After her parents' deaths, Aria Jones is sent to live with her reclusive starlet aunt at the Chateau Marmont, the hotel on Hollywood Boulevard with a notorious reputation.
Left alone to wander the hotel, Aria sees everything - all the ways people wheel and deal for fame. But the Marmont isn't meant for young girls with big hearts, and Aria discovers an insidious secret that will haunt her childhood.
As she matures, she finds solace in the hotel's library. Her sole goal is to be as inconspicuous as possible. Until one day, the hotel is sold to mysterious rock star Theo Winchester and his troubled daughter, Adele. Will Aria realise there's more to life than being invisible?
Captivating from its very first page, The Chateau on Sunset blends the beloved Jane Eyre story with the rich and colourful history of the entertainment industry from the 1950s to the 1970s.
Natasha Lester is the multi-award winning and New York Times best-selling author of THE PARIS SEAMSTRESS, THE PARIS ORPHAN, THE PARIS SECRET and THE DISAPPEARANCE OF ASTRID BRICARD. Her new book, THE MADEMOISELLE ALLIANCE, the story of Marie-Madeleine Fourcade, the only female leader of a French Resistance network in WWII, is coming in April 2025.
Prior to writing, she worked as a marketing executive for L’Oreal, managing the Maybelline brand, before returning to university to study creative writing.
Natasha's books have been translated into twenty-one different languages and are published all around the world. She lives in Perth, Western Australia with her 3 children and loves fashion history, practising the art of fashion illustration, collecting vintage fashion, travelling and, of course, books.
“The Chateau on Sunset,” by Natasha Lester, features the Chateau Marmont, the legendary Hollywood hotel, as a character in it’s own right. In the novel, the Marmont is filled with famous screenwriters, producers, actors, actresses and aspiring young vulnerable starlets. The main character, Aria Jones, enters the hotel a few months shy of her 14th birthday, moving there from her home in Manhattan after her parents die in a tragic fire at a gas station. Aria comes to live in an apartment with her Aunt Devine Rey, a reclusive former actress addicted to pills and alcohol. At her lowest point, Aria meets two aspiring actresses, Calliope and Flitter, who take her under their wing and make her their honorary sister.
In contrast to the other occupants of the Chateau Marmont, Aria wants to remain invisible and live a small life, hoping that by doing so she will avoid further disappointments and tragedies. The first 70 percent of the novel consists of her sequestering herself at the Marmont and on the Marmont’s grounds, never venturing further than Scwab’s diner down the street. The narrative jumps back and forth between 1957 and 1966, moving forward in both time frames. The most significant action doesn’t occur until the last 30 percent of the book.
Although the characters were vivid, and the dialog was sparkling, this novel, unlike Natasha Lester’s previous ones, felt a bit long due to the book primary focus on Aria’s narrow existence at the Marmont. Moreover, the frequent jumps in time prevent the reader from becoming absorbed in the story, jolting them out of one time line to dump them abruptly into another. In addition, because there was only a 7 year gap between the two time frames, which both included the same characters, it became somewhat confusing to reorient oneself in the current storyline.
However, despite the above mentioned shortfalls, the theme, which depicts Aria coming into her own and finding her own strength, at the same time as she finds a way to give back sexually exploited young actresses their own strength, makes up for any deficiencies. The well-drawn characters and dynamic dialog also contributes to the strengths of this novel.
Thank you to NetGalley and Ballentine Books for providing me an ARC of the novel in exchange for my honest review.
The Chateau on Sunset by Natasha Lester is about the Hollywood scene. It teaches us about life, love, living, and the goings on in the film industry. It will make you both laugh and cry but you will love every minute of it.
Aria Jones is orphaned at 13, her parents having been killed in a fire. Her guardian is her aunt, a famous film star who lives at the Chateau Marmont in Hollywood, which is where Aria will now reside. Aria is young, naive, and scared of the world. Her aunt has no interest in raising a child so she is left to the actresses, production people, and the books inside the chateau for her education. She becomes best friends with 2 would be starlets and the three become the three sisters.
The first part of the book goes back and forth between her arrival years and her present day life. We learn about life in the chateau through her young eyes, her education about the goings on within it’s walls, as well as her role in helping the starlets. We see her grow up, fall in love, but also spread her wings and fly, only to return again.
I loved this book as much as other books of Natasha Lester’s. The book is a page turner. I could not put it down. Her writing is good, giving us wonderful pictures of what she is saying. She makes us both laugh and cry along with the characters in the book. She makes us cheer for Aria but in the end, leaves us feeling sad in other ways.
I would like to thank Megan Whalen, Penguin Random House as well as Net Galley for giving me the opportunity to read this ARC.
I am a lover of Natasha Lester's historical fiction, with strong female leads, who lead us through dramatic events in history. Sadly I just cant say the same about "The Chateau on Sunset".
I found the two time lines running quite close together confusing, with the same characters appearing in both, making it hard to tell the difference (if you don't look at the chapter title). Part One of the book was hard to navigate. But I really enjoyed Part Two, which sees us in one timeline.
Essentially a story of finding your full self, with help or hinderance from friends. I believe the Hollywood setting of Chateau Marmont and the actresses names (initials) are a nod to actual places and people. The seedy side of the 1950s and 60s is swept under the carpet of the Chateau which operates as a world of it own, as orphaned Aria tries to live under the radar amongst a bevy a Hollywood starlets.
This self imposed isolation seduces you into a web of untruths, suspicions and self doubt. Everyone is broken in their own way. I enjoyed the liberation of Aria and the reveal of the lies and coverups but wasn't as fully engaged as I have been in other Natasha Lester reads.
Thanks to Hachette Australia, Natasha Lester and NetGalley for my copy.
Thank you to Hachette for sending this book my way!
This is a tightly plotted novel that has been tauted as a feminist retelling of Jane Eyre - and it absolutely nails that premise.
I have always loved Natasha's way of writing fabulously strong women characters, and I have to admit to being slightly hesitant when I first started reading, as I didn't want it to be just another book about Hollywood and it's glamourous stars.
I should have trusted Lester - because there is always more to her storytelling than simply reproducing cliches.
Woven through the tale are secrets, lies, addiction and abuse. There's love, hope, sisterhood and lecherous evil.
Without giving away too many spoilers - there are echoes of themes that have been brought out in the public eye over recent years and Natasha presents it with raw sympathy and dignity. I'm grateful she didn't shy away from the reality stars faced to get ahead in the industry.
Fans of classic retellings will enjoy the nods to Bronte, and so will those who like a love story, mystery and glamour.
Most of all though, it's an important read - I think we need to keep bringing these uncomfortable truths to light.
Well done, Natasha.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Natasha Lester is one of my favorite authors - she can write historical fiction! Her characters, the scenes, and the plot are always well-developed, with strong female characters. This story did not disappoint in that way. Aria, Calliope, Ms Devine, and Flitter bring an era of Hollywood alive for the reader, and we are kept engrossed with the ghost of the hotel. The two timelines in this novel were a little confusing at points - sometimes I had to double-check when reading to see where we were, and this could be because though there were two timelines, as there often are in books, these two were very close together, and the same characters were in each of them. I don't know if that was what made it a little difficult for me to get into at first, but I think it might be, as once we stayed in the more recent timeline story, I loved the book, and before that, I was reading it, but was not as engaged as I normally am with her novels. All that being said, it was a good book and gave me a look at a time period I don't know much about, and did it with strong and likable female characters as its lead actors! Thanks to NetGalley and Ballantine Random House for the e-arc in exchange for an honest review.
The Chateau on Sunset offers a sweeping look at Hollywood’s golden era, a world glittering on the surface yet driven by an undercurrent of power struggles, manipulation, and ambition. The constant shifts between 1957, when Aria is just thirteen, and 1964, felt exhausting at times by the sheer amount of chaos. While this wasn’t a story I loved, I can appreciate how accurately it likely reflects the industry during those years. My own father grew up in Hollywood at that time and shared similar stories about the hunger for power and the troubling expectations placed especially on women who dreamed of becoming stars. Amid the deceit, abuse, and relentless jockeying for influence, Aria stood out as a bright, hopeful presence. Her character brought warmth and humanity to an otherwise harsh landscape, and she was who I connected with most. Though the pacing and intensity didn’t fully work for me, readers who enjoy richly detailed historical fiction and behind-the-scenes Hollywood intrigue may find much to appreciate here. The novel certainly paints a vivid picture of an era defined by glamour, ambition, and the steep price of fame. I received a complimentary copy of this book. All comments and opinions are my own.
Another utterly engaging, well-crafted story! Natasha Lester is among my favorite authors, and I so look forward to each of her novels. The Chateau on Sunset does not disappoint.
While I’m truthfully not all that interested in Hollywood, have never been starstruck and thus was not all that intrigued by the subject matter of this particular book, I nonetheless thoroughly enjoyed Lester’s scrumptiously feminist riff on Jane Eyre. As ever, Lester vividly portrays her settings - particularly the magnificent Chateau Marmont which serves as a main character in this midcentury tale. I felt as though I was walking the halls of the hotel, sitting by its pool, and hobnobbing with its many long stay residents. Lester also once again lauds friendship, family, financial and emotional independence for women and, yes, romance, while also conveying her passion for fashion and storytelling in various forms.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Ballantine for the privilege of a complimentary ARC. Opinions are my own.
Orphaned and sent to the notorious Chateau Marmont, Aria Jones grows up watching Hollywood at its most dangerous. Scarred by a childhood secret, she learns to survive by staying invisible until a mysterious (and dreamily handsome) rock star and his daughter arrive, threatening the life Aria has built in the shadows.
👏🏼 Natasha Lester, ladies and gentlemen. 👏🏼 She can do no wrong. 👏🏼 I adore her writing so much. It is always richly detailed, exquisitely crafted, and utterly transportive. This newest release was no different. Absolutely brilliant. All of the characters were so beautifully nuanced, and as always, her settings are vivid and immersive.
This book made me smile, cry and have that “can’t wait to get home so I can continue reading” feeling. Everything you could possibly want in a novel. Natasha Lester has such a gift for storytelling. 🤍
This one is out on March 31st 📖 Thank you @hachetteaus @netgalley for the gift of getting to read it early 🥰
I love Natasha Lester’s writing. It never disappoints and I’ve lost many hours engrossed in the worlds of her making. Having said that, I don’t think this is up with my favourite books from her pen. That doesn’t make it a bad book by any stretch, and I did enjoy reading it. This book is set in 50s and 60s Hollywood, when newly orphaned Aria is sent to live with her reclusive film star aunt, who lives in a hotel. Aria finds herself in a very alien world, having been a much adored only child, and she gets by on her wits and with the sometimes help of several people she befriends along the way. There are two timelines in this book, looking at Aria’s teen years, and her early adulthood, with the book swapping between the two. I found this book to be a bit of a departure from Natasha Lester’s recent books, dealing less with an unknown war heroine, and more with an ordinary person in extraordinary circumstances. It’s an entertaining read and I’m sure it will be well received by Lester’s legion of fans Thanks to NetGalley for the copy of this book for review
I was invited by the publisher to review this book. After losing her parents, young Aria is sent to live with her reclusive aunt at the famous Chateau Marmont, where she grows up witnessing the dark bargains and secrets of Hollywood. When she makes a disturbing discovery, Aria retreats into invisibility and books as she ages. When the hotel is sold to rock star Theo and his troubled daughter, Adele, Aria is forced to step out of the shadows and confront whether she’s ready to truly live rather than remain unseen.
This book follows Aria from being young into adulthood, so readers get a full scope of her trauma and how she was eventually able to overcome it as an adult. The story veers between past and present, and I thought in that way it really presented a very well-rounded storyline. The author provides a full range of emotion in this book, but in a healthy way that will leave readers really enjoying this book, including the character of the hotel.
Thank you to NetGalley and Ballantine Books for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Natasha Lester has done it again! In this tightly woven novel, Aria Jones, orphaned at a young age, is sent to live with her aging, once famous actress aunt, at the very well known Chateau Marmont. Told in two timelines, Aria witnesses and becomes friendly with two young actresses and is faced with the very seedy side of Hollywood. The Chateau Marmont is a character in itself, with vividly drawn details of how the rich and powerful lived at and controlled all around them. There is addiction and abuse, yet also love and friendship in this nod to Jane Eyre. With Lester’s trademark strong female characters, important themes are addressed. Highly recommended. With thanks to Netgalley and Ballantine for this ARC. My opinions are my own.
I loved this book! Bonus is you are a fan of Old Hollywood or Jane Eyre.
This book follows orphan Aria Jones through a dual timeline, starting at 1957 and her "present" in 1964 while living at the famed Hollywood Chateau Marmont. Not only are we filled with characters from the chateau staff, it's Hollywood residents, but also the chateau itself serves as a character.
This book kept me constantly guessing if my favorite characters were ones I could trust. It kept me engaged, pulling back the curtain on the "glamour" of Old Hollywood, exposing the truth that lay behind it. It was the perfect blend of story and atmosphere.
This is another read I wouldn’t normally gravitate toward, but I ended up really enjoying it. It was emotional, reflective, and surprisingly thoughtful. Beyond the glamour, it quietly explores the realities of growing up around the film industry; the sacrifices, the loneliness, and the life lessons you learn far too early.
It offers a gentle look at identity, ambition, and finding your place in a world that can be both dazzling and unforgiving. A moving and enjoyable read overall.
Thank you to NetGalley, Natasha Lester, and Hachette Australia for the ARC.
I had a hard time getting into the story during the first half with constantly going back and forth between when Aria first arrived at the Chateau Marmont and present day in the 1960s – especially since the characters were the same in each time period. Part one earned a solid 3 rating as it showed the corruption of Hollywood and dashed dreams. Part two, however, when Aria left the hotel for Europe the story became much more engaging as Aria finally found her voice. Part two earned a 4 rating which means 3.5 overall.
Many thanks to NetGalley and the Publisher for letting me read The Chateau on Sunset. I am a huge fan of Natasha Lester's work and this book did not disappoint. The main character, Aria Jones is amazing. She is smart and funny and I loved how she eventually found herself. This is a story of self discovery and friendship set against the historical Chateau Marmont. This is a beautifully written story you do not want to miss.
Thank you to Ballantine Books and NetGalley for the ARC!
My second book in a row of men behaving badly and woman getting their revenge both set in Hollywood! I love the setting of Chateau Marmount - a place where tragedy and shenanigans go hand in hand. Definitely pick this one up if you enjoy historical fiction on old Hollywood.