This was an excellent mash-up of Cinderella and The Bachelor! I needed a light read to get me out of my slump and this was it. I started it last night, finished it first thing this morning, and loved every bit of it. Five happy stars!

I absolutely adored this book. A modernized Cinderella retelling that takes place during a reality dating show and has a fabulous fat protagonist? Julie Murphy spoke my love language with this one. It totally grabbed me from the first few pages and didn’t let go. I loved Cindy and the fat rep really worked for me. The romance was instalovey (hello, it is a Cinderella retelling!) but I was totally into it. I got some giggles and swoons – and even a few tears – along the way.

This book is perfect for fans of The Bachelor franchise! Cindy graduates from college with a degree in shoe design and heads back home to her stepmother and siblings while she figures out where she's going to go next. Her stepmom, Erica, is the executive producer of Before Midnight, and before she knows it, Cindy is a suitor alongside her stepsisters. Throughout her time filming the show, Cindy shines as a plus-sized contestant and learns more about herself on the way.

This book focuses on body positivity, specifically on reality television, which is great to read!

As a fat Disney fan, I was ALL HERE for this book. It combined all of the things I love most: princesses, dating shows, and plus sized representation. Cannot wait to read the rest of the books in this series!

Cindy has just graduated with a degree in shoe design but is at a crossroads. She goes to work for her stepmother, who is also the executive producer or America's favourite reality shows. Before Midnight (similar to what we know as The Bachelor), is ready to start filming but a spot on the show needs filling ASAP. Cindy volunteers, hoping to kick start her fashion career, but doesn't anticipate the (mostly) positive reaction to her being the only plus size woman on a reality show.

This was a great read - I read the entirety of it in an evening and that hasn't happened in a while! I love reading about curvier leading ladies and the struggles we face in doing simple things such as shopping for clothes. I loved Cindy's confidence and her style. It's nice to read about a curvier woman owning her body without trying to change it and without feeling insecure. The love story is serendipitous and sweet. This reminded me of One To Watch by Kate Stayman-London that had a similar storyline.

I recommend this to anyone who would enjoy a different perspective and who likes a sweet rom-com.

Thank you to Disney Publishing and NetGalley for the eGalley. All opinions expressed are my own.

If the Shoe Fits is a charming, modernized reimagining of Cinderella with a strong body positive message and an emphasis on inclusiveness.

Cindy Woods is headed from NY to LA when she meets Prince Charming. She’s pretty sure he has another name but that’s what she privately calls him as they share a flight, conversation, a lot of laughter but not nomenclature during their quest to get from one side of the country to another. Once the plane lands, she and his highness part ways and Cindy gets ready to face her gritty new reality as nanny to her stepmother Erica’s triplets

It sounds bad – and is definitely a step away from her dream of designing shoes – but Cindy adores her little half-siblings Mary, Jack and Gus. More, her stepmom Erica and Cindy’s two stepsisters Drew and Anna, all adore her. They know Cindy’s last year in college was brutal. That Cindy had imploded, years of pent-up grief from the death of her father having hit her all at once and Cindy is just home for a little while to regroup. Cindy’s oft voiced hope is to get herself together and head back to NY, pursuing a job in fashion that she didn’t have the energy to seek after graduation. Erica, Anna and Drew plan to lavish her with all the love, attention and healing she so obviously needs to help her achieve that.

That doesn’t happen. Erica is executive producer of one of America’s most popular reality TV shows, and Cindy’s not even home for a full day before an emergency happens on the Before Midnight set. While the pageant is always prepared for one or two contestants to drop out, a mass exodus is never expected. They need to start filming right away, so Erica fills up three slots by putting Anna, Drew and Cindy in the competition. It will be a great chance for them all to receive free national recognition for their respective careers. Cindy dusts off the shoes she’s crafted over the years and gets ready to strut her stuff down the figurative runway of The Bachelor style reality show.

Cindy knows being one of the first plus size women on a dating competition will prove daunting and fully expects to leave on the first night. She shows up to the opening ball wearing the best pair of heels she’s ever designed and makes sure they are spotlighted as she saunters into the party. She’s not certain what to expect from the bachelor about to reject her but Cindy does know she doesn’t have much respect for a man who would try to find true love by dating more than a dozen women at once. Then he enters the room and all Cindy’s preconceived prejudices fly out the window. This season’s reality dating star is none other than Henry Mackenzie, her Prince Charming from the plane.

This story shines when it concentrates on the romance. Henry and Cindy are near perfection together from the first moment they meet. They are both a tiny bit awkward in social situations, but their shared sense of slightly quirky, gentle humor and the genuineness of their interactions is delightful. I could easily see this couple living out a happily ever after.

Henry and Cindy also have a lot of common ground to bond over. They are both in the clothing industry and understand the ins and outs of not just designing and manufacturing but merchandising, and what is needed to be successful in today’s market. Both of them have complicated familial situations, with Cindy having a close relationship with her stepfamily while still missing her deceased blood relatives and Henry having complex ties to his own kin. These shared issues help them to communicate well and understand each other on the deepest levels.

Another really well-done aspect of the book is Cindy’s relationship with her competitors. Yes, some of the girls are hateful shrews, but she makes some good friends, too. I liked the exploration of how awkward it is for buddies Sara Claire and Cindy to find themselves interested in the same man, but I also appreciated the text pointing out that such things happen in real life as well. Cindy has a great relationship with her stepsisters, too, and the little things they do to support each other during the contest are really sweet.

Perhaps the most amazing aspect of the book is the description of the world of reality television. The author takes an extremely balanced approach to this portion of her story, showing us some wonderful people doing hard work to bring entertainment to the masses and contrasting it with the nastiness of the manipulation of all the players that also occurs. There is exploitation of real people and their emotions but also the machinations of schemers who are just looking for a launch pad to their fifteen minutes or more of fame. The many reasons people have for participating and working on the show are highlighted with delicate nuance that made me really think about this genre of the entertainment industry. Is it unsavory or just harmless fun? Could it be a bit of both? That’s left up to the readers to decide.

For all that I loved, I did have a few problems with the text. One complaint is the virtue signaling. Some of Cindy’s interactions with people regarding body positivity and inclusivity felt more like lectures than narrative. Additionally, there were moments when I felt like characters were introduced whose purpose was strictly to include a specific type of person rather than to move the plot forward or enhance the story. And finally, the conflict at the end seemed a bit out of character for both Henry and Cindy.

If the Shoe Fits isn’t perfect but it is a lot of fun and contains one of the best sweet, subtly sexy stories I’ve read this year. I’m happy to recommend it to readers who enjoy contemporary romances.

Anyone who knows me, knows I’m a huge sucker for a Bachelor style book. This was absolutely no exception. And with an apologetically plus size heroine?! Where do I sign up? Can I play her in the movie?

Cindy knows she isn’t quite like her stepsisters and stepmother. That is, she’s not thin. But when she gets the opportunity to go on top reality show Before Midnight, she decides America is ready to watch a plus size woman fight for the man. Especially once she realizes who it is… Henry, the hottie she met on her flight to LA! But he acts like they’ve never met. Hmm, what does that mean?

I loved Cindy. She had her insecurities but overall she was a great female character, strong and loud and not taking your crap. She knew what she wanted and would go for it on and off the show.

Henry? Well I’m a sucker for the name personally. So there was little doubt that I was going to like him.

Together, the two were great. This one is definitely more of a “fade to black” romance novel, but still worth reading for the great story.

So yeah, I enjoyed If the Shoe Fits. Is it cheesy as hell? Oh absolutely. If you don’t like a bit of cheese,
I wouldn’t recommend it. But it is a darling story with some incredible characters and a great plot. And don’t let the cover or title fool you—it’s very, very loosely based on Cinderella. There are no evil step-anything’s. The prologue did admittedly put me off the book at first. I thought it would be the bad kind of cheesy. Luckily, I gave it another chance. And if you’re on the fence, you should too!

4.5/5 Stars

This was one of my favorite books that I read last year. I am glad to see more body positivity in romance. It is long overdue. Really looking forward to reading to the next book in the series.

Cindy goes on a reality TV dating show as one of 25 women competing for the love of a modern-day Prince Charming. Her goal is to get her shoe design business off the ground. As she gets to know Prince Charming, she realizes there’s true chemistry between them. With the producers constantly interfering, can the couple find their way to true love?

This is a cute, fun rom com. It actually feels more like chick lit, because Cindy and the male lead don’t have a lot of time together to develop a deep relationship. After reading ONE TO WATCH, this novel didn’t feel like it was breaking any new ground. But it you like the “reality TV” trope, you’ll probably like this book.

Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC I received. This is my honest and voluntary review.

Thank you, NetGalley and Disney-Hyperion, for the ARC in exchange for an honest reviewTo anyone who knows me in real life, you know how much I love Cinderella. I watched the movie on a loop as a child. I dressed up as Cinderella 3 years in a row for Halloween. I have a skirt printed with Cinderella’s castle (pictured above). My wedding dress is even inspired by Lily James’s wedding dress in the live-action remake in 2015.
So, when I saw If the Shoe Fits on NetGalley, I hit that request button as fast as I could and crossed my fingers that I would get approved. Thankfully, I did, and let me tell you, this book far exceeded any expectations I had going in.
The story follows Cinderella pretty closely in terms of character back story with a few exceptions. Cindy is a plus-size orphan who moves back to LA after graduating from design school in New York. Shoes are her life’s passion, and she dreams of being a shoe designer. But she’s still struggling with her grief over her father’s death four years ago, leaving her design blocked. So, when she gets a chance to go on her stepmother’s reality dating show, she takes it.
She’s only there for the opportunity to get her name out there and to maybe win the prize money at the end, but that’s before she realizes who the male bachelor is—the handsome man she met on her flight back home. She tries not to fall for him because she knows that everything on the show is fake, but after a few chance encounters where they actually get to be alone, their developing relationship starts to feel everything but fake.
If the Shoe Fits was absolutely amazing. Seriously, I loved, loved, loved this book. First, I loved the representation. I am not plus-size and therefore can’t say with any authority whether the representation was good or not, but It’s not often that I see plus-size heroines in books, so I loved seeing it. I especially loved it because Cindy is content with who she is. She’s confident and isn’t seeking to change herself to fit society’s mold. She is on the receiving end of a lot of fat-phobia, but she faces it with courage and kindness, which felt true to the Cinderella brand.
Speaking of the Cinderella brand, I loved all of the nods to classic Cinderella elements. The naming conventions are so clever—Cindy as Cinderella, Anna and Drew as Anastasia and Drusilla, Erica’s last name is Tremaine, and the triplets Jack, Gus, and Mary as the mice Jaq, Gus Gus, and Mary. I loved Beck as the “Fairy Godmother” character, getting Cindy on the dating show then proceeding to help her along the way.
But I also loved the details Murphy changes. Ultimately, Cindy has a loving relationship with her step-family. Her step-sisters Anna and Drew adore her and constantly seek to include her. While their relationship is strained at times, her stepmother wants to do what is best for Cindy. It was a nice change from the usual evil step-family that a Cinderella character has.
And I couldn’t end this review without talking about Cindy and Henry. From their first meeting on the plane, I knew they would be a great match. Their humor meshes well, they’re comfortable with each other, and they have fantastic chemistry. The series of walkie-talkie dates they secretly have while on the show is just too cute, and anytime they manage to get time alone, it’s clear how smitten they are with each other.
Overall, I highly recommend If the Shoe Fits. Julie Murphy does an excellent job weaving the Cinderella elements into the plot while also putting her own twist on them. If you love Cinderella, swoon-worthy romances, and strong but kind female leads, this book is definitely for you.

This was a really cute romance. I wasn't sure what to expect (really... another fairy tale revamp?) but was pleasantly surprised. Murphy has a gift for creating fun, realistic, and likeable characters that you can't help but root for. I'm looking forward to the next installment in this entertaining, escapist series.

Meant to Be: If the Shoe Fits by Julie Murphy is a romance novel following Cindy, who recently gains a new stepmother and stepsisters after her father remarries. Her stepmother, Erica, is involved in a fictional reality show in the vein of the Bachelor called Before Midnight. Soon Cindy finds herself and her new stepsisters, Anna and Drew, on the show competing for the attention and love the lead. However Cindy discovers that the lead is a handsome man she met recently on a plane, expecting to never see him again. Will this be their love story or will it end it heartbreak for Cindy?

As soon as I saw this cover I was drawn in, but the premise of a show like Bachelor is like candy to me! I loved the energy from this book. Cindy's spunky personality brings so much life into this book and makes it a page-turner. I also loved seeing Cindy's passion for fashion, especially shoes and the intersection of that passion with being plus-size. It was illuminating to learn about Cindy's experience navigating simple things like a seatbelt and how anxiety-producing an experience can be.

I also loved in this book the relationships between the women. It was interesting to see how he women were able to develop friendships, even though they were all vying for the same love interest. I also appreciated the update to the family dynamics from the Cinderella story. It was also interesting that Cindy was in the competition with even her own step-sisters. However I think it was perfect to see how Cindy and her new sisters developed their own relationship and were able to support each other in a strange environment. As for the romance, it was sweet and Henry was a lovely character but had some depth due to his family situation and some of their secrets. What made this romance unique is seeing him developing relationships with other women, but it was clear Henry and Cindy had so much chemistry!

Overall, this was fun read involving romance, friendships, and family and was a lovely mish-mash of the Bachelor and Cinderella. I am looking forward to future books from this series!

Many thanks to the publisher Disney-Hyperion and Netgalley for the ARC in return for an honest review.

Having recently finished “Meant to Be: If the Shoe Fits” by Julie Murphy, I am happy to have had the chance for the e-book preview; thank you NetGalley and Disney Publishing Worldwide!

No evil step-mother or step-sisters appear in this version of a modern day Cinderella fairy tale, just a fun time with a group of likeable characters!
The dialog and thoughts were filled with chuckle out loud moments; I am so grateful when those happen!
Even though reality dating TV shows seem like the most un-real way of ever finding love, this story felt believable. The emotional backstory of loss, and the challenges that Cindy and her "Prince Charming" shared with each other were touching. The letter from Cindy's mom... a treasure in a box... definitely!! This was the perfect take me away story with characters who were "Meant to Be" together; working together in the design world... happily ever after!

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5 Stars
Steam: 🌶/5 (some kissing/fade to black)

Thanks to Netgalley and
Disney Publishing Worldwide
Disney-Hyperion for the digital copy in exchange for my honest review!

No spoiler review 👇🏻👇🏻👇🏻

First off I love this cover!

A modern day new adult Cinderella retelling with a plus sized character? YES PLEASE!
The fact it’s published by Disney is pretty cool too! This is my first book by this author but I have heard great things about their other books so I was excited to read this! I’m a huge Disney fan, so naturally I loved this.

I like the concept of the before midnight reality show! It’s such a cool way to retell this story. Also the way the incorporated the
names and spun the plot in this Cinderella retelling was so clever! I also liked that the stepmom and step sisters were kind to Cindy it made for a good family dynamic and more enjoyable story.

I love the body positivity of the main character of Cindy! This was realistic fat rep in a main character, how it’s written is perfect. We need more books like this! I also love how sweet and hilarious she is. Her love of shoes made me smile. She’s sure of herself and I loved reading from her point of view.

There is also such a diverse cast of characters throughout this book which is always awesome.

I’m a sucker for reality TV so that concept as a plot point for this book, made for a super fun and interesting read! So many pop culture references, cute and funny scenes throughout.

Romance wise it was for sure a very slow burn. I liked Henry he was kind and his interactions with Cindy were sweet. No steam pretty much just some sweet swoon-worthy kisses.

My only thing is I would have liked Henry to be a bit more developed, I loved Cindy but I think their romance could have been just a bit better. Overall though I enjoyed it!

If you are looking for a light read to make you smile then I recommend this! I’ll for sure be picking up the next book in this series.

Cindy and Henry's story is a Cinderella retelling story with the Bachelor in the mix, it was a fun read, I love Cinderella stories so I had to read this one. Julie Murphy humor did a great appearance and a plus-size character that you will fall in love with. For me it's one interesting story, there are a few triggers you might need to check but overall I recommend reading this refreshing story.

I really enjoyed If The Shoe Fits! I’m a sucker for a good retelling and this was a really well done Cinderella update. Cindy just graduated design school and is moving back home to help her stepmother with her younger siblings while she figures out her next move - hopefully as a shoe designer.

When an opportunity comes for Cindy to go on a Bachelor-like reality show, Cindy sees it as her chance to get her shoes seen and maybe get a job out of her fifteen minutes of fame. Her stepsisters will also be competing - what could go wrong?

I loved some of the twists and turns this took from a standard Cinderella story. I also loved seeing a plus sized contestant who doesn’t buy into diet culture. My one gripe is some really poor communication from Cindy at one point that never gets addressed and felt out of character to me. But I would still absolutely recommend this!

Thank you to Disney and Netgalley for the free ebook to review. I also purchased the paper book and audiobook for myself.

What a refreshing change of pace for me!! I usually don’t choose a romance book, but I am so glad I chose this one.

Cindy has just graduated from Parsons, a college that is geared toward fashion and fashion designers, that is in New York. Cindy loves shoes, actually she is obsessed with them. She makes unique shoes and was hoping to get a job at a design house, but that doesn’t happen. Her mother passed away when she was seven. But to make things worse, after her dad remarried and started a new family with his new wife, he passed away too. She isn’t alone, she has her stepmom, sisters and the triplets… but there are times she feels alone. She temporarily moves back home after graduation, all the way to California. She sees it as temporary, but when a producer who works for her stepmom tells her she would be great on this reality TV show ( think the Bachelor) she decides to take a chance and figures if nothing else it will get her noticed by some design firms.

What she doesn’t realize is that she may actually fall in love. This book has some laugh out loud moments, some heartbreaking moments, and is very Cinderella like ( stepmom…sisters…). I enjoyed it!! Exactly what I hoped it would be!

Thank you to Netgalley, Disney- Hyperion, and Julie Murphy for the eARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

I am not a Bachelor watcher. I don't understand dating multiple people at once and insta love but I can see the appeal and drama of it. It looks addictive! I get contact jealous lol. Is that a thing?

This book was a Cinderella retelling mixed with the Bachelor, and a little Hairspray.

Cindy is plus sized which is not seen in the Bachelor sphere and that in itself is pretty amazing.

I am also considered plus sized or I fluctuate. Ugh I hate BMI, antiquated crap but fashion is made for the skinny. And this book does have some good points. If only they would make designer clothes bigger we would buy them.

Who does market research cause they are biased and probably fatphobic.

It was fun getting to see a behind the scenes look at the production of one of these shows and they do probably pick ahead of time and lead them towards people, idk. I mean they have to make sure they end up somewhere it seems a little overwhelming.

The romance that was snuck in behind the camera was so sweet and I loved their banter.

I will tell you sharing food is my love language too. I can't tell you how many times on vacation last week my husband and I ordered two meals that we shared cause we wanted to try both of them. It helps to find someone who likes what you like.

This was such a fast paced book and I want to read the others if they are all retellings! What's next?

Uh and Julie how can we get plus sized men and woman on bachelor shows and I want to watch the Queer Bachelor. Do we flood social media with requests or what?

Thank you disney books and net galley for the e-ARC for my honest and voluntary review.

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐💫

If the Shoe Fits is an adult modern retelling of Cinderalla a la a bacheloresque reality show. This is the first book I have read by Julie Murphy and I could not put it down. I got up Sunday morning thinking I would take a couple days giving it a read. Jokes on me…I ignored most of my responsibilities and finished it that day.

What I Loved:
* Cindy! I absolutely loved getting to know Cindy. She was funny, confident, and kind. I loved seeing her work through her feelings and fight for the things that were important to her.

* The meet cute: I don’t know if it would be considered a spoiler to say more so I will leave it at that.

* Plus size representation: Cindy is a plus size character and although the book description does talk about her turning into a body positivity icon on the show, that is such a small piece of her story. The book does not place all of its focus here, which I appreciate. Instead it has a good balance of acknowledging the lack of body diversity in mainstream media and the everyday interactions that cause frustration and hurt without making it the only storyline.

* The various themes that Julie was able to incorporate into the story. Obviously the romance (a little slow for me which I will mention below) which I will mention below) but there is also this processing of grief after lots of loss, the discovery of self and passion after feeling stuck, and of family and friendship.

* The spin on the cinderella story. I loved the take on her being a shoe designer and now I really want to go shoe shopping. The family dynamics were also refreshing, especially if you are not a fan of the whole evil stepfamily thing. They are not the villains of this story. The conflict is a little more complicated than that. Speaking of conflict, I had a case of the “calm, down everything is going to work out. There will be an HEA” yet I still wanted to shed some tears at its peak. The whole dating show premise and the tailoring that happens to “reality” tv made this a stressful read. Honestly, I was stress reading through the last half, putting it down was not an option for me.

* I appreciated the balance of funny, cute, dramatic, and sweet. I laughed so much while reading this. Laughed, laughed. Full on cackle a few times. Cindy, her sisters, and most of the woman you meet through the dating show are wonderful.

What was missing for me:
* The page time with both Cindy and Henry. There is a meet cute at the start but then a very slow build up. A large chunk of the book is all Cindy and her interacting with her family, the crew, the other woman, and not Henry. We eventually start getting little bread crumbs (I'm not very patient when I read but it was worth it) and with each interactions they do get longer. Julie gave me enough to build anticipation and tide me over but I wanted more. It allowed me to really get to know Cindy but I didn’t get to know enough about Henry and he felt a little boring. I liked Henry okay but really didn’t get the chance to love him. I’m always hoping for a dual POV. Not knowing what both characters are thinking/feeling kind of stresses me out. In this case I understand the choice to keep it just from Cindy’s POV and I wanted Cindy to get everything she desired.

* I needed more to that ending! I have mixed feelings. It had some pieces that were truly great and it also felt rushed and underwhelming.

Thank you Netgalley and Disney-Hyperion for a copy in exchange for an honest review. I will definitely be continuing on with this series.

CW: Death of a parent, body shaming, fatphobia

I'm convinced that everything Julie Murphy touches turns to gold. Or whatever you deem to be greater than gold. For me it might be chocolate.

I'm a sucker for a good retelling as it is so when I saw that Julie Murphy was making a Cinderella retelling for adult audiences I was committed. I'm not big on the bachelor/bachelorette franchise, like it's pointed out in this book reality television is pretty far from "reality." I would not begrudge anyone something that makes them happy. So if you LIVE for reality tv, please have at it! For me, it tends to give me anxiety.

But I am all about a book that focuses on this situation. I love the internal monologue that we're privy to in a book that you can't get from reality tv "confessionals."

Julie Murphy's characters are so dynamic and fun. Confident and secure in their talents and abilities as well as the way they look. Its something I strive to achieve for myself so reading about confident women who love themselves is something I'm passionate about reading and learning from.

Cindy is a girl whose a little lost. She's just graduated from Parsons School of Design. And it isn't what she thought it would look like. Cindy spent her first three years on fire, she had passion and talent and drive. But the death of both her mother and more recently, her father, finally caught up to her during her senior year. She felt lost in a fog of grief and a creative block. So when the idea to go on her stepmother's reality dating show, Before Midnight, is brought up, Cindy figures, "why not?" It can't possibly hurt her designing block she's in and at the very least she can showcase some of her own creations with her air time and get her name out there.

What she didn't expect was to actually LIKE the suitor. What comes next is a book full of cute and witty romantic encounters and a woman choosing herself in the most important ways. Cindy is smart and kind and clever and it's so important that she pursues her own dreams, just like I'd want for any other woman! If you like the bachelor series, pick this up. If you like Cinderella, pick this up. If you like some meet-cute romances, pick this up! If you like strong, compassionate, witty protagonists, pick this up! Just, pick it up, trust me.