I love love loved If the Shoe Fits by Julie Murphy. And I love Jasmine Guillory's books a lot. When I requested this title, I did not even realize that this was the next book in the Meant to Be series.
And I have never been this excited to realize this.

This book was so great. I enjoyed the twist on the Beauty and the Beast tale - I even sometimes forgot it was a retelling.
I also just... really love the body positivity in these books. It makes me feel warm and fuzzy and seen.

I loved everything about this Black contemporary Beauty & the Beast. captured my attention from the first page. wonderful character development and pacing, bolstered by a creative plot.
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brief synopsis: Isabelle works as an editorial assistant in New York, struggling with grunt work & low wages, till she finds herself in Santa Barbara, helping author Beau Towers complete his memoir. Beau initially comes across as angry, bitter, even spoiled, but their relationship evolves with the spirit of ‘something there that wasn’t there before’ from Beauty & the Beast. it’s so sweet.
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I’m now a big fan of this series. IF THE SHOE FITS and BUY THE BOOK are two of my favorite recent contemporary romances. fitting that while Cinderella works in fashion (and offers fat representation), Belle works in publishing (and offers Black representation). books are magical in BY THE BOOK, and the protagonist is a princess of books.

4.5 stars

Light, fun, fluffy, satisfying, happy…those are all good adjectives to describe this contemporary fairy tale. It’s not super original in all ways, but it’s also not supposed to be; it’s a bit of a unique twist on a tale as old as time with fun (and sometimes subtle) nods to the original story. I liked the characters, the plot, the setting. I already knew I enjoyed Jasmine Guillory’s romance writing, and although it’s toned down in ways from a lot of contemporary romances (ex. virtually all sex takes place off the page; I’m guessing that’s because it’s a Disney publication?), it’s still very sweet. I enjoyed this modern, feminist retelling of one of my favourite magical stories.

I’m really liking this series. We had a plus-sized protagonist in the first book, and now we have a Black couple in the second book, so it’s nice to see more true diversity starting to show up in Disney stories, although there’s still a lot that needs to be considered for meaningfully diverse representation. I’m looking forward to the next addition to the series and can’t wait to see who will be writing it. Personally, I’m hoping for the next one to feature a queer romance. Fingers crossed!

A modern retelling of Beauty and the Beast. Book 2 of the Meant to Be Series, but is a complete stand-alone (books are a series because they are based on fairytales, not due to connected characters/storylines).

Izzy is an editor's assistant. She has been sending former child star Beau Towers regular emails because his memoir is overdue. He never answers or even acknowledges them. He goes to his house to talk to him about it and winds up agreeing to stay with him to give him regular pep talks. A week turns into a month, a month into two months.... As she and Beau work together, she finds he is not who he portrays himself to be.

This book was OK. I was frustrated sometimes with how ridiculous and/or outrageous some of the plot lines were. Like, I get it is fiction, but my imagination can only take me so far. I did find some things cute- like Beau's assistant/cook make beef ragu for dinner, just like the movie.
Also, early on, Beau was referred to as Beau Towers every time. Full name. And over, and over, and over again. I swear his full name probably appears over 100 times.

I listened to the audio version. Sarah Hollis narrated. I was... not a fan. No one likes a monotone narrator, but this was to the other extreme. Especially early on, it came off very shrill. It was hard to listen to.

I received an audio copy in exchange for an honest review.

By the Book is the second book in the Meant to Be series, but you don't need to read If the Shoe Fits first in order to follow and enjoy this story. This book is a modern twist on the classic tale of Beauty and the Beast following protagonist Isabelle and her journey in the world of publishing. After years of work she is still an editorial assistant and the only Black employee at Tale As Old As Time Publishing so when she overhears her boss complaining about an author who has failed to submit his manuscript (or even respond to emails) she takes it upon herself to go to his house and give him a pep talk. Isabelle soon realizes there is more to Beau Towers than just his beastly reputation and they discover they have more in common than they could have imagined. There is a lot to love about this romance: the characters are dynamic and entertaining, the settings make the reader long for vacation and there are plenty of hidden Beauty and the Beast gems. If you want to read a book full of more books then this is the book for you.

Special thanks to Netgalley for the eARC in exchange for my honest review.

3,5 rounded up.

I've really been looking forward to the second book in the Disney Meant to be series written by Jasmine Guillory. The first book was a Cinderella retelling and this newest one is a Beauty and the Beast retelling. The clever references to the Disney movie were great but overall I found this a little too much of a sloooooow burn. I wanted to fast forward through the audiobook several times as I was listening.

The parts I did like though included:
- BIPOC leads
- a grumpy/sunshine trope
- forced proximity
- editor/writer workplace romance
- writing tips

This book was also a close door romance with only on page kissing. Overall I would recommend this for fans of Emily Henry, Must love books by Shauna Robinson or Meet me in the margins by Melissa Ferguson . Much thanks to NetGalley and Disney for my advance review copies! The audio narration by Sarah Hollis.

Beauty and the Beast with a twist — Izzy is a hopeful writer who is biding her time as an editorial assistant. Beau is a wealthy heir with writers block. It is Izzy’s job to get Beau writing, before she loses her job and he loses his book deal.

The modern twist on a classic fairytale is adorable. Guillory weaves in the names and themes of Beauty and the Beast is a fun and relatable way. The book doesn’t feel contrived or farfetched… and no one is trapped (bonus points for that one). I loved the relationships in this novel, but I feel like Gavin could have been a bit more menacing. He was mostly just annoying.

Thank you Hyperion Avenue and Netgalley for this ARC. I will definitely be buying the physical copy to add to my collection.

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4662465237

Jasmine Guillory seems to be hit or miss for me. I loved Royal Holiday, especially the fact that it was not steamy/spicy - I'm not into that. The Wedding Date was just OK, with a little too much spice for my taste. This one was very PG rated but I just didn't connect with the characters. I loved the Beauty and the Beast aspect of the book, and I loved the first book in this series (If the Shoe Fits). I would say I enjoyed the beginning and end of By the Book. But they spent sooooo long in the middle building it up. The characters don't even kiss until 70% of the way through. The ending was great, and sweet, but overall it was just too slow of a build for me and got too repetitive. Also the narrator's giggles GOT ON MY NERVES.

Absolutely delightful. I have enjoyed every Jasmine Guillory book I've read so far, and this was no exception. This retelling of Beauty and the Beast was a joy. I loved all the easter eggs! It's definitely gotten me interested in the rest of these books.

I received an arc of this title from NetGalley for an honest review. Love the characters in this book, and I hope to read more by this author. Excellent storyline, characters, and story.

Despite being SUPER predictable, I LOVED this chick lit romance. I ABSOLUTELY LOVED THE NARRATOR (yes, that's in all caps. She may be my new favorite voice. She was animated and put passion into the voice. She even added giggles and I could hear her emotions as she read. Hands down one of the most animated narrators I have ever had the pleasure of listening to! I have been gushing about this one since I finished it!).

Back to the book: I adore Beauty and the Beast -so anything with that vibe brings me happiness. The Tale as Old as Time vibes between Beau and Izzy made my heart happy. I loved all the literary references and the glimpse into the publishing world. I love that Izzy personifies the furniture in Beau's mansion - I, too, love talking to tea cups and super amazing bath tubs.

This book provided escapism at its finest. I felt transported to the mansion in Santa Barbara and the beach were Izzy learns to surf. Totally a fun and cheerful romance that left me smiling at the end.

Loved this audiobook. The narrator is fantastic and the story keeps you cheering for both main characters. Characters were developed very well. Just a great, feel good book.

Isabelle's (Izzy) dream is to work in publishing and one day write her own book. She starts her new job full of life, energy and enthusiasm. Fast forward two years and she is still eager to be a part of the publishing world, but some of her enthusiasm is waning and she is beginning to second guess herself, mostly in part to the comments of her coworker who she thinks is her friend. While at a conference she takes it upon herself to seek out the recluse author who's memoir is way overdue. She goes to Beau's house to be greeted by what can only be the Beast to her Belle. However she ends up staying to try and get the book at least started and a tale as old as time unfolds from there. I love how Jasmine Guillory uses the basis of The Beauty and the Beast story to create By the Book and I love what a strong lead character Izzy was. She was real and relatable. I was draw in from the start. The narrator Sarah Hollis was outstanding. You forgot there was only one person reading the book. Even if you are not a usual romance reader this book is worth your time.

I enjoyed this romance. Sadly I felt like the beauty and beasts pieces of the story were the framework that the romance was forced around rather than the fun Easter egg parts that fit into the romance itself. I love Disney and belle so I’m disappointed I didn’t love it as much as I wanted to. It was a little cringe most of the belle parts and I feel the romance story would have been better without it. Again, overall the romance was one you’d expect if you read any other of Jasmine Guillory's books and was satisfying. The ending was great and it all pulled together nicely. Thank you to the publisher and the net galley for the audiobook arc. The laughing of the narrator was the only thing that drew me out of the story in that form.