I loved this book and I could not put it down!! I was excited to see the premise of the book was a Cinderella / Bachelor mash-up, but I was not expecting to love it as much as I did!

Knowing it was a Cinderalla retelling, I was expecting a similar storyline, evil stepmother/ stepsisters, protagonist continously mistreated, etc., but I was pleased to see the author's take was a completely different path and she kept it much more positive and upbeat!

I loved the main character and everything she brought to the novel and I loved the behind the scene aspects with the reality show. This was such a clever concept and I enjoyed the author's unique take on this storyline! I can't wait to read the sequel in this series and see where it takes us!


***Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me an advanced copy of this book!

Thank you Netgalley for this ARC for an exchange for an honest review.
Cute read, a bit predictable but still enjoyable.

Two things I really love: The Bachelor and Cinderella. This book manages to mix the two in a way that made it so fun to read. I could predict what most of what happened but I thoroughly enjoyed reading it. I actually say down and didn't get back up until I finished it.

I would love to see more books in this series.

I love Julie Murphy's Dumplin' series (which actually has a new book coming out soon, Pumpkin, and I can't wait to read that as well!), and I also love classics turned into contemporary rom-coms, so I started this modern-day Cinderella retelling as soon as I got a copy from Netgalley. In the same vein as Dumplin', she takes a fat, generally comfortable protagonist and makes her star in the story in an unexpected way that brings a little discomfort to her life: here, as Cindy, a recent Parsons design school grad who is struggling with an artistic block and thus ends up as a contestant on the new season of her high-powered TV producer stepmom's Bachelor-like show. And truly falls for the "Prince Charming"... with the rom-com swoons (though not steamy) and emotional swings that ensue. Found it quite refreshing actually that the step-family is not horrible to Cindy (but there's still plenty of chance for mean-girl action with the show contestants, of course), but instead, while they love her, they're just so different from her (Hollywood types, with the stepsisters being skinny model-type influencers) that she has trouble finding her place in their world, especially as she grieves her father's death. The shoe-loving Cindy works perfectly as a modern-day, fresh Cinderella, and I loved the parallels to last year's One to Watch, with the plus-sized protagonist who is very into fashion trailblazing on a Bachelor-like show; I will say that while they both take on some critique of this type of show and of how the fashion world and society in general, especially on social media, treat fat people, One to Watch goes a bit deeper into it, partly because the protagonist is a bit more mature, and partly because you get to see more of the response with Bea in One to Watch being the star of the show, whereas in this one Cindy is cloistered away from social media as just one contestant vying to "win" the show. I believe this is Murphy's first adult (rather than YA) book, but it's not too far off from YA with the main character being just out of college, so the transition worked well for me. If you like rom-com reads, modern-day retellings, and/or Julie Murphy's work in general, check this one out.

Cindy’s beloved father passed away while she was at university; her mother died years ago. Upon graduation, having nowhere else to turn, she moves in with her father’s widow, Erica, and her family. The household is full: Erica has two daughters Cindy’s age and a surrogate-borne batch of adorable triplet toddlers. Cindy intends to work as a nanny until she figures out what to do with her passion for shoe design. When last-minute vacancies open up on Erica’s reality TV show (based on The Bachelor), Cindy and her two stepsisters step in. Cindy is shocked to see the bachelor is a guy she met on the plane, a guy who sparked instant chemistry. Will they be able to thwart the manipulative, domineering show managers and run off into the sunset together?

This book started a bit slowly, but I was pulled in by the main character. She’s a plus-sized woman with confidence. I liked her, and wanted to see what happened. The stepfamily is loving and kind toward her, so the Cinderella premise takes a pleasant turn. It was interesting to look behind the scenes at how gimmicky and staged a reality show is, and to learn about shoe design from this perspective.

Here’s how I could sum up the story.
Modern day Cinderella where she actually gets along with her step family meets reality TV (my guilty pleasure).

This book has the absolute perfect amount of body positivity and fat talk where you don’t feel like it is being thrown at you but it’s put into very real scenarios. Easy to read and easy to love.

The family aspect of this book and the feelings the main character feels are so real and true, Allowing people to see the better side of blended families had my heart full.

I already have a list of people to recommend this book to.

Cinderella meets The Bachelor with some bopo and self-empowerment thrown in as well. While the ending seemed a bit shocking and not quite what my little contemporary romance heart would have imagined, I still loved Cindy as a character and the shout-outs to some of the memes and modern-day references (Pelton girl, anyone?). Gave me ONE TO WATCH vibes.

(Thank you to NetGalley and Disney Publishing for the eARC in exchange for an honest review!)

Julie Murphy...you did it again! Absolutely amazing novel. If the Shoe Fits is a cute romance that can easily be read by teens and adults. And the parallels between the Cinderella story we all know are just enough to keep it on track, but not too much that the story feels cliche. Cindy finds herself at a crossroads and decides to take a chance on “putting herself out there”. I loved the witty banter between Cindy and Henry. I wish that some of the other contestants were more well rounded, or that readers got to see the other solo-dates, but as the novel is told from Cindy’s perspective it wouldn’t have made complete sense, but I so wanted to be a fly on the wall in Addison’s date.

This sounds like a cute story, but not one I was super excited about. Since I have so many books I decided to pass on reading this one. Just didn't stand out as something I HAD to get to this season.

After having just graduated with a degree in shoe design, and trying to get her feet on the ground, Cindy is working for her stepmother, who happens to be the executive producer of America's favorite reality show, Before Midnight. When a spot on the show needs filling ASAP, Cindy volunteers, hoping it might help jump-start her fashion career, or at least give her something to do while her peers land jobs in the world of high fashion.

This book was really cute! Super romantic and dreamy.

What a great book this was! Was instantly intrigued by the plus-sized lead + the modern retelling of a Disney classic. The author did a great job weaving the traditional elements of the Cinderella story into this fun + lighthearted read.

It's so easy to root for our leading lady, Cindy. I loved watching her get more comfortable going after what she wants as the book progressed. So many great supporting characters too!

If you love fashion, Disney, the Bachelor, meet-cutes --- you'll enjoy this one. Looking forward to see what the author does with the rest of the series!

O-M-G! This book is everything!! I am not a fan of the Bachelor or reality dating shows - and this book is based in one - but I still enjoyed every second of it!

For fans of the show UNreal this book is a must-read! It gives the same dive into the behind-the-scenes moments of the producer's storylines and agendas, but with the added touch of a real fun-loving romance and a touch of diversity in the plus-size main character!

I can't wait to pick up everything Julie Murphy writes!!!

Thank you Netgalley and Hyperion Avenue for this ARC of IF THE SHOE FITS by Julie Murphy.

I love a fairy tale-retelling and I love Julie Murphy, so when I found out she would be publishing her first adult romance novel as a Cinderella re-telling (featuring a plus size lead and a Bachelor-esque connection), I was sold. I love Julie Murphy's YA work and this felt like such a great grown up version of that.

Cindy is at a crossroads in her life. Recently finished with fashion school in NYC, she moves back home to LA to crash with with her step-mom, step-sisters, and three half siblings while she figures out her next move. Her mom is the executive producer of Before Midnight, a Bachelor-esque reality dating show -- and when contestants start dropping, Cindy volunteers to go on the show, ignoring the love aspect & hoping this will kick start her career. Naturally, things are never as black and white as that -- and as Cindy finds her place in this reality TV world, she may also find a few other things too.

What I loved: It turns out Bachelor-esque writing is really my sweet spot (may we remember ONE TO WATCH by Kate Stayman-London - this one had some similar vibes), and the Cinderella re-telling reminded me a lot of A CINDERELLA STORY (a classic). I also love the way the retelling didn't play with the same villain tropes - I found that refreshing and surprising. And I loved Cindy, her friends, and the main characters.

What I was just fine with: Cindy's grief over losing her father is mentioned in some interesting ways, but I wish it had gone a little deeper for how much it was mentioned. I liked the lightness of the story but found myself craving maybe a bit more depth.

Overall, I really liked it and this will be a great romance for you to read on the beach this summer!

3.5 stars, rounded up to 4.

Thank you so much to Netgalley and the publishing team for sharing this ARC with me!

What a delightful read! I've always been a sucker for retellings and this was a great one.

Cindy is fresh out of college and trying to figure out what's her next step. She has a meet-cute with a <i>delightful</i> stranger on a plane whom she dubs as Prince Henry. Fast forward and the next thing she knows, Cindy has the opportunity to score some exposure in the fashion field while also trying to win the heart of The Suitor on a reality TV show...surprise, surprise, the Suitor is none other than her Prince Henry.

I loved learning about Cindy as a character and seeing her struggles and emotional journey missing her parents as well as navigating her relationship with her stepmother and stepsisters. Not to mention, she's an awesome representation. I think my favorite part about this retelling is how wonderful the relationship was with her step-family. No evil stepmother/stepsisters here and it was breath of fresh air.

The chemistry between Henry and Cindy was fun to read but like Cindy, I was so frustrated with Henry sometimes, especially with him not being as clear as he should be. However, it all worked out for the best and Cindy learned to choose herself first and we love her for it! The ending was so cute, I got cavities.

Overall, an easy, feel-good kind of read that I definitely enjoyed!

I was very skeptical of an adult Cinderella tale published by a Disney Press. I’m so glad I was wrong! This is such an amazing book full of body positivity, powerful female relationships, and of course, an intriguing love story.

What a totally CHARMING book! Julie Murphy's writing is so entertaining and I loved reading this fun rom-com by her! This Cinderella retelling meets The Bachelor with a dash of Project Runway was a delight!
Chock-Full of fabulous dialogue, great style, body positivity, and swoony moments - I couldn't put the book down! I loved routing for Cindy and the rest of the awesome characters. I don't watch the Bachelor, but I really enjoyed reading about the fictional reality show at the center of the book, "Before Midnight".
This a closed door romance where most the action fades to black but it still was wonderfully steamy at times!
Thanks to NetGalley and Disney for an ebook version to read, thoughts and reviews are my own!

I loved Dumplin', both the book and the film, so I was happy to see a new book by Julie Murphy! Meant to Be: If the Shoe Fits, is a contemporary romance with so much added depth, because it explores the issue of body image and promotes body-positivity, specifically when it comes to fat-shaming. A fun read that takes place on the set of a "Bachelor" - like reality show, with Cin, the main character, the first and only plus-size contestant. Looking forward to recommending this wonderful book.

*Review will be posted to my blog on 7/22/21*
**3.5 STARS**
Likes:
*I love this modern twist on the Cinderella story. Instead of a girl who cleans and slaves away for her stepfamily, we have a curvy girl who is trying to jumpstart her fashion career – her particular love being…shoes. Instead of an evil stepmother and stepsisters, we get a supportive family, which was actually really refreshing.

*The reality show/Bachelor inspired storyline mixed with the fashion industry worked for me and I have never watched The Bachelor! It even had a tiny of Project Runway moment which was fun. Having Cindy and Henry build a relationship on the reality show brought in suspicion, hope, and so much insecurities for Cindy.

*Cindy is a great character – being plus size doesn’t stop her from living her life, looking good in the clothes and shoes she wears. She’s confident even when she doesn’t feel it and even when she feels insecure, she doesn’t let it hinder her from her goals. I love that she became an inspiration to people in the public through her appearance on the show, even if it was all rigged.

*Henry and Cindy are a great match. I love how they meet but wow, I’d never be able to like someone and watch them kiss all these other women for a show! So I’m actually glad at Cindy’s decision in the end, I thought it was awesome how she put herself first since there was no guarantees on how’d everything work out after the show. It does work out in the end though.

*I enjoyed the side characters like Sarah Claire and Stacy, would love books about them too! I loved her stepsisters and the triplets. Even the crew was crazy yet fun like Beck and Irina.

Random Notes:
*Because Henry and Cindy are on this reality show, they don’t get a lot of time together until their one date and I guess I was hoping he’d pick her for more private dates but as we find out, everything is set and rigged for tv ratings.

*It does feel more like a young adult book than New Adult or Adult.
This would make a cute rom-com movie.

Final Thoughts:
I found If the Shoe Fits a fun, quick read. I wasn’t expecting to finish it in one night but it was fast-paced with The Bachelor inspired storyline which meant something was always happening to Cindy or the other girls going after Henry. I loved that it features Cindy, a plus size girl and a Cinderella retelling where her family isn’t vicious but supportive. I found Henry and Cindy’s building romance to be sweet and yet as realistic as it can be in a reality tv setting. I loved them more when there were no cameras around. I think many romance lovers will find this one an enjoyable read.

This was a super cute, light, and fun story. I loved Cindy’s stepfamily dynamic and I thought her love of shoes was a cool take on Cinderella. I can’t wait to read the rest of the series!

I should have known better, but when I saw “Julie Murphy” I just couldn’t stop myself from clicking the request button. The funny thing is I was denied <i>Pumpkin</i> and that will probably end up being a huge winner for me. But whatever. The NetGalley gods – they are a fickle.

So the problem here is I really don’t like Disney princess stuff and I would also rather stick my head in the oven rather than endure even one episode of The Bachelor. Why did I think I would like this again? Oh yeah, because Julie Murphy is a QUEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEN. But I think she’s a queen of YA and this foray into contemporary/adult romance was a bit of a miss. It also didn’t help matters that <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3364789379?book_show_action=true&from_review_page=1">One To Watch</a> just came out about 12 seconds ago so there’s an obvious apples to apples comparison right at the forefront of my brain. I already have my name on the waiting list for <i>Pumpkin</i> so we’ll simply call this a glitch in the Matrix.

<i>ARC provided by NetGally in exchange for an honest review. Thank you, NetGalley!</i>