Okay, we're just going to jump right into this. "If The Shoe Fits" spoke to my soul. It is truly the adult contemporary rom-com of my dreams.

I went into this book familiar with Julie Murphy as an author, and was aware that her stories have plus-sized girls and women at the center of them. However, the only one of her works that I'd previously read was "Dumplin'" (which I adored so much), whose main character is a plus-sized teen. All of Julie's previous books have been YA titles, so while I of course could see myself in the pages of "Dumplin'," "If The Shoe Fits" just hit different because I saw present-me fully showcased on these pages.

Cindy was a wonderful main character and I so appreciated the nuanced ways she talked about and approached situations having to deal with the way people see/treat/talk about her body. From little things like offhandedly wondering if she'd have to get a seat belt extender on her flight this time around, to the silent bruises on hips and thighs that form from seats with armrests, to being vocal and standing up for herself when a stylist was unprepared with clothing that would fit her. I greatly appreciated the way Julie interwove the issues fat people face on a daily basis, that straight-sized people simply do not have to think about.

I also loved the team Cindy had around herself. Her best friend, her family, members of the Before Midnight crew, the other contestants she befriended, and of course, Henry. But perhaps my favorite character, aside from Cindy (And, okay, yes, Henry too. What a dreamboat.), was Jay. They didn't have much page time, but the time and moments that they did have? Completely stole the show. All of these characters were a breath of fresh air, but any time Jay popped up, the air was crisp, my skin was clear, my crops were thriving, my bank account was cute. I. Love. Jay.

One of the other things I adored about "If The Shoe Fits" was Cindy's love for shoes. This book is a Cinderella retelling. Knowing that, and based off of the title, I went into this story with somewhat connected dots and knew there were certain tropes and references we would probably see play out. I also knew Cindy would probably be a shoe girl, and I was right, but there was a moment where she explained why she loves shoes so much that really hit home.

She said she loves them because, as a teen, she would spend hours shopping with friends, but would always end up browsing the accessories and shoes because none of the stores her friends shopped at carried her clothing size. But shoes? She could work with that. She could bond over shoes with just about anyone, regardless of size.

When I read that, I was shocked. And I just have to say, I am fully convinced Julie Murphy somehow read my mind, took detailed notes of my own experiences and embarrassing obsession with shoes, and wrote it into this book.

"If The Shoe Fits" was an absolute joy to read. It was fun escaping into this sweet and honest rom-com, and I really can't wait to see what else Julie Murphy has in store for us as far as adult romances go. This was her first, and it certainly shouldn't be her last, because she knocked this one out of the park.

This was such a delight! A Cinderella re-telling featuring a fat main character, a dishy "prince", AND written by Julie Murphy? SIGN ME UP!

Julie Murphy always does an incredible with writing positive fat representation in her books and the character of Cindy is no different. She doesn't accept less than what she's worth when it comes to clothing and life in general. All the winks and nudges to the original source material were the best: Cindy's triplet half-siblings being named Jack, Gus, and Mary, Cindy specializes in shoe designs, and the dating show competition being named Before Midnight. One of my favorite departures from the source material is the characterizations of Cindy's stepsisters. They are so supportive and nurturing to their sister, even when all three are being put on this dating show. Of course, I assumed they would be mean or ignore her once she got to the house but they stayed by her side. It was nice to see a semi-positive spin on her relationship with her step-mother, as well. Yes, it was a rather superficial relationship, but as a reader you can tell that by the end, they are on the path to establishing a real relationship. Don't even get me started on the chemistry between Henry and Cindy! Despite being put out by Disney, I kind of wish it had some steam...

Of course since this is a retelling, the story was a bit predictable and the ending a little lackluster, but this was a fun read with a lot of heart. If the first book is this good, I can't wait to read what comes next in this new series from Disney Hyperion!

ARC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

From the New York Times Bestselling Author of Dumplin’ comes a retelling of a classic Disney story that will have you hooked from the very beginning. Set to be released on August 3rd, If the Shoe Fits by Julie Murphy kicks off the Meant to Be Series with a witty and drama-filled romcom retelling of Cinderella.

This book was like if Cinderella and The Bachelor had a baby that highlighted body positivity! This romance includes a meet-cute encounter, reality television dramatics, and fun fashion moments galore! I’m a sucker for anything Bachelor-related so I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book and getting a peek at the inner workings of a reality TV show. I also liked how this Cinderella retelling is more modernized and updated for 2021 and that it’s more of a loose retelling than a page-by-page recreation of the classic fairy tale!

While this novel is obviously a romance book, I did find the story to focus more on Cindy’s life and the antics surrounding the television show rather than her and Henry’s relationship. This is also a closed door romance, so there’s not much steam in this book either. Despite this, I still enjoyed Cindy’s story and learning about how she copes with the loss of her parents and how the world views her as a plus-sized woman.

Reminiscent of One to Watch by Kate Stayman-London, this book was funny, cute, and just a great romp of a romcom! I will definitely be checking out the rest of this series once it’s released and highly recommend this book if you're looking for a clean and quick romantic comedy.

*I received an ARC from Disney-Hyperion via NetGalley in exchange for my honest opinion.

A witty, refreshing, modern spin on the Cinderella story. The nods to the fairytale didn't feel too heavy handed. Cindy is a relatable and likable heroine - readers will love rooting for her. It was a pleasant surprise to find her stepmother and stepsisters to overwhelmingly caring and supportive. The ending felt a bit rushed, but this was an overall enjoyable read.

Let’s go plus size representation. As a fellow plus size girl trying to find stories I feel seen in, I always run to Julie Murphy for comfort.

If The Shoe Fits is a Cinderella meets the Bachelor mashup. I liked how this wasn’t the typical Cinderella, with evil step-mothers and dreadful step-sisters. Cindy was supported and treated kindly. I adored how Julie still had the elements of Gus and Jaq in human form. I also enjoyed the twist of Cindy being a shoe designer, with a passion for shoes.

Julie will definitely draw in a crowd with her following, but this stunning cover will help catch the buyer’s eye on the floor. No one can resist a heart-warming classic and even though a re-telling’s ending can somewhat be predictable, it’s still charming nonetheless. Highly recommend but please check triggers of fatphobia

This is my first by Julie Murphy but it will not be the last! I really enjoyed this Cinderella retelling. I’m a big fan of retellings but I always go in leary. I’m so glad that I requested this on a whim because it was such a fun time. I would argue that it’s a loose retelling. There are many elements there but a lot of the major things are different.

One of the things I loved about this retelling was the family dynamic. In the classic the stepmother and sisters are awful and treat her terribly. In this retelling that is not the case. I loved the relationship that Cindy has with her sisters. I was pleasantly surprised by the relationship and relieved. I don’t know that I would have been in the mood for a tale about evil sisters. Cindy’s story is tragic and she’s slowly realizing she’s not alone.

Another aspect that I loved was a plus-size main character! Cindy was a delight and she was very funny. I loved her from the minute I met her. Her relationship with Henry was sweet and I loved their back and forth jokes. I do wish that we would have gotten more time with them for their love to take off. It felt a bit insta-love to me but that’s all Disney princesses, right?!

I wasn’t quite sure how I would feel about the dating(bachelor) type show but it was done well. There were some corny and funny aspects, like the scrolls. “Do you accept this scroll?” I was laughing at that one. Overall, I didn’t mind it. I do watch the Bachelor/Bachelorette so it was fun to read about it in a story.

I wished that Cindy would have delved into her emotions and feelings about her parents. It was a huge presence in her life but she didn’t really deal with it. I do not believe for a second that opening a box with mementos would help her face it all. She was running from it and it would have been awesome to see her work on it.

I read this book rather quickly. I just couldn’t put it down and I had to know what was happening next! I think my experience with the Bachelor/Bachelorette made it all very predictable but I did enjoy it. It was a fun time and I will be picking up more from this author!

Thank you so much (Netgally & Disney Hyperion Avenue) for an e-ARC of this!!

After graduating from designer college, Cindy comes home to L.A. Erica, Cindy's step-mother, is some sort of production person in charge of Before Midnight (Before Midnight is the same as The Bachelor). When two girls drop out of the new season Erica asks her daughters, Drew and Anna, to join the show. Cindy decides she wants to join too, this is when things get interesting. I love this book, the MC Cindy is so likeable and relatable. Actually every character is likeable. This is my first book by Julie Murphy and I know it won't be my last. It's nice to find an author who writes about plus size characters. I highly recommend this book to the romance lovers. You will not regret it.

Thank you to Disney Hyperion and Netgalley for the arc of this book. All opinions are my own.

Admittedly, I love Cinderella. To be honest, I love all the Princesses. Admittedly I also don’t care for The Bachelor type shoes. But, the premise of combining these two things was so intriguing. Let me tell you, I wasn’t disappointed by any means! This is was good!! I don’t want to give away spoilers but this ending was absolutely perfect.

I absolutely loved the way Julie set up this story from the very beginning. As a flight attendant, I love a good airplane romance. I also loved the care she took about body image and body positivity. It was so well done. I loved Cindy’s confidence, especially in her design ability and who she is. I also really enjoyed Henry as a character. He was sweet and caring. He really tried to understand Cindy, her motives and what it was like for her.

I thought Julie did a great job with pacing, incorporating hard conversations with a sweet romance, well developed characters and a beautiful story! I loved it.

This book is about Cindy who just graduated with a degree in shoe design and she's trying to get her life on track. She decided that the best plan right now is to work for her stepmother, who is the executive producer of a reality show called Before Midnight.

A spot on the show suddenly opens up and needs filling ASAP, Cindy decides to volunteer in the hope to help start her fashion career.

Cindy ends up being the only plus-size woman on the show and she makes an impression and becomes an icon for all plus-size ladies out there. What Cindy doesn't expect out of this experience is that she might end up finding a love other than shoes. Cindy learns pretty quickly that if the shoe doesn't fit, it's time to design your own.

My review:
I will start off by saying I LOVE absolutely everything about Julie Murphy and absolutely love everything she writes. She is so fabulous.

This story was so beautiful, it was funny, adorable, romantic. There should be more stories with plus-size main characters. I absolutely adore Cindy's character and I can so related to her in many ways. This story gave me the vibes of Cinderella meets Bachelor. It was nice seeing a plus-size woman with a fit guy.

I really enjoyed how fast passed the story was with lots of details but yet so simple. It was a very good read. I also love Julie's writing is so easy to read and just flows and it's fun. It was full of emotions and I loved the body acceptance in this book. I can't wait for Meant to Be, #2.

***Thank you to NetGalley, Disney Publishing Worldwide, and the author for an ARC in exchange for an honest review***

I’m a plus sized gal myself and so I’m a sucker for a good plus size story, and Julie Murphy does it so well!

And the fact this is a modern retelling of Cinderella was another point in my book.

This book is a good read and a lot of fun for fans of sweet romance stories and/or reality competitions.

Also of note, I LOVED that Cindy’s relationship with her step mother and sisters wasn’t anything like we’ve come to know. I think that was one of my favorite things!

OMG. Okay, so I have been a little MIA the past week because I started setting up my classroom (pictures to come when its all done). But this gem of a book comes out tomorrow and you need to add it to your #tbr list!

If Cinderella and the Bachelor Franchise had a baby, it would be If the Shoe Fits. The characters are super lovable and have great dialogue. There is just the right amount of family drama and the love story is predictable, but oh so sweet.

⭐⭐⭐⭐ for me! If you are a fan of the bachelor/ette or you just love a good love story, pick this one up!!

I have only liked one book by Julie Murphy, so I’m really not surprised here. I love the concept of a plus-size and modern day Cinderella tale. However, it just didn’t keep my interest. The plot was okay and the characters fine, it just wasn't memorable. Also, with this being catered to New Adult it read like YA. It was fade to black and not like an adult romance. Some steam really could have happened here.

Overall, this didn't work for me.

Julie Murphy has done wonders in the field of YA titles. When I saw this title and noticed it was adult I just had to have it. Alas the world seems to always bless authors in some fields but not others. I was sadly disappointed in If the Shoe Fits. I will give it some praise the characters are wonderful, the setting is ok and the writing is beautiful. What it falls short on…well it is not really enough to a good adult romance. It hit the Cinderella retelling well but it lacked depth in the romance part of the show. I’ll pass this one by but would recommended it to my teens because really it was that light.

Is it wrong that I really loved that it was the “prince” being fitted for his shoe at the end of this Cinderella-esque story? Of course, at one point in the story Henry is also helping Cindy put on a crystal *ahem, glass, cough* shoe because this story is really obsessed with talking about shoes. Like, a LOT of shoes are discussed. I would argue that shoes are a side character in this fluffy romance read.

Enough about the shoes… This Cinderella retelling has the usual beginning: dead mom, new stepmom and stepsisters, dead dad, Cindy is left behind with the new family. Thankfully that is where the similarities end because this family also has a very young set of triplets adding to the mix and steps that are supportive and loving. Cindy only sticks out in her family because she is “the fat one”.

Some random things that I enjoyed about this story
-behind the scenes look at a reality TV dating show
-great characters - I will come back to this series to read all of their stories
-the Titanic date conversation
-show producer Beck and her dad jokes

The main thing that bugged me about this book was how fast things were wrapped up in the end. The live episode of this dating show had some great suspenseful tension and then… It just fizzled out to a very weak ending. (I read an early copy of this book, maybe the ending has been altered. I sure hope so because it was a real let down.)

Recommended for: fans of fairy tale retellings & romance readers

I received a digital ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This was a very sweet, fat positive rom-com! If you are a fan of Julie Murphy's other books or One To Watch by Kate Stayman-London, you will definitely enjoy this one.

Cindy has recently graduated from design school and winds up on the Bachelor-esque show, Before Midnight, hoping to use the show as an opportunity to show off her shoe designs. She is our fabulous, shoe-obsessed, plus-size Cinderella, and Henry, the lead on Before Midnight, is our Prince Charming. Their chemistry is adorable, but I did find myself wishing for a little more on the romance front. The book does a great job exploring body positivity and the setting is really fun, but it felt a little YA to me at times (it is fade to black, level 0-1 steam). Overall, a delightful story - I hope Julie Murphy writes more adult plus-size romance!

CW: Mention of death of a parent, body/image/weight talk,

Thank you to NetGalley and Disney Hyperion for an early copy in exchange for honest feedback.

4.5 stars
This was a refreshing take on Cinderella with the always fun background of a reality tv dating show. I enjoyed the references to the Disney version of this classic fairytale, but my favorite part of the story was Cindy. Not only is she plus-sized and totally confident in herself, she is also passionate about what she loves, shoes and fashion! The dating show context of the story was also really well done because it included what viewers would normally see on those types of shows as well as all the insane behind-the-scenes things they can typically only speculate about. All of this plus a swoon-worthy "Prince Charming" made for a fun and fast-paced read.

📚 B O O K. R E V I E W 📚

Thank you to the publisher, author and netgalley for the free e-arc of IF THE SHOE FITS by @andimjulie in exchange for an honest review. This one publishes tomorrow, August 3!

Where are all my Fairytale retelling fans at?! This books follows Cinderella with the added bonus of incorporating body positivity into it! 👏👏👏

I really enjoyed this first book in a new series from this author! I have read and loved Dumplin’ and Puddin’ by this author, and what I love most of her books, is the body positivity talk, and self confidence talk that women all fall victim too.

This book also had the typical mean girl and camp vibe too it, but with a bit of an older vibe to it, as these girls have all graduated college.

If you enjoy these fairytale retellings, body positivity talk, and a feel good ending, I recommend picking this book up!

I enjoyed reading If the Shoe Fits, my first from Julie Murphy. It's technically a retelling of Cinderella though you won't find any evil stepsisters, which was actually a relief as the heroine finds herself with a strong familial support system which gave the book an unexpected heart-warming feel. Cindy is a great character that has a lot to teach readers about body positivity. I loved her confidence which felt organic, especially as she also had a vulnerable side that kept the her relatable. Truthfully, I had the hardest time putting down If the Shoe Fits!

As a fan of the Bachelor franchise, I thought the reality show background really worked. And, If the Shoe Fits is very much a coming-of-age story for both Cindy and her prince charming, Henry. I'd love to hear his side of the story as it's clear he's also trying to find his way.

There were some things that took If the Shoe Fits from a 4-star novel to 3.5 stars for me. The book features a diverse cast of characters but the author relied on telling readers the character’s race rather than taking the time to show readers who the character is. I also found the ending and conflict resolution between Henry and Cindy to be anti-climactic.

Thank you to NetGalley and Disney Hyperion for an early copy in exchange for honest feedback.

This was the best book to start reading Julie Murphy's works. I was wary, as I am with anything remotely resembling the human dumpster fire that is the Bachelor, and was pleasantly suprised with the charaters in the totally reimagined Cinderella story.

I kept trying to put the characters in the Cinderella story, and while there are similarities, it wasn't a full remak of that story with it's tropes and step-familiy characterizations.
The Bachelor type story was so well done. I wasn't expecting to feel that way about the bachelor, Henry, or the women on the show. It was a such a fun way to take a pop culture moment and make the best version of it for this story.
I loved Cindy. I loved that she wasn't there for love. I loved her interests outside of the show and her realtionship with her step family. I loved that she had issues and trauma, and didn't handle it picture perfectly but tried her best to carry on. I loved how she owned her size and how she looks and how it impacts her world, but wasn't overly accepting of herseld cause that insecurity is real. I loved her friendship with some of the other girls in the hosue and how she struggled with wanting them to be happy and wanting Henry for herself. And I loved her relationship with Henry. Cindy stands up for herself in a great way that is such a good example and made for some good conflict at the end of the book.

I've already recommended this to some friends and can't wait to see what they think.

Julie Murphy has written the Cinderella retelling of my dreams!

F THE SHOE FITS, is about twenty three year old Cindy Woods. She's a recent Parsons School of Design graduate who has aspirations of being a footwear fashion designer. Having no current job prospects lined up, she decides to head back home to California to help out her reality tv show producer stepmother in nanny-ing her triplet half siblings. She's expecting to spend her summer helping her stepmom, spending time with her two stepsisters, and trying to figure out what to do next with her life. But, then an unexpected opportunity falls into her lap when her stepmother's assistant producer convinces her to be a contestant on the reality dating show Before Midnight, which is basically a fictional version of The Bachelor reality dating show we all know. Cindy is hesitant at first until she realizes this is the perfect opportunity to get herself some exposure as an upcoming designer. What she doesn't expect, though, is to actually find love with the last person she'd ever thought she'd see on the Before Midnight set.

I absolutely adored this Cinderella retelling. It was a very fresh, new take on the Cinderella story. Not only do we have a plus size heroine, but we also have a diverse group of side characters. Everything from LGBTQ+ and POC representation, this book really had it all. I loved all the little subtle details of the original Cinderella tale sprinkled throughout in their own way to fit the story. I loved that Cindy's step-family wasn't awful to her as is the norm for most Cinderella retellings. She actually got along and loved them very much. And her stepsisters were so great! They always supported her and had her back. Her stepmother might've had her moments where maybe she didn't truly understand Cindy, but her heart was always in the right place.

This being Julie Murphy's first adult book, I found myself enjoying it a lot more than her previous work I've read. I can only assume it's because it's more for my age group. But, everything just worked for me. The romance especially was very sweet. I loved Cindy and Henry so much! Their banter was spot on every time. I found myself craving for every scene they were in together. From the moment they meet, I was rooting for their HEA. And Julie Murphy delivered it beautifully. Definitely didn't happen the way I expected, but I liked it that way. This fairytale isn't like we're used to seeing. It's different for sure, but in a good way.

With body positivity, acceptance for all, and an excellent argument on the fashion industry's look on plus size fashion - this book will have you entertained from start to finish. It's a fun, romantic, quick read - perfect for the summer. Would totally recommend to any romance reader!