DNF @~10%

I liked the idea of this story, a 49-year-old lady moving to France to run a hotel and finding herself and possibly falling in love.

My problem was mainly Lucy. This book is in first-person POV and being in Lucy's head was super annoying. I didn't like her as a character at all. The pacing was slow and kinda clunky. We're thrown right into the story with no real explanation of what's going on and most things just didn't make sense to me.

Lucy Giannetti needs a fresh start. She once managed a glamorous hotel in NYC, but when the owner disappears with millions of dollars, she's left alone with everything falling apart. To fix her reputation, she takes a job in Rennes, France to oversee the renovations of the Hotel Paradis. But when she arrives, she gets more than she bargained for.

I have to say, I was so pleasantly surprised by this book. I loved that the protagonist was in her late forties and having her "second act." So many romances leave out older women, and I loved that the Lucy was 49. The supporting characters were also so wonderful. The group of people that lives at the hotel want to see it returned to glory and all help out with the renovations. Lucy is so determined to succeed and proves to be an inspiring character.

Lucy also has good chemistry with Bing and it's a lovely, slow-burn romance. It's more of a subplot, so the build is exciting. We don't get too deep into their relationship, and I wish there was just a little bit more of them. This is classified as a rom com, but I think it's more "chick lit" since this romantics story is on the back-burner while Lucy's growth is in the forefront. But I do love a good character growth story!

The only issue I had was that the ending felt a bit rushed. Some major things happen in the last third of the book, but they are wrapped up a bit too cleanly and quickly. I think there were some things left unexplored that could have added a bit more depth and emotion to the story, but overall this was a great read.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced e-copy of this book, in exchange for my honest review.
This book was so fun and a lighthearted read. I loved it and it got me out of my book slump!

4.5/5⭐️

I loved this one! This was my second book by this author.

Lucia is a disgraced and heartbroken ex high-end hotel manager in NYC when she, in desperation to move out of her parents’ home, accepts a job in Rennes, France (sight unseen). She thinks she is hired to update a very old hotel but is shocked and dismayed to discover just how much work needs to be done just to open. She is aided by the owner and several tenants who live in the adjacent converted stables.

This is a sweet, feel-good story about 180-degree changes in life, regaining one’s badly shaken confidence, letting others in when you’ve been burned and figuring out what it is YOU want in life.

The supporting cast are all so wonderful and lovable, and there’s humor as well as a simmering bit of a “mature” romance (late 40s, early 50s) to swoon over as well. My favorite takeaway? Watching as Lucia comes into her own and takes back her mojo. Recommended.

My thanks to the author, NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press/Griffin for providing the free early arc of Lucy Checks In for review. The opinions are strictly my own.

Lucy Check In follows Lucy, a hotel manager who is duped by the man she loves who owns the hotel company she works for. He takes all of her and other employees hard earned investments and flees the country. An investigation is ongoing but Lucy's name is now tarnished in the hotel industry. A phone call and job opportunity in France arises and Lucy jumps at the chance. However she is not expecting what she finds. The hotel is rundown and in need of multiple repairs and paint jobs. The owner lives in the hotel along with a handful of lively characters and they need Lucy's help to spruce the place up and get the hotel back in business. Lucy ends up falling for Bing, a children's author who also lives in the hotel. Back in the states, Lucy gets horrible news and must decide what's best for her.
The story is more of Lucy finding her way in life and bettering herself. The characters were okay. The romance wasn't until the end of the book and it's slow burn. So if you're looking for a cute romance, this really was more of a self discovery book.

A lively story about finding love and yourself.
Many thanks to St. Martin’s Press and to NetGalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

When work and love leaves middle-aged Lucy jilted, she chooses the most effective form of therapy: a project. A ginormous project. A renovate a country hotel in France kind of project. This book is a gem for anyone interested in decorating and interior design; there's a lot of that. Lucy's focus on creating is mentally therapeutic, but it takes a bit longer for her heart to heal. A romance barely simmers for 75% of the book and then finally begins to bloom. Lucy Checks In has an enjoyable cast of characters, a slow-moving storyline, and a sweet, believable ending.

I adored this story! It was so much fun to see Lucy's journey unfold right before my eyes. At times, I did feel a bit overwhelmed by how wordy the book was, but I appreciated the details of the backstory. I'm so glad that I had the opportunity to read this before it was published. I want a copy of this book when it releases to the public.

I have never been to France before, but I want to visit after reading this story. The descriptions were so beautiful and charming. A few warnings before going into this book are: alcoholism, emotional cheating, and death.

This is more of a feel-good novel, than a romance, there is a hint of romance, but it comes secondary to the whole hotel transformation and Lucy's changes as well.

Read this book if you like to travel, stay in hotels, and love French culture.

This novel will be published on August 16, 2022. Run to pre-order this book now on Amazon!

Rating: 4/5 Stars ★★★★☆

We love a story about women taking back the reins when they start to feel like their life is no longer in their control. This was delightful.

This is the second book I've read and loved from this author. I love that her books feature middle-aged women who aren't matronly or old. They have been around the block but also don't have it all together and that is okay! It's nice to see a woman in her forties and fifties discover new love, feel beautiful and sexy, and have a passionate love affair while also making changes professionally. I found Lucy to be a very relatable character. Her struggles with trusting herself and others made so much sense given the circumstances and despite tragedy, I was happy to see her have it all - passionate love, family (blood and found), and a thriving career.

I also read some of the reviews where people say they were misled by the illustration of the woman on the cover because she looks young. You can't even see her face! And she is described as having gray roots - not a full head of salt and pepper hair. When my own gray hairs come in at the roots of my brown hair, you can't see them from the back either. I just find it a really superficial thing to complain about. If you read the blurb, you'd know it was about a middle age character.

This was a great airplane read! Finished it in one sitting… a little predictable but still sweet and fun in its characters and story. If you love Hallmark movies, this one is for you! The perfect light read for summer or an escape!

It is a charming novel about second chances in life.
Set in beautiful France with ugly delicious vegetables and the best food, old building, flowers - this book is a nice escape and "reading travel".

If you are looking for a romance-forward book ,this isn't it. That being said, it is a cute, easy read featuring an older (49-year-old) protagonist than you usually see in beach reads - which was refreshing. Ultimately, I found lucy unlikable. Though she's starting over, I found it a little unreasonable that she would be so clueless, and expected her age to come with some maturity.

I loved this book! "Lucy Checks In" by Dee Ernst is a delightful book. I was rooting for Lucy the entire time. She had recently had a complete life revamp due to something out of her control. She was offered a job in France and decides to take it. I felt invested in the story, but it was also easy to read and enjoy.

If you are a fan of Hallmark movies, you should enjoy this book. The story line follows the pattern of those movies and the ending tied up the book with a neat little bow.

I found the book to be an easy read but the plot was a bit predictable. Lucy is a woman who has been wronged and is looking for a fresh start. An opportunity to leave her previous life behind and move to France presents itself and she takes off for a new adventure.

But all is not as it seems and she finds herself wondering if she has made the right decision. She is in a foreign country and committed to a job she is not sure she can handle. As she faces these challenges, I began to be able to predict what would happen next.

I was hoping for a bit more substance to the story but it is a quick beach or poolside type read. So grab a towel and glass of lemonade and settle in.

This book was not my cup of tea. I mean it was interesting and I read it all but it didn't give me the sparks like I though it was going to give me. From the cover it gives you a totally different aspect of how the story is. But when you actually read the story you are going to be very confused...

The story is about a older mature lady in the 50ish, she is brought up into a scandal in NYC and she had to move back with her parents, jobless and no money. She has being a GM for Hotels for many years, but she fell in love with someone who was a con artist and took everything from her and some.
So she looked very bad in the hotel business. Then comes along this hotel in France that needs her help to get it back into place. She thinks this hotel is going to be a luxury hotel with not many things to do. But when she gets there its a whole other story.
She comes across all these characters that will change her life for the better. Also finding a man who at first didn't really believe in her but falls in love with her after.

I mean the book had a nice story, It did not have the love romance, not even a little tiny bit. A light fast-pace book that will teach you a lot about renovating a hotel and what goes behind the scene.

I don't know about the cover thought.. maybe they should change the cover into more of a older lady so that it doesn't give the wrong impression ... 🤷‍♀️

Thank you for Netgalley for providing me a E-ARC of this book. Also I want to thank St.Martin's Press. This is my hones review.

xoxo

This was quite a so-so book. I didn't get why Lucy was so clueless when she's supposed to have had this high-powered job that she worked her way up to, yet she doesn't know why cleaning wet spills with a dry rag doesn't work. Also, the cover depicts her with straight brown hair looking 25 but she is 50 with salt and pepper curls. The character did not act her age at all, it was a bit confusing as I thought she was in her early twenties until she said she's 3 months off 50.

I just loved that we had an "older" main character, a fab destination, a cheeky and engaging dialogue. This is what summer beach reads are made of!

You won't be disappointed with this book. It had it all!

This book is perfect after binging Emily in Paris and needing a fix for another "American woman packs up everything and moves to France" plot. The main character Lucy is a career driven woman who has never had time for anything else, but when one mistake ruins her reputation and her job, she wants to start over. Cue dreamy hotel in Rennes, France. Or not so dreamy- she gets more than she bargained for when she takes a job working at this run down place. The setting is without a doubt one of the best parts of the novel. I felt immersed in the magical and romantic tiny French town. I also loved the second chance type message. Lucy is in her "second act" of life and it breaks down the typical stereotype of making a young 20 something the main protagonist, especially for a romance. The character development was good, and I enjoyed the small subplots as well but at times the pacing felt slow (lots of time focused on renovation talk). It was still without a doubt an easy and charming read.

I thought this was a cute book and a pretty quick easy read. It was nice having an older character represented since most often I come across romances with younger leads. The book was more of a slow burn than I was expecting and could have used more interactions between the love interests earlier. I found that most of the "action" happens in the last 90% of the book which is fine. However I wish that there was more going on throughout the rest of the book. I did really enjoy Lucy's interaction with coworkers and friends in the hotel. f this book was marketed as Chick Lit I think it would be better suited than a romance since I personally enjoyed Lucy's journey with herself and the hotel more than the romance. That being said I did enjoy the book and recommended it to some friends to read.