3.75- I think the author did a great job of re-telling her version of Beauty and the Beast. Who doesn’t love books within books type of story? It flowed and was easy to follow. But as cute as it was, it felt like something g was missing. Some parts felt repetitive and the characters were okay. The female character, Izzy, felt so judgy and immature while Beau, was just mid. He wasn’t a love interest that I would melt my heart for like in other romances I’ve read.

Overall, though, it was still a cute, easy and comforting read.

I absolutely loved this cute and steamy retelling of beauty and the beast! This was a super creative take on the classic fairytale and I loved how little details from the original story was woven into this. This wasn’t like some of the other beauty and the beast retellings I’ve read since it was based on the fairytale more loosely but it also managed to turn a lot of the super creepy parts of the original story into cute, romantic ones. This book follows Isabella, an editorial assistant at a large publishing house, and Beau, a celebrity struggling to write his memoir. This book follows the two of them as they work together to write Beau’s book and overcome some of the obstacles that have been holding them back from what they truly want in life. The romance in this book was absolutely adorable and I love a good black love story! I also really liked how this book talked about mental health and the struggles of grief because I feel like that is something that isn’t talked about enough in the black community. I really enjoyed this book, it was a fun, quick read and I highly recommend it to anyone looking for a romcom featuring a diverse cast!

This beauty and the ‘beast’ retelling is just what I needed right in this moment. A page turner, with all the giddy feels, and sweet frustrations a good romance gives us.
I didn’t realize it is the second book in a series, but this one reads really well as a stand alone!
I will absolutely be listening to the audiobook!
Loved!

Have you ever enjoyed a book so much that you actually breathed a contented sigh as you finished the last page? Well, that was exactly my experience with Jasmine Guillory’s latest novel By the Book. By the Book is a contemporary retelling of Beauty and the Beast that is set in the publishing industry. In some ways I felt like this novel was tailor made for me because I’m a sucker for bookish characters, books about books, and Beauty and the Beast is my favorite fairytale.

In Guillory’s reimagined version of the classic fairytale, Belle is now Isabelle. Isabelle works at Tale As Old As Time publishing house and she has aspirations of becoming an editorial assistant one day. In order to prove to her boss that she is worthy of such a promotion, Isabelle volunteers to take on one of their most problematic clients, Beau Towers, a rude and gruff young man who is supposed to be writing a memoir for them. Beau is months behind his deadline, has not submitted a single page, and doesn’t respond to correspondence from anyone at the publishing house. If you guessed that Beau is the Beast character, you would be correct. And if you guessed that sparks would fly between Beau and Isabelle from the first moment Isabelle shows up on his front door step, you would also be correct!

As with the classic tale, there are enemies to lovers and grumpy sunshine romantic vibes everywhere. It’s easy to see that there’s a lot more to Beau than first meets the eye, if only Isabelle can get him to open up, which she is very determined to do, at first for her career but later because she starts to see beyond his gruff exterior and likes what she sees for more personal reasons. I loved watching their relationship evolve from those hostile moments when they first met, to a tentative friendship and productive working relationship, and then to a more personal connection. I especially loved that most of their bonding took place through scenes that focused on the actual writing of the book, with Isabelle coaching Beau through passages he was having trouble putting on paper. Isabelle is an aspiring writer as well but she hasn’t touched her book in months because of some cruel feedback she received from a coworker. One of my favorite moments of the book is when Beau learns this and gives Isabelle her own advice and coaxes her to start writing again. It was just so sweet and they were adorable sitting there together each working on their own books.

By the Book feels fresh and new, yet with a comforting sense of familiarity with its many nods to the original fairytale. If you’re a contemporary romance fan who also loves Beauty and the Beast, you’ll definitely want to check out By the Book.

If you are looking for a cute adult Beauty and the Beast reimagining with no spice, then this one is for you. It is a solid 3.5 stars. I probably would have rated it higher if the characters had more substance to them. Izzy read more well-rounded than Beau. It also was a single POV which worked well, but for that reason I feel like I missed a lot about Beau. I did like how Guillory incorporated Izzy's love of books by having her work as an Editorial Assistant. Also, both our characters are Black and I haven't read many Beauty and the Beast retellings with BIPOC characters so it was so great to have the representation. You can knock out this book in a few hours, which is nice. It may not have been my favorite, but Guillory is still a great writer and it was truly a cute novel. I would recommend this book.

This book was absolutely adorable and relatable. If you’re looking for a modern day Beauty and the Beast retelling, you’ve found the book for you! I loved all the similarities and the references. Such an amazing modern day rom-com.
I enjoyed the different personalities of Izzy and Beau. Complete opposites but fit together so well. I loved seeing them accomplish their dreams.
At the beginning, I didn’t know what to expect but a lot happened in the first 30%. I had no idea how more could happen for the rest but it blew my expectations.
I loved If The Shoe Fits and this was so similar but also extremely different. I think Jasmine Guillory has become and auto-buy author for me. I would love to see more books in this series. This book also made me want to fly to California and soak up the sun and surf some waves!
There were a few typos and grammatical errors, but this was an advanced copy.

This is the second installation in the Meant to Be series, "featuring updated and contemporary takes on classic Disney princesses" so do with that as you will. The fact that this was written by loved romance author Jasmine Guillory won me over my disdain for the Disney Princess.

You could read this and not know it was a retelling of Beauty and the Beast, but certain things might hit weird causing you to audibly "huh?". As a retelling it was alright, although it felt like the author was given a list of boxes she had to check that seemed out of no where (I think the wifi password was Lumière, and Mrs. Potts was now Ms. Kettle, etc.). I found it distracting from the story. Otherwise Guillory dishes up what she's know for- great characters, fun romance.

Closed door, m/f romance.

This was my first read from this author and I enjoyed it, mostly because it was about books and the love of books. A modern day take on Beauty and the Beast, Izzy and her beast Beau have a very auspicious start. He is a growly, beautiful man who seems to have forgotten how to deal with people for the most part. Izzy is trying to prove herself to her boss, but while she may have the ability to speak her mind, she tends to rarely use it, thus it seems others walk over her. She will learn by dealing and helping Beau to find her voice but will it be too late to get what she really wants out of life? Beau never had a problem using his voice, even with Izzy, but his isolation and the reason for his isolation has him biting back what needs to be said. These two seem to have chemistry although I didn't really see it right away but in the end, it became clearer. This is more a 3.5 star story for me as while it was well written, it didn't have that pow factor that I love in most stories.

I really wanted to love this one, but unfortunately it didn’t work for me 😕

There was so much to love here, too. I was raised on Disney princesses, so all of the Beauty and the Beast parallels sucked me right in. That and bookish books are some of my favorites to read!

This read a lot like a YA romance to me. I don’t typically read that sub genre of romance, so I might be wrong in my classification but the MC’s both felt immature which made it difficult for me to connect to the story until about halfway in.

Overall, it was a cute story. Predictable, but it’s a retelling so I expected that. I’d recommend this one to lovers of YA romances, low steam & Disney movies.

Thank you to @netgally and Hyperion Avenue Publishing for the eARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

Staying on the trend of romance set in the publishing world, By the Book is Jasmine Guillory’s latest and you’re not going to want to miss it.

First things first, this is absolutely a Beauty and the Beast retelling, but Isabelle and Beau make it work.

Isabelle is an editorial assistant who agrees to visit a reclusive socialite who is late turning in his memoir to the agency. Suddenly, she finds herself staying in a mansion in Santa Barbara with a grumpy, impossible man who she sometimes wants to strangle and other times wants to kiss.

Isabelle (those closest to her call her Izzy) feels stuck – she is working at a publishing company where she doesn’t feel appreciated. One day, she overhears her boss complaining about a beastly (ha, get it?) high profile author who has failed to deliver his highly anticipated manuscript.

Izzy sees this as an opportunity to FINALLY get the promotion that she so deserves. All she has to do is go to Santa Barbara and give him a pep talk – or three. Simple, right?!

Izzy rapidly realizes that is in over her head. Beau Towers Is jaded, mean and beyond reclusive. Despite his standoffishness – Izzy need Beau to deliver this manuscript. With her master level TED Talks, Beau’s story spills out.

They soon discover they have much more in common than expected. As her time in California comes to a close, Izzy and Beau realize they just might have feelings for one another. Can this love story be a tale as old as time?

THIS BOOK YA’LL! It had SO many Beauty and the Beast Easter eggs so strategically placed throughout this novel!!!!!!!! I really don’t want to give them away, but those reference MADE the book for me. I was seriously giddy each time I came across one!

This book was SUCH a slooow burn – but it was well worth it! Both Izzy and Beau had so much character growth – which I so enjoy in a novel.

I read If The Shoe Fits thinking the characters intersect, but both of these retellings are completely stand alone.

This was such a sweet novel that we all as bookstagrammers should read. (I mean It was about books AND Belle)

(And if you’re curious – yes, it did include a library with a wooden ladder!!)

Simone Says Read This if you enjoy:

*Beauty and the Beast
*grumpy/sunshine troupe
*enemies to lovers troupe
*books
*Easter eggs
*snacks, lots and lots snacks
*happily ever after’s

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!
A book about books? A fairy-tale re-telling? Sign me up!!
This book had everything I wanted and more. Some romance, based on my favorite fairy tale, and lots of books. I will admit that I haven’t read a lot of books by this author, but when I heard this was a beauty and the beast re-telling I was all for it. I really enjoyed this one and will be making a point to pickup more books by this author ASAP.
If you are looking for a fun spring romance read – I highly suggest this one! It is apart of a series, but you don’t have to read the other book to understand this one. Although, I have heard nothing but great things about the first one too.
Super happy I got to read this one!

I really enjoyed the story and loved the main characters. Some of the references to Beauty and the Beast felt a little forced at times for me. Having her job in the publishing world fit well, and I for one as a ravid reader at one time dreamed of working in publishing. I know many readers dream of writing as well. I would recommend this book and the series to others.

This was very cute. Fans of Jasmine Guillory and the Disney version of Beauty and the Beast should both be pleased. While it's definitely a loose retelling, there are so many inside nods to the animated classic that it had me giggling at points, but there is still some depth to the plot as Izzy helps Beau tell his story. This is a closed door, sweet rather than steamy story, and quite fun to read.

Title: By The Book [A Meant To Be Novel]
Author: Jasmine Guillory
Publisher: Hyperion Avenue
Series: Meant to Be #2
Reviewed By: Arlena Dean
Rating: Five
Review:
"By the Book [A Meant To Be Novel]" by Jasmine Guillory

My Assessment:

'By the Book' was a lovely and cute story about Beau Towers from California and Isabelle Marlowe [Izzy] from New York. This author works her magic as she gives the reader a beautiful story of how two adults fell in love while working together. Will Izzy, an editor at TAOAT, be able to convince Beau, who was quite a temperamental person, to finish his memoir that he'd promised to her company? It was pretty interesting to see how both Beau and Izzy showed how they grow so wholesome together throughout the read, both personally and professionally.

The reader will get one fantastic read by the end, and yes, I would recommend this novel to any romantic reader.

Thank you to NetGalley and Hyperion Avenue for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

3.5 stars ☆ A book about books? yes, please.

This book is a beauty and the beast retelling rom-com. I loved beauty and the beast and if there's a retelling about this I would read it... and I did in this book. I didn't know that this is a part of a series (whoops). I think this can read as a standalone since it is a retelling.

It was such a cute read. It made me smile from time to time but nothing crazy about this book. I adore both characters cause who wouldn't? especially the both of them share a love for books?! mhmm. I just wish there was more banter between Izzy and Beau since their chemistry in here was kind of lacking if that makes sense.

Overall, if you liked/loved beauty and the beast you should try and read this book. It has the bookish feelings that we all loved.

Thank you to NetGalley and Hyperion Avenue for this ARC !!

I didn't realize this was part of a series, but I feel it can definately be read as a standalone.

A cute romcom that's modern fairytale, but nothing about the story was extremely original. Beauty and the Beast is retold so often, I feel like it's hard to make it stand out.

This story was cute, despite the romance being very quick, and some parts were very swoony. I was an enjoyable read. I liked the characters, and I do love the way this author writes. I may check out more in this series to see how the other retellings compare.

Overall a cute romcom and definitely worth the read!

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

Thank you to Hyperion and NetGalley for the eARC.

This was a sweet re-telling of Beauty and the Beast set in the New York publishing world and the “fairytale” world of Santa Barbara which I suppose does seem magical from the perspective of late winter in New York.

Although I’ve always enjoyed Jasmine Guillory’s books for their emotional depth, this book was obviously aimed at a different audience. Although Beau and Izzy are in their 20’s the writing was aimed more at teens and the romance is non explicit. Izzy acted a little more like a therapist at times than a potential love interest and the pair’s issues were rather magically wrapped up.

But they were a cute couple and as they got to know each other and hitting obstacles on the way, they talked things out and dealt with each other in a mature way. I found myself smiling at the fairytale ending.

4 stars for a charming and modern taming of the Beast.

I was able to read an ARC of this book and I am so glad! It was sweet and heartwarming in all the right ways. I started the book knowing nothing about it, other than it had a great cover and cute title. Soon, only a few pages into the book I realized that this book felt oddly familiar. My fault for not realizing it was a modern day retelling of Beauty and the Beast! And this book was exactly that... it was sweet and had a happily ever after. The characters were enjoyable and watching Izzy (Isabelle) and Beau become close throughout the book was fun and entertaining. There were so many cute nods to the other characters from the movie throughout the whole book. The publisher Izzy worked for was called Tale as Old as Time. Her terrible co-worker was Gavin. Izzy and Beau loved to watch TV together a show called "This Provincial Life". I would highly recommend this book to anyone who loves Disney movies and wants a very feel-good book to read. It is definitely fine for maybe ages 13 and up.

By the Book by Jasmine Guillory is the second book in the popular Meant To Be series that has different authors doing fairy tale re-tellings. By the Book is loosely based on the Disney version of Beauty and the Beast. I loved finding all the little nods to the animated movie throughout this book.

Isabelle (Izzy) is an editorial assistant for Tale of Old Time publishing company. She’s worked at the company for 2 years and she is still an editorial assistant and she still lives at home. When she goes to Los Angeles for a book conference, she overhears her boss talking about a very late manuscript from a reclusive, former child actor who is writing his memoir named Beau. In order to help her struggling career, she asks her boss if she can go to Beau’s home in order to try and help him write his memoir, or at least answer their emails and find out why he is so late with the manuscript.

But, just going to Beau’s house is the easy part. He doesn’t want to talk to her at all and definitely doesn’t want to talk about his book. But, when his assistant sprains her ankle, and Izzy helps her out, Beau gives her a chance to talk to him. She eventually agrees to stay with him for a week in order to work on the book. She finds Beau is a recluse and very closed up, but eventually she warms to him, and he breaks out of his shell.

I found this book so much fun. I loved looking for all the little details that tie this book to the movie and enjoyed the story immensely. The mansion in Santa Barbara is full of little twists that relate somewhat to the movie. Izzy ends up talking to some of the inanimate objects in the house, and there is a large snack cabinet with an unending supply of a variety of snacks.

I love a grumpy hero, and Beau was pretty grumpy, but not cruel or arrogant. The romance was a bit slow burn and I felt it was very realistic. I was rooting for Izzy and Beau throughout the entire book, and couldn’t wait for them to figure out they are meant for each other.

I highly recommend By the Book to anyone who loves a good romance. I received a complimentary copy of this book. The opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.