There is something about Izzy that captivated me right from the beginning.

It was her softness, in a world where Black women don't get to be soft, it was beautiful to watch her happiness and optimism and hope.

Then seeing her personal journey of finding a space was a soft space for someone who has issues in toxic spaces.

The romance though!! Grumpy and Sunshine troupe (which is one of my favorites) with all the great Beauty and the Beast references which gave me so much nostalgia for when I was a little girl seeing Belle in a magical world that I so much wanted to be a part of. Jasmine Guillory really did write it for us and I can't thank her enough.

*SPOILER*
One of my favorite things about the book was seeing her talk to furniture, it was awesome!

I love to read. I always have at least five books on my iPad. However, when I have a book by one of my favorite authors, I get sad when I’m reading their latest book because of the anticipation of the book, and that feeling when I start reading it has all felt so good. And I don’t want it to end! This feeling is precisely what happened with the latest by Jasmine Guillory and the second installment of the Meant to Be series.
It is a modern retelling of Beauty and the Beast set in Santa Barbara. Another reason why I enjoyed the book so much is because I went to college in Santa Barbara and lived there for a few years afterward. Our heroines, Isabelle, is an editorial assistant from New York tasked with helping a surly ill-tempered celebrity named Beau, and she hopes if she can get him to finish writing a long overdue memoir, then she’ll get promoted to an editor position
Well, you know how the story will end up. But, even so, it is a satisfying read. I love how the author writes about the dance that two people do wondering, “Does he/she like me or not?” Her writing is relatable, and oh, I can’t forget her beautiful descriptions of the food in the book either.
While I was a little disappointed that we didn’t get another glimpse and extend the story with characters from her previous books, I loved getting to know Izzy and Beau and would love to read more about them in the future. Maybe a story focusing on Michaela?

Let me start by saying that absolutely anything that Jasmine Guillory writes is a MUST read and this book is no different! A modern retelling of Beauty & The Beast that you will adore!

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Random House for providing me with this ARC.

Isabelle, a bookworm and aspiring writer, lands her dream job in publishing right out of college. As the years go by without a promotion the excitement of the job wears thin. The passion she once had for writing and the job is gone and Isabel (Izzy) feels lost. Izzy agrees to help Beau Towers, a problem client and a celebrity with a not so stellar reputation work on his memoir. Beau doesn't believe she can help him and she doesn't like his attitude. Until one day she begins to see that he is just lost like her and they start a tentative friendship that begins to feel like it could be more.

I enjoyed the progression of Izzy and Beau's relationship. As they worked together Beau opened up and they were able to get to know each other and explore their attraction. I would have preferred just a bit more flirting or true tension a bit sooner. However,The book was cute and the growth of the characters was satisfying. Besides the romantic elements in the book I loved that this book was a how to of writing. I felt like a very popular Romance Author was giving us some free insight into the process. Overall, I enjoyed this story and felt nostalgic with all the nods to Beauty and The Beast throughout the text.

This is definitely a cute little romance, but it’s a little too Hallmark for me. It’s been a few years since I last read Guillory, and I was excited about the general premise of this one, but I never really fell in love with the characters like I hoped to.

Just like the first book in the series, this was a very sweet and modern retelling. I really liked the character of Izzy and all of the fun Beauty and the Beast references. For me, there were parts where the story dragged a little and I didn't find Beau "beastly" enough at the beginning of the book. Overall though, this was a fun and light fluffy romance that I will recommend.

I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I loved this book. I think it was my favorite from this author!

This is my first book by Jasmine Guillory that I could not finish and I am really very sad about it. I would consider Guillory to be an "auto-buy" author for me, so I was very upset to not finish this book. I did not feel invested in the characters in the slightest and the chemistry between them just was not there for me. I hope her next book is better, since I really have loved all of her other work!

Very enjoyable turn-pager romance!

Spoiled actor promises a publisher a memoir; Izzy decides to knock on his door and determine the status.

Thank you to NetGalley, Jasmine Guillory the author and Hyperion Avenue the publisher for the opportunity to review the advance read copy of By the Book in exchange for an honest review. Publication date is May 3, 2022. If you like/love Jasmine Guillory's prior books, I'm sure that you will enjoy this one just as much!

I enjoyed this book but it was not as good as Guillory's other novels. I missed the clever back and forth between the protagonists, and Izzy's interactions with her friends or family. The action was very interior. I still can't picture Beau's appearance and he seems like a cardboard cutout rather than a fully developed character. Still, I read the book very quickly since I wanted to make sure the conclusion was satisfactory.

Gives you that fairy tale feel throughout the whole story. Cute love story in an unexpected way. I love reading books with characters who work with books! Cheesy story at times, but kept me wanting to continue the story. Quick, light read that leaves you smiling!

A charming and delightful romance. Fun sparks. I am eager to read more by this author. Thanks to the publisher for providing a copy via NetGalley.

Thanks to NetGalley for my gifted copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion and review.
A modern reimagining of Beauty and the Beast, this is the story of Beau and Isabelle. He’s a grumpy prospective author who hasn’t written a word and she’s an editorial assistant who’s lost faith in herself and her own literary ambitions.
This book was a slow burn but did have a HEA. Cute but not magical. 3.25 stars.

Guillory is usually a must-read for me. I had a hard time getting into this one and felt it was missing the spark that usually draws me into her books. I did enjoy the modernization of Beauty and the Beast and finding all of the references to the original.

I normally love everything from Jasmine Guillory and was super excited to read this Beauty and the Best retelling. It was enjoyable but a little underwhelming. It did not have the same spark as some of her other writings. I did like the way she modernized this classic story though.

I teach a writing unit about fairy tale adaptations, so am always here for another take and potential inspiration or new ideas! This book seems to be loosely based on Beauty and the Beast, but not enough that I knew what was going to happen or felt that it was too predictable. I loved all the discussions of reading and writing and just general love for books. The depiction of the publishing industry was well done (I can't speak to how accurate it is as my knowledge of that industry is limited), but I felt that the lack of diversity and representation was portrayed well without being too overdone or the entire story. The only character I felt was a little over the top was the villain (I won't say anything more specific as I don't want to give any spoilers!) - it seemed like he was a bit of a caricature, although that is true to fairy tales! This was such a fun read and I will definitely check out the other books in the series.

*I received an eARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

A sweet very low heat romance fromJasmine Guillory. I very much enjoyed Izzy and Beau’s romance and the setting in a house that gave a nod to the Disney movie. I was annoyed that we never found out what was in all the off limits rooms. That felt like a misstep.
Overall sweet, funny with low stakes and a lot of warm fuzzy feelings

Do yourself a favor and buy this book in May when it releases. This modern day rom-com twist on Beauty on the Beast was magical. I couldn’t think of a better author to have written it. I loved all the “Easter eggs” along the way. This book was perfect to me.

I though this book was too cute! The protagonist, Isabelle (Izzy for short) is the typical twenty something young woman, who is trying to figure out who she is and what she wants in life but, is completely lost. She started her dream job in publishing right out of college, but things aren't living up to the hype. She's the only black woman at work, she's constantly gaslighted by her colleague, and is still trying to win approval from her persnickety boss.

At a conference on the west coast, things take a turn. After a powerful conversation with another high profile black woman in publishing, an opportunity arises that she jumps on ASAP. A very difficult but famous author whom she's communicated with via email for years has still not sent in his manuscript, so, Izzy sets off on foot to get what her boss needs the most- the book.

The author is a mess. A hot mess to be exact. He's a grump, and has done no work on the manuscript he promised to deliver long ago. Izzy won't let this get her down. With small writing exercises and daily pep talks, she takes one step forward and two steps back but she is determined to over the author and to get her hands on the manuscript.

What starts out as a the story of the publishing beauty and her beast of an author, turns into the tale as old as time. The two begin realizing there's more to writing than it seems and you'll just have to tune in for the rest of the story. Cute, easy to read, and lighthearted, this is one I wouldn't miss!

Isabelle has been craving a career in writing and publishing for years and has finally landed herself a role at a solid firm in New York as an Assistant to a big wig publisher. Since she has started her colleague and the former assistant Gavin has tried to help her improve her skill set, to get better at her job and has even helped edit her own book- his feedback was rough. Her bestie at the firm, Priya has been cheering her on and encouraging her to go big.

Isabelle has been working on a huge book deal with a celebrity who has been in hiding for the past year or so, trying to get him to write his book, to no avail. While at a conference in California Isabelle's boss comments how she wishes she could go to this celebs door and just get him to write the book. Isabelle offers to do just that and does so.

Beau has been shut away from the world for over a year, and has agreed for some reason to write his story, to write a book. Isabelle, Izzy as her friends all her happens into his life in a way he never expects and inspires him to write his story. But will he ever finish? Will they publish it? How does Izzy do it?

Read Jasmine Guillory's By the book, a beautiful, sentimental, intense, emotional, inspiring novel that simply touches your soul. It is the best kind of story that leaves you feeling hopeful and inspired. The writing is brilliant and the characters are so well written that they come alive on the page.

I read this as a part of an ARC but I will be buying a copy for my bookshelf!