A cute read for a rainy day when you want to stay inside but dream of being somewhere else! Guillory's take on a long-time classic will resonate for readers who can remember (or are currently experiencing) their early to mid twenties, when everything feels exciting and unknown. For long-time Guillory fans, this book has less of the spice and steam than her classic reads, but the characters are just as fun and relatable.

Earnestly, I'm devastated by how unenjoyable I found this. I have at least one Jasmine Guillory book on my shelves right now that I am praaaaying reads better than this. Since I've never read her before, I don't know if this is actually her style of writing or not. However, it felt juvenile and way too easy. The Beauty and the Beast references were cute, but also...not? I don't know. IDK how it turned out, either. I DNF'ed.

"By the Book" is a modern retelling of Beauty and the Beast. In it, sweet publishing assistant Izzy Marlowe finds herself helping surly Hollywood actor Beau Towers with writing his memoir. She temporarilly moves in to his palatial Santa Barbara house and sparks fly. This is a pretty PG romance, especially compared to the Wedding Date series by Guillory, but still an epic love story. It was hard to put down and filled all the fairy tale love story requirements. The only awkward part were some of the references to the source material. I thought referring to lyrics with things like a publishing company called Tale as Old as Time was cute; the mutliple references to thinking the appliances were going to start to talk were a little much. But overall, solid, engaging retelling.

As huge fan of Jasmine Guillory and Disney, I was ecstatic to begin this novel. I cannot recommend it enough! It has a main character with a love of food and a brooding love interest. I thoroughly enjoyed the nods to Disney’s Beauty & the Beast in the story, especially Kettle for Mrs. Potts. While not as ~steamy~ as Jasmine Guillory’s other books (it is a Disney book, so understandable), the characters still shared intimate, sweet moments. I would recommend this for my very mature readers that I teach, and to any of my friends.

In By the Book, Isabelle is struggling to assert herself in her career and own life. She finds herself in charge of trying to get an author for the publishing house she in employed for back on track in writing his novel. Events escalate during a visit and she finds herself a guest at his house. Beau is not what she expects and proximity works its magic.

This is not just a romantic tale of two people who happen to find themselves living together by chance. These two help each other accept their own strengths and work on their weaknesses. They also learn to accept each other and how to build communication. Isabelle believes in Beau when he doesn't believe in himself and Beau believes in Isabella when she hasn't has the self-confidence to believe in herself. Jasmine Guillory is an excellent storyteller and she brings the vulnerability of Beau and Isabelle to life on those pages. You can literally feel the tension between those two when they fight or just exchange glances, you cheer for Beau when he begins to write, and you want raid that snack cabinet every night.

Thanks to Net Galley and Hyperion Avenue for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

There were some inconsistencies in timeline and progression that I hope will be worked through before final release. Overall a nice YA story that was too heavy handed on the Beauty and the Beast references.

Thank you to NetGalley and Hyperion for the ARC.

Any time I see Jasmine Guillory has a new book, I immediately smash the request button. This was insanely sweet. I loved the nods to Beauty and the Beast, but it wasn't overwhelming or cheesy. It was spicy, but toned way down. The romance was heartfelt and fun, it was so easy to call in love with all the characters. Excellent.

As a huge fan of both jasmine Guillory and disney, I had very high expectations going in to this book. I was absolutely thrilled when the book exceeded all my hopes for the perfect modern belle and beau! Swoon worthy doesn’t even begin to cover it. Great nods to the animated film while still being beautiful original and modern.

I am a huge Jasmine Guillory fan and I can see how this was a collaboration for her with Disney. It reads like a Jasmine Guillory book but also there is enough “off” for lack of a better word about it that I can tell it doesn’t all come from her. It had the fun banter and the great descriptions of food, but there were other parts that I think stuck out and I don’t believe would be in any other book by her. But overall it was a fun read.

An absolutely charming reimagining of the beauty and the beast fairytale, complete with sweet hints at the Disney version.

By the Book by Jasmine Guillory is a sweet take on Beauty and the Beast set in the world of publishing. When Izzy is tasked with helping Hollywood bad-boy Beau work on his memoir at his house in Santa Barbara, he proves to be more challenging than she anticipated. The characters come to life immediately and I loved reading how their tenuous working relationship grew into a lovely friendship (and more). If you love the literary life and reformed "beasts", this one is for you!

A new favorite of mine! Izzy is a doll, and the best friend you want to root for. The plot was great, however, the pacing was a bit wacky. In some parts we experienced a hefty time jump within the same chapter, and in others it felt like time just wouldn’t fly.

I’m going to blame the flaws of this book on the fact that it’s coming from a Disney imprint for adults. Like why have Jasmine for a fade to black book? Jasmine is really successful in keeping the tension between Izzy and Beau, and the come together is perfect for anyone who loves a grand gesture. I think this is the bottom of the reccs for Jasmines books, but that’s mostly because her other books are top tier for me.

This is the perfect modern, retelling of Beauty and the Beast. I couldn't put this book down. The new setting is translates so well to the original story. I couldn't think of a better way to update the story.