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3.5 AVERAGE
3.5 AVERAGE
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Oh my gosh, this book completely stole my heart. It pretty much has everything I’m looking for in a good story and more than I even know I wanted. First of all, our heroine is 49!! So to all those naysayers whining in their reviews that they were disappointed that Lucy wasn’t the usual 20 to 30-something they expect and relate to… Three words of advice: Get. Over. Yourself. You will be in your 40’s one day, and it might be good to see that life goes on in many good and complex ways past your current age. The complexity of this redemption story perfectly captures the ups and downs of finding a new path and taking chances in pursuit of happiness. Beyond the enchanting France setting, I loved the hotel renovation story and the eclectic characters who live in the hotel and Rennes. Lucy’s transformation and self discovery journey was realistic and touching.
adventurous
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
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
Rating: 5 Stars!!
Review:
Thank you to Goodreads and St. Martin's Press for picking me to win this FREE ARC COPY in a giveaway on their website a few months ago.
Even tho this book doesnt get released in stores til August 2022 i was anxious to read it.
The Characters were very enjoyable to read about. Lucia aka Lucy was my favorite mainly because i enjoyed reading about her background which i think is why i enjoyed this book so much.
The Setting was so beautifully described which made me feel like i was actually in France while reading.
Overall a Phenomenal and Informative Contemporary Romance about a 49-year old Hotel Company Manager who travels to France to help renovate a Hotel!!
Can't wait to read more by Dee Ernst in the future!!
Review:
Thank you to Goodreads and St. Martin's Press for picking me to win this FREE ARC COPY in a giveaway on their website a few months ago.
Even tho this book doesnt get released in stores til August 2022 i was anxious to read it.
The Characters were very enjoyable to read about. Lucia aka Lucy was my favorite mainly because i enjoyed reading about her background which i think is why i enjoyed this book so much.
The Setting was so beautifully described which made me feel like i was actually in France while reading.
Overall a Phenomenal and Informative Contemporary Romance about a 49-year old Hotel Company Manager who travels to France to help renovate a Hotel!!
Can't wait to read more by Dee Ernst in the future!!
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
relaxing
sad
medium-paced
Lucy Giannetti needs a fresh start. She once managed a glamorous hotel in NYC, but when the owner disappears with millions of dollars, she's left alone with everything falling apart. To fix her reputation, she takes a job in Rennes, France to oversee the renovations of the Hotel Paradis. But when she arrives, she gets more than she bargained for.
I have to say, I was so pleasantly surprised by this book. I loved that the protagonist was in her late forties and having her "second act." So many romances leave out older women, and I loved that the Lucy was 49. The supporting characters were also so wonderful. The group of people that lives at the hotel want to see it returned to glory and all help out with the renovations. Lucy is so determined to succeed and proves to be an inspiring character.
Lucy also has good chemistry with Bing and it's a lovely, slow-burn romance. It's more of a subplot, so the build is exciting. We don't get too deep into their relationship, and I wish there was just a little bit more of them. This is classified as a rom com, but I think it's more "chick lit" since this romantics story is on the back-burner while Lucy's growth is in the forefront. But I do love a good character growth story!
The only issue I had was that the ending felt a bit rushed. Some major things happen in the last third of the book, but they are wrapped up a bit too cleanly and quickly. I think there were some things left unexplored that could have added a bit more depth and emotion to the story, but overall this was a great read.
Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
I have to say, I was so pleasantly surprised by this book. I loved that the protagonist was in her late forties and having her "second act." So many romances leave out older women, and I loved that the Lucy was 49. The supporting characters were also so wonderful. The group of people that lives at the hotel want to see it returned to glory and all help out with the renovations. Lucy is so determined to succeed and proves to be an inspiring character.
Lucy also has good chemistry with Bing and it's a lovely, slow-burn romance. It's more of a subplot, so the build is exciting. We don't get too deep into their relationship, and I wish there was just a little bit more of them. This is classified as a rom com, but I think it's more "chick lit" since this romantics story is on the back-burner while Lucy's growth is in the forefront. But I do love a good character growth story!
The only issue I had was that the ending felt a bit rushed. Some major things happen in the last third of the book, but they are wrapped up a bit too cleanly and quickly. I think there were some things left unexplored that could have added a bit more depth and emotion to the story, but overall this was a great read.
Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
medium-paced
This is a day drinking by the pool type of summer read. Little thrown off by the cover and the actual description of Lucy. The romance is on the back burner as Lucy works on the hotel.
A nice fluff book if you want light reading in between lengthy books to cleanse your palate. A lady is in her mid life crisis after a big scandal has hit her. She’s 49 and is having to live with her mom and dad again until she gets this offer to fix up an almost-nearly dilapidated hotel. She’s met with nothing she expected upon her arrival and is now stuck renovating this fixer-upper for six months. Can I just say when we first meet Mr. Bing he’s a fucking duchebag. Time passes they pull off everything and our main character and bing fall for each other. A good book overall for a quick detox from anything too with complicated a plot line.
Lucia is rebuilding her life and a super old hotel (at the same time). She took the chance going to France and thought it would be like her other jobs had... she was wrong. When she arrived, she realized this seemed impossible and it was a HUGE job. Along her journey to rebuild this very old and run down hotel, she realizes a lot of what she had been missing back home in the States.
Is she able to get this hotel up and running? How does she end up rebuilding her life?
I adored this book. I fell in love with relationships, found myself wanting some to play out- some to end. I felt transported to France, to the very hotel. Beautiful descriptions of the rooms/ the courtyard and the way the guests were described gave me warm and fuzzies.
I definitely recommend this book! Very refreshing to read!
Is she able to get this hotel up and running? How does she end up rebuilding her life?
I adored this book. I fell in love with relationships, found myself wanting some to play out- some to end. I felt transported to France, to the very hotel. Beautiful descriptions of the rooms/ the courtyard and the way the guests were described gave me warm and fuzzies.
I definitely recommend this book! Very refreshing to read!
Thank you to NetGalley for providing this advanced reader copy.
I’m giving this one 3.5 stars.
This book is dangerous. Seriously, unless you have the time and money to drop all of your responsibilities and go to France and enjoy great wine and a more laid back way of life… then I would suggest to approach this book with caution. Because it will undoubtedly force you to double check your passport to make sure it hasn’t expired yet, and check to see how much flights would cost.
I’ll be honest, I’ve never read a romance book where the female character was over the age of 30. In this one Lucy is closer to 50 and I loved seeing the representation of ladies not in their 20’s finding love. Most women in romances over 30 are widowers or are desperate to find a life partner. Not Lucy. She has one thing on her mind: help restore a 300 year old hotel in France and gain back her reputation. I really did enjoy Lucy as a character and this is absolutely the type of book I would recommend to my mom and she would love it tremendously.
This book feels a little more “chick lit” versus a romance but I still think the very understated romance was a sweet one. It was more of a secondary plot line but it still filled a crucial role to the story and made the story that much more charming. Bing and Lucy were fun to read about and see how differently relationships are viewed depending on the age of the couple. For most romances I read the passion is the number one driving factor. However with this one there was a lot more done looking at compatibility beyond just sex.
There were some slow spots in the book that really affected the overall pacing. The ending was great and the beginning was well written. There was some lagging in the middle where I wanted everything to speed up a little to get back to the characters and how they were all progressing. The details of the hotel were impeccably written and I thought the descriptions were beautiful. Overall this was a very enjoyable book.
I’m giving this one 3.5 stars.
This book is dangerous. Seriously, unless you have the time and money to drop all of your responsibilities and go to France and enjoy great wine and a more laid back way of life… then I would suggest to approach this book with caution. Because it will undoubtedly force you to double check your passport to make sure it hasn’t expired yet, and check to see how much flights would cost.
I’ll be honest, I’ve never read a romance book where the female character was over the age of 30. In this one Lucy is closer to 50 and I loved seeing the representation of ladies not in their 20’s finding love. Most women in romances over 30 are widowers or are desperate to find a life partner. Not Lucy. She has one thing on her mind: help restore a 300 year old hotel in France and gain back her reputation. I really did enjoy Lucy as a character and this is absolutely the type of book I would recommend to my mom and she would love it tremendously.
This book feels a little more “chick lit” versus a romance but I still think the very understated romance was a sweet one. It was more of a secondary plot line but it still filled a crucial role to the story and made the story that much more charming. Bing and Lucy were fun to read about and see how differently relationships are viewed depending on the age of the couple. For most romances I read the passion is the number one driving factor. However with this one there was a lot more done looking at compatibility beyond just sex.
There were some slow spots in the book that really affected the overall pacing. The ending was great and the beginning was well written. There was some lagging in the middle where I wanted everything to speed up a little to get back to the characters and how they were all progressing. The details of the hotel were impeccably written and I thought the descriptions were beautiful. Overall this was a very enjoyable book.
First of all, I’d like to thank NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for an advanced reads copy of this book. This review is completely unbiased.
I was so exited to read this book. The description sounded so fun and unique. Lucy is a girl boss. She works in a very fancy New York hotel. She is responsible for making it into the glamorous hotel that it is. Her boyfriend is the owner of the hotel. That is, until he takes everyone’s money, pensions, and skips town leaving her to hold the bag. She loses everything, even the furniture in her own hotel suite. She is now considered an outcast in her industry, she nearly was prosecuted by the FBI, and she had to move back in with her disapproving parents. Then, one day she is offered a job at a boutique hotel in France. She hurriedly hops on a plane and heads to France. She’s envisioning a chic, and fancy French hotel. When she arrives she finds quite the opposite. The hotel is in extreme disarray. She must personally get her hands dirty and take on the challenge of returning this 18th centenary hotel into a functioning hotel.
I quickly fell in love with this story. Lucy is 49, she has salt and pepper hair, and she has a bit of pouch around her waist. She struggles with trusting herself, she struggles dealing with the loss and betrayal of her boyfriend, and she has to make a way for herself in a new country. The cast of characters are delightful and very eccentric. The has a very French feel even though we don’t get to see very much if France.
I love the growth of Lucy and the development of friends and found family. The story was engaging and I found myself quickly turning the page to find out what happens next. I also really liked the romance part. It was fun to see a grumpy man turn into something more. I appreciated his personality and point of view.
What could have been better
I would like a little more details, such was character descriptions, more description of Rennes France, and more details of what was improved in the hotel. I would also like more interaction with the supporting characters.
When it comes to star ratings I’m probably going to go with 5 stars. It was a good read, it was heart warming, it drove me crazy during parts of the book, but in the best way, and I keep thinking about it. Is it perfectly written? No, but it’s a great story that I couldn’t put down. I very much recommend it and I’ll be buying my own copy once it’s released.
I was so exited to read this book. The description sounded so fun and unique. Lucy is a girl boss. She works in a very fancy New York hotel. She is responsible for making it into the glamorous hotel that it is. Her boyfriend is the owner of the hotel. That is, until he takes everyone’s money, pensions, and skips town leaving her to hold the bag. She loses everything, even the furniture in her own hotel suite. She is now considered an outcast in her industry, she nearly was prosecuted by the FBI, and she had to move back in with her disapproving parents. Then, one day she is offered a job at a boutique hotel in France. She hurriedly hops on a plane and heads to France. She’s envisioning a chic, and fancy French hotel. When she arrives she finds quite the opposite. The hotel is in extreme disarray. She must personally get her hands dirty and take on the challenge of returning this 18th centenary hotel into a functioning hotel.
I quickly fell in love with this story. Lucy is 49, she has salt and pepper hair, and she has a bit of pouch around her waist. She struggles with trusting herself, she struggles dealing with the loss and betrayal of her boyfriend, and she has to make a way for herself in a new country. The cast of characters are delightful and very eccentric. The has a very French feel even though we don’t get to see very much if France.
I love the growth of Lucy and the development of friends and found family. The story was engaging and I found myself quickly turning the page to find out what happens next. I also really liked the romance part. It was fun to see a grumpy man turn into something more. I appreciated his personality and point of view.
What could have been better
I would like a little more details, such was character descriptions, more description of Rennes France, and more details of what was improved in the hotel. I would also like more interaction with the supporting characters.
When it comes to star ratings I’m probably going to go with 5 stars. It was a good read, it was heart warming, it drove me crazy during parts of the book, but in the best way, and I keep thinking about it. Is it perfectly written? No, but it’s a great story that I couldn’t put down. I very much recommend it and I’ll be buying my own copy once it’s released.
hopeful
lighthearted
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin's Press, and Dee Ernst for the opportunity to read and review this book.
This was a charming story about a 49 year old woman who restarts in another country, finds herself again, and along the way, finds new love. It took me a bit to get into this book, finding it very slow, but I found myself wanting more at the end. It seemed so abrupt. I would have liked to see more from the ending. I think the side characters have so much potential as well... Marie and Phillipe side novel?! Yes please.
Overall, 3.25 stars.
This was a charming story about a 49 year old woman who restarts in another country, finds herself again, and along the way, finds new love. It took me a bit to get into this book, finding it very slow, but I found myself wanting more at the end. It seemed so abrupt. I would have liked to see more from the ending. I think the side characters have so much potential as well... Marie and Phillipe side novel?! Yes please.
Overall, 3.25 stars.
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated