This was a cute, if somewhat predictable read, perfect for a lazy weekend. If you're looking for some light escapism, this might do the trick!

3.5 stars! This was the perfect light read between thrillers and all of the characters were very likeable. Thanks so much to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the ARC!

I absolutely loved this book!! The main setting is in Paris, with baguettes, wine, cheese and chocolate. What more could a girl ask for? It makes me want to go to Paris and live there, even for a short time. As Maggie discovers the sights of Paris, strolling down side streets, discovering cafes and enjoying the many delights, I was transported to Paris and dreaming of a time when we can travel the world again.

Maggie has a severe case of writer's block and has a deadline coming up. This book will the 3rd installment in a trilogy and this book can be the stepping stone to many great things, including getting her dream beach home.

Her agent invites Maggie to stay in his home in Paris while he and his partner take care of some family business. Maggie agrees to go in hopes to overcome her writer's block and to discover her muse. Her daughter also lives in Paris so it becomes a great opportunity for them to spend time together.

While in Paris, Maggie not only finds her Muse, she reconnects with her daughter and her ex-husband who just so happens to be in Paris during the same time. Paris helps Maggie discover who she is and what she wants from life. She discovers that its not about settling for what is but it's about going after what she really wants and truly deserves.

"I want to be the reason someone gets up every morning. I want to the be the fire in their soul. And I want to feel that in return." I held my fists against my chest. "I want to feel it right here."
Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this wonderful book.

Thank you so much to #NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC.

I adored Maggie Finds Her Muse. I really did! A middle aged author seems to have writers block when it comes to writing the last installment of her series. So Maggie heads out of the country to get inspiration.

I loved loved loved this so much. Maggie reminded me so much of myself, especially trying to get out of a funk.

Full review to come closer to the publication date!

Maggie Bliss is a well-known romance writer whose new trilogy has shot her to a new level of fame and pressure as her second book is due to be released and her third book is nowhere close to being started. With deadlines looming and a pressing timeline, Maggie needs to get her writer’s block taken care of to ensure the summer release of the final novel.

I agree with other reviews that this novel draws parallels to “How Stella Got Her Groove Back” as Maggie hits a slump with herself and her writing so she changes locations and begins to rediscover herself. In the case of this novel, Maggie’s agent Lee offers the use of his Parisian apartment for her to stay and overcome her writer’s block. (This apartment sounds like a dream as I cannot imagine staying in a place in Paris that is that large – I have only ever been in those tiny shoebox apartments and wish I could stay in the described apartment!)

Paris is a fantastic setting for this story and the author describes the sights, food, and general atmosphere in just enough detail to make you imagine as if you are there. It was frustrating though how quickly Maggie picked up the Parisian lifestyle. It didn’t make sense with her character based on how lost and “unworldly” she was at the beginning of her journey. She’s never been to Paris before and seemed to pick it up extremely fast which didn’t seem that relatable. She did make some mistakes here and there, but she would run into little trouble – never getting on the wrong platform, making a wrong turn, etc. Even though with GPS on their phones or “good directions” make mistakes, but Maggie never seemed to experience this during her stay in Paris.

As an aside for the writing, the time jumping can be polarizing for readers as some might love it while others might hate it. As you finish reading one paragraph, you will suddenly jump to later in the future as the next paragraph begins. For me as a reader, I prefer at least some notice (dots, decorative punctuation, a space between paragraphs, etc.).

Max was a character who needed a lot more substance as he was nice and good-looking, but you never really get to know what makes him tick. He has multiple ex-wives, but it’s not fully explored aside from side notes here and there about why they divorced. He’s so agreeable with everything Maggie says and does that it just didn’t make sense at times as, sure you can have an attraction where the little things might not bother you, but there was zero tension in just the day to day interactions. It wasn’t as relatable to me as I couldn’t understand how people from two different cultural upbringings could immediately understand everything about the other.

Maggie has three technical love interests in this story – her ex-boyfriend, her ex-husband, and Max (her French word-traveler banker). I loved how Maggie fully considered each and took the logical side when trying to figure how who best suited her. She gave each a chance and was open-minded about what would ultimately make her happy. One negative with her character was her food obsession as she could go hours and hours without eating one minute, but then she’s dying of hunger the next. In another moment, she would then be overwhelmed by the sites that she was okay with some light snacking. It just seemed all over the place. I’ve been to Paris a few times and I am fully food-obsessed where I think anything and everything I eat there is beyond amazing, but Maggie took it to a whole other level as she acted as if it were the nectar of the Gods with every item. It was a little excessive for my taste, but I can see the appeal of writing about how fantastic even those most basic items (like a salad) can be amazing in Paris. Overall, Maggie was a likable “mature” main character that could be a lesson to other authors not to discount this age group as they are just as compelling to read about as their younger counterparts.

Overall, this story was an excellent read. It is heart-warming and gives you all the warm fuzzy feelings that you would want in a romantic novel. The writing is easy enough to understand and it’s a fairly quick read. The characters are easy to keep track of and they are all likable. There are flaws, just like with almost all novels, but the good definitely outweigh the negative that I would gladly re-read this book anytime!

**Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for my ARC. My review is voluntary and the opinions expressed are completely my own.**
**Feel free to check out my other reviews at ChonkyBooksReview.com **

First of all, I loved reading this! It definitely gave me a warm and fuzzy feeling inside, and we all need that right now with everything that's going on. For that I'm giving it 4 stars.

Since this is an ARC, I do feel compelled to say that in the first couple chapters of the book, the ellipsis (...) was overused. Since this only applied to the beginning, it should be an easy fix. Also, since her ex-husband was a pretty regular side character in the story, and she alludes to their past history so many times, it was odd that she never actually described what happened between them that made them break up. A paragraph or two would've sufficed here.

Story-wise, I thought the pace, the dialogue, and the sense of place (Paris!) were all on point. The characters were all people I could imagine in real life, and I would've very much enjoyed their company. However, my one small issue was that the book title may as well have been "What A Perfect Middle-Aged Life Looks Like." Everything was...perfect. Every guy in the book likes the MC, even her selfish ex who begged her to take him back. All of her exes (and new lover) were like gods in bed. She had money. She had fun friends who rooted for her. She had an agent who invited her to live in his flat in Paris. She had a daughter who was self-sufficient and a future son-in-law who everyone loved at first sight. Everyone in the story was fawning over her and tryin to cook delicious meals for her. And of course, she had a hot French guy who was around her age, who was a rich jet-setting banker, who dressed impeccably, cooked like a Michelin chef, and was a complete gentleman. Who had been married three times before but fell for her pretty quickly and it was true love. Anyhow, I think I've made my point here...

Is this really how middle-aged romance writers, or middle-aged women, or any woman lives? I adore sweet stories, but my goodness, this may have been a little too escapist. I realize the market is inundated with books about people's childhood traumas, adult betrayals, and therapy sessions, but this really sits at the polar opposite end. If that was the author's intention, then she's done a fabulous job. If she was shooting for something with a dose of reality mixed in, then this missed the mark. I've been to Paris. For all its amazingness, I was still harassed by migrants with red strings when I tried to ascend the Sacre-Couer. It didn't ruin my experience, but I was surprised she didn't even throw in a side detail like that to show that life isn't perfect.

All in all though, I'd recommend this book to friends. Many thanks to the NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for sending me this ARC.

I requested an ARC of Maggie Finds Her Muse under the assumption that it was Women’s Fiction which is how it was described on NetGalley. I quickly discovered it to be more of a Rom-com which is not among my favorite genres. I decided to read on and am glad I did. Maggie Finds Her Muse was the perfect humorous light read for these stressful times. I think this novel will appeal to a wide range of readers.

If you are seeking to escape the conundrums of pandemic life, you will love reading the delightful story about an author struggling to find her voice in “Maggie Finds Her Muse.”

Maggie is a romance writer who is struggling with her personal relationships. She has a serious dose of writer’s block and worries about making the deadline for her novel. Her agent has a wonderful solution: accompany them to Paris, the City of Love, to reignite her passion for writing (and maybe other things too). By (writer’s) coincidence, Maggie’s daughter is studying in Paris and who else does she run into, but her ex-husband? But because this is a romance, she also meet-cute Max, the dashing Frenchman. Wa-la! Maggie does not need to worry about writing a romance novel because she is living it.

The author takes advantage of the spectacular setting (who wouldn’t want to go to Paris?) with her descriptive passages of the people, the buildings, the art, and the food (and there are plenty of passages about food so don’t read this novel hungry). I have never been to Paris, but felt immediately immersed its culture. In fact, I probably enjoyed the setting more than parts of the plot (it seemed a bit obvious who Maggie would end up with), but you eat comfort food because you know how good it’s going to taste, not because you want to be surprised.

If you are looking for escapist fiction with a hefty dose of romance, this novel fits the bill. Three and a half stars.

Thank you to the author, St. Martin’s and Net Galley for a chance to read this wonderful tale.

I read Maggie Finds Her Muse in a single sitting. I love a good romance, and this one ticked all the boxes for me. I love that Maggie is in her 40s with a grown daughter, knows her own mind, can stand up for herself - and has two sexy suitors . A delightful book! I can't wait to recommend it to my patrons.

This was a really sweet story. I liked the characters; especially Maggie. Her trip to Paris seemed to be a struggle between the head and the heart.
The book was a quick read, and kept my attention throughout.

After a breakup and suffering from writers block, Maggie a Romance author heads to Paris to get her mojo back. We meet her daughter, ex husband, agent, girlfriends and a sexy frenchman that provide us with very interesting interactions. Great descriptions of Paris, the sites and the awesome food. Fun, quick read that will definitely make you smile!
Thank you to Netgalley and St Martins for letting me read this book.

I have not heard of this book or author before, but found it on NetGalley which was kind enough to send to me for this review. It was a solid romance, well-written with believable characters. I enjoyed that the one simply impossibly beautiful person was quickly dispatched when his ego overshadowed our heroine.

Maggie is an author writing the final book of her popular series and is horribly stuck. She cannot even start the book and has missed two deadlines. Her agent suggests she join he and his partner in Paris to see if it helps get her unstuck. The City of Lights delivers and she discovers her muse along with the wonderful food and sights of France.

I enjoyed Maggie as a strong woman who had a unsuccessful love life despite being a romance author. Yet she did not mourn her losses and stayed hopeful. Her strength was offset by a slight bit of crazy that we all usually have. Her ex-husband and daughter join her in Paris, giving her a wonderful chance to revisit her past while finding her voice again. I also enjoyed the insights into the writer’s mind and process, assuming it was partially true.

This is a well-written story with great characters. You will enjoy the friends and support system she has built as well as the new people she finds in Paris. This is a romance that has some bite and intrigue so not overly sweet or overdone. I recommend for the reader who doesn’t need love at first sight or all the hearts and flowers, more realistic people and situations.

As a writer and lover of all things literary myself, I was drawn to this book immediately. This book has an "Eat, Pray, Love" feel with themes of self-reflection, solo travel, and finding oneself in unexpected ways. I really enjoyed the inner monologue of the main character and found her easy to root for, which made this a fun, quick read for me. I would recommend this novel for book clubs and contemporary literature courses.

Very cute and funny, this book was good. I like that it focuses on a middle-aged woman who is still in her prime and accepts the adventure to regroup her creative fire. In the end, she is able to come into her own again,

This is a delightful, fun story that was perfect for a lazy Sunday afternoon. Maggie has writer's block and it is a big problem,. the deadline for book 3 of her trilogy is quickly approaching and she has not written a word. When her agent proposes she travel to Paris and stay in his apartment to write she goes. What she finds is more than she ever expected, Paris and all of its wonders plus a chance to reconnect with her daughter and ex-husband, make new friends, and even find her muse. But is it just because of the book or is there more between her and her muse?

Maggie Bliss is a best-selling romance author suffering from writer’s block. What better place to find her muse than Paris? What follows is a fun romantic comedy of self-discovery, Parisian sites, great food, family relationships, and new adventures.
I found this new release to be completely enjoyable for a number of reasons. First and foremost, the characters were likeable, and not just likeable, but they made decisions I could understand. The story starts off with middle-aged (my aged!) Maggie kicking out her long-time boyfriend in a well-crafted scene that left no doubt about why this guy was being kicked to the curb, but without going overboard. I have a hard time with plot twists that get so ridiculous that you can’t relate to them—the plot equivalent of a bad infomercial where the chef massacres the vegetables because he’s too sloppy to work a knife properly. Ernst even writes into this novel her character’s distaste for “the Great Misunderstanding,” the writing trope where two characters can’t get it together because they have completely and needlessly misunderstood each other. Hallelujah. I hate “the Great Misunderstanding,” as well, nothing turns me off quicker to the characters or the author. These characters veer towards a similar misunderstanding, but figure out how to remedy it before it takes hold. I appreciated the author not insulting my intelligence with overblown miscommunications.
Then there’s Paris.—and Maggie’s makeover in Paris. Getting a makeover in Paris sounds like a great idea, and even better, she didn’t go too far with it. She got her hair and nails done, bought a few new clothes, and was done. Sounds like a great day. Maggie and her friends also eat great food. Great food in Paris is really great food. If I had to pick my favorite meal out, I’d always say it was the French Onion Soup I had on the Rive Gauche with my dad on my high school graduation trip to Paris. And then every other meal I’ve ever had in Paris. The markets the characters shop in, the restaurants they go to, the macarons they eat on the street—all of it combined with their long walks and hours spent in the Musée d'Orsay made me simply glad to escape into this book for a few hours.

*I was provided an ARC of this book by NetGalley.*

Oh. My. Goodness. I adored this book! It was fun, entertaining, sexy, and it took place in Paris.

Maggie Bliss is an author of romance books who experiences writers block when she tries to begin writing the last book of her popular trilogy. She ends up in Paris hoping to find something to inspire her. There is a very lively, diverse cast of characters all playing an important role in Maggie finding her muse.

Along the way, Maggie also learns how to keep her heart and mind open, allowing her to become a better mother and stronger woman. Most importantly, she finds and defines her self-worth.

I look forward to reading more from Dee Ernst! Anyway, I'm off to make some French baguette and pretend I'm in Paris.

Thank you NetGalley for my ARC of Maggie Finds Her Muse by Dee Ernst. I loved everything about this book! The characters were like able and believable. Everyone of them were my favorite. The Paris scenes were descriptive and enticing. The ending was predictable, but it was perfect. This is a great beach read. I would read any other book by this author. I will be recommending it to everyone.

This is how I can tell you that this is a well written book- I’m not a big fan of “romance” novels nor am I a big fan of Paris and Frenchmen but I blew through this fun book in just one day. Great descriptions of food! I felt like I was right there eating and drinking wine with Maggie and her pals. The storyline is believable and entertaining and keeps the readers interest with all the little cafes and shops she visits. Just a really nice story to read right now in this crazy world!

Thank you Netgalley for this!
What a delightful read! Meet Maggie, a divorced writer in her late 40s. Stuck in a rut while trying to finish her 3rd book, she goes to Paris with her agent and meets Max, who turns into her muse.
Cute, light read and loved all the food descriptions!