Review: The Writing Retreat

Title: The Writing Retreat
Author: Julia Bartz
Genre: Thriller, Contemporary
Publisher: Simon and Schuster Canada
Source: Publisher and Tandem Collective
Format: Paperback
Release Date: February 21, 2023
Rating: ★★★

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Goodreads Synopsis:

A book deal to die for. 

Five attendees are selected for a month-long writing retreat at the remote estate of Roza Vallo, the controversial high priestess of feminist horror. Alex, a struggling writer, is thrilled.

Upon arrival, they discover they must complete an entire novel from scratch, and the best one will receive a seven-figure publishing deal. Alex’s long-extinguished dream now seems within reach.

But then the women begin to die.

Trapped, terrified yet still desperately writing, it is clear there is more than a publishing deal at stake at Blackbriar Estate. Alex must confront her own demons – and finish her novel – to save herself.

This unhinged, propulsive, claustrophobic closed-door thriller will pull you in and spit you out…

Review:

Bestselling author Roza Vallo hosts a writing retreat at her remote estate for aspiring writers under thirty-years-old. When Alex finds out that she’s been chosen for this exclusive retreat, she’s excited but there’s a problem. She’s had writer’s block for a year. On top of that, her ex-best friend, who she had a fight with a year before, has also been chosen to go to the retreat. The experience isn’t what they expected. Roza wants them to each write a complete novel, writing 3,000 words a day to complete it in a month. However, the women begin to feel trapped, and strange things start happening. It isn’t just their writing careers that are at stake, but their lives as well. 

I loved the premise of this book. It would be a dream come true for me to go to a writing retreat with my favourite author! I can’t imagine having the privilege of doing that. The thriller aspects of this story were good, but there were some strange scenes. 

The strange scenes involved hallucinations and dreams. It gave the story a bit of a fantasy side, which disrupted the intense thriller. There were also some references to homosexuality and race in publishing that didn’t really make the impact they should have. It felt like some attempted representation that was thrown into the story without a purpose or without fully making a statement. 

The Writing Retreat was an intense and unusual thriller. 

Thank you Simon and Schuster Canada and Tandem Collective for providing a copy of this book.

What to read next:

The Sanatorium by Sarah Pearse

Have you read The Writing Retreat? What did you think of it?

Review: The Sanatorium (Detective Elin Warner #1)

Title: The Sanatorium (Detective Elin Warner #1)
Author: Sarah Pearse
Genre: Thriller, Contemporary
Publisher: Viking
Source: Publisher via NetGalley
Format: Ebook
Release Date: February 2, 2021
Rating: ★★★★

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Goodreads Synopsis:

You won’t want to leave…until you can’t.

Half hidden by forest and overshadowed by threatening peaks, Le Sommet has always been a sinister place. Long plagued by troubling rumors, the former abandoned sanatorium has since been renovated into a five-star minimalist hotel.

An imposing, isolated getaway spot high up in the Swiss Alps is the last place Elin Warner wants to be. But Elin’s taken time off from her job as a detective, so when her estranged brother, Isaac, and his fiancée, Laure, invite her to celebrate their engagement at the hotel, Elin really has no reason not to accept.

Arriving in the midst of a threatening storm, Elin immediately feels on edge–there’s something about the hotel that makes her nervous. And when they wake the following morning to discover Laure is missing, Elin must trust her instincts if they hope to find her. With the storm closing off all access to the hotel, the longer Laure stays missing, the more the remaining guests start to panic.

Elin is under pressure to find Laure, but no one has realized yet that another woman has gone missing. And she’s the only one who could have warned them just how much danger they are all in…

Review:

Le Sommat is a former TB Sanatorium that has been turned into a resort in the Swiss Alps. Elin Warner is an English detective who is on leave from her job. She goes to Le Sommat with her boyfriend Will for her estranged brother’s engagement party. There is a huge storm as soon as they arrive, with the threat of an avalanche. The morning after Elin gets to the resort, her brother’s fiancé, Laure, goes missing. While Elin is investigating Laure’s disappearance, another woman turns up dead. The pressure is on for Elin to solve these mysteries while the storm brews outside. 

This was a fast paced thriller. There were a bunch of different mysteries that had to come together with the same solution. The different threads didn’t seem to be connected, so I was really curious to see how the story ended. My only critique is that I don’t think the reader could figure out the ending because there is some crucial information that isn’t provided until the end. 

The Sanatorium is a great thriller!

Thank you Viking for providing a digital copy of this book.

What to read next:

The Retreat by Sarah Pearse

Other books in the series:

  • The Retreat

Have you read The Sanatorium? What did you think of it?

Review: The Last Tale of the Flower Bride

Title: The Last Tale of the Flower Bride
Author: Roshani Chokshi
Genre: Fantasy, Romance, Contemporary
Publisher: HarperCollins Canada
Source: Publisher via NetGalley
Format: Ebook
Release Date: February 14, 2023
Rating: ★★★★★

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Goodreads Synopsis:

A sumptuous, gothic-infused story about a marriage that is unraveled by dark secrets, a friendship cursed to end in tragedy, and the danger of believing in fairy tales—the breathtaking adult debut from New York Times bestselling author Roshani Chokshi. 

Once upon a time, a man who believed in fairy tales married a beautiful, mysterious woman named Indigo Maxwell-Casteñada. He was a scholar of myths. She was heiress to a fortune. They exchanged gifts and stories and believed they would live happily ever after—and in exchange for her love, Indigo extracted a promise: that her bridegroom would never pry into her past. 

But when Indigo learns that her estranged aunt is dying and the couple is forced to return to her childhood home, the House of Dreams, the bridegroom will soon find himself unable to resist. For within the crumbling manor’s extravagant rooms and musty halls, there lurks the shadow of another girl: Azure, Indigo’s dearest childhood friend who suddenly disappeared. As the house slowly reveals his wife’s secrets, the bridegroom will be forced to choose between reality and fantasy, even if doing so threatens to destroy their marriage . . . or their lives. 

Combining the lush, haunting atmosphere of Mexican Gothic with the dreamy enchantment of The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue, The Last Tale of the Flower Bride is a spellbinding and darkly romantic page-turner about love and lies, secrets and betrayal, and the stories we tell ourselves to survive.

Review:

A man who was a scholar of myths and fairy tales married a mysterious and beautiful woman named Indigo Maxwell-Casteñada. Indigo is a wealthy heiress, and she made her bridegroom promise that he would never ask questions about her past. When Indigo finds out that her aunt is dying, they return to her childhood home, the House of Dreams. The bridegroom finds traces of Indigo’s friend, Azure, in the house. Azure disappeared suddenly when the girls grew up. As they spend more time in the house, Indigo’s husband discovers more hints about Azure’s life. He wants to figure out where she went, even if it means breaking the promise he made to Indigo. 

This was an evocative, dark, modern fairy tale. The House of Dreams was a character in itself, revealing things about the past to certain people. The story was quite mysterious, with hints being revealed slowly. Once I got into the story, it was hard to put down. I predicted the final twist about halfway through the story, but I was glad that it happened because it made sense for the story. 

The Last Tale of the Flower Bride is a dark and beautiful story. 

Thank you HarperCollins Canada for providing a digital copy of this book.

What to read next:

The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V.E. Schwab

Have you read The Last Tale of the Flower Bride? What did you think of it?

Review: Virtually Me

Title: Virtually Me
Author: Chad Morris, Shelly Brown
Genre: Middle Grade, Contemporary
Publisher: Shadow Mountain
Source: Publisher
Format: Paperback arc
Release Date: February 7, 2023
Rating: ★★★★★

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Goodreads Synopsis:

A mysterious package. 
A new school.
A chance to be someone new.


A new virtual reality school where students get a fresh start.

The pandemic was rough on everyone, especially since school went from being a fun place where you could hang out with your friends to a bunch of heads in small rectangles all trying to talk at once. For Bradley, Edelle, Hunter, Jasper, and Keiko, that’s about to change.

A mysterious box arrives at each of their houses, and they’re invited to attend a virtual school. More than just being online, they’ll be able to create an avatar of themselves and interact with their friends and other classmates in real time using VR headsets.

For each of them, that presents an opportunity to become someone they’re not, or someone they haven’t been. For Bradley, it’s a chance to come out of a self-imposed shell. Edelle hopes everyone will see her for who she really is, not just for how she looks. Hunter is looking forward to pretending he’s still the person he was last year. Jasper wants to get over past assumptions. And for Keiko, it’ll allow her to disappear into the crowd.

For all of them, it’s a chance to see just how much they’ve assumed about each other in the past and maybe an opportunity to become friends.

Review:

The pandemic changed school, going from in person to online. At the start of the school year, some kids have decided to attend a virtual reality school. They are sent a headset and accessories to attend the school from their homes. Each student can create an avatar and name to represent themselves in the game. It can be created from real photos or made up. Bradley, Edelle, and Hunter all came from the same school to attend this virtual reality school, but they don’t realize they know each other. Bradley and Edelle both have fresh starts, using avatars that don’t look like their real selves. Meanwhile, Hunter has changed in real life, but he’s masquerading as the same person in the VR school. Though they each have a different reason for attending a virtual school, they each have to deal with different problems in this new environment. 

This is a great story about contemporary issues. The pandemic changed the way school is taught, and I think the effects of that will be felt for many years to come. There have also been new opportunities for learning such as a virtual option. This story took it a step further by having students act like they were at a real school with a virtual reality set rather than sitting in front of a screen all day. 

Bradley, Edelle, and Hunter each had different reasons for attending a virtual school. Bradley was uncomfortable with the way he looked and wanted to get away from the bullies from school. He gave himself a completely different look and persona with his avatar at the new school. Edelle got in trouble for bullying a girl at school, and her mom wanted her to learn to be less superficial. She gave her avatar a plainer look that didn’t have the beautifully styled appearance that she liked to have in real life. Hunter decided to attend virtual school because he had developed alopecia and he was uncomfortable with the way he looked. He made his avatar look like he did the year before at school. It was interesting to see how a new appearance at school made the kids behave differently. However, they still had to deal with the same school problems like bullying and peer pressure. 

Virtually Me is a great new middle grade story!

Thank you Shadow Mountain for sending me a copy of this book.

What to read next:

Mustaches for Maddie by Chad Morris, Shelly Brown

Have you read Virtually Me? What did you think of it?

Review: Lunar Love

Title: Lunar Love
Author: Lauren Kung Jessen
Genre: Romance, Contemporary
Publisher: Forever
Source: Publisher
Format: Paperback
Release Date: January 10, 2023
Rating: ★★★★★

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Goodreads Synopsis:

This sweet, enemies-to-lovers debut rom-com filled with Chinese astrology will undoubtedly prove to be a perfect match with readers of Helen Hoang, Jasmine Guillory, and Helena Hunting.

Always a matchmaker, never a match…

Olivia Huang Christenson is excited-slash-terrified to be taking over her grandmother’s matchmaking business. But when she learns that a new dating app has made her Pó Po’s traditional Chinese zodiac approach all about “animal attraction,” her emotions skew more toward furious-slash-outraged. Especially when L.A.’s most-eligible bachelor Bennett O’Brien is behind the app that could destroy her family’s legacy . . .

Liv knows better than to fall for any guy, let alone an infuriatingly handsome one who believes that traditions are meant to be broken. As the two businesses go head to head, Bennett and Liv make a deal: they’ll find a match for each other—and whoever falls in love loses. But Liv is dealing with someone who’s already adept at stealing business ideas . . . so what’s stopping him from stealing her heart too?

Review:

Olivia Huang Christenson is excited to take over her grandmother’s matchmaking business, Lunar Love. They match people with their ideal partner based on their Chinese zodiac sign compatibility. Just as Olivia is taking over the business, she discovers a new matchmaking app that uses a Chinese zodiac algorithm to make matches but without the human connection that Lunar Love provides. Bennett O’Brien is the creator of ZodiaCupid, the matchmaking app. When Bennett and Olivia meet, she instantly doesn’t like him. She sees him as competition and a threat to her business. They keep getting thrown together so they make a bet to match each other using their own methods and whoever wins will get media exposure and more clients. However, Bennett and Olivia often end up spending time together on the dates that they set each other up on. Though their zodiac signs aren’t compatible, Olivia may need to accept that compatibility isn’t always necessary for love. 

This is such a cute rom com! Both Bennett and Olivia were mixed-race, and they were influenced by the relationships in the past generations of their families. Olivia wanted to make her grandmother proud by continuing to make compatible matches. Since Olivia had had a bad experience with a boyfriend who’s zodiac was incompatible with hers, she thought that compatibility was the most important thing with matchmaking. Bennett forced her to see if differently, using an algorithm with his app. Though this was an enemies to lovers story, Olivia and Bennett did have a lot in common, with similar backgrounds and similar professional goals as matchmakers. 

Lunar Love is a great new rom com!

Thank you Forever for sending me a copy of this book.

What to read next:

Dial A for Aunties by Jesse Q. Sutanto

Have you read Lunar Love? What did you think of it?

Review: The Love Match

Title: The Love Match
Author: Priyanka Taslim
Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary, Romance
Publisher: Salaam Reads
Source: Publisher
Format: Paperback arc
Release Date: January 3, 2023
Rating: ★★★★★

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Goodreads Synopsis:

To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before meets Pride and Prejudice in this delightful and heartfelt rom-com about a Bangladeshi American teen whose meddling mother arranges a match to secure their family’s financial security—just as she’s falling in love with someone else.

Zahra Khan is basically Bangladeshi royalty, but being a princess doesn’t pay the bills in Paterson, New Jersey. While Zahra’s plans for financial security this summer involve working long hours at Chai Ho and saving up for college writing courses, Amma is convinced that all Zahra needs is a “good match,” Jane Austen style.

Enter Harun Emon, who’s wealthy, devastatingly handsome, and…aloof. As soon as Zahra meets him, she knows it’s a bad match. It’s nothing like the connection she has with Nayim Aktar, the new dishwasher at the tea shop, who just gets Zahra in a way no one has before. So, when Zahra finds out that Harun is just as uninterested in this match as she is, they decide to slowly sabotage their parents’ plans. And for once in Zahra’s life, she can have her rossomalai and eat it too: “dating” Harun and keeping Amma happy while catching real feelings for Nayim.

But life—and boys—can be more complicated than Zahra realizes. With her feelings all mixed up, Zahra discovers that sometimes being a good Bengali kid can be a royal pain.

Review:

Zahra Khan has to work long hours at the tea shop Chai Ho the summer after high school. She’s had to give up her dream of studying at Columbia after her father died and she had to help support her family. Her mother decides the best way to help the family would be for Zahra to marry into a rich family. Her mother sets her up with Harun Emon, whose family supports the match. However, Zahra and Harun aren’t interested in being together. They decide to follow through with the dates their parents plan, to show them that they aren’t a good match. Meanwhile, a new boy, Nayim Aktar, starts working at Chai Ho with Zahra. He is an orphan supporting himself, so he doesn’t fit Zahra’s mother’s plans, but she starts to develop feelings for him. Zahra needs to figure out if she should follow her heart or do what’s best for her family. 

I loved this story. There were lots of references to classic romances like Jane Austen and Bridgerton. Zahra is a writer, but she struggled to follow her dream because her mom didn’t think it was a profession that would support her. Zahra had to find a way to satisfy her family while also following her dream, but not everyone in real life is lucky enough to find the balance. 

The twists at the end really surprised me. There were subtle clues throughout the story but I was pleasantly surprised by how everything happened. 

The Love Match is a great YA romance!

Thank you Simon and Schuster Canada for sending me a copy of this book.

What to read next:

Love from A to Z by S.K. Ali

From Twinkle, with Love by Sandhya Menon

Have you read The Love Match? What did you think of it?

Review: Salt and Sugar

Title: Salt and Sugar
Author: Rebecca Carvalho
Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary, Romance
Publisher: Inkyard Press
Source: Publisher
Format: Paperback arc
Release Date: November 1, 2022
Rating: ★★★★

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Goodreads Synopsis:

The grandchildren of two rival Brazilian bakeries fall in love despite their families’ feud.

Trust neither thin-bottomed frying pans nor Molinas.

Lari Ramires has always known this to be true. In Olinda, Brazil, her family’s bakery, Salt, has been at war with the Molinas’ bakery across the street, Sugar, for generations. But Lari’s world turns upside down when her beloved grandmother passes away. On top of that, a big supermarket chain has moved to town, forcing many of the small businesses to close.

Determined to protect her home, Lari does the unthinkable—she works together with Pedro Molina to save both of their bakeries. Lari realizes she might not know Pedro as well as she thought—and she maybe even likes what she learns—but the question remains: Can a Ramires and a Molina truly trust one another?

Review:

Lari Ramires’s family bakery, Salt, has always been at war with the Molina’s bakery across the street, called Sugar. The feud goes back a couple of generations. When Lari’s grandmother passes away, she’s faced with the hard truth that the bakery is struggling. A new supermarket chain that has opened nearby is trying to get all of the small businesses to close. Lari is desperate to save her family’s bakery, so she teams up with Pedro Molina, the grandson of Sugar’s owner, to try to save their family legacies. 

I love this kind of star-crossed lovers story. Lari and Pedro were from feuding families, like Romeo and Juliet. The tension between them was there immediately, since their families were enemies. At the same time, they had a lot in common since their families had the same type of business with the same problems, which was a recipe for romance. 

If you read this one, I highly recommend having some sweet treats nearby because the descriptions of pastries and treats made me so hungry!

Salt and Sugar is a cute YA romance!

Thank you HCC Frenzy for sending me a copy of this book!

What to read next:

Tweet Cute by Emma Lord

Have you read Salt and Sugar? What did you think of it?

Review: Season of Love

Title: Season of Love
Author: Helena Greer
Genre: Romance, Contemporary, LGBT
Publisher: Forever
Source: Publisher via NetGalley
Format: Ebook
Release Date: October 11, 2022
Rating: ★★★★

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Goodreads Synopsis:

Miriam Blum has no choice but to face the past she thought she’d left behind when she inherits her great-aunt’s Christmas tree farm in this witty, glittering, heart-filled romcom.

Thanks to her thriving art career, Miriam Blum finally has her decoupaged glitter ducks in a row—until devastating news forces her to a very unwanted family reunion. Her beloved great-aunt Cass has passed and left Miriam part-owner of Carrigan’s, her (ironically) Jewish-run Christmas tree farm.

But Miriam’s plans to sit shiva, avoid her parents, then put Carrigan’s in her rearview mirror are spoiled when she learns the business is at risk of going under. To have any chance at turning things around, she’ll need to work with the farm’s grumpy manager—as long as the attraction sparking between them doesn’t set all their trees on fire first.

Noelle Northwood wants Miriam Blum gone—even if her ingenious ideas and sensitive soul keep showing Noelle there’s more to Cass’s niece than meets the eye. But saving Carrigan’s requires trust, love, and risking it all—for the chance to make their wildest dreams come true.

Review:

When Miriam Blum’s great-aunt Cass dies, she goes back to visit her family for the first time in 10 years. While there, Miriam learns that she has inherited Cass’s Jewish-run Christmas tree farm with her cousin and the grumpy manager of the farm. On top of that, they learn that the farm is in danger of going under. Noelle Northwood is the manager of the farm. She doesn’t trust Miriam since she’s come back after being away from her family for so long. All that Noelle knows is that Miriam wasn’t there when her family needed her, so she really doesn’t want to fall for her. Noelle, Miriam, and Miriam’s cousin Hannah have to work together to put aside their differences to save the farm. 

This was a fun holiday rom com! I loved all the quirky characters. They were all distinct and had their own storylines, which leaves open the possibility of more books in a series. 

The characters celebrated many holidays from October to January. They celebrated both Jewish and Christian holidays. Miriam’s family was Jewish, but since they work at a Christmas farm with Christians, they also celebrated Christmas all together. It was fun to see so much celebration in a holiday story!

Season of Love is a fun holiday story!

Thank you Forever for providing a digital copy of this book.

What to read next:

You’re a Mean One Matthew Prince by Timothy Janovsky

How to Excavate a Heart by Jake Maia Arlow

Have you read Season of Love? What did you think of it?

Review: Once Upon a December

Title: Once Upon a December
Author: Amy E. Reichert
Genre: Romance, Contemporary
Publisher: Berkley
Source: Publisher via NetGalley
Format: Ebook
Release Date: October 4, 2022
Rating: ★★★

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Goodreads Synopsis:

A one-of-a-kind Christmas market offers holiday magic in the new romance from the author of The Kindred Spirits Supper Club.

With a name like Astra Noel Snow, holiday spirit isn’t just a seasonal specialty–it’s a way of life. But after a stinging divorce, Astra’s yearly trip to the Milwaukee Christmas market takes on a whole new meaning. She’s ready to eat, drink, and be merry, especially with the handsome stranger who saves the best kringle for her at his family bakery.

For Jack Clausen, the Julemarked with its snowy lights and charming shops stays the same, while the world outside the joyful street changes, magically leaping from one December to the next every four weeks. He’s never minded living this charmed existence until Astra shows him the life he’s been missing outside of the festive red brick alley.

After a swoon-worthy series of dates, some Yuletide magic, and the unexpected glow of new love, Astra and Jack must decide whether this relationship can weather all seasons, or if what they’re feeling is as ephemeral as marshmallows in a mug of hot cocoa.

Review:

Astra Noel Snow loves going to the Milwaukee Christmas market with her best friends every year. They eat, drink, dance, and go to the mysterious Julemarked area of the market where they buy kringle pastries from a handsome man. Jack Clausen is one of the workers at the bakery. He’s looking forward to seeing Astra again that Christmas, but she won’t remember him. The Julemarked is a market that only exists from December 1st to 24th, and then jumps to a different city to open as a Christmas market there. Only a few special people can remember the Julemarked from one year to the next. Jack is hoping this will be the year that Astra finally remembers him. After spending a night together, they make plans to meet again at the end of the month. When Astra can’t find him for their date because the Julemarked has disappeared for the year, she spends her time searching for answers so she can finally have her happily ever after. 

This was an unusual story. The world of the Julemarked was hard to wrap my head around. It was confusing at first. The people who live and work at it only ever experience the month of December in different cities around the world. They don’t know what year or location they will end up for each month. It was disorienting and unexpected. 

I really didn’t like Jack. He had a closed mind when it came to deciding on his and Astra’s relationship. He wanted her to give up everything for him without even thinking about it. There was also the dreaded pregnancy trope, which seemed forced. 

Unfortunately Once Upon a December didn’t work for me. 

Thank you Berkley for providing a digital copy of this book.

Have you read Once Upon a December? What did you think of it?

Review: By the Book (Meant to Be #2)

Title: By the Book (Meant to Be #2)
Author: Jasmine Guillory
Genre: Romance, Contemporary
Publisher: Hyperion Avenue
Source: Purchased
Format: Paperback
Release Date: May 3, 2022
Rating: ★★★★★

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Goodreads 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. 

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.

Review:

Izzy is a twenty-five year-old, who works in publishing, and still lives at home with her parents. She’s overworked and finds it hard to speak up for herself, as the only Black employee at the publishing company. When she hears her boss complaining about the high-profile celebrity who is late with his manuscript, Izzy gets an idea. Izzy goes to Santa Barbara to give the author, Beau Towers, a pep talk. However, when she meets him, she discovers that he is so withdrawn that he will need more than one pep talk. Izzy stays with him and encourages him to tell his story. As Beau writes his memoir and gets closer to the end, Izzy discovers they have more in common than she expected, and she doesn’t want to leave him when they’re finished. 

Beauty and the Beast is my favourite fairytale, so I was excited to finally read this retelling. This was a fun twist on the story with a publishing spin. It’s not realistic that a publishing assistant would be sent to live with and help a celebrity write their memoir, but it was a fun fantasy to read about. 

By the Book is a cute Beauty and the Beast retelling!

What to read next:

If the Shoe Fits by Julie Murphy

Other books in the series:

Have you read By the Book? What did you think of it?