I’ve been a fan of Julie Murphy’s YA books for years, so I was thrilled to see her branching out into the world of adult fiction. This book is a retelling of Cinderella mixed with a season of a reality dating show (think The Batchelor) and–spoiler alert–it’s a lot of fun.

Shoe-obsessed Cindy has just (barely) graduated from Parsons after a disastrous final year when the reality of her father’s death finally hits her. She manages to graduate, but her spark for designing is gone and she’s unable to land a job. She heads back to California to nanny for her triplet younger siblings while she figures out what to do with her life. She meets a cute stranger on the flight home. Imagine her surprise when, after volunteering to fill a slot on her mom’s reality dating show, the eligible batchelor is none other than the cutie from her flight.

One thing I really loved about this book is that while it was a Cinderella retelling, Cindy actually has a great relationship with both her stepmother and her stepsisters. Yes, her stepmother is a reality TV powerhouse, very different from Cindy’s own mom who died when she was younger, but her stepmother does everything she can to support Cindy and try to protect her. Cindy’s stepsisters are Instagram influencers, who could have been written as shallow and vain, but they too love Cindy and have her back at every opportunity. These characterizations were so refreshing in a fairy tale retelling.

I have never seen a single episode of The Batchelor so I don’t know how close to real life the depiction of a reality dating show is, but I suspect it’s pretty close. This was another really fun way to create some drama and over-the-top situations that give Cindy the opportunity to shine.

I would be remiss to mention that Cindy is a plus size heroine. While that fact is mentioned occasionally, it’s not Cindy’s defining characteristic. Cindy is a fashion icon, rocking whatever she wears, while occasionally underscoring the difficulty women like her can have in finding fun and fashionable clothing. I understand this book is the first in a series of fairy tale retellings with plus size protagonists, and I’m so excited to read the rest.

Overall, this was a very fun adult fairy tale retelling that I think will have wide appeal.

I was so excited to score this ARC! If The Shoe Fits was an absolutely phenomenal read!

Straight out of college and back in her stepmother's home, fashion major and shoe addict, Cindy, is at a crossroads. With no job prospects and still grieving the loss of both her mother and father, Cindy has to decide what to do with her life. For now, Cindy has agreed to come home and help her stepmother, Erica, take care of her triplet siblings. On the flight home, Cindy meets her very own Prince Charming, Henry. They only exchange minimal information, like their first names, but Henry leaves an impression on Cindy. He's charming and sweet and Cindy regrets not at least attempting to get his number or more information about him to find him on social media.
At home, her stepmother, and a friend/fellow producer, Beck, are working hard on Erica's hit reality tv show, Before Midnight, where a suitor looks for love with 25 women vying for his affection. The winner gets a proposal from the suitor and a hundred grand cash prize. Two of the selected women have dropped out of the show last minute. Beck suggests adding Erica's three daughters to the show. Erica agrees to have her two daughters, Anna and Drew, on the show but not Cindy. Cindy doesn't mind, though she's concerned about Erica's reasons why it was an automatic shut down. Cindy is plus size and there has never been anyone like her on the reality show before. When she approaches Erica about why she shot down Cindy, Erica tells her that she loves Cindy and thinks she'd be a wonderful candidate for the show, but she knows how sensitive Cindy is and how hurt Cindy could be by the media and others with horrible opinions. She tells Cindy she didn't want to disappoint Cindy's father by having her on a show that could potentially damage her heart and sweet personality. Cindy agrees that it was probably for the best, and is relieved to hear it wasn't because of her size. Beck, however, approaches Cindy again and tells her that as long as Cindy knows who she is - she has nothing to fear, the show will bring exposure to her fashion and shoe designs and that can only bring job opportunities, and if she wins the show, she could get a hundred grand cash prize to help her start her dream fashion line. It was a win win either way. Cindy agrees with Beck, and decides to go on Before Midnight. Beck and Cindy approach Erica, who after hearing her pitch, agrees that it would be a good idea and adds her to the show. Cindy then goes on a whirlwind of preparations for the show, new wardrobe, hair and makeup, and learning lines! Yes, not even reality tv is all real! But the real shock is when Cindy steps out of the limo and meets Before Midnight's suitor! Cindy struggles with new friendships, catty women, no phone, strict Before Midnight rules, wardrobe issues, and her true feelings as she navigates her standing in Before Midnight.
I won't say anymore for spoilers, but this is definitely a must read!
Cindy was a completely relatable character! She's a little lost after losing both her parents, worried about how to get her career jumpstarted since finishing college, and her confidence waivers but she never leans too insecure or overly confident. Cindy wasn't afraid to speak her mind and she was completely fierce! Cindy was the kind of role model I needed as a kid, and that I still need as an adult! Our hero, Henry, is wonderful. He's sweet and charming and I really enjoyed his interactions with Cindy. It was refreshing! The step sisters, Anna and Drew, were awesome and I loved how they always had Cindy's back! There were mentions of Cindy and the sisters having issues when they were growing up/in high school, but none of that drama carried over, and it was a refreshing take! Cindy's relationship with her step family was pretty much drama free. They all cared about each other and looked out for each other, especially after Cindy's father's death. The half-sibling triplets were adorable and I almost wish there were more scenes with them! All of the characters are well developed and diverse, there's a non binary character who is referred to with proper pronouns.
There were a few errors in names during reading that need to be edited, as this was an ARC, that was to be expected. For example, Cindy is talking to Sarah Claire about a fellow contestant, but then Sarah Claire's name changed to Chloe. I had to go back to check that Chloe hadn't dropped into the conversation, she hadn't. It was still Sarah Claire speaking, but the wrong name was written. This happened again later with Wes and Zeke. Zeke was caught with a contestant, then later Cindy refers to Wes as the being the one caught with the contestant, then back to Zeke. I don't know if the author switched up names and characters and these were mistakes, or added in new characters and forgot to make all the changes, but it took you out of moments and had you re-reading the scenes because they didn't make sense. They were minimal and certainly didn't ruin the story, but it made me do a double take.
As a whole, I could have easily read a hundred more pages with these characters! I was so caught up in the story that I lost track of time! I really enjoyed If The Shoe Fits and can't wait to read what's next in the series! Julie Murphy created a modern day fairy tale that will resonate with everyone! Do not miss this one!

Before you read, you should know that this "reality dating competition" is essentially the Bachelor. I think I would have gone in with different expectations had I known that. I have yet to find a book about a ficitonal Bachelor that really works without having some element of awkwardness. I also kept thinking of ONE TO WATCH so I had that comparison already in my mind, and I think this one just didn't quite hold up. The fairy tale mould was sweet, but this felt very forced into the mould and the shoe did not fit.

<spoiler>This mainly didn't hold up due to the darn instalove! Why did Henry give her a walkie-talkie? Because she was oh so special? Tell us why she's special. Tell us what made that plane ride so interesting. Show us more of their connection. I mean, Clare and Dale have now set the stage for instalove, but at least with Clare we saw her falling. Here, Henry felt so 2D that I didn't really believe him falling at all. Also, still dying to know what it was Addison said that almost got her kicked off.

The sibling element was...entirely unnecessary? And I find it really weird that any producer would put their three daughters on their show. Nope, not buying it. And if they did, it would be engineered for the drama. And if not, then in a fictional universe the boy wouldn't be like "oh that's fine." Come on, this is fiction, we're here to be entertained.</spoiler>

Overall, I just felt like there wasn't any huge conflict here despite having so much potential for conflict. I hope with the next retelling Murphy doesn't force the story to fit in with the elements of the fairytale, but instead lets it be its own organic fairytale.

Book Review for Meant to Be: If the Shoe Fits
Full review for this title will be posted at: @cattleboobooks on Instagram!

This book was such a pleasant surprise and a really fun read. I loved it from the beginning and it totally delivered throughout including a great ending. I've read books about reality dating shows before and even about plus-size participants in reality dating shows but this definitely did it better than the others and deserved the 5th star that I rarely give romance books.

To start, I loved Cindy. Her personality, her background, her family, it was so well done and I couldn't help but love her and want to route for her. I too have a love of shoes so that part was just fun. The thing I liked best about Cindy was that while she was plus-sized (which I thought was handled well and realistically), it wasn't the only thing that defined her. It certainly comes up throughout the book but it isn't the main thing about her. So many books want to include plus-sized women but do it in a way that makes that their only defining characteristic but with Cindy, it's just one thing about a well developed character. There was also a fair amount of LGBTQ+ representation throughout the book that was refreshing and handled well.

This book is billed as a Cinderella retelling and while there are a lot of Cinderella elements, it's not a straight retelling. Yes, her name is Cindy and she has a stepmother with the last name Tremaine but it doesn't feel like a plain retelling. The reality show serves as the ball but it's so much longer and drawn out that it doesn't have that insta-love quality of the actual Cinderella story which I really appreciated. On the other hand, I'm a big Disney fan and did appreciate the Cinderella references, the "mice" were just adorable and I loved the way they were included. This is also a pretty feminist retelling of Cinderella. Cindy fights for herself in a way Cinderella never did and that's great to see.

Overall, I would highly recommend this book to those looking for a fun contemporary romance. It reads a little on the young side so young adults or adults who also read YA are the perfect audience for this one.

In this Cinderella retelling, with a twist, comes a tale about Cindy, who just graduated from Parson's school of design, but has no job prospects..

She jumps at the chance to compete in her stepmother's reality show, with her two stepsisters to give herself and her shoe designs some on air exposure. Imagine her surprise when she not only clicks with the bachelor, but starts to have feelings for him.

This is a Disne-esque sweet, and sometimes sappy story, but it endorses positive body image (you don't have to be a twig to be considered beautiful)and was an entertaining read.

Thank you to Net Galley for the advanced copy.

I can't say enough good things about this book. Although it is a play on the traditional Cinderella fairy tail it crushes the same tired old tropes and makes Cindy a bigger girl, with a good relationship with her step family, and a shoe whore. I kept waiting to roll my eyes at this book, but instead I stayed up all night and finished it in one sitting. I would love to see the other sisters, friends from the chateau or even her best friend as the next heroine in this series. Incredibly well written, and will happily ready again.

This was a cute modern re-telling of Cinderella. Cindy, a recent design school graduate, ends up on the reality show her stepmother produces with the hopes of jump-starting her fashion career... and maybe finding love along the way.

I liked the plot and the characters, but it reminded me quite a bit of One to Watch as both novels have a plus-size protagonist and involve a reality dating show. I found myself frequently comparing the storylines, which took away from my enjoyment a bit.

My favourite thing about this book is how inclusive, diverse, and body-positive it is. Great LGBTQ+ representation, and I loved the use of and respect for different pronouns. I think Julie Murphy did a great job of normalizing diversity, and other authors should take note.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Disney-Hyperion for providing me with an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This is my first Julie Murphy and my first solid romance in a few months. I went in a bit wary I'll be honest but this was very CUTE. And adorable and lovely and I read it in a single sitting.

The romance was precious and I was genuinely smiling reading their interactions. A very well-done adaptation of a classic with the best changes. I really loved the relationship between Cindy and her step-family and I'm so beyond thrilled it wasn't completely antagonistic.

Such a lovely, kind and body-positive brilliant rom-com.

4.25 stars

Retellings tend to be hit or miss for me, but I enjoyed this one. I really wasn’t sure what to expect going into it- I’m not big on reality TV myself, but the plot still interested me. It was a good, contemporary twist on a classic story. I loved the plus-sized protagonist and appreciated the writer’s attempts to include characters of diverse identities. It was a quick, light, and fun story with a little bit of tension before the guaranteed happily-ever-after. I think I did expect a bit more conflict between the protagonist and other characters, particularly those in the “evil stepfamily” roles. It’s not that I object to people getting along, but I am inclined to agree with another review that mentioned how some of the characters just seemed way too nice to feel totally believable. In some ways, this book did remind me of Kate Stayman-London’s One to Watch, but it wasn’t by any means a carbon copy. All in all, it was a fun read, and I’m looking forward to the rest of the series. This was my second book from Julie Murphy, and it won’t be my last.

Kudos to Julie Murphy for her fresh and funny take on the Cinderella story! #MeantToBeMineIfTheShoeFits pleasantly surprised me with it's plot twists and turns. The characters are varied, well fleshed out and likeable. This rom-com version of an old fairy tale is a great way to leave the real world behind for a few hours of pure joy.
Thanks to #Netgalley for providing this ARC in return for an honest opinion!

Thanks to NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to review this book!

From the beginning till maybe the second to last chapter, I was a fan of the book. But I really wish the secondary characters were more developed and it didn’t really feel like your typical Cinderella adaptation (which is fine but I feel like maybe it would’ve added more to the book?) The entire plot of the book just felt like a season of the Bachelor which was actually tastefully done, but I feel like there could’ve been more slow burn aspects. I also felt that the book ended very abruptly without paying any heed to the secondary characters. Either there needs to be an epilogue or a second book.

I loved this book! I haven't read a contemporary romance in a while, and I was honestly a little hesitant, as I've been tired of the YA ones I used to read a lot. But I genuinely couldn't put this book down. I started and finished it in the same day (and may have ignored some responsibilities in the process...). I had my ups and downs with how I felt about it, but overall the story kept me guessing and I was really happy with it.

As someone who doesn't watch reality TV or shows like The Bachelor, I wasn't sure how I'd feel about that part of the romance. But the book keeps it very real in terms of how much is fake and how much Cindy is surprised by, etc. I also loved all the representation in terms of queer, gender non-conforming, and characters of color. It felt intentional without feeling forced, and definitely added to the story.

Other aspects I loved, in no particular order: the way the book treats Cindy's fatness, the good but realistic relationships Cindy has with her step-family, the way the "why didn't they just say how they felt" moments had realistic explanations that kept me from feeling too frustrated at the characters. And the little Cinderella nods and details were very clear without being too on-the-nose.

I'm really grateful I had the chance to read this book! I want to read more of Julie Murphy's work (and maybe some more romance novels) as soon as i can.

*Thank you to NetGalley and Disney-Hyperion for the chance to review this ARC.*

4++++ stars

Thanks to NetGalley and Disney-Hyperion for an advanced readers copy in exchange for an honest review.

I loved this book! Julie Murphy does it again. Mash up Cinderella and the Bachelor with a full sized heroine and you got a great romp of a read.

Cindy just graduated from Parsons School of Design with a focus on shoe design. After losing her mother at a young age, and her father her senior year of high school, Cindy's remaining family is her step mother, two step sisters a year older than her, and young triplets half siblings. Good news, Cindy and her step mother/sisters get along. Cindy ends up joining the cast of her mother's show Before Midnight.

I love how Julie Murphy addresses issues of how society judges people. Cindy is a confident beautiful person and I loved her spunk. I highly recommend reading If the Shoe Fits and I can't wait to read more from the author.

Good book that I will recommend, especially to someone who loves a Cinderella retelling! It felt a bit gentler than the original story and some other retellings for YA audience which I really liked.

Disclaimer: I got this book in exchange for an honest review.

THIS IS A CINDERELLA RETELLING WITH A PLUS-SIZE PROTAGONIST!!! Julie Murphy's first adult book and I'm in love with it. It's always a hit or miss when an author makes the jump from YA to Adult (imo) and Julie Murphy did a fantastic job of doing something fresh with a classic fairytale. I was just thinking the other day that I don't know how many more Cinderella retellings I'd want to read but when I saw that Julie Murphy wrote one I knew I had to read it! This one involves a reality show called Before Midnight and it's a relatively fun read! I was expecting the classic Cinderella tale where she has an awful stepmother. But, Cindy actually gets along with her stepmother and stepsisters even when she's not always sure why they act the way that they do.

If you love a good retelling of Cinderella, this one if for you, The main character, Cindy, is relatable and fun. Throughout the book she goes on a journey of self-discovery with the help of her family and friends.

I've been waiting for this book for over a year, and so, I'd like to say a massive thank you to Disney Hyperion and NetGalley for this advanced galley. Julie Murphy, who's smashed the YA game with her "Dumplin," "Puddin", and "Pumpkin" novels, is kicking off a new series, titled "Meant to Be" of modern fairytale adaptations and romances with body-positive leads. I love seeing more diversity of any kind in romance, and Murphy is a master at authentically writing plus-size characters. That plus since it's a Disney fairytale retelling, this book has everything I want in a romance read. From the first couple of chapters, I can already tell it's juicy, engaging. fun, and totally unputdownable.

Here, Cindy's just graduated with a degree in shoe design and trying to get her career off the ground. So, she takes a job nannying for her stepmother, who happens to be the executive producer on the popular reality show "Before Midnight." When a spot on the show opens at the last minute, Cindy volunteers in the hopes it could help jumpstart her fashion career or give her something to do while her classmates land high-fashion jobs. Being the only plus-size competitor on a dating competition show makes a big splash and her a body positivity icon. The only thing she didn't expect was to find inspiration and love in this crazy process.

I'm immediately drawn into this world, just as I was in Murphy's previous books, and it's just so fun and makes me want to keep reading and find out what would happen next. As time goes on, it gets cheesy cute that gives me butterflies, and I swear I feel my heart turning all swoony as the feelings between Cindy and the suitor Henry grow and develop. This read was so hard for me to put down because I just didn't want it to end! Initially, I wasn't sure if this was a 4 or 5-star situation, but after finishing it, I think it's definitely a five-star *romance* read and I'll definitely be reading this one again when I have the chance. Murphy has delivered her next series post "Dumplin," and I'm pleased to report that whenever the rest of this series drops, I'll be first in line to order a copy, too. And if Cindy+Henry pops up and still have their HEA, all the better.

This book was wonderful. I thoroughly enjoyed every second of it! Julie Murphy is incredible, and this book was no exception.

I expected this book to be an outright Cinderella retelling, but it is more than that. It was so loosely connected that I forgot.. Cindy has a loving relationship with her step-family. Her step-mom is a huge support in her life, and her stepsisters are her best friends. I love that the female-on-female hate was 100% eliminated.

Cindy is a fresh-out-of -college grad who loves fashion and has a passion for designing and creating footwear. He ends up on the show Before Midnight-- a The Bachelor-esque dating competition-- after her step mother (the producer of the show) suddenly needs contestants before the show starts to air. Cindy looks at it as a way to jump start her career. Things turn unexpected, as she makes friends and falls for the suitor for the season. She is stuck between deciding what is most important to her, and the journey is a wonderful one.

I am so glad to see a fat heroine kicking a** and taking names on a dating competition. She is kind, wonderful, and goal-oriented. She is not the likely candidate for the show, and I am thrilled to see this representation. Julie Murphy is such a bada**.

I really enjoyed this book. I love shoes and so I had a common interest with the main character. I also liked that the stepmother wasn't a terrible person, she was actually trying. I felt the characters were reasonably realistic for the setting and liked that she did feel like her sisters cared about her.

This has a similar plot to another book and I like this one better because the character isn't so hostile towards everyone.

Great book and I will recommend it to others!