Excellent story of a plus size woman on a reality show. Enjoyed the characters and the storyline. Now what would happen if those TV reality shows REALLY put a few men and women on their shows who were older, larger, and/or different from what we've seen over the years. After all, everyone deserves the HEA too!

The good:
I loved Cindy, the main character. She was the perfect protagonist for this modern day Cinderella retelling. She's charming, sweet, creative, and funny. The narrator does an excellent job bringing her personality to life.
The body positivity is so refreshing. Cindy is plus sized, and while her struggles are real (finding designer clothing in her size, hotel towels and bathrobes being too small, social media body shaming), she has such a good attitude throughout.
The bad:
I couldn't tell whether this is YA or adult. It's so sugary sweet that it reads like a ya fairy tale but Cindy is in her 20s. I think she seems younger than she's supposed to be.
There is very little conflict or angst. Some examples: her stepmother and stepsisters--why aren't they evil? I feel like this could have made the story so much better. Everyone is so nice throughout the novel. Even the villain "Addison," hardly gets any screen time and doesn't really do anything vicious--would expect more from reality TV. The love story was also just too easy. She meets Henry and they instant like each other. He sought her out throughout the show. Any "obstacles" to their relationship felt minor and I never felt the angst of "does he like me?" which is necessary for a romance, especially one set during a reality dating competition.

While this was a cute story, I couldn't tell who the audience is meant to me. It was quick and fun but nothing special.

If you're looking for the grown up versions of your favorite Disney Classics, the "Meant To Be" series is going to be for you!


"If The Shoe Fits" is a contemporary retelling of the iconic Cinderella. Our modern Cindy is a fan of shoe design and fashion who is working for her stepmother while between jobs. Oh, and her stepmother happens to be the executive of a Bachelor-type dating show called "Before Midnight" where women vie for their Prince Charming. When a spot opens up, Cindy volunteers hoping for some exposure to help her land her dream job in fashion.

This retelling was so captivating and so fun for me to read!

It’s good to see romance with more inclusive characters, and it was refreshing to read a ‘Disney’ retelling with a plus sized ‘princess’. The writing was very well done, and the cast of characters was very clever. I will say this felt more new adult than adult, but the romance was well done even if it wasn’t what I would consider a traditional romance. Cindy was a relatable character for me, and Henry was a lovable hero. I enjoyed it, it was a quick read.

In this Cinderella retelling, shoe obsessed Cindy is moving back to LA after a less than stellar senior year at Parsons. With little job prospects, she moves back to LA nanny her triplet half siblings, but finds herself competing on her step-mother's reality dating show. Only entering the competition to gain notoriety and prize money to start her own fashion line, Cindy is shocked to discover that the suitor she's competing for is none other than the Prince Charming she met in the airport on the way back to LA. When Cindy starts falling for Blake, are the feelings real or a product of doctored reality TV?

This book is such a breath of fresh air! From the opening pages, I could already tell this would be a five star read for me and I was obsessed. I had a hard time putting down the book and binged it in 24 hours. It completely got me out of a major book reading slump.

Cindy is everything. She is confident, knows her strengths and won't back down. I love her obsession with shoes and how she believes each pair tells a story. But I also appreciated her journey through grief and trying to figure out her life after the death of both of her parents.

Mr. Prince Charming, Henry, is super swoony. The banter between Cindy and Blake was easy and hilarious. I adored their meet cute in JFK. I found myself falling for Henry right alongside Cindy. In this closed-door romance, their interactions are adorable and easy. The pair just fit together.

Even though this is a retelling, I loved the strong female relationships in the story. Her step-mother and step-sisters were extremely likable and supported Cindy no matter what. The complicated relationship with the other front-runner, Sara Christine, was totally relatable. Cindy wanted to be friends with her, but when she realizes they are both falling for the same man, it pushes Cindy to figure some things out. The deceptions, unique dates and the comical mean girls kept me engaged and entertained. I loved the behind the scenes antics and workings of reality dating shows.

⚠️CW: death of parent, body image

Thank you NetGalley and Disney-Hyperion for the advanced copy.

IF THE SHOE FITS is Murphy’s first adult novel. Cindy’s stepmother is the executive producer of America’s favourite reality show, Before Midnight. When a spot on the show suddenly opens up, Cindy agrees to fill in hoping that the exposure and the prize money will help her start her career as a shoe designer. What she doesn’t expect is to become a fan favourite for being a body-positive icon and falling in love along the way.
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This was such a fun, fresh story to fall into. I loved Cindy and Henry’s chemistry. All of these characters made for an entertaining read, but I especially loved Cindy’s family. It’s refreshing to read a Cinderella retelling with a good, well-rounded family instead of the usual evil stepfamily. I enjoyed seeing Cindy’s self love and body positivity, and I’m glad she has truly loving friends and family around her. Her grief struck a chord within me, too. I just loved this book. I can’t wait to see which retelling Julie tells next!
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I’m sure you’d enjoy this one if you enjoyed I’LL BE THE ONE by Lyla Lee!
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4.5/5 stars, IF THE SHOE FITS by Julie Murphy is available August 3, 2021!
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Thank you to Penguin Teen and Netgalley for sending me an eARC to review!

I absolutely ate this up.
Like, this was a three-course meal and I am sitting here, eating the last few bites and luxuriating in how full I feel.
I love Cinderella. I love retellings. I love plus-size romance.
This book gives me all three.

If the Shoe Fits is the first book in Disney’s new Meant to Be series. Advertised as Disney’s first foray into contemporary romance, this book is a Cinderella retelling set during a dating show. It felt more like New Adult Chick-Lit to me than your typical adult romance, but I actually adored it for that.

Cindy has just come home from a difficult final year at college. She’s in a creative rut, and she doesn’t know what to do. Her step-mother is the creator of the popular reality show Before Midnight, a show similar to The Bachelor featuring plenty of balls. Cindy goes on the show as an opportunity to show off her shoes and what she can do. But what if she meets Prince Charming whilst she’s there?

We all know and the story of Cinderella. We may not all love it. But we definitely know it. This story isn’t just a Cinderella retelling, but it’s specifically a retelling of the Disney film. And that added to some fun. I might not have noticed most of the names until I finished the book. Mostly, as I devoured it late at night when I was supposed to be sleeping as I couldn’t stop. But once I recognised them, I was thrilled.

Some of those names for characters are obvious. We have our Cindy and our Henry. Henry is the canonical name of this Prince Charming if you didn’t know. We also have the Tremaine family and her step-sisters Anna and Drew. But Henry’s mum is called Lucy and her Cindy’s triplet half-siblings? Gus, Jack and Mary. It only hit me when she referred to Gus as Gus-Gus, and suddenly I was having flashbacks to the mice in the Disney film.

I’ll be honest. I’m not actually a fan of the Disney film. Even the music and the live-action remake more recently are kind of meh to me. But I loved this retelling so much. I loved that Cindy was actually close to her family. I love that she made other friends and that she was plus-size. I love that Cindy was smart and determined and that she made the right decision for her life.

This book did feel very chick-lit like to me. Though the romance was obviously there as the main plot point. You also got to see Cindy grow herself and see her friends and family grow too. There was no smut, and it was a very light and funny read. Cindy puts her career first at one point, and it’s the right decision. But it’s not exactly the romantic option. I was still cheering her on.

Some people might make comparisons between this book and One to Watch by Kate Stayman-London. Though I loved that book too last year, the two stories felt so different. And a lot of that will do with the fact that in this novel? Cindy is just one of many women after one guy. Most of Cindy and Henry’s romance doesn’t happen on-screen. They sneak around a lot, and it wouldn’t have seemed obvious that they were going to get together as a viewer. Even though he was on the show, Henry doesn’t really show any romantic interest in the other girls. So though it was a competition, it didn’t really feel like one. Though I still wanted to slap Addison.

I adored this book so much. And I will definitely be getting a copy as soon as I possibly can. This book was wonderful, and I’m so excited to see how the rest of the retellings turn out.

Thank you for giving me the opportunity to read an ARC of If the Shoe Fits!

If the Shoe Fits is a delightful retelling of Cinderella, featuring a plus-size woman Cindy who goes on a reality dating show to help get publicity to start her own fashion line. She becomes an inspiration to plus-size women everywhere, and she gets the opportunity to show off her own designs. Of course, she also falls in love and has to decide how to balance love with starting her career.

Honestly, I didn't expect to love this one as much as I did. I expected it to be a bit silly and too lovey-dovey for my taste. Instead, I found Cindy to be such a refreshingly honest character, and I felt that the romance between her and Henry really worked. I also liked all the little nods to Disney's Cinderella, even though the story was retold in a fresh way. I loved Cindy's relationships with her stepmother and stepsisters and also with the other women on the show. This was just such a fun read!!

Highly recommend to anyone who likes retellings and fun, light reads with poignant moments!

4.5/5 stars.

“The best part about crossing any bridge is the chance to look back and be able to fully understand where you came from.”

I am really blown away by how much I enjoyed Julie Murphy’s adult debut. If the Shoe Fits is a fresh, modern take on your traditional fairytale retelling; on your traditional dating-show. I absolutely adored all of the campy trashiness of this Bachelor-esque world, but there was SO much heart. I have traditionally not enjoyed Julie Murphy’s stories - but this one completely worked for me and it’s an absolute joy to read.

At times, I forgot that this was a Cinderella re-telling and I think that’s partially why I enjoyed it so much. Most Cinderella stories are stale…relying heavily on antiquated tropes and cliches. If the Shoe Fits draws upon the classic Disney story, but remains entirely its own. I absolutely loved that I was able to lose myself within this story - so much so that I read it nearly in one sitting - and just *enjoy* it. There was a comfort of knowing Cinderella, but I was still shocked and pleasantly surprised by the direction that this took.

I’ve been pretty critical of other books with plus-sized heroines because I haven’t felt seen or appreciated in many of them. That’s not the case here at all. Murphy (and Cindy) acknowledge that she’s fat - openly and proudly. But we’re not meant to pity Cindy or love her in spite of that - she just exists. As someone who has a deep love of the high-fashion industry, I really loved the discourse on anti-fatness and inclusivity. There are also really important conversations on identity, family, and grief that should not be overlooked.

I really can’t recommend this enough!

This is a fun. bingeable romance. You will feel light and fluffy after reading. I always love to see plus size rep in books, although I think One to Watch does this better within the reality TV trope realm. The love in this book seems too easy and instant for me. I would have liked to see a little more conflict, but for 290 pages, this book did what it needed to do to be a fluffy, HEA read. It gave us happy feelings, made us smile, and made us love the protagonist. Is it the best Julie Murphy book? No. But it's fun and would make a great weekend read, especially if you need some happy vibes.

This book just made me smile the whole time! It was such a cute, fun, and fluffy romance and a quick read that's perfect for the end of summer.

"If the Shoe Fits" is a book that follows what would happen if Cinderella were a contestant in "The Bachelor." Thus, it tells the story of Cindy, a recent Parsons grad with a passion for footwear, who fills a last-minute spot in "Before Midnight," a "Bachelor"-type show produced by her stepmother, Erica Tremaine, as a way to springboard her fashion career. Her stepsisters, Anna and Drew, are also late additions to the show, where they all compete to win the heart of Henry Mackenzie. As part of the story, we see the challenges that Cindy faces as a plus-sized contestant in a show that had never had a plus-sized contestant.

Given how popular "One to Watch" was last year and how similar the two storylines are, it's impossible to avoid comparing the two books. However, while Bea in "One to Watch" is basically the bachelorette, Cindy is one of the contestants vying for the bachelor's proposal. This difference in their participation in the show allows for varying character dynamics and plot lines. All in all, I think that "If the Shoe Fits" is a stronger book in terms of character development, plot, and romance, but "One to Watch" seems to be better a portraying the reality TV show aspect of the book by means of the mixed media.

Nevertheless, "One to Watch" never truly felt like a romance for me while "If the Shoe Fits" did. The scenes between Cindy and Henry were cute and heartfelt. I could see their attraction and connection growing, and I cared about whether or not they would end up together. I also loved reading about Cindy's relationship with other characters, particularly her stepfamily. While I love reading fairy tale retellings, I hate how often they are disparaging towards blended families, particularly towards stepmothers. The evil stepmother trope is so common in fairy tales and usually "Cinderella" retellings never really stray away from it. However, here we see a blended family that loves and supports each other and the conflict is not hatred towards a child and child abuse. To me, this was the highlight of the book.

I also think the plus-size representation is much better in this book than in "One to Watch." We see Cindy much more sure of herself and her body than Bea. She reminded me more of April in "Spoiler Alert," which I read earlier this year. I loved that there were no mentions of Henry caring and being attracted to Cindy despite her body, but instead that he was just found her attractive. However, since I'm not plus-sized myself, I think it would be best to read what plus-sized reviewers thought. In addition to discussions of body positivity, the book also featured discussions about how fashion and clothing are related to access to opportunities.

As a romance novel, this book doesn't include any on-page or fade-to-black sex scenes. which might turn off some readers, but I know plenty of others who look for romance novels without "spicy" (I hate that word, but I guess that's what people call them) scenes.

I can't wait to pick up the next installment of the new "Meant to Be" series when it comes out.

"If the Shoe Fits" comes out August 3, 2021.

This is one of those books that just sucks you in and you can't put down. It's a great retake on Disney's version of Cinderella including young triplet siblings named Gus, Mary, and Jack. I loved picking up on all the nods to the movie throughout the book while completely appreciating the story Julie Murphy was telling herself. I will let own voices reviewers comment on the representation that is in this book and how well it was done, but for me it worked well.

Meant to Be: If the Shoe Fits is just plain ole fun!

Cindy is a plus size girl with a great sense of humor, a sweet spirit and a flair for fashion and shoes. It's not hard to be rooting for her and her "Prince Charming" when she ends up on the reality TV show, Before Midnight, with her two step sisters. Henry is down to earth and they had such a great chemistry between them. You could tell that he really understood Cindy. I loved the banter between them-it just really made the book in my eyes!

This was my first book by Julie Murphy but it definitely will not be my last! Anyone who is a Cinderella or Bachelor/Bachelorette fan would enjoy this book.

Thank you Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review. All opinions are my own.

Overall, a cute Cinderella themed retelling without the evil step family. I thought it was pretty light on the romance, and didn't find the male lead too swoon worthy or anything. I loved how confident our female lead was and was unapologetic about her size and personality. I like that she went after her goals and didn't let a man get in the way of what she wanted - her character was really refreshing.

3.5 stars rounded up! Thanks to NetGalley and Disney-Hyperion for an ARC in an exchange for an honest review.

This was sweet and fluffy and the perfect thing to tear through on a day at the beach. It’s a Cinderella retelling with a modern-twist, perfect for fans of One to Watch by Kate Stayman-London.

This is marketed as a romance, but to be honest, the romance was probably my least favorite part of the book. I still enjoyed it, but it was pretty-closed door and the chemistry between Henry and Cindy left a little to be desired. What I really enjoyed was Cindy’s journey as she figures out who she is in this new stage of life—22 years old, post-grad and unemployed. I loved her strong circle of friendships—her sisters and Sierra, and the friends she makes on the show. I thought the discussion of grief was really poignant too. And of course, having a plus-size MC was wonderful, and I liked the way Cindy and her experiences were written throughout the story.

Lots of fun little Disney nods throughout and I enjoyed the BTS of the reality show filming. Skews a little YA, which I believe is Murphy’s background, but cute and quick!

This was a cute romance, it went quickly, and it followed the Cinderella retelling enough to be a little cheesy but switched a few things up that I liked. The fact that it was closed door romance makes the Disney Princess bit a little more realistic, I suppose, but does make this book like a 1 out of 5 on the steam meter. I think the reality dating show storyline was done well. My main gripe with the book is that there was really no villain, no big conflict—it was barely as dramatic as a Disney movie. Not quite tame enough for YA but not as steamy or salacious as I would hope/expect for contemporary romance. Overall, I liked it but I didn’t love it. I would still recommend it for romance fans, it’s a fun read.

My thanks to NetGalley and Hyperion/Disney Publishing for an advance reader’s copy.

Overall, this was a quick, light, fun read that was more engaging than I expected. If you're looking for steamy adult romance, this book isn't that; it's more PG-13.

I found this adorable. It's a wonderful modern retelling of a classic fairytale, and I'm surprised someone hadn't thought to write it sooner. A reality show--titled "Before Midnight," wink wink--is the perfect replacement for a royal ball, and the whole focus of the glass slipper in the original translates to Cindy being a shoe designer. The stepmom has a regal air about her, being the producer of said hit reality show, but is loving to Cindy, and Cindy's stepsisters are wonderful as well. That Cindy's young half-siblings (triplets Cindy's stepmom conceived with Cindy's dad and had via surrogate) are named after the mice in the movie enters into Squee Territory.

That Henry and Cindy meet before the show even starts is one of the differences and shifts in the timeline that keeps the story fresh and original. As a former New Yorker, I'm biased in my love of New York City being featured in the book. I hope Julie Murphy is writing the sequels (this is a Disney franchise after all), because she did great with this.

REVIEW ⭐️⭐️/5
If The Shoe Fits by Julie Murphy
(Advanced Copy)

Never read before - Finished 08/07

I’m gonna start off by saying this book is sweet & colourful and there is absolutely an audience for it. It is inclusive, unproblematic & well written. I encourage you to read it for yourself, because everyone has unique tastes!

If The Shoe Fits is a Cinderella retelling, set in a “The Bachelor” style TV reality series. This book is cute, flirty & fun.

Acknowledging the things I did love about this book - the author is doing a STELLAR job at normalizing curvy leads through her work. Cindy is a wonderful character & I saw myself in her (& her struggles) often. I appreciated the acknowledgment of the lack of inclusion in the fashion industry AND the reality tv industry. Bravo to @andimjulie for creating a spot within this genre for plus sized characters to come alive & be part of the movement for this to happen in ALL books across all genres.

Unfortunately, the rest of the book fell flat for me. I received an ARC & the description / genres the book is marketed in gave me a lot of hope of loving it. The publisher has marketed the book as Woman’s Fiction Romance - and this book is not that. I went in expecting some spice, some mature storyline, and well … it was a YA novel. Aside from some language that may have bumped it into the New Adult category, I strongly felt it was on the young side of YA. (Which, hey! If it was marketed as a YA book, my rating would be MUCH higher knowing I was reviewing a book in that genre for that audience). Perhaps Disney Publishing was trying to break into adult romance with this one; but they missed the mark. As a romance novel, it lacked so much. While reading, I felt like a pre teen watching The Bachelor & my mom kept turning the channel whenever things started to get saucy. Sigh. I ALWAYS felt I wanted more more more (love! spice! connection! maturity!) & it just didn’t come. Even as someone who loves a good cheesy Hallmark read, I felt this book was watered down. A great young YA novel, a mediocre Adult Romance.

Thank you @netgalley @disneybooks for the gifted ARC e-copy of this book in exchange for an honest review & rating!