By the Book by Jasmine Guillory

By the Book (Meant to Be)

by Jasmine Guillory

From New York Times best-selling author Jasmine Guillory comes the much-anticipated second book in the Meant to Be collection inspired by the classic fairy tale stories we all know and love, perfect for adult readers who crave contemporary, escapist rom-coms.

Sometimes to truly know a person, you have to read between the lines.

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 He is jaded and  withdrawn and—it turns out—just as lost as Izzy.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.


Best-selling author  Jasmine Guillory’s achingly romantic reimagining of a classic is a tale  as old as time . . . for a new generation.

Reviewed by annieb123 on

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Originally posted on my blog Nonstop Reader.

By the Book is a charmingly written romance and the second Meant To Be novel by Jasmine Guillory. Released 3rd May 2022 by Hyperion Avenue (Disney), it's 320 pages and is available in hardcover, audio, and ebook formats. 

This is a sweet and completely escapist romantic modern retelling of Beauty and the Beast with an intelligent and strong protagonist Izzy as Belle and bad boy Hollywood hunk Beau as the Beast. I loved the plot centered on writing and the cutthroat publishing industry. It was sweet but not cloying and the dialogue really had me cheering for a happy ending. 

It was predictable but in a comforting way. I smiled throughout the whole read. I also liked the healthy friendship between Izzy and BFF Priya. The book (for the most part) is free from the cattiness and subtle undermining that I feel is really prevalent in romances with strong female leads. Izzy isn't dumb, she's appealingly intelligent, and she stands up for herself, but doesn't ever come across as overbearing or arrogant.

Four and a half stars. This is a bookish and fun romance. For younger/more sensitive readers, there is some profanity and lots of "kissy bits" but nothing really explicit. 

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes. 

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Reading updates

  • 17 December, 2022: Started reading
  • 17 December, 2022: Finished reading
  • 17 December, 2022: Reviewed
  • Started reading
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  • 17 December, 2022: Reviewed