Call it fan fiction or a modern retelling, Izzy and Beau are a fairy tale couple in the world of publishing. A magical bookish tale about the Beauty of writing books and the Beastly action of writing them to completion! Perfect for bookworms with a romantic spirit and lovers of happily ever afters.

I enjoyed this sweet book. It sweeps us off to a Santa Barbara mansion with a dream library and a sweet, dreamy “beast”. Of course Beau was clearly not much of a beast.Even from the start I could see his huge heart. This book tackles that feeling of getting stuck that most people experience at some point, although Izzy is stuck herself she manages to help Beau pull himself out of his own quick sand. The mood is comfy, cozy as Izzy and Beau bond over snacking and watching tv together. They went from just barely enemies to friends, to more over 7 weeks. I could feel their connection growing. This is definitely a very slow burn but I was ok with that. The spice was behind the scenes and that was ok too. I was just caught up in their sweetness. The beauty and the beast touches were nice as well. Great book.

Izzy is disenchanted with the publishing career she thought would be a perfect fit after graduating. She is overworked and underpaid as an editorial assistant with no promotion in sight, wondering if maybe she made a mistake in her career choice. She also has the added frustration of being the only black employee at her publishing house causing her to feel lost and alone. After overhearing her boss complaining about a high-profile author (Beau Towers) and his long-awaited manuscript, she offers to go to his house to check in with him in person. Maybe this will get her a promotion.

Celebrity Beau Towers is closed off, angry, lost, and withdrawn. He doesn't know how to write the memoir he promised. As Izzy encourages and coaches him, the writing takes off. They discover they are a great team, friends, and maybe even more.

The side characters Micheala and Priya were wonderful. Especially Priya, I would love to read about her. Does she have a romance in her future?

This is a sweet, clean romance and a modern retelling of Beauty and the Beast. It started a little slow but picked up and had me smiling as I read it. I ended up delighting in the characters and how they grew. Izzy learns to speak up for herself and ask for what she wants. Beau gains confidence in his writing, writes a wonderful memoir, and repairs important relationships. He learns how to build and repair relationships instead of destroying them. The romance between Izzy and Beau feels real.

This is my first Jasmine Guillory novel but it won't be my last. I loved the way the characters grew and developed. I enjoyed the sweet and tender romance that developed between Izzy and Beau.

Thank you to NetGalley and Disney Books/Hyperion Ave for giving me an ARC. I truly enjoyed it!

I absolutely loved this book! It was a little slow at first, but then I really got a chance to really enjoy this awesome Rom-Com. It gave re-telling vibes, but from a cute and wanting to know more perspective. Books that includes a plot about books steals my heart each and every time! The book discusses the book industry and the unfairness of publishing which is really coincidental or fact based because many writers of color are not getting the same publicity as other writers of non- color.
Overall, the book was able to develop the romance while keeping the readers attention and of course who doesn't love Jasmine Guillory?

I appreciate the fun and charm of an adaptation or modern retelling as much as the next gal, but I was sadly disappointed with this one. I think if things hadn’t been too on-the-nose or tried to be too cute, it would have worked better.

This is a Beauty and the Beast story with Izzy (Isabelle but thankfully not Belle) sent to sequester with Beau as she attempts to squeeze a long overdue memoir out of him. She’s leaves an unsatisfying job in a gloomy and cold NYC for the light, bright, and rich lifestyle in California.

What I liked: little nuanced references like publishing companies called Tale As Old As Time and Maurice and wearing a yellow dress on their last night together, getting creative with showing the depth behind the beastly Beau

What I didn’t like: repeated references to Izzy talking to furniture or snacks or Beau saying “Be my guest” at their first meal…all very too wink, wink, nudge, nudge for me. Also just plain not enough steam or passion for me. It makes it harder for me to get behind these whirlwind romances.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

TW: death of a parent, gaslighting

A charming take on Beauty and the Beast, full of Easter eggs for fans of the Disney movie. (Izzy works at Tale as Old as Time publishing, all of the books mentioned are lines from songs in the movie, etc.) Restless editorial assistant Isabelle talks her boss into letting her go to a reluctant celebrity memoir author’s house and encouraging him to work on his book. But Beau Towers is nothing like she expected. Instead of a vapid, vain celebrity, he’s withdrawn and hurting (also young and attractive). As she convinces him to write the truth about his life, he inspires her to make some changes in her own.

As a reader and librarian, I love books about books and writers. Guillory is clearly telling some truths about what it’s like to be a writer. I wouldn’t have minded seeing more of what happens next for Izzy and Beau.

Thanks to Netgalley, the publisher, and the author for the ARC to review. All opinions are my own.

This was my first novel by Jasmine Guillory. I loved loved loved the premise of a book about books. In this novel, Isabelle , a young Black woman (picture Gabrielle Union ) working for a publisher in New York City. She has been corresponding with Beau, a young Black man and son of two celebrities, about his memoir, which is way over due! Isabelle's boss wants Isabelle to get Beau to turn in the pages or the contract will be cancelled.

This is a retelling of Beauty and the Beast. In this story, the beauty is Isabelle "Izzy" instead of "Belle" and the "beast" is Beau despite his good looks because of his "bad boy" image. There is also the vibe of Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice in this story,

This is a romantic fairytale of two people who meet and fall in love, despite the obstacles. I loved Isabelle's friend Priya and Beau's colleague Michaela. There is a villain, though it is not obvious at first. I do not want to give away spoilers here.

Thank you to NetGalley and Disney Books / Hypericon (sp?) Books for giving me the opportunity to read this beautiful book.

Content Warning: Toxic work environment, Death of a loved one (off pages before the story started)

Rating: Loved It, 4.5 stars

This is the second book in the Meant to Be series that retells the stories of Disney princesses as adult romance novels. The first book If the Shoe Fits by Julie Murphy told Cinderella's story, and By the Book by Jasmine Guillory retells Beauty and the Beast.

This book is about Isabelle, a woman working in a difficult, low-level job in a publishing house who wrangles an assignment to help the reclusive Beau Towers write his long-over due memoir. She ends up living with him in his home and helping him work past his difficulties and fear in writing this memoir. Along the way, they go from adversarial colleagues, to friends, to lovers, much like in the Disney film.

I ended up really liking the characters in this. As I was in the middle portion of the book, I didn't realize how much I enjoyed them and their relationship until I got closer to the end and was able to see the pay-off and the sweet conversations. I thought that their relationship was just sweet in general, and I loved the sincerity in it.

Honestly, I went into this book hearing some middling reviews of it, so my expectations were pretty low, but I loved it! Not an all-time favorite, but it was such a sweet story! I feel like the references to the source material were a little heavy handed at times, but other times it was just sort of fun to pick up on them all. So I went back and forth on how I felt about it. I really liked the more subtle references though, like the yellow sundress and a kindly stewardess named Angela on her flight.

There is some kissing on page, but it is definitely a fade to black type of romance, and it ends up just being such a sweet romance. I thought that the conflict was handled excellently, and I actually enjoyed all the writing tidbits that we got to see. I felt like in the middle there may have been a little too much focus on this rather than on their relationship, but it actually ended up working really well.

Overall, a delightful read and one I am glad to have picked up. I will definitely continue in this series and will pick up other books by Jasmine Guillory. Thank you to NetGalley and Hyperion Avenue for early access to the eARC in exchange for an honest review. By the Book releases on 5/3/22.

4.5 ⭐️ // Goodness, I am on a high after finishing By the Book! 🥰

Beauty and the Beast has always been one of my all-time favorite fairytales, so I jumped on the chance to read the advanced reader’s copy of this modern retelling. Plus, I’ve heard so many wonderful things about the author.

Like most books, I found the first quarter of the story to be slow, but it quickly picked up speed. Once I hit the halfway point, I was a goner! I stayed up way too late to devour the rest, and it was so worth it!

I loved how many little references the author made from the story we know and love! Plus, I adored Izzy’s character. She was very likable and relatable, and I found myself constantly rooting for her.

Don’t get me started about Beau! The modern twist of being a “monster” was well done by the author, and the slow-burn chemistry was exactly what I was hoping the story would have.

Read this book if …
🥀 You dream of the library from Beauty and the Beast
🍿You always have snacks handy
🏄‍♂️ Surfing is a hobby of yours
📖 You enjoy books about books and writing
❤️‍🔥 You like slow burn romances

TW: anger, grief, parental death, strained parental relationship, toxic coworker

Thank you, NetGalley and Hyperion Avenue, for providing me an ARC copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

A Goodreads review will be posted shortly, and an Instagram post with an inspired music playlist will be posted within a week.

I really enjoyed this book. As a curvy woman myself, I could relate to her. I would definitely recommend this book!

REVIEW: ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 /5 🌟

I love Jasmine Guillory! When I am in the mood for a fun romance, she is a go to for me. And when I read she had written a retelling of Beauty and the Beast? Come on! Really excited. I mean, updated classics are too much fun. You immediately think of Wicked, right?

Synopsis from the publisher: Isabelle is completely lost. When she first began her career in publishing after college, she did not expect to be twenty-five, still living at home, and one of the few Black employees at her publishing house. Overworked and underpaid, constantly torn between speaking up or stifling herself, Izzy thinks there must be more to this publishing life. So when she overhears her boss complaining about a beastly high-profile author who has failed to deliver his long-awaited manuscript, Isabelle sees an opportunity to finally get the promotion she deserves.

All she has to do is go to the author’s Santa Barbara mansion and give him a pep talk or three. How hard could it be?

But Izzy quickly finds out she is in over her head. Beau Towers is not some celebrity lightweight writing a tell-all memoir. He is jaded and withdrawn and―it turns out―just as lost as Izzy. But despite his standoffishness, Izzy needs Beau to deliver, and with her encouragement, his story begins to spill onto the page. They soon discover they have more in common than either of them expected, and as their deadline nears, Izzy and Beau begin to realize there may be something there that wasn’t there before.

I will admit, I was really underwhelmed in the first several chapters. The Disney references felt forced, and didn’t support the story line. It seemed cliche for me for lack of a better term. But about a third of the way in, the story really grabbed me. It became a romance between editor and an author, with a couple of Beauty and the Beast references thrown in, which at that point, were really fun. I became invested in Izzy and Beau’s story.

I recommend this book to readers who love Disney’s Beauty and the Beast, as you will enjoy the references. Even more, if you enjoy light romance books - centered around books, the writing process and publishing, you will enjoy this one.

Release date is May 3, 2022.

Note: Thank you to Jasmine Guillory, NetGalley and Hyperion for providing me with an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was so fun and I loved it! I don’t usually gravitate towards romance books, but with the description of being a reimagining of Beauty and the Beast and revolving around books I was so intrigued- and I’m so glad I went for it!

Isabelle (Izzy to her friends) always dreamed of being a writer, and when she landed a job with a publishing company she was so excited! Two years later her dream come true is not so dreamy. She feels stuck at her stressful job and is dying for a promotion, so when the opportunity comes up to help a famous nightmare of a client write his memoir, she thinks this might be her shot at moving up. Next thing she knows she’s missing her flight back home to New York to stay in Beau’s incredible Santa Barbara house. Is she in over her head, or will this be everything she hopes for?

By the Book was such a pleasant surprise for me, and I loved that there were hints of Beauty and the Beast while still very much being it’s own story. It was such a light feeling romance while still having meaningful and emotional moments.

I loved these characters, and while I do wish there had been more backstory for them, I thought we really got to know their personalities, and I genuinely wanted to watch their relationships grow. I really appreciated that the book’s focus was on developing Izzy and Beau’s relationship and their feelings for each other, but without a ton of smutty scenes- it was more sweet than spicy. And though I found the begging of their story a little unbelievable or unrealistic, the ending was super cute and satisfying and all around great.

I have always been a fan of Jasmine Guillory, and having her involved in this Meant to Be series is very exciting. And for the most part, By the Book delivered everything it was meant to. A light, cozy book with some major Beauty and the Beast vibes. Did I think it stood out amongst all the other Beauty and the Beast retellings we've had on the market recently? Not quite. That doesn't make it bad-- I loved Izzy and Beau--but it does mean I wasn't quite as captivated by this book as I would've liked. It was all very nice and enjoyable. This is a solid rec for anyone who loves Jasmine Guillory, the previous Meant to Be title, or retellings of Beauty and the Beast.

By the Book is a charming tale of a privileged and wealthy memoirist who is terrified of writing, a book deadline long past the due date, and a publishing novice who volunteers to get him out of his writing phobia to a finished manuscript. It excels at creating that butt in chair to write every day atmosphere, then rewrite and reevaluate ad nauseum until you’ve exposed the hard emotional challenges life has brought you and address the weaknesses of your manuscript. While professionalism is at the forefront, a solid relationship grows bit by bit from conflict to resolution and friendship to something solid enough to build a life on. The jabs that cut, the healing forgiveness freely given, and the lack of machinations gives the reader a deeply appreciated HEA. Guillory delivers romance that grows realistically in the balmy central coast of California near the Pacific on a property grand enough to have a library, media room, and orchard. Ah, dream on reader, this romance sings.

….eek. This book needed Marta or Gavin as an editor. Jasmine Guillory is so prolific and writes so much great stuff but this was not it. The Beauty & the Beast script was so overdone (her talking to the bathtub….?!?!?) and it was just plain silly, in not a good way.

I really enjoyed By The Book by Jasmine Guillory and look forward into her other fan favorites!

Izzy’s direct demeanor was tenacious and refreshing. She is unapologetic in holding her ground and not letting others bring her down or treat her without respect. A clever Beauty and the Beast retelling set in Santa Barbara. And yes, there is a Harry and Meghan shout out in the acknowledgements (wink).

Isabelle is a bookish Belle working at a publishing company in Manhattan. She is a foodie who has a penchant for provincial period pieces and a soft spot for romance. With the task to fulfill a contract a draw a memoir out of a notable actor, Izzy takes the challenge on in hopes to not only prove her capabilities to her employers, but to herself. Step one: show up at said actor’s front door.

I loved the grumpy/sunshine retelling in a contemporary setting. There were several threads that hold true to the origin story which made it fun to spot them. I also treasured the discussion of being Black in the work place. Lastly, this book communicates the weight assumptions can hold in preventing progress when the parties involved don’t, in fact, communicate their intentions and feelings clearly.

Thank you, NetGalley and Hyperion Avenue for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review!

Thank you to NetGalley and Hyperion Avenue for an ARC of this book. All opinions in this review are my own.

I read If The Shoe Fits late last year and it brought my heart so much joy - finding out this was going to be a series of books with different authors rewriting different fairytales made that joy tenfold. The opportunity to read this ahead of time was amazing, because Beauty and the Beast is one of my favorite fairytales, and the modern twist talks about books and publishing? YES PLEASE! Additionally we have BIPOC characters in abundance, not just the main character or love interest or best friend, but all of them and then some! There are so many real world relatable struggles in this book that the main character Izzy overcomes, and she does it with tears, sarcasm, and grace. One of the best things about this book is you know it is based on Beauty and the Beast but it isn't a beat for beat modernization - it is more like both stories were in the room at the same time, and I love that. It gave me the feels that Beauty and the Beast gives me without taking away from the wonderful story that this is on its own. This was a lot of fun for me to read and it brought me out of a little bit of a reading funk I was in, so thank you for that too. I can't wait to go back and read other things Jasmine has written now!

I was very excited to see a new Jasmine Guillory book available! I have enjoyed all of her lighthearted romance stories thus far. Unfortunately, this modern retelling of the classic fairy tale, Beauty and the Beast, fell short of the mark. I found most of the references to the tale detracted from the story, rather than adding to it. Thank you NetGalley for the advance reader copy in exchange for my honest review.

This was such a fun modern retelling of Beauty and the Beast.

I really enjoyed how the story played out. I liked how Isabelle was struggling in her life but still stood up to Beau. How she was able to successfully help him not only write his memoir but also address some of his very complex feelings.

This was such a slow burn but also so rewarding. It was also super closed door which makes sense given the publisher but ooh, I would have loved a little steam.

I just really enjoyed it and definitely recommend.

By the Book immerses readers in the world of writing and publishing. Isabelle (Izzy) has worked at her publishing firm for two years and is desperate to either get a promotion or a new job. She sees her chance to prove herself by getting a reluctant writer to turn in his manuscript. Beau is a celebrity contracted to write a memoir, but he hasn’t turned in anything – or even responded to a single email – in the past year. While Izzy spends time with the reclusive Beau in his mansion, they might end up with more than just a finished manuscript.

Part of what drew me to By the Book is that it’s a retelling of one of my favorite childhood stories, Beauty and the Beast. As such, I was constantly charmed by the numerous nods to Beauty and the Beast, especially the Disney movie I grew up watching. While Jasmine Guillory made plenty of significant changes to the fairytale (which I’ll dive into in a moment), I do love the elements she chose to retain. Of course, the major themes are there: forced proximity in the man’s sizable home; the man seeming beastly despite his deeply buried good qualities; the gradual evolution from enemies to tentative friends to lovers. But the details made me giddy, and if you know the Disney movie as well as I do, you’ll catch them all: The spelling of Isabelle’s name is unconventional but perfect; Izzy’s publishing firm is called Tale as Old as Time; she and Beau watch a period drama called This Provincial Life; Beau’s WiFi password references a certain French-accented candlestick; I could go on, but there are so many little connections to the original that simply brought me joy the whole time I was reading.

There are differences from the original tale, updating it for a modern setting and removing the more problematic elements. Most notably, Izzy is not a literal prisoner in Beau’s mansion; there will be no Stockholm Syndrome between these two! Izzy’s father plays a minimal role here, the dishes don’t dance and sing, the characters aren’t even in France. But in spite of the big changes, By the Book still retains the magic that makes Beauty and the Beast so beloved.

I’m the kind of bookworm who loves to read about anything related to books, and in this novel, I enjoyed reading about the different sides to the industry. Izzy works in publishing and spends her days coordinating with authors, reading and editing manuscripts, and getting books ready for publication. She’s also a writer herself, though she has doubts about her own (unfinished) novel and her talent. Beau has never written a book before, and he’s faced with intense writer’s block over this memoir he owes Tale as Old as Time. It takes all Izzy has to get him to finally start writing, from pep talks to forced writing sessions. It is inspiring to watch these two work through their different roles with books and writing.

Beyond their professional relationship, Izzy and Beau must slowly work on their personal relationship, too. Like the Beast we know so well, Beau isn’t exactly forthcoming, and he has a temper, especially when it comes to his writing. He’s cagey and defensive and prone to lashing out. It’s no wonder he and Izzy are rather like enemies when she first arrives in his mansion. But like the original story, these two slowly inch closer to friendship and understanding… and then maybe something else that wasn’t there before. (Cue Mrs. Potts singing “Something There.”)

Theirs is a slow-build romance with some setbacks along the way. They bond professionally, over their shared love of food (especially snacks), and even over surfing lessons. Izzy helps Beau come to terms with some family trauma and his fraught relationship with his mom. Beau, in turn, helps Izzy become more confident in herself. Even as their relationship blossoms, things are kept G-rated, allowing all ages to enjoy their love story.

I appreciated the attention on mental health and burnout here. Lately I’ve been seeing both more and more in books, and I am completely here for it. Izzy and Beau have some progress to make on those fronts, and readers can gain some perspective from their journey.

If you love food, By the Book will be extra delightful: There are a lot of mentions of eating and cooking. It may make you hungry! I’ve heard that Jasmine Guillory’s romances are known for their depictions of food, and that trend has extended to this novel. It got to be a bit much for me as time wore on; I just wanted them to stop eating all the time! But perhaps food really is the way to their hearts.

By the Book is a sweet novel perfect for anyone who loves Beauty and the Beast, books about books, and slow-burn romances. It has touches of magic that make it a delightful yet wholly original take on a beloved classic.