Not sure what it was about this book exactly, I loved the author's last book, but I just wasn't feeling this one and ending up DNF'ing about a third of the way through. Maybe it was the narrator? Maybe it was the characters? Or maybe it was just that the story didn't grab me the way I was expecting?? For whatever reason this one wasn't for me and I didn't feel like forcing a finish just to say I did. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early audio copy in exchange for my honest review. It's possible I'll give it a try at a later time and maybe it will work better then.

Reminiscent of Daisy Jones and the Six (1970's California). The story starts off slow but quickly becomes propelled by celebrity drama. Perfect summer listen narrated by Sarah Mollo-Christensen Thank you to MacMillan Audio and NetGalley for the opportunity to listen to an advanced copy,

I ended up DNFing this. I think it was partly because I wasn’t interested in the characters paired with the fact that the husky voice of the narrator was too soothing. Normally I would have loved this narrator but when you’re not fully invested, it’s too easy to zone out. Thanks Macmillan for the audio copy!

A Hollywood story that will give you all the glamour and shiny rich people vibes! Full of fake smiles, fake friends, and lies.

It was great overall, but nothing mind blowing.

I was in love with the description of this story, 1970’s the glitz and sunshine of Hollywood that follows the “IT crowd” who easily fit the bohemian life of LA, NYC’s Studio 54, or the European jet set. The major players: Evra Scott a child of Hollywood and the reigning queen of fashion at Sunset on Sunset. Kai de la Faire the gorgeous Hawaiian heartthrob experiencing the high of being a successful screenwriter while leaving a trail of broken hearts. Theodora Leigh the exquisite and yet duplicitous go-getter that will let nothing stand in her way to fame and fortune. And Bea Dupont who is behind the lens capturing it all whilst making friendships with Hollywood’s elite and rekindling past connections. All the major players are present for an epic novel and I did very much enjoy the unraveling of it all with a few minor exceptions.

The novel builds incredibly slowly, if you find yourself bored throughout the character development of Bea, Kai, and Evra you are not alone. The story does pick up with the introduction of Theodora. From the beginning the reader is very keyed into the possibility that she is more…or possibly a lot less than she seems. As the Sunset Crowd flit around Hollywood parties, booze, and drugs there are various monotonous lulls. The final plot pickup comes with the group’s trip to Cannes and this is well worth waiting for. Here the true ingenuity of Theodora is on full display and even the ever-observant Bea is caught fully unprepared.

Surprisingly there are a few twists in the end that I will not reveal, but increased my estimation. Bea is a mostly likeable protagonist though sometimes boring. This is most likely due to her Upper East Side old money upbringing, but I did feel a connection to her by the conclusion. There are a few minor characters that flit in and out and are hard to remember and keep in order. The real drawback for me was the audio production of the novel. The sound had a slight echo or hollow resonance that was grating and led me to speed up the narration to 2.0. I do believe I would have enjoyed the reading of this novel and will not let the audio impact my final review.

Loved the vibe of this book. Such a fun summer read and very well researched. Will be compared to Daisy Jones and the Six based on time period and location, but there is room for both stories because they cover different, but intersecting, scenes. Would love to see Bea return to NYC for the downfall of Studio 54 and the end of the disco era. Or continue her time in Paris searching for Theodora while shooting Paris fashion and documenting the rivalry between Yves Saint Laurent and Karl Lagerfeld.

This book was just ok. It had a lot of potential in a Daisy Jones kind of way, but it just fell flat for me and then dragged on. The MC was really too passive and sort of unbelievable in her reactions to the people events and relationships around her. It was not helped by somewhat monotone narration that, for me, bordered on robotic at times.

The Sunset Crowd sucked me right in from the get go. Bea was born to a wealthy New York family, but at 15, was sent to boarding school in Geneva after being deemed “too rebellious”. Here, with royals and children of the who’s who, Bea really came into her own, and developed a passion for photography.

We jump into her story in the 70s, she’s photographing parties for Vogue and Rolling Stone. She ends up meeting Evra Scott, owner of Sunset (a store on Sunset Blvd, which is more like a lifestyle brand). Bea and Evra hit it off, and Bea is shocked when Evra introduces her boyfriend Kai — the subject of Bea’s “best shot” from boarding school. The 3 form a fast friendship and take the LA fashion world by storm. Until one day, they’re blown away by a drop dead gorgeous “nobody”, who quickly works her way up the ranks.

The characters were so colorful and fun, it was hard not to love them all (even if you loved to hate them!) The Sunset Crowd would be PERFECT for fans of Daisy Jones and the Six — though I prefer this (but I like fashion more than rock 😉)

I would *love* to see this made into a Netflix mini series!!! Listening on audio was amazing, and I liked the narrator quite a bit, but the colors/clothes/scenes/epic parties would translate SO well to the screen! I’ll have my fingers crossed for it 😏

1970's Los Angeles is all about the image. And with the characters and money this novel chronicles, it's bound to be a groovy ride into the golden lives of the elite Sunset Crowd.

Bea Dupont is our narrator. As a photographer she's always along the edge of the action, catching the perfect moments on film and framing life in a beautiful tableau.

Evera Scott, a Hollywood princess, and her crew are hot and young and full of the prilvlage and money needed to keep the party going. Knowing all the most trendy spots to be, and the most connected people to be with makes the group feel on top of the whole world.

One chance encounter with a production assistant starts to change the whole landscape of the Sunset Crowd. Third personalities clash more and more and secrets are drawn out from the past, and into the public eye.

This is perfect for those readers who like to hear about the behind the scenes of fame and wealth, and the dreamy 1970's back drop takes the reader on a groovy adventure to see what the Sunset Crowd is really all about.

The Sunset Crowd
by Karin Tanabe
Narrator, Sarah Mollo-Christensen
i could not get interested. Seemed like it was just an endless list of name dropping. I would still try another book by this author but not this one. Life is too short.

It is the 1970s, and Hollywood is full of A list celebrities living life to the absolute fullest in all ways. The drugs are openly available, the alcohol never stops flowing and everyone is chasing their next high.

Bea is a photographer and her friends are making their way into Hollywood’s social scene where they have a front row view of all the decade has to offer. One thing is certain: everyone wants to be a star and are willing to do anything to make it happen, which is where the drama comes in.

It was an overwhelming amount of drama occurring to make this an enjoyable read and mix that with the amount of characters it was just a bit much. I feel the story would have flowed better if it wasn’t so many characters. I felt the author was trying to make every character a main character and it just didn’t work for me.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this book. All opinions are my own.

The Sunset Crowd gave me all the things in a plot I have been looking for lately. That old Hollywood vibe, women supporting women, and not just a basic love story. The book had good bones, but I got a bit bored at time and the pacing was a bit slow and hard to hold my interest at different points. The narrator on the audiobook was also a bit monotone during narration, the voicing was great but when not doing dialogue it made me a bit sleepy. The pacing and the narration put me at a 3 start rating.

More twists and turns than a rollercoaster. Buckle up on this one, you're in for a wild ride. Set in Los Angeles in the 70's amongst fashion elites and nepo babies, the story weaves its way through truth and lies told by everyone trying to be 'someone' in the public eye. The quest for fame, for adoration, for the spotlight to shine solely on them, often leads its main characters towards shallow, vapid friendships and connections. Hidden amongst the glitz and glamour, we find a rather protective old-money crowd who keeps their secrets tight, and their enemies too close for comfort. I highly recommend this one as a beach read!

This book was ok. Some of it dragged on for me. Also, I didn’t like the ending. Some characters were memorable while others shouldn’t have been mentioned. I had high hopes for this book, but it fell flat for me.

Bea DuPont shares the story of her Hollywoods friends living the party life and readers can’t help but wait in anticipation as the story barrels onward.
This story is slow to start, so stick with it until Theodora Leigh enters the main stage and then enjoy the ride!

I described The Sunset Crowd as kind of a historical Gossip Girl set in LA vs. NYC when recommending it to a girlfriend and, obviously, she was sold… as was I.
I really loved this book. The LA setting and this group of “friend”(enemies) in a historical setting was unique. I liked the way the book shifted in time and followed Bea from her privileged youth to “now.” There’s some me-too and Anna-Delvey vibes, which kind of gave me TJR feels. There’s unrequited love and glamorous Hollywood details and a mystery. It’s just a good book, well-written, and will make for an excellent summer read.
4.5 stars rounded down because the beginning was kind of slow and boring.

Ugh. I wanted to love this book. It starts out at a look behind the scenes of 1970s Hollywood, which I adore, but then the book kind of flatlined. It definitely fell short in my opinion.

3.5 stars

My favorite genre is the 70’s era. I was born in the 70’s and am generally really interested in things that happened during that time period. It’s ultimately what triggered me to read The Sunset Crowd.

Overall I did enjoy this book. It was a bit of a slower start but it did pick up and once it does, you start to get the idea of what this story really entails. The characters lived a pretty exciting life, Evra, the Hollywood child royalty who now owns a clothing store on the sunset strip, Kai, a Hawaiian screenwriter, and Bea, a photographer for Rolling Stone and Vogue. These characters all come together in the hustle and bustle of 70’s Hollywood, attending parties and premieres. When an unknown assistant, Theodora, joins their crowd, lives will be changed and many questions will be unanswered. Where did she come from and who is she?

I listened to the audio book and the narrator did a great job.

Honestly, I didn't love this one. It sounded great but was ultimately too "Hollywood" for me. As the title suggests it is about a crowd that I just didn't find interesting at all.

I found this book to be pretty disappointing. I absolutely loved her last novel, A Woman of Intelligence, and hope that this one would bring me in right away, but it felt very disjointed to me. The plot was not very clear. There was some interesting history about Hollywood, but the actually substance of the novel was just not very interesting to me. I hope the author's next novel will pull me in the way that A Woman of Intelligence did.