While I am aware Ernst is a seasoned author, it was still so nice to read about characters who were “staring down 50.” By the time Lucia arrived in Rennes, she and some of the other silver-haired hotel staff were already established in their careers and society.

I do love a good second-chance story and this one did not disappoint. In fact, our MC is described as someone with “something to prove.”

Without offering spoilers, this story is thick with friendship, redemption, love, and family—with a French flair! I loved our MC and watching her rise from the ashes of her scandal.

Thank you to the publishers for the eARC!

First of all, I’d like to thank NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for an advanced reads copy of this book. This review is completely unbiased.

I was so exited to read this book. The description sounded so fun and unique. Lucy is a girl boss. She works in a very fancy New York hotel. She is responsible for making it into the glamorous hotel that it is. Her boyfriend is the owner of the hotel. That is, until he takes everyone’s money, pensions, and skips town leaving her to hold the bag. She loses everything, even the furniture in her own hotel suite. She is now considered an outcast in her industry, she nearly was prosecuted by the FBI, and she had to move back in with her disapproving parents. Then, one day she is offered a job at a boutique hotel in France. She hurriedly hops on a plane and heads to France. She’s envisioning a chic, and fancy French hotel. When she arrives she finds quite the opposite. The hotel is in extreme disarray. She must personally get her hands dirty and take on the challenge of returning this 18th centenary hotel into a functioning hotel.

I quickly fell in love with this story. Lucy is 49, she has salt and pepper hair, and she has a bit of pouch around her waist. She struggles with trusting herself, she struggles dealing with the loss and betrayal of her boyfriend, and she has to make a way for herself in a new country. The cast of characters are delightful and very eccentric. The has a very French feel even though we don’t get to see very much if France.

I love the growth of Lucy and the development of friends and found family. The story was engaging and I found myself quickly turning the page to find out what happens next. I also really liked the romance part. It was fun to see a grumpy man turn into something more. I appreciated his personality and point of view.

What could have been better

I would like a little more details, such was character descriptions, more description of Rennes France, and more details of what was improved in the hotel. I would also like more interaction with the supporting characters.

When it comes to star ratings I’m probably going to go with 5 stars. It was a good read, it was heart warming, it drove me crazy during parts of the book, but in the best way, and I keep thinking about it. Is it perfectly written? No, but it’s a great story that I couldn’t put down. I very much recommend it and I’ll be buying my own copy once it’s released.

First, this book was not what I expected. I was expecting more of a rom-com, and instead received more chick lit. That's not necessarily bad, but it threw me at first.

I am conflicted on this review. I didn't like Lucy. I wanted to - I mean I loved the fact that she was starting over, and she wasn't really young. But I found her to be whiny and self absorbed. I just couldn't root for her. And if you have read any of my reviews, I connection to the characters is one of the most important things to me. Lucy is NOT someone I would want to hang out with. For some crazy reason I kept visualizing a more toned down Nellie Olson (I just dated myself with that reference).

I liked the people that Lucy met and that were involved. However, I didn't feel like they were fleshed out enough. I wanted to know them better, just not on the superficial level.

I do think the book was written well. And I finished it, which is a big deal. Often when I am not interested in a book, I just drop it. There are so many books out there to read. I am like a serial dater with books- I need that instant chemistry or you are gone.. IN this case, I was interested enough to give "dating" a try, but when it was over, I barely remembered it - and to me, that;s one of the worst things you can say about a book.

I do want to thank the author, the publisher and #netgalley for the ARC which (obviously) did not impact my review. This book had a lot going for it = I wish I had liked it more. But it was just.... ok.

Thank you to Dee Ernst, St. Martin's Publishing, and NetGalley for the ARC of Lucy Checks In. I enjoyed the setting of the story and the long list of characters I was introduced to throughout the story. This book reminded me a lot of Under the Tuscan Sun with Diane Lane. I kept imagining her and finding parallels between her character and Lucy. Poor Lucy has had a tough go of it and moves to Rennes, France to begin a new chapter in her life. You were rooting for Lucy to regain control, be successful, and fall in love. I love books set in locations I am not familiar with. The first thing I did was google Rennes and try to learn more about this charming city. I thought Dee Ernst created a lot of wonderful and eclectic characters, however I would have liked to know more about them. There seemed to be a lot of characters and plot points that Ms. Ernst touched on but I felt like they could have been more drawn out or written about with more detail. I wanted to know more about Vera, Claudine, Bing, and the others. This was a sweet story, predictable, but sweet. Thank you again for the copy of this book.

This book was not what I expected yet ended quite delightfully. Based on the title and description, I was expecting a light hearted romantic comedy while this was more of a women’s fiction.

In the beginning I did not like Lucy one bit, I found her to be whiny and boring. (I loved Julia and wished the story was about her!) I would have loved more details about the relationships between all of the live in guests, instead of so much talk about the painting of wall. Especially more of Marie Claude’s and Claudine’s stories.

I really enjoyed the last 1/3 of the book. In the end, Lucy found her courage and strength, and the storyline felt more hopeful and alive.

If you liked A Castle For Christmas, you will like this!
I liked that it had an older heroine who was starting over, a found family, and a cat. I liked her journey to finding her confidence again. I also enjoyed visiting France and I would love to stay at the hotel. It sounded amazing. However, for me, I felt it needed more conflict (spoiler - it felt like they just painted the rooms and established a website and they were good to go). Also, I wasn't quite sure why the couple liked each other, other than that they were attracted to each other.

Lucy, a very successful hotel manager in New York, has her career completely derailed when she is innocently involved in a financial scandal. She ends up taking a job, sight unseen, managing a hotel in France. It turns out to be a major challenge, but Lucy prevails, and finds herself with a new "friend family" in the process. There is a bit of romance in this story, but it is light, and the accent is on Lucy rebuilding her life and finding new success. Very engaging and interesting story that I look forward to recommending.

This book was so adorable! It’s the first book I’ve read where the MC starts pretty much all over in her late 40s. Lucy was dealt a horrible hand when her old boss (and boyfriend) stole all her money along with a lot of other people’s money. She can’t find a job anywhere in her industry (hotel general manager). Luckily she happens upon a position in France to turn around a small boutique hotel. It ends up being A LOT more than she expected but she’s up for the challenge! Along the way she meets the permanent residents of the hotel and learns so much about the importance of friends, love, and family along the way.

Overall this book was darling and I enjoyed watching Lucy find her way! If you like Hallmark-ish books, self-exploration, and some romance, then give this book a shot when I comes out August 16th 2022!

Thank you to Net Galley and St. Martin’s press for this ARC!

Lucy Checks In wasn't exactly what I thought from the synopsis, but it was so much better. After her career goes down in flames, Lucy is back in her parents home at nearly fifty years old. The upside? She's got nothing to lose! She takes a job in Rennes where the description is simply to get a hotel ready to open, what she doesn't realize is that it includes cleaning, painting, and dealing with quite the cast of characters who already live there.

This book is absolutely adorable and it's great to see characters out of their 20s and 30s still discovering who they are in life.

5/5 Stars

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press, St. Martin's Griffin for providing me with an e-arc of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I was intrigued by the excerpt that was provided on NetGalley and knew I wanted to give "Lucy Checks In" a try. I enjoyed the story and the characters, but it read too much like a Hallmark movie, which is perfect for around the holidays but not necessarily what I was expecting. Lucy's character had a lot of depth and her exploration of her fears and self-doubt after the ending of her relationship. I loved the journey she took to start over and the hope of being okay even at her age of almost 50 years old. The cherry on top for this whole story is the setting in France, which makes it that much more romantic. The pacing was a bitch slow and the details were minimum, which left me wanting more.

Thank you, NetGalley for an eARC for my honest review!

I received this book as an ARC from NetGalley.

Lucy Giannetti was once the hotel manager of an upscale New York hotel and intimately involved with the owner. When the owner disappears and takes everything - the cash, the pension plan, etc. with him, Lucy is left holding the bag. The FBI is out for her, convinced she was part of the plot to defraud everyone.

Two years later, broke and living at home with her parents, oh, did I mention she is turning 50 soon?? she needs a job. Lucy takes a job in Rennes France, the owner wants to bring back a hotel that has been closed for years, she had turned it into a personal residence. What Lucy pictured and what reality turned out to be are as different as night and day. Can she pull this off or will she quit like the last 3 managers that were hired to bring this hotel back to its glory?

I really enjoyed this story and a glimpse into life in France. I also enjoyed that the main character is 49 and starting over. It was great to read a book about something I could relate to.

Lucy Checks In follows the story of Lucia Giannetti. Once the manager of one of NYC's best hotels, her world was shattered two years ago when the owner, who was also her lover, disappeared with millions of dollars including her own pension. She has spent two years in and out of court with the FBI pleading her innocence and living with her parents. It's a no brainer to accept a job in Rennes, France to manage a cute little boutique hotel. That's what Lucy tells herself up until she pulls up to the dilapidated gates that mark her new home.

I really enjoyed Lucy's journey. Her trust in others and in herself is broken when her former boss and lover disappears. Two years later, when she shows up in France expecting a smaller scale set up of what she had run in New York, she is quickly snapped out of the daydreams she'd had of the Hotel Paradis. The descriptions of the hotel and the furniture helped me envision it in my mind, so much so I'd love to book a stay this summer! The work Lucy, Claudine and all their friends put into the hotel making it livable is a labor of love.
If you're a fan of the found family trope, this book is for you. There is an element of romance, but it's not the main focus. I did love seeing the relationship grow between Bing and Lucy, especially his patience and understanding that I think comes from both of them being older adults. There were moments where the plot felt a bit slow, but overall, I enjoyed my time with Lucy in France.

3/5

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and Net Galley for the ARC. This is a voluntary review.

The book Lucy Checks In by Dee Ernst is a wonderful book. While it is written for a slightly older audience, it works perfectly for any reading experience. It did not hinder my reading experience, and while it was aimed at a middle-aged crowd, I found the protagonist charming and wonderfully written. There was much to relate to.

This was such a great heart felt book! I haven’t read very many books with mature women as the MC.

Lucia, 49 unemployed and “homeless” needs a new start. She decides to take the challenge to take over a run down hotel in France! What she think will be a gorgeous hotel is a crumbling place.

This book made me feel so encouraged and warm and fuzzy inside. I love that it showed that you can accomplish anything at any age. It make you feel like you have so much more time to be successful in the life.

I think this mostly was a 3.5 star book - it was fun and enjoyable but the book at times was a little slow. I thought this would have a bit focus on the romance but I did enjoy the story and the character development.

ARC thoughtfully provided by NetGalley and St. Martins Press for honest review.

Lucia Giannetti needs a fresh start. Once the hotel manager of a glamorous NYC hotel and intimately involved with the hotel’s owner, Lucy had her entire future planned out. But when the owner disappears, taking millions of dollars with him, Lucy's life as she knows it falls apart.

Two years later, forty-nine years old and unemployed, Lucy takes a job in Rennes, France to manage the Hotel Paradis. She pictures fur quilts and extravagant chandeliers, but what she finds is wildly different. Lucy is now in charge of turning the run-down, but charming hotel into a bustling tourist attraction. Between painting rooms, building a website, and getting to know Bing, the irritatingly attractive artist, Lucy finds an unexpected home. But can she succeed in bringing the Hotel Paradis to its former glory?

Thanks to NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for a review.

I liked this book. I felt the writing was good, the characters well developed, and the storyline was unique and lighthearted. That being said, the reason I didn't rate this higher was that I couldn't really relate to the main character which I'm almost positive was because we are far apart in age (I'm 26, she was in her mid-forties).

I still enjoyed this story and am glad I read it, but I value being able to relate to characters in a book and I think this one just wasn't for me!

The jacket is deceiving. This has a middle aged protagonist who has to reinvent herself after her life in New York implodes. The setting in France is truly the main character. For anyone who watches HGTV.

This was a sweet book about a woman in her late 40s moving to France to start over. I thought there would be more of a climax to the story, but it felt more like small rolling hills. Thank you for letting me read an advanced copy!

This book was a slow starter, but ended up being pretty good. Lucy has a lot of obstacles to overcome and has to deal with several things.

I wanted to like this soooo badly. Unfortunately, this book was formulaic and overall a bit boring. Admittedly romance novels are often a bit of both, but something about this just didn't work. This being a very quick read is one of it's primary saving graces, as I didn't have to waste a ton of time with it.