A fairytale romance read! Enjoyable and relatable story - a long slow in parts but overall a good rom com read.

Incredibly enjoyable book, set between New York and California, about an editorial assistant who is being overlooked at work, and a jaded celebrity who is very overdue on his memoir manuscript.

At the point Izzy volunteers to see if she can meet Beau in person and see if she can coax a book out of him, the story really gets going.

I loved the descriptions of Beaus' place, and the rather fabulous dialogue between Beau and Izzy.

As we get to know Beau more, we learn just why he has been struggling with telling his story, which just endeared him to me even more.

This was a quick and easy fun read, and I loved the surfing lessons.

Thank you to Studio Press and Netgalley for this copy which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily.

By the Book is a sweet romance I really loved and dragged me out of a slump. Many Thanks to NetGalley and Bonnier Books for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Review:

Plot- It was a massively engaging and fun plot, with romance, tropes galore and it was written really well. Pacing was a bit all over for me but honestly, although it was engaging it wasn’t exactly different to a lot of other books out there. It was cute though.

World building- Generally done well, if a bit heavy at the beginning to introduce the story and world.

Characters- The characters seemed nice and fun throughout. The development of them and the romance throughout is definitely, what the main driver of the story is, and that development is definitely the best part of the story.
Overall:
If you think Modern Beauty and the Beast retelling- this is the book to try.

Sadly, this was a DNF for me at 30%.

I wanted to like this book, I really did, but I realised that I was just so bored and it was a slog to even get through that much.

There were hints I liked, such as Gavin. I was looking forward to see how he played out. And whether there may have been a twist for how Isabelle had been treated in her job. Unfortunately, this excitement was overridden by the focus on the book and the lack of interest I had in both Isabelle and Beau as characters.

I guess maybe it's time for me to take a break from fairytale retellings.

Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for the arc in exchange for an honest review.

I really wanted to love this one as fairytale retellings of any kind are something I love.

However I just couldn't get into this one. I honestly don't know what it was but I just struggled. I've read Jasmine's work before and really enjoyed it but something just seemed different to me!

I'm gutted but thank you to netgalley and the publisher for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

omg, I really try to fall in love with this book, but something about the writing style did not work for me. clearly, it's a case of me not you.

I was really excited for this one because Beauty and the Beast has always been one of my favourite Disney movies! I'm weak for any kind of retelling and I'm always up for reading more diversely!

I dove into this pretty eagerly and I have to say, I loved Izzy. I got so mad on her behalf so many times and truly cheered for her at the end. She also delivered some pretty sound advice that I could relate to (even if my writing only extends to some overly elaborate fanfic!). I also really enjoyed the look into the publishing industry and that it didn't shy away from the more negative aspects. Not to mention all the times I was like that gif of Leonardo Di Caprio when I spotted a Beauty and the Beast easter egg!

My issue with this book, however, was that I really wasn't all that invested in the romance. I found it kind of bland, and my attention was wandering. I did have to force myself to finish it and get through it towards the end and I didn't feel any kind of spark between the two love interests.

The influence of this being published in tandem with Disney is evident, as it's quite tame compared to some other books I've read. Though, I did enjoy that this is a Beauty and the Beast retelling, as that's one of my favourite Disney movies.

Thank you for my earc of this book
I really enjoyed this and although I found the pacing a little slow at times (could be me), it was a good read with a solid plot and likeable characters

. A great romance for book lovers everywhere Cliched at times, but when is it romance these days. I really enjoyed reading this book and we need it within the week. High praise indeed.

I keep meaning to read some Jasmine Guillory, as I’ve heard amazing things about her series called The Wedding Date and even own a couple of them. I was delighted to be accepted for a copy of her Beauty and the Beast retelling on NetGalley and although I had high expectations, I was still completely blown away!

Izzy didn’t expect to still be an editorial assistant at the age of 25 and she spends her days at her publishing job constantly wondering if she should get out of it. But then she overhears her boss talking about a tricky celebrity author, who just won’t send them any copy for his highly-anticipated memoir. Izzy decides that she’s going to be the one to get Beau Towers to finally turn in some work and volunteers to show up at his door to give him one of her excellent pep talks. But getting Beau to open up to his past and to Izzy proves much harder than she ever imagined.

I adored finding all the Beauty and the Beast references in this book and there are plenty of them. The plot loosely follows the same story that we all know and the characters are definitely incredibly similar to their fairytale counterparts. I couldn’t help but grin like a sugar-laden kid every time it was as blatant as ‘be my guest’!

Izzy is clearly a girl who has grown up with ideas of princesses and simple, pure romance in her head, like so many of us. I also enjoy swishing around big, beautiful houses in long, flowy dresses. The fact that Izzy is Belle in this retelling meant that I couldn’t get away from the parallels between this and that huge, climactic Beauty and the Beast moment when Belle comes down the stairs in her ballgown. We all know that’s what thinking of!

There is some commentary on the lack of diversity in publishing, which is a big issue and something that I know so many readers will relate to. I think this is part of what drives Izzy to get that promotion and forge her own path within publishing. Other than her love of books and eventually her bond with Beau, Izzy is very much the kind of girl who wants to see positive change, which makes her very easy to root for.

Izzy has ambitions to be a great literary writer and she allows an assistant editor called Gavin to read her manuscript. He comes back with some very discouraging comments and thoroughly patronises her. I was really sad that Izzy believed his words and allowed them to put her off working on her novel. I just couldn’t wait for Gavin to get his comeuppance and it came about in such a fantastic, unexpected manner, which was excellent!

Beau is a very intriguing yet intimidating character at first. He’s clearly handsome but he wants to come across as unapproachable, which in some respects makes him even more attractive. Even without the Beauty and the Beast parallels, I knew that he had a soft centre and I really enjoyed the slow process of that emerging throughout the book.

Izzy visits Beau to give him the inspiration and the help with his writing. So naturally, we get her writing advice too! I loved how Guillory managed to embed her best tips for getting words down into the story and fully appreciated them, as I’m sure every other reader who is a writer will too.

By The Book is a fresh, fun take on a story that everyone knows and that has been retold countless times recently. I think this might be the first contemporary retelling I’ve read of it, as fairytales obviously tend to be the domain of fantasy writers. I adored Izzy and Beau’s story as well as the delightful ending that had me grinning from ear to ear. There is a good amount of simple appreciation for books and the joy they bring too!

I did enjoy this one but I was slightly disappointed given that it was meant to be a take on beauty and the beast which is my favourite Disney film. I liked the main character Izzy and found her pretty relatable. Some parts were funny but it wasn’t anything groundbreaking.

Such a well crafted novel, compelling enough to pull you through and very quick read. I enjoyed it so much from the first page till the end. A good story like this needs a quiet afternoon, a sofa and a warm blanket. Moving and heartfelt! Enjoy! Whimsical but never frivolous, sweet but not sugary, deeply kind rather than merely nice. I loved it.

Actual rating: 3.5
Enjoyed the concept but took a while to warm up to the characters. Once I was about half way through I really started to enjoy the book a bit more. As this was the first book by Jasmine Guillory I have read, I did not know what ot expect from the story/writing style but it grew on me. I will certainly be giving some of her other books a go in the future.

I love books about books and Guillory is one of my favourite contemporary contemporary authors so I knew before I started it would be a good read. And don't get me wrong, it was but I just felt it lacked a bit of oomph. While I liked Isabelle, I did struggle to warm to Beau. (Full (petty) disclosure: I don't particularly like the name Beau so I was slightly biased)

I've always found books set against a publishing industry backdrop fascinating and this was no exception. Author struggling to meet their deadline. Young, hungry, editorial assistant struggling to take the next step in her career who sees this as the perfect chance to get her career back on track. After some initial misunderstandings, they agree to work together and slowly start falling in love. What's not to like?

The issue was I read another book with a similar plot just a couple of months prior so there was this sense of deja vu when reading By The Book but once I shook that off it was a fun, easy read.

I always enjoy a story that features books / readers / writers so was immediately into By The Book - a modern day take on beauty and the beast with a literary twist.

Izzy is an overworked and underappreciated assistant at the NY publishing house who is tasked with moving in with the difficult and recluse Beau Towers to help him finish writing his memoirs, which are delayed by over a year. 

The book is definitely on the whimsical side, with tongue in cheek chat about talking baths and an enchanted house, so this is definitely for someone who likes a little side hussle of fairytale with their stories. 

The only thing I would say is I felt the pacing was a little off - parts of the story seemed to drag but then the ending felt really rushed and a bit like it was missing a chapter to finish it off. It didn't ruin the read but I definitely had a lot of questions which the epilogue didn't really cover. 

Still a lovely light little slow burn with a magical twist - it's unashamedly twee and I loved that.

First time I've read one of Jasmine Guillory’s books and I loved it. it was such a sweet romance story and very easy to read. I particularly enjoyed the little reference back to the beauty and the beast story whilst keeping the Issy and Beau modern and relatable. I'm excited to read more of her books.

This book was a modern day fairytale! By The Book is a beauty and the beast retelling that gives us a swoon-worthy insight into what it would be like if Belle existed in the year 2022, and I was living for it. I absolutely adore the idea of taking a classic theory and giving it a modern day spin, but only if it does the fairytale justice, and Jasmine Guillory did this perfectly!

Isabelle was fresh out of college when she started her first job in publishing, what didn’t expect, was to be 25 years old and still at the same job. The job had essentially lost its magic, she was under appreciated and underpaid, and left wondering whether this job was actually worth the effort. Izzy searches for an opportunity to show her worth and get her promotion of her dreams. Conveniently, the publishing house is desperately trying to get ahold of a brooding celebrities memoir, who is completely ghosting their calls and emails. Izzy decides that this was exactly the opportunity she was looking for, and steps up to convince Beau Towers to write his memoir using her iconic pep talks and quality advice.

However, when Izzy arrives at Beau’s home, she finds he is more withdrawn and blunted than she had once thought. But with her persistence and encouragement, Beau begins to write his long awaited memoir. Which should be perfect, if spending so much time together didn’t cause Izzy and Beau to grow closer and form a bond they didn’t realise could be made. As Beaus memoir progresses, so does their own love story and decisions are to be made.

I loved this story, the contrast between Izzy’s bubbly personality and Beau’s straight-faced brooding one worked perfectly for this retelling. Portraying Beauty and the Beast in the most iconic modern way. The forced proximity of Izzy living in Beau’s home whilst he wrote his memoir forced the characters to connect emotionally and made the romance even more believable and magical. The character development for both characters was excellent, it was like they needed one another in order to work in the flaws and become the best version of themselves. This book deserves all of the hype it’s received so far, and I can’t wait to read more from this author.

Special thanks to NetGalley and Bonnier Books UK for sending me a digital copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

By The Book by Jasmine Guillory was the perfect, easy and sweet romance book. I read this whilst on holiday and thoroughly enjoyed every second.

The characters in this book were what made this story for me. Izzy is a fun, loveable character who will make you laugh and I routed for her the whole way, getting mad when she was mad and smiling like a fool when things finally went her way. Beau was an incredibly interesting character who begins the story as an arrogant, self-absorbed guy but, with time, Izzy begins to peel back his layers and reveals a softer side to him. The way the author crafted the story to slowly get deeper and deeper into Beau's feelings and history was really well done and had me captivated.

The romance between Izzy and Beau was really sweet and done in a way that made it seem natural and not forced. I also appreciated that this wasn't too steamy and really loved the way the two characters grew together, enjoying watching their relationship grow as well as themselves as individuals.

I also really enjoyed that the plot was centred around writing, and the pep talks from Izzy even inspired me a little bit!

My only criticism would be that when there were texts included throughout the book, they were sometimes mismatched with texts from different scenes being interposed with one another and making it slightly confusing. However, this is likely just due to this being an ARC copy and will no doubt be resolved before publishing.

Overall, I thought this was a quick, entertaining and well written romance novels that is the perfect little pick me up if you're feeling down or in a reading slump. Would definitely recommend to anyone looking for a light-hearted romance book that will make you smile.

4 out of 5 stars. Thank you to NetGalley, Bonnier Books UK and Jasmine Guillory for the ARC :)

A sweet and fluffy retelling of the Beauty and the Beast, set in the publishing and writing industry. I mean, Belle loved books, right? Our protagonist, Izzy, works in a publishing house called Tale As Old As Time (TAOAT) and is tasked with coercing the reluctant and reclusive golden boy Beau Towers to finally hand in the manuscript of his autobiography. As in the original Disney version, there is initial distrust between lovely Izzie and the reluctant host, which grows into something else once our protagonists start to open up to each other and work together. I also liked the fact that the book does not take itself too seriously despite some conflict there is also humour - fans of the film will be delighted with small nods towards the original, and those like me will be delighted with the amount of bookish content. This is a feel good romance written by one of my favourite authors, but it is also the second book in the series called Meant To Be, which I believe is a series of contemporary fairy tale retellings, so I definitely need to check out the first one.