By the Book (Meant To Be)

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 He is jaded and withdrawn and--it turns out--just as lost as Izzy.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

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320 pages

Average rating: 7.21

68 RATINGS

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14 REVIEWS

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Community Reviews

whothehelliskaitlin
Dec 23, 2024
4/10 stars
rtc
Quirkyturtlejs
Apr 26, 2024
8/10 stars
Did not know it was a retelling of a classic book but when they kept going into between kettle and the assistant name I glued in. I really enjoyed the book I just think the romance took too long but once it happened I forgot all about it it’s not spicy but it’s really cute
Michelle Morris
Feb 28, 2024
7/10 stars
This is a beauty and the beast retelling, and I really enjoyed it. It was very cute and not scandalous.
Kalidsherefudin
Jan 04, 2024
4/10 stars
Thanks
Maddieholmes
Aug 28, 2023
8/10 stars
Content warning for racism, manipulation, and related topics. I wasn't sure how I would feel about this book, but I thought the fairy tale retelling was subtle and it was a good story! I liked the characters, and I'm a sucker for the Sunshine x Grump trope. I was waiting for some spiciness, but this is a fade to black sort of book. The plot slowed a little for me in places, but overall it was an enjoyable read.

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