SHORTBREAD COOKIE PRINCESS by Zelda Benjamin

Fiction, Romance, Contemporary, 257 pages

3***

Blurb: Sophia MacLennan Porter grew up in an environment of wicked duplicity with a stepmother who was nice to dad and mean to his daughter. A series of events brings her to the upstate New York town of Highland Falls and her late aunt’s bakeshop. Highland Falls is a town of Scottish descendants, well-kept secrets, and the best shortbread cookies for miles. No one in this town is immune from the secrets of their ancestors or greedy developers. When Ian Campbell, a handsome Scottish research professor appears in her life, she struggles with the chance to put romance on the menu. Sophia is more concerned with the future of her bakeshop than the lives of her dead ancestors. Reluctantly, she finds herself drawn into his investigation of the history of her family’s clan.

Thoughts: I thought this was a sweet romance. I mean, who doesn’t like a hot Scot in kilts? Ian was a wonderful character and his relationship with his sister was nice. He’s a forensic specialist who is working on research into Highland Falls Scottish descendants. He is charming, intelligent, handsome… everything you want in a romantic hero. Sophia, on the other hand, did not appeal to me. She fought Ian on everything about her past. Yes, she had a nasty stepmother (I really don’t like that stereotype), but I would think she’d want to know more about her past. And what was with the granny? Yes, there are family secrets, but after a while, all of them became a little silly. Plus, it felt like there were a few strings left hanging so I’m wondering if this is going to be part of a series.

I liked the story overall, I just didn’t care for the female main character. But there was a satisfying HEA that left me with a smile. 

Recommended with reservations. 

Disclaimer: Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for providing this book. All opinions are my own and are not influenced by anyone or anything.