By the Book is a modern retelling of Beauty and the Beast with diverse characters and an intriguing plot set in the publishing/editing/author world. Much of the story takes place at the Beast's home where Beauty is staying to help him write a memoir that he has been putting off for some time. The romance is sweet and very closed door, which was different from Guillory's other novels for sure. I enjoyed the book, but its not my favorite Beauty and the Beast retelling. It was fun to draw comparisons between this book and the original story, however.

By the Book is a modern retelling of the old classic Beauty and the Beast. I love a good retelling and anything Jasmine Guillory, so I was excited for this one!

Izzy is working in the publishing world but finds herself far from where she imagined herself at this point in her life (so relatable). Hoping to jump-start her career, she heads to California to give the bad grumpy author, Beau, a slight nudge to coax him into finishing his memoir.

Sunshine/grump with a bit of forced proximity, this book gives us many cute rom-com moments in a beautiful setting and makes for a cute, fun read. Definitely an easier, summer read that I would recommend for a day at the beach.

Thank you to Hyperion Avenue and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

LOVED this!! I was so excited to hear that this was a beauty and the beast retelling - as it's my favorite movie. This was such a fun and modern version of beauty and the beast. it wasn't overtly obvious - just subtle enough but still able to pick apart the similarities between the two.

overall, it was a very easy, light, and fun read! I enjoyed Jasmine Guillory's writing and storytelling a ton!

Thank you NetGalley and Jasmine Guillory for the ARC <3

By the Book is a cute rom-com and Beauty and the Beast retelling by Jasmine Guillory. As a major fan of Guillory I was so excited to see her take on a modern fairytale retelling. I honestly did not get overly B&tB vibes when reading this story. Instead I instantly felt the "grump' vibes coming from the MMC Beau. The story was a cute one; frustrating at times because you just wanted the plot to move a bit faster. Slow burn for real with this one. I would say if you are a fan of Jasmine Guillory and a solid cute romance pick this up! You won't be disappointed. However, as a warning I would not particularly say you will get major Beauty and the Beast vibes from this "retelling." As a sweet rom-com this one gets a solid 3.5 stars from me. Thank you NetGalley and Jasmine Guillory for the ARC. I cannot wait until the next!

I was disappointed by this book. I love Jasmine Guillory books but was let down by this one. The characters read very YA and immature. I am not sure I was the target audience for this book. I wish JG would go back to her old style of writing. Her last two books have been a major let down.

A modern day fairy tale retelling set in the book world - doesn’t that tick all the boxes ?
Izzy (Belle) is a difficult editor’s assistant working for a publishing house. In hopes to prove herself, she pitches an idea to fly out to California to meet with a difficult celebrity writer who is not responding to emails and deadlines. She is tasked with helping Beau (Beast) Towers, a celebrity bad boy finish his book. This story follows Izzy as she develops a book and a working relationship with Beau - they uncover each other’s issues and mental health struggles are brought up with a light but sensitive touch.
Of course this book was a bit predictable- it’s a fairy tale retelling but it was updated to a modern setting in a way that kept me reading and engaged- fairy tale elements are brought into the story lovingly (eg Beau calls his assistant “Kettle” because of an inside joke that Izzy doesn’t know at first). A wonderfully fun book that left me with a smile on my face…

What a fun take on Beauty and the Beast!
A cute romance with a beautiful setting, this modern take on the tale as old as time doesn’t disappoint.
The writing style was easy to read and the plot was enjoyable.
The main female character took time to grow on me but I liked the romance that developed between here and the beastly hero.
Would recommend if you’re in the mood for a fairytale retelling or beach read.

Get ready for a tale as old as time with a modern twist in Jasmine Guillory’s latest rom-com (which is also the second book in Disney’s Meant to Be Series)! Set to be released on May 3rd, By the Book shows that sometimes all you need is for someone to believe in you.

This was my first Jasmine Guillory book and it definitely won’t be my last! I adored this Beauty and the Beast retelling!! It was so well written and I loved how it delved into the publishing industry and what the writing process can look like for some people.

The nods to the original Disney movie were subtle, but definitely there if you were looking for them, which just made this story even cuter. Between remarks about furniture, a publishing company called Maurice, and Beau’s assistant being nicknamed “Kettle”, the Easter eggs are endless!

While this book isn’t very steamy, it makes up for it with the tender moments and the building up of Izzy and Beau’s relationship. Both of them have lost the spark that comes from living a happy life and it’s so wonderful to watch them rediscover it within one another!

Overall, this Beauty and the Beast retelling is phenomenally written and I cannot wait to explore more of Guillory’s backlist! This is definitely one to add to your TBRs this spring!

*I received an ARC from Disney Hyperion in exchange for my honest opinion.

Received an advanced copy from the publisher.

Jasmine wrote such a fun fairy tale send-up! Izzy and Beau have some great chemistry and the workplace frustration is real and a detail that really made it feel like a Jasmine book. The loving references to Beauty and the Beast were charming without being too much, and the development of the relationship between the characters felt genuine. The setting made me want to rent a car and drive down the coast and the hole up with a book in a seaside villa (damnit, Jasmine). This series is quite well done so far and I can't wait to see which author/fairy tale combo is next!

This book was so charming (pun intended). It's a modern re-telling of Beauty and the Beast but well done, not overly corny, and less creepy than the actual Beauty and the Beast story. The way that she reimagined the side characters like the cabinet and bathtub was cute. Like most Jasmine Guillory books, there are snacks and lots of them.

By the Book is a modern retelling of an old classic, Beauty and the Beast. It is also had book within a book?! Say no more & sign me up!
Izzy is working in the publishing world but finds herself far from where she imagined herself at this point in her career, and life! Hoping to jump start her career with a risky move she suggests going out to California and giving their bad boy/grumpy/withdrawn author, Beau, a slight nudge to coax him into finishing his memoir.
Enemies to lovers of sorts and also close proximity, this book gives us many cute romcom moments. Beauty and the Beast is my all time fave so while I enjoyed that aspect I will say nothing will ever beat the original. Beautiful setting and cute touches. A fun read. This book is part 2 in a series, Meant to Be, featuring different authors- which I find really cool. Excited to see what follows. Thank you to Hyperion Avenue and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for my honest review. 3.5 stars rounded up.

By the Book is the second book in the Meant to Be series from Hyperion Avenue (Disney Books), and I had the pleasure of reading and reviewing an advanced copy of the first book in the series, If the Shoe Fits by Julie Murphy, last August. I have really enjoyed how both authors have reimagined Disney classics in modern contexts (If the Shoe Fits for Cinderella, By the Book for Beauty and the Beast). Many thanks to Hyperion Avenue and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion - for both of these books!
Isabelle works as an assistant in publishing in NY and, while attending a conference in California, offers to visit a celebrity under contract for a memoir that has missed deadline after deadline. When she arrives at his house, she is offered the opportunity to stay at the house and help him work on his book. What follows is a sweet, closed-door romance, where progress is made with the book and Isabelle learns more about herself and what she wants from her job before returning to NY and crushing an interview.
I have absolutely loved all seven books written by Jasmine Guillory - The Wedding Date was the first contemporary romance I read and it opened my eyes to a new genre and definitely ramped up my reading! I love the pep talks that she gives in her IG stories, and I was so excited that pep talks like those play a key role in the plot of By the Book! I also loved all of the subtle ways that key lyrics showed up in the book (Izzy works for the publisher Tale as Old as Time, a book event for “Then Somebody Bends” is referenced, etc.) - easter eggs like that always make me smile.
This is a sweet, fun read that publishes today!

🚨Release Day! “By the Book” by Jasmine Guillory is out today May 3rd.

A very sweet spin on “ A tale as old as time”…. 🥀
Izzy works in publishing and ends up trying real hard to impress the boss by moving in with the bully celebrity that they desperately want his memoir. Izzy has a deadline to produce results. Beau agrees to the terms and conditions but this may be harder than Izzy thinks as he doesn’t appear to even want to share his life story with her yet alone the world. Beau is cold and distance and Izzy just desperately wants her promotion but will Beau ever unmask his softer side?

Fun read, moves quickly and enjoyed these characters.

#julesbookshelf #releaseday #bythebook #netgalley #arc #jasmineguillory #outtoday #5-3

Like all of Jasmine’s books, this was funny and sweet, I found myself smiling at all the cuteness throughout the story. I loved how Izzy and Beau’s relationship grew and progressed, it felt so natural between them.
I didn’t love the first half of this book. The MCs fit their role perfectly in this Beauty and the Beast retelling but the set up of this plot line felt a bit forced. Once it moves past this captor/captive set up, this book just keeps getting better!

What a fun book!

I am a big fan of Jasmine Guillory's books and this one is a super fun bit of froth, just ideal for a summer day (into night) or winter day by the fire or... We have a serious, hardworking heroine who needs a few breaks with her snarky boss and sneaky coworker. We have a conflicted hunky hero who has hidden himself away after a big revelation. She needs to help him write his memoirs. Sparks fly, conflicts arise, life gets messy. I highly recommend that you set aside some time and curl up with this book! Maybe in your claw foot bathtub?

Thank you to the publisher who lent me a time-constrained e-arc via Netgalley. This review is optional and my own opinion.

Read this if you:
•enjoy a modern-day fairytale
•love books by Sarah Adams
•have ever had a deep love for a claw foot bathtub

I enjoyed this book a lot! This one was a little different than Jasmine Guillory’s other novels. It is part of the Meant to Be series, so it was a closed-door romance and fairytale retelling. It is the second in the series, the first being If the Shoe Fits.

This is a Beauty and the Beast inspired novel and I felt like all the nods to it were done so well! Belle is my fave and I love Beauty and the Beast so this whole book just made me happy. It was an easy lighthearted read. Plus, it’s a book about books so what more could we want?!

Isabelle is our leading lady, and she is a publisher on a mission to get a grumpy actor to write his memoir. The banter and romance that follows is very sweet. Typically, Guillory brings the steam, but I didn’t mind this one being fade to black. Beau was such a sweet guy, and I really appreciated his maturity and willingness for self-reflection! We love a man who can apologize and own his stuff!

Lastly, the California girl in me loved that this book was primarily set in Santa Barbara.

If you are looking for a sweet romance pick this one up today!

Thank you NetGalley and Hyperion Avenue for this eARC in exchange for an honest review!

Usually I love Jasmine Guillory but did not realize this was part of a series (missed the first book obv) and I feel like this kind of story has been told before. Disappointed and cannot recommend.

Hope her next book is not part of this series and is better.

Thanks to Netgalley, Jasmine Guillory and Hyperion Avenue for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Available: 5/3/22

Thank you NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

I really enjoyed this book and it made me love Beauty and the Beast even more than I previously did. I love being able to come across black re-tellings of the basic Disney stories as well which really got me! I’m so happy I was able to read this book since it was a smooth lovely read.

Thank you so much @netgalley @jasmineguillorypics @hyperionavenue for the chance to read this book early as an eARC.

rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (0-5 scale)
steam: 🔥 (0-5 scale) I usually do 1 for kissing & 2 for closed door. I think this was a closed door but, since I’m not sure if anything really happened behind any door, I’ll stick with the 1.

What I’m starry-eyed over:
🤩 Santa Barbara: the sun, the beach, the stucco houses, the groves . . . extra feels from me with these descriptions because I grew up in the area and have longed for it ever since. ☀️ 🏝 🍊 🍋 🥑
🤩 Everything book lovers: writers, publishers, journals, bookstores, and libraries. ✍️ 📝 📒 📚
🤩 Such a cute and delightful retelling of Beauty and the Beast, including a mansion with a possibly magic bathtub, a pantry full of snacks, and a swimming pool. I smiled a lot! :) 🛁 🏊‍♂️
🤩 Grumpy-sunshine trope with close proximity. 🚪
🤩 All the emotions when Beau introduces Izzy to his mom. 🥲
🤩 MCs becoming better versions of themselves with the help of each other AND positive therapy mention. 🥰

What I’m wishing/dizzy about:
💫 Caution—you will crave lots of wine, coffee, tea, tacos, lasagna, baked goods, and snacks while reading this book. And probably want to take lots of baths. Okay, I’m actually really starry-eyed over this part, just being silly putting it here. 🍷 ☕️ 🫖 🛀 🌮 🍪 🧁 🧇
💫 I expected the slow burn and the low steam (because Disney) but I didn’t quite get as much of the love, longing and lusty feels I was hoping for.

This is sweet and good-hearted, but unfortunately lacks enough substance to really stick with the reader. The writing feels very...basic...for lack of a better word. Lots of "telling" rather than showing, contrived plot points, and info-dump exposition. It's supposed to be a reimagining of a fairy-tale, but I couldn't connect with a compelling twist or new element to the story.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review.