Guillory had me waking up at 3am thinking about this book and wanting to read it. I would almost always rather be reading than anything else, but I so very much enjoyed this book. By the Book is a Beauty and the Beast retelling. I didn’t realize this at first, but even if you’ve only seen the movie once, the reader will pick up on the theme. I felt so much hope for our main characters, Izzy and Beau. Both of them have struggles and learn to open up to each other. I would love to see an adaptation like this in the movies, I don’t need a CGI beast, I want a retelling. One of the things I kept thinking about was when these characters had conflict, they almost immediately dealt with it and explained themselves to each other. I kept thinking, why don’t we do this in real life? I want to be more like these characters and face my conflicts head on and lead with kindness like Beau learns to do. Overall, yes, I would recommend this book. It is beyond cute!

Netgalley provided an electronic ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I struggled to finish this title because the main character was so naive, and she repeatedly talked to her bathtub and about her bathtub. Izzy is a twenty-something who works at a publishing company called Tale As Old As Time. Her boss is a nightmare and Izzy is being gaslit by a conniving coworker. When Beau, a spoiled beast of a celebrity, is struggling to write his memoir, Izzy volunteers to pay him a visit. Beau has a tragic past which doesn't feel all that tragic when the secret behind his pain is revealed. There are cute moments of romance and way too much talk about food (I got hungry!), but the central relationship is toxic and I didn't want it to last.

From the cover, description and the fact that this was a modern day retelling of my favorite fairy tale (Beauty and the Beast), I was immediately drawn to this book. I had really high hopes, but unfortunately the story didn’t quite click for me.

The pacing early on was a bit slow to the start and so I had trouble really falling into the world of the story and getting swept away. I wished to feel more investment in the characters – though again, I think this could also be attributed to my inability to get swept up in the story world. I also wished I felt a bit more connection between the characters, for a romance I didn’t get a strong romance vibe. It took awhile for the romance element to begin to build, and then I didn’t really ‘feel’ that chemistry between the leads.

Overall, this one wasn’t for me personally, but I do think there are a number of individuals and fans of Beauty and the Beast that would enjoy this one.

"By the Book"
Hmmm. I had a little difficulty expressing my feelings with this story. She is a retelling of "Beauty and the Beast", which is one of my favorite fairy tales, but it is the most common to be retold and for that the book needs to be VERY good to stand out among so many others that exist and will exist. . That's not a criticism, it's just that it's not such an original story, but the writing style is nice, the plot is fun and the story is captivating even with the various imperfections, it's just not, you know, unpredictable. 3.5 or 4.0 stars, I don't know, but other than that it's still a great story. :)
Thank you to netgalley for providing me with an eArc.

I love books about people who love books and I guess now people who are writing books! I also love Jasmine Guillory so I just knew I was fall in love with this book and these characters and I was not wrong! From the moment I meet this grumpy/sunshine pair I was hooked! Who doesn’t love a slow burn romance filled with books? If you also love books, people who love books, grumpy/sunshine, and slow-burn definitely check out this book when it comes out May 3rd, 2022!

Such a cute good read! I am in love with Beau Towers! This is such a feel good retelling! I couldn't put it down! Definetly recommend!

The summary of this book offered a cute, quirky romance and I was really excited for it, but the writing felt off, and didn’t bring me into the story through showing as much as just tell the story.

4 slow-burning, atmospheric, serendipitous stars!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me a digital copy for review!

I was SO excited for this one - hand me literally ANY romance that has some sort of "bookish" aspect to it, and I am IN.

So, getting right into it, Isabelle ["Izzy"] Marlowe landed an amazing job working for a publishing company - however several years later she has yet to be promoted and feeling a little "stuck" at her job. She gets a kick out of writing funny e-mails to one of their clients whom basically refuses to write/work on their memoir at ALL. It's not like he would ever reply, right? Might as well make it fun! Her boss incessantly complains that the memoir will never be written at that rate.

Later, at an event, Izzy volunteers herself to go visit Beau Towers in California, to see if by some chance he might budge a little - or at least prove he's real? Turns out Beau is kind of a LOT... and rumors have it that he's got quite the mean streak. It would take a lot to break down the barriers between them.

Without spoilers, this may be a new favorite "trope' of mine, if you could call it that.

One of my biggest complaints about this one is that I wanted MORE - the romance that develops is SUCH a slow burn that it is infuriating!

Overall, a solid romance for 2022 with a refreshing relationship development and atmosphere.

As a Jasmine Guillory fan, I missed her familiar cast. As an admitted avoider of fairy tales, this wasn’t my favorite. But it was sweet and lighthearted, and I love that she’s a part of this popular series.

I always wanted to read a book by this author but never got around to it. This story was slow and often felt a bit immature for the main characters in the book. The author put a spin on a classic fairy tale and in the end it worked out. Isabelle and Beau had totally different personalities but they complimented each other. This story was a slow slow slow burn but I actually ended enjoying the book. Thank you NetGalley and Hyperion Avenue for providing me with an ARC.

Another gem from Jasmine Guillory!!! I didn’t expect anything less and she did not disappoint!!

I don’t usually like to read e-books, but this one had me captivated from beginning to end and I didn’t even care I was reading a book on my phone.

Fans of Jasmine, you must pick this one up! If you haven’t read her books yet, I highly recommend! Fans of Christina Lauren, Farrah Rochon, and Tif Marcelo, will love Jasmine Guillory!

I will pick up anything from Guillory so I was excited to see her take on a modern Beauty and the Beast. Unfortunately, so much of what makes her romances so wonderful didn't fit into a retelling. It felt constrained by the bounds of the fairy tale, although I did have fun picking out all the details she managed to weave into the storyline. The budding romance isn't bad but the book definitely lacks the steam I expect from Guillory, so head's up if you want that from your romance novels. This is PG at best. All in all, you won't find too much in the way of surprises here but if you are a Beauty and the Beast fan, you'll enjoy it.

Thanks to the publisher for providing an ARC through Net Galley in exchange for an honest review.

This is written in quintessential Jasmine Guillory style! This second book in the “Meant To Be” series of adult books Disney is putting out was delightful.

It’s a riff off Beauty and the Beast. Izzy is the beautiful, peppy, book “Belle.” She is the only black employee as assistant editor of a publishing company called Tail As Old As Time (hint hint) sent to deal with the grumpy Beau, who hasn’t turned in his memoir.

Things that scream modern Disney: the castle like California mansion, the library with rolling ladders, a rose garden, the WiFi password is Lum1ere!, the chefs name is Michaela, she has one baby son and her nickname is Kettle like Mrs. Potts and she loves tea plus so much more!

This was a cute novel. Izzy and Beau’s banter is entertaining but man Priya is freaking awesome! Give me a whole book just for her! I loved how she went deep with the personal issues over time, letting the characters slowly open up rather than dumping it in chunks. You also get to see how they support each other through their issues which was great. If you’re expecting hot steamy scenes like her previous books….there are none but you don’t miss it at all and maybe that’s because the book was more simply written to the point of almost older YA level.

Thank you Netgalley and Hyperion Avenue for the arc.

By the Book is second fairytale retelling in the Meant to Be series. Each book is a stand alone written by different authors. This was my first time reading a book by Jasmine Guillory. It took me a few chapters to get into her writing style. Izzy and Beau portray versions of the characters in this modern version of Beauty and the Beast.

Izzy is working as an editor's assistant trying to move up in her career in the publishing industry. She is constantly working hard but her boss doesn't seem to recognize it. Izzy overhears her boss complaining about how someone needs to knock on a difficult clients door to get him to work on his memoir. She volunteers to go to Santa Barbara and prod him into turning something in. Beau agrees to work on the memoir but only if Izzy lives in his home and guides him through the writing process.

Izzy and Beau have a grumpy/sunshine dynamic. Izzy tries giving him lots of ridiculous pep talks in the beginning. Beau was so gruff all the time; almost to the point of being mean in certain instances. I understand he was hurting and not really able to process his feelings but it made me cringe a bit. It wasn't until two thirds of the way in that I found myself liking Beau because he became much more open. All of the little Disney easter eggs (Kettle, yellow dress, grey drink being delicious, Provincial Life etc) were fun to see snuck in. Overall, I thought this was a good closed door romance. I thought the ending was adorable and everyone needs a Michela in their life.

3.5 stars
Thank you to NetGalley and Hyperion Avenue for this eARC. All opinions expressed are my own. stars

By the Book by Jasmine Guillory

Quick Thoughts: 4/5 Stars
I was smiling from ear to ear the whole time while I read this book! Jasmine Guillory is my all-time favorite romance author, modern re-tellings are such a joy in my reading life and a book on books always has a place on my bookshelves! This book was so much fun and I'm so glad I was able to read it!

The Set Up:
Bubbly and endearing Isabelle (Izzy) is feeling burnt out as an editorial assistant at her publishing house, Tale as Old at Time. In a leap to prove herself at her job, she offers to travel out of her norm and work with a grumpy, disgruntled Beau; an aspiring author who has locked himself up in his mansion and refuses to send in his manuscript regardless of the impending deadline looming.

What comes next is the sweetest enemies to lovers; grumpy-sunshine, modern take on a love story known to all of us!

I really enjoyed the twist of this classic fairy-tale into modern times; especially seeing Izzy seek fulfillment in her relationship with Beau, her career and her happiness! It was magical, sweet and romantic! Coming out May 3rd; make sure you get your hands on this one for all the romantics in your life!

Thanks to the publisher, Hyperion Avenue and NetGalley for the advanced reading copy.
#BytheBook #NetGalley

Two things I didn't know going into this book: 1. it's a Beauty and the Beast retelling and 2. it's published by Disney. I do believe if I had known that going into it I wouldn't have texted my friends, "If I had balls, they would be blue." I was expecting some STEAM as I've loved what I've gotten from Jasmine Guillory's previous books but this kept building up and then we got a fade to black. Omg. ANYHOW. I still really enjoyed this book and would recommend it but just have those two callouts in mind haha!

This was really cute. I liked If The Shoe Fits by Julie Murphy a lot so I was really excited to see that this is becoming a series of different authors writing Disney retellings! I will read anything Jasmine Guillory writes so I was really stoked to get approved for this on NetGalley!
By the Book is of course a Beauty and the Beast retelling. Super cute and fun. It was a little cheesy at times but like in a good way. Izzy and Beau were great together. Their banter was really fun and seeing them slowly open up to each other over time was sweet. This is definitely a bit of a slow burn!
If you’ve read Jasmine’s other books, you might be expecting some steamy scenes in this. But there are none. All you get is kissing. That’s not a bad thing, I didn’t mind it at all. Also didn’t expect a book published by Disney to have smut lol.
Definitely would recommend! I love me a good retelling. The book will be out on 5/3!

This will be posted on my Instagram @katebrownreads in the next few weeks as well!

By the Book by Jasmine Guillory is a modern re-telling of Beauty and the Beast and is the second novel in the Meant to Be Series, an adult publishing project. Both books can be read as a stand-alone and have no characters in common since each novel in the series is written by a different author. Isabelle (Izzy) works for the publishing company Tale As Old As Time (often referred to as TAOAT in the novel) and has been tasked with the finally getting Beau Towers to write his tell-all-memoir. Upon arriving at Beau's Santa Barbara mansion, he essentially yells at her and insists she stays at his home to help him write the manuscript. Since he hasn't left her much of a choice, she stays in his home very reluctantly to try to connect this grumpy "monster" with his inner writer.

Honestly, the details that made it a "Beauty and the Beast" re-telling, felt very glossed over. Her yellow dress on the stairs, Michaela being called Kettle, etc. While I could see Beau being similar to Beast due to his temperament, I didn't really see Belle in Izzy. I know this is a re-telling and obviously things can not be the exact same, if it weren't for the fact that I know this is a re-telling of Beauty and the Beast and I know it's part of the same publishing project, I don't think I would have even clued into that fact.

Izzy and Beau have that "slow burn" or "enemies to lovers" kind of feel, but I didn't really feel it. They were too "PG" and not enough "heat"! Maybe it's because this is geared towards a younger audience and that's why there wasn't really any sexual tension between the characters? Or even the fact that the "sex" scene was just implied? I don't know, I just didn't overly get into the story. I hope I'm not discouraging anyone from wanting to read this novel because there was nothing wrong with it! It just wasn't for me, nor was it really what I was expecting. 3/5 stars.

I didn’t like this book quite as much as other books by this author, but it was still a easy feel good read.

This Beauty and the Best retelling was just alright. The references were cute but I didn't find myself enjoying the characters. It also felt more cheesy than Guillory's other books. Overall, it was a very nice and easy read if you're looking for something fun.