Lucy did not expect to be starting over at age 49, but after a professional scandal makes continuing to work in the US hotel industry improbable, she heads to France to take up a post managing a hotel. When she arrives, the hotel is rundown and her job as "manager" includes tasks like painting. The task of preparing the dilapidated hotel for opening day is symbolic of her attempt to piece her life back together after a devastating betrayal by her employer/boyfriend which resulted in the loss of all her money.

I thought Lucy Checks In was a very sweet women's fiction/romance book. It was an easy read and I was swept away by the breezy way that Dee Ernst writes. I loved the medley crew of characters who are tenants of the hotel and the role they each played in the process of fixing up and opening the hotel. Lucy was at the center of the story, but she was not the only character to experience love and growth within the pages.

The book left me with a pleasant, optimistic feeling. If you're looking for a feel good book that contains a sweet love story, this will be a winner.

This was a book that had me hooked from the very beginning- I was eager to see the Lucy Checks was going to turn her world right again after the nasty abrupt end to the job as a a manager in a luxury hotel in New York.
She ends up going to France to renovate an old family hotel. She was in her mind seeing the things she thought would be needing doing. Her vision and what was her reality sure did not match as close as she thought.
She was envisioning a reno crew she would be overseeing but what she got were six permanent residents. Lucy knew she could take this rag tag group and turn the not so pretty or fancy place into what she knows it can be.
The characters in this story all fit together and make this a book that I know I will read over and over again.
Thank you NetGalley, Dee Ernst and St. Martin's Press for the ARC of Lucy Checks In. This is my personal review.

ARC Review: Lucy Checks In

Thanks @stmartinspress for my copy of this book - it’s out tomorrow!

Overall I really enjoyed this book! The story was perfectly developed and I felt like I was transported to France while reading. The small inn where this story takes place is so sweet and charming!

I loved reading about Lucy starting over in her late 40s, it was the perfect message of “it’s never too late”. I also really enjoyed the descriptions of all the work that she had to put into the hotel and how it changed both the space and everyone involved, it was so heartwarming to see Lucy finally being sure of herself by the end of the story. Claudine, the inn owner, was perfectly frustrating and I really got a sense of how she occasionally got under Lucy’s skin.

While I loved Lucy’s journey to love in this book, I actually enjoyed that it wasn’t the main point of the story and it just sort of came together as her confidence started to grow. I could have done without the side character love drama which felt a little forced and underdeveloped. The grief in this story was also very well done and added so much to Lucy’s story and character.

This is a perfect read if you’re looking for a quick escape to France!

Read this if you:
- Can never relate to all the impossibly young MCs
- Have ever had to accomplish a near-impossible task
- Know how hard it is to rebuild yourself from the ground up

Lucy Checks In is a very quick, fun read about a woman who travels to France to start her second act after her previous employer (and lover) embezzles millions of dollars from the hotel they ran and she ended up embroiled in the scandal too.

She arrives in France to discover that the hotel she is coming to manage isn't actually a functioning hotel at all, and in fact, will be helping to redo and launch it, all with a great cast of characters who live on the property.

While it's a shorter read, the story is told over several months. I really enjoyed the story and it will transport you to the streets of Paris.

Thank you, St. Martins Press and NetGalley for the eARC!

Lucy Checks In is exactly the kind of romance novel I love when I’m looking for something on the sweeter side rather than the spicy side.

As the description says, Lucia Giannetti was the hotel manager at a glamorous NYC hotel until it’s owner, and her lover, ran off, taking with him investor’s money, all the employee’s retirement savings, and Lucy’s planned out future.

Two years later, a 49-year-old Lucy hasn’t recovered. Her name may have been cleared of any wrongdoing, but her reputation hasn’t. With a few hundred dollars left to her name, the only job she’s been able to find is in Rennes, France to manage the Hotel Paradis. She’s expecting an elegant boutique hotel, but she finds a charming, but run-down building in need of major overhaul. Lucy is used to delegating tasks, but here she’s going to be doing it all, including picking up the paintbrush! Will Lucy, and the cast of characters at Hotel Paradis find a way to bring back the hotel to its former glory?

A trope I love in a sweeter romance is an older heroine (i.e., not 20s/30s) reclaiming her life and finding a family, home, love, etc. If you like Jenny Bayliss novels, I think you will REALLY like this. It gives a very similar feeling.

In this novel we have a single POV, Lucy. I found her character to be pretty flushed out and I found our hero, Bing, to be decently developed too. The romance is extremely slow burn and low stakes, which I found nice to read. Outside of these two, we had additional characters in the way of the tenants of the hotel. I loved them all. They were sweet, and each had their own personality even though they had small parts. The interactions between everyone made me laugh throughout. When I have a romance like this I expect to laugh, and this did not disappoint.

The scenery is also amazing – who doesn’t want to read about France?! The writing transports you there and is perfect for when it’s a beautiful day you’re enjoying, or a dreary one you’re trying to escape.

There is a side plot involving alcoholism, death, and grief. I was not expecting it and it did not bother me, but I could see some readers being triggered by this. I understand the thought behind it, but I would have preferred a different vehicle for the eventual outcome. That’s really the only thing that brought this down from a 5 to a 4 star read.

I think this would be a very fun world to stay in and would read more books here if written. I’ll also 100% continue to read contemporaries this author writes. This won’t be for everyone, but if you like a novel about a women finding a new life somewhere new I think you’ll like this.

Thank you to Net Galley and St. Martin’s Press for the advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

CW: Alcoholism, Death, Grief

As a former hotel employee i absolutely loved this story!
The writing was beautifully done. the plot kept me engaged and wanting more. I loved all the characters and the banter involved.
The descriptions were so great, i really was able to lose myself in this book.
Such a fantastic rom-com! one of my favorites for 2022

Imagine having your professional life all perfect and then out of nowhere it all goes down the drain. This is what happened with Lucy, this woman is in her late 40’s and she lost it all, thanks to a greedy and selfish boss. Lucia is a hotel extraordinaire, she knows her stuff and when she finds out that the man she’s been working for was stealing from his investors and his employees, she was to blame as well.

She had to start all over again, and with no money, but she was offered something awesome. She was offered a job in France and it was to be a general manager to an up and coming hotel and help make it this awesome place. She had a HUGE awakening when she got there and it was FAR from what she expected. I loved that, because not everything is as it seems, and Lucy was experiencing everything, but one of the things I loved most about this book was the characters. Lucy had to put in some work, and the characters in this book were very different.

Lucy finally belonged, and even with things changing back home, and she was able to finally let people in especially the people from Hotel Paradis. This book was a reminder that it’s never to late to move on, forgive and start again. This book had the perfect amount of romance, that I really appreciated and the sense of family from those who are not blood. It was a great read.

Thanks NetGalley and the publishers for giving me the opportunity to read this book.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for an ARC of this novel; all opinions are my own.

The world Dee Ernst created in this book reminds me of the warm summer sun beating down on my face as I sit on a patio surrounded by a garden with a glass of white wine, breathing in the summer in the air. It reminds me of Europe and the joy of hard work and family and it reminds me of happiness - like summer sun happiness. Needless to say, I loved it.

Quick Synopsis: Lucy is a 49 year old workaholic now destitute, living with her parents, and in desperate need of a job and a chance after her former lover stole all the money from the hotel she worked at and fled with millions of dollars. Now with a tattered reputation and no savings, Lucy is offered a job to bring a small, boutique hotel to live in Rennes, France. What she doesn’t realize is that she’ll be doing the grunt work along with a rag tag group of devoted tenets who have lived their for years. Lucy embarks on a journey to not only create a beautiful hotel, but also to reconnect and find a family in a new country and new life.

Trigger warnings include but are not limited to: betrayal; financial ruin; embezzelment; white collar crime

What I liked:
-This is a beautifully written novel and I couldn’t put it down. It’s easy to read but also engaging and dynamic.
-The relationship dynamics are nuanced and very French. I loved that we don’t get American relationships but based in France, these are French people with French dynamics and it seems authentic.
-There is so much chemistry between all of the characters. I found myself rooting for all the couples. Which is another reason I loved this book: we get more than one happy ending.
-The final climax of the story was unexpected and I loved the way it was handled.
-There was one scene that made me tear up and almost cry, and it wasn’t between Lucy and our main love interest, Bing, but rather between Lucy and her best friend, Julia. *minor spoiler alert* Once the hotel is completed, Lucy’s best friend Julia not only comes, but is the first to book at a room. The support Julia demonstrates for her best friend is just beautiful and it’s a small thing sure, but something I found so beautiful in this book.
-There are so many little moments that seem small, they’re small acts of romance and small moments, but they build the dynamic and the story beautifully.
-There are some hilarious moments, truly hilarious. The humor is dry and it can be hidden sometimes, but there are moments where I was laughing out loud.
-The scenery and descriptions were perfect and I could picture myself in France, in a little hotel, sitting on a patio with a glass of wine.
-I loved how hard Lucy worked. She gave it her all and she knew herself, but throughout this novel, she learns to appreciate more than just work.
-The characters are older - Lucy is 49 and Bing is 55 (I believe). While there are younger characters, I loved that our main characters are not 20 year olds.


I loved this so so much. It was just a beautiful story with beautiful characters. It’s not a tale that will knock you over the head with its tropes, but is a quiet, beautiful story to be appreciated for its simplicity and subtlety (and humor it’s hilarious).

The following review was posted on my blog today, Sunday, August 14th, 2 days before publication. It will be shared on Twitter and Instagram between today and the day of publication, as well. The blog post includes links to order the books and to its Goodreads page, so readers can add it to their to-be-read books.





“You sound happy, she texted me.
Maybe I am, I texted back. Or maybe I’m too tired to be sad.”

Genre: Romance
Actual Rating: 4 stars
Spicy Meter: 1 fire emoji
Content Warning: Mentions alcoholism, parent death, and cheating.

“Lucy Checks In” follows Lucia Giannetti, a shunned hotel manager, as she moves to the other side of the world, from New Jersey to France, in order to help renovate Hotel Paradis, a boutique hotel in Rennes, a small historical town. As soon as she arrives, she notices she’s way in over her head, but after a scandal left her unemployed and unemployable in the United States, she has nothing left to do but try.

I don’t even know where to begin. How can I describe a book that’s well written but not particularly captivating to me, personally? Basically I wasn’t a fan of the hotel remodel theme, but I liked a few of the characters and it was definitely catchy, I read it almost entirely through a 5-hour airplane flight.

Also, not to sound age-ist, but it seemed weird to me how Lucy was described as a 49-year-old with grey hair, yet the girl in the cover looks like anything but that, in my opinion. Misleading covers are one of my pet peeves.

This book was a slow-burn romance that drove me insane, and I am sad to say that the fire was not worth the wait. And not to mention that the nickname “Bing” was a bit of a turnoff for me, but for each their own, I guess. Actually, I wouldn’t even classify this as romance per se, more like Women’s Fiction or just Fiction would be fine. It deals with a lot more than just romance and the romance parts aren’t even the most important if you ask me.

This is would be a very cool read for anyone who likes DIYing and remodeling and fixer upper shows. “Lucy Checks In” is a colorful romance with a plethora of whimsical characters and an enemies-to-lovers and Grump-meets-Sunshine trope that’s quite cute. I would highly recommend this read, especially if you’re looking for a mild romance with not a lot of sexual descriptions.

If you click here, you’ll be redirected to Goodreads, so you can add the book to your TBR list.

Or you could click here, and be redirected to Amazon, so you can order the book.

ARC provided by NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press in exchange for an honest review.

“She said, ‘But if you loved me, you’d stay.’ He said, ‘But if you loved me, you’d go.’ ”

One of the things that I love most about Dee Ernst's books is that they tell about middle- aged women starting over and triumphing in life. Lucy Checks In fills all that and more. It's a feel good novel and a pleasure to read. The characters are multi-faceted and the plot flows. I have been a fan of Ms. Ernst for years and look forward to reading her books in the years to come. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC!

Unfortunately while I enjoyed the other book I read by this author, this one just took me too much to get into and wasn't really fitting into my type of read. I didn't finish it. The writing was still good, characters well developed, but I felt too much time spent on all the little details of the hotel and not as much on relationship for a romance as I would prefer in a story. Thank you for the opportunity to read this though!

DNF at 22%. To me, this reads like an episode of HGTV written in novel form. I assume the story picks up as the novel progresses, but I'm not the target audience for this book.

Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC I received. This is my honest and voluntary review.

Lucy Checks In made me want to drop everything and move to a small town in France. Right Now. Lucy finds herself at rock bottom after a scandal with her former lover/boss at the hotel she managed in New York. She is offered a job "revamping" a historical hotel in a small town in France and relocates her whole life in the hopes of also revamping her professional reputation.

Dee Ernst did a fabulous job of setting the scene of Rennes, France for us, but what I loved most of all, were her characters. As Lucy arrives in Rennes, she discovers a collection of people who have attached themselves to this hotel in some manner and created a hodge-podge family. Let it be known, the found-family trope is one of my favorites, and this one is well-done indeed. These people Lucy meets are interesting and quirky with their own flaws; they absolutely felt life-like.

This book felt less like a romantic comedy to me, and more like a self-discovery. There was a romance- driven plot line for Lucy, but it was very minor. I felt more attached to her own journey in re-discovering her talents and skills in a job that she loves. Lucy's interactions with this newfound hotel-family also played a key role in her development, and I greatly enjoyed those dynamics.

My only issue was with the pacing near the end, after Ernst throws us for a loop with her plot-twist (I really didn't see it coming). I wish we would've had more pages explaining the resolution of that conflict and showing us the adjustments that were needed in order to cope with that sudden change. (Was that vague enough or too vague? I honestly can't even tell... am I just rambling at this point? Quite possible.)

In summary, this book is a fun read that made me long to live in France, even if just for a little while. Lucy is a well-developed and relatable character, and I think we all see a bit of ourselves in her in some capacity.

*I received and eARC of this Lucy Checks In from NetGalley and St. Martin's Press in exchange for an honest review.

I feel it’s important to start this review by saying Lucy Checks In is NOT a romcom, it’s romantic women’s fiction. I wish publishers would stop advertising books as romcoms when they’re clearly not. While this book has funny moments and has a romantic subplot (and an HEA), the romance is just that: a subplot. The romance takes a backseat to Lucy’s personal development, the renovations at the hotel, and the goings on of the hotel’s other inhabitants. I’ve read several books lately that have been advertised as romantic comedies when they’re actually romantic women’s fiction, and I’ve seen plenty of readers getting angry because the book wasn’t what they wanted or expected, which isn't fair to the book or the author.

Okay, on to the actual review.

I really enjoyed Dee Ernst’s Maggie Finds Her Muse last year and was excited for more from her. I’ve had a streak of pretty meh reads recently, but this one hooked me early on. The characters worked their way into my heart, and I enjoyed every minute of my time with them.

Lucy has had a rough couple of years: she not only lost her job as a hotel manager at a luxury hotel, but also the love of her life, plus she was at the centre of a scandal surrounding her former job and employer. Nobody in the US will hire her, so when she’s offered a job at a hotel in Rennes, France, she decides it’s the perfect fresh start. When she arrives in Rennes, she’s expecting to find a luxury hotel in need of a bit of rejuvenation, but what she actually finds is a long-neglected building with an eclectic group of permanent residents and zero guests.

I loved how feisty, smart, and driven Lucy was. I enjoyed watching her reclaim her life, learn to trust people again, and allow love into her life in many different ways. The cast of characters was fantastic; while Rennes itself is a big city, the world of the hotel felt small and gave the book a small-town romance vibe, with a group of hilarious and eclectic characters that end up becoming Lucy’s found family. I really enjoyed the slow-burn romance between Lucy and Bing. I wouldn’t call this full-on enemies-to-lovers, but there was definite animosity and tension there, with Bing being an arrogant know-it-all who always questioned everything Lucy did. It was fun watching the progression of their relationship, and I ended up falling for them as a couple. I also loved that the main characters were older - Lucy was 49, and I can't remember if it ever explicitly said how old Bing was, but he was Lucy's age or older.

Lucy Checks In is easily one of my favourite books of the year so far. It made me laugh and cry (I was blubbering a mix of sad and happy tears toward the end; I’m not sure if the book has content/trigger warnings, but feel free to ask me if you’d like some clarification), and I know these characters will stick with me for a long time.

For some weird reason I love books about renovation and especially about renovating hotels and inns. I don't know why as I have NO desire to do this myself, but I guess I just love a good starting over story with a home makeover plot.

Lucy Checks In has a charming setting, and it was refreshing to have a heroine who wasn't 28 years old and bemoaning her old age.

Loved this and will check out this author's next book

Personally wasn't for me because of the story, it was well written and the cover is beautiful ♡

I would recommend to readers who enjoy this type of genre

Judging by the cover of Lucy Checks In I was expecting an "Emily in Paris" type of story about a young-ish woman who moves to France to save a hotel in the countryside.

What I got was a book about a woman in her fifties who is successful in her career but unsuccessful in love who moves to France to save a hotel in the countryside. A good 70%, maybe even more, of this book is just excessive detail about renovations to the hotel. This book was details on details of every plant in the garden, every piece of furniture in each room, and even a three page conversation with the guy who transports guests to and from the hotel about updates he needs to make to his car. The last 10 - 15% of the book is jam packed full of details when something in the plot ACTUALLY happens.

The romance in this book is a tell, not show, situation with very little suspense, tension, or butterflies.

There is potential for a good book somewhere underneath all of the dust and details, but unfortunately it just wasn't for me.

I was hoping to like this book more, but I think it lacked the romance I was expecting. It is more women's fiction, and I think if you like books about renovations, characters that are in the 40-50s, and bit of a slow build up, then I think you'd like this book. I think from the synopsis I thought it was going to be a girl in her 20s that was let go from her job and moving abroad to find herself. So again, I don't think the book was bad, my expectations were just off.

Lucy Checks In was not what I expected, but once I got over that, it was a very touching story of having to start over.

Lucy was the manager of a very fancy hotel in New York City, at least until her former boss and lover stole millions when he left, and she he very nearly took the fall. While she managed to avoid that, her entire reputation was ruined, leaving her with no career opportunities. When she sees the chance to be the manager of a boutique in Rennes, France, she jumps. And then learns that the hotel is... exactly as reported: it needs to be renovated from the wallboard studs out. Lucy thought it would be much easier to get the hotel open and ready for online bookings in a much shorter time. Except, she has to do everything, including setting up a website.

The hotel also has several permanent residences, some of whom help more than others with the renovations. Claudine is very willing to break laws to get her hotel ready, even when Lucy isn't willing to. There's a very serious subplot to the book, involving Lucy's alcoholic brother, which does come to a head. I was very worried about the ending, after <spoiler>her brother dies in a accident while driving drunk, leaving her as the guardian of his two children</spoiler>, but I really enjoyed how Ernst played that out. Excellent character development.

All in all, Lucy Checks In is an excellent study in character development and learning to fight for what you want.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the free eARC.

This is a really delightful story. It has great bohemian characters who are fun and witty. Lucy is at the lowest point in her life when she takes a job in France. It turns out to be nothing she expected but everything she needed. There is an eclectic cast of characters including Bing who becomes her best friend and lover. The story is about dreaming big when everything seems unattainable. The author does a wonderful job of exploring the emotional depths of the characters and the various relationships that tie them together. It is also about later in life romance and how much sweeter it can be. Bing and Lucy form a relationship and a family that is untraditional but lovely.