Rating: 3/5
Steam: 1/5

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and Netgalley for access to this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

I think because I had been warned, I don’t think I fell completely into the mismarketing of this book. The character on the cover depicts someone in their 20-30s however the FMC is nearly 50 and described with gray hair. I loved seeing a woman in the middle of her life getting a second chance, so that was a beautiful aspect of this story.

My biggest criticism of this book as that it didn’t truly have a plot until near the end of the book. It was a delight to listen about the found family and renovation of the hotel, but didn’t anything really happen throughout the course of the book, no. The romance was lackluster and was more tell than show. More women's fiction for sure.

I appreciated how everyone in the hotel contributed with their own skill set and they were so invested in the success of the property. I did love the relationship Lucy had with her nieces and how the ending tied things up.

DNF. It's giving false advertisement. The character on the cover depicts a 20-40 something woman with her back turned, however the main character as described in the book is 49 with gray speckled hair. Gray speckled hair where?

For some reason I thought this was following a 20-30 something woman trying to recreate herself after small issue ruined her career, but then it turns out this follows a 49 year old who has been under investigation by the FBI and hasn't held a job in almost two years. I have no interest in continuing on following a middle age crisis hotel renovation.

Fun read that scratched my travel itch! I love the cover, I would gravitate toward it if it was on a bookstore shelf. This is a perfect, quick and fun romance when you want to escape a bit, I loved the details and descriptions of the area, it felt like I was experiencing all of these new things with the FMC, A wonderful read anytime of year but I highly recommend it over spring break or summer when you wish to get away,

I love a good renovation story plotline, particularly with a side of romance and finding yourself. In this story, Lucy has just agreed to move to, renovate, and open a hotel in the French countryside.

With a cast of permanent guests who help and cause trouble in equal measure, Lucy is able to find herself and her heart again.

This book does deal with a few serious topics as well, but nothing that should be too intense if you are looking for a lighter read.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review! I highly recommend this! It was absolutely adorable!

This was a very cute book. It took a little bit for me to get into it, in fact I put it down and picked it up weeks later. But when I did pick it back up and get immersed into the story I was hooked. I liked how we met Lucy as she was picking up the pieces of her old life and that we got to watch her learn and grow throughout the book. I also liked that she was an older character as I find that someone her age is not someone we see in books often, and especially not in Romance books.

I loved the set of the old hotel in France and the group of interesting characters that we got to meet when we got there.

As I grew to enjoy these characters, I also grew to enjoy the book, but the slow start made it hard to get into in originally.

This was a delightful second act, women's fiction story full of a cast of quirky secondary characters as Lucy travels to France to help renovate a boutique hotel after her career and love life went up in flames. I enjoyed these characters, and this was a fun story. We need more stories about women finding success and love later in life and this one gives you just that.

A fun and lighthearted romance about starting over and finding love later in life . After a scandal at the hotel she was managing, Lucy loses everything. When she takes a job as a hotel manager in France, she quickly realizes it's more than just a job she has stumbled upon. Lucy takes it all in stride, and not only thrives working in the hotel but finds love in the process.

Do you ever read books that make you want to instantly hop on a plane and move to another country?

This was one of those. I loved imagining a beautiful home in France being restored into a hotel. It sounded like an idyllic place to be 💜

While I loved the setting, I struggled to get invested in the characters and their stories. The MC’s love interest was an ass sometimes so I wasn’t a fan of his and couldn’t care less if they got together. I don’t know if it’s truly how French men are, but he was not my cup of tea 🥴

Overall, I enjoyed this one, but mostly because it made me daydream of vacation 😆

Thank you to @netgalley and @stmartinspress for the arc in exchange for my honest review.

This was absolutely delightful! I loved the setting, the premise, and the characters. The main character was relatable and I was invested in her story from the beginning. The setting descriptions are vivid, it felt like I was swept away to France. Pour yourself a glass of wine, grab some cheese, and escape into this truly lovely story! 4.5 ⭐️

This book was a lighthearted romance that proves starting over and finding love is still possible later in life. While this is not what I would typically reach for, I loved every second of it. After getting caught up in a scandal at the hotel she was managing, Lucy loses everything. When she takes a job as a hotel manager in France, she quickly realizes she’s taken on more than she was prepared for. Lucy takes it all in stride, and not only thrives working in the hotel but finds love in the process.

I originally requested this book because I really liked the premise. An American starting her life over again by transforming an old French hotel? Sign me up. And in some ways, I loved what this book represented: a journey that was more about professional aspirations that seeking a relationship. Personal and romantic development for characters in their 40s and 50s.

But on another level, this book relies way too much on narrating the steps of renovating the hotel than really helping me feel what the characters are going through. There's only so much I need to know about the details of how to do this renovation before it gets tedious, and that really makes up the majority of the book. We know that Lucy has a complicated relationship with her family, because we are told that...but we don't really know a whole lot about it, and it ends up being the emotional climax of the novel.

I think this story had so much potential, the concept could really have taken off, but telling rather than the showing throughout derailed making an emotional connection with Lucy and the rest of the characters.

I enjoyed that Lucy was older and starting her life over. I enjoyed her backstory and her rebuilding her life along with the hotel. The hotel renos were weirdly satisfying and the supporting cast was wonderful. The one issue I had is that I found the timing of wvents in the book were a lottle hard to follow it wasn't a big deal but took away from the story a bit. Lucy and Bing's love story was cute but predictable. I do wish it all happened faster because by the time it got going the book was over. I actually enjoyed Marie Claude and Phillippe's love story more. Overall a quick simple satisfying read.

Thank you NetGalley for the arc.

This book has a compelling opening that really draws you in as you arrive in France with Lucy and watch her discover that her new job isn’t quite what she expected.

The quirky cast of characters living in the future Hotel Paradis were one of my favorite things about the book. It has a lovely found family feel as Lucy gets to know them and tries to learn to trust again.

Lucy has to relearn her confidence in herself and her abilties after the events that led her to lose her previous job. I enjoyed going on this emotional journey with her and watching her slowly remember how capable she really is.

At times, the pacing felt a bit off to me. There are a number of brief time jumps throughout the book, which does make sense in some places but did leave me feeling like things slowed down quite a bit after the exciting beginning.

In particular, I thought the end wrapped up really quickly and with a pretty big event that really felt rushed and skipped over. That ending left me with a weird feeling about the book and I’m not sure I love how it was handled.

I also wasn’t sold on the romance element of the story. I rarely say this because I love a love story, but this one felt a bit forced and I think I might’ve liked the book better without it.

In all, Lucy Checks In is a cozy story about starting over, found family, and remembering to trust yourself after someone violated that trust.

This was a really sweet book about starting over later in life. And not due to the circumstances that one might expect. Lucy was a delightful character who had some bad luck. She takes a job that is the only thing available to her and it turns out to be life-changing in so many ways. I loved the eclectic characters and really would have liked to get to know some of the secondary ones even better. Maybe there will be a spinoff book or something with them. The overall story was just enjoyable all around and I am glad I came across this one!

The premise and location of this drew me in but as I read it I became bored with the characters. The romance didn’t grab my attention either. Those that like books about women figuring out their lives may find this interesting but this book wasn’t for me.

This book is the equivalent of wearing an old worn sweater as you walk an easy hiking trail through the forest in the morning. It's not quite as magical as watching the sunrise, or as intense as climbing a mountain, but it's comfortable, warm, and for the most part relaxing and enjoyable.

Lucy is 49 and being forced to restart her life, as her long-time boyfriend and boss absconded with millions of dollars of embezzled money, including hers. Finally free from the FBI, but still viewed with relative suspicion within the industry, she takes a job in France at a small hotel in need of a lot of work.

This book is the epitome of found family - the long-term residents of the hotel are a motley crew, each with their own specific interests and curiosities. I enjoyed getting to know them all and felt so happy for Lucy to have found them and a place to call home.

A large chunk of this book is hotel renovations and getting to know the various residents through the process. The dynamics of who would help, who wouldn't, who's good at what, and where all their interests lie was a great way to develop the characters and see how they fit within the story and the hotel. Through the book, Lucy is tenacious and determined as she begins this new chapter. Seeing her regain her confidence in her work and in her ability to trust and love again was beautiful and heartwarming. I truly enjoyed cheering for her as the story went on and was so happy with how the story concluded (despite the loss).

Overall, an enjoyable read that brings forth a sense of comfort and home.

TW: alcoholic secondary character, death of a parent, racism, death in a car crash due to alcohol consumption, toxic relationship

Plot: 3/5
Characters: 4/5
World Building: 4/5
Pacing: 4/5
Writing: 4/5
Overall: 3.5/5

eARC gifted via NetGalley by St. Martin's Griffin via St. Martin's Press

This enjoyable story takes place in Rennes, France. Lucy loses her job as a hotel manager when the hotel owner is found to have embezzled funds from the hotel and the employees. Once she is deemed innocent, Lucy accepts a position in France to renovate an old hotel, not redone since prior to the war. There are people who are also residents in the hotel, and as she begins to feel part of the group, things turn around for her. There re some dramatic moments, but all in all, a good story with French touches. Thanks to NetGalley for this delightful read.

Aweeee. Yea this was cute. If you’re in the mood for a light, feel good book check this one out.

We follow Lucy as she is recovering job gone bad as she moves to France to help renovate and revive a hotel. All the characters were great. Sure there were story lulls but overall this was just wonderful.

After a disastrous relationship takes Lucy's career in hotel management down with it, she's offered what sounds like the idyllic position to regain her footing - help re-open the Hotel in Paradis in Rennes, France. But when Lucy arrives, the hotel is anything but paradise... It more closely resembles the Happiness Hotel from THE GREAT MUPPET CAPER than the quaint chateau she'd been imagining. But with a signed contract and the challenge of proving one resident in particular wrong, Lucy rolls up her sleeves and gets to work.

It's a light but fun read, with remodeling challenges that resolve themselves like a fantasy novel, a charming cast of characters and plenty of descriptions for Francophiles to drool over. It's a refreshing change to have a mostly older cast and a heroine who turns 50 in the book. And while this is Macmillan's romance imprint, this isn't an overly steamy read. It's surprisingly pragmatic (well other than the construction schedules - those are pure fantasy!). There are some surprises to the storyline and this makes it a great little vacation read. It's my first experience with the author, and I am certain that it won't be my last!