In this modern remix of a classic fairytale, beauty Isabelle, an editor's assistant at a phishing company, is tasked with getting the famous pretty boy, Beau, to stop acting like a beast and finally get his book turned in. Izzy's day trip to Santa Barbara turns into a weeks-long adventure when Beau insists that she stays in order to give him a daily pep talk. Can she really manage to make this self-centered jerk get some work done, or is she just wasting her time, both with him, and in her own life?

I had so much fun reading this, and couldn't put it down. Beauty and the Beast happens to be one of my favorite Disney movies, and the many, many references throughout were NOT lost on me. The storyline was good, and the character development was really well written. I was glad to see the resolutions to all the open issues in the last chapter or so. I already had a couple of other titles from this author on my TBR list before, but I think they'll be happening sooner rather than later, because I really enjoyed this one! I definitely recommend this to any romance fans, especially if you like Disney references as much as I do!

I received an Advanced Reader Copy via NetGalley in return for sharing my thoughts on this book. I thank the author and publisher for this opportunity! It has been my pleasure!

This was my first Jasmine Guillory, and to be honest, I'm a little bummed. I've heard so many wonderful things about Guillory's romances, but this one fell very flat to me. To be fair, because the Meant to Be series is owned by Disney, I'm assuming she had to work until certain (strict?) guidelines, which may have affected her writing. I still want to read her other books, as I've heard so many wonderful things about them, but I'm kicking myself for having this one be the first I've read by her.
I did read the first book in this series (If the Shoe Fits by Julie Murphy) and thought it was cute, if a bit bland. I felt this one was...worse . It felt very formulaic, and I didn't fall in love with the characters the way I normally do in romance novels. To be honest, I almost stopped reading about a quarter in because the beginning was pretty...rough. It was very simply written and felt like something a junior high student would have written--it lacked nuance and the writing didn't really follow the "show don't tell" rule. I also really wanted more about Beau beyond his relationship with his mother, but besides some throwaway lines about how he got in a fight to protect a friend, there wasn't much.
All in all, I only really finished this book because I always feel guilty judging a book so quickly, but I think my initial impulse was correct--I feel bummed I spent so much of this book waiting for it to get better.

I so so so badly wanted to like this book but it just did absolutely nothing for me. I waited so long for the story to pick up but I found the story and the characters boring. A Beauty and the Beast retelling really holds a lot of potential but it falls flat in this adaption. The chemistry between our characters felt forced and Beau’s sudden trust in Izzy seemed really out of the blue rather than natural. Also, I’m not sure if this a choice of Disney, the publishing company, or the author, but didn’t particularly love the closed-door love scene.

Overall, this reads more like a YA romance and not a good one.

Oh my gosh. This book was exactly what I needed. Sweet, lovely, and a brilliant retelling of Beauty and the Beast, I couldn’t put it down (I literally read it in one sitting). I loved the allusions to the movie (This Provincial Life tv show? Amazing), and the diversity of the diversity of the characters. Definitely not as steamy as some of the author’s other works, it is a perfect read for readers looking for a beautiful romcom that hints (sometimes not so subtly) of everyone’s favourite literary Disney movie.

First and foremost, a huge thank you to Net Galley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I adore Jasmine Guillory. There isn’t a single book she’s written that I haven’t loved (and I’ll admit, I have purchased them all, even though there are a few sitting on my TBR shelf that I haven’t read yet!). She writes these utterly relatable rom-coms that you just sink right into. Her protagonists are always people I love and identify with in one way or another.

This book, which drops in May, is a retelling of Beauty and the Beast. I loved all the little touches from the original fairy tale (“talking” furniture, the WiFi password of Lumiere, “This Provincial Life” TV series, etc). Better than that, it had a book focus. Our main character, Izzy, works in editing/publishing and is out in California to find the reclusive bad-boy celebrity who is supposed to be working on a memoir, Beau.

I just adored this story. Once it hit its stride, it was unputdownable. Beau played the role of Beast well, and I really loved him. Izzy is the person I wish lived next door and could be my best friend.

This book was a truly fantastic spin on the fairytale, and you should definitely pick it up when it comes out in May. For me, it was the perfect Valentine’s Weekend read. Thank you, Jasmine and NetGalley!

I’m a sucker for any book that has a book in the title or takes place in a book industry or has to do with writers. This relationship was so cute and the banter was so witty and fun! I love anything Jasmine Guillory writes!!! Super cute cover, super cute romance, and One of my favorites of hers so far! I Was actually able to read this book in one sitting!

Isabelle works with a publishing company who’s publishing a childhood actor’s new memoir. When the author goes MIA she takes it upon herself to help him with the book. This romantic tale inspired by Beauty and the Beast is a cute read for any romance novel reader.

This book is the second in the Meant to Be Series which is where different authors write very loosely based fairy tale retellings. This one is based off of Beauty & the Beast. Izzy is struggling at her publishing house in cold NYC when she has an opportunity to fly to warm LA to try to prod one of her publishing house authors to finish up his long awaited memoir. Beau Towers is gruff and growly (if course) and doesn't seem to want work with Izzy.
Well let me tell you how much I loved this book! I loved Izzy. She was a great MC. I love Jasmine Guillory's snappy writing and dialogue. And I loved how bookish this book was.

I was thrilled to see that there was a new Jasmine Guillory book coming out and that I had received an ARC from NetGalley to review it. I really enjoyed this book which tells the story of Isabelle Marlowe - Izzy - an editorial assistant who aspires to be an editor and writer herself and Beau Tower, a gorgeous but difficult new author who is attempting to write a memoir. The chemistry between these two was beautifully written - and the book delivered the happy ending that I love so much. And I did get a kick out of the various "Beauty and the Beast" references thoughout the book. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

*Thank you very much to Disney Hyperion, Jasmine Guiliory and Netalley for providing me with an E-ARC of "By The Book" in exchange for an honest review *

I really loved "By The Book" and I was really excited to read it. I was a bookish romance I definitely needed.

A lovely, modern Beauty and the Beast type story (without the kidnapping). I thoroughly enjoyed “By the Book” from start to finish. The characters are relatable, the plot flows well, the writing is on point, and the ending was satisfying. Highly recommend!

I thought Guillory did such a creative and fun job setting the Beauty and the Beast story in a modern romance world! Beauty and the Beast retellings are just probably my least favorite of the fairytales that often get revamped as romances, because I don't love an alpha, emotionally closed off love interest.

This book is, in a word, adorable. I flew through it and was left with the warm, fuzzy feeling that only a sweet, straightforward romance can provide. It's a little bit Devil Wears Prada, a little bit Beauty and the Beast and a lot of modern, hardworking, intelligent woman making her own way in the world.

Izzy + Beau's relationship development is natural and satisfying, but it's not the only meaningful relationship in this story. Izzy's friendship with Priya and her connections with other professional women add depth to the story and help us to understand Izzy better, avoiding the common romance genre pitfall of largely defining the main characters within their relationship to each other.

The age of the characters puts them right on the edge of Millenials/GenZ, and this is a book that can definitely appeal to both audiences. Very PG-13 and innocent so if you're looking for R, look elsewhere.

*I received an Advance Reader's Edition of this book and this review is being left voluntarily. All opinions are my own.

These "Meant to Be" books are just pure delightful reads. The second one in the series (first one based on Cinderella), this one is based on Beauty and the Beast and is by one of my favorite YA authors. She was a great choice to write this installment. Isabelle gets stuck with Beau in his "castle" of a mansion in California. She quickly realizes he is not much of a beast despite his bad boy image while helping him to write his memoir and finding her own lost writing voice as well. Lots of clever references to the original Beauty and the Beast. These are just plain fun reads!

This was a really enjoyable story with fun nods to Disney's Beauty & the Beast that Disney fans will love. I really loved Isabelle as a character and related to her struggles of trying to decide if her dream career really was still her dream. I appreciate that Jasmine Guillory always gives her characters interesting careers and I thought she represented working in publishing really well. This book was just delightful and made me root for the characters and their romance. I'm glad this isn't the only Jasmine Guillory book I have on my Kindle because this definitely made me want to continue reading the books of hers I haven't read.

A sweet and lovely modernization of Beauty & the Beast, by the master of romance! Izzy is a publishing assistant, dreaming of moving up the corporate ladder and even publishing her own book. Beau is an actor, son of Hollywood stars, struggling to even start his memoir. When Izzy finds herself at Beau’s home, she is able to inspire him to connect to his writing (and also her, of course).

While not my favorite Guillory, I was impressed with how she brought this story to the present day.

I really enjoyed this fairy tale inspired rom-com. Was it cheesy and predictable at times? Yes, of course it was. Maybe it is just because Beauty and the Beast is my favorite fairy tale, but I enjoyed this story despite the flaws and imperfections. The two main characters weren’t perfect, but they filled the roles of Beauty and the Beast the way I wanted them to. Izzy has been working for a publishing house for years which was her dream, but she is starting to lose hope that her boss really values her or she’ll ever be promoted. On a trip to California she volunteers to speak with a child-star who has promised a memoir but delivered no pages or updates. Izzy volunteers to drive over there and knock on the door to talk to him since he doesn’t accept their phone calls. When she arrives she finds him to be more Beast than Beau but an incident with his assistant leads to her agreeing to stay for a few days to help with pep talks about writing.

By The Book is a contemporary reimagining of the Beauty and the Beast story. Izzy works as an editorial assistant. She loves the industry but is not happy at her job. Beau is a celebrity client who is not meeting deadlines for his memoir. He is difficult, angry, and uncommunicative. Izzy volunteers to go to his home and offer some help. They go from an adversarial relationship to one of mutual trust and friendship and eventually more. There were many nods to Beauty and the Beast, but it was not overdone. There was not the spicy undercurrent as in the authors other books so it is appropriate for a younger audience but will be enjoyed by an older one. The publishing date is May 3, 2022. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me an early look in exchange for an honest review. I loved it; I hope you do too.

So cute. Definitely less spicy than the author's other books so it could be a good introduction to romance for someone new to the genre.

This novel is sweet - a modern day retelling of Beauty and the Beast. I loved the not-so-hidden references to Beauty and the Beast, the insight into the publishing industry, and the complicated relationships Izzy has with her colleagues.
I wished for a little more character development for Beau. There's some background into his seclusion - but I don't buy it. The characters lacked chemistry, or enough build-up, to their relationship. Perhaps I was expecting more spark and steam as in her other novels. This is much more PG.
All around, a good, quick, read.