4.5 stars

I love fairy tale retellings, especially Beauty and the Beast retellings. What’s not to like? There’s always a “beast” hiding his inner marshmallow and often a great redemption arc.

Izzy is an overworked editorial assistant and finds herself on the doorstep of the reclusive Beau Towers: who has promised his memoirs to her boss two years ago, but hasn’t submitted a chapter. By the Book follows the Disney movie more than the original fairytale, but that made it even more enjoyable to me as I was needing something light and happy. No major angst here, folks.

The character development was fantastic. I loved seeing Izzy and Beau become first friends, and then some more. I love that they both had flaws and weren’t perfect, but they were open and communicated.

By the Book was sweet and fun and my only complaint is the PG quality of the book—a little too much fade to black and too little wink wink, nudge nudge.

Thank you to NetGalley and Hyperion Avenue for the review copy.

The premise of this rom-com is fresh and appealing. The assistant editor of a large New York based publishing company is becoming burned out and discouraged by any chances she may have of advancement. She travels to a Los Angeles publishing conference and on a whim suggests to her editor that she visit a celebrity living in Santa Barbara. The celebrity has been given a substantial advance for his memoir but is not making any progress on producing that memoir. Writing progress and sparks ensue. Sweet escapist reading!

In this modern day version of Beauty & the Beast, Isabella (or Izzy, to her friends) gets what she thinks is her dream job at Tale As Old As Time publishing or (TAOAT for short). What Izzy realizes after a while is that there is no room for advancement, her boss is terrible, she is the only Black employee, she is stll stuck living at home because she doesn't make enough money to move out, and the job is not at all what she thought it would be. When Izzy volunteers to go to visit the home of a high-profile author who has failed to deliver his long-awaited manuscript, she thinks she will just need to give him a pep talk or two. Instead, Beau Towers makes the condition that if she wants the manuscript, she is going to have to work for it by staying in his mansion and giving him daily pep talks while he writes. They soon discover they have more in common than either of them expected, and as their deadline nears, Izzy and Beau begin to realize there may be something there that wasn't there before.

This book was so much fun, especially trying to catch all of the Beauty & the Beast references & modern equivalents. The trajectory of the story was predictable, but the characters were enjoyable and there were lots of humorous moments, especially between Izzy and Beau. This is the perfect book for anyone who loves a good rom-com.

A delightful second in this fun romantic series that features favorite authors giving romance and ever-so-slightly Disney spin. Not surprisingly, Guillory has created another strong protagonist who has ambition, doubts and desires we all can relate to. The Santa Barbara location was an added bonus!

By the Book, the second book in the Meant To Be Collection, is perfect for book lovers! Jasmine Guillory's Beauty and the Beast retelling hits all the right notes to remind you of the best parts of the classic tale. By the Book is a contemporary romance between a publishing professional and an author on a deadline. The behind-the-scenes glimpses of the publishing industry were really fun to read. This is a super sweet romance that fans of Jasmine's previous books will love!

I sadly won't be finishing this book. I got about 40% of the way through but even that was pushing myself. Book 1 in this series by the same author was really fun; a little goofy, but very fun. This book up to the 20% mark was kind of repetitive and I really just didn't jive with the characters; they felt very immature. Maybe the rest of the book would have improved but I had such a hard time with just this bit that I didn't feel it was worth it to continue. Grateful I had the opportunity to try this book through NetGalley and form my own opinion.

My thanks to NetGalley for making an eARC copy of this book available to me.

This was an enjoyable modern re-imagining of the "Beauty and the Beast" fairy tale, but with no actual magic involved. It has some good supporting characters (really want to know more about the housekeeper), and even a villain or two. Or maybe one, depending on your perspective. It was a fun fast read, but I can't help but think that we really need more older (and I don't mean 30 or 35 years old) characters in our romance novels. Guillory does good once again.

Thank you to Hyperion and Netgalley for the ARC to read and review.

By the Book by Jasmine Guillory.

This novel is a Disney publication retelling of Beauty and the Beast. It’s a modern day romance with BIPOC hero and heroine set in the world of publishing. Very cute premise, but the story moved very slowly. It’s a clean romance so it will be accessible to a large market. It reads like a YA novel and I think perhaps that is the target audience.

I will forever love Jasmine Guillory's writing style. It feels so natural and has such a great pace. Reading a book about books is also a trope I absolutely love. Unfortunately, the characters fell super flat compared to the authors other works. I didn't feel any chemistry between the characters. Other than the big swoon worthy gesture at the end, I didn't really feel sparks. I did however, love the connections between the story and Beauty and the Beast. The way she wove in the names and places was so fun!

Cute romance, with a nod to Beauty and the Beast though truly just a nod because how do you replicate a story about a beast in the real world? Also, how beastly can you make someone before it turns to a love story? Jasmine Guillory wants it to be believable and she's not that into enemies to lovers--or so it would see from this book. I definitely prefer her own series to this one, but I'm glad she's writing and she's making money and it's a cute read.

Rating: 4.5, rounded up


My Three Things:
1. This was such a fun book to read. It was a modern take on Beauty and the Beast, and I loved it. I don’t read many retellings, so it was neat to see all of the similarities but also Jasmine Guillory’s take on it.
2. I read this book in 3 sittings – when you’re a mom and a teacher that’s code for lightning speed. I LOVED Izzy, and seeing the path her career took during the story was interesting. I don’t know much about publishing (here I am just reviewing books), and so I found that part to be interesting as well.
3. Beau, oh how I love you. Beau is a big ol misunderstood softie. THE NOTEBOOK – swoon- I thought this was the sweetest detail. I legit did not see the ending coming, and I loved it. I feel like Beau was a really well rounded male character – we got to see him in his element at home, hear about his public persona and the worlds misunderstanding of him, get inside his writing mind, and see the progression of his relationship with his mom and Izzy.

This one is a really sweet closed door romance. If you read spicy spicy, this probably isn’t for you. But if you like a good sweet romance, this is it yall. The line “A tale as old as time- for a new generation” isn’t wrong.

I find this review kind of hard to write because I think Jasmine did a great job with this Beauty and the Beast re-telling, I loved all of the Beauty and the Beast/Disney tie-ins to the story, and I loved being able to re-imagine the main characters as two beautiful black people. However, I do feel like this book was very different from Jasmine’s other books. It was a slow burn, which, if that’s your jam, this is it - but I was definitely hoping for a little more steam. I liked the relationship they were building, I liked how she was breaking down his walls, but it was just all too slow. Her books usually grab me right away, and I devour them in a day, and this one took me a few to finish.

When reading this, I didn’t realize that it was a part of a series, so I definitely want to check out the other Disney retellings that are coming out, and If the Shoe Fits.

This was very cute. I didn’t realize this was a Beauty & the Beast retelling when I requested it, but I love B&tB, so I was game! Lots of fun Easter eggs from the Disney movie can be found all throughout the book. I really liked Izzy and Beau together - it seemed really genuine and natural. Heads up, though, romance fans - this is a Disney imprint so there is exactly ZERO sexy stuff on the page. In fact, it was so fade to black that I had to go reread a scene to try to figure out if they had done the deed -it was BARELY alluded to! 🤣 Honestly surprised this being marketed to adults as opposed to YA.

This is a fun little diversion that will in no way change your life, but it’s an enjoyable enough ride. 0 points for very much originality or steam, but lots of points for cuteness and a satisfying ending.

I am a huge fan of jasmine guillory so when i found out she’d be doing a beauty and the beast retelling, i was so excited. If folks are expecting the same heat level that jasmine does, don’t expect the same level that she gives us and her other series of books. This is a smart and sweet romantic comedy perfect for those who love fairytales and happy endings. With representation abound.

Thank you so much for an advanced copy of By the Book!

Star Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Genre: Fairy Tale Retelling/Romance
Pub Date: May 3, 2022

By the Book is the second book in the Meant to Be series, and it is a Beauty and the Beast retelling. This was a cute, fun read, and I really enjoyed it. The enemies to lovers and sunshine/grump tropes were really well-written, and I thought this book gave us a good retelling of Beauty and the Beast while also adding to the original story. I especially loved all the Easter eggs throughout the book that recalled the animated movie. Some people may complain that the story was a bit predictable, but I think you have to understand what you're getting into, ie a retelling, so I expected some predictability in this one. I still felt like the story itself was original, though.

I was really engaged in the romance in the book, and I loved both main characters. I did get a little frustrated at times because this was seriously a slow burn, and I have no patience! Other than that, though, I really appreciated this book as a whole. I can't wait to add it to my shelves! I only wish it were coming out in hardback like the first one did.

This book was rom com chick lit at its best. Sweet and predictable in an enjoyable way. Escapism at its finest!
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/58950845-by-the-book

This book was super cute! I loved that it was a Beauty and the Beast retelling but make it modern. A cute romcom that I think people will really enjoy!

I enjoyed this, but I didn’t love it as much as some other romances I’ve read recently. There was something missing—some parts that felt a little contrived. Obviously, everything in fiction is contrived, but it sometimes feels organic, which this didn’t. I also liked the hero but didn’t fall in love with him like I want to in a romance.

Izzy Marlowe is no longer thrilled by her job as an editorial assistant for the abrupt and dismissive Marta. She’s excited to leave New York for California because even though it’s a work trip, it will at least get Izzy out of the office. She’s been sending delicately worded emails to bad boy celebrity Beau Towers for the last year. His seven-figure book deal isn’t just late, it doesn’t seem to exist at all. Izzy volunteers to deal with him directly and ends up staying, initially for a few days, which then turns into weeks where she works her day job remotely and with Beau each afternoon. They share baked goods, snacks, and period dramas in the time they’re not working together, and eventually he reveals what has truly caused his writer’s block.

Thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to review this novel, which RELEASES MAY 12, 2022.

This was a very cute retelling of a fairytale. There were a couple parts where I felt like the “beast” was a little too beastly but it was still understandable and acceptable when he “changed”. I appreciated the backstory of “beauty” which included friends.

I really fell in love with the concept of this book from the opening. I always enjoy reading books about books, and the glimpse into the writing and editing process, and the publishing aspect, was really cool. I really liked both main characters, and was in love with the Southern California setting. The only thing that didn't quite hit for me was the tone, this read more like YA than an adult romance. Not just the lack of steamy scenes (which is fine!), but just the way the characters spoke made it feel a little on the young side for me. But this was a super enjoyable read and I flew through it!