Dee Ernst is a master of writing stories about mature ladies looking to start over. Lucy was funny, likable, and this story takes readers on a trip to Paris where you root for Lucy and hope for her to find love. Check this out if you were a fan of Maggie Finds Her Muse. I received a free copy on NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

If you’re looking for a good book to transition you into warmer weather, Lucy Checks In feels like the perfect story to do just that. It’s a story filled with sunshine and new beginnings and promising things to come, and I enjoyed it quite a bit.

As I’m sure I’ve mentioned before, I love traveling, and since I’m not able to do much of that right now, it’s great to be able to do it through the books I read. I’m a sucker for books that take place in France, and if you are too then you need to read this. The descriptions of Hotel Paradis, and Rennes, with its quaint buildings and busy markets had me aching to visit.

I loved following Lucy’s journey to bring Hotel Paradis to life, and really adored the cast of characters she works with and encounters while working at the hotel. I felt at times like I could really picture the hotel’s progress and see how each character contributed to it. At times the story gave off major Under the Tuscan Sun vibes, since both stories revolve around women nearing their 50s, working to gain back their independence and build newer, better relationships, all while renovating old, almost decrepit buildings in need of major TLC.

While I agree with some other reviews I saw that I expected a bit more of a romcom, I still felt bits of it in the relationship between Lucy and Bing, and some of the other characters loving relationships with each other as well, both romantic and platonic. The family aspect was also very heartwarming, between Lucy and her parents, but also with her brothers and two adorable nieces living at home in the US.

The last bits of the book made me very happy, despite the heartbreaking and challenging situation Lucy finds herself in towards the end. Everything comes together nicely and makes this truly a feel-good story that I think a lot of people will enjoy.

Thank you Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for the gifted copy!

Lucy Checks In was a joy to read. It’s the sweet story of a woman who has had the rug pulled out from under her who then starts over to create the life she was meant to have. Lucy moves from the States to France when she lands a job as general manager of an old shuttered family hotel. She thinks her job is to oversee a renovation crew to bring the hotel back to life but it turns out she, along with a group of family friends of the owner are the renovation crew. And it’s the type of renovation we can only dream of in our supply chain plagued days. The author has such a way with words…I wanted to live Lucy's life. To be in the rooms and gardens she describes. To eat the food and walk the streets of the historic French town. This book reminded me of a Rosamund Pilcher book in all the best ways.

I zipped through this book very quickly. It was very refreshing to have a book that dealt more with emotional conflict and not so many major conflicts in her surroundings. Every time something new happens, I almost feel a little stop in my heart that something bad is going to happen but most of the time it all goes smoothly. I didn't know if I liked the time jumps throughout the book but by the end, I got used to it. I didn't need to hear what happened every day for 6 months.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. The opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

I generally just read romcoms but, although there was a bit of romance in this book, it was more about friendships and starting over when you’ve lost your way. And I loved it! It was just such a nice storyline, and it makes me want to 1) read more by this author and 2) visit France.

I loved this book for its charming setting--a 1700s chateau in France's Brittany region--its older (middle-aged) heroine, and a diverse group of hotel residents that come together to help the protagonist turn her life around.

Lucy had found success as the manager of a luxury hotel in New York City and a loving relationship with its owner. But she was blindsided along with other hotel employees and investors when her lover absconded with millions of dollars, leaving her behind to fight a 2-year legal battle that exonerated her but took most of her life savings and ruined her professional reputation. The only job she can find is at the Hotel Paradis in the aforementioned French chateau, and it it not at all what she had envisioned. The hotel is in ruins, hosting only six permanent residents, and her job is to restore it by tourist season to a potentially successful business.

It didn't take long for me to be all-in on the delightful story and eccentric characters, not to mention a very slow-burning romance with a man who has to learn not to be obnoxious. The writing is sharp and the plot is engrossing and uplifting.

My thanks to NetGalley and Sr. Martin's Press for affording me the opportunity to read and provide an honest review of this book.

Lucy Checks In is the perfect book when you need a sweet getaway!

Lucy works in the hospitality industry and moves to France to rebuild a crumbling hotel. The side characters as hotel guests were so much fun and I was truly invested in their lives and the hotel going ons. I am 30 years old and loved reading about a mature heroine restarting her life.

This was my first Dee Ernst book but certainly won't be my last! Thank you to NetGalley, Dee Ernst, and St. Martin’s Press for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review!

Lucia is having a riches to rags moment in her life after her alleged involvement in a scandal at the hotel she managed. Down on her luck after basically being blacklisted in the hotel industry, she heads to France for a fresh start managing an also down on her luck boutique hotel. In attempt to bring the hotel back to life, she also finds a life for herself.

I really loved this story. I felt so much empathy for Lucia and was rooting for her the whole way through. I fell in love with the characters in the story, each with their own unique story themselves. It made me want to immediately travel and experience the small town French life. Highly recommend this book, especially for Francophiles!

Lucy goes to France thinking she's going to be the new manager of Hotel Paradis. When she arrives at said hotel, she finds out she's going to be way more than that, because the place is pretty chaotic and she is the one who has to set it right - and that includes painting!

Lucy's journey is really interesting. She had nothing and ended up with so much. A new job, new friends and a new family.

Her relationships with the other characters were my favorite part. But Lucy and Bing deserve a special mention in this review because I love slow burns and theirs was just so nicely done.

I also loved the ending of the book. I thought she was going do something and then she didn't and that made me extremely happy. (I'm trying not to give too much away!)

Overall, Lucy Checks In was a fun and enjoyable read and I finished the book wanting to go to France so I could stay at Hotel Paradis.

Dee Ernst makes this book relatable and heart warming. Is draws you in and you want the Characters to end up on top.
Lucy has been judged for her career choice from the start by her family. Well then her ex boyfriend throws her under the bus and ghost her and she is left with his repercussions. Now broke, and being judged by a lot more. Lucy decides a change is needed. In walks Hotel Paradis.
Hotel Paradis is a work of art under some dust. She just needs so paint and and a vision. Can Lucy do that and along the way find herself and love again?

I LOVED this story! Its charm was clearly in the development of the incredible characters in addition to the delightful descriptions of the irresistible settings. The theme of "finding yourself" and never being too late to take charge and change things up is endearing, encouraging, and so needed in all of our lives. I recommend this to the fullest and greatly look forward to more titles from this incredibly talented author!

I personally found the side characters to be the most interesting part of this story (besides the gorgeous setting of course). I didn't really like Lucy and found her annoying for the first 75% of the book and felt the same way about Bing. However, the other people living and working in the hotel (and Julia) really saved the day. Also I need a story all about Marie Claude and Phillippe because they were amazing. I also found that sometimes the plot could be quite abrupt and quickly change out of nowhere. However, I think the interesting setting of an old hotel in France with the quirky occupants was quite fun

This is a story about a women in her late 40s who needs to completely restart her life and does that in France. She’s hired on as a hotel manager to completely redo an old, falling apart hotel. She makes lots of new friends. I loved reading about the culture and the food. But I can only give this one 3 stars because I had to force myself to read it. It just fell flat for me, unfortunately.

What do you do when your life crumbles around you? Go to France and rebuild a hotel! This story of love and learning that you can do anything is just what you need when you are feeling down. Dee Ernst did an amazing job getting the reader to fall in love with the characters.

I received an e-galley of Lucy Checks In by Dee Ernst from St. Martin's Press via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This was a light and fun read about starting over and building a life (and hotel) again. Lucy finds herself with a new job in France after two years of investigations into being involved in her boss and partner's disappearance with all the money from the NYC hotel that Lucy had fun. Here in France, she meets an assortment of characters who live and work at the Hotel Paradis as they attempt to bring it back to working order. While it was a nice light read, I don't feel like I really felt too invested in any character's stories.

I love a book about a good project, and Lucy has a good project. I loved watching her solve all the problems and create friendships and a new life in her new job and home in France. I also appreciate that the author tells a good story with ups and downs but without resorting to “the big misunderstanding,” some ridiculous invented conflict in need of resolution, or obnoxious cartoonish characters.

This book needs to become a movie ASAP!!!

I fell in LOVE with this book!! I truly was so invested in the hotel's status and cared for each and every character. I felt like I was living at the hotel (and now I'm a little sad I don't). I loved the character development, the incredibly perfect ending and although I'm a girl who loves a good spicy romance, the simple & sweet romance was perfect. I absolutely loved this booked and it definitely became one of my top 10 reads!!

After an embezzlement scandal breaks at the hotel she used to work at Lucia Giannetti finds herself in desperate straits, living with her parents at 49 years old. Without any job prospects, she jumps at the chance to manage a hotel across the Atlantic, where her reputation isn’t known. Picturing a shabby Parisian chic hotel, something vastly different greets Lucy after her arrival in Rennes, France.

I enjoyed Lucy’s adventure in France as she finds a new outlook and rebuilds her life after the major scandal. Lucy’s interactions with the unique cast of characters entertained me as she worked to remodel the hotel. Since this is a romance novel there is banter and also tension buildup between Lucy and Bing as they interact while remodeling Hotel Paradis. There are other themes also present in the novel such as self-discovery, and rebuilding oneself. Lucy is a go-getter and wasn’t afraid to push up her sleeves to paint or work, around the hotel, even if it wasn’t the experience she imagined.


The main character of the book is older than most novels I have read in the genre, and while some may see this as off-putting, I didn’t mind. Everyone deserves their own chance to find themselves and love, no matter their age. I was happy to see Lucy and Bing end up together, as Bing was so supportive of her.

If you are looking for a novel set in France, with the main character rebuilding her life after a tragedy with a second chance romance, I encourage you to pick this up.


Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin’s Griffin for the complementary E-ARC in exchange for my honest thoughts.


Genre: Romance, Women’s Fiction
Tropes: Second Chance Romance,
Romance: Open door non-descriptive scene

Lucy has lost everything and needs to start over. She's trying to pull it together and start over so she decides she needs s new city. She take a job in France for a chance to have a new adventure. She's expecting Paris glamor but what she gets in a charming hotel in need of some love. Lucy is up for the challenge! I was surprised at the age of character based on the cover, but the description does say 49 year old Lucy. Overall, I think this book is okay but I didn't really love it. It's not a romance and it was a very slow read for a book under 300 pages. Ultimately Lucy Checks In is a book about finding your place in the world.

I will definitely be recommending this to my book club! What a delightful story. I thoroughly enjoyed this and will be purchasing a hard copy.