Quite sweet and I loved Cindy's no-nonsense attitude and her unapologetic love for shoes and her body.

However, this is categorized as women's fiction but this felt very YA to me. I always forgot that Cindy was in her 20s. The interactions and dialogue reads quite young (Disney is the publisher, so I should have guessed). I needed a heavier plot with the romance because it definitely was a highlight to me!

Julie Murphy absolutely knocked it out of the park with her adult novel debut. If the Shoe Fits is a Cinderella retelling that stars Cindy, a fat main character. Cindy has just graduated college and its' her dream to design shoes. When she returns home, she learns that her stepmother's reality tv dating show, Before Midnight, has just lost 3 contestants. Cindy and her two sisters decide to fill those spots. Cindy is just doing it to get the publicity to land a shoe design job, but will she be able to stick to that when she meets the man of the hour, Henry?
I loved that this book didn't use the evil stepsister/stepmother trope. Cindy has a great relationship with her step family which I loved.

This book was great! I was entertained, kept me turning pages well into the night. It was refreshing to read about a curvy heroine & was interesting to get sort of a behind-the-scenes look of those reality dating shows we all love on Monday nights. Well done to the author & I can’t wait to read more books by her!

If the Shoe Fits by Julie Murphy
A “grown” YA Cinderella Re-telling that has enchanted me, heart and soul.


If the Shoe Fits introduces us to Cindy, a newly graduate from a prestige Fashion and Arts school in New York. After graduating Cindy feels a bit stuck and uninspired about her future. Without job prospects after graduation she makes the big move to California to move in with her step mother, Erica.

In California Cindy has a step mom, two step sisters (a year or two older than her) and get this, triplet half brothers and sister. In which the triplets have really been the glue and bridge to Cindy and her step family. After years of awkward encounters and uncertainty of where she falls in this family, not exactly a blood relative and bonded by the trauma of her father’s passing during high school…

She feels strange coming to stay with her stepmom but is determined to make the best of it.

But get this, Erica is the creator and executive producer to a “bachelor-like” reality show. The season is about to start and Cindy asks Erica to put her on the show. She wants the exposure a show like that could bring and possibly boost her career. What Cindy wasn’t ready for was the “bachelor” she would be “pinning” for is the cutie she dubbed Prince Charming, Henry on the plane ride to Cali. They had an instant connection on the flight there, and Cindy is in absolute shock at first.


What the world watching the show isn’t ready for is Cindy the plus size fashion student with a talent for shoes, dazzling all in her path. In spite of haters that refuse to accept her as an equal cast mate, Cindy is unrelenting in her fashion sense, her tenacity, and the organic chemistry between her and Henry that refuses to stop growing.

If the Shoe Fits by Julie Murphy is such an astonishing reading experience. In particular, for me to absolutely divulge and become invested in YA novel and even this “grown” YA, the book would need depth. This book gives just that and great character development on both Cindy and Henry’s perspectives. I love seeing mixed bodies fall in love on paper, it’s true to the world we live in. There is also FIERCE fashion in If the Shoe fits which has inspired a couple of office outfits on my behalf, so I can safely and proudly say I ADORED If the Shoe Fits by Julie Murphy.

Julie Murphy’s If the Shoe Fits comes out August 3rd. Click Here to order your copy!

This is a modern take on an old tale. However, thankfully, they change the evil step mon and step sisters to be good. It also tells the tale of a modern bachelor. Cindy and Henry and their banter is such fun throughout. While many books don't address body imagine, this book gives a positive spin on it. I really enjoyed reading this and look forward to more from this author. I received a copy through Netgalley. A review was not required.

3.5 rounded up. This Cinderella Retelling was good but it took me while to get hooked after I got into it I read it really quickly but then around the last 15% it was not what I was expecting and didn't really match the rest of the book really.

Who else loves a Cinderella retelling? I completely devoured this darling book in an afternoon. Cindy, an aspiring shoe designer recently graduated from Parsons, meets Henry (aka Prince Charming) on a plane bound for LA -- and little do they know they'll be seeing each other again soon, on the set of a reality TV show. This charming story offers a fresh take on the original, but plenty of the swoony bits you know and love. The chemistry between Henry and Cindy is terrific, parts of the dialogue had me laughing out loud, and everybody needs a bestie like Sierra. If you're looking for a breezy, fun read this summer, Meant To Be: If the Shoe Fits deftly delivers your happily ever after.

I was able to review Meant To Be: If the Shoe Fits by Julie Murphy and Disney Publishing Worldwide for providing me with an advanced ARC in exchange for an honest review.
This was a funny romance. Full of charm and wit and a fun twist on Cinderella. It was light-hearted and a great distraction.

I enjoyed this venture into adult fiction by Julie Murphy. As a fan of her YA novels, I liked to see her write something different and I truly think that this could be given to an older high schooler. The narrator, along with the rest of the cast, were relatable, the plot was entertaining (if not pretty obviously predictable, but that didn't harm the storytelling), and it was a fun, quick read. I really liked that it was a true Cinderella retelling, and Julie picked the great parts to retell, leaving the more traditional and out of date parts out. These fairy tale retellings are going to be a series of different princesses by different authors, so I love what Julie started and look forward to where others will take it.

I loved the concept of this storyline but didn't really like the characters. They were kind of boring and I wish they had more depth. I did like the ending, it was adorable!

I quite like the idea of retellings of the Disney Princesses in modern day stories! This was a good read, that I would definitely recommend trying! And I know I will definitely be reading the next books about the other princesses!

I received an e-ARC from the publisher.

There was so much I liked about this book—Henry and Cindy’s easy banter, the behind the scenes absurdity of reality television, Cindy’s friends and family and creative passion—but it ultimately felt a little flat for me. I’m a longtime Julie Murphy fan and love the Cinderella story, so I had high expectations going in. For a plus size woman absolutely crushing it on a reality tv show, I’d recommend One to Watch over this, but for a tamer, more PG version there is still a lot to enjoy here. (Addison as the mean girl is particularly fun.)

I am a sucker for reality dating shows! This book was great. I loved the full figured main character, and loved that the whole thing seemed so “meant to be.”

It's very, very cute. A lighthearted, breezy read. I loved that Julie Murphy didn't fall into the trope of the evil stepmother and stepsisters. I think it does fall prey to 'I really want to do this thing--oh NO I don't want to follow the rules of this thing' which made me roll my eyes a bit, but I will definitely look for the next one in the series!

I really enjoyed If The Shoe First by Julie Murphy. Such a fun twist on Cinderella. I loved how the concept was the same but the old stand-bys were turned on their heads. A lovely closed door romance. I look forward to more!

This was a solid romance read and I liked the representation of a fat girl romance. The backdrop of the dating show provided humor and allowed for the stereotypical treatment of someone who is considered fat by other women being treated poorly. The ending is what got me on this one; it felt kind of rushed after the buildup. I probably would have given this a higher rating if the ending felt more cohesive.

3.5 stars.
This was very sweet and just a delightful retelling. Definitely fits within the Disney brand and is suitable for a younger audience.

Some parts were a bit rushed (the ending) but I enjoyed the romance and the the story overall.

It was so great. Read it in one sitting and didn't want to stop. Julie Murphy has such a body positive mantra that flows through all of her books. This would be a good crossover title for teens looking to try reading adult books.

If the Shoe Fits was a quick fun read. I really enjoyed Cindy the main character and liked how the novel explored how her grief affected her artistic inspiration. I also enjoyed getting a glimpse of Henry and his family business issues however I wish we understood more what was a stake for him. I did feel that the romance between the two main characters at times did not seem believable but was sweet. I also liked seeing Cindy navigate being a plus size woman on a reality TV dating show like the bachelor and how even something simple as getting dressed for a date was more difficult for her because these shows do not cater to plus size women. In all I liked seeing Cindy own her body and never being apologetic about it.

Meant to Be: If the Shoe Fits is a sweet and funny romance. Full of charm and wit, Julie Murphy has given us lovely characters that deserve all the happiness they find within the pages. Even as someone who has no interest in reality dating shows, I found myself completely captivated with the story. Absolutely loved it!
Thank you to Netgalley and the Publisher for the opportunity to read and review this title. All opinions and mistakes are my own.