I have a Walther PPQM2, and absolutely love it. But the Shield EZ is just a brilliant, perfectly designed gun for what you've described. Extremely easy to rack, great ergonomics, good enough round with the right ammo. I got my non-shooting wife one for Christmas, and she loves it.
S&W have a real winner with that thing, and they're selling tons of them. It's got a very well-designed grip safety, and you can get it with or without a manual safety.