With the comparison to Daisy Jones and The Six, which I loved, I had high hopes for The Sunset Crowd. Those hopes were quickly dashed.

The story is told by Bea DuPont, yes, those DuPonts. Bea is sent to boarding school in Europe and eventually lands in L.A., much to the chagrin of her mother.

Bea is a photographer for Rolling Stone and Vogue who befriends the owner of one of L.A.'s illustrious clothing stores. Basically, the beginning of the book is the Sunset crown of friends getting dressed in the store to go to parties and getting high at the parities. Wash, rinse, and repeat. There's some name-dropping of famous actors and musicians thrown in to give the parties a sense of importance.

Daisy Jones was so successful that I understand the desire to compare the book to attract the same fan base, but this book just did not have the same appeal. I read Daisy Jones in a weekend. I struggled to finish The Sunset Crowd.

I really wanted to like this book, but it didn't happen. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the advance copy. #NetGalley

Bea, a photographer, narrates this tale of Los Angeles party culture and movie making in the 1970s. Evra is a style goddess, Kai a screenwriter, and Theodora, well she wants to produce. And she's awful. This takes a bit to get going and there's a lot of drama but it's a guilty pleasure read you could see making it to the big screen itself. Except the ending-no spoilers but I suspect I'm not the only one who doesn't like it. I've been a fan of Tanabe for her storytelling but this isn't her best because it feels forced. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. Regardless of my criticism, I did find myself turning the pages and fully engaged so bottom line- good read.

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 felt very much like a book that was written so that it could be adapted into a movie. I could see this working much better as a screenplay.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the advance copy. Unfortunately, I did not like this book at all. It was a slog to get through as almost nothing happens until maybe the last 15-20% of the book. None of the characters were likable or believable and there was basically no plot. I requested the ARC because this book is being marketed as similar to Daisy Jones and the Six, but other than drinking and drugs, there is nothing similar about the two books.

I wanted to like this book, but there were a few things that fell flat for me. The characters were all unlikeable and had no growth throughout the story, the plot was unbelievable, and the pacing was far too slow with very little happening until the last 15% of the story. It was a fun idea for a book, but it just did not work for me. I received an ARC, and this is my honest review.

The Sunset Crowd by Karin Tanabe is a thrilling read that takes readers on a journey through Hollywood’s glitz and glamour, with its complex web of power dynamics and politics. The book follows the story of two women from entirely different worlds, Evra Scott, the daughter of a famous director and actress, and Theodora Leigh, a young and ambitious assistant in the film industry.

The author’s writing style is engaging and easy to follow, with the perfect balance of drama, romance, and intrigue. The Sunset Crowd provides fascinating insights into the inner workings of Hollywood, the film industry, and the people that make it all happen. The book covers topics like power, sex, and feminism with a nuanced and refreshing perspective.

One of the most prominent themes of the book is the idea that one can follow their dreams, no matter how impossible they may seem.

I first heard the buzz about The Sunset Crowd after it was compared to Daisy Jones and the Six. Having loved both the book and the series, it piqued my interest. After seeing a couple more reviews about the book, I decided to request an ARC.

The Sunset Crowd starts with a sparkly L.A. backdrop and immediately dishes out lots of glitz and glam. The main characters are a Photographer for Rolling Stone, a gorgeous, Hawaiian up and coming Producer, his hot Brazilian model/actress girlfriend, and their other extravagant friends.

The story quickly snowballs on a “sex, drugs and rock & roll” champagne fest with some mystery thrown in that centers around the mysterious Theadora Leigh.

I wanted to love this book so much, but beyond the flowery words and exciting Hollywood backdrop, a majority of it didn’t seem to have much of a point. It just felt like things were happening and it was hard to follow at times. I also didn’t like any of the characters beyond Bea and Kai. Most of them, especially Theodora, were actually unlikeable.

I definitely don’t think this book is anything like Daisy Jones at all! So if you’re expecting to read something similar, don’t…. That being said, even though this wasn’t my favorite, I do think Karin Tanabe is a talented writer and I look forward to checking out her future novel!

Thank you so much to St. Martin’s Press & NetGalley for gifting me an ARC in exchange for my honest review! I wish I had loved The Sunset Crowd as much as everyone else. Maybe I’ll love it more when it’s a series (which I have no doubt it will be!).

Tanabe is one of my absolute favorite historical fiction authors, so I was excited to read her latest. Set in the glitz and glamor of 1970s-era Hollywood, this frothy tale of friendship, love, and betrayal is a mix of “Daisy Jones and the Six” with “The Talented Mr. Ripley.”

The story revolves around East Coast transplant Bea, her best friend, Evra who is the daughter of a Hollywood power couple, and Bea’s childhood friend-turned-screenwriter, Kai. When a mysterious stranger shakes up their high-flying lives, a web of lies ensnares them in a Hollywood game with no winners. From the gilded stores of Beverly Hills to the azure waters of the French Riviera, this propulsive story will leave you drenched in champagne dreams and blinded by flashbulbs from the paparazzi.

Tanabe has done it again with a sharp, smart historical fiction novel that drew me in from the first pages. I am not usually a fan of the 1970s, it’s just not my favorite clothes, music, or culture, but Tanabe’s crisp writing full of descriptions of the luxurious fashions, delectable food, and wild parties was immersive. It was a hedonistic time, and Tanabe captures that feeling while also making you care about these sometimes unlikeable characters.

I am just a huge fan of Tanabe’s writing and will always read anything she writes.

I came across The Sunset Crowd on Netgalley and was excited to be transported to the sun soaked and glamorous world of 1970s Los Angeles. The first half of this tale flew by for me. I loved meeting the main characters and found myself becoming wrapped up in their whirl wind lives. Lives that were filled with art, music, sex, drugs, and changing relationships. Such a fascinating time and place.

However, the second half of the story slowed considerably and the relationship dynamics that so captivated me began to unravel. The characters choices, at times, became baffling and Bea and Kai’s relationship relationships really bothered me, particularly as Bea was characterized as such an independent woman.

Overall an interesting but uneven story. With that said if you are looking for the glitz and glamour of L.A. in the 1970s then definitely try this book.

Thank you Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for my DRC in exchange for my honest view.

Bea DuPont (yes that DuPont) is an Upper East Side NYC transplant in LA who has a boarding school education. Kai is one of her oldest friends from school, now a success in Hollywood and part of a power couple with Evra Scott. Evra is the daughter of a filmmaker and actress and owns THE IT store Sunset on Sunset. This is the story of success and parties and movies and being seen. But at what cost? Enter Theodora Leigh. Charming, beautiful, and mysterious, she seems to have the it factor. But who is she?

I loved the Hollywood glamour of this book. Bea was the best of all of them. Hardworking despite being born with a silver spoon, but also ready to cash in on her name when necessary. This bill was beautiful and heartbreaking.

I would like to thank St Martin's Press and Net Galley for the opportunity to read this book as as an ARC. This is a novel set in the 70's. Like the 70's, it is fun, fast paced , over the top and sad. It is the story of Bea Dupont, fashion photographer and friend to the stars. The stars, at this point in time in L A are Evra Scott, daughter of Hollywood royalty and owner of the chicest store in town, Kai de la Faire, screenwriter , boyfriend to Evra and old friend to Bea, Strauss, the Rock Star and his model girlfriend Miriama Fall. They are a group, they party, they play and Bea takes pictures of it all. Then one day, a woman , Theodora Leigh, comes in and everything changes. This is a story of LA, a story of fame and what people will do with it and to get it. It is very 70's, -sex drugs and rock and roll.It is also timeless in a lot of ways. It is about people reinventing themselves, about expectations, privilege, friendship and love. It is about feminism and abuse. Above all it is entertaining. It is a good solid read.

Most importantly: do not compare this to DAISY JONES & THE SIX, and you’ll be golden!

THE SUNSET CROWD is exactly what it is described as, “a tale of survival and reinvention, of faking it until you make it, and the glittering appeal of success and stardom, as it seeks to answer that timeless question - who gets to have the American dream? - in 1970s Los Angeles.” It has an eccentric cast that draws you in and would make a great movie with their nepo-babies lifestyles that make you go wtf yet have fomo at the same time. If you get annoyed by real-life nepo-babies, this book isn’t for you. But if you like lavish lifestyles and the people who can and cannot live them and the stories about those types of people, read this.

Plus, Karin Tannabe is an excellent historical fiction author. I felt like I was in the 1970s. The details of the people, places, smells, foods, and tiny little things were so life-like. This book was like stepping back in time to my favorite era.

So, I’ve raved about it. Why is it not five stars instead of four? I just wanted a little more with the plot. Every time I felt that hook, that pull-in, that connection - the moment ended too soon. Could that have been on purpose by Tannabe? Maybe. But it was disappointing as a reader. But I liked it and will recommend it to other fans of historical fiction in the 1970s.

Content Warnings: it’s the 1970s California high fashion elite: sex, drugs, rock & roll… with sexual assault, misogyny, racism, suicide, and murder.

I should have known that I would hate this for one very specific reason:
1. People said it had Daisy Jones vibes....HATED that book.

This was full of vapid people, doing vapid things. Backstabbing, possibly murder and questionable careers. It just...didn't interest me. Nothing about any of these people was interesting.

For a better book about the same time period and LA, Groupies by Sarah Priscus is much more compelling.

"The Sunset Crowd" by Karin Tanabe is the book EVERYONE will be talking about this summer! It really is the perfect summer read, packed full of 1970s Hollywood glamour. Filled with vivid characters that come alive from the pages, this book oozes with sex appeal and scandal. The writing and plot hooked me from the very first page and didn't let me go until the last page was finished. I enjoyed every word. It's the story of larger-than-life characters with big personalities, bigger dreams, and huge wallets. Karin Tanabe certainly knows how to weave a good story and I eagerly await her next delicious read!

Many thanks to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for the privilege of reading an advanced copy of this TREMENDOUS book!

thank you to Karin Tanabe and St. Martin's Press for this ARC!

this was just not for me. i think comparing it to daisy jones and the six was a bit of a stretch and ultimately can't compare to that one.

This novel is set in Hollywood in the 70s. Bea Dupont is a young photographer who’s eschewed her blue blood Manhattan life for being part of the LA in crowd. Her clique is helmed by Evra, a famous fashionista who runs Sunset on Sunset, a popular clothing store that attracts people who want to be seen as much as they want to buy clothes. Most of the action picks up as Theodora Leigh, a Paramount assistant who wants to become a producer, stops in drop off a clothing return, and her intrigue immediately helps her join Evra’s circle – but is she what she seems? Bea is skeptical. I found this book a bit hard to get into, and ultimately far too long (was it really only 336 pages? It felt much longer). Parts were interesting, but the action moved slowly and the plot meandered a bit too much to hold my attention.

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.

This novel was very well written and features an incredible cast of characters. Definitely a good novel for those looking for something to read on the beach, or who are fans of "Daisy Jones And The Six!" Although the novel has a slow start, it accelerates in the last 40% until you can barely put the book down!

The story allows us to learn along with our characters, how to stand in our own two feet as an individual rather than living in the reflected glow of someone else's fame. We see our characters at their worst, and their best in various moments, but they're growing and learning every moment.

I like how the writer uses the male character as a catalyst for all of our female characters. However, how they interact with each other in the smaller moments is where this story really sings. Great debut novel about a moment in time in LA, chasing dreams.

Have you missed Jackie Collins, but aren’t keen on her sexual content? Because Karin Tanabe seems to be channeling her to a degree – cutting her heady blend of sex, drugs and celebrity with a wry and witty Eve Babitzian/Marvelous Mrs. Maisel tone - with The Sunset Crowd. It’s the story of three women grappling their way to success in 1970s Hollywood. The end result is good old fashioned soapy fun, though it’s not stellar enough to garner a top grade.

Beatrice Dupont (yes, in the prose of the novel she is actually of the famous Dupont clan), our narrator, works as a photographer for several slick magazines and is described by another character as “Helmut Newton meets Henry Diltz. But with a vagina.” In spite of her active social life, Bea remains as single as can be, and is the lynchpin around which her small clique revolves. She’s also a rich girl from a snobby blue-blood New England family avoiding the demands of her mother to just get married already. Bea is indeed obsessed with one man – she has a long-term crush on her best friend and high school confidante, screenwriter Kai de la Faire, who happens to be dating another of her friends.
That friend happens to be Evra Scott. A true child of Hollywood, Evra was born and bred into the culture of celebrity but her true passion is fashion. She runs the popular store Sunset on Sunset and is squired around by Kai who is – you guessed it – secretly carrying around a torch for Bea.

The third member in this triumvirate is PA Theodora Leigh. She wants to become a producer and will do just about anything to achieve her goal. To do that she, too, mixes up with Kai and Evra, trying to convince them with her body that she’s the one to produce his latest script. Kai and Evra fall under Theodora’s spell, but Bea is not convinced. As the end of the 1970s play out and the 1980s loom, tensions build. Will Bea ever figure out her relationship with Kai? And will she figure out who Theodora really is?

It's rare that I think a book would benefit from more than one PoV, but The Sunset Crowd is hampered a bit by being told through Bea’s eyes exclusively. Maybe I would have liked Kai better if I’d gotten his perspective, or sympathized with Theodora more if I could understand her ambition through any conduit but dialogue translated to prose by the jealous Bea. What are Theodora and Evra getting up to out of her sight? We learn through gossip, but that only helps point up the book’s own superficiality.

Far too much of the novel is about everyone’s obsession with Kai, who is not interesting enough on his own to be anything but a pretty shell. He’s a hot screenwriter and a major cocaine fiend, but they claw over him like he’s Brad Pitt, and his moderate wit does not convince me of his attractiveness or brilliance. He and Bea use other people to avoid confessing to their shared attraction and it’s just annoying. Bea surfaces as the only really likable character, if only because Evra is underwritten.

The book veers between tones. We start with women’s fiction, fall into Babitzian tones of fond excess and Hollywood (Evra appears to be loosely based on Eve’s sister, Mirandi Babitz, a child of LA, former groupie and eventual addiction counselor who opened her own fashionable clothing store that was huge among rock stars) and somehow end up with a crime drama and revenge fantasy. There are trips abroad, booze, drugs, and rock and roll. It’s told with some élan, but it feels very erratic. The prose is airy and filled with namedrops (Pam Grier! Lauren Bacall! Dustin Hoffman!) and is best when it’s about Bea’s observations of her polyester-soaked world. When it tries to convince us of Bea and Kai’s love, it rings less true. The fact that the book takes way too long to get out of its muddle and start telling its story just added to my frustration.

This, naturally, isn’t really a love story – our star crossed pair barely touch, and by the end, it’s more of a let-go-and-live-life story. I wish The Sunset Crowd had spent more of its length embracing that attitude.

3.75
Bea DuPont, photographer, 1970s in LA with sex, drugs and rock n roll.
Slow paced in the beginning, but picked up in the middle. The best novel to showcase the fake it until you make it motto!
Thank you NetGalley for the ARC.