A review by beckyyreadss
By the Book by Jasmine Guillory

funny hopeful lighthearted medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

I wanted to carry on with this series because I enjoyed the first book by Julie Murphy. I liked that even though it was a re-telling of a fairy tale, it didn’t feel like it. Unlike the first book in this series, I was struggling with the re-telling side and connecting with the series.  
This book is based on Isabelle, and she 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 with her parents, and one of the few Black employees at her publishing house. Overworked and underpaid, she is 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 high-profile author who has failed to deliver his long-awaited manuscript, Isabelle sees an opportunity to prove her worth and finally get the recognition she deserves. All she has to do is go to Beau’s mansion in Santa Barbara 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 He is jaded and withdrawn and – it turns out – just as lost as Izzy.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 beings 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. 

I struggled so much with this book and I think it’s because we don’t find out why the rooms/floors were forbidden unlike in the original beauty and the beast, the west wing is forbidden because that’s where the rose is. In this book, we never actually get an answer as to why it’s forbidden, and it’s just brushed over. I know that Beau is supposed to be the beast and this big asshole, but he just rolled over way too quickly and became the loveable snowman way too early in this book for my liking. And again, Gavin being Gaston, and he wasn’t villainised enough, and he was defeated quite quickly, I wanted more from him and trying to knock down Isabelle. Also, these two main characters lacked chemistry, Beau was trying to have banter with Isabelle, and she took it the wrong way and a screaming match would start. For then, Beau having to do the apologising and blaming it on his past. 

I liked Priya, I wanted more of her. I wanted her to tell Isabelle to grow a pair and to meet Beau and to like help get them together. I liked the publishing aspect and how the business works, and it sort of sounded a bit non-fictional with the writing tips. I would have loved more of what happened after she had moved publishing houses. I loved the aspects that come from beauty and the beast – the library, the rose garden and the Wi-Fi password.  

This book fell below standards from the first book, but I will be carrying on with the series and I can’t wait to see the next book.  
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