3 stars

Lucy, Ernst's m.c., is a very typical character living under atypical circumstances, and she features nicely in this pleasant example of women's fiction.

Readers meet Lucy in the midst of an interesting upheaval, and the book really does center on Lucy's mid-life (titular) check-in. Lucy, who has worked in the hospitality industry for her entire life, has somewhat recently found herself embroiled in scandal by association, as her former professional associate has been convicted of white-collar crime. This makes her unfairly connected and mostly unemployable, and that is how she ends up taking what sounds like a dream job at a boutique hotel in France. Since readers are not under the same wishful thinking centered delusions as Lucy, it's easy for us to know what she is shocked to learn; this commitment will not be what she thought. Predictably, it becomes a worthwhile endeavor personally and professionally despite the changed expectations.

There's little that's surprising in this novel, and while that makes for a somewhat basic read, it's also the right vibe for readers who want an uncomplicated summer adventure. There are some difficulties that come up toward the end of the novel that I found a bit distracting, but even those are somewhat easily mitigated.

While there is a romantic subplot, it is definitely not at the center; this is squarely women's fiction, in my mind, and not really a romance by the traditional genre conventions at all. I preferred Ernst's more action-packed predecessor to this quieter French voyage, but I still enjoyed the read and will look forward to more from this author.

This one was ok. The storyline was interesting but the main character was not. I felt like the writing/dialogue was immature for a character pushing 50.

I was excited for this one. I heard it was about self discovery and I love when there is a strong character arc for our female protagonist.

First off, this is not much of a romance. It's definitely more women's fiction so if you are looking for a big sweeping romance this isn't for you.

I liked that Lucy was older. She was turning 50 in 3 months. But I found it strange that she has grey hair yet the cover looks like it has someone younger. Why not embrace the main character and her age?

Something I did really like about this book was hearing about the hotel restoration. I wanted to stay at the Hotel Paradis. I would definitely want to stay there. It was also lovely to hear about France and the food and the drinks. It really transported you to Rennes.

I did like the small amount of romance. I didn't feel a ton of chemistry between Lucy and Bing, but I did ship them. I wanted Lucy to trust and find love again after it was obliterated with Tony.

I was not expecting the conflict at the end. It was intense and emotional and I feel like maybe the book should have been longer to accommodate it.

Overall, it was a sweet and interesting read.

Thanks to St. Martin's Griffin for the ARC!

Lucy Checks In is a women’s fiction novel focused on Lucy, an almost-50 hotel manager whose reputation is in shambles after the hotel owner took all the money and ran. While she wasn’t involved, it’s prevented her from getting a job… until she gets an offer to rehabilitate a hotel in France. There, we get a lovely hotel renovation story with found family and a side of romance. It did feel a little shocking and rushed toward the end of the book compared to the slower and more lackadaisical first half. But, my favorite part of this book was Lucy’s relationship with her nieces and they ended up in a great place at the end so it all worked out.

3.75 ⭐️ rounded up to 4.
Definitely what I would put under the category of women’s fiction with a side of a love story, Lucy Checks In might be what you need if looking for an escape with a close knit bunch of French eccentrics. Having to leave the United States for reasons beyond her control, Lucy accepts a job in Rennes, France as the general manager tasked with revitalizing a pre-war hotel. The majority of the book revolves around the hotel renovation and the inhabitants of the hotel that live there permanently. Rennes as a city seemed to be a character itself and Dee Ernst does a wonderful job of illustrating setting as a key component of the book. It was nice to experience a city other than Paris and get a feel for the people of France. I enjoyed the descriptions of food and hotel interiors and could imagine being in this very place. The various hotel inhabitants are delightful to read about and the relationships between each of them and Lucy naturally unfold into one of true friendship. As a love interest, Bing did not disappoint, but this is definitely a closed door book and the main plot of the story is more about Lucy settling into herself than an actual romance. I would recommend this to anyone looking for a fairly light read with a bit of escapism. CW: alcoholism, death of a family member
Thank you to St. Martin’s Griffin and NetGalley for a copy of this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Lucy is a 49 year old who has gone through some major unfortunate life challenges recently. She takes a job renovating a hotel in France and ends up renovating her own life while she’s at it!

While I loved the concept and story line of this one (its’ cast and setting reminded me of The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel movie!) and I loved the fact that Lucy is an older woman who gets to have a love interest, this one was a bit slow for me. I wasn’t super eager to keep reading; it was just ok! Towards the end it picked up quickly with a lot going on at once, but then it seemed to end abruptly and had me thinking, wait that’s it?

I really enjoyed some of the smaller things like Lucy’s relationship with her nieces, her best friend. And I loved how passionate some of the people who lived at the hotel were about certain things they tended to. Also the talk of French food, yum and the way they got the garden and planters for the hotel was hilarious 😂 but it still left me wanting more!

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for a free eARC in exchange for an honest review!

Lucy Check In by Dee Ernst was a joy to read. Lucy is almost cleared by the FBI for a scandal involving her last hotel. One of the only jobs she receives after this is one to help revitalize an old hotel in Rennes, France. When she arrives she realizes the job is not exactly what she had envisioned and the adventure begins.

It was a pleasure to read Lucy’s narration of the story and watch her become a better version of herself as the story progressed. The author did a nice job weaving Lucy’s past and present together making for a lovely read. The hotel is filled with quite a cast of characters, and I enjoyed meeting them and learning their unique stories. Reading about the hotel renovation was similar to watching HGTV, and I found myself becoming quite invested in everything coming together to open.

Lucy Checks In eloquently tells the story of Lucy and how she makes a new life after devastating life events. It was a good reminder to me that you can choose to make your life better, and to hope in the future. I highly recommend this book.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the advanced reader copy. These opinions are my own.

I wanted to like this one more than I did. After being caught up in a scandal, Lucy (who is innocent!) snags a job working at a French boutique hotel. But the hotel needs to be completely renovated.

For a woman edging 50, Lucy was awfully immature. I was just mostly bored in this one and found myself skimming the book just to finish. It didn’t do it for me. But if you’re a fan of HGTV and renovations, than you might like it!

Also the cover model doesn’t match Lucy, and that’s a huge pet peeve of mine!

I started Lucy Checks In blindly. I had no idea what I was reading and was just lured by the beautiful cover. Well I wasn’t disappointed. Much like the work that Lucy puts in the hotel she also puts in to herself and rediscovering her happiness.

It’s a heartfelt second act story that everyone can enjoy.

This one ticks a lot of boxes for me: a vicarious excursion to France, a middle-aged woman starting over after a gut-wrenching professional failure, and a delightful cast of secondary characters who rally to accomplish a substantial goal. The pacing slowed a smidge in the middle, and I didn't love Bing as a character (excessive laughter distracted me) but I'm glad I finished reading the novel because overall it's quite enjoyable.
Other reviewers have stated that this isn't really a rom-com and I agree. This is women's fiction, featuring the protagonist's journey as she figures out who she is and what she wants, and navigates obstacles along the way. There are challenging dynamics, both personally and professionally, and yes there is a romantic subplot but this is not at all a rom-com.
Finally, some readers have expressed frustration regarding the cover art. The illustration on the cover does not accurately represent the heroine in the story. Based on description, the heroine is clearly middle-aged and I am all for it. So refreshing to see characters who aren't in their 20's and 30's.
Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the complimentary copy. All opinions shared here are my own.

This was such a great story. I loved reading about a.n older women still finding her place in the world, finding friendship, love, family, and a place to belong. Such a fun read that I throughly enjoyed.

Readers Note: This book will make you want to book a trip to France tomorrow. Proceed knowing your bank account may feel it.

Lucia Gianetti (Lucy) is at her lowest. After a scandal has left her as persona non grata in the hotel industry, Lucy finds herself back at home in her childhood bedroom isolated from her high-roller NYC lifestyle. From head over heels in love with Tony Fielding, to heartbroken and generally ditched by everyone,, her three favorite humans are her nieces and her lifelong friend from college. When an unexpected offer, to work on Hotel Paradis in Rennes, France, Lucy packs her bags and heads to what she thinks is going to be her next dream job.

What she didn't expect was a crumbling hotel with a host of odd duckling tenants who live there full time. I really like this array of characters. Each brings their own flair to the story from Claudine the owner, to Bing the mysterious artists, to Colin the meticulous oddball, and so many others.

I read this book while at the lake and I found it the perfect complement to my escape vacation. It's the right mixture of light-hearted threaded with challenges. France is described in its full beauty from the city of Rennes, the people, the food, and the traditions such as the weekend markets. It also highlights some of the more rigid aspects of European living that remind me of my time living in Switzerland and Italy. Go ahead, ask me to cross against the light... it won't happen. Just nope.

If you're looking for an end of summer read, this could be it. I haven't seen it advertised a lot, which allowed me to go in and just fall into the plot line without any preconceived notions. Hope you enjoy it!

Lucy Checks In is my second novel by Dee Ernst. The cover does not quite capture the story as the cover seems to portray a younger woman with darker hair, yet the main character is older with graying hair in the actual story. It follows 49-years-old Lucia Giannetti who takes a job as a manager at the Hotel Paradis in Rennes, France after her life fell apart in NYC. The hotel is nothing she expected as it needs a lot more work to make it amazing. During her time at the hotel, she meets Bing, a children’s book illustrator and artist, who steps up to assist her.

The reader follows along Lucy’s journey trying to fix up the hotel, which comes with multiple challenges. She is also healing after her former boss and boyfriend, Tony Fielding, stole millions and disappeared. Through her healing time at the hotel, she meets Claudine, the owner of the hotel and also Bing’s ex. Together the two of them share a son, Phillipe. As the story progresses, Lucy heals emotionally, the hotel gets some work, and there is a romance that slowly develops.

Overall, Lucy begins a little bit unlikable due to her attitude, but it was easy to sympathize with her and her situation. She did grow on me a lot by the end of the story and throughout it was easy to root for her to succeed. I loved Lucy bonding with the people around her. While there is a little relationship forming with Bing, I needed a little more to understand why they would work as a couple. I felt the physical chemistry throughout the story, but I needed a little bit more exploration into their deeper connection. This story was a great read and was very enjoyable. I looked forward to reading more from Ernst in the future!

**I give a special thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this entertaining novel. The opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.**

I ended up not finishing this book at about forty percent. I tried to get into it but it became a chore to read and I try not to let reading feel like that.

Thank you Netgalley and publishers for allowing the chance to read and review.

Such a great second chance story. Growing older can cause people to have a multitude of feelings, and this was such a relaxing read to make getting older not as scary. I especially enjoyed the romance scenes and the picturesque setting, I will definitely read another of her books.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC. The opinions are my own.

With a new novel on found family and the rewards of hard work, Dee Ernst pleasantly surprised me with Lucy Checks In. I am sucker for any story where France finds a new traveller or citizen. This Lucy searches for a new world to immerse herself after a devastating break up and employment snafu. What better environment than a special French town and a unique new job? This move proves a challenge, but as readers we ride with her by learning her expertise is just what this job and fellow lonely hearts needed. I enjoyed learning with her how her life had to change as she becomes more giving, adapts to living frugally and the french culture. The novel is not a thriller or a mystery but an urban adventure/romance which is light in nature and great comfort read. Ernst does a great job with detailing the characters that live in the old hotel that is Lucy’s new project. They are each quite real and sweet, one by one filling a role that heals our heroine and makes her stronger. This book would be a great beach or vacation read, for those who like Peter Mayle or Samantha Verant. I enjoyed the pacing and will look for future works from this author.

Lucy Checks In is a delightful book, filled with charming characters. Lucy’s life has been turned upside down—professionally, romantically and financially—when she accepts a job running a hotel in a quaint French town. The work is a bit different than what she thought she’d signed up for, but with the help of the other residents and employees, she begins to embrace her new life in France. This book contains romance, family drama, but all in all it was a lovely book to spend time with.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the advanced reader copy. These opinions are my own.

Lucy had a really bad few years after the owner of the hotel she managed embezzled millions. Now her only chance at a new job is in Rennes, France. But her expectations for bringing the hotel up to the standards of American tourists vastly differs from the reality she finds.

I really appreciated when the book started. That might seem odd to include in a review, but I was glad that we didn't have to go through the problems of the old hotel with Lucy. Instead, we join her on the train to her new adventure and experience all her emotions from there. It allowed me to deeply empathize but also feel optimistic.

All of the characters were fabulous. The hotel had seven people living there when she arrived. I found them easy to tell apart, and all were unique. And the setting was equally amazing and made me yearn to visit.

And most of all, I loved Lucy. It's so refreshing to read about a 49-year-old protagonist with life both behind and before her.

4.5 stars rounded up

TW: alcoholism

Lucy Checks In by Dee Ernst is a contemporary women's fiction about starting over.

I loved this novel! While it started out a little slow for my liking, I quickly fell in love with the eclectic cast of characters living and working in this hotel.

A must read ❤️❤️❤️❤️

While I thought this book was an OK read, I was anticipating a romance book. I was a bit confused as to why it is listed in that category as I didn’t find it to have much romance.

This is also a good example to not judge a book by its cover. I was expecting the story of a younger woman, rather than one in her 50’s based on the illustration.