Lucy Checks In: A Novel by Dee Ernst
Product Details
Web ID: 15058451Second chance in France
This was my first book by this author and overall it didn’t disappoint. It was entertaining from start to finish. After losing her job and fighting in court because of her ex boyfriend who stole from her job, she has to start over. She gets a job offer in France. She’s so excited until she gets there and sees what is in store for her. Add in an artist who lives in the hotel and it makes for an intriguing read. I would classify this as a second chance love story as Lucy begins her life again. I loved the characters around her. They really added to the story. I think received this book through the publisher and I am voluntarily reviewing this book, opinions are my own.
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Customer review from barnesandnoble.com
Cute beach read
Lucy Checks In is a cute, enjoyable beach read. It's fun and relaxing without a lot of depth of plot. Lucia "Lucy" Giannetti takes a job as a hotel manager at a historic hotel in the small town of Rennes, France. It's just the break she needs. She's been unemployed and unemployable since her former boss/lover embezzled millions from the last hotel she worked at and disappeared. Few believed in her innocence in the scam. However, Lucy has no idea what she is in for in Rennes. Instead of planning and supervising renovations, like she assumed, she will be actually wielding a paintbrush and hammer and trying not to step on the toes of the quirky hangers-on who call the hotel their home. I did love the story, but I felt it needed more fleshed-out subplots. It seemed like a very surface-level examination of three or so story lines. I loved the quirky characters, but felt they could have been explored a little deeper as well. All in all, this was a sweet story and I do recommend it for a light, summer read.
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Customer review from barnesandnoble.com
Charming
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!
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Customer review from barnesandnoble.com
This hotel SHINES!
The Hotel Paradis absolutely SHINED in this novel! I went into this book knowing that I'd like it but I thoroughly enjoyed it! Lucy (Lucia) is our MC and almost 50 -which we don't see that often I feel -and is starting all over. Her ex left her with no money, a lost sense of security, and the FBI in her business. (Craziness I tell ya) When she accepts the management position at a boutique hotel in Rennes, France, she starts envisioning what it will be and how it will look. Let me just tell you, she was incorrect. The hotel is old, run down, and the owner has no money. Can Lucy really breathe new life into this charming hotel? My favorite, FAVORITE, thing about this hotel was all of the unique people who lived here that quickly became family. A place for every character and every character in it's place...am I right?! At first the sheer volume of characters was a little confusing and daunting but I assure you -they are all meant to be there. No one lifts out and I truly adored them. Especially Karl. I'd very much like to enjoy a conversation in his garden with a hot cup of coffee. *Sighs* I highly recommend this if you enjoy women's fiction, a touch of romance, and a magical setting.
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Customer review from barnesandnoble.com
Starting over in your late 40s
Lucy has to start over in her late 40s. This book follows her journey and it’s a lovely trip. A hotel management professional, Lucy finds that her finances and professional reputation are in tatters (even though she was innocent in the financial scandal that ruined her) and so she’s happy to be offered a job managing a historic hotel in Rennes, France. When she arrives there, she realizes that the job is restoring a historic hotel, not just managing it! And that means she’s going to have to do a lot of the work herself, painting, etc. Dee Ernst seems to have a knack of writing wonderful stories about women in their 40s. I loved the other book of hers that I’ve read (Maggie Finds Her Muse), so I was delighted to see a new book by her. You will fall in love with the locals who live at the Hotel Paradis and you will root for Lucy to succeed in turning the hotel into a showplace. Along the way, you will also root for her relationship with Bing, an artist who lives in the hotel, but the romance is a bonus and not the main point of the story, in my opinion. (And for those who care about these things, this is definitely a closed-door sort of romance.) So along with the idea of a second chance, we also have the theme of “found family”, one of my favorite themes. Rennes is absolutely now on my list of places I want to visit! (One quibble about the cover - it makes Lucy look way too young.) Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Griffin for the opportunity to read an advance readers copy of this book. All opinions are my own.
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Customer review from barnesandnoble.com
Delightful!
Dee Ernst’s LUCY CHECKS IN was a delightful read to curl up with and I enjoyed every minute of my time with Lucy and the rest of Ernst’s interesting cast of characters. It was a marvelous tale of starting over with a second act/chance at life. Lucy was at the top of her game in the hotel industry, in charge of one of the top hotels in New York City, until her boyfriend/owner takes off with millions leaving her holding the bag. Under investigation, no one believes she knew nothing about his plans. Two years later, she’s finally cleared but her career is done, or so she thought. When she get the chance to start over running a boutique hotel in France, she jumps at the chance. The opportunity isn’t quite what she expected, and she’s forced to re-evaluate her expectations and re-discover her confidence. Being of a similar age, it was refreshing to read about someone in their second act, trying to find the path to their future. The characters were fun, and I loved watching Lucy grow into herself and find a different dream. Thanks to the publisher for the opportunity to read an advanced copy. All opinions are my own and freely given. #LucyChecksIn #DeeErnst #StMartinsPress
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Customer review from barnesandnoble.com
Wonderful women’s fiction
I went into Lucy Checks In by Dee Ernst with no expectations and was delighted! It’s described as rom com, though personally I felt it was more women’s fiction. But no matter the category, I enjoyed this book. Lucy’s world has fallen apart and she jumps at the first second-chance she gets, which turns out a bit differently than she expected. Set in France, this book is filled with wonderful characters and a sweet story of self-discovery. There is technically a sex scene, but it’s extremely mild. I thought this story was cute and am glad I gave it a listen. Note: This book does contain some infidelity and loss of a family member.
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Customer review from barnesandnoble.com
Cute and Entertaining
I love renovation shows and this had all the elements of a good one: hotel run down after years of mismanagement, a quirky staff that just needs direction, the main character that needs to prove herself after a setback. Lucy manages to make the hotel perfect for the tourists who come to town and gets her life in order at the same time. A cute, enjoyable read that seemed a little rushed at the end but worth the read.
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Customer review from barnesandnoble.com