Shortbread in the Highlands

Author: Robin Jones Gunn
Genre: Contemporary Fiction
Series: Suitcase Sisters #3
Pages: 320
Release Date: June 23, 2026
Publisher: Revell

"When friends meet, hearts warm."
Scottish saying

Cousins Nora and Allie are bound by a friendship that feels more like sisterhood, so when their Gran asks them to travel to Scotland on her behalf to claim an unexpected inheritance and unearth her old diary, they jump at this chance for the trip of a lifetime together.

When they arrive in Gran's childhood village, they run into roadblocks but use the delayed schedule to experience the beauty of Scotland. Over shortbread from the local bakery and a boat ride on Loch Lomond, through exploration of ancestral castles and autumn highlands, they wonder what God wants to teach them in this land of mist and heather.

Though they revel in their time together abroad, they find they've brought more baggage than just their suitcases. While Allie fears she may have to leave early to deal with issues back home, Nora struggles to understand all the unknowns before her. What is it about Scotland that keeps drawing her to this unfamiliar place?

As the truth of Gran's past comes to light, Allie and Nora must make weighty decisions. Will they learn to rely on the creative purposes of God, even if it means their lives will never be the same?

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Reviewer: Elizabeth Eckmeyer

This is the third book in the series of the Suitcase Sisters, and it did not disappoint! This time the adventures took two cousins to Scotland to finish a task for their elderly grandmother. Robin Jones Gunn again delivers a story so good you feel like you were on vacation with them. 

Allie is an accomplished woman. She and her husband run a skincare company. She is full of prestige and good looks. Her life is filled with dreams she is accomplishing and dreams she has for the future.

Nora is a curator at a museum. She longs for more in her life and realizes she has been going through the motions. Scotland shows her what she has been missing and teaches her to let go and let God take over. 

This story is incredible and interesting. You will get so enmeshed in the girls’ lives you will feel like you know them. The characters in several towns are vibrant and exactly what you would want to experience in a new country. Also, I’ve never wanted so much than to fly to Scotland and get a highland cow!

A complimentary copy of this book was provided by Revell through Interviews & Reviews via NetGalley. All opinions are mine alone.

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Reviewer: Laura J. Davis

Shortbread in the Highlands is the third book in the Suitcase Sisters series, and once again I felt like hopping on a plane and travelling to this new destination.

Robin Jones Gunn does a fabulous job with descriptions of the areas our two main characters travelled to. You will indeed feel you are in Scotland. The faith element is superb, as each character grows and changes from their experience abroad.

While I enjoyed the story and even laughed out loud at a certain “bon-bon” scene, I found this book dragged a little. I felt like I was waiting for the story to begin, only to have it end. While it ended the way I hoped it would, I would have liked to have seen more romance for Nora than what was depicted. 

That said, I have thoroughly enjoyed this series and was glad to experience Scotland without the hassle of travel.

I received a complimentary copy courtesy of Revell via NetGalley for my honest opinion.

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