Books read April 30

Beauty's Kiss (Taming of the Sheenans)  by Jane Porter
This family saga book is about Troy, eligible bachelor voted by the Copper Mountain Courier. Taylor, the new librarian that will take over in June is staying at a house nearby while her brother is in a rehab house for a few months more.
Jane, her friend talks her into going to the Ball with Troy who she's not met. She does meet him and he comes to her rescue. Troy is back in town because his father is dying and his twin is in jail because of a fight that wasn't his fault.
He owns the hotel that used to be grand and he hopes to restore it to that and host the annual wedding giveaway event. A lot of others in town are part of the whole picture, a photographer whose child is Trey's, a chocolatier, a florist, etc.
Even though I read the first book in this series I find there are too many people talked about to really know them.  Taylor has decided not to go to the ball and lets Troy know but then after a meeting they agree to have dinner at the local diner and get to talk and know one another and what changes they want to see happen in the small town.
She gives in after finding out they can be friends and still go to the ball and he's not in love with Jane and they will always be just friends. He needs to find out if they have that spark upon their first kiss...
Not sure if I can keep the Shennans straight as there are so many of them.
Thought the story was a bit typical but then the twists and turns start and it really gets into the underlying truth. I can see this ongoing for many more stories to come.
Hmm a missing chapter 10?  When family comes first and a problem arises she's not able to go to the ball after all...
Light romance and wish the book was longer, learn more about them, quick read. Lots of other books in the series are highlighted at the end.

Smitten Book Club By Coleen Coble, Kristin Billerbeck,  Diman Heart and Denise Hunter
Anthology, 4 stores based on the same theme from 4 different authors. Community helping one another..
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Love By The Book by Colleen Coble
Town of Smitten as in prior books in this saga. The Gentleman's Guide to Love and Courtship, this book is the basis of this anthology.
Molly has lost her fireman husband, Curtis in a fire and the others try to raise money to help her. The book club sells books and Heather finds  an old book guiding one how to attract the opposite looks appealing and a letter drops out that promises clues to the gold mine are in the book. Paul comes to aid to help in the book sale.
Advice is given at the beginning of each chapter and discussed during the chapter as the women go through Pearl's old photo albums to find more clues to the mine. Paul has returned and he's working on an organic farm project and Heather can help him-she's not gotten over him since they split. Lots of secrets.
Although there are other books that build the characters and town, you can get a good idea from the current events in this book. Authors don't leave you in the dark about the past.
Heather is afraid that she still cares for Paul but then she sees him kissing Isabella....
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Shelved Under Romance by Kristin Billerback
This story in the continuing saga is mostly about Abby, librarian, another book club member. Wyatt really likes books also and has volunteered his time to catalog the whole library into digital format, keeping paper trail.
The saga continues about the gold mine and the others in the club intervene to take Abby out to update her...
Heather has given the book to Abby and she's able to uncover a few more clues... Love how Wyatt's mixng up business with pleasure...liked hearing of how his app can help others who are medically challenged.
He also has a letter from her father and she's agreed to use the tickets... Loved hearing of this adventure! Sad misconceptions about the letter occur-you're so sure they will find one another..
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A New Chapter by Diann Hunt
This one is about Lia and on Thanksgiving Day she bites into a walnut shell and cracks a tooth. Her mother and others talk her into getting it fixed that day as the dentist owes them a favor. Joey is the dentist when she arrives and they agree to have a coffee after...
They meet for coffee later and catch up with one another. He's lost his wife and has a child and is living at his relatives house til his house can be built. Lia's mother talks him into renting Lia's apartment upstairs and that way she can watch the child when needed.
Lia is also given the book from Abby in hopes they can find the gold for Molly.  Lia is a school teacher.
Grace has a problem communicating with others since her mother died but Lia knows sign language. Joey wants to take Grace away for the holidays because he thinks it's too much of a reminder of her mother. Love hearing of Lia's mother and her knitting.
Reading her bible and the guide help her to see things in a new light and she tells Joey he needs to forgive the man who ran into his wife's car.
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Happily Ever After by Denise Hunter
This part of the book concentrates on Molly and her son Noah and she knows the business is failing. She does get an offer for help from a competitor and she learns to accept his help.
She needs to learn the business of giving tours from Gage Turner. Love all the talk of getting ready, right equipment, etc.
The girls give the book to her in hopes she can find more clues to solve the mystery of where the gold mine is, that could save her life.
God will get her through the hard times.
Won this book along with 9 other copies in a Facebook contest. I have read the other Smitten books and liked them.

Bubba the Bulldog Tries to Smile
Ryan tries to get his dog to smile but to no avail. After he breaks his leg he just lies around in bed and Bubba tries to think of ways to make his face into a smile.
He tries many silly things and it's amazing what does work. He does get Ryan to smile and that makes him smile- wait'll you see how it is done.