Another wonderful book with a modern twist of a classic fairytale! If your favorite Disney princess is Belle, then this is a must read! I fell in love with the character Izzy and Beau and watching their story unravel. Can’t wait to read more books like this in the future!

I was very excited to get the chance to read Jasmine Guillory’s upcoming book as I have loved and adored her others in the past. However, I unfortunately was a little disappointed that I didn’t love this one as much.

It took me a while to grasp the concept of this book and really get into it. I think It’s kinda hard to make Beauty in the Beast a light story in modern day lol I really did like their relationship throughout the book but at times it was a little slow and repetitive. Then by the ending I feel like I didn’t get enough from the relationship as I wanted to. I did love the little references from the original fairytale, it was a fun thing to look out for.

This is your typical Beauty and the Beast story, but Ms. Guillory's writing style has a way of keeping you hooked and loving the characters and wanting to read more about what happens next with the characters. It was a very cute story and I think she did a great job. I didn't love it as much as her book The Wedding Date or the other Disney book If the Shoe Fits, but it was enjoyable and I would recommend it to a friend.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read By the Book. As a fan of Jasmine’s I was looking forward to this retelling, but this book was not a fit for me. I thought it was a little too young for the books I tend to pick up and I also had a hard time connecting and unfortunately ended up not finishing the book because of this.

A fan of Jasmine Guillory books since The Wedding Date, I was so excited to receive an ARC of By The Book, but was disappointed. Though I expected it to be different because of the ties to Disney, the story and characters felt flat to me. The voice of Izzy was overly happy-go-lucky in a juvenile rose-colored glasses way. Even just the prologue made me cringe with the “everything is wonderful” attitude that didn’t seem to match Belle’s character. There was no passion or depth to Izzy’s character that I would expect of a Belle. I could not connect with her or any of the other characters. I also felt there were very minimal beauty and the beast references.

I did like the discussion of books, the publishing industry and the writing. Overall? This one was not for me

I have to DNF this one, it's nothing like Guillory's other romance novels. I was excited for the publishing setting and Guillory's usual fun romps featuring some great sexy moments and lots of food. However, I didn't realize this was published under a Disney label, and the Disney-ness is oppressive. The plot points are so dumb and trite, I honestly think this was ghost written.

I was the tiniest bit worried when I started this book that it would be too much like Beauty and the Beast and would be played out. But I was proven wrong.
This book was so cute and fun and just the right amount of whimsical. I really loved all the subtle nods to fairytales, Beauty and the Beast in particular. Izzy and Beau were relatable characters and had a great dynamic and even better character development.

This story was really sweet and I enjoyed reading it a lot. It was a fun and fresh spin on a story that we all know and love.

This was a wonderful book! I wasn't sure how I was going to like it, since I realized it was a Disney adjacent book, being a take on Beauty and the Beast, but not only did I enjoy it, but it made me want to re-watch the movie as well! Jasmine Guillory is just a wonderful author and I'm glad to spend time in her worlds.

Thank you to Netgalley, Hyperion Avenue, and Jasmine Guillory for this e-ARC copy!

After reading If The Shoe Fits and absolutely loving it, I was so excited for second Meant To Be novel. Plus, Beauty and The Beast is one of my favorite fairytales, so I couldn’t wait to get my hands on this book.

Unfortunately, it fell super short for me and I really didn’t enjoy it. There were some good aspects and things I thought were super cute, but overall, this was a dud, in my opinion, and there could have been so much more done for a Beauty and the Beast retelling.

What I liked:
💛 The main character works for a publishing house and loves reading
💛 The low-maintenance relationship between the main characters
💛 The ending

What I didn’t like:
💛 If I didn’t know this was supposed to be a Beauty and the Beast retelling, I wouldn’t have been able to tell from the subtle things throughout the book.
💛 Friends to lovers instead of enemies to lovers?
💛 Her name was Izzy instead of Belle
💛 Some of writing felt like it was straight out of a fanfiction
💛 The yellow dress and rose moments were so anticlimactic

Unfortunately, this one wasn’t for me. I really wanted to love it so badly, but it didn’t deliver for me.

I probably wasn’t the right reader for this even though I ordinarily really enjoy Guillory’s novels, and fairy tale retellings.

The Beauty and the Beast aspect was weirdly set up, they seemed more like a post-writing addition. The romance between Beau and Izzy never gelled for me - there wasn’t visible chemistry between the two, and the heat factor is nil.

Although this is marketed toward adults, I would have no issue allowing a middle-schooler to read this. I'm sure the right reader will adore this second title in the Meant to be series.

I am always a fan of books about books! It's the best of both worlds. In typically Guillory fashion By the Book is a fresh and fun rom-com and a modern retelling of Beauty and the Beast. That said I found it hard for this retelling to stand out in particular because Its not what I imagine when I think of beauty and the beast. Yet the romance in this novel is still amazing. I would consider their romance slow burn in nature but, Izzy and Beaus attraction and chemistry is apparent from the moment they meet. I have yet to read the first meant to be novel but this made me excited to pick it up.

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

Jasmine did it again! This book is absolutely fantastic and I LOVED it. The description of someone working in publishing was almost too accurate and as a publishing professional, I really empathized with Izzy. Beauty and the Beast is my favorite fairytale and I really enjoyed this take on it. Thank you for the early read!

Isabelle isn’t so sure this job in publishing is right for her anymore. her boss rarely gives feedback and it seems there is no promotion in sight. When she hears her boss talking about the famous Beau and his memoir that is beyond past deadline, she offers to go pay him a visit in person. She just needs to have a little chat and put that pep back in his writing step, right? How hard could it be?

Ok I am very confused. I finished this one and texted @sipsandspines who told me it is a retelling and part of a series, but by different authors? Blew my mind, but now I want to go back and read the first one! I then of course went through all my Disney stories trying to figure out which retelling it was (I am historically bad at this so most people probably could tell you by title alone, but I can never!) Glad to say I figured it out! (Insert tooting my own horn.) Anyway, Isabelle is my girl! I loved that she worked in publishing and I was just rooting for her from page one. Of course I was not a Beau fan at first, living all alone and being a big old curmudgeon, but as the book went on he of course grew on me. I will say I knew who the “bad seed” was from the second he was introduced and I really wanted to smack him from his first words. This was a super enjoyable rom com that had me cheering by the last page!

Jasmine! I loved this book! It was a cute retelling of beauty and the beast. The girl had understandable doubts of herself and it was wonderful to see her growing in confidence in herself throughout the book. Beau was a lovable grouch that grew on me from page 1–description of his broad shoulders definitely helped ;) I think this was a great retelling they didn’t shy away from the story of the original but was original in its own right. I enjoyed the added addition of her talking to the bath as well. I love Jasmine’s books and would recommend this to anyone looking for a cute romcom with just a little splash of spice.

Thanks to Hyperion Avenue and Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review this title prior to publication.

I did not get very far into this book before I knew it was a do-not-finish for me. I was intrigued by the Beauty and the Beast references, and I have read a few of the Wedding Date books and really enjoyed them. I thought the writing was not great in this one, and it felt so much by another book I read last year - Must Love Books by Shauna Robinson. That one does not reference Beauty and the Beast, but the basic storyline of a woman in publishing trying to save her career by working with an author and then falling for him is the same. I decided not to go any further in this one.

Everything I have ever read of Ms. Guillory's was fantastic. This new title was no different. Ms. Guillory known for her Wedding Date series has written a modern day retelling of beauty and the beast.
Isabella or Izzy as her friends calls her works as an editorial assistant but has dreams of being an editor herself. In her publishing job she's overworked and her boss Marta is very frugal with the compliments and seem to constantly be demanding more out of Isabella. Isabella wonder if she will ever be promoted from her assistant position. While at a book conference with her boss she overhears Marta saying the celebrity Beau Towers book have been overdue and she is practically giving up on him writing a book. Isabella comes up with the idea that if she could get the eccentric Mr. Towers some pep talks and suggest for his book that would be a win for her.
Once Marta agrees to it Isabella sets off to meet Beau, what happens at their first meeting is nothing short of romantic comedy meets happenstance. I truly enjoy how Guillory gave us a romance book with all the feels but yet kept the purity of the modern fairytale pure.

Oh my goodness I loved this book so much! I wasn’t sure what to expect when I saw it was a Beauty and the Beast retelling but it was spot on!
Izzy is an editor who feels stuck. One of her clients has gone MIA close to his deadline, and on a whim, she tells her boss she’ll track him down in person. Beau is a rich kid and a recluse who’s supposed to be writing his memoir. The two clash immediately but she ends up staying with him and coaching him through the writing process. There are some twists and turns but it’s a tale as old as time!!

This was a super sweet read and the idea of the beauty and the beast retelling was a+, but unfortunately it wasn’t quite my cup of tea. I felt like all of the beauty and the beast allusions were kind of forced and didn’t really mesh with the overall story. I also had a hard time believing the chemistry between Beau & Isabel. I absolutely adored them both as individual characters (Beau was so soft and marshmallowy underneath that tough exterior!! 🥺) and LOVED seeing their character growth, but I just couldn’t connect with them as a couple.

Overall this was just missing something for me, but Jasmine’s writing is always SO SO fun and I do think that those who like fairytale retellings would definitely enjoy this one!

Thank you so much to netgalley for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review!

As a big fan of Disney's animated Beauty and the Beast, I was excited to read By the Book. This is the second book in the Meant to Be series, where classical fairytales are retold with contemporary and diverse characters.
Isabell is a twenty-something who finally lands her dream job as an editor assiatant, at first she is excited to begin her new career in the publishing industry but finds herself burnt out after a few years with no promotion in sight. In order to prove her worth, she tackles a difficult celebrity. Beau has essentially grown up under the limelight due to his famous parents, and his own success in the entertainment industry, but now he lives as a recluse. Isabel then finds herself as an unwanted guest at Beau's house and love slowly blooms between them.

This was my first book by the popular Jasmine Guillory, and I must say that I was kind of disappointed. It started strong, but I lost interest after a few chapters. The romance for the most part is PG. I felt like Isabel and Beau have little to no chemistry, there were plenty of cute scenes but sometimes they came off as really cringy. Isabelle’s internal dialogue is repetitive, also her randomly talking to inanimate objects felt out of place and forced.

I received this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

After the epilogue and the first chapter, I wasn't so sure about this book.. Isabella was just way too cheery and optimistic for my taste.. then I ended up staying awake until 3 in the morning to finish this book. Isabella's character gets much better. However, she does take a back seat to Beau's character. He is much more in depth, and you get to see so many sides of him throughout the book. The author did an amazing job at letting you see Beau's villainous side while still understanding and relating to him. Great cheesy rom-com!