OMG this book was too cute!

This is another book that I have had in my Netgalley library for a long time and I am so happy that I read it!

This was Cindy's story.. She was the main book crush. I could see myself rooting for her on this dating show. And her and Henry had awesome chemistry right away. There were points when you grew frustrated because Henry was so much more into her than the other girls, but apparently that's how the Bachelor really is so, who knows?

You also gotta love the representation! I honestly haven't read too many books where the main character is plus size and I really loved this one! Also the idea that she's on a dating show is even better! We want to see more people that look like us.

This book comes out in August and seriously you should check it out if you want a cute rom com read and LOVE reality TV!

5 Stars!

When I got this little book, I expected a modern-day Cinderella story, but that is not exactly what I got. Yes, we have Cindy (get the name?) whose mother died when she was young leaving her to be raised by her father. Of course, Daddy eventually tells Cindy that he has met someone who he wants to marry and she has two daughter about her age. So we still have the Cinderella plot, but it pretty much stops there. I do not think this is a spoiler because you have this knowledge rather quickly in the book.

Based on a reality tv show and so very similar to what I have heard these shows to be, the story line is basically that our main character, Cindy, ends up on one of these shows. Now, to tell how she gets there and some other details would be too much info for here. Suffice it to say, Cindy is not your typical girl who might go on one of these shows. She does not go on there expecting to win nor does she expect to find the love of her life. Cindy goes on to win some money or get exposure for her shoe design business. But the biggest shocker: Cindy is a plus-sized woman!! How dare an author have a plus-sized character in a book who is a normal, decent person?!?!

What did I like about this story? I liked that Cindy acknowledged her size and reminded crew members that they knew she was to be on the show in time to have the proper sized clothes for her... they did not. I loved the fact that because she was a graduate of Parsons, she knew clothing, even though her expertise was in shoe design. Without a word, she would take clothing and make it work with a few snips here and a tie there and a properly sized outfit would appear. There was no making fun of her as the over-sized character, and I liked that.

This book was much more than I expected. Not a difficult read, I read it in a few hours. I understand it is to be part of a series somewhat loosely based on fairy tales.

I did receive this book ahead of time from Net Galley and Disney Publishing Worlwide. It is, as they say, an "uncorrected galley proof." With that in mind, I do hope the eitors go back through and read it carefully as I am pretty sure there were some errors. Otherwise, nice little book to read.

#NetGalley #DisneyPublishingWorldwide #Iftheshoefits

First, thanks to NetGalley for this e-ARC!

Second, I'm going to start this the same way I started my review of One to Watch, a very similar themed book:

It's important to know I've never watched an episode of The Bachelor, The Bachelorette, or any kind of dating show in that spectrum of reality TV. On the other hand, I really enjoy behind the scenes stories of dating shows, a la the show "Unreal", which is why I was 100% in on this from the start.

I was 100% on this because a) Julie Murphy, aka the Queen of all things, and b) I love a behind the scenes of a dating show story. That said, while I did really enjoy this oh so much, One to Watch came out almost exactly a year ago and these stories are just so similar that it's hard for me to divorce the two books in my head now.

That said, I really liked Cindy and the fact she loves her stepmom and stepsisters. Henry is a doll, but obviously you're spending a lot of the book waiting for the other shoe the drop with him...no pun intended. I liked the shoe designing angle, it was a fun facet of the fashion industry. Lastly, the other contestants were great, but I wish we got to know more of them, as it was mostly just Sara, Stacy, and Addison.

Overall I really enjoyed this. I'm always going to love a Julie Murphy book!

Calling all fans of The Bachelor and One to Watch! @andimjulie If The Shoe Fits is a delightful, funny, and swoonworthy slow burn romance fairy tale retelling with a contemporary twist! In the wake of her dad's passing, Cindy, a recent fashion school graduate, heads home for the summer to nanny for her young triplet step-siblings while she figures our her next steps. Her step-mom is the executive producer of Before Midnight, the world's biggest dating reality show. When contestants drop out at the last minute, Cindy and her 2 step-sisters take their spots. What better way to showcase her shoe designs by getting national coverage and going on some dates with a handsome bachelor?! As the first plus size contestant on the show, she quickly realizes the spotlight is extra bright and that her feelings for Price Charming may actually be real. I flew through this book, felt all of the feels, and rooted for Cindy the whole time! I loved Cindy's commitment to herself despite public pressure. This is out August 3, so go pre-order your copy today! Thanks to @andimjulie @netgalley and @hyperionave for the ARC!

Like anyone with a beating heart, I loved the Dumplin' series, devouring each book more quickly than the last. Julie Murphy creates characters that you just want to root for and hug at the same time. After finishing Pumpkin', I knew my next read had to be Murphy's adult romance debut, and "If the Shoe Fits" did not disappoint!

While the classic story of Cinderella and the modern guilty pleasure of The Bachelor are the inspirations for this book, Julie Murphy manages to succeed in making this story unique.

First and foremost, I loved the relationships between women in this book. While there is an "ugly stepsister" character, it is not Cindy's actual stepsisters. In fact Cindy, her stepmother, and two stepsisters, have a pretty good relationship. It's not without complications all together, but they love, care for, and respect one another. Murphy realistically portrays what the dynamic would be for Cindy, who has lost both parents and has only her step family (and much younger half sibling triplets) for family now. This was a refreshing take on the classic fairy tale.

I also loved the fat representation in this book. Cindy is comfortable in her skin, but is of course nervous about the reaction she will get on the show. I love that there are acknowledgements of this very real internal struggle while at the same time, the book is not all about her weight. She's just another girl on the show, and (most) of the women treat her as tough competition (which, spoiler alert, she definitely is) but also as a friend. The friendships she makes on the show, both with other contestants and her producers, were almost more interesting to me than the core relationship.

Finally, I loved that Cindy had a unique skill and big dreams. Her shoe designs were fun and quirky and sexy and I wish I could buy a pair of Cindy originals for myself.

My only complaint with this book was I was hoping there would be chapters from Henry's point of view. I just didn't feel like we knew him the way we knew Cindy, and I wanted to look at the situation through his eyes. Of course that would have spoiled several twists and turns but I ended up feeling less invested in the core relationship than I normally am when reading a romance.

Overall, this is a delightful, breezy, cute romance that gives a modern twist on a classic story. I also would like to start a petition for Before Midnight to become an actual show please.

I loved everything about this book! The characters and the love that binds everyone, be it friendship or family, made for a wonderful ending.

Thank you to Disney-Hyperion (Disney Books) and Netgalley for providing me with an early copy in exchange for my honest review.

I'm a sucker for a fairy tale retelling so I couldn't wait for the chance to read If the Shoe Fits, a retelling of Cinderella. Much like Cinderella, our heroine Cindy is an orphan but she has a good relationship with her stepmother and step-siblings. After she graduates from fashion school, Cindy returns to L.A. to be a nanny for her half siblings while she figures out her next step in life. Her stepmother is the producer for Before Midnight, a reality dating show (think The Bachelor). When a contestant backs out at the last minute, Cindy decides to join the show. It isn't like she'll actually find love on a dating show...right?

I've been an on-off viewer of The Bachelor/ette shows for years. Even when I don't watch I follow recaps so I loved seeing the Bachelor elements that were infused within the story. If the Shoe Fits very much fulfills the fairy tale retelling of Cinderella so you know exactly what you're going to get. It is a closed door romance so although there are no steamy scenes Cindy and the suitor have great chemistry together. The end of the book leaves it open for further stories within the Before Midnight universe and I'm here for it. I also liked the body positive messages within the story.

If the Shoe Fits is perfect for readers who love fairy tale retelling, enjoyed reading One to Watch by Kate Stayman-London and is a fan of Julie Murphy's previous works. If the Shoe Fits is available August 3rd, 2021.

I love this so much. Julie Murphy has officially conquered all the age ranges, she's a triple threat baby! I adored Cindy as a character and the plot was fantastic, I love the fat girl on a reality show plot so much (see: One to Watch - another amazing book and a great comp title for this!). Henry was a fab love interest and I especially loved how, despite this being a reimagining of Cinderella, the stepmother and stepsisters were so nice! They had good relationships! That made me so happy.

This is one of those books that just sucks you in and you can't put down. It's a great retake on Disney's version of Cinderella including young triplet siblings named Gus, Mary, and Jack. I loved picking up on all the nods to the movie throughout the book while completely appreciating the story Julie Murphy was telling herself. I will let own voices reviewers comment on the representation that is in this book and how well it was done, but for me it worked well.

I'm not usually a fan of the reality show set up in romances, but I do love a Cinderella re-telling. I also love to read stories of heroines who look like me. If the Shoe Fits starts off in surprising ways, like with Cindy having a wonderful relationship with her stepmother and stepsisters, and with how she ends up on the show in the first place (which seemed pretty unrealistic to me).

Overall, I really enjoyed the story. It was less of a direct re-telling of the Cinderella story and more a series of allusions to Cinderella, but I think that was for the better. I really enjoyed meeting the other women on the show and wished we had seen more interaction with Henry - both with the other women and with Cindy. I also thought Cindy's size was handled well. It was part of the story, but never used in a super malicious way like in other books.

It's difficult to read this book without thinking of One to Watch by Kate Stayman-London. I have to admit that I didn't love One to Watch as much as I had wanted to, so I was a little skeptical coming into If the Shoe Fits. However, I really enjoyed this book and am glad I gave it a chance. It's a nice, easy read for a quiet weekend.

This was a great book, that fans of the reality TV show The Bachelor would enjoy. It was like reading the show instead of watching it and learning about how things really play out. Reality?!

The characters were well defined which helped me stay focused on the plot and not get side tracked trying to remember who did what. The plot had me hooked from the beginning. With the title and cover I knew it was going to be like a Cinderella meets Prince Charming kind of story with step sisters getting in the way but I liked that these step sisters were good and not evil.

There was just the right amount of suspense to keep me up late at night wanting to know what was going to happen next.

I would recommend this book to upper high school students, college students and adults who are fans of romance.

I know this is billed as an adult book, but YA will love this as well. A mix of "UnREAL" and "Bachelor" with a strong fat woman as the lead, including a lot of humor and fashion. There's even a meet cute! Based on the Cinderella story, Murphy upends things by making Cindy actually friends with her stepsisters and a loved part of the family. That blend of familiar and twist made this a great summer read.

eARC provided by publisher via Netgalley.

Well, this was an absolute delight to read.

If the Shoe Fits is a modernized Cinderella retelling that merges a fairy tale romance and a reality dating show perfectly to have the whirl wind and whimsy you'd expect, along with the drama and sexual tension you want. I love how Julie Murphy brought this story to life - giving a fat girl the chance to shine and find her prince charming, building a supportive and caring family around Cindy (who needs shrewd or cruel step family, when you can have a full cast of characters you genuinely enjoy), and the humor and personality in the dating show and the other contestants was fantastic. This story kept me completely entertained and I could not put it down - which is probably why I finished it in one sitting. If the Show Fits is a fast-paced, fashion-filled romp you won't want to miss.

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

Thank you to NetGalley and Disney Publishing Worldwide Disney-Hyperion for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Cinderella meets the Bachelor!! SOLD.

This is a Cinderella retelling BUT AS A DATING SHOW. This was not your traditional retelling it was 100% orignal. I loved everything about this book. I loved that the main character was plus-sized. I am so excited that this is releasing on August 3rd in the summertime because this is the perfect summer rom-com read.

If you love reality TV then you will love this book. If you love subtle retellings then you will love this book. If you love a character who loves themselves and is unapologetically themselves then you will love this book. If you love rom-coms then you will love this book.

I want to avoid spoilers and I will not be adding many details about the story here.
I need the physical copy of this book on my shelf ASAP.

Thank you to NetGalley and Disney-Hyperion for giving me an eARC copy of this book!

First of all, I *very* much appreciated reading about a plus-sized lead, ESPECIALLY in a traditionally published book with a company like Disney. So, that instantly elevated this book for me.

But even beyond the content, the book is well crafted and sucks you in immediately. I could not put this book down, and I ended up reading it within two sittings. I enjoyed the Cinderella retelling, drawing on the classic tale, but the author brought a ton of originality to the work as well.

I'm sooo excited to see what else Julie Murphy does in the future, and I'll definitely be following along with her career!

Perfect summer read! Just perfect!
I loved this book from the beginning and I wasn't able to put it down, I've literally read it in one stand.
Julie Murphy definitely succeeded in creating an intriguing and funny story, with good and relatable characters.
If the Shoe Fits is "plus-size Cinderella-meets-The Bachelor-at Project Runway...and if you even liked just one of these shows, I promise you, you won't regret reading this book!

Very fun and cute! I always love seeing plus-sized characters find love. As a plus-sized woman myself I think these stories are important!

Depressingly, this was a DNF for me. I've liked previous work from Julie Murphy, but after two chapters of her constant focus on her step sisters' thinness, the intense resentment she had towards her stepmother, and the weird way she was referring to the various family members as if they were lesser than actual siblings just made the book impossible for me to read. My family is blended in all sorts of ways, and the feeling of disrespect for the potential of non-blood connections really frustrated me.

I get that this is supposed to be a Cinderella type story, where the stepmother and stepsisters are evil, but they just weren't evil enough for me to be comfortable with the disgust it felt like I was supposed to feel for them.

Omg, I could not stop reading this book. Fashion, true love, family, Hollywood glamor, reality TV, and a classic-with-a-twist Cinderella story. It is a delicious read.

We meet Cindy, a recent Parsons graduate who finds herself jobless after graduation because she pretty much broke down after her father's death. She ends up moving to California to live with her stepmother, two stepsisters, and the triplets. Now hold on, because you don't know where this is going. Cindy actually gets along really well with her stepsisters and is planning to nanny for her triplet step-siblings. Her stepmother, Erika, is pretty nice, too, and she happens to be the producer for a popular reality bachelor tv show, Before Midnight.

When her stepmom gets in a bind, Cindy and her stepsisters agree to be on Before Midnight which is how Cindy finds herself the first, and only, plus size contestant. We get to see a little of the "behind the scenes" of the reality show, as well as Cindy navigates through unchartered waters using the force of her personality and her love of fashion.

I appreciated how deftly Julie Murphy dealt with size and gender issues. Well, really, how she normalized these topics.

I cannot wait to recommend this to EVERYONE!

I really enjoyed this softly romantic, modern retelling of Cinderella. I've never read a romance title where I identified so well with the main character! Cindy felt real in the way that so few romance heroines do - she talks about the ways that fashion industries exclude larger sizes from the elite fashion world, how body size is a part of who you are but you not only "Fat", and that finding love isn't always a fairy tale. What this romance lacks in steaminess it more than makes up for in humor, strong wit, and enjoyable characters. If you're looking for a perfect, feel-good, no strings attached read, than grab this book with both hands and don't let go!