Welcome back to Jen’s Jewels, your weekly destination for all things fiction. Today, I am featuring THE CHATEAU ON SUNSET by New York Times bestselling author Natasha Lester. If you like historical fiction, this one is for you.
LIGHTNING ROUND
What’s your favorite way to spend a slow summer afternoon?
At the beach with my family, reading a book!
What snack, drink, or sweet treat always finds its way to your desk when writing?
Cups of rose and vanilla tea.
If your main character could plan the perfect summer getaway, where would they go?
To a beautiful island like Madeira, off Portugal, which is both gothic and gorgeous like the Chateau Marmont, and where you can swim in the sea all year round.
What’s one thing that instantly helps you slip into a creative mindset?
Doing my morning pages! Once those are done, my brain knows it’s time to write.
THE SUMMER SPARK
June often feels like the beginning of adventure and possibility. In what ways did this story represent a new direction or challenge for you as a writer?
THE CHATEAU ON SUNSET is, in some ways, a reimagining of the classic novel JANE EYRE. I’ve never written a reimagining before, so it was a very new adventure for me! I read JANE EYRE for the first time as a 10-year-old, and it left an indelible impression on my heart. I was completely swept up in the passion, fascinated by the wife locked up in the attic, and entranced by the orphan girl with no money and no relations who boldly declares that she’ll never let herself be ensnared. But as an adult that I wondered if Jane, the heroine who yearned to explore the vast, wild sweep of the world had, after all, let herself be ensnared by marriage before she was able to live her dreams. That curiosity drove the writing of the book and led me to concoct a story where I think Jane gets the story she truly deserves, one that’s both romantically satisfying AND personally satisfying too.
What was the very first image, line, or idea that sparked this book?
1930s Hollywood studio boss Harry Cohn once said, “If you must get into trouble, do it at the Chateau Marmont.” My novelist’s imagination was immediately piqued – exactly what kind of trouble could my characters get up to if I set them loose in the hotel’s rooms?
Setting can shape a story in powerful ways. What role does the setting play in your book, and what inspired you to choose it?
The Chateau Marmont is the perfect Gothic double of Rochester’s Thornfield Hall in JANE EYRE. It has secret tunnels, dark hallways, mysterious inhabitants, and a turret too! Add to that the fact that almost every Hollywood star has lived at the hotel at some point in the past eighty-odd years and that those stars have set its rooms on fire, lived double lives there, and retreated to the Marmont’s suites to recover from heartbreak. I couldn’t help but be inspired to bring those pieces of history to life in the book.
People often associate summer with memories and nostalgia. Did any personal experiences or favorite places inspire parts of the story?
Readers will also find themselves swept way to 1960s Venice in the novel, which is one of my favorite cities. Think women in dark sunglasses and capri pants, cracked crab with lemon, and sunshine sparkling on the canals and you have the vibe of that part of the book!
THE PERSONAL TOUCH
What’s a behind-the-scenes detail about writing this book that readers might never guess?
That I stayed at the Chateau Marmont twice while researching THE CHATEAU ON SUNSET. Because no photography is allowed at the Marmont, in order to protect its famous guests, it’s difficult to find images online that give you a sense of the building’s layout. So I lounged by the pool, ate at the restaurant, reveled in the view from our terrace and took note of all the little touches, like the Art Deco antiques and the personalized stationery. And although this might not sound like very hard work, it ALL counted as research!
Summer is ideal for discovering new books. Which books are currently at the top of your TBR pile?
STRANGERS by Belle Burden and THE ENDING WRITES ITSELF by Evelyn Clarke
If readers could step inside one scene from your book and experience it in real life, which scene would you choose and why?
There’s a scene where famous actress Calliope Burns holds her twenty-fifth birthday party by the Marmont’s poolside. She arranges for a tent to be set up there to host a legendary tarot card reader, who tells all the guests’ fortunes. Can you imagine anything better than dressing up in a gorgeous gown, sipping champagne poolside at the Marmont, mingling with the stars and then slipping inside a dark and mysterious tent to uncover the secrets of your future?
LOOKING AHEAD
Can you give readers a sneak peek into your next project, minus any spoilers?
I’m writing a book called GIRL OF THE YEAR. Think The Devil Wears Prada crossed with a scandalous anonymously written novel – plus a dead body!
Where can readers connect with you and keep up with your latest writing news? (Website, social media, newsletter, etc.)
I’m on Instagram. I have a website, and I have a Substack newsletter called Bijoux: https://natashalester.substack.com/
BONUS: The Author’s Playlist
Share 3–5 songs that capture the mood of your book or that helped inspire you while writing.
California Girls by The Beach Boys
Don’t Smoke in Bed by Nina Simone
Light My Fire by The Doors
Cry to Me by The Rolling Stones
Great Balls of Fire by Jerry Lee Lewis
THE CHATEAU ON SUNSET by Natasha Lester
Narrator: Anthea Greco
A Novel
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.
Women’s Fiction Friendship [ Random House Publishing Group, On Sale: June 2, 2026, Paperback / e-Book / audiobook, ISBN: 9780593726556 / eISBN: 9780593726563 ]
Buy THE CHATEAU ON SUNSET: Amazon.com | Kindle | BN.com | Apple Books | Kobo | Google Play | Books-A-Million | Indie BookShops | Ripped Bodice | Libro.fm | Audible | Walmart.com | Amazon CA | Amazon UK | Amazon DE | Amazon FR
About Natasha Lester
Natasha Lester worked as a marketing executive for L’Oreal before penning the New York Times and internationally bestselling novel The Paris Orphan. She is also the author of the USA Today bestseller The Paris Seamstress. When she’s not writing, she loves collecting vintage fashion, traveling, reading, practicing yoga and playing with her three children. Natasha lives in Perth, Western Australia.
WEBSITE | INSTAGRAM | YOUTUBE | FACEBOOK
About Jennifer Vido
Jennifer Vido is the author of The Gull Island Series, sweet Lowcountry romances inspired by her love of coastal living and small-town charm. Serendipity by the Sea won Best First Book from the New Jersey Romance Writers Golden Leaf Contest, and Baltimore Magazine readers named her Best Local Author in 2024 and 2025.
A Vanderbilt graduate, Jennifer traded in teaching French to follow her dream of becoming an author. She loves discovering and sharing literary gems through her Jen’s Jewels column, celebrating the books that make her heart happy.
Jennifer lives in Maryland with her husband and is mom to two grown sons. Her rescue dog, Fripp, is her constant companion, though he’s better at napping than editing. When she’s not writing, you’ll find her at the beach with her toes in the sand, dreaming about her next romance.
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