After being falsely accused of swindling the large hotel she managed, Lucy is forced to start her career completely over. Eager to begin her bright new future at the elegant Hotel Paradis in Rennes, France, Lucy is devastated when the hotel is in less than pristine condition. Although she is in over her head, Lucy has never been one to shy away from difficult situations and she is determined to restore the Hotel Paradis to its former glory. Along the way, Lucy realizes that you can’t always do things on your own and that letting others in is what truly makes life magical. I really loved getting to see Rennes through Lucy’s viewpoint and it felt as if I was right there with her uncovering the French heirlooms for each guest room. This is a second chance and life and love story, so Lucy along with the love interest are in their late 40s. I gave this book a 3.75 overall because I absolutely loved the setting and the plot, however, I did feel a bit as though the story moved slowly in parts and then was too rushed in other parts. Lucy didn’t have as much of a developmental arc as I would have liked until the very last chapter, but overall I enjoyed this delightful read.

Lucy Checks In
by: Dee Ernst
St. Martin's Press, St. Martin's Griffin
Pub date August 16, 2022

This absorbing novel delivers the promise of a new beginning in France, a historic hotel, and one personable, motivated female lead named Lucy. At age forty-seven, Lucia "Lucy" Giannetti lost her job as manager of fancy The Fielding Hotel in New York.

Two years later, Lucy is excited for a fresh start in Rennes, France. Upon arrival, Lucy realizes that her new job to rejuvenate The Hotel Paradis will be quite a challenge. The gardens, balconies, courtyards, and claw foot tubs offer promise, however, and Lucy quickly begins work to bring it back to life. Along the way, the interesting side characters add richness to the plot.

Ernst's story made me immediately visualize the faded hotel, with its charm and potential. Rennes is a city steeped in art and history, with a gorgeous cityscape. I'd love travel to Rennes in real life after being transported there in this delectable and warm book.

Thank you to Net Galley and St. Martin's Press, St. Martin's Griffin for the advance reader's copy and opportunity to provide my unbiased review.

Betrayed by her lover and blacklisted in the hotel industry due to a HUGE scandal, Lucy gets a job offer she cannot refuse. What seems like a last chance ends up being a gateway to rebuilding what she lost and so much more.

I feel like a broken record, but I wouldn’t call this a rom-com. There were many amusing moments throughout the story, and there was a romantic sub-plot, but this was solidly Lucy’s story. Now that we took care of that, I want to tell you five things I loved about this book.

1. It’s a comeback story – When I first met Lucy, I understood that she lost a lot professionally, but over the course of the book, I really learned the depth of how much was stolen from her. Because of that, it was so satisfying to see her personal restoration as she restored the Hotel Paradis.

2. I loved reading about the renovations – Much of the action in this story involved the hotel renovations. I enjoyed seeing it all come together. The descriptions were quite vivid, and I watched the hotel transforming before my eyes.

3. I got to go to France – I have been to France, but only Paris. It was such a treat to “see” a different part of the country. Ernst did a fantastic job transporting me to Rennes. I think the food descriptions were among my favorites, but I loved strolling about town, visiting the market, and sitting on the patio just as much.

4. Lucy was gifted a magnificent found family – This hotel was inhabited by some rather interesting people. They all had their quirks, but more importantly, they all had a lot of love for one another. It was special the way they rallied to support Lucy when she needed it most.

5. Lucy found love when she least expected it – I am always excited when a book features a more “mature” main character. Lucy was the same age as me. To see her start anew and find love was very encouraging. I was also really happy for her. Learning more about her history, I was ecstatic that she found not only a family to love and support her, but a romantic partner as well.

Overall, it was a pleasure to accompany Lucy on her journey as she rebuilt her life. She showed grit and determination as she embraced this second chance and made it into something even better than what she lost. A beautiful setting, a delightful cast, a sweet romance, and a character cheer for made this a wonderful read for me.

Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martins Press for this wonderfully cute arc of Lucy Checks In!

I love any story that contains renovations, and an old french hotel that needs a total face lift made for a delightful story. We follow Lucy, who is in her late 40's and quite frankly going through some shit. I really liked her character in the beginning, but towards the end I found her a little aloof and whiny. I think all of the side characters really made up the meat of this story and I liked them all and what they brought to the table. The romance between Lucy and Bing was cute, but at times I didn't find it totally relatable but maybe it is just that easy? The end just seemed too tied up for everyone to just move on like that. But that is really my only three complaints. Besides those things I loved the story of a found family and starting over no matter where you think you "should be" in life!

A really cute cozy light read that would be perfect for these slower weekends as summer comes to an end.

Lucy Checks In is a sweet fiction book with a smattering of romance. The beginning was a bit slow, but it picks up and pulled me in. I thought the characters felt real and I enjoyed reading about an older character. Thanks to St. Martin's Griffin and NetGalley for a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

BOOK REVIEW: Lucy Checks In by Dee Ernst
2022 Publication Date: August 16

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐⭐️

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T.I.M.E. BOOK REVIEW:
Are you looking for a new best contemporary romance book to read?

Lucy Checks In by Dee Ernst is the perfect best contemporary romance novels choice for anyone who loves a good second chance love story. With a strong female lead character, this book takes us on an amazing journey that starts from the lowest point of her professional and personal life. Making this a great best book club book selection for book clubs!

One caveat... Clear your calendar because you won't be able to put this book down! With its fast-paced and thrilling storyline, you'll find yourself rooting for the characters every step of the way. And when it ends, you'll be begging for more.

Dee Ernst has done an amazing job creating Lucy, a multi-dimensional female lead character that you can’t help but root for. You’ll love following her on this journey as she starts from the lowest point of her life and fights to get back up on her feet... Both professionally and personally.

Thank you, thank you, thank you... Dee Ernst! For delivering a book filled with a multi-dimensional strong female character lead who takes us on a splendiferous journey that captured my heart, mind, and soul from the first page to the last.

And reader rewards bonus?... Our amazing female romantic lead is in her 50s! This is my second Dee Ernst book to read and both books are contemporary romance books that explore second-chance love with more mature romantic leads at the center of the story.

With witty banter from our main characters, the character development is a delight to read.

Additional themes with a childhood best friend who is always ready to serve up "best friends to the very end" advice... And an unexpected "opposites attract" connection that is filled with undeniable chemistry as a potential relationship develops.

I loved her first book, Maggie Finds Her Muse, and knew Dee was an author to keep an eye on as she continues her writing journey. With Lucy Checks In, she is now landing on all four of my best books of the year lists with her second book... Brava, Dee!

Naturally, I can not wait to see what she has in store for us in contemporary romances next!

Perfect for readers looking for a complete escape in reading romance that will likely send you straight to your favorite travel app to book a trip to France toot suite!

This book may be the "kick in the pants" you are looking for to start your dream adventure, life, business, or relationship... Whatever your dream is, I hope you discover the faith you need to get there...

As for me... I will have a great glass of wine waiting for you. And I can't wait to hear all the details!... ✨😎✨

Pages: 277
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Sub-Genre: Second Chance At Love Romance
Time Period: Present Day
Location: Rennes (France)

IF YOU LIKE THIS BOOK THEN TRY…
Book: Maggie Finds Her Muse by Dee Ernst
Movie: Chocolat

BOOK SYNOPSIS:
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.

With her world in shambles and her reputation in tatters, Lucy decides to start over by taking a job managing a small hotel in the quaint French town of Rennes. It's not the NYC hotel she dreamed of, but it's a chance to rebuild her life.

But the Hotel Paradis is in worse shape than she expected. Can she succeed in bringing the Hotel Paradis to its former glory? And will her new life in Rennes be everything she's hoping for?

A heartwarming and feel-good contemporary romance novel about second chances, new beginnings, and finding love in unexpected places.

BOOK CLUB DISCUSSION:
Second chances are possible no matter how low you might feel you've sunken in your life.
It's never too late to start over, find love or create a new home for yourself, even if it's in a place you never thought you'd end up.
Sometimes our lowest points are the touchstones for launching us into our best life.
You are capable of much more than you give yourself credit for — often we just need a kick in the pants (or a big life change) to discover our hidden strengths and pursue our dreams.

BOOK QUOTE:
"It's funny how you can be going along, perfectly content, thinking that this is what your life is supposed to be, and then suddenly, someone comes around that makes you look in another direction. Suddenly, everything is new... And, I knew I would never settle for mundane again." - Lucy Checks In by Dee Ernst

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All my book reviews can be seen at This Is My Everybody | Simple Living | Denise Wilbanks at thisismyeverybody.com/blog/what-book-should-i-read

♡ Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC. I voluntarily chose to review it and the opinions contained within are my own.

I'm such a sucker for a romantic comedy, and with a main character with my name, I had to check it out! This was a charming quick read, Nothing mind-blowing, but a really satisfying rom-com.

Lucy is a disgraced hotel manager, once highly respected her manager and owner embezzled millions and fled leaving people skeptical as to her involvement.

She gets the opportunity to travel to France two years later and help rebuild a hotel. She wasn’t expecting the hotel to be in such disrepair.

She has a ragtag team of misfits to help with the rebuilding including an 80 year old who likes to garden, a grumpy driver, and Bing an artist who lives in the attic.

While it wasn’t what Lucy expected she has found a home amongst the group.

I liked that Lucy was older and starting over. There was some drama with her family, and an unexpected tragedy causing her to make some decisions. The romance part was light as they were enemies to friends to lovers. I did love the found family and some of the side stories.

LUCY CHECKS IN by Dee Ernst was a fun escape to the city of Rennes, France, and the Hotel Paradis. Just shy of fifty, Lucy's life is not what she imagined it would be. After a scandal at a high-end New York City hotel where the owner, and her ex-love, ran off with millions, Lucy has her reputation (and heart) to rebuild. When she gets to the Hotel Paradis, it's the opposite of the types of hotels she's used to managing. This one hasn't been used since the war, the rooms aren't painted, and the antique furnishings need to be dug out from the basement. Lucy has her work cut out for her.

But with the help of Claudine (the owner), Bing (the attractive writer and artist who lives in the attic) and the others who live at the Hotel Paradis, together they can turn the hotel around into something beautiful. And together they come together to make Lucy feel like one of their own. With her new found family, Lucy begins to form a new approach on life. It was interesting watching Lucy plan out all the details of getting the hotel together, and I enjoyed the market scenes, sprinkling of romance, the charismatic cast of characters, and the theme of rebuilding in love, life, and professionally. This was a feel-good book that shows how new beginnings and second chances can happen at any time in your life.

Thanks to NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press/ St. Martin’s Griffin, and the author for sharing this ARC with me. All opinions are my own.

This is a Women's Fiction/Chick-Lit. I found the very beginning to be ok and a little hard to get into, but it took a turn quickly and had me totally pulled into this story and characters. The characters in this book's characters are not the lovable cute characters, but they grow on you and they feel real. I really loved Lucy. I really loved getting to know all these characters, the setting in this book, and storyline in this book. I was kindly provided an e-copy of this book by the publisher (St. Martin's Griffin) or author (Dee Ernst) via NetGalley, so I can give an honest review about how I feel about this book. I want to send a big Thank you to them for that.

This one took me by surprise in all the best ways! The plot was wonderful and although I could see most things coming, there were enough little twists to keep the suspense. I also particularly enjoyed all of the characters. It felt like I was getting to know them all right along with Lucy. Everybody had a chance to shine, even if they only appeared for a fraction of the novel.

One downside for me was that the characters didn’t always read their age. I was very surprised (and must have forgotten from the description) that Lucy is almost 50! It wasn’t a bad thing, but just didn’t seem to fit. Also, the novel doesn’t read like a traditional romance novel; it’s definitely more literary fiction with a side of romance.

Still, I really loved this one and it’s well worth the read!

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press for providing me with an arc of this book via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review!

Lucy Checks In is a charming, comfortable read. Lucy’s life dissolved into a major mess because she loved a con man. However, a dilapidated hotel in France needs her special touch. The parts I loved best about the book were all the renovations and decorating. Claudine’s hidden treasures being unearthed to once again Grace the hotel.
I loved the community of residents and all the angles they added to the story. I wasn’t quite convinced of Lucy’s new romance, but to each his own.
Find your joie de vivre by reading it.

If you loved The Hotel Nantucket and One Italian Summer as much as I did, Lucy Checks in will be right up your alley. A feel good women's fiction, set in beautiful France with a lovable heroine in her late 40s. What's not to love?

Lucia Giannetti had a very public fall from grace. Despite making the hotel she was running a great success, she's been unemployed for 2 years because of the cloud of suspicion following an embezzlement scandal she had nothing to do with. When she gets an offer to manage the Hotel Paradis in Rennes, France it finally feels like a chance to start over. Except the job turns out to be nothing like what she expected, and neither do the current residents - in particular the infuriating but very attractive artist Bing. Will Lucy be able to rise to the challenge? And along with wonderful food and culture, will France be offering a taste of new romance as well?

It was so refreshing to read a light-hearted novel with strong romance vibe that features a middle aged main character. Stories set in hotels that focus on second chances hit the spot for me, especially when the writing simply flows. The cast of characters was so colourful and memorable and it was impossible not to feel emotionally invested. Beware though, this story might activate your travel bug and make you feel the urge to visit France and experience some of the things so beautifully described in the book.

A huge thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for providing me with an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review!

Attempting to make a comeback after an unexpected, catastrophic, and out-of-her-control career and romantic failure, Lucy moves to France to take a job as a hotel manager in Rennes. She signed the contract while still in the U.S.—having never visited her new place of employment—and, well, the hotel, the cast of characters involved with it, and what is covered under her job description are not what she expected.

After spending 30 years working in the North American hospitality industry and the last two years of her late 40s unemployed and living with her parents, will Lucy be able to adjust to the change of culture and pace?

And what will she do about that instant attraction and instant antagonism that she feels toward Bing, one of the hotel’s permanent residents?

Joining Lucy on this journey was definitely worth my time. I loved the found family aspects, watching her grow and regain her confidence, and the slow burn buildup between reluctant Lucy and magnetic Bing. I became invested, not just in Lucy’s story, but in the relationships and friendships surrounding her as well.

If you have a Saturday afternoon to spare, I recommend picking up Lucy Checks In.

I received an advance copy from St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley. All Review opinions are my own.

CW: fraught familial relationships, cancer, death of a loved one, alcoholism, betrayal, divorce

Thank you to NetGalley for allowing me to read an ARC of "Lucy Checks In" by Dee Ernst, scheduled to release on August 16th, 2022,

Overall, I rated this novel a 3/5 stars!

The novel centers around Lucy, who flees to France after spending time at her parents' following a huge hotel scandal where she's originally from. In France, she has the opportunity to work for a smaller boutique hotel and rebuild her life. Lucy, the main character (and others in it) are around 45-5o years of age, which is not something that I'm used to reading about just yet. However, I was extremely thankful that for the most part, it was a clean novel, and closed door, with basically only implications.

There were certain sections of the novel that were slow-paced and a bit boring for me, though I did learn a lot about hotel management, which I would not have gained knowledge of otherwise. This novel was alright, but I probably won't be rereading it anytime soon, unfortunately.

"Lucy Checks In" is a lovely story of Lucy's journey of rebuilding, both figuratively and literally, when she travels to France to help renovate an old hotel. She learns so much about herself in the process. The pacing was a bit slow, and I could've done with a bit more dialogue, but overall, I really enjoyed this read.

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Totally charmed by Lucy Checks In!!!!

Lucy has had a realllllly tough couple of years (i.e. center of a major fbi investigation) but it's time to attempt to pick up the pieces. She heads to France to help set up a hotel like she has done many times over. She arrives to discover it's a run down building in need of a full remodel with a cast of people living in various apartments on site. It's certainly not what she had anticipated. The story that follows is just lovely and filled my head and heart with the charm and warmth of an old but beautiful French hotel. I loved all of the characters and all of my time spent at the Hotel Paradis. It is not "exciting" or "fast paced" but it was fun and delightful with a few heavy moments and laughs along the way. There's a bit of romance but it's closed door and I never had to skim over a steamy scene! I'm still thinking about the setting and wishing I could check back in with the characters and story.

Thank you so so much St. Martin's Press and Netgalley for my e-arc!!

I fell in love with a book by Dee Ernst long ago and have read all of her books since. I like that our main character is not a 30-something female. I also love the setting, characters, the small amount of steam and angst. It's just a great story. I hope you'll like it, too!

This book had a hard time keeping my interest. I think I should’ve been more interested in the love story but I stuck with it for the home renovations. The hotel was full of fun side characters and I wish we’d been able to see more of them because it would’ve added a lot to the story. I did enjoy that the main character was in her 40s! That was a very different twist. Overall, this was just not a memorable book for me.

Lucy is a highly sought after hotel manager and at the peak of her career, when the owner of the hotel (and the man she loves) disappears with almost 3 million dollars stolen from employees pension accounts among other places. What is even worse is that nobody believes she wasn’t involved, and she spends all of her savings on lawyers to defend her innocence.

When a small hotel in France offers her a management job, she leaves everything she knows and finds a job that is completely out of her comfort zone. The hotel hasn’t had paying guests for years, but has a determined group of characters who live in the hotel and are willing to invest their time, money, and effort into bringing the hotel back to it’s former glory.

If you are looking for a light hearted read about an eccentric cast of characters, then you will certainly enjoy this book. There are so many good things about it! One of my favorite things about Lucy Checks In is that Lucy is knocking on the door of fifty, which I don’t get to see much in contemporary romances. Another is that the descriptions of France are awe inspiring and immersive, making me want to hop a plane tomorrow. Each character have their own interesting personalities and reasons for coming to the hotel, and each are incredibly endearing while still being imperfect people.

This book was a bright spot in my week, and a refreshing view of a middle aged heroine. I wish there were more books like this out there!

Thank you to Dee Ernst and to St Martin’s Press for gifting me an ARC of this book.