Sunday, August 29, 2010

LAST NIGHT AT CHATEAU MARMONT: REVIEW AND GIVEAWAY

GIVEAWAY ENDED
LAST NIGHT AT
CHATEAU MARMONT

BY LAUREN WEISBERGER

ABOUT THE BOOK:

Brooke loved reading the dishy celebrity gossip rag Last Night. That is, until her marriage became a weekly headline.

Brooke was drawn to the soulful, enigmatic Julian Alter the very first time she heard him perform "Hallelujah" at a dark East Village dive bar.

Now five years married, Brooke balances two jobs—as a nutritionist at NYU Hospital and as a consultant to an Upper East Side girls' school, where privilege gone wrong and disordered eating run rampant—in order to help support her husband's dream of making it in the music world.

Things are looking up when after years of playing Manhattan clubs and toiling as an A&R intern, Julian finally gets signed by Sony. Although no one's promising that the album will ever hit the airwaves, Julian is still dedicated to logging in long hours at the recording studio. All that changes after Julian is asked to perform on the Tonight Show with Jay Leno—and is catapulted to stardom, literally overnight. Amazing opportunities begin popping up almost daily—a new designer wardrobe, a tour with Maroon 5, even a Grammy performance.

At first the newfound fame is fun—who wouldn't want to stay at the Chateau Marmont or visit the set of one of television's hottest shows? Yet it seems that Brooke's sweet husband—the man who can't handle hot showers and wears socks to bed—is increasingly absent, even on those rare nights they're home together. When rumors about Brooke and Julian swirl in the tabloid magazines, she begins to question the truth of her marriage and is forced to finally come to terms with what she thinks she wants—and what she actually needs.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Lauren Weisberger is the author of The Devil Wears Prada, which spent more than a year on the New York Times hardcover and paperback bestseller lists. The film version, starring Meryl Streep and Anne Hathaway, won a Golden Globe Award and grossed over $300 million worldwide. Her second novel, Everyone Worth Knowing, was also a New York Times bestseller. She lives in New York City with her husband.

MY REVIEW:

LAST NIGHT AT CHATEAU MARMONT, from best selling author of THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA, Lauren Weisberger, is almost a typical “Star is Born” kind of story. ‘Almost’, because as Weisberger’s many fans know, she is never one to settle for the typical story or ending, and that is why we love to read her work. LAST NIGHT AT CHATEAU MARMONT is built around the way that becoming a celebrity can effect someone but also, how it can change the lives of everyone around them.

Brooke is a nutritionist with a successful career, working in New York when she meets Julian Alter, a singer/songwriter trying to make it big in his music career. They almost immediately are attracted to each other and marry soon after. For the first five years, they share their married bliss and become great parents. Brooke works two jobs to support the family so Julian can pursue his musical dream. As if it happened overnight, Julian scores a hit and becomes a rock star instantaneously! As they find themselves in Los Angeles with Julian performing on Jay Leno‘s “The Tonight Show”, their lives are suddenly turned upside down. With this new incredibly glitzy lifestyle, Brooke finds herself quickly left out of the picture and as Julian attracts more aggressive female fans and socializes and works with the hottest young actresses, the paparazzi eat it up. Spending more time away from home than with Brooke and his family, puts an obvious strain on their marriage. The straw for this camel comes, as the headlines read, when Julian is reportedly found “with” another woman bringing Brooke to the point where she must decide if this is the life she really wants or not.

With Weisberger giving such depth to both Brooke and Julian from the start, before all the Hollywood hullabaloo, readers become invested in both their lives, knowing them as "real" people and not stereotypes. Emotionally you can understand the position and feelings of both characters as their lives change over time. Their personal struggles and the precariousness of their marriage all lead to an incredible conclusion. Knowing Brooke so well, leads you to wonder what you would do and how you feel about what really happens. How do you feel about the title LAST NIGHT AT CHATEAU MARMONT and what does it signify? How would you handle things if you were in Julian’s shoes? You will find yourself turning the pages to see if Brooke and Julian do what you think they should do or not. I thoroughly enjoyed Lauren Weisberger’s new book and luxuriated in a well written story with great characters and story lines in what could have been just another Hollywood chick-lit run of the mill story.

GIVEAWAY

THANKS TO LISA AND THE GOOD
PEOPLE AT SIMON & SCHUSTER,
I HAVE TWO COPIES OF THIS ENJOYABLE
AND WELL W
RITTEN BOOK TO GIVE AWAY



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--NO P. O. BOXES, PLEASE
--INCLUDE EMAIL ADDRESS IN COMMENT
--ALL ENTRIES/COMMENTS MUST BE
SEPARATE IN ORDER TO COUNT
AS MORE THAN ONE ENTRY



HOW TO ENTER

+1 ENTRY: COMMENT ON WHAT YOU THINK ABOUT THIS BOOK FROM READING ABOUT IT ABOVE AND WHY YOU WOULD LIKE TO WIN A COPY

+1 MORE ENTRY: BLOG OR TWEET ABOUT THIS GIVEAWAY AND COME BACK AND LEAVE A LINK

+1 (+2?)MORE ENTRY: COMMENT ON OTHER BOOKS FROM SIMON AND SCHUSTER THAT YOU MIGHT LIKE TO READ BY GOING TO THEIR WEBSITE HERE AND LOOKING AROUND AT ALL THEY HAVE TO OFFER. WHILE THERE, SEE IF YOU CAN NAME ANOTHER BOOK WRITTEN BY AUTHOR LAUREN WEISBERGER.

+1 MORE ENTRY:
COMMENT ON HOW YOU FOLLOW MY BLOG. FOR EACH WAY THAT YOU FOLLOW YOU CAN COMMENT SEPARATELY AND EACH WILL COUNT AS ANOTHER ENTRY

GIVEAWAY ENDS AT
6 PM, EST, SEPTEMBER 18!

GOOD LUCK!

99 comments:

debbie said...

I would be interested in reading it, because it sounds like being famous isn't all it is thought to be. It sounds like a good book, I would like to read.
twoofakind12@yahoo.com

debbie said...

I am a email subscriber.
twoofakind12@yahoo.com

debbie said...

I am a gfc follower.
debbie
twoofakind12@yahoo.com

debbie said...

Empire of the summer moon sounds like a good book.
twoofakind12@yahoo.com

debbie said...

Everyone worth knowing by lauren weisberger sounds good.
twoofakind12@yahoo.com

Anonymous said...

From reading about the book and your review, I gather the characters are fully developed so they seem real instead of stereotyped. That is the reason that I would like to read this book.


CarolNWong(at)aol(dot)com

Anonymous said...

When I looked around at the Simon & Schuster sight, I saw a book by Snadra Brown that I haven't read,
'Tough Customer'. I would like to read that because she is great at suspense and twists and turns.

CarolNWong(at)aol(dot)com

Anonymous said...

Another book that Laura Weisberger wrote is 'Chasing Harry'.



CarolNWong(at)aol(dot)com

Anonymous said...

I am an e-mail subscriber.


CarolNWong(at)aol(dot)com

Anonymous said...

I am a GFC follower of this Blog.


CarolNWong(at)aol(dot)com

Anonymous said...

+ 5 Swagbucks

CarolNWong(at)aol(dot)com

CMash said...

Would enjoy reading about tinsel town with a little suspense.
CMash
Mash1195(at)aol(dot)com

CMash said...

Now You See Her by Joy Fielding
CMash
Mash1195(at)aol(dot)com

CMash said...

I'll Walk Alone by Mary Higgins Clark

CMash
Mash1195(at)aol(dot)com

CMash said...

Tough Customer by Sandra Brown
CMash
Mash1195(at)aol(dot)com

Unknown said...

I am a follower. Sounds like a terrific read. Please enter me in contest. Tore923@aol.com

Colleen Turner said...

I love this author! She does such a fantastic job of getting to the pulse of the current entertainment world that so many of us just watch from the sidelines. She does a fantastic job of showing the glamourous but also the dark and dirty aspects of this world. This sounds no different, showing how a happy couple, one of which is an up and coming artist, can turn not so happy when fame and wonderlust takes over. Can't wait to read it!
Thanks!
candc320@gmail.com

Colleen Turner said...

I went to the website and saw Called to Coach by Bobby Bowden (THE Coach). I would love to read this as I am from Tallahassee, FL and went to FSU (along with every single person in my family). To people from Tallahassee, Coach Bowden is the ultimate prize. Would love to hear what he has to say.
candc320@gmail.com

Colleen Turner said...

I have read The Devil Wears Prada by this author and absolutely loved it!
candc320@gmail.com

Colleen Turner said...

I follow via email.
candc320@gmail.com

holdenj said...

Celebrity gossip--I just love books like that, they are usually so diverting!
JHolden955(at)gmail(dot)com

Colleen Turner said...

I am a Networked Blogs follower.
candc320@gmail.com

holdenj said...

I would like to read Lonesome Dove--I've always heard great things about it and now it's in a 25th anniversary!

Lauren also wrote The Devil Wears Prada.
JHolden955(at)gmail(dot)com

Colleen Turner said...

I am a fan on Facebook.
candc320@gmail.com

holdenj said...

I am a GFC follower.
JHolden955(at)gmail(dot)com

holdenj said...

I am a RSS subscriber.
JHolden955(at)gmail(dot)com

scottsgal said...

I love the title and premise of this book - I love reading Hollywood type novels so I'm sure I'd enjoy this one
msboatgal at aol.com

scottsgal said...

One Simon & Schuster book I will definitely read is I'll Walk Alone, the new one next year by Mary Higgins Clark, a fave of mine
msboatgal at aol.com

scottsgal said...

I follow via GFC
msboatgal at aol.com

scottsgal said...

I also subscribe via rss feed
msboatgal at aol.com

Mary (Bookfan) said...

I love a novel that has characters with depth who I actually care about and hope will be able to handle or work through whatever comes their way.

Mary (Bookfan)

meah56 at gmail dot com

Mary (Bookfan) said...

I blogged at my giveaway page:
http://wp.me/PtXKB-iW

Mary (Bookfan)

meah56 at gmail dot com

Mary (Bookfan) said...

At S&S website I saw that they are re-releasing Lonesome Dove. I've always wanted to read it and I know someone is doing a read along on their blog soon.

I also saw Chasing Harry Winston and Everyone Worth Knowing on the Lauren Weisberger page at S&S.

Mary (Bookfan)

meah56 at gmail dot com

Mary (Bookfan) said...

I'm a GFC follower

Mary (Bookfan)

meah56 at gmail dot com

Anonymous said...

I would love to win this. I enjoy reading about marital relationships and celebrities and the celebrity lifestyle and this book has both.

monagarg@yahoo.com

Anonymous said...

I would like to read TOUGH CUSTOMER by Sandra Brown.

monagarg@yahoo.com

Anonymous said...

I would like to read her THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA. I saw the movie and loved it.

monagarg@yahoo.com

Anonymous said...

I follow via email

monagarg@yahoo.com

Anonymous said...

I follow you on Twitter(@Kulmona)

monagarg@yahoo.com

Anonymous said...

Hi! I think I would enjoy reading this book. It deals with dreams and how far you want to reach those dreams even if the dreams are not yours. :)

Connie
aliasgirl1976@yahoo.com

Anonymous said...

I would also like to read the book "The Town". I think it would be a exciting read. :)

Connie
aliasgirl1976@yahoo.com

traveler said...

This book would be a different type of novel from what I usually read. saubleb(at)gmail(dot)com

traveler said...

I would like to read I'll walk Alone. saubleb(at)gmail(dot)com

traveler said...

I would enjoy reading Tough Customer. saubleb(at)gmail(dot)com

petite said...

This book would give me a perspective on fame. rojosho(at)hotmail(dot)com

petite said...

I would like to read I'll Walk ALone. rojosho(at)hotmail(dot)com

petite said...

I would like to read Now You See her. rojosho(at)hotmail(dot)com

Linda Henderson said...

This book sounds like an interesting view of how fame & celebrity can affect your life.

seriousreader at live dot com

Linda Henderson said...

I tweeted this giveaway.

http://twitter.com/BookOwner/status/22457466050

seriousreader at live dot com

Linda Henderson said...

I went to the publisher website and I would like to read The Thieves Of Darkness by Richard Doetsch.

seriousreader at live dot com

Linda Henderson said...

I saw she wrote The Devil Wears Prada and Everyone Worth Knowing.

seriousreader at live dot com

Linda Henderson said...

I follow you on GFC.

seriousreader at live dot com

Linda Henderson said...

I like you on Facebook as myself.

seriousreader at live dot com

Linda Henderson said...

I follow you on Twitter as BookOwner.

seriousreader at live dot com

Linda Henderson said...

I am an email subscriber.

seriousreader at live dot com

Linda Henderson said...

I follow on Networked Blogs.

seriousreader at live dot com

Linda Kish said...

I like the story of a non-entertainer and an entertainer and how their relationships mesh or not.

lkish77123 at gmail dot com

Linda Kish said...

I am a GFC follower

lkish77123 at gmail dot com

Linda Kish said...

The Girl Next Door by Patricia MacDonald would be good.

lkish77123 at gmail dot com

Linda Kish said...

She also wrote Everyone Worth Knowing which looks good, too.

lkish77123 at gmail dot com

Ruthie said...

I saw Devil Wears Prada & loved it so I'm sure I will enjoy reading this.
Please enter me, thanks.

ruthiekb72@yahoo.com

Ruthie said...

FB follower

ruthiekb72@yahoo.com

rubynreba said...

I'd like to read this because it is fun to read about the famous and see that they have as many or more problems than the average person.
pbclark(at)netins(dot)net

rubynreba said...

Empire of the Summer Moon and The Glass Castle look good.
pbclark(at)netins(dot)net

rubynreba said...

She also wrote American Girls About Town, Everyone Worth Knowing and Chasing Harry Winston.
pbclark(at)netins(dot)net

rubynreba said...

I am an email subscriber.
pbclark(at)netins(dot)net

rubynreba said...

Facebook friend.
pbclark(at)netins(dot)net

Pamela Keener said...

What a lovely review. I would love to read this book if only to see the ending and how this all plays out.
Love & Hugs,
Pam
pk4290(at)comcast(dot)net

Pamela Keener said...

I am anxous to read Clockwork Angel as I have read good things about this book.
Love & Hugs,
Pam
pk4290(at)comcast(dot)net

Pamela Keener said...

I subscribe to your blog via e-mail.
Love & Hugs,
Pam
pk4290(at)comcast(dot)net

Pamela Keener said...

I subscribe to your blog via GFC.
Love & Hugs,
Pam
pk4290(at)comcast(dot)net

Pamela Keener said...

I subscribe to your blog via Google Reader.
Love & Hugs,
Pam
pk4290(at)comcast(dot)net

Pamela Keener said...

I like you on FB/Pam Keener
Love & Hugs,
Pam
pk4290(at)comcast(dot)net

g.g. said...

I was in a similar situation and would like to read about how Brooke handles this

anjamie4 AT gmail DOT com

g.g. said...

I saw on the website that Lauren also wrote Chasing Harry Winston +1

anjamie4 AT gmail DOT com

g.g. said...

I would love to read Called to Coach as I am a fan of Coach Bowden and have read all his other books

anjamie4 AT gmail DOT com

g.g. said...

I follow you as a GFC follower

anjamie4 AT gmail DOT com

g.g. said...

I subscribe via email

anjamie4 AT gmail DOT com

Jolee said...

A book with something to say about marriage and our celebrity obsession? yes, that sounds interesting to me! joleehamlin [at] comcast [dot] net

Jolee said...

Follow you on email. joleehamlin [at] comcast [dot] net

Jolee said...

Follow you on gfc. joleehamlin [at] comcast [dot] net

Jolee said...

The _Half Brok Horses_ on Simon & Schuster's page sounds mesmerizing. joleehamlin [at] comcast [dot] net

Jolee said...

The anthology with Weisberger's contribution, American Girls around Town, sounds comical and appealing. joleehamlin [at] comcast [dot] net

nfmgirl said...

It would be interesting to see a story like this from the inside. Usually we are on the outside watching it play out in the media.

nfmgirl AT gmail DOT com

nfmgirl said...

I'd love to read Little Bee by Chris Cleave.

nfmgirl AT gmail DOT com

nfmgirl said...

Oh, and Chasing Harry Winston is another book she wrote...

nfmgirl AT gmail DOT com

nfmgirl said...

I follow via GFC

nfmgirl AT gmail DOT com

nfmgirl said...

I follow via email

nfmgirl AT gmail DOT com

nfmgirl said...

I follow via reader

nfmgirl AT gmail DOT com

nfmgirl said...

I follow on Twitter

nfmgirl AT gmail DOT com

nfmgirl said...

I follow via Facebook

nfmgirl AT gmail DOT com

nfmgirl said...

I follow via Networked Blogs

nfmgirl AT gmail DOT com

LAMusing said...

Knowing a few people to whom this sort of thing has actually happened, I'm very curious about the choices the characters/author make.
adrianecoros(at)gmail(dot)com

LAMusing said...

I follow you on GFC!
adrianecoros(at)gmail(dot)com

LAMusing said...

I follow you on Networked Blogs
(as AdrianeCoros)
adrianecoros(at)gmail(dot)com

LAMusing said...

I like you on Facebook
(as AdrianeCoros)
adrianecoros(at)gmail(dot)com

rbooth43 said...

The Devil Wears Prada by Lauren Weisberger was a great read and this book must be great, too.
S&S website has Touch Customer by Sandra Brown, Now You See Her by Joy Fielding and I'll Walk Alone by Mary Higgins Clark are all books that I would love to read because these authors are outstanding.
rbooth43(at)yahoo(dot)com

rbooth43 said...

I am an email subscriberand a google follower.

weeziestoy said...

After reading....I think the book is interesting....Would like to read the book

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