Sweet, sexy, fun. Jasmine Guillory has become an auto read for me with this one. Not just for those who love retellings, I think everyone who likes romance will fall in love with Izzy & Beau!

I love the little nods to Beauty and the Beast in this contemporary retelling of the Disney classic. (A publishing house called "Tale As Old As Time"? Come on, who's not going to eat that right up.) But behind the fluff and stuff (that can sometimes get a bit gimmicky) both Isabella and Beau are struggling with serious issues, and the amount of growth they go through in working through them is incredible to witness. I just want to hug them both and tell them everything is going to be okay.

This is the second book in the Meant to Be series by Disney Hyperion, and can be read as a stand alone. Each book in the series is based off a different fairy tale and is written by a different author.

Thank you to Jasmine Guillory, Hyperion Avenue, and NetGalley for allowing me to read a free ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was a charming, pleasant story but not riveting. I was surprised that Guillory paid more homage to the Disney movie Beauty and the Beast than the actual fairy tale--a Netflix show called A Provincial Life, Izzy talking to candlesticks and teapots (which did not talk back), etc. Izzy and Beau were likeable enough protagonists, and I certainly felt the chemistry of their romance, but the story seemed more focused on spending time with them hanging out and developing feelings for each other than really getting into their characters. Not sure how I feel about that; on one hand, I appreciate the lack of manufactured drama and maturity in the characters, and it speaks to Guillory's talent that she could write a compelling story of characters just hanging out. On the other hand, it felt shallow and slow at times, and I didn't feel I knew the characters on an intimate level. So while I mostly enjoyed this book, it felt like it could have been shorter and deeper.

Jasmine Guillory does it again! Her books are nice, easy reads that help you take your mind off of all the other nonsense going on in the world and this one does the same! This fun, flirty romance novel wants to make you keep reading so you can see where the book is headed. Her characters are new and fresh and this is a great read to take with you to the beach!

I love a good Beauty and the Beast retelling! Izzy and Beau were engaging characters and I enjoyed following their story. Bonus points for the setting in the writing and publishing world.

This was a cute Beauty & the Beast retelling mixed with the world of publishing and finding your place. I enjoyed this story but the slow burn romance between Isabelle and Beau seemed a little forced to me. They were much better friends.

An adorable re-telling of Beauty and the Beast, with some SoCal flair and a new twist. I wish there would have been a bit more oomph to this book and a bit more substance to the story, but it was fine.

📚 Book Review 📚

By The Book by Jasmine Guillory is my first book by this author. It is the story of Isabelle, who started her career in publishing, and her goal to find independence and her purpose in life.

It has taken me a little bit to write my review on this one because it comes with mixed feelings.

What I liked:
💛 I enjoyed Isabelle
💛 I enjoyed the description of the setting

What I wished for:
🤍 I needed more depth. I needed more intensity in the book.
Everything felt very surface level. The romance scenes - PG. The deep conversation - not so deep.

This felt like a YA novel, when it was expecting something more adult. I definitely will try this author again. I never feel like one book should determine my feelings on an author.

As a huge Beauty and the Beast fan, I absolutely adored this contemporary retelling. The constant Easter eggs to the movie were so delightful, but this book still had substance of its own. Taking away the symbolism of someone who physically looks like "a beast" and just showing the story of someone who is treated like "a monster" besides physical appearances is really just a relatable theme in today's age of cancel culture and judging without having the full story.

Another enjoyable aspect was the whole behind the scenes aspect of writing and publishing. I honestly loved the writing side...I felt like there were really great tips woven in for anyone who may ever want to write a book. It may have talked me out of ever wanting a job in publishing though! It was just fun to see all that goes on behind the scenes.

Overall, this book was just so well done. It made me happy, it was a joy to read. It felt fresh and full of nostalgia at the same time. Highly recommend.

The second in the "Meant to Be" series, this is a delightful retelling of the Disney "Beauty and the Beast" story. Featuring main character Izzy, a young disillusioned and frustrated Black woman living at home and working in the (largely white) publishing world in NYC. She sees a chance to impress her boss by getting celebrity Beau to finally write his long promised memoir, so she decamps to his gorgeous house to do just that. What is supposed to be a long weekend turns into much more, and sparks fly. There's of course a gorgeous library room, talking to inanimate objects, a yellow dress, and lots of references to the publishing world. It was a fun easy read, though I think it lacks some of the wit of Jasmine Guillory's other works. I still loved this one anyway. If you love Disney, fairy tales, love Jasmine Guillory, or are just looking for a contemporary romance to read - pick this one up. Thank you to Netgalley and Hyperion Avenue for the advanced e-copy.

Discussed on All the Books (Book Riot podcast). Transcript below.

If you ask a bunch of bookworms their favorite Disney movie, Beauty and the Beast is going to be overrepresented.
It’s not just that Belle is a bookworm.
It’s Belle gracefully sliding a rolling ladder across a bookstore,
which I believe we all have a lifelong desire to recreate.
And then, of course, there’s the Beast’s library, with its physics-defying windows and spiral staircases and abundance of colorful tomes.
So, if I say this is a bookish Beauty and the Beast romance retelling,
I can almost hear a certain percentage of people already opening up another window to order it or place a hold.
But just in case, here’s the whole pitch.
Isabelle was overjoyed to get a job in publishing right out of high school,
But now she’s 25 and still in the same underpaid and stressful Editorial assistant job,
And she’s the only Black employee in the office.
If you pay attention to publishing news, this is going to sound eerily familiar,
Because a lot of people in editorial assistant or similar jobs in publishing have spoken out about the poor pay, huge workload, and lack of opportunities for growth.
In fact, a ton of people are leaving the profession right now because of it.
So Isabelle’s is not alone in her position.
Where it starts to diverge from reality, though, is where Isabelle sees her shot.
A big-name author is missing deadlines, and he’s apparently beastly to work with.
The company needs this title, but nothing seems to get through this author.
So Isabelle demonstrates initiative by volunteering to... go to his Santa Barbara mansion and give him some pep talks.
But this is a romance novel, not a thesis on the publishing industry, so we’ll take the leap.
When she gets there, she finds an exhausted and burned out Beau who’s stuck on his memoir.
They butt heads, but Isabelle is determined to have him complete some pages.
As she works with him, they discover they have a lot in common,
including that they’ve both gone through similar losses.
This is a slow burn romance that develops as they begin to open up to each other through working through Beau’s memoir.
There are also Beauty and Beast references hidden and adapted throughout as easter eggs,
And they’re referencing the Disney movie more than the original fairy tale.
This is the second book in the Meant to Be series,
Which are modern romance retelling of classic fairy tales,
But they each follow different characters, so you don’t have to read the first one to understand this story.
We all know that readers find it hard to resist a book about books,
And I’m no expectation to that,
So I’m excited to check out this romance set in the publishing world,
Especially because it critiques the racism in the industry.

i will read anything JG writes. This book is another example of how much i love her and her books! She is a genius and i loved these characters so much. it was fun to see a different world and i enjoyed this one a lot!

As a beauty and the beast loving gal, I was so excited to receive @jasminepics latest book, By the Book, from @netgalley. This sweet retelling of beauty and the beast follows Isabelle, an editorial assistant at Tale As Old As Time publishing, seek out Beau Towers a reclusive and unresponsive author. I loved the nods to the classic Disney film but it was its own story. If you love a sweet romance, I would grab this book at your local bookstore or library.

Cute story. I'm not really a romance reader so I gave this a try because it involved some of my favorite things ( books, post-college/first job life stories), but I struggled to stay engaged in the characters and I just kept waiting for something to happen. The beginning was slow, but I think this about most romance novels as I am reading them. It picks up, but not enough for me.

I wanted so badly to enjoy this one but I personally just couldn't get into it : ( I wanted to enjoy this fairytale concept but it just was a little bit too cheesy and predictable to me! I ended up not finishing but truly think this book would definitely be a cute story and good book
for people who enjoy this fun and easy romcom. I was given an ARC through netgalley and sharing my honest
opinion

I love books about books, bookish characters and Beauty and the Beast so I was immediately sold on this book and luckily, I ended up really enjoying it. This is a contemporary reimagining/retelling of Beauty and the Beast and if you didn’t know Beauty and the Beast is one of my all-time favorite movies. Anytime I see a book that says it’s a retelling of this tale I add it to my TBR. While this does have elements of Beauty and the Beast, I would say it’s a very loose retelling. The reason I say that is because for the most part the things that link it back to the original tale are things like the publishing company that Isabelle works for is called Tale As Old As Time. And then instead of Belle it’s Isabelle and she talks to inanimate objects like her tub but they don’t actually talk back. Beau is the beast in this story but the only reason he is a beast is because he is rude and keeps to himself. It basically just does stuff like that which references back to the original tale which don’t get me wrong I loved all of the references.

Just like in the classic tale we get enemies to friends to lovers, and I guess grumpy sunshine. Beau is really just a big teddy bear. I loved seeing Isabelle and Beau go from enemies to friends and eventually lovers. The banter between them was amazing. The character development throughout was great as well. I also really loved all of the talk about books and writing books. Never once did I feel like it was too much. I didn’t realize this was part of a series when I requested it but now, I want to go back and read the first book which is written by a different author.

I really did enjoy this book and would recommend it just don’t go in expecting an actual retelling. You will get tons of references to the original tale though which was still really good.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

I love this retelling of beauty and the beast in modern time. Will he doesn't look like a beast he definitely acts like one at first.

This review breaks my heart, but here is a little context to start this off: 1. I received this ARC via NetGalley for an honest review. 2. I requested this ARC purely based on the author and cover. I was so excited when I realized it was a Beauty and the Beast retelling, which are my absolute favorites. (Spoiler alert none of that is my issue with this book.) 3. I am DNFing this around 25% into it.

Let’s start with what I did like: I love that it had so many references to B&TB. I know some may see it as bluntly obvious and overdone, but I loved it. Also I want to read more diversely, so I was excited about a poc main character. This book takes place inside the publishing world and that also something I have wanted to read more of setting wise.

What I didn’t like: Izzy was a very forced character that just completely grated on my nerves. Maybe if I read farther in, but there are certain comments that she makes early in that really turned me away from her character.

I really wanted to love this. My excitement for this book was off the charts, so I am really disappointed that I just cannot force myself to continue when I’m not even enjoying it a little bit.

After reading several reviews I am seeing that many do not see this as a well representation of the authors precious work. This was my first by this author, so I do look forward to give her other works a shot.

I loved this book! It was so precious. I love a modern day retelling and Beauty and the Beast is a fave of mine. I can completely relate to Izzy experience as being the only black women in the room . The relationship between Izzy and Beau has some of my favorite grumpy/sunshine rom-com troupes and I loved their interactions. I will admit it was a bit slow at times but I still enjoyed this one very much!

I love this series of retellings from disney! The diversity of authors and experiences told through age old and childhood classics is so nostalgic and fresh at the same time!