Cover Image: Meant to Be: If the Shoe Fits

Meant to Be: If the Shoe Fits

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Member Reviews

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC! This was such a cute retelling of Cinderella. I especially appreciated how her step in-laws we're horrible. The romance was sweet and I just had a good time in the world of the story.

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I absolutely loved this audiobook! It was such a fresh take on the classic Cinderella story with a Bachelor/Bachelorette twist.

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Thank you net alley for letting me review this book. This book is a fun, light, and easy book to read. I liked the narrator. The main character was very relatable. I'm excited for the next book in the series.

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Julie Murphy has done it again!! Like her other novels, this book includes positive self-image and characters that everyone can see themselves in. Being a fan of the bachelor I loved this story and getting a chance to "see" how behind the scenes of the show might work. I finished this book over the course of two days and when I wasn't reading it I found myself looking forward to when I would again. This is definitely a book I plan on recommending to family, friends, and students. Keep up the great work Ms. Murphy. Cannot wait to see what you create next.

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Give me ten freaking more of these. Give me thirty. I don’t care. I kept finding reasons to take the dog out, to clean something, WHATEVER just so that I could keep listening!I was OBSESSED. It was such an incredible modernization and I was loving every single minute of it. Before Midnight? A shoe designer? An actually normal stepfamily relationship? There’s so much I love and I can’t even begin to put it into words! It was absolutely perfect and recommended it to everyone after!

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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.

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A cute modern story - once again Julie Murphy gives voice to those that are just a little different and makes it so we all feel loved and good about ourselves.

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I love Julie Murphy. I don't love The Bachelor or any other reality show where people go to find love, but I was entertained by this one, perhaps because it was written by Julie Murphy. It was a satisfying, if predictable romance.

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Jen Ponton is an incredible narrator. as a bachelor fan, this book meant so much to me to see that representation. I was absolutely gripped. Will absolutely be recommending this book.

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If the Shoe Fits was a lovely blend of Cinderella meets The Bachelor. Being a Bachelor fan, I loved it. The book had a wonderful cast of characters, and I really enjoyed the stepsisters being nice to each other rather than awful. The plot was intriguing, but I fell in love with the love story between Cindy and Henry. Their relationship really bloomed throughout the whole book from a chance meeting at the airport to their appearances on the reality show.

I also enjoyed the topic of body positivity. Real life situations come to light from gossip to fitting into designer clothes. Cindy’s wit was fantastic, but she kept her feelings real when addressing these issues. Her confidence radiated right along with her insecurities, and her sassiness didn’t let much slide. I loved how she chose herself and joy over fitting a mold TV and producers expected.

4.5 stars – Rounding to 5 for Goodreads.

Hats off to the narrator for a job well done.

Thank you to NetGalley and Disney Audiobooks for a free copy of this audiobook in exchange for my honest opinion.

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In her adult novel debut, YA author Julie Murphy brings us a new interesting and entertaining twist on the classic story of Cinderella. Fresh out of fashion school in New York City, orphaned Cindy returns to Los Angeles to stay with her stepmother, her stepsisters and become a nanny to her twin stepbrother and stepsister. When a contestant on her stepmother’s reality dating TV show, Before Midnight, drops out, Cindy finds herself and her stepsisters as the new contestants on the show all vying for the affection of the same suitor. Cindy views this as an opportunity to get her name and her designs out there for people to see and admire, but when she begins falling for the suitor, she is torn between fashion and love. This amusing and romance-filled novel stays true to Julie Murphy’s banter-filled, thoughtful, and witty writing style. The novel had me on the edge of my seat and had me laughing along the way. I really enjoyed the novel's take on body image. Since Cindy is the first plus size contestant on the TV show, she is faced with insecurities, challenges, and setbacks that she must overcome if she wants to end up with the man of her dreams. Cindy’s confidence despite these obstacles is what I admired about the novel. It was motivating and inspirational to see Cindy face her realities and stay grounded and true to herself in the midst of a false reality and what society may think of her. Any reader who is a fan of romantic comedies will love this book. Its likeable, and not-so-likable characters, were diverse yet relatable. I would also recommend this book to anyone who has doubts about love and whether or not fairy tales actually do exist. I could not stop listening to this book and I want to thank Netgalley for giving me the opportunity to listen to the audiobook. The reader was wonderful and so was this novel.

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This was such an adorable book! I loved the main character, Cindy; I loved her attitude and her confidence. One of my favorite scenes was when Cindy was telling the wardrobe person that it was their job to find clothes to fit her. I also thought Henry sounded absolutely dreamy. My only complaint about this book is the lack of spice, if you know what I mean. I know this is a Disney-produced book, but if that was not the case there would hopefully be so much steam my hair would frizz!

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Love a good Cinderella story? Then you need to pick up this book. Cindy is a plus sized wonder who loves shoes but has not had it easy since her father died. There is no wicked stepmother in this story. In Fact the Stepmother is pretty awesome. There are a few issues between her and Cindy, but they are made more by Cindy, or by stepmom not wanting to treat her plus sized stepdaughter any differently than her own children. And I love the step sisters. They are true sisters any girl would love to have. But every Cindy needs a prince, and she thinks she finds him on a plane from NYC to LA. Boy is she in for a surprise when she finds this same prince is the new bachelor in a TV Dating show. The same show in which she will be the first ever plus size contestant. This story takes us through the show’s production and after to the consequences. It was a laugh riot. And I am very happy to see that I am not the only person that has said “Moo, Bitch, MOO!” to some person calling me a cow. Loved everything about this book. It’s fluff, but it’s happy-go-lucky fluff.

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So cute bad so fun! One of the best Cinderella retelling I’ve read in recent years! I love relative tv and this modern twist of classic tale while keeping the famine kind power to it was fabulous. The fashion and travel of the novel kept it fresh and the pacing was superb! I also listened to the audiobook and the narrator was great :)

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I thought this was cute, and it was a pretty quick read. It is one of three books about a Bachelor-style dating show that I have read lately, and I’d have to put it in 3rd place. I didn’t really see the similarities between this and Cinderella - Cindy had nice stepsisters - although it is marketed as a reimagining. It definitely read more YA than adult romance to me.

Thanks to @NetGalley, and Disney Audiobooks for my ARC!

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Thank you to Disney Audiobooks, Hyperion Avenue Audiobooks, and NetGalley for an advanced listening copy of this book.

If you're a fan of The Bachelor/Bachelorette, this book is for you! Recent fashion school grad Cindy is shoe-obsessed but can't seem to find a job with which to support her footwear fantasies. After graduation, she returns home to her step-mother, step-sisters, and half-siblings. who she adores. Her step-mother just happens to be the producer of the hit reality dating show Before Midnight. When a contestant drops out at the last minute, Cindy is asked to fill her place. She reluctantly agrees, mostly because it will give her a chance to showcase her shoe designs to an audience of millions. Along the way, Cindy and the show's bachelor hit it off, but is it true love or just for show? I really loved that Cindy's step-family wasn't wicked like you'd expect them to be in an audiobook published by Disney. They were supportive and adoring of Cindy the whole way through. I also loved the plus-size positivity that abounded in this book.

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Cindy, unsure what to do after she finishes up her design degree, decides to join her stepmother's reality show as one several contestants looking for love. Will she find it?

I'm always a little hesitant on both Cinderella spins and reality show themes, especially ones with a plus size protagonist. When they go wrong, they go very wrong. But I have read Julie Murphy before, and trust her not to go too far out there in the name of drama.

I was very pleased with this book. It perfectly mixed the hardships of reality with the escapism that I was looking for when I pick up a book like this. I kept waiting for a twist of the knife but it never came. Cindy was a great protagonist, the hero was swoony, and even the step family was supportive.

Did it gloss over a few things as a means of expediency? Yes. Was anything lost because of it? No. If you are looking for nonstop, over the top drama, this might not be the book for you, but if you are looking for a solid comfort read, it's perfect.

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This is probably my favorite Cinderella retelling. It was actually refreshing to see a story where Cindy has a loving and connected relationship with her step sisters and step mother and not a toxic one. I loved that they were a strong loving family that took care of eachother. Adding a Bachelor style storyline was pretty genius. I loved the little surprise Cinderella elements that we've come to know like the shoe fitting (on a man this time) and taking apart a dress (and puttting it back together). This is definitely a book that I would read again. Loved!

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Thank you NetGalley for an audio-ARC of If the Shoe Fits by Julie Murphy.
Although Dumplin has been on my tbr list for awhile, If the Shoe Fits was my first Julie Murphy novel and I loved it!
Between the Cinderella theme and the Bachelor premise, this book was light-hearted, and fun. It was predictable, but I wasn't expecting big plot twists. I wanted a summer beach read, and Murphy delivered! Although this book is shelved as adult, it can easily be enjoyed by older teens. Jen Ponton is the perfect narrator. Her tone and inflection are perfect for Cindy, Becca, and even Henry. I hope this book is made into a movie!

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I am a huge fan of Julie Murphy, but this wasn't my favorite of hers. Ramona Blue and Dumplin' were much better reads. The world of reality TV doesn't interest me at all, so that may be why. I did enjoy Cindy's character very much & liked how she updated the Cinderella story.

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