The Story
Synopsis of Lucy Checks In from the publisher:
Lucia Giannetti needs a fresh start. Once the hotel manager of a glamorous NYC hotel and intimately involved with the hotel’s owner, Lucy had her entire future planned out. But when the owner disappears, taking millions of dollars with him, Lucy’s life as she knows it falls apart.
Two years later, forty-nine years old and unemployed, Lucy takes a job in Rennes, France to manage the Hotel Paradis. She pictures fur quilts and extravagant chandeliers, but what she finds is wildly different. Lucy is now in charge of turning the run-down, but charming hotel into a bustling tourist attraction. Between painting rooms, building a website, and getting to know Bing, the irritatingly attractive artist, Lucy finds an unexpected home. But can she succeed in bringing the Hotel Paradis to its former glory?
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.
My Review: If You Ask Me
I enjoyed most of Lucy Checks In.
There’s something about this book that I found alluring. The idea of a hotel manager who, unfairly, lost her good reputation (and job) because her boss/lover decided to steal everyone’s money, then blamed for not knowing about it. When Lucy decides to take the job in France, it’s great to see how Lucy’s character is a little uncertain, but came into her own over the course of the novel, as she helps a run-down hotel transform into something magical and successful.
What really stood out for me were the characters. This found family of quirky, yet lovable characters, who each have their own uniqueness, that added to Lucy’s own experience, is the highlight of the novel.
What Didn’t Work…
For me, it’s the last four chapters that felt out of place. I understand how Ernst set things up in the beginning regarding what happens in the end. Hinting at the inevitable, but, for me, it derailed the story a bit because it didn’t align with Lucy’s life in France. And perhaps that’s what the author intended. Though, for me at least, there should have been more interactions throughout with Lucy and her family regarding her brother and his inability to take care of his children.
And for the Romance???
I liked the chemistry between Lucy and Bing. (In all honesty I was not a fan of the characters nick name) They have this enemies to lovers feel, but eventually come around to seeing where the relationship can go. But the first romantic encounter between Bing and Lucy was rather awkward and a bit unsatisfying.
Ernst’s novel about second chances and new beginnings is a character driven novel, having a lovely found family and the occasional hints of blossoming romance peppered throughout.
Happy Reading ~ Cece
RATING: 
– Satisfyingly Inked
Photo Collage by Sheaf & Ink of If You Ask Me
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Publication Details
| Pub Date | ISBN | Page Count | Publisher | Age Group | Source & Format | Review Posted Online |
| 16-Aug-22 | 978-1250844583 | 288 | St. Martin’s Griffin | Adult | NetGalley, Digital ARC | March 22, 2022 |
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Welcome Reader!
I’m Cecelia and I’m so glad you’re here! You’ll find honest reviews, book recommendations, along with other bookish essentials. So happy you stopped by!
– C
