If the Shoe Fits by @andimjulie was such a fun read and just what The doctor ordered after a slew of darker reads.

This is a NA romance that I would actually consider very YA friendly. (I’m going to have my 14 year old daughter check it out.)

Loved the fashion references and loved how our heroine, Cindy, went on a show similar to The Bachelor. (Long time fan here! 🙋🏻‍♀️)

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Steam Gauge: 🔥 (Disney is the publisher)

This is a delightful romcom if you’re looking for something light, fun, and different! 👠

This is a sweet Cinderella bachelor match up that is the perfect Cotten candy novel to finish the summer out with!

Cindy is a recent fashion school grad when she finds herself on a bachelor-type show. As a plus size woman, she nervous but excited.

I enjoyed the story and loved the changes it made to both Cinderella and the Bachelor. I loved Cindy’s relationships with the friends and family. I do think the book could have gone deeper into the plus size experience of Cindy but overall this was a fun story!

I loved this book! I think my favorite thing about this Cinderella retelling was that the stepmother and stepsisters were nice. Their family gave me all the warm fuzzies, honestly..

I loved how Julie Murphy worked in so many modern twists on the key points of Cinderella. Her writing is so clever! The character development is wonderful, there is great banter and fashion, and it is just such a fun, body positive read.

Cindy and Henry are so sweet. Sparks fly from the moment they meet in the airport, and their chemistry is fantastic. I loved both the secret, small gestures of affection they share throughout the filming of their show as well as the grand gestures in the end. Swoon-worthy, for sure! I cannot wait to read what Julie Murphy writes next.

Wasn't crazy about the story, but it wasn't bad either. It was cute and a nice romance, but nothing crazy amazing!

A fun, romantic diversion set within a reality dating show. The parallel to Cinderella is loose and not really a reason to pick up the book. So here is a reason to pick it up... the story is good (just as with the darn reality shows, you are weirdly hooked), the female lead is an unabashed plus size and does not hang up on it, and most importantly (hopefully without tipping off the tale) she doesn't sell out her dreams for some false idea of romance. The part that feels Disney is that, in the end, the lead gets it all - the fairy tale dream romance AND the career AND the fulfilling sense of self. It's a nice change that still fulfills that need I sought in reading a romance novel.
This book was received as an advance copy eBook from NetGalley #MeanttoBeIftheShoeFits #NetGalley

I enjoyed this story. It was light-hearted, a little fluffy and a great distraction. Great escapism, bedtime reading!

I’m obsessed with this one, it was SO freaking cute. I usually don’t gravitate towards retellings but this Cinderella remake was amazing. Cindy stole my heart from the first chapter, she’s so very lovable and endearing and I was rooting for her so hard. When she started on the Bachelor style reality show she is a little over her head and I thought the author did a great job at exploring the behind the scenes aspects of reality TV in a modern and fresh way. Having a plus sized main character was awesome and the author didn’t shy away from tackling issues surrounding this head on. There’s a heavy focus on grief here as well and while it was sad, it wasn’t too heavy or depressing in the slightest. Instead it was a hopeful and sparkling story of love and loss with lots of sweet romance, body positivity and insight into fashion and TV. I cannot wait to read more from this author!

A Cinderella retelling meets The Bachelor? This book is what fairy tales are MADE of.

Cindy just graduated and moved back in with her stepmother, who happens to be the executive producer of the popular reality dating tv franchise, Before Midnight. When there is an open spot on the show that needs to be filled ASAP, Cindy volunteers hoping it will help get her fashion career started. Being a plus-size woman on the show, she quickly becomes a fan favorite and a body positivity icon, and may even find love in the process.

This book was everything I wanted and more. I love a good fairy tale retelling and I love reality dating shows so I was truly in love with this book from the start. Add in that the main character is plus size and the message of body positivity woven throughout the story, and you have an absolute gem of a book! I adored everything about this book and read it in a day because it made me so happy. I cannot wait for the rest of the series!

Thank you to NetGalley and Disney Hyperion for the advanced copy!

Cindy finds herself in a Cinderella situation. She finds her dad married to a woman with two daughters. Her stepmother, though, is not evil. After Cindy graduates college, her stepmother wants her to come back home to LA. On the flight home, she meets a handsome man, Henry. Before she can get his number, he disappears.
At home with her family, her stepmother is in need of women for her Bachlorette type show. Cindy and her two stepsisters jump at the chance. Cindy finds herself falling in love with Henry but has to compete with the other women to win his love.
Opinion
I love the fact that Cindy is a plus sized woman. The tension and antics that go on with the women at this show is hilarious. This book will keep you rolling with laughter and hurrying to see what happens next.
I listened to the audiobook. The narrator did a great job with giving each character their own accent and persona. I'd have to say my favorite character voice was Beck, who is a support character.
Many thanks to Net Galley for providing me with an ARC of this book.

Such a fun story! I really enjoyed the discussions around fashion and how exclusive it can be, especially when you fall outside of "normal" sizes. Julie Murphy discussed this so eloquently. And the way she described how Cindy got into fashion was clever: the fact that she loved shoes because all bodies fit into shoes. Using a reality show to tell a Cinderella story is clever and fun. I can't wait to read more of these books from Murphy!

I couldn’t put this book down and ended up finishing it in one day. Absolutely adorable Cinderella retelling that felt so fresh. I loved all the characters, the meet-cute between Cindy and Henry was perfect, and I love that her step mother and sisters weren’t evil. This book feels like a warm hug. I loved that we got to see the realities of Cindy being plus sized, while also showing that her weight or size wasn’t the focus of the book. Just stellar fat rep. Now I’m just begging Disney to turn this into a live action movie or tv show.

If the Shoe Fits by Julie Murphy

This was so fun!! All I knew going into this was it was a modern Cinderella retelling featuring a plus size protagonist & a Bachelor-style dating show. I ended up reading the entire book in one sitting at the cottage - I greatly enjoyed it!

Cindy recently graduated from college; after losing both her parents she’s lost her creativity - a student of fashion design, with a particular love of making shoes, she’s had a creative block. Headed to her stepmom’s to nanny her triplet younger step-siblings for the summer, she meets a funny & charming guy on the plane. Her stepmom is a reality tv powerhouse, with numerous dating shows. Cindy ends up a contestant on the newest season of essentially ‘The Bachelor’.

Cindy’s love story and her creative passions are the main storylines here, the story is body positive, I really appreciated the representation. The dating show premise was fun, and I continue to enjoy them even though there have been quite a few rom coms in the last year featuring a dating show setting. The characters were all vivid, each contestant spotlighted was well written.

I really enjoyed the cutesy romance between Cindy & Henry. Their stolen moments, secret dates and late night chats were swoony. Yes, there is cheese. Take one look at that cover, and tell me you weren’t expecting it! Of course there’s cheese and I’m here for it. It’s a sweet, quick read that had me smiling and staying up late to see how things would work out.

I’d recommend if you need a fast read to cheer you up, something light with a realistic protagonist in a very unrealistic but fun setting. I loved Dumplin’ and this debut adult novel was just as enjoyable. Many thanks to Disney-Hyperion and Netgalley for free access to an e-copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

This book is the perfect combination of funny, romantic, and dramatic! I'm a huge Disney fan, and I thought I've read 85% of the Disney re-tellings, but I wasn't prepared for this. Cindy is a woman after my own heart... she has a passion for fashion and a mean shoe game. She ends up meeting her Prince Charming on the plane...and fate did the rest of the work. The characters in the book were the perfect combination of what I imagine reality show people to be. The love felt organic (and I loved the slow build). I must say... I did not predict the ending... at all! I'd rate this book 10/10.

This book was like a warm hug. I loved every minute of reading it. It made me smile and tear up and I couldn’t put it down. This has been such a HARD week and this book helped me smile.

Cindy loves shoes and has no idea what she wants to do now that she has graduated, other than have her own shoe line. And that is how she finds herself volunteering to fill a spot on Before Midnight, a popular reality dating show that her step mom produces. Being the only plus size competitor gives her popularity she did not see coming and people root for her to win the heart of the bachelor. But it comes as a surprise to her when she might want to win the heart of him as well.

The author of "Dumplin" checks all of my boxes with this one- body positivity, fairy tale reimagined, romance, etc. I loved have a plus size heroine, something I rarely get to see or read about. I thought the love story was sweet and the loved setting it on a reality tv show, like The Bachelor.

Read alike for One to Watch with a slight fairytale type twist in a new Disney series for adults. I prefer One to Watch for my reality show featuring a plus size woman--I think the commentary hits harder there. This does have a fabulous fairy tale HEA for the modern world though. Julie Murphy does always write great plus sized characters with real world concerns.

A modern Cinderella retelling + the Bachelor + a plus size MC = If the Shoe Fits

Can we please get more Disney plus reality show mashups? Big fan. Big. fan.
I loved the reps in this book including a plus size heroine and a nonbinary character. Also, I liked that the stepmother and stepsisters went “evil,” but in fact supportive and loveable.

Cindy is such a likeable and fierce MC. I love how she stood up to the mean girls, people in the fashion industry, and the television crew who tried to bring her down. The writing is so witty. I also thought the grief storyline was interlaced throughout Cindy’s journey.

I can’t wait for the next book in the series.

Thanks to NetGalley and Disney Publishing for the ARC. “If the Shoe Fits” is out now!

I loved this modern-day retelling of Cinderella mixed with the campy drama of "reality television" shows like The Bachelor. With the same fresh and easy writing of Julie Murphy's previous books, this novel is a delightful and comforting read. My favorite aspect is that this Cinderella adaptation lacks the abusive and antagonistic relationship expected with the step-family; rather, they are loving and supportive of each other, even as tensions arise or smaller family dramas ensue. Highly recommended!

A plus-size Cinderella retelling that's written by Julie Murphy... that's all I needed to hear! I was so ready for this book and it did not disappoint! Also, I adore the cover!

We follow Cindy, who has recently graduated with a degree in fashion and isn't having the best of luck. She is in a creative slump of sorts, so she moves home to work for her stepmother. Her stepmother is Erica Tremaine, executive producer to Before Midnight, which is very much the Cinderella version of The Bachelor. Somehow Cindy ends up volunteering to be on the show when a spot suddenly opens up at the last minute. She is in hopes that this will be the boost for her career that she's been looking for. Cindy is the only plus-size contestant and pretty soon she is America's sweetheart and a symbol of body positivity. She has to navigate the competition and all that that entails.

I loved the romance and following along with Cindy. She was very likeable and I was rooting for her throughout. This was a lot of fun and I love the Cinderella retelling aspect as well.

As a plus sized woman, I was drawn to this book. I am so sick and tired of the beautiful and most desirable woman being described with the skinny waste and big behind. It felt like such a relief to read about someone like me.

I loved Cindy so much. I wanted to be her. I wanted to be her friend. I wanted to hug her and protect her.

Also, I don’t ever watch the Bachelor/ette (once in college) so I’m not sure why these BTS show books make me want to read them! I always feel like I’m getting the inside scoop!