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3.5 AVERAGE
3.5 AVERAGE
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
relaxing
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Lucia Gianetti was involved in a giant FBI scandal entirely not of her own making, resulting in her losing her fiance and her job as a lucrative hotel manager in one fell swoop. Unable to find work in her industry after her reputation is marred, she accepts a position to help repair and manage a dilapidated French hotel and restore it to its former pre-war glory. Along the way, she finds her confidence and potentially a man who won’t implicate her in an embezzlement scheme . . .
I liked this book. It was fine. There were parts of it I found extremely easy and fun to read, and the backdrop of Rennes, France was a nice touch (expanding beyond Paris was lovely, though I have nothing against Paris). This story didn’t grip me and it didn’t leave me necessarily wanting more. The writing was fine. The characters were fine, though there wasn’t a ton of development and the romance plotline felt a bit lackluster and rushed at the end. For those reasons, it took me about four days to get through this one, which is super long for me considering that it was a decently short book. The length of time made it feel draggy at points, and it was hard for me to care enough to get settled into the story for extended periods of time. My fault, and probably wouldn’t be an issue for most people, but it grated.
Overall, would recommend to a specific type of reader, but not everyone.
Read if you like: French hotels, found family, mid-40s ladies starting over, a dash of grumpy x sunshine, family drama, and short-but-easy reads that don’t require too much effort to follow.
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
What's it about (in a nutshell):
Lucy Checks In by Dee Ernst is a story about Lucia Giannetti's journey to get back all that she lost when the police erroneously targeted her in an embezzlement scandal that changed her life, hopefully not forever.
Initial Expectations (before beginning the book):
Based on the cover, which is the back of a female looking onto a city street – I'm getting holiday vibes. I do love a good vacation setting. Lucy Checks In will be my second book by Dee Ernst. I enjoyed the first one I read by her, called Maggie Finds Her Muse, so I am hoping for some of the same attributes I enjoyed from that story. I love the last sentence of the blurb, which states, "Witty and heartfelt, Lucy Checks In is an inspiring and feel-good novel about reclaiming your life, finding love, and creating a home in places you never thought possible." It makes me smile just reading that, so if the book delivers on that, I will be a happy reader.
Actual Reading Experience:
My actual reading experience was a bit of a mixed bag. The story fascinated me at the start and pulled me in almost immediately, but the pace slowed once Lucy got to the hotel and settled in, and I found myself losing interest. Luckily it had a strong conclusion with a fast pace and lots of tugging of my emotional strings. I loved the ending most of all because it allowed me to see everything the last line promised and more. The conclusion is so impactful that it made me want more of the story and learn about what happens next for all the characters.
I love the dysfunctional family dynamic of Lucy's biological family back in New Jersey. Boy, could they make me angry and profoundly sad at times. There is a lot of complexity and layers in the family as a unit and for the reader to unpack and contemplate each member. It shows how sometimes shared DNA does not make for a genuine family unit – that sometimes a shared endeavor and mutual respect brings out tighter bonds and a more enduring and healthy unit.
Lastly, I am in love with the hotel and location. I've been to that area of France, though a bit closer to the coast, and was awed by the beauty of the area – everything about it is just breathtaking and inviting. The book conveys that same feeling about the location, and the hotel felt like the pièce de résistance.
Characters:
Lucia (Lucy) Giannetti is an almost 50-year-old woman who has been black-balled from the hotel industry until she receives an exciting offer from France. An old hotel that has acted as a home for a handful of people who came into the owner's life wants to be a hotel again, and they need Lucy to make that a reality. Lucy is determined, steadfast, loyal, and just what the hotel needs. I loved her roll-your-sleeves-up attitude and her no-nonsense approach to all the challenges she faced. And there are many.
Narration & Pacing:
Lucy tells her own story using first-person narration. Since the story is her journey, this narration style has a very authentic feel. I can't imagine it told any other way and still holding on to that authentic feel. The pacing, however, was a sticking point for me. It starts at a pretty good pace, but by the middle, it slowed to a crawl, and I struggled to keep my interest in the story. But the ending brought it back up again and was simply superb in plot and pace.
Setting:
The setting is a very old hotel in Rennes, France. The hotel is such a strong setting that it is almost a character. I loved witnessing the restoration of this once beautiful boutique hotel into a wonderful place to live, work, and vacation. I want to visit and ride up the little elevator.
To Read or Not to Read:
Lucy Checks In fits the bill if you love a story that warms your heart and a fantastic location.
challenging
hopeful
medium-paced
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
I always enjoy books about starting over and this book is about a middle aged woman with a ruin career and needs to start over. I love that she took a risk and moved to France and the people she meets there. The people at the hotel add an interesting factor to the story. I felt the ghost was unnecessary to the story and that the romance between Bing and Lucy needed to be fleshed out more. Overall, it's an enjoyable story.
Thank you to the publisher for a copy of this book.
Thank you to the publisher for a copy of this book.
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
If you, like me, are a daydreamer, don’t read this book. Since I finished it I’ve thought of nothing else but packing up everything I own, finding an adorably old, French hotel to run, and uprooting my entire life. I’ve been thinking about menus, what kind of fabric would be best for window treatments, whether I want a rose garden or lavender fields… This book is sheer escapism.
I got into this book quite easily and found its cute premise and characters made the time spent within the pages worthwhile. Lucy, our devastated and down-on-her-luck heroine, is plucky and dives into the challenge of getting this ancient French property she haphazardly signed a contract to renovate up and running as a lovely destination hotel in Rennes (with only a little complaining). I enjoyed reading about an almost-50-year-old woman who is confident in her abilities and has a more mature outlook on life and all its ups and downs, although sometimes Lucy came across as much younger than that (and the misleading cover image certainly doesn’t help matters). But I enjoyed that our middle-aged main character is adventurous and vibrant and that she embraces her age rather than acts ashamed of it.
I think this book maybe tries to be too many things — ensemble cast with a hint of found family, romance, family drama and relationship drama, a character reclaiming who they are. That means a lot of side plots are never really explored, which makes the book feel chaotic. I think Dee Ernst needed to either commit to expanding on some of these ideas or to cutting them, because it feels like she put them in, forgot she put them in, and then had to rush to wrap them up before the book ended. Side characters are introduced and then forgotten. Lucy’s past was underdeveloped. Perhaps most notably, the sheer amount happening in the book means the romance — which I (maybe mistakenly) thought would be a bigger part of the story — doesn’t feel right, because the chemistry and tension were never really there, and the relationship develops at an odd pace (I’m talking about not until at least 80 percent of the way through.) That’s odd, because the book takes place across such a broad period, so the lack of development really wasn’t necessary and messed with the plot pacing. Way, way, way too much happens in the final 15-ish percent of the book, and I got a bit of whiplash.
Still, this is a light and lovely read about someone finding themselves — in a wonderful and deliciously carb-filled setting. I really should’ve read this with a baguette, a hunt of brie, and a glass of red wine on hand, because that’s all I was craving the entire time I was reading. And now that I’m done, I guess I’ll stop looking for flights and go and unpack my books from their cardboard boxes.
Special thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for proving me with an e-ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
hopeful
lighthearted
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
DNF @ 50% or so. Just was so boring. No connection to the characters and barely any plot.
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
If you loved The Hotel Nantucket and One Italian Summer as much as I did, Lucy Checks in will be right up your alley. A feel good women's fiction, set in beautiful France with a lovable heroine in her late 40s. What's not to love?
Lucia Giannetti had a very public fall from grace. Despite making the hotel she was running a great success, she's been unemployed for 2 years because of the cloud of suspicion following an embezzlement scandal she had nothing to do with. When she gets an offer to manage the Hotel Paradis in Rennes, France it finally feels like a chance to start over. Except the job turns out to be nothing like what she expected, and neither do the current residents - in particular the infuriating but very attractive artist Bing. Will Lucy be able to rise to the challenge? And along with wonderful food and culture, will France be offering a taste of new romance as well?
It was so refreshing to read a light-hearted novel with strong romance vibe that features a middle aged main character. Stories set in hotels that focus on second chances hit the spot for me, especially when the writing simply flows. The cast of characters was so colourful and memorable and it was impossible not to feel emotionally invested. Beware though, this story might activate your travel bug and make you feel the urge to visit France and experience some of the things so beautifully described in the book.
A huge thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for providing me with an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review!
Lucia Giannetti had a very public fall from grace. Despite making the hotel she was running a great success, she's been unemployed for 2 years because of the cloud of suspicion following an embezzlement scandal she had nothing to do with. When she gets an offer to manage the Hotel Paradis in Rennes, France it finally feels like a chance to start over. Except the job turns out to be nothing like what she expected, and neither do the current residents - in particular the infuriating but very attractive artist Bing. Will Lucy be able to rise to the challenge? And along with wonderful food and culture, will France be offering a taste of new romance as well?
It was so refreshing to read a light-hearted novel with strong romance vibe that features a middle aged main character. Stories set in hotels that focus on second chances hit the spot for me, especially when the writing simply flows. The cast of characters was so colourful and memorable and it was impossible not to feel emotionally invested. Beware though, this story might activate your travel bug and make you feel the urge to visit France and experience some of the things so beautifully described in the book.
A huge thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for providing me with an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review!
adventurous
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
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, afterher brother dies in a accident while driving drunk, leaving her as the guardian of his two children , 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.
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
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.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Death, Toxic relationship, Grief, Car accident, Death of parent
Moderate: Cancer, Infidelity, Racism
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 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
Lucy is forty-nine years old and starting over. Two years after the owner of the hotel she managed (who also happened to be her boyfriend) ran off with millions of dollars and left her to take the fall, ruining her professional reputation and draining her savings, Lucy has been offered a job managing a hotel in Rennes, France. She has visions of a beautiful countryside chateau with opulent furnishings, but when she arrives she finds something altogether different from her expectations. Now Lucy has to renovate a charming but run-down hotel in the center of the old city and get it ready for customers, find her confidence again, while also getting to know the charming but quirky inhabitants of the hotel.
This was a charming book that felt like its own vacation. Lucy has been through a lot and she has baggage, but she also has courage and humor that make her a relatable and fun narrator. The descriptions of Rennes, the hotel, and the people she meets there are all wonderful and charming, and shenanigans that go on to get the hotel ready bring a lightness to events that could be turned into major conflicts by other authors. Instead, the conflicts in this book - while feeling authentic and honest to the characters - are never ones that create too much angst or get in the way of the overall tone of the story. This is a happy story with happy endings for pretty much everyone, and it is a perfect read for someone wanting a feel-good book. Even better, the most of the characters (and the people in the primary love story) are middle-aged, not twenty-somethings, so there is a gravity to them that comes with experience and living lives that are full but not always happy. Honestly, who wouldn't want to visit Rennes and the Hotel Paradis after reading Lucy Checks In?
Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the opportunity to read Lucy Checks In early in exchange for an honest review!
This was a charming book that felt like its own vacation. Lucy has been through a lot and she has baggage, but she also has courage and humor that make her a relatable and fun narrator. The descriptions of Rennes, the hotel, and the people she meets there are all wonderful and charming, and shenanigans that go on to get the hotel ready bring a lightness to events that could be turned into major conflicts by other authors. Instead, the conflicts in this book - while feeling authentic and honest to the characters - are never ones that create too much angst or get in the way of the overall tone of the story. This is a happy story with happy endings for pretty much everyone, and it is a perfect read for someone wanting a feel-good book. Even better, the most of the characters (and the people in the primary love story) are middle-aged, not twenty-somethings, so there is a gravity to them that comes with experience and living lives that are full but not always happy. Honestly, who wouldn't want to visit Rennes and the Hotel Paradis after reading Lucy Checks In?
Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the opportunity to read Lucy Checks In early in exchange for an honest review!