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.

Lucy Checks In is a sweet and lovely book about second chances in life, work, and love. Lucy gets the opportunity to take a job as a hotel General Manager at Hotel Paradis, a charming building nestled in the French countryside outside of Paris. She has no idea she's about to embark on a major overhaul to both the hotel and to herself. With the support of a grand cast of fun and quirky characters, Lucy Checks In warmed my heart and made me long for a French getaway. Even though this is not my normal genre, it was enjoyable and fun! It did drag a bit in the middle but more than made up for it at the end.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for my honest review.

Fresh from a high-profile hotel job in NY, Lucia accepts a general manager job in Rennes, France hoping to get her career back on track. She soon finds the new job involves more manual work than expected but is bemused to find that the locals (ie hotel's permanent residents) are willing to help. As the run down hotel takes on a fresh polish, Lucy finds herself coming to terms with her broken heart and trust issues.

honestly, not the book i was expecting. it seemed like a cute concept, and it was, but i ended up DNFing it after just not really connecting with the storyline.

If you want to read a book about a 50-something woman renovating a hotel.. this is for you. Otherwise, skip it. This book was mindnumbingly boring.

I really wanted to like this book. It was just fine. I didn’t really like the main character that much. she did absolutely no research on this hotel she was moving to France to open and was just really naive. I did enjoy the hotel renovations parts. But, the rest of the story felt very underdeveloped and slow. Like, you know the main character has family issues but it’s not really that well developed. I never really bought into the romance. The first scene where they kiss/get together felt weird and too fast. It didn’t really feel like the book built up to it. And then in last 10% when this huge awful thing happened, then the story wraps up way too quickly. Also, the cover doesn’t really match the book.

Began to push through this book but unfortunately did not get the chance to finish it. Didn't feel quite connected to the story or to the main character too much. I feel like it was mostly due to not connecting to the main character due to age differences, and I tried picking this book up at the time of hitting a reading slump.
I'm not giving up on the book just yet. I plan on picking it back up later this year and giving it another full shot!

As much as I wanted to like this story, it just wasn’t for me. I had a hard time relating to the main character and her storyline. Others who can relate more to the protagonist will really enjoy this read! The writing was beautiful, with a clear voice from the author. This book is built for fans of romance. I did really like reading about a woman in her late 40s who gets her second chance.

This is a story about second chances, when Lucy moves to France after she loses everything. While Hotel Paradis isn’t what she was expecting, the tenants and employees are more than willing to help her restore the hotel to its former glory. Purpose isn’t the only thing she finds along the way, there’s also a chance for love in the mix.

You will find yourself cheering for Lucy and falling in love with the hotel tenants. This is definitely a fun, summertime read!

I thoroughly enjoyed this uplifting story about an almost-50-year-old woman starting over in a new country! There aren't many romance books centered around couples in this stage of life and I am here for it! When Lucy is betrayed by her employer (and partner) and loses everything, she is devastated. But then a job offer came along that she couldn't refuse. She packs up and moves to France to become the general manager of a soon-to-be hotel. She meets all sorts of characters in France, but the 50-something man living in the hotel catches her eye immediately. The romance is there but it's not the main focus of the story. Believe it or not, there was a lot of other stuff going on to keep me interested. I loved all the characters in this book! I could see my book club reading this and enjoying it. It's just a refreshing story that makes you have a little more hope in humanity.

Unfortunately, this one just did not work for me. I am going to chalk it up to me not connecting to the main character. I enjoy rom-coms and "comeback" stories, but this one had an element of cheesiness that I just couldn't get beyond. I didn't love the last novel I read by Ernst, so I think this is my cue to move on. I'm sure this novel will be much loved by another group of readers.

Although I was expecting a romance, it was not the prevalent aspect of the story. The hijinks of Lucy made this book a really fun read. Definitely worth the read!
Thank you Dee Ernst, St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for allowing me an advance copy for my honest feedback.