When I saw this new line of Disney re-tellings - and a Cinderella story from Julie Murphy, I had to read it! It’s a fun, modern take on Cinderella with fashion design, a reality TV show, and social media. Cindy is a recent graduate from fashion design school who finds herself cast on a Bachelor-type show produced by her (not evil) stepmother. She is instantly a bachelor and fan favorite! But the real world beckons her, reality TV isn’t kind or inclusive of our plus size heroine, and her heart is still healing from the loss of her father. Just when you think you know what she will do next, Cindy keeps surprising you (and Henry!)

This is a heartwarming, inspiring, and surprising tale. It was a joy to read and a unique retelling. Exactly the quality of writing you’d expect from this author!

I reviewed this book on goodreads (5/17) and instagram (7/3) - links are attached to this review.

This book was a perfect mix of Cinderella meets The Bachelor! It’s about time we have a beautiful plus size female on a show like the bachelor and this was it! It’s your typical romcom, but still so good! Love the body positivity, the inclusion of a non-binary character with their specific pronouns, and the overall story of following your dreams and listening to your heart. Seriously loved this so much I had to read it in one day!

This book has all the great feels you want in a story. The characters were extremely likable and the storyline was comforting. I enjoyed the Cinderella twist of it all. This book is definitely a fun summer read and leaves you smiling.

After graduating with a degree in shoe design, Cindy goes to work for her stepmother, who is also the executive producer for the reality show 'Before Midnight'. When three contestants drop out, Cindy and her two stepsisters fill in.

Cinderella meets The Bachelor in this very modern Cinderella retelling. I really liked this book. It was fast paced and fun. It was a great plus size rep. I liked how Cindy was a confident character. I also like how Cindy's stepfamily was actually nice to her. The romance was also intense, deep, and adorable. I would like to see this book as a movie.

This book was refreshing and fun.

3.5 stars
IF THE SHOE FITS was a really fun rom-com set in the reality TV world with a plus-sized protagonist breaking the barriers society has put in place. Cindy was an incredible main character, headstrong and determined and creative and all the things you love to see in a female protagonist. She's also a fashion designer fresh out of college who loves shoes and it was really fun to read about her designing and working her way through a creative drought in the midst of the love story. Speaking of which, her experience on the reality TV dating show was lots of fun. There was plenty of drama and friendships throughout the book and it made for an entertaining plot to push the story along. Henry was a sweet love interest but he wasn't quite as developed as I would have liked and their relationship overall lacked the chemistry that really made it stand out; in part I'm sure this is because he was also "dating" 10 other girls on the show but I felt like in order to really be sold on the relationship there needed to be more interactions between them, and even the ones we got weren't as convincing as I'd like. The Cinderella elements were strong in this book but there were also some spins that don't completely line up which were lots of fun. I loved when Cindy spent time with/talked about her family, those were definite high points as well. This is a great summer rom-com and I look forward to what comes next in this series.

This fantastic summer read has romance, friendship, and the perfect villain. It reads quickly and was downright enjoyable!

This book is adult but it does read a lot like a YA. There's even censored cursing which I find a little odd. Overall, if I'm going to read Adult romance I do think personally I like it a bit steamier, as the most we got was a fade to black. There's nothing wrong with that at all, I just wish we had gotten like one step above that.

This book was really cute and sweet! I love this modernized fairytale with an inclusive touch (plus size main character and LGBTQ characters). It’s a light read that leaves you feeling happy!

Oh this book! I was so pleasantly surprised by this book. This is my first book by Julie Murphy. I know she wrote Dumplin and that many of her heroine's are plus-size. As a plus-size woman myself, I was excited to read a book centered around one and was crossing my fingers it didn't have all the cliches that some of these types of stories do.

So If The Shoe Fits is a sort-of modern retelling of Cinderella with a twist. The story start with Cindy (our Cinderella). When we meet her she is packing up to move back to Los Angeles from New York City, where she recently graduated from Parsons School of Design. She was mostly designing shoes. She has run out of inspiration and has no prospects of a job. She is moving back to LA to move back in with her step-mother, Erica.

If you think that this is where she has a hateful step-mother and mean step-sisters, you're wrong. She has an amazing step-family as well as triplet half-siblings and she loves them all. Her step-mother Erica is a pioneer in reality television and created a long-running dating show ala The Bachelor, called Before Midnight (more Cinderella references).

The whole story revolves around Cindy becoming a contestant on the show. There are some great twists in the story. The look behind the scenes of these types of reality shows is really fun and eye-opening. There are your typical stereotypes that these shows consist of, like the southern belle, the catty beauty, the sassy intelligent girl, etc. But you see that each of those girls, minus the catty girl, is more than meets the eye.

I also loved the interactions Cindy has with the bachelor, Henry. Their journey is not what you expect, especially with their beginnings. And Henry becomes a swoon-worthy hero.

I wasn't sure what to expect with how the writer would address and play out Cindy's size. Would it be so cliche and have all these people use her size to bring her down at every angle? Would our bachelor mention that he "sees beyond her size"? I was pleasantly surprised to see how it was all handled. I was glad that it wasn't a point of contention between her and the other girls, like how can a girl like THAT be in this type of show but she was accepted by the others (for the most part and it wasn't because of her size).

I could not put this book down. I can't recommend it enough! It was a fun, sweet and thoughtful story.

This book was wonderful! This fast paced romance is perfect for the fans of the Bachelor universe. It follows aspiring designer Cindy who moves back home only to accidentally end up starring on her stepmom’s reality dating show. She figures what the hell? The show will give her the exposure for her budding career. But what does she not expect? Henry! This is a story of finding love in unexpected places. This is also a story of not being afraid to follow your dreams no matter what you have to sacrifice. This is a book about self love and a critique on society’s views of body types. It’s also a Cinderella retelling! I appreciated that it didn’t follow the fairy tale to a tee but took its own unique spin on the story. All this in 300 pages. Now that’s talent! Overall, I loved it so much and I’m so happy that this is the first in a series!? Who’s story do we get next!?

Cindy has just graduated from design school and, not having anything lined up, returns to her stepmother's house to nanny her triplet siblings until she can get her life together. Her stepmother is the executive producer of the hottest reality show, Before Midnight, and when spots open up, Cindy and her 2 stepsisters jump in. But being plus-sized puts a new twist on the show, and soon Cindy is wondering if her happily ever after is coming or if she needs to design her own.

Julie Murphy gives us her first adult novel and aren't we so happy she did? This fun retelling of Cinderella focuses on Cindy, who has lost both her parents and is struggling to find her way in the world. You'll find a few nods to the beloved fairy tale but Murphy really puts a new spin on it. Putting Cindy in the world of Bachelor-esque reality tv was so fun and I especially enjoyed the "behind the scenes" viewpoint.

Available August 3, 2021.

I received an advanced digital copy of the book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

A plus-sized recent design school graduate obsessed with shoes heads home to figure her next steps in life, and she and her stepsisters end up filling in for some last-minute drop-out contestants on her stepmother's hit dating reality show, where she becomes a body positivity sensation. The other surprise twist? The eligible suitor is the cute guy she hit it off with on the plane ride back to California - and the son of a famous designer. I really appreciated Cindy's positive relationships with her stepmother and stepsisters and Cindy's general awesomeness. True love doesn't magically solve everything in this story: Cindy has to figure out what she really wants out of life and make a lot of decisions first. We ordered five copies, and my manager and I both anticipate joyfully suggesting this book to our readers.

First let me say this book was super cute and had swoon worthy moments. It was very clear that it was a Cinderella comparison within the first chapter and kept the pace going. Why I gave it three stars is because it just didn’t have enough realism for me. It lacked apathy and passion and felt forced in some parts. I wouldn’t not read this book but I wouldn’t put it at the very top of your tbr

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

If the Shoe Fits really hits the ground running, making it clear that this is Cinderella comparison in the prologue and laying it on rather thick when our MFC, Cindy, meets a handsome guy she dubs “Prince Charming” in her head. Bit heavy handed. Moments like this that remind me that Murphy has written a lot of YA novels. Her writing style just reads a bit more young adult than adult to me. I want to emphasize that THE WRITING IS GOOD! Murphy know’s what she’s doing! It simply is a bit young sounding for my taste.

One thing I really loved about this retelling is the family. Instead of wicked step-family, we get a bonded blended family that Cindy feels somewhat disconnected from, but it’s super clear that they love Cindy and she loves them back.

My second issue is the lack of realism. I get that most novels - especially romance novels - require some suspension of disbelief, but it’s still necessary to have something realistic to hold on to, and almost everything in this book has me going “pfft like that would work.” Without spoiling anything, let’s just say the show crew decides to lie about some things in Cindy’s life that are so obviously lies they would undoubtedly be discovered within a 2 minute Google search, not to mention anyone who knew Cindy could easily blow these lies up. It’s the kind of convoluted plot that could only work in a movie produced in the early 2000s.

I’m sorry for the harsh review. Truly, the writing itself isn’t bad! It just feels very juvenile, especially for something that has been expressly marketed as Julie Murphy’s first novel for adults. I just could not get into this book which is a bummer because I had really been looking forward to it since I read the summary in a recent BookList.

3.5 Stars rounded up to 4. I think this might be a good romance novel to introduce "New Adults" to the genre.

As someone who has never missed an episode of The Bachelor, runs a meme page dedicated to the franchise and writes recaps weekly, I very much enjoyed If the Shoe Fits.

Can Julie Murphy produce the next season of The Bachelorette please?

If the Shoe Fits is a Cinderella retelling featuring Cindy, aspiring shoe designer and college graduate who returns home after the death of her father with nothing specific lined up. She takes over nannying her three younger half-siblings and triplets while her step-mother runs the successful reality TV show Before Midnight. But when spots on the show need filling, Cindy takes the role along with her two step-sisters, using the publicity to show off her shoes and becoming a body positive role model for the show’s fans. As the girls compete for love, Cindy is just looking for her big break… but she may find something surprising in the process.
To start, I really enjoyed that this retelling takes a lot of the traditional elements and uses them in non-traditional ways. Without spoiling anything, the triplets take the place of Cinderella’s nice and the reality TV show is the modern version of Prince Charming’s grand ball. These changes stay true to the story but fit much better in our modern world, and it’s really fun to find other places the traditional and new collide.
This book has short chapters so the story moves along quickly, and it was easy to binge read the entire book. To assist my binge reading, I love Julie Murphy’s writing and this book is no exception - her main characters are so compelling and even in this retelling, Cindy stands out as unique among them. She is such a positive and wonderfully written heroine, and I loved being within her perspective while reading. Another plus for this book is that it is very body positive. I love that Cindy not only embraces her size with zero self-consciousness but calls it out when other characters refuse to accommodate her. She struts with her own confidence and doesn’t let anyone stop her from reaching her goals and absolutely crushing the competition.
My only critique is that our Prince Charming seems a little flat, and while the focus is on Cindy, I was looking for more from him and a deeper connection between him and Cindy. Instead the focus is very much on Cindy herself as she goes through the show and gets insight behind the scenes.
This book is all about girl power and being comfortable with yourself! I will say read at your own risk - I don’t have a big shoe collection and it’s not usually my thing but dang this book was making me jealous, and it makes me sad that it’s impossible to wear a Cindy original in real life.

This was such a fast read for me and it's a book that has gotten me out of my reading slump. I would have loved to see if Cindy and Henry spent the rest of their lives together.

This was such an engaging read. The book has such a unique boy meets girl story line. Cindy meets Henry on a plane, where it is obvious the two are ready for a new beginning and share a unique bond. However, in a surprising twist, the two have to overcome a unique set of obstacles- Cindy is a contestant on a show where Henry is the Bachelor. Over the course of the game show, the two grow stronger in love and it oozes from the pages- but will their love be enough for the viewers?

I especially like that Cindy is a plus sized woman who is proud of who she is. I also adore that some of the characters are based off of Cinderella names, but this "Cinderella" story line is a unique experience. I also love that her step mom and step siblings are a family and not torn apart by the death of Cindy's father, but rather brought together. That alone brings a more lighthearted joy to the story line.

from the beginning, “if the shoe fits” just drew me in, and combined all of my guilty pleasures into one: terrible reality tv & fairytale retelling. One of my favorite things about this book is the sister bond between Cindy, Anna & Drew. I was surprised to find a Cinderella Retelling that didn’t fall into the ‘evil family trope’ (which, to be honest I was getting sick of) so this was quite refreshing and done in a magnificent way. Next to that, I was pleased to read from Cindy’s perspective—it was easy to connect with her and understand her motives as a character. Some points in the book felt a bit rushed, and I would’ve liked a little more tension between Cindy & Addison. However, overall this take on Cinderella not only had a great cast of characters, but truly pulled you into the world with them.

Julie Murphy is an absolute goddess and her writing is a gift.

If the Shoe Fits is another home run for me. I love Murphy’s characters, dialogue, plot lines, and ideas. This was an absolute delight to read, and I would recommend it to anyone who loves romance.

Thank you to the publisher and to NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.