DNF - I was excited about the premise but the dialogue & writing felt superfluous & there was a great deal of excess in the writing for the purpose of keeping the readers informed. With some editing to tighten the writing, I would have enjoyed this very much

This is a sweet and endearing story. The characters are young people who are at different stages in their lives. Isabelle is an assistant responsible for getting writers to finish their manuscripts. She is is vibrant and always has a positive outlook. Beau is a celebrity struggling to get his book turned in. He has been hiding out from the media and everyone trying to reach him. The plot builds with some fun and witty conversations between these two. They struggle to come to an understanding, but once they do find that there is a lot to love about each other.

As a huge fan of Beauty and the Beast and someone who has enjoyed Guillory's writing in the past, this should've been right up my alley... and it just wasn't. Think of this as Guillory watered down and sweetened up for a younger audience - it's got the foundation of a good book, but the end result is bland and a little boring. It failed to hook me in at the start, then improved somewhere along the way, but I was already disconnected from the story before the romance even came into play. There are some cute Beauty and the Beast references that bring the classic story to mind, and I liked the modern twists that were included, but it didn't hit the right notes for this adult reader.

The story follows Izzy, a young woman who works in publishing. She's always loved books and dreams of writing one herself, but working in the industry has started to tarnish that love for her. When Izzy has the opportunity to stop at a troublesome client's home - hoping to see the progress he's made on his long-overdue manuscript - she gets more than she bargained for. Beau is every bit the beast she imagined he'd be, a former child star turned bad boy whose surly attitude is an immediate turnoff. But he shocks Izzy by demanding that she come stay at his home to assist in finishing up the manuscript. As Izzy spends more time with the brooding beast, she realizes that there is more to him than she realized.

This has a definite YA feel, though there is swearing, kissing, and implied sexytimes that make this feel a little older. I'm not sure that the tone will resonate with adult audiences - it just feels so young - but that's not the major sticking point for me. It's a story that feels very mild/somewhat boring, with not enough interaction between our couple. Told exclusively from Izzy's point of view, Beau remains something of a mystery for much of the story, which doesn't help advance the romance until later on. And even then, we don't know much about Beau's thoughts or feelings. Since the plot borrows so much from Beauty and the Beast, it needed more unique, swoony moments between our couple to really keep things interesting - and those come too late. I think there's a lot of good buried within the story, but it's ultimately a forgettable read... unlike the original. I received an early copy and am voluntarily leaving a review of this sweet romance.

My Beauty and the Beast obsessed heart is overwhelmed at this modern take on a fairy tale near and dear to my bookish soul. All the details that are taken directly from the movies are somehow not over done. They’re like little easter eggs for those in the know.

Isabelle has landed her dream job at Tale As Old As Time (TAOAT) publishing. After continued silence from one of her authors, she decides to show up on his doorstep to demand a reason and/or offer encouragement. Beau Towers is nothing like what she expects given the unflattering portrait painted by the media. Turns out there’s a prince of a fellow just waiting underneath layers of stubbornness.

The acknowledgement page (second pic) had me tearing up a little bit. Thank you to Jasmine Guillory for making a Belle I could imagine myself as.

It pains me to give this book two stars. But alas, here we are. When I pick up a book by Jasmine Guillory I expect a steamy romance that digs beneath the surface of our MCs. By the Book just did not get there for me.

This DID completely sweep me away to Santa Barbara. The setting sounded absolutely gorges and now I'm ready for a trip to the west coast ASAP.

I know this is part of a Disney classics re-telling series, so I fully understand why there was so little (um, basically zero) heat to this book, but it's just not at all what I had wanted from this book. This was a fine romance, something I would categorize as easy-breezy, and I think I just hold Guillory to a higher standard than that. The writing didn't feel nearly as mature as her other books, and that left me pretty disappointed.

I liked Izzy, but I felt like we could have gotten MUCH more about her work struggles with a toxic work environment. I liked Beau, but I think we could have seen more of his side of the story, particularly his reconciliation with his mom.

By the Book would make a fine beach read but I would learn towards any of Guillory's others before picking this one up again.

Thanks to NetGalley & Hyperion Avenue for the advanced e-book!

By the Book by Jasmine Guillory is the second book in the Meant to Be Series. Here we have a cute, modern retelling of Beauty and the Beast and I'm here for it. I personally love anything and everything Jasmine Guillory writes and this was no exception.

Isabelle begins her career with so much energy and motivation for what the future holds, but after a year in the same position, Isabelle is not sure there is a future for her at Tale As Old As Time publishing. But, when an unexpected and unconventional job offering comes her way, there is no way Isabelle can say no. She is now expected to live with selfish, entitled celebrity Beau Towers to ensure that he writes his memoir that he promised Tale As Old As Time Publishing. Will Isabelle be able to get a memoir out of Beau? How will she feel living with a stranger with a horrible attitude?

Thank you to NetGalley and Hyperion Books for this copy in exchange for an honest review. Beauty and the Beast is one of my favorite fairy tales and I really enjoyed this version. Jasmine Guillory has done it again! A cute, fun and modern day take on a classic.

By the Book is the second book in the Meant to Be series by Jasmine Guillory. This series features contemporary takes on classic Disney princesses. Isabelle started off so optimistic, beginning her career in publishing right out of college. Fast forward a few years and she's now 25 years old, still living at home, still an editorial assistant with no promotion in sight and the only Black employee at the publishing house. You know the story—overworked and underpaid.

In an effort to be seen as valuable, Isabelle jokingly agrees to babysit a high-profile author who has failed to deliver his long-awaited manuscript. Beau Towers welcomes Isabelle into his home with a scowl and jaded attitude. But through her encouraging pep talks, his story begins to spill onto the page as well as his feelings. Is it meant to be?

A book about writing a book. Gotta love it! I related to the main character within the first two chapters. She started her career strong and immediately after college graduation (✔️). She was the happy-go-lucky employee with ambitious dreams (✔️). Within a few years, she looked up and realized she was the only Black employee (✔️). How exhausting! But for a bit of excitement, she took on a challenge at work and hoped for a happy ending—or at least a bigger paycheck (✔️).

How can you not love a reimagined fairy tale for the new generation? Meant to Be #2 is a love story where the romance happens slowly but we see it coming way before the couple does. By the Book gives the lovey-dovey feeling with a classic twist. I recommend this super cute novel by bestselling author Jasmine Guillory.

As the author says, By the Book is dedicated to "all the Black girls who loved books and wanted to be princesses." Add to your TBR with the friendly reminder to read between the lines. Pun intended.

Happy Early Pub Day, Jasmine Guillory! By the Book will be available Tuesday, May 3.

~LiteraryMarie

This was the perfect follow up in the Meant To Be series! After loving If The Shoe Fits by Julie Murphy, I knew I wanted to get my hands on this one. Jasmine Guillory has become an instant-buy author for me—anything she writes, I will read!

This Beauty and The Beast retelling takes you from cold NYC to sunny Southern California. Isabelle, or Izzy, works as en editorial assistant for Tale As Old As Time, a major book publisher, but her fairy tale job isn't panning out to be the dream she thought it would be. When her job takes her cross-country, she ends up at the doorstep of Beau Towers, a high profile celeb and author who just can't seem to get his manuscript turned in.

This book was wonderfully cute and the perfect comfort read for anybody who grew up loving Disney movies. I loved how it really paid homage to the original movie/story without being too overbearing. This series is really amping up the diversity that was originally lacking, featuring Black main characters that do not get turned into animated animals. I thought each character faced genuine struggles that many readers, especially those in their 20s and 30s, can relate to today. Complicated feelings about a job you thought you always wanted, having to live at home, imposter syndrome, and even grief. I thought this story painted a beautiful picture of still being able to find a happy ever after moment, even when the complications of life feel like the ultimate obstacle. I loved this book and can't wait to hear what everyone has to say about!

What a cute, feel good rom-com. I think I needed that! I've read some not so great books this month and needed something light to break my reading slump. I might be biased because I love Beauty and the Beast, but I think it'd be cute for anyone even if you aren't a big Disney princess fan. Thanks NetGalley for allowing me to read this ARC!

By the Book
Meant to Be, Book 2

I Picked Up This Book Because: Continue the series

Media Type: eBook
Source: Netgalley
Dates Read: 3/2/22 - 4/19/22
Stars: 4
Narrator(s):

The Characters:

Isabelle Marlowe :
Beau Towers:
Marta Wallace (Izzy’s boss), Gavin Ridley (Izzy’s Coworker), Priya Gupta (Izzy’s BFF)

The Story:


Writing: Great. This was a really good twist on Beauty and the Beast. I love how the characters brought the story to life and the premise of a future editor helping an author write his book is so perfect. The way Izzy was able to connect with Beau and help him reconcile his past was beautiful.
Forward Motion:The story progressed well. I didn’t find anything extraneous.
Overall Interest: I know it took me a month to read this but I guarantee this had nothing to do with the story and everything to do with my season slump.
Length of Reading Time: As mentioned I’m pushing through a slump so this took much too long but again all on me.
Re-read-ability: Maybe an audiobook listen.


The Random Thoughts:

Beauty and The Beast is my favorite Disney movie and was super excited to read the modern retelling By The Book by Jasmine Guillory!!

This is the cutest book I have read this year and loved it so much that I am about to read it again! Our beauty IzzaBelle takes up the challenge to go to Santa Barbara to get the delayed manuscript from the beastly, withdrawn author Beau!

The backdrop of this novel is perfect for the book lovers, as it’s set in the publishing world and slow-burn love developing between the author and editorial assistant! The characters were so well built and all rounded, It had me smiling from ear to ear !

Thank you Disney books and NetGalley for the gifted galley of this beautiful modern retelling that hit the shelves on May 3rd!

This modern retelling of Beauty and the Beast immediately caught my attention. This was an intriguing spin on the classic tale, and the down-to-earth narrative voice was easy to listen to and appreciate throughout the book. I am excited to see the series of retelling continue!

This book was definitely a slow start for me, but I really enjoyed the ending! I do love a book about books!

I loved seeing both Beau and Izzy’s confidence in their writing grow throughout this book. I’m glad Izzy realized what she wanted to make her happy and remembered who she is. I hate how much we can sometimes let other peoples opinion of us affect our opinion of ourselves, and I loved seeing that be overcome. Also, the epilogue was perfect for this book!

I love Jasmine Guillory and will definitely be continuing to read her books!

An honest to goodness romcom! Hallelujah! I feel like most of my romcom reads lately have been fine enough but one issue or another that left me conflicted. By the Book, however, knew exactly what it was trying to do and did it well, delivering a breezy, whimsical take on the "Beauty and the Beast" tale (but without the magic), while also touching upon some very real experiences, like being the only person of color in a predominately white industry and losing your joy in something when it becomes your job. Plus, I love a couple that bonds over snacking.

i love jasmine guillory, some of her books are a hit for me and some are a little less so. this was right in the middle. a new take on beauty and the beast is always fun, and i enjoyed reading it, but i'm not rushing out to recommend it either. at times, characters were literally like !!!!! and at others were incredibly stiff, it just seemed like the flow wasn't there. i still enjoyed this, but just a like for me.

you don't have to read the first book to read this one!

This is second in the Meant to Be series from Disney. The series are retellings of Disney fairy tales for adults (closed door, some language). I enjoyed the Cinderella retelling “If the Shoe Fits” by Julie Murphy. "By the Book" by Jamine Guillory is a Beauty and the Beast retelling. Isabelle (Izzy) Marlowe works as an assistant for Tale as Old as Time Publishing. She is underpaid and under appreciated. But while at a work conference in California she decides to take the initiative to call on an actor/author who has not delivered his multi-million dollar memoir. Beau Towers is grumpy, depressed and doesn’t talk to anyone but his cook Kettle (like Mrs. Potts, wink, wink). But after a rocky start Beau agrees to work on his book if Izzy stays and works with him.

My first impression is that is tries too hard to be like the Disney movie. A miserable first dinner, rooms off limits, talking to furniture etc. It is cute but it makes the book feel more YA. I enjoyed how Izzy gets Beau to talk his back story. But beyond his daddy issues and her wanting a better job there isn’t a lot of depth to either character. I didn’t feel any sparks between them. I honestly was looking for the next movie connection more than caring how they came together. It is an okay read but I was hoping for more. Thank you to NetGalley and Hyperion Avenue for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

This is book 2 of the Meant to Be series - updated and contemporary takes on classic Disney princesses for adults! This one is a retelling of Beauty and the Beast. It was very cute! I’m looking forward to them all!
Thank you Netgalley for the eARC!

3.75/5⭐️

This was a cute romance between an editorial assistant and the celebrity that she is helping to write a memoir. I enjoyed the story overall, but it wasn’t my favorite romance book.

I really liked the characters. Beau was very grumpy and jaded, but you could tell from the beginning that he was actually very sweet. Izzy was more of a sunshine character, getting fed up with her job and the systematic barriers that were clearing hindering her ability to move up in the company being a Black woman and the only Black employee working there. Although the book didn’t get too heavy, I think it did a good job at starting to explore this idea of systematic barriers in workplaces and also briefly discussing racism in society and prejudices towards Black men through some of Beau’s experiences growing up in the public eye.

On a lighter note, this book was a loose Beauty and the Beast retelling. I absolutely loved that aspect of it. I loved the plot and it had so much potential, where it fell flat for me was the writing. Personally, I found the writing was not the best and I often found the dialogue between the characters to be a bit unnatural. A lot of the dialogue felt like the script from a (very) low budget children’s movie. It might just be me and my personal taste.

Without giving anything away, I really enjoyed seeing the notebook pages at the end.

Overall, I still enjoyed this book, I liked the characters and the plot, but the writing was a bit of a turn off for me.

By the Book is a cute and charming reimagining story of Beauty and the Beast. I really liked how the book was a book about books (or more specifically about working in publishing and love of books)! I also liked the tad bits of easter eggs from the original Beauty and the Beast fairytale that was incorporated into the book. I did find it though to be really cheesy at times but felt like that was the overall vibe of the book since it was suppose to be more whimsical love story. One thing I always love about Jasmine Guillory's books is the foodie aspect (there is always food galore) and I love that!

Ah. This is the perfect, modern retelling of Beauty and the Beast. Isabelle is the perfect heroine who is smart, sassy but lacks a bit in the confidence area. Beau is the misunderstood child actor who is trying to write a memoir but is stuck in his own head.

They bring out the best in each other and help each other along the way. Of course there’s romance!