When I pick up a rom-com these days, I typically expect a witty, gregarious main character and a fairly outlandish plot. Not that this is necessarily what I like, but because you see it so often in the genre. Going into Dee Ernst’s new novel Lucy Checks In, a story about a 40-something year old woman who takes on the task of renovating a crumbling hotel to its former glory in Rennes, France, I expected much the same, but found myself pleasantly surprised.

Starting with Lucy herself, I will admit I found her rather annoying in the beginning. Coming off of an FBI investigation at her former hotel job where her boyfriend took off to parts unknown with millions of dollars leaving her holding the bag, Lucy’s name has a black mark all over it in the American hotel industry which is why she sets off for a new start in France. I found her reaction to her situation to be slightly immature for her fairly mature age (it is not often we get a 40+ main character in a rom-com), but I did appreciate that she experienced incredible growth over the course of the novel. By the end of this story, not only did I like Lucy as a person, but I was also wowed by her skill level in renovating and running hotels.

I also enjoyed this storyline of taking a dilapidated hotel and renovating it. The fact that this hotel is located in France didn’t hurt either! This plot and setting work seamlessly together to create an atmospheric story about the hotel industry. Ernst’s descriptive writing and her obvious knowledge of travel and hospitality made me feel right at home at the Hotel Paradis.

The large cast of characters is probably my least favorite part of this book. In my opinion, it was a little difficult to keep straight who was who, as there were so many, although they did add color and flavor to this novel. I loved how every person had a role in bringing the Hotel Paradis to life and renewing it. However, some of the characters were a bit “out there” for my tastes, although this is a personal issue, as you are guaranteed to run into plenty of people who don’t suit you in life!

Which brings us to the romance of this romantic comedy. The romance actually doesn’t play a large role in this novel, which personally, is how I like it. I found the love interest to be mysterious and intriguing, and I am glad that he is he character that Ernst chose to hook Lucy up with. However, Ernst does use the trope of insta-love here, which I HATE, especially because Lucy basically devolved into a teenage girl whenever the love interest was around in the start of this book.

Read Lucy Checks In if you like books featuring an older woman with an interesting career, taking on a daunting project in a beautiful, atmospheric setting … with a little bit of romance thrown in.

Ahh this one was such an interesting read for me. I really loved the MC and her journey for self discovery. I was rooting for her from the very start. Also, I really loved how relatable the MC was. However, I felt that the writing was bit too descriptive, despite that I thoroughly enjoyed it. So, it’s a 4 star read for me.

I'll admit that the title -- "Lucy Checks In" didn't really grab me. But when I read the summary of the story, I was intrigued.

It's about a 40-something women who was and up and coming manager of one of NYC's hottest boutique hotels, until her boss and boyfriend pilfered millions of dollars from the hotel's accounts and employees' retirement funds, and disappeared.

Lucy is investigated by the FBI, and although she's eventually exonerated from any wrongdoing, she's still blacklisted and no other hotel will hire her. Then she gets an offer to manage a small hotel in France.

This caught my interest, because I love all women's fiction set in France. But then I discovered that Lucy's position was in northwestern France, in a city called Rennes. I visited this city in the 1980s, and fell in love with its Breton culture and its medieval old town. Naturally, I had to read this book and re-live some of my wonderful memories of northwestern France.

But I not only re-discovered my memories of Brittany, but discovered a new favorite author -- Dee Ernst. I loved Ernst's style of writing. It's down to earth and casual. Her characters are very relatable, and you begin to feel like their are your friends too (or you yearn for friends like them!) I could relate to Lucy, for example, who struggles to rebuild her confidence and life in a totally new place. I loved her new neighbors living within the French hotel complex -- including Claudine, the hotel owner, Vera, Colin, Marie Claude and Karl. Then of course, there's Bing -- the fifty-something children's book author and artist.

Lucy has a huge task in front of her -- take a run down, 1700s hotel that's never been restored, and turn it into a profitable boutique hotel. As we walk through the challenges she faces, we see her tackle the overwhelming job with growing confidence. She even overcomes the objections and cynicism of Bing -- the handsome 55 year old artist and children's book author who doesn't quite believe she wasn't involved in the fraud at her NYC hotel. But even he begins to see Lucy as the strong, capable woman who knows how to turn a dilapidated hotel into a successful and profitable venture.

This really isn't a romance book, although Lucy finds romance in addition to friendship in Rennes. It's more about a woman's ability to overcome all obstacles and recreate herself. I highly recommend this book!

Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin's for giving me the opportunity to read this book in return for a fair and unbiased review.

it wasn’t my favorite but it was definitely cute and i think a lot of people would like it but it just wasn’t what i’d thought it would be

Thank you for the ARC copy of this book! I couldn't wait to read the story of a woman my age, in her 40s, who is starting over. Books about women in this age group, especially women who have made mistakes, such as Lucy, are rare! I thoroughly enjoyed the French setting, great to daydream about future travel! The descriptions were romantic and fun to read. I recommend this book if you want some light escapism with likable characters.

This book made me want to drop everything and move to France and live in this world. Refreshing to have older protagonists rather than millennials..

Lucy Checks In was a novel with a promising premise that failed to deliver. From the very start of the book, I struggled to continue, there wasn't anything to really draw me in. I expected a cute Emily in Paris vibe but everything that makes Emily in Paris charming (if incredibly annoying) made Lucy and this book insufferable. The plot was slow and there wasn't much going on, and the writing, while nice at points, didn't manage to keep me interested.

Loved the cultural story line! A heartfelt rom com that was an easy and nice read during the holidays. Recommended to friends.

Delightful.
So much about Lucy Checks In is, as a former coworker of mine, a damn delight.
The older protagonist is a delight. I love that Lucy is ultra-competent at her job, despite the challenges it poses. I love that she doesn't take anyone's shit.
I love the setting. France is already lovely but as someone who's recently moved from the US to Europe, Lucy's journey of finding a place to fit in had some extra resonance for me.
I liked that the romance was a slow burn but didn't have unnecessary drama. The conflicts were human but adult. And solved like adults.

It wasn't a perfect book, but it was a damn delightful one.

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the ebook ARC. All opinions are mine alone.

This sweet book is a slow-build, but shapes a charming tale of friendship, love, and the magic of rebuilding. How refreshing to read a French story that does not take place in Paris!

Thank you for the eARC!

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

I thought this was a nice refreshing read. You could definitely put it in the romance genre but it’s almost more of a contemporary fiction than anything. There’s only some slight romance near the end.

I loved the French setting and all of the characters. Everyone was likeable and you could really tell they cared about getting this boutique hotel up and running. If anything they all did it for their love of the owner.

The characters are older, which is something new to me. I don’t think I’ve read a book, let alone a romance, that’s centered around characters 50+. It was a nice change to read about well developed characters and how it’s never too late to start something new.

Definitely a fun, quick little read.

Thank you Net Galley/St. Martin’s press for the ARC of this novel.
Lucy Check’s in caught me a little off guard. I thought it would be more romcom, but it comes off as more of a fiction novel with a splash of romance. I like that Lucy was a more mature woman, but I wish she didn’t come off as whiney so often. I love the idea of starting over in a new place and the French “scenery” was fantastic.
I really wanted to like this book more as it made me think of ‘Emily in Paris’, but it just wasn’t for me

Great book with a wholesome story! I wanted to Lucy to succeed the entire story. Her character felt like someone I wanted to be friends with. Great read and will definitely recommend to friends and family!

It took me a bit to get into this story but once I was hooked I couldn't put it down! I absolutely loved the French setting and the large cast of characters added so much to the story! I couldn't help but root for some of the relationships. The ending was a bit of a surprise twist but tied the whole story together perfectly! I would love for there to be sequels to catch up on the other characters lives and see what happens next!

This book is so good! It’s so refreshing to read a feel good story like this. I really enjoyed the French settings and it was as if I was transported there while reading!

What a delightful novel! Really enjoyed this story of an older & less-than-perfect protagonist, Lucy, starting over in a French hotel, that is NOT set in Paris, which we are all so familiar with, whether we have been there or not. Lucy's tale of redemption after disgrace is really heart-warming! Recommend to all who enjoy this genre. I received a complimentary DRC of this book from the publisher & Net Galley. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commissions’ 16 CFR, Part 255, “Guides Concerning the Use of Testimonials and Endorsements in Advertising.”

Lucy loses everything and then finds the hope, courage and strength to rebuild. This is my favorite type of story and I was eager to read this book - it delivered! I loved the characters, the setting, the story. This is the type of book that requires a French bistro playlist so you can dive deep into the setting. I absolutely loved this book and would read again.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

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.