Amanda Sellet

In this clever rom-com debut a teen obsessed with nineteenth-century literature tries to cull advice on life and love from her favorite classic heroines to disastrous results.

By the Book

fc ♡

He reached for my hand, threading his fingers through mine. “Outstanding first date, Merrily. Very on-brand. Who needs happy endings, am I right?” 

“Alex?” I whispered, taking a chance.

 I closed my eyes. He was here. And he’d called me Merrily

The heat rushed back to my face. “Only you.” I took a deep breath. “You don’t owe me anything, obviously, and you’re probably still mad, but if you do read it, instead of ripping it up or setting it on fire, that would—I would be grateful.” 

I took a tentative step to the left, sending a questioning look Alex’s way. 

He sighed but followed me into the cookbook section. When we reached the remotest end of the aisle, I pivoted to face him. My heart was beating so hard, I wasn’t sure I’d be able to speak. 

“What?” he asked, arms crossed. I glanced at the page half crumpled in my fist, then back at him. 

 “Okay.” He shrugged angrily. “I wasn’t trying to read your mail.” 

My toes curled inside my shoes as though gripping the end of a diving board. “It’s yours, actually.” 

I closed my eyes. This was going so well. “It’s to you—from me.”

His gaze fell to the page in my hand. “Do I get to read it?” 

“It’s not finished.” In fact, I suspected it might never be finished. 

“You said it was mine.” Uncrossing his arms, he held out a hand. “What does it say at the top?” 

“‘Dear Alex,’” I admitted, unable to stop myself from glancing at the telltale words. “But that’s not—” 

“Yes, it is.” He locked eyes with me, and even though he wasn’t doing the Smolder or any of his other signature looks, I melted. It felt like centuries since we’d been close enough for a staring contest.

 Before I could think better of it, I handed him the letter. “Thank you,” he said stiffly, as though I’d passed him the pepper grinder at a dinner party. “You can read your love poems while I look this over.” 

I choked, and not just because he’d spied the subject of my book. 

 “Why not?” His thumb stroked the edge of the page, where a translucent spot marred the white paper. “Is this grease?” 

“It certainly is not.” I scoffed at the very idea.

His nose wrinkled. “Something worse than grease?”

 I pressed my lips together, looking away. “They’re tear stains, okay?” Instantly, my face went up in flames. 

“Why were you crying?” Alex asked, after a lengthy pause. My eyes cut to his face, checking for signs of mockery and finding none. 

“Because . . . you were right, and I was wrong.” 

“About everything. You. Me. My sister . . . s. My friends. The past. The present.”

 “I get the idea,” he interrupted. “Is that all?” 

I looked down. “I missed you. And I wanted to see you so much, but I knew it would never happen because I screwed up so badly. Ugh!” My foot stomped like a toddler’s. “That was supposed to be way more eloquent.” I gestured helplessly at the letter.

 He looked at the page in his hands. “Maybe I better read it at home. If it’s a tearjerker.”

 “You should definitely wait. I could make you a clean copy,” I offered, leaping at the chance of a reprieve. “This one’s really messy. I should fix it for you.” 

“You’re just trying to steal my letter.”

 “Look, that’s a blob of avocado,” I said desperately, pointing to another spot. 

Alex blinked at me. “You were eating avocado while you wrote this?” 

“I like warm milk,” he confided. “With honey.” 

I shook my head, wanting to smile but not sure I had the right. We were drifting toward a semblance of our old rapport. The desire to have him look at me in that teasing way again, to call me Merrily, was a physical ache. 

A pair of legs entered my field of vision. I looked up to avoid a collision. 

“Oh,” I breathed, coming to an abrupt halt. “Oh, no!”

 “Hello to you, too,” said Alex Ritter. 

“I didn’t mean it like that,” I whispered, conscious of our audience. “It’s just—the timing.” 

“Well, don’t let me keep you.” He stepped around me, heading for a table with a single empty chair, and three very pretty girls obviously awaiting his return. 

"What?” Alex stopped with his back to me.

 “Nothing.” With obvious reluctance, he turned around. At the same moment, the letter slipped from my grip. I stood frozen with horror, watching it float through the air. Then Alex reached for it. I lunged, plucking the page from the carpet and holding it out of his reach. 

His eyes narrowed. “It’s obviously something.”

 Realizing he was trying to read the title of my book, I twisted aside 

“You’re right,” I said. “Most of what I know about friends I learned from you guys"

He shrugged. “Will it work? Maybe, maybe not. But you know what I hate?”

 “The part in books where supposedly smart characters screw up their lives because it’s just too hard”—he made a crybaby face, fists twisting in front of his eyes—“to tell someone the truth.” 

“I love you, I miss you, I can’t live without you.” Jasper yawned again. “Whatevs.”

Alex leaned sideways, trying to catch my eye. I knew he was waiting for me to explain. 

“Mary,” Alex began, and I cringed at the entreaty in his voice.

We were both breathing unevenly when we broke apart. He leaned his forehead against mine. 

“It was, wasn’t it? Good, I mean.” 

 “Not at all. Why, did you have any doubt? I knew the two of us would be a solid B-plus.”

 “Ow.” He rubbed that spot. “You have to leave something to aspire to, Merrily. For next time.”

I glanced down the darkened hallway. The music from the dance was faint as a lullaby. 

“Should we go back?” he asked, following the direction of my gaze. 

“Why?” I was frowning up at him as though he’d proposed a barefoot walk over broken glass. 

My reaction seemed to please him. Bending forward, he brushed his lips against my earlobe, making me shiver. 

The entire situation felt dream-like, free from the rules of ordinary life, so I let myself act without thinking, stretching up on my toes to kiss his neck, and then his ear. His hands tightened at my waist, which I took to mean I was doing it right.

 I stepped back just far enough to see his face, my palms resting on either side of his shirt buttons. “Alex.”

 We looked at each other for a long moment, not quite smiling. When he kissed me again, I wrapped my hands around the back of his neck, both to hold him in place and because I’d secretly wanted to touch his hair forever. It was silkier than I’d imagined, the texture softer than mine

His hand came to rest on my shoulder, thumb lightly brushing my collarbone. “The good news is you can’t actually get pregnant from kissing.” 

“Just making sure. I wouldn’t want you to shank me.”

“They don’t go into a lot of detail. You have to read between the lines.”

 He was watching me with an expectant air. It occurred to me that Alex often looked at me that way, as if I might at any moment say something delightful and surprising.

When he didn’t respond, I took a breath, thinking maybe I should explain what I meant—and then his mouth touched mine. My eyes flew open. He was already pulling away, the contact so fleeting it was over as soon as it began. 

He seemed bemused by the question. “You tell me, Merrily.” 

“Um, shock value?” I racked my brains for another possibility. “Or maybe because I was being pathetic, and you wanted to change the subject?” 

Alex smoothed the hair back from his forehead. “I can’t say I gave it that much thought.” 

“I didn’t trip and land on your mouth, if that’s what you’re asking.”

“An impulse, then,” I suggested. “Like walking past a bakery and thinking, ‘Hey, I could go for a doughnut’?” 

“Are you calling yourself a doughnut, Merrily?”

 “You’re frowning, Merrily. Was that . . . not okay?” 

“Fine?” he repeated. I lifted a hand to rub the lower half of my face before remembering my lipstick. “You know what I mean.” 

“I wasn’t offended,” I assured him, since that seemed to be his primary concern. 

“Uh-huh. So it was ‘fine’ and also inoffensive?”

 “I’m not saying it was bad,” I clarified. “Just different. From what I expected. Not that I expected you to—you know. But if I had, I would have thought it would be more, you know.” I broke off, searching for the right word. “Elaborate.” 

Without breaking eye contact, he raised my hand to his lips and placed a kiss above the knuckles. “More like that, maybe?”

Turning my hand over, he pressed his mouth to the center of my palm. “Or this?”

 I gave a microscopic shrug, not trusting myself to speak. 

“What about this?” he murmured, brushing a kiss against my cheek. “Is that how they do it in your books?”

 He dipped his head, breathing a feather-light kiss at the base of my neck.

 I was too busy enjoying the feel of his slightly roughened skin against my throat to reply. He pulled back, watching me. 

I got the distinct impression he wouldn’t go on until I answered. 

“It’s easy.” He stepped nearer, placing one of my hands on his shoulder while his other arm circled my waist. “Just follow my lead.” 

My full attention was on the feel of his palm against my back.

I had no choice but to move with him, stumbling slightly in my heels. Alex tightened his grip to steady me.

I blurted the first piece of information that popped into my head. “It used to be considered scandalous—the waltz.” 

“You sure you’re not thinking of the Lambada?”

 I shook my head. “Back then the dances had a lot less contact.” My hand sketched the distance between our bodies, until I realized what I was doing and dropped my arms to my sides. 

“I wonder what they would have said about the junior high sway.” 

Seeing the blankness of my expression (my old school had not gone in for dances), he drew my hands up to his neck. Placing his palms at my waist, he pulled me closer.

 “Nice dress, Merrily.” His gaze was warm across the bare skin at my shoulders and neck.

 I pretended to be fascinated with something behind him

“Yep. It’s like a hug set to music.” He crossed his arms behind me, narrowing the gap between us even further.

 “This is a lot closer than a waltz.” My voice sounded as wobbly as our side-to-side movements. 

“Shocking,” he agreed as his cheek came to rest against mine. 

“My sisters let me come to their stage combat class,” I said, when the silence was too much. 

He leaned away far enough to look at my face. “Is that your way of telling me to back off?” 

“No. It’s just an anecdote. About sisters.”

 Although we were no longer dancing, neither of us moved away. At this distance, he hardly had to raise his voice above a whisper. “You know, if your sister marries my sister, we’ll be related.”

 “I already have a brother. One is plenty.” 

“But you’d miss out on so much.” He fixed me with one of his patented stares: half smolder, half amusement. 

“Meeting new people. Hearing their hot takes on relationships. Dancing.” He held out a hand, palm up. “Shall we?” 

I frowned. “Are you being serious right now?”

“I can’t.” The words were aimed at my feet. 

When I risked a glance at Alex, he lowered his chin as if reaching a decision. “Come on.” Taking my hand, he led me through the crowd, carving a winding path toward the far end of the gym. 

When we reached the exit, I hesitated. “Where are we going?” 

He gave me one of his rakish grins. “There’s only one way to find out, Merrily.”

After an agonizing few seconds, I managed to look him in the eye. Or rather, the chin. “I felt bad for you. I thought you’d been cuckolded.”

I opened my mouth. “I know what it means, Merrily. And I appreciate your concern"

Alex squeezed my shoulders. When I spun to face him, he held up both hands for a double high-five, linking his fingers with mine when I would have let go. “Nice job, Merrily,” he whispered, eyes never leaving mine.

“I think they want to carry you around the room.” Alex slowly slipped his hands from mine before nudging me toward my family.

He started to raise my arm. “Shout it out.” 

“I can’t.” I pulled away. “The teams have to concede first. I’m sure somebody’ll get it.”

 “My money’s on you, Merrily.” He moved to stand behind me, gathering my hair back over my shoulders and holding it loosely in one hand.

 “What are you doing?” I half turned, but not so much as to dislodge his grip.

 “You can’t have a bunch of hair in the way when it’s time to kick ass.” He tapped his temple. “Sisters, remember?”

 Of course I remembered. It was one of the disturbingly large number of Facts about Alex Ritter I had somehow collected. “I have to concentrate.”

“Do you think they’ll ask about that dirty book you told me to read?” 

 “Dangerous Liaisons,” he reminded me. “Because you’d be all over that one.”

 “I’m not in this round,” I reminded him. 

“Lucky for me.” He leaned closer, nudging me with his shoulder. “What was the guy’s name again?” 

“Cho-der-los de—” I broke off, realizing he was toying with me. “Shouldn’t you check on Phoebe?” 

“Why?” He made a show of looking around. “Did someone give her one of those drinks?”

Shaking his head, Alex passed me his drink, placing his freed hands over my ears. “You’re too young to hear this.”

 We stood that way for a moment, his hands warm against the sides of my face. 

“You do have curls, you know.” One of his hands shifted so that the thumb brushed my temple. “Right there.”

 I twisted out of his grip, afraid he would feel the pounding of my pulse. “Here,” I said, handing his cup back to him.

 The first question was about Lolita. I kept my eyes fixed straight ahead, but it wasn’t enough to block out the teasing glance Alex slid my way. 

Still grinning, he took a sip of his drink, only to gag loudly enough to interrupt a question about erotic imagery in classical sculpture. Half the room turned to stare, more affronted than concerned for his welfare. Alex raised a hand in mute apology. 

As soon as everyone looked away, he spit into his cup.

 “No, disgusting is what I just drank. Are you trying to kill me?” 

“It’s water. With a little raw cider vinegar. It’s supposed to be good for you.” 

 “Something about the immune system. I think.”

 He shook his head. “How could you do this to me, Merrily? I thought we had something. Here, feel my throat.” Taking hold of my wrist, he raised it so that my fingers brushed his neck. “Is there a hole?” 

The skin was, of course, perfectly intact. Also warm to the touch and very much alive; I could feel his pulse beat against my fingertips. 

Swallowing hard, I repossessed my hand. Was he actually flirting with me

“Cat got your tongue, Merrily? Or did you fry your vocal cords with this stuff?” He raised his cup before setting it in a gray plastic tub of dirty dishes. 

 “You said you didn’t like your name"

Leaping to my feet, I offered Alex my hand. “Thank you.” 

His warm palm pressed against mine. When he didn’t let go, I tugged lightly, pulling him to his feet. My gaze traveled from our clasped hands to his face

 “Me?” I gave a nervous choke of laughter. “I barely know anyone.” 

Alex gestured at himself. “What am I, chopped liver?”

He shifted on the bench, bringing his hip and thigh into contact with mine. “You get to know them.” Moving away would have been awkward, so I held perfectly still. 

 “And then you feel something, or you don’t.” 

My voice dropped to a whisper. “Like what?”

 He didn’t answer right away, as though there might be some other layer to my question he needed to decipher first. “Like your day is better when you see them,” he said, looking steadily at me. “And you think about them when they’re not around. Or make excuses to get close, because you wonder if their skin is as soft as it looks. That kind of thing.”

“Why do you ask, Mary?” He stretched his arm along the back of the bench. “Are you having feelings?”

Alex Ritter started, fumbling the book of sheet music in his hand. 

“Over here,” I whispered. He took a tentative step toward the edge of the porch, squinting down at me through a pair of wire-rimmed glasses. “Mary?” 

I nodded, distracted by the eyewear. The effect was very different from his usual look: less perfect, more vulnerable. He glanced over his shoulder before turning back to me. 

My mouth fell open. He was turning me down already? “I haven’t even told you what I want—” 

“I’m getting a very strong ‘drug deal’ vibe. Contrary to what you seem to think about my personal habits, I’m actually a pretty clean-living guy.”

 “I’m not trying to sell you anything!”

I stepped closer to the railing. “I need your help.”

 The suppressed laughter fled his expression. “Are you okay?”

 “I’m fine.” He was still studying me intently, checking for injuries, I presumed.

I loved this book! The balance between all of the characters’ arcs and stories was expertly accomplished and the prose was eloquent and varied! I loved all the characters and just wanted more!!!!! Also the banter between the main character and her love interest was super cute and entertaining!

Brianna 

celene

3.5 wish it was more romance-focused,,, so there would be more development w mary & alex,,,, but anyway this was pretty cute,,,

In this clever YA rom-com debut perfect for fans of Kasie West and Ashley Poston, a teen obsessed with nineteenth-century literature tries to cull advice on life and love from her favorite classic heroines to disastrous results—especially when she falls for the school’s resident Lothario. Mary Porter-Malcolm has prepared for high school in the one way she knows how: an extensive review of classic literature to help navigate the friendships, romantic liaisons, and overall drama she has come to expect from such an “esteemed” institution. When some new friends seem in danger of falling for the same tricks employed since the days of Austen and Tolstoy, Mary swoops in to create the Scoundrel Survival Guide, using archetypes of literature’s debonair bad boys to signal red flags. But despite her best efforts, she soon finds herself unable to listen to her own good advice and falling for a supposed cad—the same one she warned her friends away from. Without a convenient rain-swept moor to flee to, Mary is forced to admit that real life doesn’t follow the same rules as fiction and that if she wants a happy ending, she’s going to have to write it herself.

Steph L 

A fun read

This book was a lot of run. One star because the characters were like able and a pleasure to read about. One star for the plot because this book had such a great story and I loved it. One star for the romance and all the book references because those were all so good. The romance was sweet and I was rooting for the couple. One star for the theatre references and personal enjoyment. At times, the pacing in this book felt off. I felt some aspects could be talked about more, and some could be talked about less.

Shan

A light and quirky read. This fun story about a bookish girl using the knowledge she has gathered on love from her classics, tries to tackle love and friendship. This was such a fun read and found a lot of myself in the main character, Mary. I thoroughly enjoyed Mary's growth and her very large family. Sellet did a phenomenal job portraying each major and minor character and gave them all so much depth.

Ipshita Kanungo

3.75⭐ a very cute rom com which surprisingly impressed me (mostly coz I had the least expectation & had only picked up coz it looked like a short read) I never thought that I would like a rom com that is already not very high rated. Like, i really enjoyed it, mostly coz it's filled with classic references & friendship dynamics more than the romance arc. I loved the characters, especially Lydia and Jasper, but others are a close second. The narrator could be a tad bit annoying but atleast she is relatable. And so is the book, it's actually relatable. Yes, the girl does get a good looking, charming boyfriend in the end but it doesn't come that easily, she does go through other good looking guys & being rejected by them (which was the relatable part). Aside from all these though, there is not much to the plot, typical high school drama. So if u are looking for something plot worthy this is not it. But it's short, light & breezy, easy read & fun to read, the reason y I picked it up.



Rebecca Browne

It just wasn’t that memorable and nothing really happened. I kept getting Arden and Lydia mixed up I couldn’t remember who was who. Also the main love interest didn’t really make sense?? Like you’re telling your friends don’t pine after him because of two interactions you had with him, one of which was a misunderstanding?? Overall not for me.

Gabriel Noel 

ARC given by NetGalley for Honest Review

"By The Book" was such a fun read! The book reads like a 19th century novel but set in the present which lends itself wonderfully to the theme and main characters narration. Mary was a very honest and relatable character who I fell in love with. Her sibling interactions while a little flowery were so authentic that you could tell Sellet comes from a large family. I also noticed that the way Mary is makes her read like she is on the spectrum. I don't know if this was intentional but I'm delighted by the fact that others may relate to her in the way of having a special interest like she does.

The ending was a little clipped and I wish I had gotten a little more of the friends all together plus Alex, I think that would have been so fun to see. The friends dynamics were fun but I wanted to hear more about Terry as well! I felt during the story she was cast aside a little.

The best part of the story was the coming to terms with making mistakes and being brave enough to say you're wrong and apologize. It sets a great example for readers of all ages that is important in all relationships (family, friends, romantic.)

Hope to grab a copy for myself and my library!

Tânia Borges

Actual rating: 2.5/5 stars
Such a disappointment. This was not at all what I was expecting. There was a less positive aspect to every good thing I found, so I am not exactly sure what to think of it. Alex was decent enough as a character, nothing too extraordinary, but the main character was an absolute disaster. Her family and friends were a lot more interesting than her. The plot was a bit predictable, but that is to be expected with light contemporary YA, I guess. The constant references to classic books, people and behavior were too much for me, and that includes the type of language and the way the main character speaks and carries herself - it would've been more appropriate or at least made more sense if there was some type of time travel spin and Mary really was someone from the past. Overall I didn't hate it, per se, but I wouldn't recommend it as a book I particularly enjoyed either.

Paola C

By the Book is about Mary, who is an avid classical book reader. Mary struggles with changes and making friends, until one day she meets a group of girls and she helps them out. They invite her to hang out with them and friendship grows from there. This book was a cute book, it did drag on for a bit, but if you stick with it, the 2nd half of the book picks up. It's a nice read for when you want something quick and not to angsty to read.

Amy L Hamilton

I loved this book! It was funny, sweet, and uplifting. I enjoyed the characters, dialogue, and how the author wrote about female friendships in a positive way.

Ayo!! I finished it in under 24 hours which i always love to do with books, especially when I haven’t read for fun in a while! this book was so cute and had some really amazing characters and i love the way it ended and it’s focus on female friendships!! it was really beautiful! i do wish it had developed them a bit more, there’s a lot more i want to know about them all but for a light read it was amazing!!

Heather Harrington

The only life experience Mary Porter-Malcolm has come from classic literature. When she's sent to a real high school for the very first time, she quickly learns she doesn't know as much as she thought she did. No book could prepare her for being dropped by the only friend she ever had, or being taken in by three popular girls. It definitely didn't prepare her for crushes, especially on a known ladies' man. This leads Mary and her friends to create the Scoundrel Survival Guide, an archetype of all the literary bad boys that girls should stay far away from, which quickly blows up in her face when Mary realizes that people aren't always what they seem.

I really wanted to like this, but it just fell flat for me. I didn't really like Mary as a character, she came across way too pretentious for my taste. The dialogue and turns of phrases that Sellet used were so unrealistic given how old these characters are supposed to be, and it made it a bit hard for me to connect to the story because it just didn't feel believable. And while I did like Alex, there weren't enough interactions that sold me on his and Mary's relationship. I did enjoy the female friendships though, so that made it at least a little more enjoyable. If you've read, or are at least familiar with all the classics, you might enjoy this since all the references slap you in the face, but it just didn't work for me.

Sarah Willhite

This was so good and so enjoyable. It covered some really good topics even though it was a contemporary romance. It was so heartfelt and so so so so good. I really loved this!! I adored every single character. The main character loved books so much and her whole life was centered around them. It was just a book lovers dream of a book.

Chelsea White

Overall a cute YA book. Mary could be a little much at times, but then I remember she went to that fancy college high school thing, and her actions and thoughts make more sense. I wish there had been more buildup of tension between Alex and Mary, but overall a good book.

Tania Joana da Silva Monteiro

Enjoy this a lot! This was specially focused on the friendship between a girls group and I loved that. The friends were different and then all the siblings to add to it. I related to the main character so much, with she having people telling her she was weird because of actually "not at all weird" things and then trying to hide that part when meeting new people. And I like how the relationship with the love interesting was created and developed. Also the fact that they used books as guides!!!!! All the references. I don't read that many classics but I still loved it. Very enjoyable read and I kinda want to re-read it again.

Ana Couto

I recently finished BY THE BOOK by Amanda Sellet, and I found it to be such a unique YA novel. This story follows Mary, a high school student who has prepared for the ups-and-downs of the teen years by extensively reviewing classic literature. Mary uses her knowledge of Tolstoy, Austen, the Bronte sisters, etc. to help navigate the friendships, romantic liaisons, and overall drama that comes with being in high school. 

What I loved most about this book is the writing style --- I felt like I was reading a Jane Austen novel, but set in the 21st century. I don't think the writing will appeal to everyone, but if you're a fan of 19th century literature then definitely give this one a shot. It was delightful to see how character traits depicted in novels like ANNA KARENINA or JANE EYRE are still relevant today, and the English major in me was simply jumping for joy. This book is officially out as of last week, so be sure to get yourselves a copy if it sounds interesting to you! (and as a side note --- can we take a moment to appreciate how cute this cover is?!? YA illustrators have been killing it this year!)

Thank you to HMH Teen for the free book in exchange for an honest review!

Manon van Heumen

Sadly, I had expected more of this book. While the premises sounded promising, the execution lacked conviction. I couldn't connect well with the characters, and I found their motivations often unbelievable.

Ashlee

This book was so smart and cute and funny. I found myself heartily relating to Mary as she tried to navigate friendships and relationships and high school life. 

I actually went into this thinking it was an adult romantic comedy (I’d read the synopsis awhile back and placed a hold on the audiobook through my library), so when I started it and realized the main characters were in high school, I found myself kicking myself for forgetting and slightly disappointed that it was YA. However, the book absolutely shattered my expectations and I loved all of the references to classic literary romances and how Mary and her friends use them as a guideline for what to do and what not to do.

I absolutely have my fingers crossed for more books with Mary’s family, because I definitely fell in love with them too.

Jessica 

Blog | Twitter | Instagram | Tik Tok | You can find my review here.


  As always, a copy of this book was provided by the author or publisher in exchange for my honest review. This does not effect my opinion in any way.


Another day, another beautifully written coming of age story to make you grin. By the Book is truly a gift and so, so, so wonderful to get lost in. Although it is uniquely its own story, the warm and fuzzies that come from its pages and rush into your fingertips feel almost nostalgic. By the time this novel was over, my heart felt exactly as it once did in the moments I'd read some of my favourite contemporary young adult books.

Which makes By the Book something utterly, beautifully, special. Not only does it have this hum of electricity throughout, it has realistic characters to get you through the days. By the Book follows a fairly familiar formula, but never falls into the trap that some of its counterparts might. For so many readers, this will be one of those books where they see a lot of themselves in the characters--namely, Mary, our leading lady and fellow book lover.

By the Book will surely speak to readers of all ages. Whether they are directly in the same age range, or nostalgically looking back on yesterdays. There's something (ahem) about Mary, and in turn, there is something about By the Book that feels wholly compelling.

There are so many wonderful things to note about By the Book, and to avoid spoilers I'm going to try and sum it up simply. The most important thing about this book is the standard driving force of all coming of age novels: finding oneself after a massive change. By the Book is at its strongest when it doesn't water down the struggles of girlhood and that includes the many unfortunate bumps that Mary endures at times.

Its bright-spots come in two separate bonds: a friendship, a family and a romance.

I adored the aspects of new friendships that came with By the Book and was constantly rooting for it. It also was fast to devote the same amount of attention to family, too. Novels that showcase the importance of having real, true, friends are always a massive love of mine, as you all know. Double points for the one's that share the stage with character growth, family dynamics and romance; you've got the perfect combination.

Another massive plus: there a hefty amount of cheeky banter between Mary and her love interest, there is a whole lot of heart there. It is the kind of relationship that blossoms in a way that tugs a smile and feels real.

Overall, By the Book is a super fun and sweet novel. If you love contemporary romances with great characters, fun relationships and the like, then this is a must-read for you.

By the Book

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