Hearts of Hope Bay Series by Emma Hartley

Healing hearts, mending trust, and finding home by the sea…. After one disastrous night in London almost ends her career, junior doctor Lily Carter flees to the sleepy coastal town of Hope Bay. Her rules are keep her head down, do the job well, and never again be the doctor people whisper about in corridors. A new town, a small community hospital, and a scruffy little flat above the harbour café feel like exactly the fresh start she needs. No drama. No gossip... moreHealing hearts, mending trust, and finding home by the sea…. After one disastrous night in London almost ends her career, junior doctor Lily Carter flees to the sleepy coastal town of Hope Bay. Her rules are keep her head down, do the job well, and never again be the doctor people whisper about in corridors. A new town, a small community hospital, and a scruffy little flat above the harbour café feel like exactly the fresh start she needs. No drama. No gossip. And absolutely no getting involved with colleagues. Dr Alex Maguire is Hope Bay born and bred. As the local GP and single dad to a bright, sensitive six-year-old, he doesn’t have time for complications. His days are a blur of ten-minute appointments, endless paperwork and trying to convince his son that he’s not going to leave like his mum did. The last thing he needs is a keen junior doctor from London with big ideas, big feelings and questions about the way things have always been done. Especially one his son immediately adores. When Lily’s first clinic with Alex ends in a clash over time, compassion and how much you can really do with limited time, it’s clear they see the job (and each other) very differently. He thinks she’s naive about how stretched the system is. She thinks he’s forgotten that patients are people, not problems to be solved and moved on. And yet, between shared cases, a children’s flu clinic, and too many accidental coffees at Mae’s harbour café, the edges between them start to soften. Lily sees the exhaustion behind Alex’s brusque manner, and the fierce tenderness he has for his son. Alex sees the care and courage behind Lily’s determination to make people feel heard. Hope Bay is a town where everyone knows everyone’s business, and rumours travel faster than the tide. If Lily and Alex are going to lower their guards, they’ll have to risk being seen; not just as doctors, but as two people still learning how to live with old wounds and new hopes. A New Beginning. is Book One in the Hearts of Hope Bay series, a heartfelt, slow-burn, closed-door contemporary romance set on the British coast. • a grumpy-and-guarded single dad GP. • a burnt-out junior doctor from the city. • a small boy in dinosaur hoodies asking very big questions. • a meddling café owner who feeds everyone. • found family, second chances and a hopeful “for now” on the way to happily-ever-after. Alex & Lily’s story continues in future Hearts of Hope Bay books, each ending with a warm, satisfying HFN as they move towards their full HEA. less

Everyone can see they belong together. .. except them. Six months after fleeing London, Dr. Lily Carter has finally started to breathe again. Hope Bay feels familiar the small community hospital, Mae’s harbour café, the quiet rituals that make a place feel like home. She is rebuilding her confidence one shift at a time, and she is determined not to complicate it with messy feelings or workplace drama. Dr. Alex Maguire has never been good at letting people in... moreEveryone can see they belong together. .. except them. Six months after fleeing London, Dr. Lily Carter has finally started to breathe again. Hope Bay feels familiar the small community hospital, Mae’s harbour café, the quiet rituals that make a place feel like home. She is rebuilding her confidence one shift at a time, and she is determined not to complicate it with messy feelings or workplace drama. Dr. Alex Maguire has never been good at letting people in. As Hope Bay’s GP and a single dad to six year old Sam, he has built his life around keeping things steady, predictable, and safe. Lily was never meant to become part of that. But somewhere between shared cases, school meetings, and the kind of everyday moments that look suspiciously like family, she has. The problem is, Hope Bay notices everything. The town has already decided Lily and Alex are a pair. Lily insists they are just friends. Alex insists he is fine. Then Dan suggests a drink, a harmless not a date date, and Alex discovers that fine is not even close. When old fears flare and boundaries start to blur, they will have to decide what matters protecting the friendship that saved them, or risking everything for the love everyone else can already see. More Than Just Friends. is Book Two in the Hearts of Hope Bay series, a heartfelt, slow burn, closed door contemporary romance set on the British coast. • best friends to lovers with mutual pining. • a guarded single dad GP who falls hard. • a junior doctor learning to trust herself again. • a red headed six year old with dinosaur facts and Lego priorities. • a meddling café owner who feeds everyone. • small town gossip, found family, and a warm, satisfying “for now” on the way to happily ever after. Alex and Lily’s story continues across the Hearts of Hope Bay books, each ending with a hopeful HFN as they move towards their full HEA. less

Two lines, one knee, and a mistake that could ruin everything. Six months into their not-quite-family life in Hope Bay, Dr. Lily Carter should feel safe. She has a rhythm the community hospital, Mae’s harbour café, and the cottage that has started to feel less like Alex’s place and more like theirs. Even Sam has stopped asking whether she’s “staying” and started assuming she is. Then Lily sees two pink lines and her careful balance cracks... moreTwo lines, one knee, and a mistake that could ruin everything. Six months into their not-quite-family life in Hope Bay, Dr. Lily Carter should feel safe. She has a rhythm the community hospital, Mae’s harbour café, and the cottage that has started to feel less like Alex’s place and more like theirs. Even Sam has stopped asking whether she’s “staying” and started assuming she is. Then Lily sees two pink lines and her careful balance cracks. Joy is there, bright and terrifying, but fear follows close behind. Because pregnancy doesn’t just change bodies, it changes everything. .. and Lily has been someone’s convenient option before. She will not be anyone’s obligation. Dr. Alex Maguire has been quietly planning forever. He’s been saving, searching, and working up the courage to ask Lily for the kind of future that doesn’t come with an exit route. But before he can do it right, one stupid moment at the practice is seen the wrong way, and Lily’s old instincts kick in hard. A packed bag. A train platform. The kind of leaving that feels like self-defence. Now Alex has to catch her before she disappears into the life she once ran from, and prove that this isn’t duty, or panic, or a proposal made out of fear. It’s choice. It’s love. And it’s home. Stay With Me. is Book Three in the Hearts of Hope Bay series and the emotional conclusion to Alex & Lily’s a heartfelt, slow-burn, open-door contemporary romance set on the British coast, with a guaranteed happily-ever-after. • an unexpected pregnancy and a terrified, tender proposal. • a guarded single-dad GP who finally stops being “fine”. • a junior doctor choosing herself (and her home) on purpose. • a red-headed six-year-old with dinosaur facts and Lego priorities. • meddling friends, small-town gossip, and found family holding the line. • angst, comfort, laughter, and a warm, satisfying HEA. Alex and Lily’s story continues across the Hearts of Hope Bay books, each ending with a hopeful HFN as they move towards their full HEA. less

It was only meant to be for a weekend…. Priya Desai has built her whole life on being the reliable one. At Hope Bay’s small community hospital, she holds the rota together, smooths over complaints, rescues struggling colleagues, and keeps the chaos quieter for everyone else. Because if she doesn’t keep it controlled, it all falls apart. So when her mum’s messages start piling up about a family gathering, Priya does what she always does with pressure she can’t fix: she ignores it... moreIt was only meant to be for a weekend…. Priya Desai has built her whole life on being the reliable one. At Hope Bay’s small community hospital, she holds the rota together, smooths over complaints, rescues struggling colleagues, and keeps the chaos quieter for everyone else. Because if she doesn’t keep it controlled, it all falls apart. So when her mum’s messages start piling up about a family gathering, Priya does what she always does with pressure she can’t fix: she ignores it. Until the voice note hits:. We’ve invited someone lovely. Just to meet. In Priya’s world, “just to meet” has never meant just to meet. It means questions disguised as concern. It means being assessed. It means smiling through the tightness in her chest and trying not to feel like a disappointment for the crime of being single. Jamal Campbell is the hospital’s warmest kind of chaos: late, charming, quick with a joke, and somehow always exactly where people need him. But underneath the easy grin is a man who pays attention. The kind of man who notices when Priya’s “busy” really means “not okay. ”. So when Priya finally cracks and asks him for one impossible favour, Jamal agrees. On one condition. If he’s doing this, he’s doing it properly. No making her the punchline. No “funny fake boyfriend” routine. Just steady, calm support whilst Priya faces the family pressure she’s been carrying alone for years. It should be simple. One weekend. A believable backstory. A few carefully managed smiles. Except Hope Bay is a town where everyone knows everyone’s business, and rumours travel faster than the tide. Mae’s harbour café is basically the local newspaper with better pastries, and the second Priya and Jamal walk in together, the town decides. And the longer they pretend, the harder it gets to ignore the moments that don’t feel like acting. Because letting someone in is one thing. Letting them stay is another. Not Just Pretending is Book Four in the Hearts of Hope Bay series, a heartfelt, slow-burn, closed-door contemporary romance set on the British coast. Expect:. • fake dating for a family weekend. • opposites attract (organised heroine / chaotic hero). • friends-to-lovers with “too close for comfort” tension. • workplace medical romance (hospital life + small town scrutiny). • Mae’s café, meddling locals, and found-family warmth. • a satisfying HFN with more Hope Bay love to come. Priya & Jamal’s story continues in future Hearts of Hope Bay books, each ending with a warm, satisfying HFN as they move towards their full HEA. less