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slsunde's review against another edition
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Diverse cast of characters? No
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism and Death of parent
emmas_bookshelf's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
This book was as charming as the French boutique hotel it’s set in. 😍 Lucy feels like her life is over when, nearing 50, her life partner leaves her and her career ends all in one fell swoop. But she gets a second chance when she’s offered the General Manager position at a boutique hotel in Rennes, France. When she arrives, the hotel is not quite what she bargained for, but I’m the end turns out to be so much more. 💖 This was a quick and charming read!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Car accident, and Death
samg01's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
lighthearted
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death of parent, Car accident, Cancer, Alcoholism, and Sexism
btwnprintedpgs's review against another edition
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcohol and Alcoholism
Moderate: Racism and Death
Minor: Toxic relationship, Sexism, Grief, and Death of parent
meganpbennett's review
adventurous
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
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: Car accident, Death, Toxic relationship, Alcoholism, Grief, Addiction, and Death of parent
Moderate: Infidelity, Cancer, and Racism
bringmybooks's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
Thank you to Edelweiss, St. Martin's Griffin, & Macmillan for the opportunity to read and review this book before it's publication date! This in no way affected my review, opinions are my own.
B̷R̷I̷N̷G̷ ✨ 𝗕𝗢𝗥𝗥𝗢𝗪 ✨ B̷Y̷P̷A̷S̷S̷
While this book wasn't *bad*, per se, it also very much wasn't for me. (Major case of "shoulda coulda wish I woulda DNFed) I would estimate that about 80% of it was descriptions of the walls, linens, and furniture that was going in the renovated hotel - which did paint a pretty picture, but also, I mean, I got the gist about 15 sentences ago, you know?
The most interesting thing I got out of this book was while researching what one would call a MC in her 50s - it's quinquagenarian, if you were wondering. That being said, our MC is a quinquagenarian at a crossroads, both professionally & personally, and makes her way to France to restore a old chateau into a hotel, finding both personal and professional peace along the way.
There was a motley cast of characters (sometimes charming and sometimes annoying), a white cat named Napoleon Bonaparte, and a friendly ghost haunting the gardens. There were also really weird scenes that didn't make any sense, like when they realize they need to take pictures for the hotel website so go around Paris in the dead of night stealing potted plants in decorative urns from houses they felt wouldn't miss them. (No, seriously.) (Wild wacky Frenchmen, whaddya gonna do?)
The romance was meant to be sweet, but I never connected to it. There was also a major plot point that, while it's set up throughout the book, kinda comes out of left field at 89% but ends up wrapping everything up in a nice bow.
I'm not sure exactly who to recommend this to, but I can say if you get 25% into it and you're still interested, I think you're safe.
B̷R̷I̷N̷G̷ ✨ 𝗕𝗢𝗥𝗥𝗢𝗪 ✨ B̷Y̷P̷A̷S̷S̷
While this book wasn't *bad*, per se, it also very much wasn't for me. (Major case of "shoulda coulda wish I woulda DNFed) I would estimate that about 80% of it was descriptions of the walls, linens, and furniture that was going in the renovated hotel - which did paint a pretty picture, but also, I mean, I got the gist about 15 sentences ago, you know?
The most interesting thing I got out of this book was while researching what one would call a MC in her 50s - it's quinquagenarian, if you were wondering. That being said, our MC is a quinquagenarian at a crossroads, both professionally & personally, and makes her way to France to restore a old chateau into a hotel, finding both personal and professional peace along the way.
There was a motley cast of characters (sometimes charming and sometimes annoying), a white cat named Napoleon Bonaparte, and a friendly ghost haunting the gardens. There were also really weird scenes that didn't make any sense, like when they realize they need to take pictures for the hotel website so go around Paris in the dead of night stealing potted plants in decorative urns from houses they felt wouldn't miss them. (No, seriously.) (Wild wacky Frenchmen, whaddya gonna do?)
The romance was meant to be sweet, but I never connected to it. There was also a major plot point that, while it's set up throughout the book, kinda comes out of left field at 89% but ends up wrapping everything up in a nice bow.
I'm not sure exactly who to recommend this to, but I can say if you get 25% into it and you're still interested, I think you're safe.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism
Moderate: Toxic relationship and Death of parent
Alcoholism, Death by Drunk Driving, Toxic Family, Chauvinismsakendrick's review
adventurous
funny
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? No
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cancer, Death of parent, and Alcoholism
shannonppark's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
A once successful NYC hotel manager finds herself jobless after a scandal involving her boss and partner stealing millions from the hotel. Lucia Giannetti finds herself heading to France to manage a fancy and extravagant hotel or so she thinks. Hotel Paradis as it turns out needs some improvement and Lucy is just the one to do it. As time moves on Lucy must make sure Hotel Paradis succeeds all while making the best of her second chance.
Ernst does a good well in describing the assortment of characters that all reside in the Hotel, as well as giving detailed descriptions of locations. While the book seemed to be advertised as more of a romance novel the focus is more on Lucy’s second chance as she gets her life back on track.
It took me a few chapters to start enjoying the story and to get all the characters straight but it eventually pulled me in. Overall I enjoyed the book and was pleased with how it all wrapped up in the end.
ARC received from NetGalley in exchange for a review.
Content Warnings
Minor: Death of parent, Alcoholism, and Car accident
audiobooksandcoffee's review against another edition
emotional
funny
lighthearted
slow-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Minor: Alcoholism
sanj's review against another edition
adventurous
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Alcoholism and Death