Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!
A book about books? A fairy-tale re-telling? Sign me up!!
This book had everything I wanted and more. Some romance, based on my favorite fairy tale, and lots of books. I will admit that I haven’t read a lot of books by this author, but when I heard this was a beauty and the beast re-telling I was all for it. I really enjoyed this one and will be making a point to pickup more books by this author ASAP.
If you are looking for a fun spring romance read – I highly suggest this one! It is apart of a series, but you don’t have to read the other book to understand this one. Although, I have heard nothing but great things about the first one too.
Super happy I got to read this one!

I really enjoyed the story and loved the main characters. Some of the references to Beauty and the Beast felt a little forced at times for me. Having her job in the publishing world fit well, and I for one as a ravid reader at one time dreamed of working in publishing. I know many readers dream of writing as well. I would recommend this book and the series to others.

This was very cute. Fans of Jasmine Guillory and the Disney version of Beauty and the Beast should both be pleased. While it's definitely a loose retelling, there are so many inside nods to the animated classic that it had me giggling at points, but there is still some depth to the plot as Izzy helps Beau tell his story. This is a closed door, sweet rather than steamy story, and quite fun to read.

Title: By The Book [A Meant To Be Novel]
Author: Jasmine Guillory
Publisher: Hyperion Avenue
Series: Meant to Be #2
Reviewed By: Arlena Dean
Rating: Five
Review:
"By the Book [A Meant To Be Novel]" by Jasmine Guillory

My Assessment:

'By the Book' was a lovely and cute story about Beau Towers from California and Isabelle Marlowe [Izzy] from New York. This author works her magic as she gives the reader a beautiful story of how two adults fell in love while working together. Will Izzy, an editor at TAOAT, be able to convince Beau, who was quite a temperamental person, to finish his memoir that he'd promised to her company? It was pretty interesting to see how both Beau and Izzy showed how they grow so wholesome together throughout the read, both personally and professionally.

The reader will get one fantastic read by the end, and yes, I would recommend this novel to any romantic reader.

Thank you to NetGalley and Hyperion Avenue for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

3.5 stars ☆ A book about books? yes, please.

This book is a beauty and the beast retelling rom-com. I loved beauty and the beast and if there's a retelling about this I would read it... and I did in this book. I didn't know that this is a part of a series (whoops). I think this can read as a standalone since it is a retelling.

It was such a cute read. It made me smile from time to time but nothing crazy about this book. I adore both characters cause who wouldn't? especially the both of them share a love for books?! mhmm. I just wish there was more banter between Izzy and Beau since their chemistry in here was kind of lacking if that makes sense.

Overall, if you liked/loved beauty and the beast you should try and read this book. It has the bookish feelings that we all loved.

Thank you to NetGalley and Hyperion Avenue for this ARC !!

I didn't realize this was part of a series, but I feel it can definately be read as a standalone.

A cute romcom that's modern fairytale, but nothing about the story was extremely original. Beauty and the Beast is retold so often, I feel like it's hard to make it stand out.

This story was cute, despite the romance being very quick, and some parts were very swoony. I was an enjoyable read. I liked the characters, and I do love the way this author writes. I may check out more in this series to see how the other retellings compare.

Overall a cute romcom and definitely worth the read!

Thank you to NetGalley and Hyperion Avenue for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to Hyperion and NetGalley for the eARC.

This was a sweet re-telling of Beauty and the Beast set in the New York publishing world and the “fairytale” world of Santa Barbara which I suppose does seem magical from the perspective of late winter in New York.

Although I’ve always enjoyed Jasmine Guillory’s books for their emotional depth, this book was obviously aimed at a different audience. Although Beau and Izzy are in their 20’s the writing was aimed more at teens and the romance is non explicit. Izzy acted a little more like a therapist at times than a potential love interest and the pair’s issues were rather magically wrapped up.

But they were a cute couple and as they got to know each other and hitting obstacles on the way, they talked things out and dealt with each other in a mature way. I found myself smiling at the fairytale ending.

4 stars for a charming and modern taming of the Beast.

I was able to read an ARC of this book and I am so glad! It was sweet and heartwarming in all the right ways. I started the book knowing nothing about it, other than it had a great cover and cute title. Soon, only a few pages into the book I realized that this book felt oddly familiar. My fault for not realizing it was a modern day retelling of Beauty and the Beast! And this book was exactly that... it was sweet and had a happily ever after. The characters were enjoyable and watching Izzy (Isabelle) and Beau become close throughout the book was fun and entertaining. There were so many cute nods to the other characters from the movie throughout the whole book. The publisher Izzy worked for was called Tale as Old as Time. Her terrible co-worker was Gavin. Izzy and Beau loved to watch TV together a show called "This Provincial Life". I would highly recommend this book to anyone who loves Disney movies and wants a very feel-good book to read. It is definitely fine for maybe ages 13 and up.

By the Book by Jasmine Guillory is the second book in the popular Meant To Be series that has different authors doing fairy tale re-tellings. By the Book is loosely based on the Disney version of Beauty and the Beast. I loved finding all the little nods to the animated movie throughout this book.

Isabelle (Izzy) is an editorial assistant for Tale of Old Time publishing company. She’s worked at the company for 2 years and she is still an editorial assistant and she still lives at home. When she goes to Los Angeles for a book conference, she overhears her boss talking about a very late manuscript from a reclusive, former child actor who is writing his memoir named Beau. In order to help her struggling career, she asks her boss if she can go to Beau’s home in order to try and help him write his memoir, or at least answer their emails and find out why he is so late with the manuscript.

But, just going to Beau’s house is the easy part. He doesn’t want to talk to her at all and definitely doesn’t want to talk about his book. But, when his assistant sprains her ankle, and Izzy helps her out, Beau gives her a chance to talk to him. She eventually agrees to stay with him for a week in order to work on the book. She finds Beau is a recluse and very closed up, but eventually she warms to him, and he breaks out of his shell.

I found this book so much fun. I loved looking for all the little details that tie this book to the movie and enjoyed the story immensely. The mansion in Santa Barbara is full of little twists that relate somewhat to the movie. Izzy ends up talking to some of the inanimate objects in the house, and there is a large snack cabinet with an unending supply of a variety of snacks.

I love a grumpy hero, and Beau was pretty grumpy, but not cruel or arrogant. The romance was a bit slow burn and I felt it was very realistic. I was rooting for Izzy and Beau throughout the entire book, and couldn’t wait for them to figure out they are meant for each other.

I highly recommend By the Book to anyone who loves a good romance. I received a complimentary copy of this book. The opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

DNF - I was excited about the premise but the dialogue & writing felt superfluous & there was a great deal of excess in the writing for the purpose of keeping the readers informed. With some editing to tighten the writing, I would have enjoyed this very much

This is a sweet and endearing story. The characters are young people who are at different stages in their lives. Isabelle is an assistant responsible for getting writers to finish their manuscripts. She is is vibrant and always has a positive outlook. Beau is a celebrity struggling to get his book turned in. He has been hiding out from the media and everyone trying to reach him. The plot builds with some fun and witty conversations between these two. They struggle to come to an understanding, but once they do find that there is a lot to love about each other.

As a huge fan of Beauty and the Beast and someone who has enjoyed Guillory's writing in the past, this should've been right up my alley... and it just wasn't. Think of this as Guillory watered down and sweetened up for a younger audience - it's got the foundation of a good book, but the end result is bland and a little boring. It failed to hook me in at the start, then improved somewhere along the way, but I was already disconnected from the story before the romance even came into play. There are some cute Beauty and the Beast references that bring the classic story to mind, and I liked the modern twists that were included, but it didn't hit the right notes for this adult reader.

The story follows Izzy, a young woman who works in publishing. She's always loved books and dreams of writing one herself, but working in the industry has started to tarnish that love for her. When Izzy has the opportunity to stop at a troublesome client's home - hoping to see the progress he's made on his long-overdue manuscript - she gets more than she bargained for. Beau is every bit the beast she imagined he'd be, a former child star turned bad boy whose surly attitude is an immediate turnoff. But he shocks Izzy by demanding that she come stay at his home to assist in finishing up the manuscript. As Izzy spends more time with the brooding beast, she realizes that there is more to him than she realized.

This has a definite YA feel, though there is swearing, kissing, and implied sexytimes that make this feel a little older. I'm not sure that the tone will resonate with adult audiences - it just feels so young - but that's not the major sticking point for me. It's a story that feels very mild/somewhat boring, with not enough interaction between our couple. Told exclusively from Izzy's point of view, Beau remains something of a mystery for much of the story, which doesn't help advance the romance until later on. And even then, we don't know much about Beau's thoughts or feelings. Since the plot borrows so much from Beauty and the Beast, it needed more unique, swoony moments between our couple to really keep things interesting - and those come too late. I think there's a lot of good buried within the story, but it's ultimately a forgettable read... unlike the original. I received an early copy and am voluntarily leaving a review of this sweet romance.

My Beauty and the Beast obsessed heart is overwhelmed at this modern take on a fairy tale near and dear to my bookish soul. All the details that are taken directly from the movies are somehow not over done. They’re like little easter eggs for those in the know.

Isabelle has landed her dream job at Tale As Old As Time (TAOAT) publishing. After continued silence from one of her authors, she decides to show up on his doorstep to demand a reason and/or offer encouragement. Beau Towers is nothing like what she expects given the unflattering portrait painted by the media. Turns out there’s a prince of a fellow just waiting underneath layers of stubbornness.

The acknowledgement page (second pic) had me tearing up a little bit. Thank you to Jasmine Guillory for making a Belle I could imagine myself as.

It pains me to give this book two stars. But alas, here we are. When I pick up a book by Jasmine Guillory I expect a steamy romance that digs beneath the surface of our MCs. By the Book just did not get there for me.

This DID completely sweep me away to Santa Barbara. The setting sounded absolutely gorges and now I'm ready for a trip to the west coast ASAP.

I know this is part of a Disney classics re-telling series, so I fully understand why there was so little (um, basically zero) heat to this book, but it's just not at all what I had wanted from this book. This was a fine romance, something I would categorize as easy-breezy, and I think I just hold Guillory to a higher standard than that. The writing didn't feel nearly as mature as her other books, and that left me pretty disappointed.

I liked Izzy, but I felt like we could have gotten MUCH more about her work struggles with a toxic work environment. I liked Beau, but I think we could have seen more of his side of the story, particularly his reconciliation with his mom.

By the Book would make a fine beach read but I would learn towards any of Guillory's others before picking this one up again.

Thanks to NetGalley & Hyperion Avenue for the advanced e-book!

By the Book by Jasmine Guillory is the second book in the Meant to Be Series. Here we have a cute, modern retelling of Beauty and the Beast and I'm here for it. I personally love anything and everything Jasmine Guillory writes and this was no exception.

Isabelle begins her career with so much energy and motivation for what the future holds, but after a year in the same position, Isabelle is not sure there is a future for her at Tale As Old As Time publishing. But, when an unexpected and unconventional job offering comes her way, there is no way Isabelle can say no. She is now expected to live with selfish, entitled celebrity Beau Towers to ensure that he writes his memoir that he promised Tale As Old As Time Publishing. Will Isabelle be able to get a memoir out of Beau? How will she feel living with a stranger with a horrible attitude?

Thank you to NetGalley and Hyperion Books for this copy in exchange for an honest review. Beauty and the Beast is one of my favorite fairy tales and I really enjoyed this version. Jasmine Guillory has done it again! A cute, fun and modern day take on a classic.

By the Book is the second book in the Meant to Be series by Jasmine Guillory. This series features contemporary takes on classic Disney princesses. Isabelle started off so optimistic, beginning her career in publishing right out of college. Fast forward a few years and she's now 25 years old, still living at home, still an editorial assistant with no promotion in sight and the only Black employee at the publishing house. You know the story—overworked and underpaid.

In an effort to be seen as valuable, Isabelle jokingly agrees to babysit a high-profile author who has failed to deliver his long-awaited manuscript. Beau Towers welcomes Isabelle into his home with a scowl and jaded attitude. But through her encouraging pep talks, his story begins to spill onto the page as well as his feelings. Is it meant to be?

A book about writing a book. Gotta love it! I related to the main character within the first two chapters. She started her career strong and immediately after college graduation (✔️). She was the happy-go-lucky employee with ambitious dreams (✔️). Within a few years, she looked up and realized she was the only Black employee (✔️). How exhausting! But for a bit of excitement, she took on a challenge at work and hoped for a happy ending—or at least a bigger paycheck (✔️).

How can you not love a reimagined fairy tale for the new generation? Meant to Be #2 is a love story where the romance happens slowly but we see it coming way before the couple does. By the Book gives the lovey-dovey feeling with a classic twist. I recommend this super cute novel by bestselling author Jasmine Guillory.

As the author says, By the Book is dedicated to "all the Black girls who loved books and wanted to be princesses." Add to your TBR with the friendly reminder to read between the lines. Pun intended.

Happy Early Pub Day, Jasmine Guillory! By the Book will be available Tuesday, May 3.

~LiteraryMarie

What a cute, feel good rom-com. I think I needed that! I've read some not so great books this month and needed something light to break my reading slump. I might be biased because I love Beauty and the Beast, but I think it'd be cute for anyone even if you aren't a big Disney princess fan. Thanks NetGalley for allowing me to read this ARC!

By the Book
Meant to Be, Book 2

I Picked Up This Book Because: Continue the series

Media Type: eBook
Source: Netgalley
Dates Read: 3/2/22 - 4/19/22
Stars: 4
Narrator(s):

The Characters:

Isabelle Marlowe :
Beau Towers:
Marta Wallace (Izzy’s boss), Gavin Ridley (Izzy’s Coworker), Priya Gupta (Izzy’s BFF)

The Story:


Writing: Great. This was a really good twist on Beauty and the Beast. I love how the characters brought the story to life and the premise of a future editor helping an author write his book is so perfect. The way Izzy was able to connect with Beau and help him reconcile his past was beautiful.
Forward Motion:The story progressed well. I didn’t find anything extraneous.
Overall Interest: I know it took me a month to read this but I guarantee this had nothing to do with the story and everything to do with my season slump.
Length of Reading Time: As mentioned I’m pushing through a slump so this took much too long but again all on me.
Re-read-ability: Maybe an audiobook listen.


The Random Thoughts:

Beauty and The Beast is my favorite Disney movie and was super excited to read the modern retelling By The Book by Jasmine Guillory!!

This is the cutest book I have read this year and loved it so much that I am about to read it again! Our beauty IzzaBelle takes up the challenge to go to Santa Barbara to get the delayed manuscript from the beastly, withdrawn author Beau!

The backdrop of this novel is perfect for the book lovers, as it’s set in the publishing world and slow-burn love developing between the author and editorial assistant! The characters were so well built and all rounded, It had me smiling from ear to ear !

Thank you Disney books and NetGalley for the gifted galley of this beautiful modern retelling that hit the shelves on May 3rd!

This modern retelling of Beauty and the Beast immediately caught my attention. This was an intriguing spin on the classic tale, and the down-to-earth narrative voice was easy to listen to and appreciate throughout the book. I am excited to see the series of retelling continue!