The Chateau on Sunset

A Novel

By: Natasha Lester

Narrated by: Anthea Greco

A sheltered young woman living at the Chateau Marmont falls under the spell of a scandalous, secretive man as all of Hollywood’s glamour swirls around her—a stunning feminist reimagining of Jane Eyre from the New York Times bestselling author of The Paris Seamstress.

“A clever, compelling midcentury Gothic . . . a can’t-miss read for the madwoman in all of us.”—Layne Fargo, bestselling author of The Favorites

In 1957, newly orphaned Aria Jones is sent to live with her aunt, a fading star who hides away in Hollywood’s infamous Chateau Marmont. There, two aspiring actresses, Calliope and Flitter, take the grieving Aria under their wing.

But the Marmont isn’t meant for small girls with big hearts, and Aria’s first few nights reveal an insidious secret that continues to haunt her as she grows up in the hotel’s halls, where the bright lights of Hollywood cast even darker shadows. If Aria can just stay invisible and invite no trouble as she saves money, then she can leave the Marmont and live life on her own terms—alone but free.

Her carefully laid plans fall apart when the hotel is bought by Theo Winchester, a reclusive rock star turned unexpected caretaker of his daughter, Adele, and unlike any man Aria has met before. To earn the last bit of money she needs to escape, Aria becomes Adele’s tutor, which brings Aria closer to Theo and ignites a passion she never expected.

Suddenly, Aria finds herself wondering if she still wants to remain invisible—and if inviting trouble is a risk she’s willing to take to pursue what she truly desires.

Critic reviews

“Atmospheric and haunting . . . Lester brings Hollywood glamour and decay to life within the fascinating walls of the iconic Chateau Marmont.”—Chanel Cleeton, New York Times bestselling author of The Lost Story of Eva Fuentes

“Reader, I loved it! The Chateau on Sunset is a triumph of storytelling. From its mesmerizing prologue to the perfect last line, Natasha Lester weaves a smart, intoxicating tale of secrets and ghosts inside the famous walls of Hollywood’s Chateau Marmont, which becomes a character all of its own. Beautifully written and compulsively told, Lester’s latest is a clever reimagining of Charlotte Brontë’s Jane Eyre, with subtle nods to the classic text which are an absolute joy to discover. It is also a novel with a deeply feminist heartbeat which—given its setting—rightfully reflects on the MeToo conversation of recent years.”—Hazel Gaynor, New York Times bestselling author of Before Dorothy

“Through richly drawn characters, crackling dialogue, and a tightly woven plot, Lester delivers a propulsive tale that kept me up late into the night.”—Kristina McMorris, New York Times bestselling author of The Girls of Good Fortune

“As a lifelong devotee of Jane Eyre, I was captivated by the way Natasha Lester reimagines its spirit in The Chateau on Sunset. With luminous prose, she brings old Hollywood to glittering, complicated life—alongside a cast of vibrant, indelible characters. This sweeping novel of ambition, friendship, love, and fiercely held feminist ideals unfolds amid secrets lurking in the shadowed hallways of an iconic Hollywood landmark. A champagne toast of a novel—sparkling, layered, and utterly unforgettable.”—Eliza Knight, bestselling author of Lost in the Summer of ’69

“A clever, compelling mid-century Gothic that recasts the Chateau Marmont as the crumbling manor house and the predatory machine of Golden Age Hollywood as the gaslighting husband. Natasha Lester’s The Chateau on Sunset is a can’t-miss read for the madwoman in all of us.”—Layne Fargo, bestselling author of The Favorites

“This seductive reimagining of Jane Eyre brims with secrets, glamour, and the fierce courage it takes to claim your own power. Natasha Lester turns the Chateau Marmont into a haunted, magnetic force worthy of any Brontë moor.”—Michelle Moran, bestselling author of Maria