By the Book is the second book in the Meant to Be series from Hyperion Avenue (Disney Books), and I had the pleasure of reading and reviewing an advanced copy of the first book in the series, If the Shoe Fits by Julie Murphy, last August. I have really enjoyed how both authors have reimagined Disney classics in modern contexts (If the Shoe Fits for Cinderella, By the Book for Beauty and the Beast). Many thanks to Hyperion Avenue and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion - for both of these books!
Isabelle works as an assistant in publishing in NY and, while attending a conference in California, offers to visit a celebrity under contract for a memoir that has missed deadline after deadline. When she arrives at his house, she is offered the opportunity to stay at the house and help him work on his book. What follows is a sweet, closed-door romance, where progress is made with the book and Isabelle learns more about herself and what she wants from her job before returning to NY and crushing an interview.
I have absolutely loved all seven books written by Jasmine Guillory - The Wedding Date was the first contemporary romance I read and it opened my eyes to a new genre and definitely ramped up my reading! I love the pep talks that she gives in her IG stories, and I was so excited that pep talks like those play a key role in the plot of By the Book! I also loved all of the subtle ways that key lyrics showed up in the book (Izzy works for the publisher Tale as Old as Time, a book event for “Then Somebody Bends” is referenced, etc.) - easter eggs like that always make me smile.
This is a sweet, fun read that publishes today!

🚨Release Day! “By the Book” by Jasmine Guillory is out today May 3rd.

A very sweet spin on “ A tale as old as time”…. 🥀
Izzy works in publishing and ends up trying real hard to impress the boss by moving in with the bully celebrity that they desperately want his memoir. Izzy has a deadline to produce results. Beau agrees to the terms and conditions but this may be harder than Izzy thinks as he doesn’t appear to even want to share his life story with her yet alone the world. Beau is cold and distance and Izzy just desperately wants her promotion but will Beau ever unmask his softer side?

Fun read, moves quickly and enjoyed these characters.

#julesbookshelf #releaseday #bythebook #netgalley #arc #jasmineguillory #outtoday #5-3

Like all of Jasmine’s books, this was funny and sweet, I found myself smiling at all the cuteness throughout the story. I loved how Izzy and Beau’s relationship grew and progressed, it felt so natural between them.
I didn’t love the first half of this book. The MCs fit their role perfectly in this Beauty and the Beast retelling but the set up of this plot line felt a bit forced. Once it moves past this captor/captive set up, this book just keeps getting better!

What a fun book!

I am a big fan of Jasmine Guillory's books and this one is a super fun bit of froth, just ideal for a summer day (into night) or winter day by the fire or... We have a serious, hardworking heroine who needs a few breaks with her snarky boss and sneaky coworker. We have a conflicted hunky hero who has hidden himself away after a big revelation. She needs to help him write his memoirs. Sparks fly, conflicts arise, life gets messy. I highly recommend that you set aside some time and curl up with this book! Maybe in your claw foot bathtub?

Thank you to the publisher who lent me a time-constrained e-arc via Netgalley. This review is optional and my own opinion.

Read this if you:
•enjoy a modern-day fairytale
•love books by Sarah Adams
•have ever had a deep love for a claw foot bathtub

I enjoyed this book a lot! This one was a little different than Jasmine Guillory’s other novels. It is part of the Meant to Be series, so it was a closed-door romance and fairytale retelling. It is the second in the series, the first being If the Shoe Fits.

This is a Beauty and the Beast inspired novel and I felt like all the nods to it were done so well! Belle is my fave and I love Beauty and the Beast so this whole book just made me happy. It was an easy lighthearted read. Plus, it’s a book about books so what more could we want?!

Isabelle is our leading lady, and she is a publisher on a mission to get a grumpy actor to write his memoir. The banter and romance that follows is very sweet. Typically, Guillory brings the steam, but I didn’t mind this one being fade to black. Beau was such a sweet guy, and I really appreciated his maturity and willingness for self-reflection! We love a man who can apologize and own his stuff!

Lastly, the California girl in me loved that this book was primarily set in Santa Barbara.

If you are looking for a sweet romance pick this one up today!

Thank you NetGalley and Hyperion Avenue for this eARC in exchange for an honest review!

Usually I love Jasmine Guillory but did not realize this was part of a series (missed the first book obv) and I feel like this kind of story has been told before. Disappointed and cannot recommend.

Hope her next book is not part of this series and is better.

Thanks to Netgalley, Jasmine Guillory and Hyperion Avenue for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Available: 5/3/22

Thank you NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

I really enjoyed this book and it made me love Beauty and the Beast even more than I previously did. I love being able to come across black re-tellings of the basic Disney stories as well which really got me! I’m so happy I was able to read this book since it was a smooth lovely read.

Thank you so much @netgalley @jasmineguillorypics @hyperionavenue for the chance to read this book early as an eARC.

rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (0-5 scale)
steam: 🔥 (0-5 scale) I usually do 1 for kissing & 2 for closed door. I think this was a closed door but, since I’m not sure if anything really happened behind any door, I’ll stick with the 1.

What I’m starry-eyed over:
🤩 Santa Barbara: the sun, the beach, the stucco houses, the groves . . . extra feels from me with these descriptions because I grew up in the area and have longed for it ever since. ☀️ 🏝 🍊 🍋 🥑
🤩 Everything book lovers: writers, publishers, journals, bookstores, and libraries. ✍️ 📝 📒 📚
🤩 Such a cute and delightful retelling of Beauty and the Beast, including a mansion with a possibly magic bathtub, a pantry full of snacks, and a swimming pool. I smiled a lot! :) 🛁 🏊‍♂️
🤩 Grumpy-sunshine trope with close proximity. 🚪
🤩 All the emotions when Beau introduces Izzy to his mom. 🥲
🤩 MCs becoming better versions of themselves with the help of each other AND positive therapy mention. 🥰

What I’m wishing/dizzy about:
💫 Caution—you will crave lots of wine, coffee, tea, tacos, lasagna, baked goods, and snacks while reading this book. And probably want to take lots of baths. Okay, I’m actually really starry-eyed over this part, just being silly putting it here. 🍷 ☕️ 🫖 🛀 🌮 🍪 🧁 🧇
💫 I expected the slow burn and the low steam (because Disney) but I didn’t quite get as much of the love, longing and lusty feels I was hoping for.

This is sweet and good-hearted, but unfortunately lacks enough substance to really stick with the reader. The writing feels very...basic...for lack of a better word. Lots of "telling" rather than showing, contrived plot points, and info-dump exposition. It's supposed to be a reimagining of a fairy-tale, but I couldn't connect with a compelling twist or new element to the story.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review.

3.75- I think the author did a great job of re-telling her version of Beauty and the Beast. Who doesn’t love books within books type of story? It flowed and was easy to follow. But as cute as it was, it felt like something g was missing. Some parts felt repetitive and the characters were okay. The female character, Izzy, felt so judgy and immature while Beau, was just mid. He wasn’t a love interest that I would melt my heart for like in other romances I’ve read.

Overall, though, it was still a cute, easy and comforting read.

I absolutely loved this cute and steamy retelling of beauty and the beast! This was a super creative take on the classic fairytale and I loved how little details from the original story was woven into this. This wasn’t like some of the other beauty and the beast retellings I’ve read since it was based on the fairytale more loosely but it also managed to turn a lot of the super creepy parts of the original story into cute, romantic ones. This book follows Isabella, an editorial assistant at a large publishing house, and Beau, a celebrity struggling to write his memoir. This book follows the two of them as they work together to write Beau’s book and overcome some of the obstacles that have been holding them back from what they truly want in life. The romance in this book was absolutely adorable and I love a good black love story! I also really liked how this book talked about mental health and the struggles of grief because I feel like that is something that isn’t talked about enough in the black community. I really enjoyed this book, it was a fun, quick read and I highly recommend it to anyone looking for a romcom featuring a diverse cast!

This beauty and the ‘beast’ retelling is just what I needed right in this moment. A page turner, with all the giddy feels, and sweet frustrations a good romance gives us.
I didn’t realize it is the second book in a series, but this one reads really well as a stand alone!
I will absolutely be listening to the audiobook!
Loved!

Have you ever enjoyed a book so much that you actually breathed a contented sigh as you finished the last page? Well, that was exactly my experience with Jasmine Guillory’s latest novel By the Book. By the Book is a contemporary retelling of Beauty and the Beast that is set in the publishing industry. In some ways I felt like this novel was tailor made for me because I’m a sucker for bookish characters, books about books, and Beauty and the Beast is my favorite fairytale.

In Guillory’s reimagined version of the classic fairytale, Belle is now Isabelle. Isabelle works at Tale As Old As Time publishing house and she has aspirations of becoming an editorial assistant one day. In order to prove to her boss that she is worthy of such a promotion, Isabelle volunteers to take on one of their most problematic clients, Beau Towers, a rude and gruff young man who is supposed to be writing a memoir for them. Beau is months behind his deadline, has not submitted a single page, and doesn’t respond to correspondence from anyone at the publishing house. If you guessed that Beau is the Beast character, you would be correct. And if you guessed that sparks would fly between Beau and Isabelle from the first moment Isabelle shows up on his front door step, you would also be correct!

As with the classic tale, there are enemies to lovers and grumpy sunshine romantic vibes everywhere. It’s easy to see that there’s a lot more to Beau than first meets the eye, if only Isabelle can get him to open up, which she is very determined to do, at first for her career but later because she starts to see beyond his gruff exterior and likes what she sees for more personal reasons. I loved watching their relationship evolve from those hostile moments when they first met, to a tentative friendship and productive working relationship, and then to a more personal connection. I especially loved that most of their bonding took place through scenes that focused on the actual writing of the book, with Isabelle coaching Beau through passages he was having trouble putting on paper. Isabelle is an aspiring writer as well but she hasn’t touched her book in months because of some cruel feedback she received from a coworker. One of my favorite moments of the book is when Beau learns this and gives Isabelle her own advice and coaxes her to start writing again. It was just so sweet and they were adorable sitting there together each working on their own books.

By the Book feels fresh and new, yet with a comforting sense of familiarity with its many nods to the original fairytale. If you’re a contemporary romance fan who also loves Beauty and the Beast, you’ll definitely want to check out By the Book.

If you are looking for a cute adult Beauty and the Beast reimagining with no spice, then this one is for you. It is a solid 3.5 stars. I probably would have rated it higher if the characters had more substance to them. Izzy read more well-rounded than Beau. It also was a single POV which worked well, but for that reason I feel like I missed a lot about Beau. I did like how Guillory incorporated Izzy's love of books by having her work as an Editorial Assistant. Also, both our characters are Black and I haven't read many Beauty and the Beast retellings with BIPOC characters so it was so great to have the representation. You can knock out this book in a few hours, which is nice. It may not have been my favorite, but Guillory is still a great writer and it was truly a cute novel. I would recommend this book.

This book was absolutely adorable and relatable. If you’re looking for a modern day Beauty and the Beast retelling, you’ve found the book for you! I loved all the similarities and the references. Such an amazing modern day rom-com.
I enjoyed the different personalities of Izzy and Beau. Complete opposites but fit together so well. I loved seeing them accomplish their dreams.
At the beginning, I didn’t know what to expect but a lot happened in the first 30%. I had no idea how more could happen for the rest but it blew my expectations.
I loved If The Shoe Fits and this was so similar but also extremely different. I think Jasmine Guillory has become and auto-buy author for me. I would love to see more books in this series. This book also made me want to fly to California and soak up the sun and surf some waves!
There were a few typos and grammatical errors, but this was an advanced copy.

This is the second installation in the Meant to Be series, "featuring updated and contemporary takes on classic Disney princesses" so do with that as you will. The fact that this was written by loved romance author Jasmine Guillory won me over my disdain for the Disney Princess.

You could read this and not know it was a retelling of Beauty and the Beast, but certain things might hit weird causing you to audibly "huh?". As a retelling it was alright, although it felt like the author was given a list of boxes she had to check that seemed out of no where (I think the wifi password was Lumière, and Mrs. Potts was now Ms. Kettle, etc.). I found it distracting from the story. Otherwise Guillory dishes up what she's know for- great characters, fun romance.

Closed door, m/f romance.

This was my first read from this author and I enjoyed it, mostly because it was about books and the love of books. A modern day take on Beauty and the Beast, Izzy and her beast Beau have a very auspicious start. He is a growly, beautiful man who seems to have forgotten how to deal with people for the most part. Izzy is trying to prove herself to her boss, but while she may have the ability to speak her mind, she tends to rarely use it, thus it seems others walk over her. She will learn by dealing and helping Beau to find her voice but will it be too late to get what she really wants out of life? Beau never had a problem using his voice, even with Izzy, but his isolation and the reason for his isolation has him biting back what needs to be said. These two seem to have chemistry although I didn't really see it right away but in the end, it became clearer. This is more a 3.5 star story for me as while it was well written, it didn't have that pow factor that I love in most stories.

I really wanted to love this one, but unfortunately it didn’t work for me 😕

There was so much to love here, too. I was raised on Disney princesses, so all of the Beauty and the Beast parallels sucked me right in. That and bookish books are some of my favorites to read!

This read a lot like a YA romance to me. I don’t typically read that sub genre of romance, so I might be wrong in my classification but the MC’s both felt immature which made it difficult for me to connect to the story until about halfway in.

Overall, it was a cute story. Predictable, but it’s a retelling so I expected that. I’d recommend this one to lovers of YA romances, low steam & Disney movies.

Thank you to @netgally and Hyperion Avenue Publishing for the eARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

Staying on the trend of romance set in the publishing world, By the Book is Jasmine Guillory’s latest and you’re not going to want to miss it.

First things first, this is absolutely a Beauty and the Beast retelling, but Isabelle and Beau make it work.

Isabelle is an editorial assistant who agrees to visit a reclusive socialite who is late turning in his memoir to the agency. Suddenly, she finds herself staying in a mansion in Santa Barbara with a grumpy, impossible man who she sometimes wants to strangle and other times wants to kiss.

Isabelle (those closest to her call her Izzy) feels stuck – she is working at a publishing company where she doesn’t feel appreciated. One day, she overhears her boss complaining about a beastly (ha, get it?) high profile author who has failed to deliver his highly anticipated manuscript.

Izzy sees this as an opportunity to FINALLY get the promotion that she so deserves. All she has to do is go to Santa Barbara and give him a pep talk – or three. Simple, right?!

Izzy rapidly realizes that is in over her head. Beau Towers Is jaded, mean and beyond reclusive. Despite his standoffishness – Izzy need Beau to deliver this manuscript. With her master level TED Talks, Beau’s story spills out.

They soon discover they have much more in common than expected. As her time in California comes to a close, Izzy and Beau realize they just might have feelings for one another. Can this love story be a tale as old as time?

THIS BOOK YA’LL! It had SO many Beauty and the Beast Easter eggs so strategically placed throughout this novel!!!!!!!! I really don’t want to give them away, but those reference MADE the book for me. I was seriously giddy each time I came across one!

This book was SUCH a slooow burn – but it was well worth it! Both Izzy and Beau had so much character growth – which I so enjoy in a novel.

I read If The Shoe Fits thinking the characters intersect, but both of these retellings are completely stand alone.

This was such a sweet novel that we all as bookstagrammers should read. (I mean It was about books AND Belle)

(And if you’re curious – yes, it did include a library with a wooden ladder!!)

Simone Says Read This if you enjoy:

*Beauty and the Beast
*grumpy/sunshine troupe
*enemies to lovers troupe
*books
*Easter eggs
*snacks, lots and lots snacks
*happily ever after’s