I feel like there are several disclaimers that I need to make before giving my opinions on this book. I do not typically read romance books. The only reason that I read this novel is because Julie Murphy’s writing is an absolute pleasure to read. The other disclaimer is that I have not nor do I think I will ever watch shows like The Bachelor or any of those other dating reality shows.

With that being said...this book was heavenly to read! I love how fleshed-out each of the characters are and the way they interacted in the story. I was also a big fan of the behind-the-scenes components of the reality show. Whether or not these things actually occur...I was still intrigued.

The romance part of it was definitely cute but (if I’m being honest) that’s not really what kept me interested in the story. This is a Cinderella retelling so we pretty much know how it all plays out. I’m not a big fan of romance novels anyway and I can say that this was done is a really great way. It was a central part of the story without being vomit-inducing over-the-top cheese.

I think this idea of Disney retellings for adults could work if it’s marketed correctly. However, I didn’t know this novel was intended for adults until looking into it a little more. The cover screams YA.

Overall, I can’t wait to see what the next retelling will be and, as always, I can’t wait for Julie Murphy’s next novel.

A beautiful Cinderella retelling featuring a plus sized shoe designer and a Bachelor spin. Cindy, a recent graduate from a design school, got an unexpected opportunity to join Before Midnight (Bachelor-esque show), and decided to take it for the opportunity to get some money and exposure to jump start her career, as a shoe designer. I loved the modern take on the retelling that included a supportive step family. There was so much drama in this book and I couldn’t put it down. I read it in one sitting and wish it never ended. The ending did feel a little abrupt and I wouldn’t have minded an extra 50ish pages. Amazing loved it would recommend to everyone!

I received this ARC from NetGalley.

Are you looking for a grown-up re-imagining of Cinderella, complete with The Bachelor-inspired plot and shoe design? This is the book for you! Julie Murphy is a great writer, and this new work by her doesn't disappoint. There's a memorable and driven heroine, a diverse cast of characters, and a fated love story to boot.

I've read many fairy tale retellings, and this was a very good one. It had all the important tropes, but it also made the story just a lot more fun: the stepsisters are influencers, but they aren't evil. The stepmother works in reality television and is driven but genuinely cares for the Cinderella character. And in the end, the guy is the one putting his foot into a shoe.

This is a story I wouldn't have thought of to match the traditional fairy tale, but I'm so glad Julie Murphy did. Really enjoyed!

I really liked this one! This was a nice spin on Cinderella and I loved the inclusivity! Like this book just made me want to be Julie Murphy's friend. There were a few issues I had though. The romance was insta-love galore even if it was super cute, the central conflict made no sense if you stopped for one second to think about it, we barely know the main love interest, and the ending was entirely too rushed. Despite all that, I really loved the cast of characters. Almost all the girls on the show were likeable and fun and I love the talk about family in the book. The "evil" part of the stepsisters is forgotten for a really adorable bond between Cindy and her stepsisters Drew and Anna.

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 just like...fun. It was a good time. Structurally and plot wise, there were definitely improvements that could've been made, but overall it was a fun beach read! I really liked Cindy and every time she spoke about her struggles as a plus size person it literally just like struck me in the chest because I've been through all of it. I'm excited for the next books in the series to come out!

Actual rating // 4.5
I've read a quite a few Julie Murphy books and this is by far my favorite! I think that her foray into adult romance is successful and I am so excited to read more books in this series. I loved the take on the Cinderella story while also having a Bachelor type of feel. I love the exploration of grief and fatphobia especially in the tv industry. I'm so excited to see what she does next with this series!

This is such a cute read! It was fast and fluffy! I think this would be a great summer read to have on the beach with a cocktail. The story was too cute!

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.

Sweet Cinderella retelling - Cindy goes on a reality show, Before Midnight (think, The Bachelor). This is a fun rom-com. Strangely enough, I read The Charm Offensive right before this, which has a very similar concept. I would recommend this book as a fun, romantic read.

I loved every minute of this book! Yes, there were plenty of pop culture tropes (and I admittedly missed probably more because I’m a book person and rarely watch TV, but I don’t live under a rock) and the storyline was predictable in places. But I still loved every minute of this book.

Cinderella is my absolute favorite, so I adored the nods to the classic Disney version. I adored the switch to having such sweet stepsisters and a badass stepmom.

Murphy’s normal YA audience peeked through a few times, but even though I’m a mid-50s grandmother, it was still a fresh, fun, even giggle-out-loud story for me.

Pick this book up if you are looking for a light, sometimes silly, easy, enjoyable read. It’s a perfect summer beach read.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC, in exchange for an honest review.

This one was so darn fun. It was predictable, but comfortable. i would love to see this style Bachelor show in real life with an inclusive variety of women, body shapes and lifestyles.
I read the book in the course of one day and loved the romance woven in to the story, especially with the beginning.
And the shoes, what a fun idea for the MC's passion. Definitely love Julie Murphy's books and this one is a perfect summer, beach read.

When Cindy loses a shoe stepping onto her flight back to LA after graduating from design school in Manhattan, she is surprised by the gorgeous man who returns it and trades spots for a middle seat to be next to her. Planning to spend the summer as nanny to her triplet half-siblings everything turns around when she is needed to be in the Bachelor-like tv show her stepmother produces. On the set, she is shocked to learn her former seat-mate, the scion of a fading fashion empire, is the star of the show. Their chemistry has to take a back seat for the show. This body positive heroine is a delight to meet and highly relatable. Her dreams and insecurities are easy to connect with. The familial relationships with her supportive steps is great to see. While written for adults, it will also draw teen readers.

If The Shoe Fits is a retelling of the classic fairytale Cinderella. Unfortunately, I went into this book not knowing really what it was about, and I have never been a big fan of Disney Princesses or retelling of most fairytales. Also, it also took the Cinderella story and merged it with the TV show The Bachelor. No rose for this gal ( I think it is a rose they give the person who is staying or is it the loser gets a rose? I don't know ) ) I have never seen one episode of the show.

What I did enjoy about the book...the main character being a plus-size gal, I think we need to remember that all women are not bubbly, skinny, and blonde when it comes to main characters in books. I also really enjoyed the authors writing style. I have never read any of Julie Murphy's writing before because I rarely pick up YA, but I am going to go back and search a few books out and give them a try. In If The Shoe Fits she wrote a cute, fun, and at times emotional book that was well put together. All in all, it was not a bad book, and I feel it will do well with a lot of people, however, this one was just not for me

I initially thought this book would be a little too cheesy or predictable, but I was pleasantly surprised! I liked the characters, the size inclusivity, and the Bachelor-like theme (I guiltily am a fan of the show). Also, yay that this is a series! I will definitely read book 2! This is a great summer read, easy to get into and you'll breeze right through it! Thank you, NetGalley!

Adorable story that I couldn't put down! This Cinderella retelling is a wonderful modern twist. Her relationships with her stepfamily have their struggles, but finally dropped the hate between women. I have never watched The Bachelor, but I was pleased that the reality show in the book had the women supporting each other more often than not. I'd love to think that society would embrace and hail a plus-sized contestant as fun and creative as the main character. The ending was predictable, but I enjoyed every moment leading up to it.

So the problem here is I really don’t like Disney princess stuff and I would also rather stick my head in the oven rather than endure even one episode of The Bachelor. Why did I think I would like this again? But the fact that it was a real body heroine I went in hoping for the best. But so many marks were missed. This book promised dramatic reality tv merged with a modern day plus-size Cinderella retelling and that is what we got.
If the Shoe Fits follows Cindy, a recent graduate from Parsons School of Design in New York City who aspires to be a shoe designer. After a tough senior year, she doesn’t have any job prospects in NYC and decides to move home and take care of her three young siblings for the summer. Her stepmother, Erica, is a producer of a Bachelor-esque dating show called Before Midnight. When three contestants drop out of Before Midnight only days before filming starts, Cindy and her two stepsisters fill in the empty spots. Cindy is hoping to jumpstart her shoe design career, and a bit of television exposure is just what she she needs, but what she gets instead might surprise her.

Overall, it was a good read. I think it mostly gave what Julie Murphy promised. The writing was wonderful, I was pulled into the story. It did a great job of keeping Cindy’s character relatable. It was lighthearted while still covering the important topic of body diversity being displayed on TV.
Cindy was an extremely likable character, and I was rooting for her the whole time! I liked that the romantic interest had his own depth. He wasn’t shallow or vain. It was REALLY impressive that Cindy loved her stepmother and stepsisters and got along with them super well, even if she didn't always understand them. It was a great feeling to move past women hating women.
I loved how inclusive this book was. It's little things, like telling what race every single person was in their descriptions, not just specifying the non-white characters. There's a non-binary character that is never once misgendered and their looks aren't described in a way that indicates that they were born as either gender in the binary and I really loved that. There's a lesbian character, and one who's dated both men and women.
My hang ups come with the pacing of the story. It was strange and made it hard to get through the last 3rd of the story. It felt true to the Disney movie, too true, in the way that I didn't feel like I knew much about the love interest. They spent very little time together, especially alone, before she realized she was in love with him. The happy ending was hurried. I feel like I got a better grasp on some of the contestants than I really did on Henry. A lot of time was spent on the behind-the-scenes stuff in the house they lived in while filming, where Henry was kept away from them most of the time. The story lacked that deep connection I wanted from the characters. Overall a good story with a believable HEA.

This was a fun retelling of Cinderella, which I loved as a little girl. It was exciting to see a reality show with a plus-sized lead and a twist with a reality show. I found this to be a quick and fast-paced read. I loved the characters. A Plus-size protagonist who does not apologize for her appearance. Since I'm plus size myself, the author wrote it in a good light. It contains many references to an outdated movie that was updated to fit into today's world. Fun, and full of romance. It was perfect!!!

This was an ARC provided by Netgalley. The review is honest and my opinions are my own.

Contemporary rom com, classic fairy tale reimaginjng for the modern reader. Julie Murphy is not afraid to champion body positivity and creates a fantastic, real, relatable heroine in If The Shoe fits. Empowering, swoony, everything I love in classic rom com but elevated. Can't wait to read more in this series.

How frickin’ sweet! Even though it was, at moments, kind of cliche and a bit absurd, it was also all kinds of perfect! I love Julie Murphy and this is my favorite since the inimitable Dumplin’! More more more, please!

Great book! I love the fact that Cindy was multidimensional and the entire story wasn’t about her weight. I’m still wondering what Addison said to make Henry want to give her the boot. The book was just the right length.

Thank you to Netgalley and Disney Hyperion for the opportunity to read and review this book. This book was my first from Julie Murphy and although I have heard fantastic things about her, I was still hesitant going into this book. However!!!!! I was pleasantly surprised with how much I truly enjoyed this book.
There's a Cinderellaesque story in here but at the same time, it was the kindest Cinderella retelling I have read thus far. This was also the most behind the scenes reality show book I have read so far with a lot of background information on what it takes to create a "bachelor/bachelorette type show but not in a crude way. I also liked the fashion designer concept on top of the play on shoes (as a shoe/accessory girl that hit my heartstrings). I truly enjoyed all the characters also even the one I was supposed to hate because they felt real/three dimensional I could even imagine the actors who have played these characters. Overall, I am excited to see what the future of this series holds and Julie Murphy is now on my radar because of these points, I have to give this a 4.5 out of 5 stars.