Meant To Be Books in Order

Meant To Be is a line of adult rom-coms that reimagines classic fairy tales as contemporary love stories, each written by a different romance author. The books are linked by the idea rather than by shared characters, so every title works as a complete standalone. For Jasmine Guillory, that meant taking the bones of Beauty and the Beast and rebuilding them in the world she loves to write about most, modern publishing.

In By the Book, a twenty-something editorial assistant named Isabelle, known as Izzy, is stuck at the bottom rung of a prestigious publishing house. She is one of the few Black employees in the office, buried under unpaid emotional labor and endless to-do lists, and starting to wonder if her dream job will ever turn into an actual career. When she overhears her boss complaining about a reclusive celebrity author who still has not delivered his long-overdue memoir, Izzy volunteers to step in.

Her assignment sounds simple, travel to the author's Santa Barbara mansion, offer some pep talks, and nudge him toward his deadline. Instead, she finds Beau Towers, a former child star whose prickly manners and creative block have earned him a beastly reputation. Beau is grumpy, guarded, and convinced that the book everyone is waiting for might never exist. Izzy, who has been quiet and accommodating for far too long, has to decide how honest she is willing to be with him, and with herself.

As they circle each other in his cluttered house full of half-finished chapters, By the Book leans into all the pleasures of a slow-burn romance. Izzy and Beau trade barbs and reading recommendations, admit their own insecurities, and gradually become each other's best chance at change. The nods to the original fairy tale are playful rather than heavy-handed, from the bookish heroine to the beast behind closed doors, but the story is firmly grounded in real questions about burnout, racial isolation at work, and the stories we tell about ourselves.

For readers following the wider Meant To Be collection, this novel occupies the Beauty and the Beast corner of the series. For Jasmine Guillory fans who simply want more of her warm, contemporary voice, it can be read entirely on its own. Either way, this page helps you place By the Book in the Meant To Be lineup and gives you enough background to know what kind of love story you are getting before you dive in.