A delightful rom-com about an over-worked editor’s assistant, and also would-be writer who is very much a people pleaser. For the past two years, Isabelle Marlowe does everything “by the book” and doesn’t like to make waves in the hopes that one day she will be promoted to assistant editor at a publishing company. Hoping to be more forthright, she volunteers to confront a belligerent and self-indulged bad boy of Hollywood, who is delinquent in submitting his promised memoir that is overdue, to find out why he is not answering emails and how can they help him fulfill his obligation. Somehow, she manages to wrangle her way into his home and meets Beau Towers who reluctantly agrees for her to stay to give him pep talks to inspire his writing. Isabelle, known as Izzy, finds that there is more to Beau than what his bad boy reputation speaks. What could happen when you put two people by themselves in a house for a month to work closely together on a book? Sparks fly, connections are made. Izzy begins to believe in her pep talks herself and finds that she is finding just as much success writing as Beau, as she thrives in the sunshine of California. But back at the office, there is one who does not want to see Izzy be successful, as an editor nor as a writer.

Well written and easy to read, I found that this story carried me along and I was entertained. Somewhat predictable, but who cares? It was just plain fun. Who doesn’t like to see a bad boy who is misunderstood by the public and also see an average girl get the handsome prince. I was just delighted to see the reference in her delight of discovering the library at Beau’s palatial estate, reminding me the same reaction from Belle in “Beauty in the Beast”. This modern-day fairytale will be sure to be on everyone’s TBR for a good beach read or as a cozy romance.

Many thanks to #netgalley #jasmineguillory #bythebook for the opportunity to rad and review this book.

This book has reminded me that I LOVE love, especially Black Love!! It’s just a sweet story about to adults who spend time falling in love with each other, from first impression to final confirmation, and it is BEAUTIFUL!! This is a PG modern love story with excellent writing that I would share with my family and friends, and I’m so glad this book exists in the world!!

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.

Beau is perfect as our Beast, with a rough and gruff exterior but a warm cinnamon roll underneath. Even though the story is told through Izzy's POV, I feel that by the end of the book I knew much more about Beau. For me, Izzy was much less a direct parallel to the original Belle. Our girl likes books. But that's about it. I was hoping for more tension on her side of things, but all I got was a seemingly mean boss and a flat, one-dimensional, sort-of villain. But I did thoroughly enjoy seeing the relationship between Izzy and Beau develop, even though the good stuff was behind a closed door (BOO Disney).

One thing that struck me in both books in this series is that the writing style tends to be a little less nuanced - almost simplistic - than I normally expect from both Murphy and Guillory. I'm guessing it has something to do with these being Disney published books.

And one thing that is definitely a ME problem and not a problem with these books in general, is that I tend to get distracted trying to find all of the Easter eggs hiding in them and get myself pulled out of the narrative. I guess that's one of the perils of retelling classic stories.

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

Thank you to NetGalley and Hyperion Avenue for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

By The Book is the second installment in the Meant To Be series and is a modern-day retelling of Disney’s Beauty And The Beast. If you’re looking for a fairytale story, this one hits the nail on the head! The retelling is super accurate and sweet.

Isabelle (the modern-day version of Belle) is an editorial assistant who is severely underpaid and is looking for her big break. When she hears her boss complaining about a big-time author who isn’t delivering, she pops over to his house to get the manuscript and hopefully impress her boss in the process. Beau Towers, the “beast” in this retelling, is really a big emotional softy underneath, though he puts up a good front as Izzy tries to work her magic on him.

There are some really wonderful elements in this book. For starters, the retelling is on point. One of my biggest pet peeves is when a retelling has virtually nothing to do with the original story. Luckily, Guillory manages to make it super clear that we’re reading Beauty And The Beast without making the characters dark or controlling; the plot fits in well with the modern-day world.

Plus, there are SO many fairy-tale references that I just couldn’t control my excitement. Obviously, there’s the book aspect (which is really how Belle and the Beast first start to fall in love – over the library), but there’s also a rose garden, “magical” household items, and more that I won’t spoil.

By The Book also features some of my favorite tropes: enemies to lovers AND sunshine/grumpy. And they’re done well – you can feel the chemistry between the characters jumping off the page, especially when they don’t like each other. The “hatred” is perfectly paced and doesn’t feel too aggressive, nor is it unrealistic.

A few elements felt less welcome for me. First of all, the tale sticks almost too closely to the original fairy-tale. I would have enjoyed a few surprise elements thrown in while keeping all of the cheeky references. After a bit, I already knew what was coming and the plot just couldn’t hold my interest. It definitely needed more.

But the bigger problem (at least for me) is how much the author tells. Almost every line she’s telling us how the characters feel, what they think, what they want to do, or what they’ve already done. I wanted to see a lot of this through their actions, words, mannerisms, etc. Each “telling” line jolted me out of the story and made the characters feel less real.

Lastly, the sizzling scenes are all behind closed doors, an unwelcome surprise for me. I don’t need my romances to be crazy steamy (though that’s never a bad thing) but I do want to see some connection between the characters on-page, if only to advance the plot. Even kissing is barely mentioned. I wanted to feel the tension between the characters on a visceral level. Like, even if the sex scene isn’t described word for word, I would still enjoy a bit more sexual tension – a flirty touch here, an accidental brush, etc. It felt more like the characters were growing from enemies to friends.

Overall, By The Book is a cute Disney retelling if you’re looking for a darling little fairytale. It filled my “happy” quota for the week and is definitely a great comfort read.

I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

I enjoyed it, it wasn’t my favorite but I think that’s simply based upon the fact that I just am not into modern fairytale retellings like I thought I was.

Jasmine did a great job to make sure her writing style matched the pace and tone of Beauty and the Beast.

The story overall was really cute and the romance developed at a really great pace. The whole time though I felt like I was reading something I had read before, nothing about the story took me by surprise.

I still think people will enjoy this book, go into it with the mindset of I don’t want to this to be something other than that of a modern fairytale retelling and know that you pretty much already know the storyline before you read it.

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

This book was adorable! I am I love with the concept of this Meant to Be series and can't wait for the next one. Beauty and the Beast is my favorite Disney film, and I loved seeing so many references scattered throughout. Thank you to Hyperion and NetGalley for the eARC!

This closed door modern romantic comedy inspired by Beauty and the Beast was another great book from Jasmine Guillory. The story starts out a bit slow as she sets the stage, but once it gets moving, i couldn’t put it down. The love story had depth to it, with both characters growing throughout the book. The Easter egg type connections to BATB made the story even better.

I received an ARC in exchange for my review. Thank you to Hyperion and NetGalley.

I love Jasmine Guillory books. While they are the most corny romance novels, her writing style keeps me engaged.

This title is interesting because it pulls inspiration from one of our favorite Disney stories. I loved the way Jasmine incorporated aspects of the Disney story into this one. The descriptive words used and the minor details that signals the relation between the two was great.

While the story itself is predictable and follows most romantic novels, I still enjoyed it. As an avid book reader, I loved the incorporation of writing and publishing. I loved the connection between NY and CA. The “from hating each other to loving each other” is one of my favorite tropes. I would have liked more of a reaction for Gavin but other than that, a great, easy read.

By the Book is fantastic modern retelling of Beauty and the Beast set in the publishing world. Beau is a jaded and withdrawn author who's hiding away and having a hard time finding himself--much like Izzy.

There were times the where you would forget that Izzy and Beau were in-fact older than they seemed with some of the arguments/banter that took place. I did enjoy the book more and more with each chapter and the character development for Izzy and Beau both as individuals and together was delightful.

It's hard not to hum the Disney songs while you're reading with descriptive lines like, " Izzy and Beau begin to realize there may be something there that wasn't there before."

3.5/5

A super cute and fun romance book about books! It was incredibly refreshing to see a black woman in a “princess” role so to speak. This book gave all the warm and fuzzies and the romance was incredibly cute and wholesome. The time the two main characters spent together was sweet and I loved the banter! Definitely a 4.5/5 for me!

After reading this authors other books, I already knew before reading this that I would love it. I absolutely loved the characters and how their relationship grew throughout the book. I think that both main characters had so much growth throughout the book, both professionally and personally. I will definitely be recommending this book to all of my friends when this comes out!

3.8 Stars
Overall, I really enjoyed this book. I liked the pacing, the PG romance, the bookish vibes, the fun nods to Disney’s Beauty and The Beast, and the storyline. It was a fast, entertaining bookish read and it’s perfect for romance fans who don’t like a lot of steam in their books.
However, there were some red flag moments in the relationship that through me off. (It is a Beauty and the Beast retelling so red flags might be a necessity but they never sat right with me).
Thank you to the publishers and Netgalley for providing me an eARC to review in exchange for an honest review!

𝐇𝐄𝐀𝐃𝐋𝐈𝐍𝐄: Book two in Disney's 𝘔𝘦𝘢𝘯𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘉𝘦 𝘚𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘴 was not meant for me.

I have read all six titles in Jasmine Guillory's Wedding Date series and enjoyed them all, some more than others. BY THE BOOK felt very different from her other books. I missed the palpable energy, smart dialogue and banter I'd come to expect from Guillroy's previous work. I enjoyed it, but it didn't give me "hearts in my eyes" like I'd hoped.

WHAT TO KNOW:
- Modern day reimagined Beauty and the Beast
- Izzy (Belle) is a publishing assistant at Tale As Old As Time and is tasked with helping Beau (Beast) write his memoir
- Felt more New Adult/YA in tone.
- It read like a Disney movie.
- Slow burn to a closed door romance
- Set in Santa Barbara
- Plenty of B&B nods including a character nicknamed Kettle
- Cute and breezy. Relaxing, easy reading.
- Lots and lots of snacks.
- Loads and loads of all things books- reading, writing and rule-breaking smooching in the library.

So- if any of the descriptions above are your cup of tea - Be My Guest. It might be meant to be.

I absolutely loved, By the Book. Isabelle is a young professional working for an editor in NYC. She finds herself in California trying to convince Beau, the temperamental famous young man to finish (or even start) his memoir that he promised her company. Izzy works hard to shape the writing, but she also finds something else in California. Promise and new beginnings.

Thank you, NetGalley, for an advanced copy of this novel.

A strong woman can make things happen without intending to and Izzy is that woman. This was a quick read that keeps you turning pages.

Isabelle is fresh in the publishing industry. She is the only Black employee at the publishing house. Izzy is what her friends call her and she is in need of a break. She gets just that in an attempt to impress her boss when she inserts herself into a conversation.

Issable arrives at Beau Towers' home in Santa Barbara, only to regret checking on someone who hadn’t responded to her emails. Not once in almost a year! Upon meeting Beau she believes all of what the tabloids write about him. An unexpected event happens and she is able to engage with Beau; as well is challenged to see if her “pep talks” could motivate him to write the memoir. One extra day in California is extended. They create a bond while breaking down emotional barriers limiting his ability to tell his story.

By the Book is a classic old tale written to relate with our current generation's perspective on life and relationships. Izzy and Beau’s connection with one another strengthens over time; a nice reminder that one person can change the course of your life. Together, they work on their own healing and goals by encouraging one another. Are they a match? Will Beau finish his book? This is a light and romantic read to enjoy during the spring and summer months.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this book. This was my first time reading Guillory and now Im kicking myself that I havent read her before. This wasnt your typical romance; i dont know what i was expecting actually, maybe steamy but this was so much better than I expected. Her writing is amazing and I loved every minute of the story. Especially as a book reader, this hit the soft spot. It will definitely be a hit.

It seemed as if I was going to get annoyed by how positive and peppy Isabelle was at the beginning of this story, however she quickly became a much more relatable character after two years at her job. The nods to Beauty and the Beast were just the right amount of obvious but modern. While the story was predictable, of course, I loved to see how the relationship between Isabelle and Beau developed over the weeks.

BY THE BOOK is a modern take on Beauty and the Beast. I loved trying to find all of the little nods to the original - from the wifi password to the TV show that Izzy and Beau watch together to the company Izzy works for.

Izzy loves books. She’s actually an editor at Tale As Old As Time publishing (TAOAT throughout the book for brevity). When she volunteers to help the elusive and reportedly aggressive Beau Towers write his memoir, she never expected to be essential stuck in a (albeit very large and beautiful) house with him for nearly two months. Let alone fall in love in the process.

(Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC in exchange for an honest review!)

I found this to be a joy of a book! Isabelle has been an editorial assistant for 2 years and is feeling stuck and unhappy. She has been told there is not room for her to grow at her publishing company and she is tired of living with her parents. When she overhears her supervisor complaining about a "cancelled" celebrity, Beau Towers, that they had signed for a memoir who was unresponsive to all communications, Isabelle volunteers to show up at his house to see if she can get him to start working on his book. She winds up moving into his mansion for almost 2 months to work with him on his memoir and their relationship grows. It's a Beauty and the Beast inspired tale and I enjoyed it immensely. Isabelle, or Izzy, is a strong and likeable character and her relationship with Beau, though contentious at first, grows in a sweet and believable way. Also, food! One of my favorite traits of Izzy's is that she loves food and isn't not afraid to talk about it and show it. (Previous to this book I had read one that was filled with a lot of body shame and calorie restricting under the guise of body positivity and it was the worst which is maybe partly why I found this one so refreshing.) Very briefly Izzy considered not wearing a bikini, but then she did and she felt great.
Also, this is a book about loving books and those are always a treat!