I thought this book was adorable! As a huge fan of the Disney version of Beauty and the Beast, I thought Jasmine Guillory did a great job of modernizing it while still keeping in lots of little details for fans.

I love Jasmine Guillory. This book is very sweet and fans of Disney will enjoy, too, as it is loosely based on Beauty and the Beast.

3.5 stars.

I really liked Isabelle and Beau’s love story. I thought it was cute! There were definitely parallels and references to Beauty & The Beast, but the storyline was VERY different. It was super unrealistic, but I think that was purposeful!

Unfortunately, I was bored through several sections of the book. It felt like it was going nowhere for a while, but I enjoyed the ending. It was wrapped up beautifully.

I really enjoyed getting lost in the emotion. Jasmine is great! Some parts forced the retelling a little too much so it became cliche. Loved the story and characters, just didn’t love the references to beauty and the beast, made the story lose momentum and felt like it took away from the amazing news that is Jasmine.

I was honestly so excited to read a copy of this after devouring -- and I mean devouring -- the first book in the "Meant to Be" series: Julie Murphy's If The Shoe Fits. And knowing this second chapter would be written by one of my auto-buy romance authors, Jasmine Guillory, and was a Beauty and the Beast adaptation/retelling, I was sold already. I adore Beauty and the Beast and bookish romances, so naturally, I found this book completely charming and was fully drawn into the story immediately. There are tons of little Beauty and the Beast easter eggs to the original which were super fun and I loved that touch. The book is well-written, chock full of compelling language. I was so intrigued by the story and very much wanted to keep reading. While the main character Izzy is very a sugar-sweet, cookie-cutter good girl, I found myself more drawn to her love interest Beau, who was just so authentic, vulnerable and so interesting to see him shed his hard layers. Overall, it is a slow-burn romance that once it gets going, is very cute that had me swooning. The ending? Gah, it was just so precious and bookish and I loved it with my whole heart.

Jasmine Guillory does it again, another delightful romance that I enjoyed reading from cover to cover. While this one isn't as spicy as some of her others, it's still so much fun. I loved watching Izzy and Beau go from disdain and irritation to sweet friendship to swoon-worthy romance. My favorite part was reading Beau's notebook thoughts at the end. And the hints and parallels to Beauty and the Beast throughout were perfect - I'm not even sure I caught them all. A must read for fairy-tale lovers!

This was such a cute rom-com. I absolutely loved the characters - they are so real and entertaining, albeit a little out of the norm IMO. Izzy has worked at a publishing house for the past 2 years and is already burnt out - her boss never compliments her, her coworker constantly belittles her, and it doesn't look like she is ever going to get promoted. The only good thing is that her best friend works there too.

When Izzy heads out to California for a work conference, she makes a proposal to her boss that ends up changing her life as she winds up on the doorstep of Beau Towers, a child-actor-turned-recluse that has been promising a memoir to her boss for the last couple of years.

I love Jasmine Guillory's writing style - it's so easy to read with 'real' conversations and thoughts. By the Book is told only from Izzy's POV, but at times we get to hear Beau's side of things. There are lots of great ups and downs with their relationship, but as a reader, you are rooting for them the whole time.

By the Book is a modern retelling of Beauty and the Beast. I enjoyed how fresh this adorable romance felt despite the fact that I know Disney's Beauty and the Beast by heart. I always appreciate a good grumpy/sunshine trope but was impressed with Isabelle's character growth beyond the typical "sunshine" trope. Although this is book two in the Meant to Be series it can be read as a stand-alone.

This was a truly great book! By the Book is a modern day re-imagining of Beauty and the Beast. I loved all the Easter Eggs and references to the original Beauty and the Beast. Jasmine Guillory did an especially great job with incorporating the teeniest tiniest bit of magical realism, while also making this story completely realistic. It definitely added to the fairy tale aspect without taking from the plot or making it too unbelievable. I love that the characters were diverse and didn’t have size 2 figures. This was the modern upgrade that fairy tales need!!

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

This book is about a working relationship until about 60% in. The characters barely have any chemistry until bam! They turn into lovers. There's also a shocking lack of detail about the professions of either character, considering the author must know a lot about publishing, but chose not to provide interesting tidbits beyond what someone could guess.

I really enjoyed this latest novel by Jasmine Guillory. The characters were fun yet had depth. Thanks NetGalley for the advanced copy. #NetGalley #BytheBook

Another fun book my Jasmine Gulliory. Her work always includes a fun plot and characters — this one is no different.

A modern day Beauty and the Beast. Isabelle is an assistant to a publisher, Tale as Old as Time Publishing, and must get a troubled writer to finish his memoir. Izzy travels to California to Beau’s estate to try to help him. She’s met with his nasty attitude but ends up staying for much longer than anticipated. Unlike the Disney version Izzy is free to go and has access to the outside world but feels compelled to try to help her troubled writer. The two of course bond and fall for one another, but not without misunderstandings, and a few twists thrown in. This os my second Jasmine Guillory and while I liked the concept of giving Black girls a Disney-esque story (per the intro author note) but it felt really juvenile to me. Maybe it’s supposed to be but it didn’t have enough edge or spark for me. Some of the Beast references were sweet, like the Wi-Fi being called Lumiere, but it was a stretch to have Izzy talking to her bath tub. I think those that like twee stories will find this charming but it wasn’t really for me. Maybe I relate more to the Disney villain vs hero. Oh well. 2.5 stars rounded up.

I’m a huge Jasmine Guillory fan, and as always, this book did not disappoint! By the Book is a modern retelling inspired by Beauty and the Beast. I enjoyed all the Beauty and the Beast references sprinkled throughout the book. It stayed true to the story, while also adding in unique characters and themes. This is the second novel in the Meant to Be series that I’ve read, and I’ve loved both! I can’t wait to see what is next.

Like all Jasmine Guillory books, this book contains romantic chemistry, diverse characters, and beautiful writing. I loved reading Izzy and Beau’s story.

Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Tale as old as time: I love reading books about books. As a current literary fellow, I can definitely appreciate Izzy's challenges as an editorial assistant. I love that this story explores the inequities of the publishing industry, especially from the perspective of a Black woman, who has to work harder than most just for a seat at the table.

As this is also a modern retelling, I liked that I was able to pick up on those amongst all the classic tropes. The fairytale references were so cute and subtle. In regards to the romance, I adored both of the main characters. Their chemistry was great. I only have good things to say.

Thank you to NetGalley for kindly providing me with an eARC of this book! All opinions are my own.

Another winner from Jasmine Guillory, this Beauty and the Beast inspire "tale as old of time" features Black characters, a book loving assistant editor and an beastly celebrity author long overdue with his memoir. Clever and slow burning, the verbal sparring and gradual developing relationship is fun and funny. I was rooting for Izzy and Beau from the start.

From the first paragraph, I knew this book would be a good one. I immersed myself into the book from the first chapter and I cannot say enough good things about this book! Honestly amazing! The writing is incredible and the plot is just one to die for. I am absolutely obsessed with this book. My favorite part would have to be the character development throughout the book. Character development is something I look forward to and this book did not disappoint.

So adorable! Jasmine's take on Beauty and the Beast has all the right upgrades (i.e. no imprisonment, angry villagers, or Gaston) but includes delightful nods to the original story. And there is a snack cabinet--that's just goals.

Thanks to NetGalley for this advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

I really enjoyed this book by Jasmine Guillory based on the beauty and the beast. Throughout there were similarities, but also the story stayed current. I loved Beau and Izzy's chemistry and they made the story so enjoyable. I love Jasmine Guillory as an author and I always look forward to her new books.

#BytheBook #NetGalley

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By the Book is about Isabelle Marlowe an assistant in a publishing house (Tale as Old as Time) who is feeling burnt out. She is giving it one last effort and see if this is the job/career is for her. She volunteers herself to get an overdue manuscript from the famous bad boy, Beau Towers.
Jasmine Guillory has done it again! This was such a fun retelling of Beauty and the Beast. You could really feel the love these characters have for each other and they feel real. The slow burn worked for this type of story. Beau's character development gave it so much depth and getting to see the many different sides of him helped bring this story from what could have been a flat retelling from Isabelle's POV to a well-rounded romance.
The pacing, the bookish love, the Easter eggs from Beauty and the Beast made it a quick and easy read. If you were looking for the steamy scenes that we love from Jasmine I would not recommend this to you but on its own as a closed-door romance, it is perfect. The ending was such sweet and happily ever after that if you like things tied up in a pretty bow, this will be perfect for you.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for my honest review!