Had so much potential and a great setting but ultimately fell flat for me. I think older audiences will enjoy this story though it just didn’t work in my opinion

In this novel, I found it challenging to connect with the story and its protagonist, Lucy. Her circumstances as a 49-year-old unemployed woman living with her parents set the stage for a good narrative. However, my overall impression was a disappointment, mainly due to the execution of the plot.

Lucy's downfall, resulting from her former boss and lover's embezzlement of the company's funds, created an intriguing starting point. In escaping prison but losing her savings, Lucy faced a significant blow to her self-assurance. The idea of her venturing into renovating an old hotel in France held promise for redemption and new beginnings.

Regrettably, most of the book focused on the monotonous details of the hotel renovations. Endless descriptions of floor scrubbing, wall painting, and mattress selection dragged on, leaving me yearning for more engaging content. While occasional emotional moments were scattered throughout the text, they weren't enough to salvage the tediousness.

Only in the last 25% of the book did the story pick up pace, finally presenting some meaningful action. The ending itself proved satisfying, providing a much-needed payoff. However, reaching that point felt like a long and dreary slog for Lucy and the readers.

In conclusion, I struggled to find enjoyment in this novel. Despite the potential for an intriguing premise and a satisfying conclusion, the extensive focus on mundane renovations overshadowed the story's potential. While the ending held merit, it came at the cost of enduring a slow and lackluster journey for Lucy and the readers.

I was pleasantly surprised at this and am bummed I didn’t read it sooner. However, it was the perfect book to kick off summer. This story was One Italian Summer, Under the Tuscan Sun , and You Me Everything combined into one. Not much happens in the story, it’s more following along with this old hotel renovation in France and the cast of characters Lucy meets along the way. You feel like you’re on the journey with Lucy throughout. Most of the “action” took place in the last 1/4 of the book which I didn’t love. It felt rushed, and I actually think if it had happened earlier it could have added more depth to the plot. All that aside, this is a great summer/vacation read!

I thought this was cute! Nothing groundbreaking in this genre, but I did really appreciate how the story dove into the importance of friendship (even though the friendship was slightly strange in my opinion?). Lucy was sweet and it was a fun premise.

A great read with some romance! I really enjoyed reading this middle-aged character romance. I felt like it was more of a women's fiction than rom-com, but it was still very enjoyable.

*Thank you @stmartinspress for the copy in exchange for an honest review. Review not posted to Amazon/Goodreads because less than 4 stars or DNF.*

I wanted to like this one (I loved the synopsis), but I just couldn’t finish it. I was unfortunately… bored. I really didn’t care what happened to the characters or of the plot. It just didn’t grab me and pull me in, and I have too many books I want to read to keep reading one that doesn’t peak my interest.

This was my first read by author Dee Ernst. Our leading lady Lucy's love life comes to an abrupt end when her now ex-boyfriend and employer skips town and leaves her implicated in a major fraud case. She is utterly unemployable in the United States so when an opportunity comes along to remodel and manage a quaint hotel in Rennes France Lucy packs her bags and sets off to start fresh. However, upon her arrival, she realizes there may be more remodeling to do than managing and it is very likely she is in over her head.

This was a lovely read, I absolutely fell in love with the historic hotel and all the wonderfully unique people who call it home. The author did such a beautiful job of describing the hotel and its surroundings in great detail, you could really picture yourself there as you flipped the pages. I really enjoyed the many characters who made up the cast of this book, some were quirky, some confident, and some not so much. I found myself giggling several times at the hilarious scenes that unfolded.

While this was a very enjoyable read I did find the storyline focused more on the renovation of the hotel and detailing the beautiful scenery and the people than it did the romantic connection between Lucy and Bing. I found it a little too slow for my liking but on the flip side, the ending felt like a whirlwind. There were so many emotions I would have loved to dive into to really learn more about Lucy but it felt very quick to wrap up.

The writing itself was lovely and I would enjoy reading more titles by this author.

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press for the eARC in exchange for my honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

The story of Lucy working to find herself as she starts a new position at a hotel in France. A pleasant mix of humor, women's fictions, and romance, Lucy is a lead character you'll want to root for as she navigates her new life. The author's descriptions of the people, food, and setting will make you feel as though you are experiencing the story with Lucy.

If you’re looking for an easy read with a light love story, this is a readable book with a protagonist over 40- which seems to be rare! I went into this expecting humor, and this was more of a literary fic or straight romance read, which isn’t necessarily my favorite, but I’m sure will be great for lots of readers.

Thank you so much @Netgalley & St. Martin's Griffin

Lucy Checks In is an inspirational romantic comedy about a middle aged woman who moves to France to rebuild her life after a scandal rots her life in New York.

Lucy finds herself in the middle of a scandal that tarnished her reputation as an important and powerful woman in the hospitality industry. She moves to France when she receives a job offer to bring a hotel back to life without having seen photos of the place or visiting the town it’s in. From there she realizes how much work she has to put in while she’s there - not only in the place itself, but within herself. Lucy makes her way from being insecure to a strong woman who reclaims herself in France. Along the way Lucy deals with rebuilding her relationships with friends, family, and a new lover after the scandal left her with some trauma she needs to unpack.

This was so cute. Lucy thinks she is moving to a new country to rebuild a hotel as well as her own life. In the beginning Lucy explains how she was cheated out all her money and her love by her boss/boyfriend who ran off with all her money. To escape the shadow cast upon her, Lucy sets out to bring an old hotel back to life and find herself in the process. But, the hotel and the people who live there are not what she thought. With tenacity and heart, Lucy comes to life by making friends and finding love that will last a lifetime. The dialogue is witty and the characters are unique. all around this is a fun quick read that will having you smile throughout.

This had an exceptionally slow start for me. I was simply wading through mud to get through. That is until about almost halfway and I flew through. The way the Chateau is described is magical. I fell in love with the supporting characters, and eventually with Lucy. The ending was definitely gratifying. It did take a bit for me to get sucked in, but I was oh so glad when I did.

Thank you SMP and Netgalley for the chance to read this ARC. All thoughts and expressions are my own.

3.25/5 stars

I want to start with the caveat that I really enjoyed Maggie Finds Her Muse and that was my main reason for requesting this book. I like that Dee Ernst writes stories about women in their 40s getting a second chance at life -- it's a refreshing change of pace.

I liked this book. I liked the characters. I think it holds up to the description.

Where I'm running into a disconnect is with the cover. If I solely look at the cover (because yes, we do actually judge books by their cover), I'd think our main character was a 20 year old woman. The silhouette on the front is so thin -- but in the book, Lucy is not described this way and she is definitely older than her 20s. I just think the cover could have fit the book better. It's a great story but if you're expecting something different just by glancing at the cover, you could be disappointed and not experience the book the way it was meant to be experience.

That said, I enjoyed this book. It was a light and refreshing read, and I'll continue to read more from Ernst.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy of this book.

In Lucy Checks In, a fancy hotel manager moves to France to renovate a hotel sight unseen. Lucy's running from a hostile situation in the US. Her former boss and lover stole millions from his NYC hotel, and though Lucy's been cleared of all wrongdoing (thanks to some expensive lawyers), her name still carries the whiff of scandal. Which is how she winds up working to get a historical, boutique hotel off the ground despite some desperate need for TLC and elbow grease. The hotel has been shuttered since the last world war, now home to a motley crew of residents eager to see the vacant rooms returned to their former glory. Lucy is confident in her skills, but she doesn't anticipate the depth of what's needed (some light plant larceny) or her role in it (painting all the walls instead of sitting comfortably in an office). As she tackles this major project, Lucy has to learn to trust herself again after the major betrayal she suffered. While her professional confidence survived intact, she must resurrect her ability to connect with new people and find a life that brings her joy and satisfaction.

This is another example of a book classified as a romance where the love story is more of a side plot. It's well-designed and thoughtful, but this is Lucy's story through and through. It's about her professional life, her family, her self-worth, and her friendships as much as romance. One of the best parts of the book is a friendship trip to Paris rather than a romantic one, and the book's all the better for it. In addition, I was relieved to dodge stressful, over-the-top comedic mishaps as the characters renovate the hotel. This is about Lucy piecing together her confidence, not ridiculous tomfoolery to make me sweat it out. There's also no final act breakup to add unnecessary angst and no backsliding or prevaricating to stagnate the plot.

My only complaint is that some big emotional beats felt rushed or sidelined in comparison to their potential. Lucy breaks down her barrier to romantic happiness, but this big milestone rushes into bliss after most of the book made an effort at slow burn by avoiding any progress. Lucy's relationships with her nieces are pegged as important early on but didn't give me the emotional impact I needed to shed any tears when tragedy strikes (content warning for death in the family and for alcohol addiction). The big moments hit me like plot devices rather than meditations on deeper feelings due to timing (i.e. Lucy needs an ending that features both romance and proximity to her beloved nieces rather than Lucy struggles with grief and complicated family relationships).

Overall, this was a light and fluffy read that I enjoyed on that level. Lucy drinks wine outside cafes and eats French foods of superior quality that made my mouth water. She renovates a hotel and makes friends, feeling the proud results of her hard work. The romance and family plots clamor to carry big feelings at the end, defeated by the need to wrap things up in a neat bow. All the same, it was a pleasant read with a gorgeous ambiance. Thanks to SMP Romance for my copy to read and review!

Give this book a chance!

This book was super slow to start and did take me a little bit to get into. However, I did end up really liking it. It’s watching a woman find and take on a second chance in her career, finding love, and overcoming some family issue. I loved watching Lucy conquer what was thrown at her. Definitely recommend!

This book was so different than others I've read, which I loved. New plot ideas are so important! Lucy is in a different part of her life than I am, which I was surprisingly loving as I read through the book. This book has so many quirky and fun characters - all of which are in charming, quaint, and (in need of TLC) French hotel. While it seemed a little long for me at times and lacked romance for a "romance novel", but I truly loved Lucy's "finding your place in the world", heart-warming story.

This is about a 50 some year old NYC woman who moves to France to renovate a pre-war hotel. The community cat was my favorite but all the quirky characters were super fun.

I had high hopes for Lucy Checks In after enjoying Dee Ernst’s debut novel: Maggie Moves On. However; I found the plot to be slow moving and did not want to discover the different changes that our main character made to the hotel. I hope to read another Dee Ernst in the future but I may wait for the audio release.

I loved Lucy's tenancy to try and bring this little hotel to life while trying to keep all its employees happy. Her American ways, while not the best, help this hotel come back to life and flourish.

This is a first time read for me by this author and I really enjoyed this later in life, romantic comedy. Lucy needs a fresh start after her professional life as a hotel manager and romantic life fall apart. She decides to make the move to France where she takes a job managing a hotel there, Hotel Paradis. The hotel wasn't quite what she expected, and will require a lot more work than she anticipated. But as she meets people, like Bing who is an attractive artist living in the hotel, and settles in more, she begins to feel more comfortable and build a home for herself. And she is determined to make Hotel Paradis a vibrant and buzzing tourist attraction, with a little help from her new friends.
The story was interesting and had a lot of heart. I was engaged and entertained from start to finish. A cozy and relaxing read that was quite enjoyable!
I received a complimentary copy from Netgalley and am voluntarily leaving my review.