This was a really sweet story. I liked the characters; especially Maggie. Her trip to Paris seemed to be a struggle between the head and the heart.
The book was a quick read, and kept my attention throughout.

After a breakup and suffering from writers block, Maggie a Romance author heads to Paris to get her mojo back. We meet her daughter, ex husband, agent, girlfriends and a sexy frenchman that provide us with very interesting interactions. Great descriptions of Paris, the sites and the awesome food. Fun, quick read that will definitely make you smile!
Thank you to Netgalley and St Martins for letting me read this book.

I have not heard of this book or author before, but found it on NetGalley which was kind enough to send to me for this review. It was a solid romance, well-written with believable characters. I enjoyed that the one simply impossibly beautiful person was quickly dispatched when his ego overshadowed our heroine.

Maggie is an author writing the final book of her popular series and is horribly stuck. She cannot even start the book and has missed two deadlines. Her agent suggests she join he and his partner in Paris to see if it helps get her unstuck. The City of Lights delivers and she discovers her muse along with the wonderful food and sights of France.

I enjoyed Maggie as a strong woman who had a unsuccessful love life despite being a romance author. Yet she did not mourn her losses and stayed hopeful. Her strength was offset by a slight bit of crazy that we all usually have. Her ex-husband and daughter join her in Paris, giving her a wonderful chance to revisit her past while finding her voice again. I also enjoyed the insights into the writer’s mind and process, assuming it was partially true.

This is a well-written story with great characters. You will enjoy the friends and support system she has built as well as the new people she finds in Paris. This is a romance that has some bite and intrigue so not overly sweet or overdone. I recommend for the reader who doesn’t need love at first sight or all the hearts and flowers, more realistic people and situations.

As a writer and lover of all things literary myself, I was drawn to this book immediately. This book has an "Eat, Pray, Love" feel with themes of self-reflection, solo travel, and finding oneself in unexpected ways. I really enjoyed the inner monologue of the main character and found her easy to root for, which made this a fun, quick read for me. I would recommend this novel for book clubs and contemporary literature courses.

Very cute and funny, this book was good. I like that it focuses on a middle-aged woman who is still in her prime and accepts the adventure to regroup her creative fire. In the end, she is able to come into her own again,

This is a delightful, fun story that was perfect for a lazy Sunday afternoon. Maggie has writer's block and it is a big problem,. the deadline for book 3 of her trilogy is quickly approaching and she has not written a word. When her agent proposes she travel to Paris and stay in his apartment to write she goes. What she finds is more than she ever expected, Paris and all of its wonders plus a chance to reconnect with her daughter and ex-husband, make new friends, and even find her muse. But is it just because of the book or is there more between her and her muse?

Maggie Bliss is a best-selling romance author suffering from writer’s block. What better place to find her muse than Paris? What follows is a fun romantic comedy of self-discovery, Parisian sites, great food, family relationships, and new adventures.
I found this new release to be completely enjoyable for a number of reasons. First and foremost, the characters were likeable, and not just likeable, but they made decisions I could understand. The story starts off with middle-aged (my aged!) Maggie kicking out her long-time boyfriend in a well-crafted scene that left no doubt about why this guy was being kicked to the curb, but without going overboard. I have a hard time with plot twists that get so ridiculous that you can’t relate to them—the plot equivalent of a bad infomercial where the chef massacres the vegetables because he’s too sloppy to work a knife properly. Ernst even writes into this novel her character’s distaste for “the Great Misunderstanding,” the writing trope where two characters can’t get it together because they have completely and needlessly misunderstood each other. Hallelujah. I hate “the Great Misunderstanding,” as well, nothing turns me off quicker to the characters or the author. These characters veer towards a similar misunderstanding, but figure out how to remedy it before it takes hold. I appreciated the author not insulting my intelligence with overblown miscommunications.
Then there’s Paris.—and Maggie’s makeover in Paris. Getting a makeover in Paris sounds like a great idea, and even better, she didn’t go too far with it. She got her hair and nails done, bought a few new clothes, and was done. Sounds like a great day. Maggie and her friends also eat great food. Great food in Paris is really great food. If I had to pick my favorite meal out, I’d always say it was the French Onion Soup I had on the Rive Gauche with my dad on my high school graduation trip to Paris. And then every other meal I’ve ever had in Paris. The markets the characters shop in, the restaurants they go to, the macarons they eat on the street—all of it combined with their long walks and hours spent in the Musée d'Orsay made me simply glad to escape into this book for a few hours.

*I was provided an ARC of this book by NetGalley.*

Oh. My. Goodness. I adored this book! It was fun, entertaining, sexy, and it took place in Paris.

Maggie Bliss is an author of romance books who experiences writers block when she tries to begin writing the last book of her popular trilogy. She ends up in Paris hoping to find something to inspire her. There is a very lively, diverse cast of characters all playing an important role in Maggie finding her muse.

Along the way, Maggie also learns how to keep her heart and mind open, allowing her to become a better mother and stronger woman. Most importantly, she finds and defines her self-worth.

I look forward to reading more from Dee Ernst! Anyway, I'm off to make some French baguette and pretend I'm in Paris.

Thank you NetGalley for my ARC of Maggie Finds Her Muse by Dee Ernst. I loved everything about this book! The characters were like able and believable. Everyone of them were my favorite. The Paris scenes were descriptive and enticing. The ending was predictable, but it was perfect. This is a great beach read. I would read any other book by this author. I will be recommending it to everyone.

This is how I can tell you that this is a well written book- I’m not a big fan of “romance” novels nor am I a big fan of Paris and Frenchmen but I blew through this fun book in just one day. Great descriptions of food! I felt like I was right there eating and drinking wine with Maggie and her pals. The storyline is believable and entertaining and keeps the readers interest with all the little cafes and shops she visits. Just a really nice story to read right now in this crazy world!

Thank you Netgalley for this!
What a delightful read! Meet Maggie, a divorced writer in her late 40s. Stuck in a rut while trying to finish her 3rd book, she goes to Paris with her agent and meets Max, who turns into her muse.
Cute, light read and loved all the food descriptions!

Maggie finds her muse is very “How Stella Got Her Groove Back” with a surprising depth of characters that elevated this from your typical romance to a delightful read. Author Dee Ernst scripted a breathtakingly beautiful Parisian culture, from the food, the streets, the arts, the sights, the people, did I mention the food?

While I cannot fathom having a worldly agent offering me their lavish Parisian house to hole up and write in like Maggie does, I found other aspects, especially the journey and burdens of a writer very relatable. With a looming manuscript deadline, Maggie hopes Paris will rekindle not only her writing spark but also her dreary love-life.

I was pleasantly surprised by the male protagonist- Max, who, while still handsome (because this is a romance novel after all), was very worldly and attuned to female needs. Max was very open and unapologetically honest about his sexual introduction and I appreciate that.

Another interesting aspect was Maggie’s very unconventional relationship with her daughter and how she is portrayed. Maggie’s descriptions are very clinical and provided honest insight into a common struggle of what a lot of parents who cannot relate to their children think

Overall, Maggie Finds Her Muse was an interesting read and would appeal to those who appreciate a “mature” female lead. Much appreciation to the St. Martins Griffins, Dee Ernst and NetGalley for providing me with an arc.

This review has been posted to my blog as is available from 09-16-2020 here: https://jessicareadsit.wordpress.com/2020/09/16/book-review-maggie-finds-her-muse-by-dee-ernst/

What a blast! This book is a quick, fun, inspiring read. As a writer myself, I loved reading about an author's struggles and success. All the characters were great, too - Maggie, Lee, Nicole, Max, Alan...
While the book is fun and easy to read, it does ask us important questions about life and love. What are we really looking for? What is love, actually?
I definitely recommend this book!

This is one of those perfect, cannot-put-it-down romance novels. I wouldn’t entirely describe it as a romance novel though. It’s one of those stories about a woman finding herself later in life and getting everything she wants. This is the kind of story that makes you feel good, warms your heart, and never leaves you with a book hangover. I want to read more of these stories. Maggie is all of us. We’re all just trying to navigate it through life finding what lights our fire. I couldn’t recommend this book enough. 10/10.

This is a cute romantic story. Maggie has got a bad case of writer's blog and is invited to spend a couple of weeks in Paris to see if that will inspire her. And inspire her it does. I love the characters, which were very realistic. The plot is entertaining and made me want to just keep reading.

This is a cute story of Maggie Bliss, a divorced romance author. She's just broken off a relationship and in need of a muse to write her overdue book, so she accepts an offer to take a trip to Paris. It's the perfect summer read and will make you feel like you've escaped as well. Will she reunite with her ex-husband or have a romantic holiday with an intriguing Frenchman?

Title: Maggie Finds Her Muse

Author: Dee Ernest

Publisher: St. Martin’s Press

Genre: Women’s Fiction, Romantic Comedy

Format: paperback, e-book (read the e-book) $16.99

Publication date: April 20, 2021

Buy It: Amazon Barnes

Author Maggie Bliss is under a lot of pressure to write the final book in her Delania Trilogy. The problem is she hasn’t even started it. She knew she was letting down her agent, editor, her readers and herself. But she couldn’t pick up her creative rhythm for David Lancaster and Bella to be involved in a dangerous adventure. Writer’s block struck and put Maggie out of creative commission.

Then there’s her unsupportive, full-of-himself partner who thinks his job is more important than hers. He never asks about her writing career, hardly pays his way and is demanding.

An invitation from Lee, her agent, is one that she can’t turn down. She touches base with him about her personal life and how she’s dealing with a bout of writer’s block. Lee invites her to go with him and his partner to Paris. A change of environment was just what she needed. What better setting to write a romantic adventure than in the City of Lovers. She will also have the opportunity to visit her daughter, Nicole, who lives there.

From the moment she arrives in Paris, she admires the architecture and realizes she has a lot to learn about the cultural mores. She loves Lee’s apartment and where he resides.

And then she meets Max, in a very unusual way (blushes). From the beginning of their friendship, he is determined to make her the best she can be. She finds contentment spending time with her daughter, Nicole; friends Lee and Martin, Max and his mother, Solange (who is Lee’s housekeeper). She comes to life again eating in restaurants, shopping and taking long walks. That kindles her desire to write. As her manuscript progresses, she realizes that Max is her muse. If she keeps on course and finishes the book there’s a good chance of finally realizing her dream of owning a beach house.

When she learns that Max is going to Switzerland, she quickly comes up with an excuse to keep them together a little longer. She tells him that her daughter had an argument that could jeopardize her and her boyfriend’s relationship and she needs to support her. Will her strategy back fire?

MAGGIE FINDS HER MUSE began with an author’s desperate need to meet her editor’s deadline. You do not simply turn on a creative switch for the words to begin to flow. An author has to immerse herself in a setting to see and experience her protagonist’s world. You feel the wind and the heat of the sun. You hear the laughter of couple’s dining in a cafe. You taste the sweetest of the red wine and the joy and bitterness of emotion. When it’s flows, your fingers dance upon your keyboard and the hours fly by. But when you can’t imagine and sense their world you grow frustrated and become distracted. This is what Maggie was experiencing and it took a trip to Paris to kindle her creativity. It also helped her to realize that she was missing out in life, merely going through the motions. Max helped her to feel alive. It’s funny how we go around the answers when we can just go straight to them. I enjoyed seeing Paris through Maggie’s eyes. Her friends were not just supportive, but enriched her life and knew what she needed to be happy before she even did. Thank you, Dee. Write more books about middle-age women. There’s so much for us to learn.

four pastries out of five

Denise Fleischer

gottawritenetwork.wordpress.com

September 2, 2020

This book is the prefect summer read, light, fun and a vicarious trip to Paris! Maggie Bliss has a big problem. She's a writer, she's had two books in a series published, she has a looming deadline for the first draft of her new book, the third in the series. But, she hasn't written much, and is totally blocked on what her hero and heroine will do to finish out the story. Her agent is worried, there's a potential cable deal for her series, but the story needs a conclusion. So, her agent arranges for Maggie to borrow a fabulous apartment in the most romantic city, Paris! Maggie arrives and meets Solange the caretaker and her son Max. Frumpy Maggie gets a Parisian makeover and new, gorgeous wardrobe. She also embraces the cafe culture and mouth-watering food. Maggie also gets a visit from her ex-husband Alan, thinking they should try again. Complicated, yes? Then, Maggie starts writing, and keeps writing, and it's GOOD. She also begins a steamy romance with Max and comes to think of him as her "lucky charm". Paris is perfect, the books is going great, Max and her love life are hot, then there's a misunderstanding. Will Maggie discover what she really wants, and with who? Will Maggie finish her book before her deadline? The answers to all these questions are answered in a very satisfying way.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC, it was a great staycation visit to Paris, I could almost taste the croissants.

Maggie is a somewhat famous writer of romantic fiction, but she does not know how to do romance herself. Somehow, she has. Been living with, and putting up with, a man who does not value her friendship ,or her love. Waking up to this one morning, she kicks him out and vows to value herself more. The only problem is that she is on deadline for her next book and she cannot get past her writer’s block.
So, she heads for Paris. Romance with not one but two men ensues. Mixed in with the romance and the writing are side trips around Paris and the vicinity, visits with her daughter (who happens to be on the spectrum) , time with her agent, and his husband and descriptions of delicious sounding food.
Light-hearted, but entertaining, with a little whimsy thrown in on the side.

A feel-good and easy-to-read story which will fit with readers who love humourous female lead characters. It will speak to all of us looking for our muse.