This was such a cute romantic love story. I loved the little fairytale references like her talking to the bathtub and going inside the library and feeling as if it were welcoming her. Izzy and Beau’s relationship is one that they both stumble upon and gradually realize their growing “friendship” is something to hold on to.

By The Book is the second book in the Meant to Be series, where authors reimagine fairy tales for an adult audience. In this one we get a retelling of Beauty and the Beast.
I’m not a huge fairy tale fan but I do like retellings. It doesn’t make sense to me either!

This was a cute lighthearted romance. No spice so don’t expect that.
I did like that it’s a retelling but not an exact copy. The author sprinkled some Disney references and I really enjoyed that.

I did feel like the couple lacked chemistry. As friends they were perfect, I just didn’t fully believe the romantic aspect.

Overall it was a cute read and I recommend it if you love all things Disney and romance.

This is a fun rom-com. I liked the little tongue-in-cheek references to Disney's Beauty and the Beast.

If you’re looking to read more BIPOC authors and you enjoy contemporary romance, I’ve got a winning read for you. By the Book is Jasmine Guillory’s entry in Disney Publishing’s Meant to Be series, where authors reimagine fairy tales for an adult audience. The second in the series (following Dumplin’ author Julie Murphy’s reimagining of Cinderella), Guillory interprets Beauty and the Beast through the eyes of Isabelle, a young editorial assistant who must tame her recalcitrant writer, Beau, and help him compose and submit his (very late) memoir to her publishing house.
Of course the “beastly” hero is a grump who has no desire to write an autobiography, and of course there are plenty of “forced proximity” machinations where Izzy has to stay with Beau in order to keep her job. As someone who loves books about writing, I thought the best parts of the book were Izzy’s daily writing tasks for Beau: anyone who has ever thought about writing a memoir could use her tricks for avoiding writer’s block.
I must say that the constant references to the Disney Beauty and the Beast film did grow a bit tiresome. Guillory may have meant these to be Easter eggs, and she clearly understands the assignment, but I found that these nods drew me out of the book. Some examples: the WiFi password is Lum1ere!, the library has a rolling ladder that encompasses one wall, and Izzy wears a long yellow dress and wonders if “the teacup and candlestick will start, like, singing and dancing.” I may be too familiar with the Disney movie, and another reader might gloss right over these nods to Belle and the denizens of the Beast’s castle.
In any case, the developing relationship between Izzy and Beau is charming, along with the way she teases out his life story. I’ll definitely read more of Guillory’s work, with or without the fairy tale. 4 out of 5 stars.

Isabelle (Izzy) and Beau start things off on the wrong foot when Izzy goes to see Beau about his very overdue manuscript. Izzy then decides to stay with Beau until he has something to turn in to his editor, who is also Izzy's boss. During this time together, feelings and mutual respect bloom in this delightful rom-com retelling of Beauty and the Beast. It's a fun, cute, easy read that will just make you smile. I enjoyed both main characters and was invested in their relationship that they were fighting against as much as I was in their own separate lives and the struggles they had to deal with. Another enjoyable read from Jasmine Guillory

This is the Beauty & The Beast retelling that you didn't know you needed to read. This retelling has BiPOC characters, a modern book publishing twist, and throwbacks to the classic disney animated movie. 7th grade - adults would love this story. The writing is beautiful and heartfelt, the characters fully developed people.

By the Book by Jasmine Guillory. A contemporary Beauty and the Beast retelling, this one takes us to sunny beautiful Santa Barbara. While I did read it through to the end, there was something missing in the telling of this tale. I loved the characters individually but found their friendship more charming than the romance aspect. But overall, made me interested enough to look for more by the author, and well, it did take me on an armchair tour of Santa Barbara (and we love visiting there when we can)!!

(Thanks to NetGalley for the digital arcs of the book)

A dreamy romance. My favorite are reading about book lovers since I can relate so well. This was a sweet ride and I so enjoyed it.

I loved this book so much! Her writing is always spot on and this was no different! Such a great story and strong characters

Not as epic as her other books, but it was fun and sweet. I enjoyed the characters and even though you kind of know how the story will go, her writing makes it enjoyable. Plus, who wouldn’t want the chance to be stuck in a gorgeous home in Santa Barbara? I recommend it if you’re looking for a light and easy read.

I cannot get enough of Jasmine Guillory's spicy and real couples, and I'm also a Disney adult so when I found out she wrote a retelling I was *ecstatic*. By the Book is a modern day interpretation of Beauty and the Beast and it DID NOT DISAPPOINT. Izzy and Beau have great chemistry and are a very realistic couple. I loved that unlike most romances there was no huge fissure that drove them apart. I also adored all the little nods to the original that Jasmine included, wifi password 'Lumiere', rose gardens and library ladders.. so perfect!

I love Jasmine Guillory. I love her writing, I love her characters, and I love her stories. This one was no exception. She is an outstanding romance writer.

Thank you to @netgalley and @hyperionavebooks for a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

This is the second installment of the Meant to Be series featuring a story by @jasminepics . I loved the first one and the author of the second made it a must read for me.

This is a retelling of Beauty and the Beast, one of my favorite Disney fairytales. Izzy is an overworked assistant at a publishing house who has been put in charge of Beau Towers, a grumpy high profile author. His highly anticipated memoir is due to his publisher.

The story was predictable, but that didn’t make me enjoy it any less. It was comforting with a strong female lead. The romance is sweet and had me rooting for a happy ending.

4 stars

#books #bookishlife #booklover #readingisfun #iowabookstagrammers #iowabookstagram #netgalley #amazonpublishing #letstalkbookspromo #ltbreaderteam #bythebook #jasmineguilllory

This is a fun, light-hearted romance that has all of my favorite tropes: slow burn, enemies to lovers, fake dating. Throw in cupcakes and the drama of a reality TV show and it’s the perfect recipe for a great Romance!

This was a cute book but I found myself a bit bored and not very drawn to the characters. It was overall not a very exciting read and was fairly forgettable after it was over.

Jasmine Guillory is a master at creating characters and worlds that you want to be in. This time, readers are introduced to Izzy and Beau, who couldn't be more different. One is a lowly editorial assistant at a publishing company, the other is a reclusive actor hiding from his reputation. When Izzy volunteers to go to Beau's house to help jumpstart his memoir, she has no idea what is in store for either of them.

By the Book is part of the “Meant to Be” series, which are modern retellings of classic fairy tales—Cinderella, The Little Mermaid, etc. Each book is written by a different contemporary romance author.

In this case, By the Book (written by Jasmine Guillory) is a modern retelling of Beauty and the Beast…which just so happens to be my favorite Disney movie. And it’s a grumpy/sunshine romance? AND it’s a book about books? SIGN ME UP.

Overall, I really enjoyed this one! It was a retelling that felt true to the original, but without being super on the nose. The characters were complex and believable, and there was an engaging storyline to go along with the spice.

This book is perfect for those moments when you may need a little extra sunshine in your life!

Thank you so much for the advanced copy of this book. It definitely lived up to its hype. This author has become a must read.

Such a fun retelling of Beauty and the Beast! Bo was such a good "beast". Throughout the book I kept waiting for the big moment where it would all fall apart. I was SO pleased with how this book handled that moment; so much better than a lot of others in the genre. I loved that both of these characters were adults, and acted that way throughout, even when they were hurting. They weren't perfect, but they were mature.

I received an advance copy. All thoughts are my own.

Izzy is an overworked editorial assistant at a large publishing house, tasked by her boss to wrangle a beastly high-profile author, Beau Towers, into delivering the manuscript for his highly anticipated memoir. This story is a modern day retelling of Beauty & The Beast with a sweet love story between grumpy and sunshine characters.

Sincere thanks to NetGalley and Hyperion Avenue for an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.