I loved this book! This time the not-skinny girl gets the boy. There are so many elements of this book that I love including: the main character being fat/normal, goat yoga, a sexy librarian, the entire Cinderella retelling vibe (shoes!), and an awesome stepfamily.

Cindy's mother died when she was in elementary school, her father died when she was in high school and left her with a (nice) stepmother and stepsiblings, and she recently (barely) graduated from fashion school in New York. She's flying home to LA when she hits it off with a guy on the plane, but then she never expects to meet him again. She doesn't even know his name. When she gets home, her stepmother Erica is preparing for a new season of the hit reality TV series Before Midnight (basically The Bachelor/Bachelorette). Cindy doesn't know what to do with her life since she has no job offers on the table, so she decides to represent fat girls by going on the TV show (and she might get some career exposure while she's there). What she doesn't expect is that the suitor is the guy from the plane! Will Henry, the son of a fashion icon, fall for Cindy or was the plane ride just a fluke? Whose secrets will be revealed first? Will Cindy get her happily ever after?

A cute, modern Cinderella story? Sure, why not, I can dig it, Julie Murphy is an author whose work I love(Dumplin' is such a treat!) so I was really thrilled to receive this book,

Much like One To Watch, another book centred around a plus size contestant on a bachelor-style dating show, I liked seeing a plus-size lead who felt like a real person. What set this book apart for me though, was that Cindy was really, really the right kind of fat representation. She didn't harp on her diet or exercise routine, didn't seem concerned with restricting herself, or living to gain the approval of anyone. Which is to say, she felt like every other female romantic lead in that her body didn't control and dictate every little aspect of the story. I'm sad that this is progress, but I'll also take what small wins I can get. She just gets to live in her body. I loved it.

I did find the pacing a little off at times, but overall nothing confusing or terribly difficult to get through. There was no steam to be found which is also to be expected given that it's, you know, Disney, so if that's your thing this isn't for you. I will definitely be grabbing this one again for a chill summer picnic read, highly recommend giving it a look.

Thank you to NetGalley, Disney Publishing Worldwide, and Disney-Hyperion for the advance copy.

A fun Cinderella retelling, but with no fun twists or surprises and a cast of mostly dull characters that I wasn't invested in enough to cheer for.

Meant to Be: If the Shoe Fits is a modern Cinderella retelling where instead of a prince and a ball, the story has Cindy being a contestant on a Bachelor-type reality show. Since I'm a suck for both those tropes, this book was basically meant for me. I read this in one sitting and was entertained the whole time.

My favorite parts: In this retelling, Cindy actually has a pretty good relationship with her stepmother and stepsisters. It's such a refreshing twist on the story (and any book that isn't pitting every single woman against each other gets props from me.) I also really appreciated that the book shows plus-sized and minority/diverse characters as just people. The author Julie Murphy includes diverse characters without any of them feeling like a "token character," but rather, just someone you'd encounter (sort of like real life....it's refreshing).

Note: It is similar to One to Watch in that it is a plus-sized heroine competing on the show (except in this one, she's a contestant instead of the bachelorette) but this one is well written and fun enough that I didn't even mind the similarities.

Special thank you to NetGalley for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Let me start by saying that I am a huge fan of Julie Murphy’s writing! Her YA books are some of my all time favorites. So of course I was super excited when it was announced that she was writing an Adult Romance! If the Shoe Fits sounded right up my alley and I’m so happy to say that I absolutely loved this book. It was such a cute and quick read.

The main character Cindy was wonderful and I related to her so much! I adored her passion of design and shoes. Even with lots of ups and downs, it was nice to see her follow her dreams. Cindy is unapologetically fat and I was definitely here for it! I loved that she was vocal about the fashion industry and how they are failing plus size people. Julie Murphy always does an incredible job discussing body positivity in her books. As a fat human myself, I know I can always count on her books to make me feel represented!

I’m a sucker for books that are set in the entertainment industry. The Bachelor style dating show was a lot of fun to read about and it introduced us to so many great side characters!

The romance between Cindy and Henry was super sweet. The chemistry was there from the very beginning and I was rooting for them the whole time. I do wish that we could have learned more about Henry though. I feel like we barely got to know him. A few chapters in his POV would have been great!

If the Shoe Fits is a loose retelling of Cinderella. I particularly loved that Cindy’s step mom and step sisters weren’t awful. We all know that in the original story these characters are so mean to Cinderella, but that isn’t the case with this book! Cindy loves them and they love her. Her step sisters were supportive and hilarious. Her step mom, while she did have her moments, always tried to do what she thought was best.

Overall, If the Shoe Fits was fabulous! If you are looking for a cute rom-com this summer, I highly recommend adding this to your TBR!

There were many aspects of this book that were very interesting! I love the shameless body-positivity, and I think it was super refreshing from past portrayals of big body types. I also love how the author explained the fashion industries relationship with plus-sized clothing, and I thought this book was just as informational as it was enjoyable.

I also thought the romance was super cute. This whole trope is a whole lot of fun, and I love seeing portrayals of it. All in all this book was really solid! Definitely a must read for the rom-com genre, especially if you're looking to learn more about body positivity.

This was a very fun rom-com that is perfect for escape reading. Cindy is not expecting much from the reality show that she is on, but she has quite an adventure. I smiled through most of the book and appreciated it as a nice diversion. It's a delightful Cinderella retelling that is very refreshing. I love fairytale retellings as novels because the characters get to be more than a cardboard cutout. I definitely recommend this one. :)

*I received a free copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.*

This was SO cute! I loved Cindy. I love that she embraced her body and who she was. Her character growth was really great too - I agreed with pretty much every decision she made. I wish I knew more and had seen more about Henry. (Alternating perspectives would have been AWESOME for this book) It was fun reading about a show like The Bachelor. Kind of a peek behind the curtain. some of those girls were so awful! But some were also really great too. I enjoyed the supporting characters a lot. This would be a great summer/beach read.

Thanks to NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

4 stars

I loved this book. While it is similar to another recent release, One to Watch, it was definitely it's own individual story. I love the plus-size representation and the story was definitely cute. It's Disney's version of romantic comedy so if you're looking for steamy scenes, you won't find them here. Overall, I would recommend this book and look forward to the rest of the stories in the Meant to Be series.

* I received a copy of this ebook in exchange for an honest review through Netgalley *

Oh my goodness! This is hands down one of the best books I've read so far this year. As a plus-size woman, I sometimes got into romance books with plus-size protagonists, a little uncertainty and caution that the book will fall into cliches, but "If the Shoe Fits" was so good and a wonderful romance.

This book is a relatively quick read, a perfect read in one sitting situation. The main character Cindy is strong and vulnerable throughout the story. She is always able to find a solution to every problem that life throws her.

One of the biggest elements to this retelling that stood out to me was the interpretation of Cindy's step-family. Unlike in the original story, her family is loving, caring, and supportive, which was an update that I very much appreciated.

I loved this book and this concept, so fun and gave me a world to slip into for a few hours and dream.

Be forewarned, there are fatphobic comments throughout the book that are geared towards Cindy, just so you are aware before heading in.

I was very excited to receive an ARC of this book. I’ve heard so many great things about this author, and I was so excited to get my hands on this book.

Which is why I’m disappointed that I wasn’t crazy about it.

I love how the author is bringing body positivity into the book community—something that desperately needs to happen. And I love how she includes it in part of her book. However, I just couldn’t connect with the story. I couldn’t get into the main storyline. I feel like I couldn’t get into the main characters either. There was no connection for me.

However, I loved how Cindy explained the fashion world. It showed that there are serious problems in today’s world—plus size clothing doesn’t really seem like plus size clothing in the real world.

Also her relationship with her stepmother? It’s different! Usually you get the “evil stepmother” vibe, but you don’t in this book, which is very refreshing.

Overall, the story was good. I just personally couldn’t connect with the characters.

So cute!!!!! There was nothing I didn’t love about this book! Such a fast and fun read; and they were grownups! There could have been a lot of mishaps and misplaced anger and they didn’t have any of that. Just two adults who did what they thought was best and who understood what the other was trying to do. Actually, everyone important had adult thinking and that’s great! Also, I love that they twisted the story and the steps were all nice and good people.

This was a great book, with a fun premise and a clever retelling of Cinderella. Julie Murphy excels, as always, at writing plus sized characters, fun world building and creating a quirky cast of supporting characters. The background of the reality show was a clever reinvention of the fairy princess ball and the modern happy step-family was a pleasant twist.

However, it misses five stars for two little reasons. First, even with our usual romance-grade suspension of disbelief, there is no chance that a famous producer could put three of her children on a tabloid-hungry show with no one finding out. Second, Henry is somewhat underwhelming. Rich boy with Mommy-issues and existential panic about being a responsible adult is a solid trope, but I could have used a little more.

Overall though, I would still highly recommend this read.

Ahh, so sweet! As an homage to Cinderella, I expected a horrible stepmother and sisters. I was happily wrong! I love the themes of feminine power and body positivity.

This was a fun read. The main character is likeable, and you will be rooting for her! Good body-positive message, without being preachy.

Rating: 3.5 stars

The following book contains language, suggestive content, LGBT characters, pop culture references

"This isn't real life. This is reality television.

My fairy godmother must work at Disney Publishing because your girl got a copy of an early galley of If the Shoe Fits!

Unlike Julie Murphy's characters, I usually don't have a problem buy clothes; I do, however, have the hardest time buying shoes because of my weird feet, so I am very familiar with that feeling when you find the perfect fit. For a minute, I thought Julie Murphy's new book was going to be my illusive glass slipper. The story starts with a meet cute and the prologue gave me major A Cinderella Story vibes. If we're keeping with the glass slipper analogy, If the Shoe Fits would be a comfortable fit, but I wouldn't be whisked off to the palace to marry Prince Charming.

What I Liked:
💎 The Twist on Cinderella: I wouldn't necessarily call this a modern Cinderella, but there are definitely elements of the familiar fairy tale with some refreshing twists. (I also JUST realized made the connection between triplets and the Disney movie and now I feel dumb.) I have a soft spot for Cinderella retellings and thought this was a fun one.
💎 The Nuanced Story: This is more than a simple love story. Maybe it's because Murphy is diving into the world of adult fiction, but this was much more nuanced than the Dumplin' books. Yes, there's romance, but it also address grief, family and, of course, body positivity.
💎The Family Feels: I like the fact that we don't get an evil stepmother and stepsisters. The relationship between Cindy and her step-family is a little complicated but endearing and, in this case, makes for a better story than the simple good vs evil dynamic would've.

Could've Been Better:
🧹The Preachy Dialogue: There are some moments when the story starts to veer off course and gets a little preachy. I'll admit, this is a bit of pet peeve of mine, so it probably bothers me more than most people. Look, I don't mind if you have an agenda--it probably isn't going to be a very good story if there isn't some kind of point--but don't straight up lecture me. Use your storytelling to get your point across and save the orating for an article or something. I'm here for a story, and when you get up on your soapbox, you're blocking the view.
🧹The Awkward Pacing: The story is too fast in some places and too slow in others. Goldilocks would not approve. The romance is a little too rushed to be convincing, and it just feels like we go around in circles with the supposed obstacles to Happily Ever After.
🧹Bland Characters: I hate to say this, but Henry is almost as personality-less as the original Disney Prince Charming. Some of the banter is cute, but some of it is just kind of mediocre. Cindy is a bit interesting, but I feel like a little more depth would make her an even stronger protagonist. I like some of the other contestants (though I'm still not sure what exactly Murphy was trying to do with Sara Claire's character) and think the Tremaine family member are cute; I just wish they were more developed. These relationships have a lot of potential but never get developed enough.

TL;DR: Modern Cinderella meets Miss Congeniality meets The Bachelor.

Julie Murphy hits it out of the park again! I am a little (well, a lot) older than her intended audience but I truly enjoy all of her novels. I wasn’t sure what to think about a Cinderella retelling but I love how she veered from the traditional plot and made it more enjoyable. The main character, Cindy, is so very likable and I enjoyed going on this journey with her. She didn’t have a “poor me” attitude about being plus size, but instead owned it and showed what body positivity looks like. Her relationship with her stepmother and stepsisters was refreshing as well.

I used to be a big fan of The Bachelor and I still follow the gossip somewhat, so I loved the spoof of it. The only thing missing for me is I wish we had been able to follow along his date with Addison or Sara Claire, or at least get a recap of what happened. It wasn’t integral to the plot, but I think Addison could’ve been played a more multi-dimensional villain and the friendship with Sara Claire could’ve been deepened.

Overall, it was another fun read and the things mentioned above only would have expanded the story but were not necessary to seal this as a 5 star book and must read for lovers of Julie Murphy.

It was the cover that did it for me. I love a book with a curvy woman on the cover.

Cindy is a fun, loving fashion designer. She has a passion for shoes and clothes and she just an all around great person.

I loved the relationship that Cindy has with her stepfamily. It was so nice to see. I expected them to be horrible but they were super nice and genuine.

Henry and Cindy has the cutest meet cute on a airplane. Soo adorable.

This is a fun-loving sweet romance about two people who weren't looking for love but found it anyways

First off let me start by saying I love Julie Murphy's previous books, so when I saw her adult book was available on NetGalley I was like please sign me up. I admit I was a bit disappointed in reading the summary that this was a cinderella retelling, because that story has been told quite a few times. So let me tell you now if you are having similar thoughts let me just say this book is Cinderella but with enough twists that it doesn't truly feel like Cinderella in the best ways possible. Instead of just losing a shoe, our protagonist designs shoes, collects them and basically loves them. This book has fashion, the struggle of post college life, interesting family dynamics, a reality show, being true to who you are, and of course romance. Once I started this book I could not put it down, so I didn't and finished it in one sitting. While I thoroughly enjoyed this book, I do wish that there was more detail/focus towards the end of the book, it felt like it wrapped up a bit too quickly. But huge thanks to Julie Murphy for writing this book, I can't wait to see what she writes next!

There is no doubt in my mind that Cindy, the protagonist of Meant to Be: If the Shoe Fits, and I would be good friends if we ever got the chance to meet. I can't get enough of Julie Murphy's characters, storylines or books. They keep a smile on my face, warm my heart and make me want to sing in the rain. Her books show good things do happen to good people and that sometimes you might just be in the right place at the right time. 10 stars!!!!!!!!!!