
SYNOPSIS: Izzy feels stuck at work and at home. She hasn’t received the promotion she so desperately deserves and she can’t afford to move out of her parents’ home, so when an opportunity to advance herself by getting the first draft of celebrity Beau Chambers’ memoir is presented to her, Izzy can’t help but seize it. The only problem is that Beau is a recluse and isn’t willing to talk to or see anyone, but Izzy is determined to get his book.
I thought this was a very sweet and wholesome retelling of Beauty and the Beast. I really appreciated that it wasn’t a point for point retelling and that all the references to the original were really clever. I really enjoyed that the names of places in the book were lyrics from the Disney animated film. I also enjoyed that although the house wasn’t enchanted, Izzy gave some of the household objects voices in her boredom and isolation. It was a clever way to keep that element and added a humorous dimension to Izzy’s character. The only thing that I wish was that the Mrs. Potts character, Michaela, was more present in the story. I wanted her to be more than just the snack lady and the reason for Izzy to go into the house in the first place. I loved that she and Beau were close, but I wish we got to see that relationship more. She helped to show Beau’s soft side, but I wanted her to have some development too. I loved Izzy as a character. She was fresh and relatable. I really enjoyed that we saw her starting to doubt herself and through her work with Beau she was able to reignite her passion for what she does. I also liked that her happily ever after not only involved romance, but forward advancement at a new job because I don’t always see that in romance. I’m also glad that Izzy had a friend outside of it all to communicate with and I enjoyed her and Priya’s friendship. Priya was extremely energetic and I loved how she was a nice foil to Izzy. I loved the progression of Izzy and Beau’s relationship. I loved that they bonded over snacks and period dramas and Beau slowly sharing his hobbies with her. I also really enjoyed that the library had a huge emotional importance to Beau. I always loved the library scene in Beauty and the Beast and I think that the fact that that room was also significant to Beau added an extra meaning to him allowing Izzy into the space. I really loved how much their friendship was emphasized before their romantic relationship began. I loved how we really, truly got to see how they brought out the best in each other and how much Beau began to change and come out of his shell because of Izzy’s encouragement. Another thing that I appreciated was that the Gaston character, Gavin, wasn’t trying to date Izzy, but was instead trying to clip her wings at work. I loved that his role was to undermine Izzy’s confidence in herself and her writing and that on the other hand Beau uplifted her at every turn. I also loved the moment when Izzy realized that he was undermining her and that he got what was coming to him in the very end. Overall I really enjoyed this retelling and I loved how Guillory really made it modern. It’s definitely in my top Beauty and the Beast retellings.