This was a cute book but I found myself a bit bored and not very drawn to the characters. It was overall not a very exciting read and was fairly forgettable after it was over.

Jasmine Guillory is a master at creating characters and worlds that you want to be in. This time, readers are introduced to Izzy and Beau, who couldn't be more different. One is a lowly editorial assistant at a publishing company, the other is a reclusive actor hiding from his reputation. When Izzy volunteers to go to Beau's house to help jumpstart his memoir, she has no idea what is in store for either of them.

By the Book is part of the “Meant to Be” series, which are modern retellings of classic fairy tales—Cinderella, The Little Mermaid, etc. Each book is written by a different contemporary romance author.

In this case, By the Book (written by Jasmine Guillory) is a modern retelling of Beauty and the Beast…which just so happens to be my favorite Disney movie. And it’s a grumpy/sunshine romance? AND it’s a book about books? SIGN ME UP.

Overall, I really enjoyed this one! It was a retelling that felt true to the original, but without being super on the nose. The characters were complex and believable, and there was an engaging storyline to go along with the spice.

This book is perfect for those moments when you may need a little extra sunshine in your life!

Thank you so much for the advanced copy of this book. It definitely lived up to its hype. This author has become a must read.

Such a fun retelling of Beauty and the Beast! Bo was such a good "beast". Throughout the book I kept waiting for the big moment where it would all fall apart. I was SO pleased with how this book handled that moment; so much better than a lot of others in the genre. I loved that both of these characters were adults, and acted that way throughout, even when they were hurting. They weren't perfect, but they were mature.

I received an advance copy. All thoughts are my own.

Izzy is an overworked editorial assistant at a large publishing house, tasked by her boss to wrangle a beastly high-profile author, Beau Towers, into delivering the manuscript for his highly anticipated memoir. This story is a modern day retelling of Beauty & The Beast with a sweet love story between grumpy and sunshine characters.

Sincere thanks to NetGalley and Hyperion Avenue for an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

By the Book is a charmingly written romance and the second Meant To Be novel by Jasmine Guillory. Released 3rd May 2022 by Hyperion Avenue (Disney), it's 320 pages and is available in hardcover, audio, and ebook formats. 

This is a sweet and completely escapist romantic modern retelling of Beauty and the Beast with an intelligent and strong protagonist Izzy as Belle and bad boy Hollywood hunk Beau as the Beast. I loved the plot centered on writing and the cutthroat publishing industry. It was sweet but not cloying and the dialogue really had me cheering for a happy ending. 

It was predictable but in a comforting way. I smiled throughout the whole read. I also liked the healthy friendship between Izzy and BFF Priya. The book (for the most part) is free from the cattiness and subtle undermining that I feel is really prevalent in romances with strong female leads. Izzy isn't dumb, she's appealingly intelligent, and she stands up for herself, but doesn't ever come across as overbearing or arrogant.

Four and a half stars. This is a bookish and fun romance. For younger/more sensitive readers, there is some profanity and lots of "kissy bits" but nothing really explicit. 

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

I have loved all of Jasmine Guillory books and By the Book did not disappoint. There was so much wittiness between the characters and the chemist was perfection. It was an east read that I couldn't put it down.

Sounded so cute and I loved the cover! I am not a Disney girl, though, and this ultimately felt super young adult to me despite being an adult book. Did not finish.

This was a wonderful book and Jasmine Guillory has really outdone herself once again. I really love the fact that food plays such a huge role in this book since there aren't a ton of body-positive books out there!

A smooth read, with smooth transitions! I admire how Jasmine Guillory made me feel like I was there with the setting descriptions. This book is definitely made for the Black girls who wanted to be princesses.

Love this author. Love this series. A fun romance for sure! Love books set in the bookish world and considering Belle is my favourite disney princess, it is not surprising that I loved this one!

I was disappointed by this novel. This book had none of Jasmine Guillory’s usual charm and spice, though I’m guessing that the creative direction was not fully her choice. It was a sweet story, but maybe too saccharine for my taste. The Beauty and the Beast references were very on the nose, which were quite cringe-inducing at times.

Thank you to NetGalley for my ARC of By the Book. Jasmine Guillory is quickly becoming one of my favorites! I always know when I'm about to read one of her books to clear my schedule because she makes it very difficult to put her books down. This one will not different. If you're a fan of fairy tales, Disney, or just entertaining books, this one will not disappoint. It's a modern-day Beauty and the Beast. Izzy & Beau are captivating and I'm so thankful I was given the opportunity to read this ARC.

In By the Book, an editorial assistant wanting to get ahead in the publishing world goes toe to toe with a reluctant author.

So…let’s talk retellings. I feel like the word is getting really overused and not always accurately. To me, a retelling needs to have some actual elements of the original story, not just a character name or a sprinkling of references. Maybe I’m wrong, but those tend to be the ones I’ve enjoyed.

And that is probably why By the Book dissatisfied me, especially surprising given that Guillory is a favorite author. This book is being marketed as a (very) loose retelling of Beauty and the Beast…only I don’t agree. Sure, the two publishing companies are called Tale As Old As Time and Maurice (crazy old Maurice, eh?), and the protagonist is named IsaBELLE. (There’s another reference or two in blink-or-you’ll-miss-them moments, but that’s it.)

Is the grumpy/sunshine romance enjoyable if you take away the undelivered promise of a Beauty and the Beast retelling? It was sweet and emotional, but it took longer for the characters to act on their shared chemistry. And I just felt like these characters didn’t sizzle like they do in other Guillory books.

Maybe my expectations were just too high. Others have really enjoyed it and been charmed by it. (Julie Murphy’s If the Shoe Fits, the first book in the Meant to Be series, was a much more faithful retelling than this was.) I guess you just can’t love everything, even books by your favorite authors sometimes.

Thanks to NetGalley and Hyperion for the complimentary advance copy of the book in exchange for an unbiased review!

DNF at 71%. The story just felt flat and the characters had no chemistry. I really couldn't connect with them and honestly didn't care how the story ended. I was hoping for so much more, as it's a B&B retelling, but it really didn't feel like it.

I'm picky when I read books that are retellings of existing stories, especially stories I love and *especially* Disney retellings, because they can be overly saccharine or cheesy. That's not the case with this book, and of course I should have known that a "Beauty and the Beast" retelling is safe in the very capable hands of Jasmine Guillory. As always, Guillory knocks it out of the park. This was a fun one!

I have read many books by Guillory, and I was happy when this one came out. I didn’t know ahead of time that it would have a Disney related plot, either, so the similarities were unexpected. Overall, it is a cute story and involves a woman finding her way, her voice, while navigating the world of publishing. Along the way, there is love, betrayal, and of course, redemption. It is not as strong a read as her other stories, yet it is a light, enjoyable story. If you like Beauty and the Beast, books about writing, romance, or the author, be sure to check it out.

I was provided a copy of the book by Net Galley and have written an objective review.

This was a fun romance loosely inspired by Beauty & the Beast with fun nods to it throughout the book. It is a classics Jasmine Guillory story with fun character development and food descriptions that make you hungry, though this was a closed door romance compared to her other books which feel more open door. Set in the world of publishing, this book is a fun read for those who love books and how they’re made.

A lovely, contemporary romance. This book is perfect for fans of "The Spanish Love Deception" and "The Love Hypothesis." The cover art immediately drew me in as well as previous work that I've enjoyed by this author. This is a must-read for any romance book lover and I'm surprised I haven't seen more buzz for it on BookTok.