I don’t really know where to start with this one. I’m not going to lie, I picked this one up, enjoyed it, started to be eh about it, then I couldn’t put it down. But I think that has something to do with bachelor style books….I can’t always get into them.

Cindy was such a fun main character. I loved that she was plus size and how Julie Murphy showcased how many clothing lines aren’t inclusive to ALL sizes. I think there was representation for so many in this book.

I ended up not hating the bachelor style setting as much as I thought I would, but I wanted a slightly stronger ending. I can’t wait for the next book in this series!

As someone who’s not the size of a typical dating show contestant, this book was a delight. I loved how you really grew with the characters and fell in love with them on their journey to find love.

Fairy tale retellings are not my usually book choice, and I also don't enjoy The Bachelor, so when I started this book I thought I wouldn't like it. I'm really glad that I stuck with it and finished it. I enjoyed this book more than I thought. Although I gave it 3 stars, I think it's definitely a fun and light-hearted read that a lot of romance readers will enjoy.

I have a couple of Julie's books on my to-read list but this is the first one I have actually followed through and read.

Cindy is a recent fashion-school graduate and looking for what to do next in her life. She's been lacking inspiration as of late, but knows she would love to work in fashion designing shoes, one of her true passions. When she comes home to LA from her schooling in NYC, her stepmother is in the process of putting together a new season of her successful reality TV show, Before Midnight. Cindy is soon, through her own choice, roped into being one of the show's season contestants. Little does she know, that the man's heart she would be vying for is none other than the gorgeous man she met on the plane home: Henry. Thrown off by this, Cindy tries to keep her cool and promote her fashion as the show progresses. What Cindy didn't realize is that she would actually end up falling for Henry and hoping that Henry would fall for her too.

I firstly will say I was not at all surprised to find a fat positivity character in Julie's book. This is one trope the author has become famous for. What I wasn't expecting as a fat woman myself, was to find SO many relatable things happening to Cindy as the book went along. The fat shaming through terrible fashion and somehow it was Cindy's fault that no one could find beautiful clothing in her size? This is so real, it hurts. I think it was such a great lens to have someone who was fat show how the fashion industry does this to fat women through someone who could understand it so acutely from both sides. I also like that Cindy was strong enough to not back down and give up things because of how she looked. We, as women, are taught so often that if we don't look a certain way, we are unacceptable. It's stigma that I was glad to see Cindy working against.

I wasn't a HUGE fan of the whole 'The Bachelor' trope. But considering that this is a retelling of Cinderella, it actually worked. I just hated to see the comparison and tension that it caused in the book. I think as a fat woman, Cindy could have easily crumbled under that pressure and comparison. It was a great twist to have the object of competition be Henry. I know someone might think it was an unfair advantage, but honestly, it worked in a modern way. He's this unreachable person, who becomes reachable just by the construct.

As a Cinderella retelling, I love that the step-family wasn't cast as villains. It's so often done because that fits a little truer to the original tale. But for Cindy, I feel she needed this bit of a nurturing family environment. That was a great foil.

I think I wasn't 100% in love with this book because it hit too close to home at times. While I understand that happens, I just had to stop reading sometimes to try to feel better.

Overall, I really loved this book. Thank you for the ARC.

I enjoyed this book a lot! There was great representation throughout the story. The close curtain romance was nice and worked really well with the plot!
If you enjoy the YA Julie Murphy books, I really think you will enjoy this one too!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advanced digital copy of this book!

This was my first read of 2022 and it was such a fun romcom to kick off the new year reading, I really enjoyed the Bachelor style of this book and loved the plus size representation. It was a fast paced read and I could really connect with all the characters. Highly recommend.

I truly loved this book and I am not a huge romance reader anymore. I loved the body positivity in the book and the relationships that were formed, not just the romantic one!

With the bachelor and bachelorette having a huge following it's a breath of fresh air to have body inclusivity done so well. In Meant to Be: If The Shoe Fits, Murphy executes a realistic plot involving a protagonist that breaks molds of stereotypic romance heroines. Cindy is in a rut and she needs something to boost her back. Her stepmother is a producer of a dating show and needs women to fill in. Cindy (not a size 0) wants to participate, her stepmother originally hesitates. BUT GUESS WHAT!?!? They have a conversation, there is honest concern AND her sisters love and support her. I just love how this book balances unhealthy perspectives of women's bodies but also embraces females supporting each other for who they are.

A plus size Cinderella retelling. It was entertaining, but not amazing. I really did want to love this, but the romance was not there for me. It was refreshing to know the stepfamily was not wicked.

A cute, slight little romance inspired by The Bachelor and other reality dating shows. It's clear Murphy knows her stuff when it comes to the reality TV side of things, and I appreciated the fact that our heroine was a plus sized woman. However, many of the characters felt underdeveloped, and the romance felt under-baked to me. This will work for fans of light rom-coms that are also light on the actual romantic content - especially if they prefer their books to be closed-door.

Thank you NetGalley for an early copy for an honest review.
Meant to Be: If the Shoe Fits was really cute and an enjoyable read. Meant to Be is a Cinderella retelling and to be honest, I haven't read many retellings. Julie Murphy is a plus-sized character who is to be on a show similar to the Bachelor and meets Henry. I loved the romance between the two and the character development.

As someone who doesn't watch dating shows like The Bachelor, this was still EXTREMELY enjoyable! Cindy was a fun protagonist to follow and I loved that her stepfamily was far from wicked. Excited to see what Julie Murphy brings next in this series.

A great twist on Cinderella!

I loved the changes Julie Murphy made to the well-known story – Cindy’s relationship with her step-mom and -sisters being my favorite.

The relationship was sweet and so easy to root for from their first meeting.

<i>If the Shoe Fits</i> was fun and unputdownable. I’m excited to read the next book adaptation in Meant to Be!

This book was incredible! I have loved what I've read of Murphy's work and was excited for her first book for adults, especially as someone who grew up in the 90s with Disney everything. A Cinderella retelling with a fat protagonist on a dating reality show? Sign me up! It did not disappoint.

I loved reading this. I loved the realism. It was a fun novel with depth. I have been encouraging many others to also read it.

IF THE SHOE FITS by Julie Murphy is a really cute novel! It’s a retelling of Cinderella featuring Cindy, a plus size shoe designer, and her love interest Henry. The plot revolves around them both being in a dating reality tv show like The Bachelor. Several parts were definitely over the top and fun and the romance was sweet. This is a quick feel good read that I wanted to read since I loved Dumplin’ and Puddin’ but I’d say both of those books are better than this one. If you like retellings then you’d enjoy this book too.
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Thank you to Disney Books via NetGalley for my advance review copy!

This book was so cute. But you can tell it’s a Disney story and the expectations are a little unreal. It’s one of those books where you know the girl Is gonna win. And she should cause she is strong and independent. I enjoyed reading this and would purchasing this for some of my beiges as the get a little older.

This. Book. I could not put it down.

I'm a big, big fan of romance books based on the Bachelor/Bachelorette franchise, but often times I find that they fall short of meeting my expectations. This book did NOT fall short. It reminded me of One to Watch as both followed a main character who was fat, but I thought this book did a much better job of showcasing the difficulties fat people face in the world and I liked the storytelling much better in this book. It was amazing to see a character who advocated for herself as much as she did, regardless of negative repercussions. I definitely picked up on the Cinderella retelling, especially given the main character's obsession with shoes.

Overall, I think this book outshines many of the other books that share a similar premise, and I can't wait to see what else comes out of this series.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy of this book.

Author Julie Murphy continues to address 'size issues' in this book where Cindy, a less-than-petite girl ends up on her step-mother's reality TV show. A group of young women are contestants vying for the attention of the male bachelor.

A recent graduate of fashion school, Cindy doesn't have a job and moves back to care for her 3 younger siblings (born after the death of her father). Instead, she takes a spot on "After Midnight," the TV show along with her two stepsisters. Turns out the bachelor is heir to a dying fashion dynasty and the reality TV show isn't so real after all. But Cindy falls hard for the bachelor. With an obvious nod to Cinderella, Murphy adds to her book list with another story to which young women will relate.

Recommended for fans of Murphy's other books and those who like feel-good romances.

3.5/5 stars

I really enjoyed this Cinderella, reality tv show retelling! It was YA sweet with tons of body positivity struggles and feels throughout the story. Cindy, the curvy shoe designer, and Henry, the eligible bachelor, definitely worked together. The attraction between them was instant at the meet cute and kept me reading for more! Although the chemistry was good, I was hoping for a bit more steam. This romcom had more of a YA retelling feel with the writing, dialogue and the fade to black scenes. Overall, I enjoyed this one and would recommend it to any contemporary romantic retelling fans looking for a lighter romance!