I would like to thank the author and the Netgalley website for this partnership.

I was immediately attracted to the cover of this book: you see two redheads almost in each other's arms and the city of Emerald Bay at the bottom of the cover.

We find the author Dana Lawson writing love stories, except that when she wants to write her own, she totally blocks it.

Wanting to take a break from her life, she escapes to Emerald Bay and during an evening in a bar, she meets a redhead and it will be love at first sight between them.

The story takes place in Nova Scotia with Dana, Mac and Ellie Mac's niece as the main characters.

This is the very first book of this author who has an addictive pen and she tells us about two women who need to find each other by being together.

An addictive story, full of suspense and twists and turns with endearing characters.

This book, Hearts of Emerald Bay by D,G, Barnes just wasn't it for me. It was really dry, and I was expecting more then we got from it. I had high hopes for this one.

This was a fun, little romance that was impactful and sweet. Both female main characters were well written and had a deep and interesting backstory. The plot was strong and there were only a couple of points that annoyed me ever so slightly. The power dynamic between all the characters were well explained and made sense in relation to the plot.

Hearts of Emerald Bay was a good dramatic romance. I enjoyed the characters and plot. The only thing that drive me crazy was the bad editing.

<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/42289113-hearts-of-emerald-bay" style="float: left; padding-right: 20px"><img border="0" alt="Hearts of Emerald Bay" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1539379957m/42289113.jpg" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/42289113-hearts-of-emerald-bay">Hearts of Emerald Bay</a> by <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/2748203.D_G_Barnes">D.G. Barnes</a><br/>
My rating: <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2746082457">3 of 5 stars</a><br /><br />
Copy rec'd from NetGalley for review.<br />Debut book from the author. <br />A quick read that's enjoyable with leads Dana and Mac. There is romance, angst and sex along with a good plot. Could've benefitted from better editing, never the less I look forward to more from Ms. Barnes. <br />3 stars.
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/list/31134832-gail">View all my reviews</a>

I did enjoy this book despite not having read books of this nature. The two main characters were interesting and believable. The setting was good and the place had good description. You could picture the house and beach by the description.

This is a fast pace romance novel. The main characters are a lesbian couple and their niece. The story sets in Emerald Bay Nova Scotia. The romance story of Mac and Dana was great but the love scenes seemed lacking not steamy. I loved Joe the way he called everyone lass it was endearing way he said it to everyone it just made you love the old man. I liked that the story was about an author who falls in love with a bar owner. The electricity felt between Mac and Dana when they first met can happen between people when they first meet. Most people call them sparks because it shocks you instantly knowing something good is going to happen with the person who made you feel that way. I like that D.B. added this to the story. The idea that Mac drove a Jeep is a common mode of transportation for lesbian this is typical. There was drama and a break-up then they get back together to live happily ever after. Ellie was a great addition to the story her desire to be a writer and she was a big fan of Dana's work. Ellie was my favorite character in the book the young love knowing early on in life what she desired.
I want to thank NetGalley and D.G. Barnes for allowing me to read for an honest review.

This is a well-written, well-structured romance with developed characters, namely Mac and Ellie. It had defined plot and dialogue compared to most vague, fantasy based romances.
But while Mac's character was complex and intriguing, the main character Dana came across as one-dimensional, more like the narrator Nick in The Great Gatsby. She seems like a seasoned woman like the author Elizabeth Gilbert. The relationship appears more as a fling than long term, and Mac doesn't deserve her.

It has relatable themes like a writing career, custody battles with child services, and overcoming heartbreak. But Dana's conflict was contradictory; she said she was heartbroken then would turn around and chase Mac.

The ending was a romantic surprise.
Thank you for the ARC.

Loved the relationship between Dana and mac and the backstory of the two. Would buy more from this author

The characters in the book have their own set of realistic faults to add a little realism to the romance. I loved reading it, in the first couple of chapters I wasn't one hundred percent sure that I would take the the heroine of the novel but I did and I really rooted for her.

The author has a lovely writing style, characters you can love and a great way of turning things around for the happily ever after we all want to read.

I ARC received via NetGalley and in exchange for an honest review.

This was a cute little romance with a bit of angst.

Dana and Mac meet when Dana decide to go on a vacation in Emerald city she also a writer they become friends after she twist her ankle at the bar Mac own and soon a romance begin as they get to know each other. Mac is raising her niece Ellie after her brother and sister in-law died four years earlier as she tries to be a good parent to her neice who is also is really interesting in writing herself and ask Dana for pointers.

There is some drama with Ellie grandmother on her mother side who doesn't like Mac because of who she is and starts to cause trouble by going to court to get custody of Ellie which prompt Mac to break it off with Dana because she fears of losing her niece which in my opinion was bit stupid when the grandmother didn't really have anything against her to stake a claim.

Overall this was a good read just make sure proofread and edit your story because there were errors but I'm looking forward to the next book.

A sweet little f/f romance that left me with a warm fuzzy feeling. Although I did find the writing a bit too simple at times, but still a good read and it didn't stop me from being totally invested in the story and it's characters.

I enjoyed reading this book, the writing was good and the characters well-written. I think the author could have made more of the B story (nasty nana trying to get custody of her grandchild), the grandmother was a good villain who could have caused more chaos to up the angst a bit. The court scene was a bit too neatly packaged and needed a bit more conflict rather than a quick conclusion. I'd read more by this author.

I had to overlook the implausibility of when Dana twists her ankle in the bar and Mac takes her upstairs to her apartment, after having just met her, and Dana stays the night (platonically). I mean, it was just not believable. But after I overlooked that, the rest of the book made up for that one misstep. Almost even more than watching the relationship between Dana and Mac blossom, it was fun watching Ellie find herself.

I had zero expectations coming into this one. This is the story about Dana and Mac. Dana is a romance writing who decides to take a long needed vacation to Emerald Bay after her BF Jenny offers her beach hougse for the summer. Mac is the owner of a Pub in Emerald city and is raising her neice Ellie. Both women have commitment issues. There are a few obstacles that arise that will put the relationship in jeopardy.

I really liked this story. In every romance I read, I first look for chemistry between the MCs. When they meet they are instantly attracted to one another. The second is good dialogue. Check on that. Third is angst. This one does have it but it’s not overly done and really goes with the story line. Last but not least is steamy sex scenes. Check. The sex scenes are just right and there is enough so you will not feel like something is missing.

I really liked this one alot. 4 stars!

After a whirlwind tour of book signings, bestselling author Dana Lawson takes up her best friend’s offer of the use of her summer house in Emerald Bay, Nova Scotia. She needs to unwind and re-evaluate her life. Her girlfriend left her over a year ago apparently because Dana’s writing always came first. Arriving in Emerald Bay, one of the first people she meets is Mac Mackenzie, the fiery redhead who owns the local tavern. Mac has been the legal guardian of Ellie, her 14-year-old niece since her brother and sister-in-law died four years previously. Her focus is the tavern and her niece and she hasn’t had time for more than an occasional fling. That is, until she meets Dana.

This is a nice gentle romance that for the most part, holds together well. Dana and Mac’s interactions have some good chemistry with lots of flirtatious, sexy teasers. The secondary characters like Ellie, Dana’s friend Jenny, Mac’s parents and a few others create a good support structure around their developing relationship. Ellie’s interest in writing and the shenanigans of Ellie’s grandmother give the story line some interest in what could have been a very familiar trope.

I enjoyed the read but it did fall into that miscommunication-device trap which, while it made sense given the way the characters’ uncertainty of each other, disappointed me slightly. It’s definitely in the “I liked it” category but it didn’t blow me away.

Book received from Netgalley and D.G. Barnes Publishing for an honest review.

This book has it all: drama, angst, romance, sex, attraction build-up, a likeable main character, okay supporting characters, big gesture ending and separation by circumstances. This is clearly the work of a first-time author, so we want it to work.

Dana Lawson is a romance author, whose personal love life has smashed to the smithereens and she wants a break. Her friend has a place in Emerald Bay and offers it to Dana. Straight off the bat, Dana meets Mac and there is attraction. There are a bunch of other characters, but the main one is Ellie, Mac’s niece.

This book could have done with the touch of a professional editor. The problem is that all the big scenes peter away. There are also some completely unnecessary scenes and characters (like the famous author CJ and Dana’s interaction). A good editor would certainly have helped in showcasing / highlighting the drama, character arcs and build-ups.

Also, we have a problem with one-half of the romantic couple acting like an asshole without having adequate reason / justification / motivation for being a jerkface. Mac ends up being just that and it killed the book for us. We are also not completely sure about the behaviour of 14-year-old Ellie, but that isn’t a biggie. Dana is likeable and consistent, so that is on the pro side.

One of the things that attracted our attention is the acknowledgement to Melissa Brayden (one of our most favourite lesfic authors of all time). It warmed us to know that she is someone willing to support and help others starting out. Besides the prominent acknowledgement, Barnes also nicely wove in her fangirl feeling for Brayden with a tiny nod at one of Brayden’s series. Nice.

We really want to be supportive of this author and hope that she gets better editing and proofing for her next work.