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!

I LOVED this book. What a sweet retelling of Beauty and the Beast! It was modern, it was fun, it has relatable and lovable characters. I think it was the e perfect second edition to this book series, and I can’t wait for what’s to come

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

Jasmine Guillory just knows how to write a fascinating love story. I listen to a book podcast "Bad on Paper" which one of the host Becca always talks about how much she enjoys a "famous person- normal person" love story, and this book fits the trope.

Isabelle Izzy, a young, overworked member of the publishing house, has to go and convince Beau, a celebrity to finally write his over- due memoirs, she ended up learning a lot about him, and also about herself while building friendships and love.

The book was funny, captivating (I want to live in Beau's house, and have access to that library and his snack cabinet ), and excellent. Although I have to say, I missed Jasmine Guillory's signature hot sexy scenes in this book.

What a fun read this was - a modern retelling of the Disney version of 'Beauty and the Beast', complete with some fun easter eggs sprinkled throughout the text.

Isabelle though she landed her dream job as an editorial assistant for one of the major publishing houses, but after two years she's jaded and burnt out. Not sure if she wants to give up and move on to another job, she's jumps at the chance to visit a reclusive author whose manuscript is very behind.

Beau is the child of Hollywood Royalty, with the requisite bratty behavior to back it up. He ignores all efforts made by Izzy and her editor to contact him, and is known to have quite the beastly temperament...

When Izzy shows up at Beau's door, she almost gives up and returns home, but she ends up staying (thanks to Brad's matchmaking assistant, nicknamed Kettle). She agrees to stay for a few days to give Beau some 'pep talks' as a way to help him learn how to write. The few days turns into a week, which turns into a month as they get to know each other and discover their love of writing (or rediscover in Izzy's case).

Predictably there's a bit of a situation that necessitates Izzy's return to her real job, but rest assured - it's a happy ending.

This is the second in the 'Meant to Be' series, and is a complete stand-alone. It would make a great beach read, snowy/rainy day read, or really an anytime-you-need-a-nice-sweet-romance read.

By the Book by Jasmine Guillory is the second book in the Meant to Be series. Book one, If the Shoe Fits by Julie Murphy, was an adorable Cinderella retelling. Now Guillory takes on my favorite Disney tale, Beauty and the Beast.

Overall I would recommend this book to those who like sweet romance and fairy tale retellings. A solid three stars.

I was really excited for this beauty and beast retelling in contemporary world. Izzy works for a publisher and is unhappy with her current position which we can all relate to very well and Beau is this rich, reclusive celebrity who has been taking forever to submit his book. Izzy takes up this challenge and ends up at his door offering to help finish his memoir. Surprisingly, Beau takes up on her offer and she gets to stay in a beautiful, vintage mansion and enjoy some mouth watering food, luxurious pool and facilities.

I was so jealous of this vacation which doesn't really happen in real life at least with me. It was a quick read romcom suitable for those who are into clean/no steam/closed door romance. I liked all the references to Beauty and beast but being a retelling, we all pretty much know how it would go. Cute read for this summer while at beach or a pool!

This author just might not be for me. This book is a perfectly inoffensive Beauty and the Beast retelling, the second in a series of modernized fairytales. I enjoyed the first, If the Shoe Fits (written by another author), which I found quite charming.

I think my lack of enthusiasm stems from two things: the first is the characters are meant to be in their mid 20s, but read as pretty juvenile. I get this is a Disney imprint, but who is this for? It doesn’t really fit as a contemporary romance (this is about a 1 on the spice scale) but also doesn’t really fit YA either (adult characters/themes). This is also true for the first book, but it bothered me less, probably because of my second issue.

I found the characters rather bland. Beau and Izzy have zero chemistry. Their banter is pretty lame, and since we spend most of the book with just them, the story drags. Beau gives me no “former playboy” vibes. Izzy is annoyingly perky (that prologue almost made me DNF). Overall, the lack of zsa-zsa zu made it hard to care or root for these characters to overcome their obstacles, which felt pretty low-stakes anyway.

I’m sure this book will find love from readers, but it was not my cup of tea.

Thanks to NetGalley and Hyperion for the eARC in exchange for my honest feedback.

Mein Leseerlebnis

Nach “The proposal” und “Party of two” ist dies das dritte Buch der Autorin, dass ich gelesen habe. Zu den beiden erwähnten Liebesromanen gibt es auf dem Blog keinen Post, da “The proposal” vor dem Start des Blogs erschienen ist und zu wenig Eindruck auf mich gemacht hat, um es nachträglich noch zu rezensieren, und “Party of two” fand ich zwar ganz nett, aber auch dieses Buch konnte mich emotional nicht mitreißen.

Nun also Versuch drei mit “By the book”. Ich hatte gehofft, dass mit einem Liebesroman, in dem Bücher eine zentrale Rolle spielen, der Funke nun endlich überspringen würde. Denn viele Leser:innen lieben die Romane der Autorin und ich wollte ihre Freude endlich teilen.

Doch dazu kam es leider nicht. Denn auch wenn ich den Schreibstil der Autorin generell und auch in “By the book” mag, so geben mir ihre Charaktere so gar nichts. Izzy wirkte auf mich recht sympathisch, sie war in Bezug auf manche Sachen aber erstaunlich naiv und blind. Und auch wenn ich sie nett fand, so hat mich ihr Leben wenig interessiert.

Mit Beau bin ich überhaupt nicht warm geworden. Am Anfang fand ich ihn sehr unsympathisch, gegen Ende ganz ok, aber das reicht für ein tolles Leseerlebnis natürlich nicht aus.

Etwas frustrierend fand ich übrigens eine Entwicklung in der Geschichte, in der sich herausstellt, dass jemand ein Wolf im Schafspelz ist. Vom ersten Auftritt der Person an hatte ich diesen Eindruck, nur Izzy hat es erst am Ende der Geschichte verstanden. Das wirkte auf mich unglaubwürdig und dadurch frustrierend.

Der bereits erwähnte ansprechende Schreibstil und eine gewisse Frische in der Geschichte haben meinen Eindruck vom Buch gerettet, für eine Buchempfehlung reicht das aber nicht aus.

Ich muss leider endgültig festhalten, dass die Charaktere der Autorin auf mich zu blass und uninteressant wirken, als dass ich in Zukunft weiterhin zu ihren Romanen greifen werde. 🖤🖤1/2

Für wen?

Schaut in eine Leseprobe rein, sprechen euch die Charaktere in dieser an, könnte das Buch und die Werke der Autorin generell etwas für euch sein. Viele Leser:innen schätzen die Liebesgeschichten der Autorin, einen Versuch ist es daher wert.

While this book was an enjoyable rom-com, it felt a little bit like it was written as a standalone story about a publishing house assistant working with a reclusive author and at the last minute it was decided to be a Beauty and the Beast retelling. The allusions and references to the Disney version of Beauty and the Beast seemed forced and inserted as afterthoughts, rather than integrated into the story as a true retelling of the classic tale.

Jasmine Guillory's writing style makes for a fun, quick read and despite it's predictability I certainly enjoyed the novel. I did find Izzy to be naive and annoying at a lot of points and her character development wasn't particularly deep. Many of her reactions felt forced or overblown just to add some drama to the story. Overall, I wouldn't discourage anyone from picking it up for a light rom-com, but it wasn't particularly memorable.