I always feel it's a disservice to books to compare them to other, really successful books. When I saw that Sunset Crowd was compared to Daisy Jones, my interest was piqued and my expectations high. Unfortunately, I just didn't love this the way I loved Daisy and found little in common between the two other than the time period.

I really enjoyed this juicy domestic historical fiction, set during the sex, drugs and rock and roll era of the 1970s in Hollywood, California.

It was fun to be in the world of fashion, music, and film, and I love a fake con artist storyline!

I paired the book with the audiobook and loved to read this way. The narration was by Sarah Mollo-Christenson, and I really enjoyed it.

*many thanks to St Martins Press, Macmillan audio and Netgalley for the gifted copy for review

While I loved Karin Tanabe's previous books, The Sunset Crowd just missed the mark for me. The author continues to really delve into great topics and craft a beautiful picture, but this one is tedious. It goes on and on, without anything happening, and introduces a long list of characters that are hard to keep track of. I ended up having to put it down after I tried both the written copy and the audiobook and it still couldn't hold my interest and inspired more feelings of annoyance than anything. I normally don't review books that fall into the DNF category for me, but this one was just such a chore to get through that I felt it needed a review.

While I did not enjoy this one, I do have to say that the audio portrayal was top-notch. The production was excellent, and the characterizations were fabulous. It's not the voice actors' fault that the book was boring.

"𝘛𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘱𝘭𝘢𝘤𝘦. 𝘛𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘤𝘪𝘵𝘺. 𝘐𝘵'𝘴 𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘣𝘪𝘨 𝘤𝘰𝘯. 𝘌𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘪𝘴 𝘢 𝘨𝘳𝘪𝘧𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘶𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘭 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺'𝘳𝘦 𝘯𝘰𝘵."

Set in Hollywood during the sexy decadence of 1970s, 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗦𝗨𝗡𝗦𝗘𝗧 𝗖𝗥𝗢𝗪𝗗 is a character-driven story about a golden clique of 20-somethings involved in fashion, photography, film and, most of all, partying. But when an ambitious newcomer inserts herself into their group, sharing the spotlight fractures their friendships and upends their privileged world. The blurb for this book references 𝘋𝘢𝘪𝘴𝘺 𝘑𝘰𝘯𝘦𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘚𝘪𝘹 which I think is a stretch - other than the time period, they have nothing in common. The author does a terrific job of capturing the hedonism and glamour of the 70s (I particularly loved the descriptions of the clothes and the trip to Cannes) and I enjoyed the almost Gatsby-esque nature of the story, but I struggled with the fact that it's a very slow burn with a lot of characters. They're all nepo babies out for themselves - if I'd had someone to root for, I might have been more invested.

3.25 stars

Thanks to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for the copy to review.

Thank you so much for my copy of this book in exchange for my review! I was really excited for this one because I do really enjoy historical fiction books and the 70s is such an intriguing decade! I thought the author did a great job and I LOVED the narrator for the audio version.

wow this was billed as for Daisy Jones fans, and it totally delivers on that front. A bit hard to keep track of the characters on audio, but I enjoyed the narration!

This was a fun, easy read that I particularly enjoyed as I was reading while in France! I liked the characters and found the storyline to be interesting and engaging.

These characters seemed so unlikable at the start but Karin Tanabe somehow made them so interesting the book still was hard to put down (which follows the whole point of the book as well - how Hollywood glam is so hard to look away from but also people are just people). The end was still surprising and interesting.

#arc
#netgalley
#thesunsetcrowd

I'm torn on this one; it wasn't unenjoyable, but it wasn't necessarily enjoyable either. I don't think I would have continued it had I not been given a copy. There are a lot of characters to follow, and not many discernible characteristics to keep them all straight.

I received an advance copy in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts are my own.

Are you in the mood for some historical fiction, but don’t feel like reading a depressing war story? I struggle with historical fiction this time of year. It’s one of my favorite genres, but just not what I want to read by the pool, or at the beach. The Sunset Crowd by Karin Tanabe is a perfect historical fiction option in the summer months, in my opinion. If you love reading about the 1970s, and the whole sex, drugs, and rock n’ roll hippy vibe, then add this one to your TBR. Tanabe captured this era marvelously with her slower-paced, easy breezy writing style. The reader receives an inside look at the fashion, music, and film industry during this time period. The bright and fiery cast of characters includes a photographer, a screenwriter, a clothing store owner, and a fame chaser, who all brought tons of juicy drama and scandalous moments to the storyline. I truly loved the overall vibe of this book, but felt that it moved a little too slowly for my liking, and I was constantly craving more action. It needed more shock and awe, in my opinion. If you loved the movie Almost Famous, or loved reading Daisy Jones & The Six, or Groupies, then The Sunset Crowd is right up your alley. It’s available now, and I give it 3.5/5 stars!

She looked to where she was standing, and realized that she was on the edge of it–the Sunset crowd. Evra Scott is a poetess of fashion and entrepreneur of Sunset on Sunset, a castle to consumerism where shoppers had only one real goal: to own a piece of Evra Scott. If Evra Scott is the princess of Sunset, bourbon-haired golden-girl Bea Dupont is the glue…until Theodora Leigh walks across the threshold of the store and the story. Sexy, charming, generous, the smoke-and-mirrors way about her is anything but.

Theodora, Bea, and Evra are three alphas, trying to out female each other with their beauty, intelligence, and ambition. No matter who you are, women who are too interesting, too pretty, and too lucky are often straying very far from the truth. Beautiful people with their beautiful backdrop, and a festival of lies. Anything can happen if everything about you is a lie. If you’re going to lie, might as well go high.

We should admit our flaws, our failings. At least to our friends. Or does it depend? Theadora, Evra and Bea are volleying secrets. The ones they can reveal, the ones they can’t. The ones they want to keep for themselves. We are all capable of things we don’t want to admit we’re capable of. Evra had been unfazed by Bea’s friendship for all these years because she’d never considered her a threat. It was time for Evra to remove her blinders.

It’s hard to know a person until you know a person. And Theadora is full of surprises. She had to use what all the women out here rely on: body, brains, backbone to achieve the most Hollywood thing of all – she acted – and the Sunset Crowd failed to see it. Karin Tanabe’s The Sunset Crowd asks how can we finally break the silence about what women in the movie industry endured, just to have a seat at the table, a chance to make their art?

It’s a tribute to Los Angeles for forever calling dreamers to your doors, madness and beauty and love and sex and more, aspirational rather than inspirational, but elegantly delectable. I loved it tremendously!

This fashion book set in Hollywood in the 1970s is perfect for fans of Daisy Jones and the Six. In the backdrop of Hollywood, three women with ambition try and stay on top with their unrelenting ambition in a time when men ruled the industry.

I learned so much about the world of fashion, film, and music in the 70s. I was so intrigued by the cast of characters who ruled the Sunset Strip and the con artist in their midst. This 70s book swept into their world and I never wanted to leave.

Thanks to @NetGalley and @macmillan.audio for gifting me an audio ARC for this wild ride 1970s historical fiction … Is it historical fiction if it happened in my lifetime? Am I that old ? 😉
This book is set in star studded, drug and alcohol fueled Beverly Hills of the 1970s. The cast of characters is intriguing and alluring. There’s Evra Scott, Hollywood royalty running a high end clothing store on Sunset and her entourage, boyfriend, writer and exotic Hawaiian European Kai, there’s the rock star and his model girlfriend - and there’s New Yorker Bea DuPont, who left her Upper East Side Life to pursue a photography career and becomes the Photographer and record keeper as well as narrator for the “Sunset Crowd”. Did you love Daisy Jones ? You’ll love this one as well - there’s romance and mystery as well as a sprinkle of “Mean Girls”. Karin Tanabe is an incredibly talented writer. She weaves a story that will hook you from the very first sentence and won't let go until the very last word she wrote has been read.

This book was beautifully written! It hooked me from the very first chapter and kept me hooked the whole time

The Sunset Crowd, written by Karin Tanabe and narrated by Sarah Mollo-Christenson, is the perfect summer listen as you lounge by the water, icy cocktail within reach. Tanabe is at the top of her game, crafting characters that feel so real it's a hard adjustment when, after 11 hours, you have to face the truth: that it was all an illusion. But The Sunset Crowd was definitely worth the major book hangover!! Mollo-Christenson was a new narrator for me, and I hope to listen to her often in the future!

Thank you MacMillan audio and St Martin's Press for the copies of The Sunset Crowd by Karin Tanabe.
Tanabe effectively captures a mood and writes stylishly about scenes and details nicely, creating an effective visual and feeling about the 70s, Sunset on Sunset, and the mood/vibe of the time. The audiobook is nicely narrated and I enjoyed how Sarah Mollo-Christensen paced the story and captured the mood and style of Tanabe's book.

Despite my appreciation for the stylized writing and the nicely produced audiobook, I can't quite say this was a win for me. I found it hard to get into the story, there was a lot of for me disjointed set up of background and characters and it was hard to follow who was who for a bit and it felt like despite the vidid writing that... not much was going on until later in the book and for me, that was too late for me to get into the story. A lot of the story felt a bit too predictable for me as well. Some of my less than enthusiastic response might be that because of travel and life stuff I had to put the book down a bit and this might be one best read/listened to "all at once" or least over less time than I was able to give to it. So pick it up when you can spend time getting into the story!

This though will work for a lot of people, it's a great light summer read and it does a nice job of just absorbing a reader into a time and setting. 3.5 stars for the writing and also a nicely narrated audiobook.

Think of an amalgam of 𝘊𝘳𝘢𝘻𝘺 𝘙𝘪𝘤𝘩 𝘈𝘴𝘪𝘢𝘯𝘴, 𝘐𝘯𝘷𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘈𝘯𝘯𝘢 𝘒., 𝘋𝘢𝘪𝘴𝘺 𝘑𝘰𝘯𝘦𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘚𝘪𝘹, 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘎𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘵 𝘎𝘢𝘵𝘴𝘣𝘺 and the film 𝘈𝘭𝘮𝘰𝘴𝘵 𝘍𝘢𝘮𝘰𝘶𝘴 starring Kate Hudson.

Karin Tanabe's 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘚𝘶𝘯𝘴𝘦𝘵 𝘊𝘳𝘰𝘸𝘥 is a big escapist summer novel set in glitzy Los Angeles and opulent Cannes. It immerses readers in the hedonistic world of 70s celebrity culture through the lives of three intriguing women — Evra Scott, Theodora Leigh, and Bea DuPont.

Tanabe explores reinvention as an integral aspect in the lives of glamorous stars, where fame is mercurial and pretense is an art form. Fans of the era's charm, and those who have a fascination with the lives of the rich and famous, will be entertained by 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘚𝘶𝘯𝘴𝘦𝘵 𝘊𝘳𝘰𝘸𝘥. I thoroughly enjoyed it.

𝗦𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱 𝗾𝘂𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆

Macmillan Audio’s dedication and meticulous attention to detail consistently delivers remarkable quality. Their audiobooks are recognizable by their pristine sound and seamless narration, where every word is articulated with precision, creating an immersive and pleasurable audio journey.

𝗡𝗮𝗿𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗼𝗿

Sarah Mollo-Christensen is an Audie-nominated, Earphones Award-winning narrator with over 400 books under her belt. Her voice is smoky, expressive, warm, wry, and she has an excellent ear for accents. She delivers the general narration in a low, gentle voice, modulating her tones unobtrusively to capture the dialogue among the characters. Before landing in the audiobook world, Sarah was mainly a stage actor, and she brings that passion and training to her narration.

𝗔𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗔𝘂𝘁𝗵𝗼𝗿

Karin Tanabe is the author of seven novels. A former Politico reporter, she is a frequent contributor to The Washington Post Book World. Her writing has also appeared in the Miami Herald, Chicago Tribune, and Newsday. She has been featured as an entertainment, style, and politics expert on Entertainment Tonight, CNN, and CBS Early Show. Karin is a graduate of Vassar College and lives in Washington, D.C.

A huge thank you to @macmillan.audio, @stmartinspress and @netgalley for the opportunity to listen to this ALC. All opinions expressed are my own.

Evra and Kai are the hottest couple in Hollywood. Then there is Theodora. She is a “want to be” producer and she knows just which buttons to push to get it done. Add in Bea. Bea is a photographer for Rolling Stones magazine. And she is just taking in all the limelight and extra curricular activities. But, she secretly harbors a love for Kai! So where does this lead???

This book has a very slow start. I almost ditched it. But then I remembered reading this author’s other book, A Woman of Intelligence , and so, I kept going. I am glad I did! I found these characters completely insane, entertaining, weasels! Every single one. Talk about flawed! This whole book is full of real life people making real life mistakes and bad choices.

I found this novel fascinating in many places. I did figure out Theodora. But she is definitely a character which MADE this book for me. Everyone knows a Theodora. Maybe not to this extent…but we all know someone like her! That is what makes this author’s books for me. Her characters are always someone I know. And trust me…you will know them too.

The narrator, Sarah Molly-Christensen, really kept this book moving. I will be honest, I might have dnf-ed it if not for an audiobook.

Need a book which will have your cringing…THIS IS IT! Grab your copy today.

I received this novel from the publisher for a honest review.

"I'm not disappointed, I'm disillusioned."

The scary part of The Sunset Crowd by definitive historical fiction author Karin Tanabe is it feels so real. Taking place in the 1970s about the young privileged "in crowd" of Hollywood, the writer not only gets the description of the era, from clothes, environment and pop culture, right but the cost of keeping up with the image of a glamorous party filled life.

There's an overwhelming assortment of characters at the start but soon, with the attuned choices of narrator Sarah-Mollo-Christensen the four main characters are easily distinguishable. Evra is the daughter of an Hollywood elite couple in charge of the
only store to be seen in, Sunset On Sunset, and she is as superficial as you would expect; then there's her boyfriend, the sexy Hawaiian director Kai, who wants to be known for his talent not his tabloid exploits.

Bea Dupont, yes from the chemical Dupont family, has left her famous NY heritage and taken on a Bohemian lifestyle as a photographer for Rolling Stone magazine. She's known Kai since childhood and has been quietly in love with him for years. As these young adults in their 20s live their envious lives in walks Theodorea. Movie star beautiful she wants to be behind the scenes as a producer. Who better to direct than "it" director Kai. Oh the movie, it's about a woman being used by men in Hollywood...did she forget to tell anyone it's about her mother...maybe; after all she's not really who she says she is and her lies might prove deadly to anyone in her way.

This story took me by surprise. There are surprising twists, a shocking death and a bit of mourning for the end of one's youth as real life seeps into The Sunset Crowd.

I received a free copy of this audiobook from MacMillan Audio via #NetGalley for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own.

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