Maggie finds her muse is very “How Stella Got Her Groove Back” with a surprising depth of characters that elevated this from your typical romance to a delightful read. Author Dee Ernst scripted a breathtakingly beautiful Parisian culture, from the food, the streets, the arts, the sights, the people, did I mention the food?

While I cannot fathom having a worldly agent offering me their lavish Parisian house to hole up and write in like Maggie does, I found other aspects, especially the journey and burdens of a writer very relatable. With a looming manuscript deadline, Maggie hopes Paris will rekindle not only her writing spark but also her dreary love-life.

I was pleasantly surprised by the male protagonist- Max, who, while still handsome (because this is a romance novel after all), was very worldly and attuned to female needs. Max was very open and unapologetically honest about his sexual introduction and I appreciate that.

Another interesting aspect was Maggie’s very unconventional relationship with her daughter and how she is portrayed. Maggie’s descriptions are very clinical and provided honest insight into a common struggle of what a lot of parents who cannot relate to their children think

Overall, Maggie Finds Her Muse was an interesting read and would appeal to those who appreciate a “mature” female lead. Much appreciation to the St. Martins Griffins, Dee Ernst and NetGalley for providing me with an arc.

This review has been posted to my blog as is available from 09-16-2020 here: https://jessicareadsit.wordpress.com/2020/09/16/book-review-maggie-finds-her-muse-by-dee-ernst/

What a blast! This book is a quick, fun, inspiring read. As a writer myself, I loved reading about an author's struggles and success. All the characters were great, too - Maggie, Lee, Nicole, Max, Alan...
While the book is fun and easy to read, it does ask us important questions about life and love. What are we really looking for? What is love, actually?
I definitely recommend this book!

This is one of those perfect, cannot-put-it-down romance novels. I wouldn’t entirely describe it as a romance novel though. It’s one of those stories about a woman finding herself later in life and getting everything she wants. This is the kind of story that makes you feel good, warms your heart, and never leaves you with a book hangover. I want to read more of these stories. Maggie is all of us. We’re all just trying to navigate it through life finding what lights our fire. I couldn’t recommend this book enough. 10/10.

This is a cute romantic story. Maggie has got a bad case of writer's blog and is invited to spend a couple of weeks in Paris to see if that will inspire her. And inspire her it does. I love the characters, which were very realistic. The plot is entertaining and made me want to just keep reading.

This is a cute story of Maggie Bliss, a divorced romance author. She's just broken off a relationship and in need of a muse to write her overdue book, so she accepts an offer to take a trip to Paris. It's the perfect summer read and will make you feel like you've escaped as well. Will she reunite with her ex-husband or have a romantic holiday with an intriguing Frenchman?

Title: Maggie Finds Her Muse

Author: Dee Ernest

Publisher: St. Martin’s Press

Genre: Women’s Fiction, Romantic Comedy

Format: paperback, e-book (read the e-book) $16.99

Publication date: April 20, 2021

Buy It: Amazon Barnes

Author Maggie Bliss is under a lot of pressure to write the final book in her Delania Trilogy. The problem is she hasn’t even started it. She knew she was letting down her agent, editor, her readers and herself. But she couldn’t pick up her creative rhythm for David Lancaster and Bella to be involved in a dangerous adventure. Writer’s block struck and put Maggie out of creative commission.

Then there’s her unsupportive, full-of-himself partner who thinks his job is more important than hers. He never asks about her writing career, hardly pays his way and is demanding.

An invitation from Lee, her agent, is one that she can’t turn down. She touches base with him about her personal life and how she’s dealing with a bout of writer’s block. Lee invites her to go with him and his partner to Paris. A change of environment was just what she needed. What better setting to write a romantic adventure than in the City of Lovers. She will also have the opportunity to visit her daughter, Nicole, who lives there.

From the moment she arrives in Paris, she admires the architecture and realizes she has a lot to learn about the cultural mores. She loves Lee’s apartment and where he resides.

And then she meets Max, in a very unusual way (blushes). From the beginning of their friendship, he is determined to make her the best she can be. She finds contentment spending time with her daughter, Nicole; friends Lee and Martin, Max and his mother, Solange (who is Lee’s housekeeper). She comes to life again eating in restaurants, shopping and taking long walks. That kindles her desire to write. As her manuscript progresses, she realizes that Max is her muse. If she keeps on course and finishes the book there’s a good chance of finally realizing her dream of owning a beach house.

When she learns that Max is going to Switzerland, she quickly comes up with an excuse to keep them together a little longer. She tells him that her daughter had an argument that could jeopardize her and her boyfriend’s relationship and she needs to support her. Will her strategy back fire?

MAGGIE FINDS HER MUSE began with an author’s desperate need to meet her editor’s deadline. You do not simply turn on a creative switch for the words to begin to flow. An author has to immerse herself in a setting to see and experience her protagonist’s world. You feel the wind and the heat of the sun. You hear the laughter of couple’s dining in a cafe. You taste the sweetest of the red wine and the joy and bitterness of emotion. When it’s flows, your fingers dance upon your keyboard and the hours fly by. But when you can’t imagine and sense their world you grow frustrated and become distracted. This is what Maggie was experiencing and it took a trip to Paris to kindle her creativity. It also helped her to realize that she was missing out in life, merely going through the motions. Max helped her to feel alive. It’s funny how we go around the answers when we can just go straight to them. I enjoyed seeing Paris through Maggie’s eyes. Her friends were not just supportive, but enriched her life and knew what she needed to be happy before she even did. Thank you, Dee. Write more books about middle-age women. There’s so much for us to learn.

four pastries out of five

Denise Fleischer

gottawritenetwork.wordpress.com

September 2, 2020

This book is the prefect summer read, light, fun and a vicarious trip to Paris! Maggie Bliss has a big problem. She's a writer, she's had two books in a series published, she has a looming deadline for the first draft of her new book, the third in the series. But, she hasn't written much, and is totally blocked on what her hero and heroine will do to finish out the story. Her agent is worried, there's a potential cable deal for her series, but the story needs a conclusion. So, her agent arranges for Maggie to borrow a fabulous apartment in the most romantic city, Paris! Maggie arrives and meets Solange the caretaker and her son Max. Frumpy Maggie gets a Parisian makeover and new, gorgeous wardrobe. She also embraces the cafe culture and mouth-watering food. Maggie also gets a visit from her ex-husband Alan, thinking they should try again. Complicated, yes? Then, Maggie starts writing, and keeps writing, and it's GOOD. She also begins a steamy romance with Max and comes to think of him as her "lucky charm". Paris is perfect, the books is going great, Max and her love life are hot, then there's a misunderstanding. Will Maggie discover what she really wants, and with who? Will Maggie finish her book before her deadline? The answers to all these questions are answered in a very satisfying way.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC, it was a great staycation visit to Paris, I could almost taste the croissants.

Maggie is a somewhat famous writer of romantic fiction, but she does not know how to do romance herself. Somehow, she has. Been living with, and putting up with, a man who does not value her friendship ,or her love. Waking up to this one morning, she kicks him out and vows to value herself more. The only problem is that she is on deadline for her next book and she cannot get past her writer’s block.
So, she heads for Paris. Romance with not one but two men ensues. Mixed in with the romance and the writing are side trips around Paris and the vicinity, visits with her daughter (who happens to be on the spectrum) , time with her agent, and his husband and descriptions of delicious sounding food.
Light-hearted, but entertaining, with a little whimsy thrown in on the side.

A feel-good and easy-to-read story which will fit with readers who love humourous female lead characters. It will speak to all of us looking for our muse.

Wow! That is the perfect word that describes this book. I loved it because it made me remember the incredible time I lived in France. This story is about Maggie Bliss, a very talented writer who is known to many avid readers of the romance genre. However, Maggie's fans are asking for more books, so now she must find some source of inspiration. Maggie's daughter lives in France, and Maggie comes up with the great idea of ​​travelling to this country. Maggie arrives at an apartment in Paris, a place where she will seek her much-needed inspiration. The charm of Paris, as well as its people, will be the perfect environment for her. Nothing could go wrong, but maybe Maggie will meet interesting people in this new country. This book was hard to put down for me. I loved that it was impossible not to smile when reading it. The author mentions Rennes, a magnificent city in which I had the good fortune to live for a year. I liked it a lot because I was able to connect with Maggie in some ways, such as the first impression of seeing this dream city. Paris is a special place, but Rennes has my heart. The narrative of the story is so fun and romantic that it fascinated me. I highly recommend this book because I think it is perfect to have a fun time. I thank NetGalley, St Martin's Press, St Martin's Griffin for providing me with a copy of this incredible book in exchange for my honest review.

Absolutely funny, charming, lighthearted romance ... and I enjoyed the romance but more than that, the story of a middle-aged woman taking back her life.

Thanks to NetGalley, the author and publisher for an advanced reading copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Maggie Finds Her Muse is a quick fun read. I thought it did start off slow but when it got going I thought it was entertaining. I laughed out loud a few times while reading. I didn't really feel like I connected with the characters very much but it still grabbed my attention enough to finish reading it. I thought the writing was very well done also.

This was my first book by this author, It was pretty enjoyable. I would give this book a 3.5 star rating! It was a pretty Quick and easy read!

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the arc. What a perfect summer read.. Loved the characters. Author did a great job with this story. I did not want to stop reading...

Faced with a bad case of writer's block and a tight deadline on her upcoming book, Maggie jumps on an offer to visit a friend's apartment in Paris where, hopefully, she'll find her muse and break her writer's block. Once in Paris, Maggie struggles with two unexpected romantic interests, reunites with her daughter (who lives in France), and begins to write again. This book is a fun read, set in one of the most romantic cities in the world, and flavored with French food and wine. I enjoyed accompanying Maggie on her journey to France and loved the behind the scenes insight into a famous romance writer's life. If you're looking for a summer beach read, this book is for you!

This book was a pure delight... loved the characters, loved the setting, loved the food, loved the romance!

A lovely book a story that had me travel from my armchair unable to travel to glorious Paris.Friendship Wine food and romance.Perfect book to escape into & enjoy.#netgalley#st.Martinsbooks

This is a cute book with a different type of main character. Being set is Paris was a big treat! The story was well written and has excellent character development. You really get to know the characters and each character plays an important role in the story. I would definitely recommend!

What else can I say: I will pick up a book set in Paris any time!

Maggie has been struggling to write (to start) the third book in her trilogy, so her agent decides a change of scenery may be what she needs, and he invites her to Paris where his family has an apartment that was inherited years ago. Maggie decides to go, and she begins to acclimate with Paris and find her writing groove once again.

But it isn't just the beauty of Paris that has inspired her. She begins to reinvent herself and her self-worth as well, and of course there are a few men that find their way into her life and make her start to both question her motives in Paris and if maybe her muse isn't in a place but in a person.

This was super cute in a steamier-than-Hallmark way--I read this in one day. Nice and quick and soul-restorative with some quirks and awkward dialogue--totally in the vein of Hallmark, which of course meant that I ate this up!

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC!

Super quick, fun read about an author looking for her muse. Maggie Bliss is stuck on the last book of the trilogy that’s going to make her dreams come true. Looking for her muse and a change of scenery, she goes to Paris and finds more than what she was looking for. Definitely recommend if you like HEA, romantic settings, and some humor thrown in for good measure!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the arc.