Coconut Macaroon Scandal

I loved this book! Lots of twists and turns, with all the characters getting exactly what they deserved at the final denouement. The chemistry between the main characters was very believable and I loved Emma’s grandmother’s ghost stepping in to help her. This is a great story and I couldn’t put it down.

Forced to return home or lose her inheritance, Emma proposes to a relative stranger and finds nothing soothes a weary soul like love. Emma Davis has a thriving bakery business and hasn't thought about her family in years. She receives a summons claiming negligence, she doesn't know what to do. She's fulfilled Gran's will except for one tiny detail: she's not married, not yet anyway. Her greedy parents and sister would love nothing better than to have all of Emma's inheritance. Gran's ghost appears to Emma with a plan. Emma explains her dilemma to handsome customer Sebastian who agrees to play her fiancé. They return to Emma's hometown and are a couple. Everything goes well until an emergency calls Sebastian home. Misunderstandings ensue and Emma immediately thinks the worst. Emma must hold her own against her scheming family. Will she stand up to them once and for all, standing on her own two feet? Or will she crumble under the pressure, like in the past, and lose everything?

Coconut Macaroon Scandal is a riveting sordid tale about family run amok, greed, lies, deception, attempted murder, a fake engagement, romance, and a scandal. This book is so juicy, it should be on reality television. Emma is such a sweet heroine and I kept rooting for her to kick her family all the way to prison. Sebastian is the kind of unassuming hero every woman adores. But these two have so much drama in their lives, it's hard to see the truth through all the lies. So, it's understandable they're leery when love comes along. Emma's parents and sister needed to be more punished than they did in this book, in my opinion. But that's just me. The plot is rather original and moved at a great pace with plenty of characters to interact with, even though you might not like all the characters. I despised Emma's sister with a fiery passion yet loved Gran. Gran is a very smart woman and I applauded everything she did to help Emma. There are tons of drama, perfect for those who binge-watch reality tv shows. The romance is understated but I enjoyed it. Like Emma says at the end, "Who doesn't love a scandal?" Coconut Macaroon Scandal is a contemporary romance you'll want to read.

Disclaimer: I received a copy from the author in the hopes I'd review it. My thoughts are all my own.

My Rating: 5 stars

Wonderfully fun contemporary romance.. I liked it very much.. Sweet/steamy, emotional, and heartwarming..

Coconut Macaroon Scandal is one of the books in the Christmas Cookie Series.
Emma had everything going just they way she wanted to in her life until the day she was summoned home to deal with a lawsuit brought against her to be able to keep her inheritance from her grandmother.
This is one action filled novella that kept me turning the pages! It was one with family drama, greed, fake engagement, and a handsome wealthy hero and even her grandmother’s ghost offering help.
I enjoyed this book a lot and so will you.
Thank you Netgalley and Virginia Barlow for the book. This is my personal review.

It was so so so good, then it just went blah... I loved this book until about 3/4 of the way through. I will completely give this author another try, and maybe a full book and not a novella, will give me a better understanding of her writing. It was a great story, but then so many things at the end didn't make any sense and were just tossed at you.