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A review by onceandfuturereaders
By the Book by Jasmine Guillory
emotional
funny
lighthearted
fast-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
4.25
Jasmine Guillory is an auto-read author for me. When I saw that she was releasing a Beauty and the Beast re-telling, I knew I had to snag it (it’s my favorite Disney princess movie).
This is a slow burn and is extremely PG in the spice department. It was super cute and I really loved Izzy. I just loved how she could be her true self around Beau, rather than the water downed version she was giving the world. Beau was such a complex character, but I felt like his struggles were really understandable. Anyone who has been caught up in their parent’s bitter divorce can probably relate to him a lot.
“I’ve always been writing this to you, Izzy, if you’re reading this, if you’ve gotten this far. This has always been for you.”
Other things I loved: Michaela, Priya and Izzy’s friendship, the beautiful way Beau describes his grandparents and their home, the way Izzy helps Beau figure out that he’s grieving and angry and that all his feelings are valid, Marta in the end (and sometimes I really loved her Devil Wears Prada vibes).
Things I didn’t like: the re-telling made it a little too cheesy in some parts (for me), the lack of mentorship from Marta, Gavin.
All in all, this was a cute, quick read. The only reason it isn’t a 5 star for me is because the Beauty and the Beast plot set up in the beginning was really hard to believe. Absolutely got that it was the point of the re-telling, but it was a little cheesy for me. Otherwise I absolutely loved this story and the characters.
This is a slow burn and is extremely PG in the spice department. It was super cute and I really loved Izzy. I just loved how she could be her true self around Beau, rather than the water downed version she was giving the world. Beau was such a complex character, but I felt like his struggles were really understandable. Anyone who has been caught up in their parent’s bitter divorce can probably relate to him a lot.
“I’ve always been writing this to you, Izzy, if you’re reading this, if you’ve gotten this far. This has always been for you.”
Other things I loved: Michaela, Priya and Izzy’s friendship, the beautiful way Beau describes his grandparents and their home, the way Izzy helps Beau figure out that he’s grieving and angry and that all his feelings are valid, Marta in the end (and sometimes I really loved her Devil Wears Prada vibes).
Things I didn’t like: the re-telling made it a little too cheesy in some parts (for me), the lack of mentorship from Marta, Gavin.
All in all, this was a cute, quick read. The only reason it isn’t a 5 star for me is because the Beauty and the Beast plot set up in the beginning was really hard to believe. Absolutely got that it was the point of the re-telling, but it was a little cheesy for me. Otherwise I absolutely loved this story and the characters.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Grief
Minor: Death of parent and Death