Home Feed
Home
Search
Search
Add Review, Blurb, Quote
Add
Activity
Activity
Profile
Profile
By the Book: A Meant to Be Novel
By the Book: A Meant to Be Novel | Jasmine Guillory
A tale as old as time--for a new generation... Isabelle is completely lost. When she first began her career in publishing right out of college, she did not expect to be twenty-five, living at home, still an editorial assistant, and the only Black employee 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 quick 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 He is jaded and withdrawn and--it turns out--just as lost as Izzy.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 reimagining of a beloved fairy tale is a romantic triumph of love and acceptance and learning that sometimes to truly know a person you have to read between the lines.
Amazon Indiebound Barnes and Noble WorldCat Goodreads LibraryThing
Pick icon
100%
blurb
gossamerchild
post image

A little late tonight, but my reading corner for the #HyggehourReadathon includes Christmas lights, a houseplant, and open windows! It was in the 70s today, in Wisconsin, on March 3, and very blustery. Such a weird day.

Reading the tagged book for some "end of the weekend" comfort.

@AllDebooks @TheBookHippie @Chrissyreadit @jenniferw88

TheBookHippie 💚📗💚 4w
AllDebooks 🌱❤️🌱 4w
Chrissyreadit 💛💛💛💛 3w
33 likes3 comments
review
kissmehardy
post image
Pickpick

That noise you heard was me SQUEALING my way through this book!!! The nods to the original BatB were so cute (the potentially talking bathtub?!) and Izzy and Beau's relationship was off the CHARTS. And the Gavin/Gaston showdown?! Reader, I cheered. #contemporaryromance #retelling

9 likes1 stack add
review
AshRaye
post image
Mehso-so

I enjoyed the book, but there was something that kept me from absolutely loving it. I felt like it was an okay story, but nothing really stuck with me about it.

review
S3V3N
post image
Pickpick

This was a good rom-com. Longer than it needed to be, but good.

review
Mshookquilts
post image
Pickpick

Wow! A satisfying read that I had a hard time putting down. Isabelle is feeling a failure @ work and with her writing when she gets the opportunity to head to Santa Barbara to get Beau Towers to finish working/start working on his book. That day turns into a month and a half and she finds herself growing in her job. Laughter and romance along the way. Thank you @FeatherV

FeatherV Yay!!!! I‘m so glad you liked it!!! 12mo
Mshookquilts @FeatherV definitely. Did you notice she was basing the bookstore off of Chaucer‘s? 12mo
FeatherV Bahaha yes 12mo
10 likes3 comments
blurb
mrp27
post image

Wrap up for #Loveathon 2023. I ended up reading more than I thought would. Best of the bunch was Legends and Lattes. Thanks for hosting @Clwojick @StayCurious !

Clwojick Well done! Glad you loved Legends and Lattes. It‘s a favourite of mine! 💖 13mo
LibrarianRyan I‘m about a quarter+ way through By the Book and I am loving it. Just eat I needed. 13mo
mrp27 @LibrarianRyan I was surprised I liked By The Book. I had read her other book The Wedding Date and was disappointed by it. This one was much better. 13mo
LibrarianRyan @mrp27 I havent read that one. I needed something sweet after so many “trama“ books. I didn't realize how many “black“ books I had that were centered around trama. So this one is fitting the bill. I think I have 5 hours left, which seems quite a bit, but we shall see. 13mo
19 likes4 comments
blurb
Chrissyreadit
post image

I love my #blitsyswap package- thank you! But I do not know who it is from? The book choices are perfect! Octavian and Loki agree ❤️❤️❤️

dabbe They're having a ball! Sweet kitties! ❣️🐾🐾❣️ 13mo
Chelleo Your match is @MoonWitch94 🥰 13mo
Chrissyreadit Thank you Danielle!!!!! 13mo
See All 7 Comments
AmyG Are those coasters? 13mo
Chrissyreadit @AmyG yes! They are fun!!! 13mo
AmyG I love those! 13mo
Chelleo Agreed…those coasters are so cute! 13mo
80 likes1 stack add7 comments
review
mrp27
post image
Pickpick


Last book completed for #Loveathon A retelling of Beauty and the Beast set in the publishing world. A fun, easy read.

Clwojick 💖💖💖 13mo
28 likes1 comment
blurb
mdemanatee
post image

When you can‘t for the life of you focus on your print book despite loving it so far, you switch to an audiobook.

blurb
mrp27
post image

#bookspin

This months list is filled with titles for book club, buddy reads #serieslove2023 and some romance for #Loveathon Can‘t wait for tomorrow‘s pick!

TheAromaofBooks Woohoo!!! 14mo
20 likes1 comment
review
AlizaApp
post image
Pickpick

A retelling of Beauty and the Beast. Isabella works for a literary agency and her career has stalled when she gets sent to visit Beau, a reclusive author, to get his latest book ready. Very sweet and also more PG than Jasmine‘s other books. But just as many snacks!

review
Cortg
post image
Mehso-so

#pop22 ~ a romance book by a BIPOC author
Not the book I originally planned to read for this prompt but the audio was available and I‘m playing catch up. I don‘t read a lot of RomComs and there were no surprises along the way, so it was an ok read for me. Beauty & the beast and a bit of a Meg Wolitzer storyline tied in.

Megabooks You are making so much progress! 1y
squirrelbrain Well done! 1y
Cortg @Megabooks Thanks! I have a mild case of Covid so I‘m in quarantine. I‘ve gotten a ton done around the house, too ☺️ 1y
41 likes4 comments
blurb
Sharpeipup
post image

Helping dog sit for a friend really increases my #audiowalk time! 🐶

33 likes1 stack add
blurb
Eggs
post image
Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks Looks cute 🥰 2y
Eggs It was sweet and fun 💕 @Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks 2y
62 likes2 comments
review
rsteve388
post image
Pickpick

This was a fun romance novel, it mimicked the Beauty and the Beast story in such a fun and refreshing way.

blurb
rsteve388

Reader Friends:: Do you think you could read one genre for one whole year? What would it be? I am thinking about maybe reading just Romance next year...

wanderinglynn I‘ve read mostly romance this year. 2y
rsteve388 @wanderinglynn Has it changed anything for you? Your outlook, your attitude or how you see the world and how you relate to people? 2y
slategreyskies I don‘t think I could read just one genre for a year, but I do think I could do mostly one genre with an exception thrown in every now and again. I‘ve read a lot of romance this year too, and it‘s made me happier. I‘ve enjoyed life more because I‘ve been reading books where there are happily ever afters and where things come together and work out. I know life isn‘t always that way, but sometimes it‘s nice to believe it could be. 2y
See All 6 Comments
rsteve388 @slategreyskies That's Rea cool, thanks for sharing that with me. 2y
Soubhiville I‘m not sure if I could, I read so many different things! If I were going to try I‘d go with Fantasy. 2y
julesG Looking at all the subgenres I'd guess reading romance only for a year is no hardship. I probably read about 2/3 romance each year 2y
22 likes6 comments
blurb
rsteve388

Colorado Litsy Friends, would any of you want to help me plan a reading retreat for.thus fall? Sometime in October? Get an Air BnB for the weekend, Read, drink tea and coffee, talk about books, explore the area where the Air BnB was, maybe go for a hike etc.

I welcome.thoughts

AmyG Sounds wonderful but I will be away most of October. We have a big vacation in Croatia. 2y
rsteve388 @AmyG Bad Ass, How does November look for you? Before Thanksgiving? 2y
AmyG Here is my problem. The fall is a difficult time for me. We also have season tickets for U of Michigan football (plus our grandson is in MI). So we travel most of Sept-Nov back and forth to Michigan. This year we just added Croatia. 2y
rsteve388 Well Amy, maybe you can join us for the spring readers retreat, usually there's one in February.. so try not to be super busy in Feb. k? I'd love to meet you and read with you 2y
vonnie862 Omg! If only I was in Colorado! 2y
14 likes5 comments
review
iread2much
post image
Pickpick

This was a fun read, I liked the setting and the characters. I didn‘t realize it was a Disney owned publisher, but once the author started making allusions to the movie, I checked because I was worried that the author would get sued.
Isabella has to tame the beast - a spoiled rich kid who signed a contract to write a book for her company - and gets to live in his mansion while helping him. Love blooms, and opportunities arrive.
3/5 stars

Leftcoastzen Oh my goodness that beautiful face! 2y
iread2much @Leftcoastzen 😊 thank you 2y
UwannaPublishme Castle looks like he‘s posing for you! 😁❤️ 2y
iread2much @UwannaPublishme he can be a very good model sometimes 2y
26 likes4 comments
review
kimmypete1
post image
Pickpick

Cute, fun and the audio narrator was FANTASTIC. It‘s a retelling of Beauty and the Beast. It‘s the second in a series with Disney, and I felt this one had a lot more references to the movie than If the Shoe Fits did, but I‘ve also probably seen Beauty and the Beast a lot more so perhaps I didn‘t recognize them.

review
Sarahreadstoomuch
post image
Mehso-so

While there are some scenes that shine, I think I just have to face the fact that I don‘t enjoy Guillory‘s writing style as much as others do. She had fun with the Beauty & the Beast story here, but there is too much that annoyed me about other things. #unpopularopinion

blurb
Sarahreadstoomuch
post image

I‘m about 4 chapters in and thoroughly annoyed at all! The! Exclamation! Marks! And! Question? Marks? Tell me it gets better or I‘m done.

vonnie862 Oh no...I just got this. 2y
Sarahreadstoomuch Ok, I‘ve read a couple other books and getting back to this one. It seems to be a way to acknowledge character growth, so it is not happening quite as often. I‘ll finish it. @vonnie862 2y
16 likes2 comments
blurb
Roary47
post image

All the books I read this month! Not a bad month. 🤩 One DNF, and 5- 5✨, plus a bunch of other great books. 🥰💛

suvata Yay! Great month! 2y
AmyG Wow! 2y
11 likes2 comments
review
Booksbymybed
post image
Pickpick

Another romance for my summer reading. This one was super cute! A Beauty and the Beast retelling. And for once not written in first person, I LOVED that. Not very steamy, but plenty romantic, which also was refreshing. I enjoyed it very much indeed.

8 likes1 stack add
review
Roary47
post image
Pickpick

5✨ I love fairy tale retellings, but Beauty and the Beast is by far my favorite. Izzy is living her best life working in the writing world. One of her clients is Beau who is suppose to be writing a memoir. She finds herself in California and decides why not try to talk to the man who is dodging her calls. As she helps to motivate him to write his book she motivates herself. Then they both realize they are falling for each other. Sooo good. 🥰😍💛

wisherwishinguponastar I love that you have the appropriate accessories to go with the book! 🌹 🌹 🌹 2y
11 likes1 stack add1 comment
blurb
Roary47
post image

My husband is doing a concrete job at his mom‘s and our house. So we are picking up supplies in a rented trailer while I read this amazing book while feeding snacks to my kids. 🥰💛

blurb
mcctrish
post image

Pre dinner drinks reading

39 likes1 stack add
review
BayouGirl85
post image
Pickpick

Izzy is a beautiful positive bright light in Beau's world. Beau challenges Izzy to take chances and Izzy challenges Beau to open up to face his past. I adored the journal part at the end. I appreciate when an author gives the man's perspective.

June Book 4/25 #LitsyLove #bookspinbingo

review
Julsmarshall
post image
Pickpick

Delightful! A great love story with sweet nods to Beauty and the Beast. I loved the Santa Barbra setting and all the behind the scenes book business stuff. Nothing earth shattering but a solid, fun, romcom. #romantsy #BookspinBingo @TheAromaofBooks

TheAromaofBooks Woohoo!! 2y
44 likes2 stack adds1 comment
review
janeycanuck
post image
Pickpick

I love Jasmine Guillory. And I love Beauty and the Beast. And Guillory nailed her retelling, setting it in the publishing industry, keeping the heart of the story alive with so many little nods to the original & the Disney movie. Yet, it was still classic Guillory with humour & good food & smart, strong women. Just so good!

41 likes1 stack add
review
amma-keep-reading
Pickpick

Fairy tale retelling? Check. Diverse cast of characters? Check. Would I recommend to others? Check.

review
Sara_Planz
post image
Pickpick

This Beauty and the Beast retelling is a slow burn romance, building the relationship between Izzy and Beau in a manner that allows them to get to know each other, and get to know themselves. Also can we talk about all the food references! Baking and breakfast and that amazing SNACK CABINET! This book was a lot of fun and a definite must read for romance readers. Pack this one in your beach bag (along with some snacks) and get whisked away!!!

37 likes1 stack add
review
Kshakal
post image
Pickpick

I absolutely love her books and this one was no exception!! A brilliant and modern retelling of beauty and the beast that had me smiling the whole time!! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

review
behudd
post image
Pickpick

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️The newest in the Meant To Be collection - a group of romances inspired by Disney stories - this is the “Beauty and the Beast” story, and I loved it! I appreciated that it wasn‘t a full retelling, & it was fun seeing the little nods to my fav princess. Sarah Hollis was a very enthusiastic audiobook narrator, and I enjoyed what she brought to my reading of the book. Guillory is a must read author for me, and this is no exception.

40 likes2 stack adds
blurb
RealLifeReading
post image

When there‘s a new Jasmine Guillory book out, it‘s time to drop everything and read!

Liatrek Loved this one so much ❤️❤️ 2y
KristiAhlers I have yet to read her. 2y
janeycanuck I‘m at the top of the list at the library for this but somehow, they haven‘t gotten their copies yet. It‘s driving me mad!! 2y
See All 6 Comments
RealLifeReading @Liatrek it was delightful! 2y
RealLifeReading @KristiAhlers i love her books! 2y
RealLifeReading @janeycanuck hope you got your book! 2y
65 likes3 stack adds6 comments
blurb
Sara_Planz
post image

My latest blog post for Books-A-Million just dropped and I would really appreciate it if y‘all could click on the link and hit the love button at the top of the article. Enjoy my recommendations and yay books!!! Thank you in advance!!

https://bit.ly/3sZRwgK

marleed Done! 2y
Sara_Planz @marleed thank you!!!! 2y
Nute Done that!✔️ 2y
See All 8 Comments
Sara_Planz @Nute thank you!! 2y
kspenmoll Done! 2y
Sara_Planz @kspenmoll thank you!! 2y
Dragon 👍💚🐉 2y
PaperbackPirate I 💗 your article. Adding Hidden Pictures to my stack. (edited) 2y
37 likes8 comments
blurb
NinaEveZ
post image

Ok, this one was not starting out as strong as the last Meant To Be novel but, at the start of chapter four our female protagonist admits to hating food that jiggles. Finally, someone understands!!! Jell-o, flan, pudding, custard— if it moves on it‘s own and is no longer alive is disturbing. I feel seen.

review
Liatrek
post image
Pickpick

What a sweet story❤️❤️❤️❤️ Izzy and Beau were just perfect together and I loved all the nods to Beauty and the Beast🙂

Leftcoastzen 😻 2y
janeycanuck This just came in for me at the library. I‘m really looking forward to it. 2y
96 likes1 stack add2 comments
review
SW-T
post image
Pickpick

Loved this Beauty and the Beast retelling. Izzy and Beau were fun to read about. Enjoyed how Izzy grew more herself as she helped Beau find his voice and write his memoir. Hard call, but might be my new favorite Guillory, and she‘s written some good books!

quote
NikkiCureton
post image

When other girls dreamed about the prince, I was definitely fantasizing about that library!
“She‘d gone to the library with her parents, once a week, every week, when she was a little girl. It had felt like a magic place to her, full of books just waiting to be read—on shelves, in stacks, in every corner. She‘d fantasized about having a place like that in her own imaginary future home, with shelves and shelves of books, wherever you looked.”

9 likes1 stack add
blurb
Roary47
post image

Book haul from gift cards and just spoiling myself for my birthday. 🥰 The tagged in one I‘m really looking forward to. Skandar and the unicorn thief came with an enamel pin! 😍The 10th Kingdom is from that mini series in the late 90s so I‘m pretty excited about it too! 😍💛🥰 Happy reading everyone!

BethM I LOVE the 10th kingdom! Had it on vhs and dvd! 2y
persephone1408 @Roary47 lmk how that unicorn thief is plz. I'm thinking about reading it. 2y
Roary47 @persephone1408 I‘ll put it in nexts months TBR so I can do that for you. 😊 2y
Roary47 @BethM Same! I‘m so excited to read it and planning on getting the DVD soon. 😍💛 2y
12 likes4 comments
review
marleed
post image
Pickpick

This author is among my many auto-read authors. I enjoy reading what‘s inside the head of her characters. While this B&B redo isn‘t my favorite of her books, it‘s still a pick. I was intrigued about her MC as a new lone black female at the publishing co, Tale as Old as Time (lol). The point of the story is what‘s happening at the ‘castle‘ in Santa Barbara, but my favorite parts happened when Izzy (vs Belle) was in her offices in NYC. ↓

marleed I am now intrigued by the idea of different authors coming to the table to provide their adult take on Disney stories. The order won‘t matter, and now I want to read Julie Murphy‘s initial contribution to the series. 2y
80 likes1 stack add1 comment
blurb
Liatrek
post image

New books and some white wine for a lovely Saturday night 😊

keepingupwiththepenguins I can't wait to read this one! 😍 2y
Leftcoastzen That sounds like a great plan! 2y
marleed I spent my Saturday with the tagged, as well! 2y
82 likes3 comments
quote
kera_11
post image

beauty and the beast retelling. Beau is shut up in his mansion not writing the book he said he would, so Isabelle shows up at his house to give him some pep talks and prove her worth at her job at the publishing house, but they do not get off on the right foot. this book was sweet and the reveal at the end to get her to come back was just everything.

8 likes1 stack add
blurb
sebrittainclark
post image

My April reading went much better than expected once I realized how much easier it is to listen to an audiobook while feeding a baby.

#bookspinbingo

review
MaggieCarr
post image
Pickpick

Lots of rom-coms are retellings of some sort but I'm enjoying this Meant To Be series by various authors. This one imitates Beauty & The Beast in an writers/editors POV in a one sided enemies to lovers trope. Closed door romance with a lovable assistant and best friend. Need to go scout out what the third book will be about and who is writing it.

review
Zuhkeeyah
post image
Pickpick

Disclaimer: Belle is my favorite princess. She loves books, I love books. We‘re basically the same. Which meant I was expecting a lot of a modern retelling of Beauty and the Beast by one of my favorite authors. By the Book was a tale as old as time full of little Easter eggs that had me giggling with joy. In public. Izzy works hard to uncover the prince of a fellow hidden beneath Beaus‘s gruff personality.

Thank you Hyperion Avenue for the ARC!

11 likes1 stack add
review
sebrittainclark
post image
Pickpick

4/5

I was so excited to see Jasmine Guillory's take on Beauty and the Beast in this series of Disney fairy tales adapted to contemporary romances. Izzy is an assistant at a publishing house and one of her tasks is emailing the reclusive celebrity Beau Towers for updates about he very late memoir, which are always ignored. Izzy goes to Beau's home in Southern California to try to finally find out what's going on, but ends up staying to help Beau.

44 likes2 stack adds1 comment
blurb
sebrittainclark
post image

1. By the Book by Jasmine Guillory and Queen's Hope by E. K. Johnston

2. A Proposal They Can't Refuse by Natalie Cana

3. The Emma Project by Sonali Dev

#weekendreads @rachelsbrittain