📚 Review - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

Lucy Checks In introduces us to Lucy, a middle aged woman who has recently had a lot of setbacks in life.

We meet Lucy right after she’s been through a lengthy FBI investigation due to her former boss, who is also her boyfriend, stealing money from the hotel and disappearing. She’s accused of being a part of the scheme and is essentially been made an outcast in the hotel community and is unable to find a job.

Then comes The Hotel Paradis in France. She believes she’s going to help bring the hotel to its former glory and manage a large staff. When she arrives, she finds the hotel in worse condition then she expected and with no staff, just a few live in residents. One of the residents, Bing, drives Lucy crazy but also makes her realize her full potential after she’s lost all confidence following the investigation.

Lucy Checks In follows Lucy through her journey to redesign the hotel, find love in an unexpected place, and learn to trust people again.

This story was definitely a slow burn romance (sometimes a little too slow for me) and an all around feel good story. If you’re looking for a relatively quick read that has a Hallmark movie feel, this is the book for you.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s press for the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Lucy Checks In was a fun and heartfelt story of belonginess. I love how the character of Lucy being courage enough to be step up for her rights as a guardian of the twins. She was difficult to deal with but then she had her own reasons as to why.

I also love the other characters on how they were able to bring out the beauty of belonginess in the story. It doesn't need to come from your family to feel the you belong, sometimes it within the people who you shared making memories the most and able to support you in your all up and downs. Finally, Lucy had finally felt the love and belonginess she deserve from her new life and family in Hotel Paradis.

This book warmed my heart! It was a wonderful cozy read that transported me right into a boutique hotel in the middle of quiet and charming Rennes, France. The cast of characters at the hotels is quirky and fun, and by the end of the book, they all feel like family. The romance is the epitome of a slowwww burn, but the ending makes it so worth it! At points, I felt like the hotel renovation was going uber fast and it was slightly disorienting, but it wasn’t something that consumed too much of my attention. I’d definitely recommend, especially for a fun vacation read (bonus points if it’s in France)!

Thank you, Netgalley for the electronic ARC copy! <3

Lucy Checks In was a sweet story about finding yourself after losing everything. Lucy's journey-- moving to France, learning to trust herself again after losing everything when her former boss and lover embezzled millions from their hotel, and learning to love again was beautiful. The Paradiso hotel where she finds work, and the group of people who live, work, and pour their hearts into it, were absolutely lovely. The narrative voice was a bit distant, and there were moments I wished it would get closer, or go into more detail, especially when it came to the people and their interpersonal relations. That being said, there were some really lovely descriptions of the hotel and the decorations.

I went into this expecting a romantic comedy, based on the description, but the book read more like women's fiction. The romance firmly took a backseat to the hotel restoration, and while it was sweet and had some funny moments, it is not what I would consider in any way a comedy. Overall, I think the book was incredibly miscategorized.

Lucia “Lucy” Giannetti was once a glamorous, tough-as-nails hotel manager in NYC. Everything went up in flames when the owner of her previous company disappeared and stole millions of dollars. Lucy loses everything to clear her name, but the damage is done. Pushing 50 years old, Lucy needs a change and Paris is calling. She jumps at the opportunity to move to Rennes, France, and take over the position as the general manager. Hotel Paradis, a once-great hotel, is now dilapidated and needs a lot of work. To prove to herself and make her only job offer successful, Lucy must return Hotel Paradis to its former glory.

An older love interest and protagonist intrigued me because they are not typical characters for romance books. It was charming and shows that characters older than in their 20s and 30s work too! Dee Ernst does a lovely job setting the scene in this story. I appreciated the little details and nuances included; I felt like I was seeing Hotel Paradis come to life. Typically, I am not a fan of slow-burn romances, but it worked with older characters. However, the romance didn’t really come into play until 70% of the way into the book. The slow burn was essentially a turtle crawl. By the ending, I felt underwhelmed. Lucy was just an okay character. In retrospect, I would have really enjoyed getting to know more about the other characters. The little we got to learn about their quirks really made the story! A dual perspective between Claudine, the hotel owner, would have really enhanced the story. She is an interesting character, and it would have been lovely to see her history come to life, instead of being told little tidbits that left me wanting more.

Thank you to Net Galley and St. Martin’s Press for the ARC!

Thank you to NetGalley and to the publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Lucy Checks in was delightful and heartfelt. I could easily see this book being adapted into a hallmark movie. The setting was wonderful and added to the story in many ways.

As a Francophile, this really appealed to me! I loved having an “older” main character and the setting was great! I love a slow burn!
Thank you to Netgalley for this arc ebook in exchange for an honest review.

Where do I start? Lucy Checks In by Dee Ernst was a breath of fresh air. I am used to reading novels about younger women who are trying to find themselves. It is a rare treat to read about a woman closer to my age. This story touched me on many levels. I loved Lucy’s character. She was strong, yet vulnerable. Fierce, yet afraid. Lucy lost everything to the man she loved. At almost 50, she has to start over and rebuild her life and career from scratch. It tore her heart and confidence to shreds. Unable to trust her own judgment of character, she is afraid to form new relationships. Alongside a lovely and diverse cast of characters, Lucy regains her confidence and learns what love can be. I adored everything about Hotel Paradis. I am ready to pack my bags for a visit. The author enchanted me from the beginning and kept me hooked until the very end. I laughed, I cried. This story spoke to me. Well done. Another excellent novel for 2022. 

Many thanks to NetGalley, St. Martin’s press, and the author, Dee Ernst, for providing this eARC in exchange for my honest review!

I devoured this book! I laughed. I cried. I felt all the things! Lucia's story is one of resilience. She had to start over at 49. Along the way she found love and happiness in unexpected places. And as her life took a turn is when she realized where her heart belongs.
Not only was the story about love, friendships and passion, but the food. My mouth watered everytime she ate a meal in France! What a beautiful setting. What a beautiful story.
Thank you.

This had me hooked from the first page I kept wanting to know more.. Lucy’s plane had just landed in Paris. She quickly finds her way to the train that will take her to Rennes in one hour. Rennes is her destination. She is interested in restoring a centuries old hotel. She has visions of turning this into a charming boutique hotel. She found an advertisement for a general manager needed for a dsix month trial. She is so intrigued with the possibilities. Something she hasn’t seen to piquet her interest in years.. Her NYC last project left her down and discouraged on a personal and professional basis. Professionally, she had completely remodeled this hotel to be a very upscale luxury hotel. Her boss knew how to smooze vendors. As well as investors. In the end he had absconded with all the money including employee pensions. She had been dating the boss so the FBI was looking at her as being just as culpable. He has ruined her reputation personally and professionally. They hounded her and her family.. The authorities couldn’t find anything on any of them; but seems like his antics are widespread they cannot find him anywhere. and they believe he will contact Lucy to meet up with him. Lucy has no idea where he is and wants him just as bad as they do. Lucy finds , the new people to be very friendly. Has predetermined she is not there to make friends definitely still too raw for romance.. She doesn’t trust herself to make professional or personal decisions. Will she try? It was also determined high school French wasn’t going to cut it in Rennes. Lucy would have to take the slow route first. Her boss knows little English so they will teach each other. Lucy’s parents are Italian so she can yell at people quite effectively in Italian(her brothers having taught her the worst words). Yes, I would recommend this book to others. Thanks to #NetGalley, MacMillian publishing and Dee Ernst, for the opportunity to review an advance copy of #LucyChecksIn in exchange for an honest review. Like a good French meal, this book left me feeling full and quite satisfied..

Lucy Checks In was a sweet, slow burn book that is full of heart and starting over when you are middle aged. There were a lot of things I enjoyed about this book, but overall the pacing was a little slow which led me to rating the book higher.

What I liked:
- that the lead and most of the characters aren’t in their 20’s… it was refreshing and unique for me to read about a middle age main character
- France! I want to visit and stay at the hotel they brought to life. Such history and beauty - I’m sold on Rennes!
- the diverse characters

What I disliked:
- the book cover. Actually it’s a gorgeous cover… but I expected a chick flick, romcom about a 20 or 30 something year old running away. Not a 50 year old. The cover art also doesn’t match how the main character is described.
- The main character - she was kind of immature, boring and stuck up (at the beginning st least) and I had trouble connecting with her as a 30 something year old reader.
- The pacing of the book felt a little off, like too much time was spent on parts that weren’t important when more time could have been given to other parts.

What a delightful and immersive read! Lucia Giannetti was once the best woman in the hotel business. Now, she's unemployed, broke, and directionless. Saved by an offer from overseas, Lucy travels to France where her new job awaits her, but it's far from what she expected. A once beautiful hotel, now crumbling at her feet. Lucy is tasked with restoring the hotel to its former glory. Lucy Checks In is a sweet story about changing directions and discovering what truly matters in life. Lucy was an interesting main character to follow, and it was especially interesting to read from an older perspective. The story itself was good, if predictable. The book does tend to drag around the 60-70% mark but is saved by an expected plot turn. However, everything is tied up nicely in the end and the book finishes with satisfying closure. I would recommend this book to people who love romances and stories set in other countries. I would also highly recommend it for people looking to read characters in an older age demographic.

This isn't the first story that has taken place during a hotel renovation, but this has an interesting twist in the City of Love, Paris.

Lucia Gianetti made a name for herself as the general manager of The Fielding Hotel in NYC, making it one of the most desired places to be until a man she thought she loved, Tony Fielding, deserted her with all of the profits. "I had been in love with a marvelous, cultured, successful man who I'd thought loved me back until he ran off with millions of dollars and left me to deal with the unpaid staff, the angry guests, the FBI, the unions. and the investors." Everyone figured she must have known.

With very little in her bank account, she returned reluctantly to live with her parents. Then two years later, a new opportunity was presented in Paris. She was thrilled as this could be her chance to bring back her name in her early 40s managing and renovating the Hotel Paradis. But this small boutique hotel needed more work than expected without a staff. Nothing much had been done since the war. She needed to buy jeans and start painting the walls. After lots of tears, she realized with her six-month contract, she was determined to make it work. Claudine, the owner, told her, "No one works harder than a person with something to prove."

The reader got a feel for what it would be like to turn around a hotel without extra funds. But in this story, everything seemed just too perfect and predictable. There wasn't a staff; but six investors that lived in the house who were ready to work with their skills that just happened to be exactly what was needed to bring back the hotel to its glory. Of course, we were hoping Lucia would fall in love as that was part of the charm of the book. However, her age and "salt-and-pepper curls" didn't line up really well with the girl on the cover. While reading, I smiled a lot with humor that kept the story moving. I could picture the author also smiling as she wrote the words and created the characters. Overall, 3.5 stars.

My thanks to Dee Ernst, St. Martin's Griffin and NetGalley for allowing me to read this advanced copy with the expected release date of August 16, 2022.

I was initially interested in this book due to the unique perspective an older narrator (that is, not in their 20's or 30's) would give to the book and the fact that I enjoy protagonists who have something to prove to themselves or the world.

I did enjoy the book, however the many comparisons between France and the US (where France was always so much better) got a little annoying after some time. As someone who lived abroad for a number of years I understand that each country has it's pluses and minuses and that definitely some people enjoy living in some countries more than others but after what felt like the 100th comparison it just took me out of the plot and made me roll my eyes.

I would be interested in reading more from this author as, aside from occasionally being taken out of the moment, I found most of her characters to have depth and character development.

This was a quick, escape rom-com. Lucy is a hotel operator who was blamed for a scandal in the US and has left for the only opportunity available to her, bringing an old hotel chateau back to life in France. I loved the French ambiance and the decisions, details and thought process of a hotel manager were fascinating.

There is quite an interesting cast of characters, including a ghost that lurks in the garden, and they are mostly quirky and entertaining.

For me the pacing was off in this book - the beginning and ending were captivating but very little happened in the middle. I also found the romance between Lucy and Bing to be very, very slow and not very well-developed.

However, this book will transport you to an old world, quirky family hotel in France for a few hours and that is pure relaxation.

Are you looking for a lighthearted book to restore your faith in humanity? Search no further than "Lucy checks in!" Meet Lucia "Lucy" Giannetti, a high-end hospitality manager for a (formerly) glamorous NYC hotel that has been disgraced by an embezzlement scandal. The FBI, her former colleagues, and the public think Lucy was involved simply because the embezzler (her boss) was also her boyfriend. Needless to say, 40-something Lucy is looking for a fresh start, a new job, and a reason to fall in love again.

When a hotel in Rennes, France reaches out with a job offer, it seems too good to be true. And let's be honest: the old adage "if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is" should absolutely be applied here.

When Lucy arrives in a foreign land with all of her worldly belongings literally packed into three suitcases, she doesn't expect to be boarding in a renovated horse stable that doesn't even have a corkscrew (which results in an epic meltdown) or dishes or a mini-fridge. The Hotel Paradis is dusty, outdated, and unused since WWII. The hotel owner, Claudine, tasks Lucy with bringing the hotel into the 21st century -including a website! - no matter what and on an almost non-existent budget. Claudine expects Lucy to do much of the work herself too, including painting entire hotel, fixing broken toilets, and sprucing up the gardens. Alas, Lucy won't be alone with the remodels because several of the rooms in the Hotel are occupied by a rag-tag group of individuals who Claudine has befriended over the decades that were in need of a home and an adopted family.

As Lucy enlists the residents and investors of Hotel Paradis to fix damaged plaster, hang paintings, and clean rugs that have been in storage for decades, Lucy begins to see the good in humans again. She makes unlikely friends and falls in love with the culture and cuisine of France.

But the question remains: will Lucy be able to restore the Hotel Paradis to its glory days prior to the war? Can she forgive her former lover and herself to move on and find love again? And will Lucy check in to Hotel Paradis for good or will she give up and move home with her parents after her 6-month contract ends?

One thing is for sure: Lucy and her misfit colleagues at Hotel Paradis will check into your heart and underscore that friends are the family that we choose!

I enjoyed this book! I thought it was a relaxing read. There wasn't much conflict, but it was just what I was in the mood for.

I appreciated that the main character was older. I've read other reviews irritated that this isn't much of a romance, but that didn't bother me at all. I had just moved to a new city when I picked up this book, so it was the perfect book to read with the parallels of starting an adventure in a new place. The setting was vivid and made me want to visit France.

I found the plot point around the stolen plants to be a bit odd and felt it didn't match the tone of the rest of the book.

The ending was so unexpected and gave me what I felt like was missing from the rest of the book - a little more depth, struggle, and feeling. LOVED the ending.

This book will take you on a beautiful journey. Lucia has been dealt a hard hand. She has lost trust and faith in herself but finds it again among the the residents of the hotel paradis. The setting, the heroine, the secondary characters all drew me in. A little bit of a slow burn but in away I adored. My one thing I wished was that there was an epilogue. The ending seemed a bit abrupt. Thanks to Netgalley the publisher for sending me a copy. All opinions expressed are my own.

LOVED the book
LOVED the story
Hated the abrupt ending!! I hope there are sequels!
A very comfortable story about a woman in need of a fresh start who moves to France to help a friend rebuild her hotel.

From the secondary characters to the beautiful setting, readers will fall in love with Lucy and root for her every step of the way as she leaves the rubble of a broken life behind to take on a new adventure in France.