This book felt like watching a Hallmark movie, in the best way. It was short, sweet and fun to read! The characters were deep, strong and lovable, Starting over can be such a hard thing but leads to a self-discovery and to a growth that would've been impossible otherwise, this novel perfectly illustrates that. This was a contemporary fiction type of plot with a slow-burn romance that fit perfectly in the plot! almost a coming of age story, but with adults. I would definitely recommend it if you're looking for a sweet and short read filled with emotion!

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for a copy of this novel!

I thought this was a cute story, but I don't think it should be classified as a rom-com. The romance really took a backseat to the overall plot of Lucy trying to turn Hotel Paradis around. It read more like a women's fiction/contemporary fiction if anything. I also felt like the plot was very slow at times and I didn't really like Lucy's personality at the beginning of the book which made it hard to continue reading at times. However, I did love the atmosphere the book gave of France and the French countryside, the food, and the culture!

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

I love Lucy! And I loved this book. The hotel setting, France, mature romance, complicated relationships and all. This was a fast fun read that I will definitely purchase and recommend to my romance lovers.

This is a new to me author and I am really glad I took the chance. I loved this story. I envied Lucy getting the chance to prove everyone wrong and to start over in another country. The author brings life to the characters and you feel like you are right there with them in the story and you are rooting for them. You can imagine what the hotel looks and feels like. It sounds like the perfect place to live and work. I loved the ending but will not spoil it other then to say it was perfect.

Lucy has worked in hotels her entire adult life. It’s what she knows, and does best. But when she and her beloved place of employment are victims of embezzlement, Lucy becomes persona non grata in the hotel world in America. She takes a job rehabilitating an old French hotel which is completely out of her comfort zone, but could it be the key to finding her footing and her happiness?

This was a really interesting and unique story of self-discovery featuring a mature main character. Lucy starts the book completely floundering and out of her element, but it was wonderful to watch her hit her stride and find success, happiness, and belonging. Dee Ernst has created quite the community of characters in this book, and it is a lovely treat for us to be introduced to these people and to watch their lives and relationships unfold with the growth of the hotel. Like the hotel that is featured at the forefront of this book, there are many parts to this story that help to make it what it is. Often times I find a story with a lot going on to be chaotic, but in this one, it works. Every element of this story seems well thought out and complements the main plot points. This is a lovely story of second chances that proves you’re never too old to find your place.

Many thanks to St. Martin’s press and NetGalley for providing this ARC in exchange for my honest review!

This book is so cute! Delightful doesn't even begin to cover it - Once upon a time, main character Lucy was the fabulous hotel manager of a glamorous NYC hotel. Then shit hit the fan (excuse my french) and the hotel owner took off with millions of dollars. Now, exiled from the U.S. hotel world, Lucy takes a job in a town a few hours outside Paris. When she arrives, she thinks she'll be managing the restoration of a historic hotel. Well, manage is an operative term. Lucy has to actually restore it, along with the other 6 "permanent" guests" at the hotel.

With this motley crew of workers all having a stake in the hotel's success (accommodation, jobs, etc.) and in the process of rebuilding the hotel, she rebuilds her life. Throughout the book, you fall in love with Lucy, Bing and the other inhabitants of the hotel.

This is a typical, feel-good romance that dives into finding yourself again, finding love, and creating a home. Plus, the escapism in France is next level (I want to go visit right now after reading this book).

Thank you, Dee Ernst, NetGalley and St. Martin's press for the early look at the book.

cute one! even though the book entitles itself as a romcom, it didn’t feel that way for me but you can see more about lucy’s journey and that she is reconnecting with herself. her development and the ‘starting over’ plot is really good, there is a little bit of romantic part going on but is not the big focus. overall, it’s a enjoyable read, if you’re looking for something nice and quick, just go for this one.

It starts off a little slow, took me quite awhile to make it to the halfway mark. Lucy is a bit difficult as a main. She’s spoiled and kind of a brat at first. She didn’t really act like a 40ish year old woman. Once the second half of the book began she started to change and thankfully became a better person and less judgey. If youre into a slower paced read definitely give this one a look. Thank you Net Galley for the opportunity to read this.

I liked this book and I would read future books by this author! It was a really cute book about new starts, second chances, and finding love where you least expect it. This was a cute book to read before bed and was a welcome distraction from our crazy world.

(3/5) This book was... fine. Charming at points but fell flat in others. That may be because I don't think I'm the target audience for this book. (Would I recommend this book to my mom, though? Absolutely.) I also wouldn't label it as romance - more contemporary fiction that was on the same shelf as a romance novel and the tiniest bit of romance rubbed off. I liked the found family aspect of this book and most of the characters were pretty endearing! Overall, I think the premise of the book but found that the pacing was a bit all over the place and had to push myself to finish it.

** spoiler alert ** I just wanted more of the story, I loved all the relationships that Lucy made in France; they seem so real. They weren't sappy or predictable, instead the relationships were realistically flawed and yet accepted and forgiven. I loved the relationship between Claudine and Lucy, even though Claudine was the boss, she listen to Lucy and help bring the Hotel Paradis back to grander. I love the relationship between Julia (Lucy's best friend) and Lucy, when Lucy was in trouble Julia stuck by her and gave her courage and hope. I wish I had a friend like Julia. I loved the relationship between Bing and Lucy, it was so romantic and yet grown-up, they excepted each other flaws and all and it made what they have better. The best part of the story was that everyone at the Hotel Paradis were like family with all their quirks and strengths, and they all contribute something special to the re-opening of the Hotel and it was just great.
I wish there was more to the story, I wanted to know more about what happened to Julia, I wanted to know what happened to Lucy's nieces who end up living with her, I wanted to know how the Hotel Paradis was doing, did they get more guest. I would love to have stories that involve the guest. And I would love an update on Bing's and Lucy relationship and if Claudine met anyone special.

I want to thank St. Martin's Press, St. Martin's Griffin and NetGalley for this wonderful story.

I enjoyed French settings and promise . Romance is light-hearted and delightful. Overall this was a quick and heartwarming read and I think everyone should give this book a try.

ARC kindly provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I was very excited about this book, the cover art drew me right in! Unfortunately, I couldn’t finish the book. It did not hold my interest, the writing was not captivating, and the plot was not clear to me. I made it halfway through and couldn’t find motivation to finish. I felt like I was just reading about someone fixing up a hotel. Nothing caught my attention, nothing kept my interest. 1 star for me.

I really enjoyed this book. It was like taking a quick trip to France. I liked how the author showed Lucy getting her confidence in herself back. Definitely recommend this and look forward to more from this author.

Lucy doesn't know what she's gotten herself into with her new job, but it's just about the only job she's been offered after a rough past. Restoring a centuries-old French hotel was not what she expected, but it turns out to be an adventure that is life-changing! I loved the characters and vivid imagery throughout the story. A fantastic chick-lit read!

3 ⭐️

A rare DNF for me. Not the fault of the book, really—it just wasn’t for me. Forty-something hôtelier Lucy is starting over in a charming city in France after a career-ending scandal in America. The message is endearing, and I always appreciate representation of a woman protagonist who isn’t 22 years old, but the storytelling fell flat and the writing felt a bit too slow and clunky for me. I empathized with Lucy, but I didn’t like her enough to root for her or see where she ended up.

Huge thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

While this is labeled as a romantic comedy, it is so much more! It is a second chance at life and love (slow burn) as Lucy moves to France after she loses everything. Her move is to run what she thinks is a cute, posh hotel, but what she finds is a run down, closed hotel and an eclectic group of tenants/crew willing to help her restore the hotel to its former glory and reopen it. One of those tenants is Bing, her love interest. this book is all about Lucy's journey as she learns to believe in herself again and find love.

You will find yourself cheering for Lucy and falling in love with the hotel tenants. There are some twists along the way and some surprises thrown in. One of this book's lessons is that you sometimes have to believe in yourself as much as others do and I think that the author does a wonderful job of getting Lucy there.

I was blessed with a copy of Ernst’s “Maggie’s Finds Her Muse” a year ago and when I saw this, I was stoked! I was NOT disappointed! Once again, Ernst has delivered a fun story with a great cast of characters (misfits) and a HEA. I loved that the characters were mostly over 40, mature, smart, but clearly still flawed and figuring things out in their lives.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Need a quick trip to France with an old friend and a quirky itinerary? Then Lucy Checks In is for you. A fresh take on a fantasy re-invention & romance novel. Our main character Lucy is almost 50, a very competent hotelier who's last job and relationship ended in a. scandal and an FBL investigation. Lucy flees to France for the only job in hospitality she can land, leaving her tattered reputation and her unsupportive parents and siblings behind. The job is bigger and rougher than she expected, but not bigger than she can handle. The hotel's cast of characters includes Bing, an artist and writer who provides Lucy with a romantic foil. Nice to see an "older" couple get the romance treatment. Good travel and design details as well. 4 stars for romance.

Lucy Checks In stars Lucy, a hotel manager who has moved to France to take on a new project. Along the way, as you would expect with a romance novel, she finds love. Each of the relationships she builds along the way introduce characters with unique quirks and personality.

I found myself sucked into Lucy’s world very easily. I loved following along as she took on challenges and found love. I wish there was more time spent building out some of the characters introduced, there is so much going on in the novel that some of the elements seem confusing or almost an after thought. Overall, a fun light hearted romance.

I was provided a free ARC from Net Galley in exchange for an honest review.