealing with media attention, both good and bad. Bea followed him to France for the Cannes Film Festival, and I was swept away to a exotic locale where the beautiful people pretended to be happy, while dreaming of what they really wanted out of life. Ms. Tanabe’s creativeness and attention to detail resulted in an unforgettable escape to the past that I truly enjoyed.

There were simply too many characters for my comfort. I have enjoyed Tanabe in the past but I found this over-crowded and confusing. It was slow moving and the numbers of characters left them undeveloped.

Thank you Netgalley for allowing me to read this ARC.

I wasn’t sure of what to expect with this one. However, I found a character driven story that kept my interest and was lyrically beautiful.. I found it incredibly enjoyable.

This book takes a deep dive into 1970s Los Angeles and all its glamour through the lens of a popular photographer, Bea DuPont. Focusing on a group of socialites and actors known as the Sun Set (or sunset crowd), this beginning of the story sets a beautiful scene with complicated characters. They are all beautifully flawed in their own way, with no one being seemingly likable upfront. Things get interesting when a new friend joins the crowd - Theodora Leigh. Soon they learn she isn’t exactly who she says. But will it be too late?
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As a lover of any book set in Los Angeles, this was such a joy to read. It was entertaining, dramatic and full of gossip. A must read!
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This was just ok. The writing was ok, albeit a wordy and on the slow side. The biggest detractor for me is I found I really did not like any of the characters or the setting. Everyone was superficial, self-absorbed and self-serving. Even Bea, who at least cared about her friends some of the time was obsessed with her friend’s boyfriend non-stop. Yes she honored the relationship but it didn’t stop the obsession and the laying in wait till the second it was going to implode. And I was annoyed that even after the odd and off interactions with the friend in question (trying to avoid spoilers) she ignored them and everyone just continued in the self-absorbed and superficial way of life cuz why wouldn’t you dive into whatever entertained you or made you feel good about yourself.

Thanks to Netgalley for the advanced copy of this book. All opinions are mine.

This was one of those books I feel like the reader either loves or hates, and I really liked it! It was very different from what I’m used to.

It was the comparison to Daisy that I requested this- but other than being set in the 70's, no comparison, Too slow and not well developed.

Thank you NetGalley for an advanced reader copy of this ebook.

This one was a little disappointing for me. The pacing was a little to slow, the ‘surprises’ a little to predictable. The characters are a bit too cliched and not like able for me.

On the plus the story is complex and covers some important themes. Overall this one was a miss for me. I was looking forward to it after seeing reviews comparing it to Daisy Jones and the Six..but I have to wonder if those people even read Daisy Jones

historical-fiction, historical-figures, historical-places-events, historical-research, historical-setting, Los Angeles, women-s-fiction, 1970s, 1980s***

I found the plot a little too diffuse for me. The characters were clearly depicted and the imagery well done. The whole was a little too too and not her best work.
I requested and received a free ebook copy from St. Martin's Press via NetGalley.

Total transparency - I struggled to get through this one - reading, putting it down, reading through another slow moving chapter, and then putting it down again.

I found the story very slow to start and I was never able to get as into it. The comparison to Daisy Jones and the Six is what originally called to me, but besides the Hollywood / Los Angeles music scene in the’70’s setting, I didn’t really see much more of a connection than that.

Ultimately, I wasn’t the right reader for this title.

This book is being compared to Daisy Jones and The Six but for me, it started out slowly and never really came into its own until the latter part of the story.

Set in 70’s Hollywood, The Sunset Crowd follows the lives of a young photographer, Beatrice DuPont, and want-to-be producer Theodora Leigh. There’s a lot of partying with sex, drugs, and copious amounts of alcohol, which made the storyline lag.

I’m afraid I found this hard to finish. Not one of her best, unfortunately.

“I voluntarily read an ARC of this book which was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.”

The Sunset Crowd is an interesting look into Hollywood, its many people and the American Dream. I found the book to be clunky at times and I wanted its writing to be a little less prosaic..if that makes sense. It was just not the best edit of the material to me as I found it hard to stay reading the book as it did not flow very well.
But that's me.
If you like novels about Hollywood and its people, it's a good book to pick up...but to me, it was just middle-0f-the-road. (Maybe it just needs a fresh edit before it is released??)

#shortbutsweetreviews

3.5 stars. I was really looking forward to Karen Tanabe’s latest book, The Sunset Crowd, after enjoying A Woman of Intelligence last year. However, I struggled with this book. It may have been that it is set in 1970’s Los Angeles, and I had a difficult time relating to the time period. It just did not seem very believable, and I felt the ending could have been a bit stronger.

Thank you, NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press, for the digital ARC in exchange for my honest review. All thoughts and opinions expressed above are my own.

1970's Los Angeles.Evra Scott, is a wealthy and well known daughter of a director and actress running The Clothing store in the town. Her boyfriend Kai is an up and coming screenwriter. The young power couple are the people to know at the time and they are photographed and observed constantly by Bea Dupont, a childhood friend of Kai and talented photographer. When a new woman moves to town, she sets her sights on uprooting the reigning power couple. With LA craziness as the backdrop, Bea watches the battle begin. If you love glamour, style and wealth, this thriller is for you! #STMartins #Karin Tanabe #TheSunsetCrowd