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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 He is jaded and withdrawn and—it turns out—just as lost as Izzy.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.
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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Community Reviews
4.5 stars ONLY because I’ve read “Tangled Up In You” and that one held my interest a little bit more than this one. This modern day adaptation of the beloved “Beauty and the Beast” was an adorable story, and the small details from “Beauty and the Beast” were precious. Though at times the book felt very slow, I still enjoyed this book and would recommend it to others. I also appreciated that the main characters were black individuals with confidence in their ethnicity. Being Black History month, this book was appropriate to honor that. My daughter is also bi-racial and always gets so excited when she sees movie characters or book characters that look like her. 🥹💗Representation matters, y’all, and we need more books like this. 💗 I look forward to reading more from this author AND more from the “Meant to Be” series. ❤️
By the Book: A Meant to Be Novel by Jasmine Guillory is a perfect fit for readers who adore lighthearted, funny, and emotional romance stories with a touch of fairy tale magic, especially those who enjoy the "enemies-to-lovers" trope and are looking for a heartwarming tale of love, acceptance, and self-discovery.
Synopsis: 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.
What a sweet book! A very good Beauty and the Beast retelling that had good character growth for both MCs. Guillory always knocks it out of the park with her writing.
Tropes: enemies-to-friends-to-lovers, forced proximity, kind of workplace romance, off-page action.
Tropes: enemies-to-friends-to-lovers, forced proximity, kind of workplace romance, off-page action.
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
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