Julie Murphy

"In this modern-retelling of Cinderella, plus-size Cindy dreams of becoming a shoe designer. But when a spot opens up on her stepmother's famous reality dating TV competition, Cindy is thrust into the spotlight in ways she never thought possible"--

If the Shoe Fits

Gabriella Parker

You’re an artist, and any good artist knows life feeds into art and art feeds into life.”

Beck’s face is red and her eyes wide with excitement, like she could burst. “Cindy, they want you to be the female suitor next season.”

 I drink in my view. Across New York Harbor, all lit up on a muggy summer night, is the Statue of Liberty against a deep velvet sky with only the brightest stars in sight. I’m home. 

Rebecca Briesemeister

chloe rae

*3.5

Such a blast! A great little twist on the Cinderella story (though I honestly forgot moments in that it was supposed to be inspired by Cinderella in the first place). I'm not a fan of The Bachelorette/Bachelor AT ALL so was very wary this wouldn't be for me. However, I was wrong! The setting was so fun and addictive. I found the reality TV bits to be interesting and I feel like it brought something so unique to the story.
This was my first Julie Murphy book and God, she writes fat rep SO WELL. I felt so seen in her writing: and it was so refreshing how our main character Cindy's size was dealt with in this novel. It was so real and nuanced; every interaction that had to do with her weight was handled so expertly. Also, I love how her weight was basically never once mentioned with Henry. Speaking of....I adore him! SO MUCH. Ugh, and when the crew ends up flying to New York for a few episodes of the show? Best part of the whole book. I'm definitely bias since I live here and am also obsessed with Bryant Park, but hands down the best part of the novel.
I feel like this story was just missing so much more depth. It felt very surface level. I felt like things were skimmed over or referenced only once: we didn't spend a lot of time getting to know really anyone but Cindy. And even then, she had some great moments but they could've been even BETTER. The ending was such a let down for me. The big dramatic scene happens at the end, and then there was like one chapter after that, and then The End? So weird. I think our couple deserved more.
Overall, a great summer read. Perfect to read in-between all the non-fiction I've been loving lately. Can't wait to pick up more Julie Murphy in the future!

"If the Shoe Fits encompasses everything I love about rom-coms. I laughed, I swooned, I smiled. Another hit for Julie Murphy!" —Colleen Hoover, #1 New York Times best-selling author of Hopeless If the shoe doesn’t fit, maybe it’s time to design your own. Cindy loves shoes. A well-placed bow or a chic stacked heel is her form of self-expression. As a fashion-obsessed plus-size woman, she can never find designer clothes that work on her body, but a special pair of shoes always fits just right. With a shiny new design degree but no job in sight, Cindy moves back in with her stepmother, Erica Tremaine, the executive producer of the world’s biggest dating reality show. When a contestant on Before Midnight bows out at the last minute, Cindy is thrust into the spotlight. Showcasing her killer shoe collection on network TV seems like a great way to jump-start her career. And, while she’s at it, why not go on a few lavish dates with an eligible suitor? But being the first and only fat contestant on Before Midnight turns her into a viral sensation—and a body-positivity icon—overnight. Even harder to believe? She can actually see herself falling for this Prince Charming. To make it to the end, despite the fans, the haters, and a house full of fellow contestants she’s not sure she can trust, Cindy will have to take a leap of faith and hope her heels— and her heart—don’t break in the process. Best-selling author Julie Murphy’s reimagining of a beloved fairy tale is an enchanting story of self-love and believing in the happy ending each and every one of us deserves.

A Meant to be Novel

Arianna

this book was too cute, very much enjoyed it

Kenzi Linton

This was another book that my best friend recommended to me and let me borrow. I’m glad she did! I love how this book was cute and romantic, funny and sweet, but it also had some drama, some hurt and heartache. I think that makes the best kind of book because there is no such thing as constant happiness. I highly recommend everybody give this book a chance. It’s a great read, a great way to put a smile on your face and it allows you to laugh. There are some sad moments too, with the mentions of Cindy’s parents, but I think that adds to the beauty of it.

Michaella 

This was such a cute and clever Cinderella retelling with a unique and modern twist

Kristen Claiborn

My 2021 reading list consisted almost exclusively of celebrity book club picks and the Book of the Month Club selections (many of which end up on those same celebrity book club picks), so I’m not entirely sure how this one ended up on my radar. Truly, I have no idea. I didn’t know anything about this book before I started reading it, so it wasn’t even the knowledge that the author is doing an entire series on reimagined Disney princess stories (which, stereotypically, I adore). I’m baffled as to how I ended up reading this, but I’m certainly glad I did. 
	In what is a subtle retelling of Cinderella mixed with The Bachelor, I found myself intrigued and all aflutter with Cindy and her story. Cindy’s stepmother and stepsisters, aren’t the typical Cinderella portrayal, and I loved that. Cindy’s stepmom is strong, powerful, fierce, and quite loving towards all of her own children and Cindy, treating Cindy like she is her own daughter. Cindy’s stepsisters, while coming across as slightly self-absorbed and vapid, are intensely supportive and protective of Cindy, while both pursuing lucrative social media careers (definitely not vapid women). While this is at it’s core a romance, thus the end result is the girl gets her guy, it’s also a lesson in the sheer strength of women and how women should be supporting each other (instead of the tired narrative of tearing each other down, although that does creep in too). I cheered on Cindy for her bravery in putting herself out there as a prominent full-figured woman in a twiggy environment. Julie Murphy made it a point to showcase how difficult it is for plus-sized women to find designer clothes, or anything that doesn’t resemble a mu-mu. I hadn’t even considered before that shoes are the only thing that aren’t AS size-dependent. I mean, even skinny girls can have big feet. 
	This book has all of the requirements of a good romance too: The meet-cute, the early flirtations, the trials and tribulations of a budding romance (in the public eye!), the inevitable “I’m leaving this situation because I’m not right for him/her and I don’t want to hold him/her back,” and the final happy ending. All of this fits right in with the tale of the unlikely heroine. I thoroughly enjoyed this book.

Steph Lodico

I really adored this light, positive read. It makes me really happy to read about characters that have worked to have healthy relationships with people in their lives including themselves (e.g., Cindy has already worked through a lot of internalized fatphobia and the story presents her navigating the world beautifully without the story becoming other people’s fatphobia). It was a quick read that, yes, is perfect for Bachelor fans who want a happier story, but I did feel a bit like the characters/story were betrayed for the sake of the climax/final conflict which made the read a little bit unsatisfying for me.

brooke lynn

LOVED the representation. I was taken aback but in a good way??? it was refreshing to hear descriptions of people that were not fit and white. The spin on cinderella with the added bachelor take was super cute and the acknowledgement of the misogyny was an added touch!!!!

this was super cute!! really great plus size representation, cinderella retelling, in a bachelor nation-esque universe!

Lindsey Davis Blanchard 

Margaret McFarlane

This was very sweet and cute. Cinderella has never been my favorite fairytale but Julie Murphy managed to adapt it for reality TV which IS my favorite. So this is a big W in my book. Even though If The Shoe Fits is a romance and a fairytale (two genres that I think are fairly predictable), Murphy still managed to surprise me, and I love her all the more for it.

This was so freaking amazing and this has to have a movie deal or else I will just die!!!!

I loved every single aspect of this book and I could not put it down! Since this was a Cinderella-retelling, I was prepared to hate Erica and Anna and Drew but guess what? I love them so much! 

The chemistry that Henry and Cindy have both on and off camera is just so wonderful and I adore it so much! First the airport meet cute then all those sweet moments on the show? My heart can’t handle it.

Heartbroken when I found out about the deal with Sara Claire. But, what can I say? Do I really expect nothing to turn up in the last 100 pages? 

Also Henry disappearing from the show because he knows that he was meant to be for Cindy and basically turning up when he needs her the most. My heart is dead, deceased. Also the part where he tries on the shoe that Cindy designed (basically a reverse Cinderella type). I just loved this so much and would VERY HIGHLY recommend to everyone!

This was so freaking amazing and this has to have a movie deal or else I will just die!!!!

I loved every single aspect of this book and I could not put it down! Since this was a Cinderella-retelling, I was prepared to hate Erica and Anna and Drew but guess what? I love them so much! 

The chemistry that Henry and Cindy have both on and off camera is just so wonderful and I adore it so much! First the airport meet cute then all those sweet moments on the show? My heart can’t handle it.

Heartbroken when I found out about the deal with Sara Claire. But, what can I say? Do I really expect nothing to turn up in the last 100 pages? 

Also Henry disappearing from the show because he knows that he was meant to be for Cindy and basically turning up when he needs her the most. My heart is dead, deceased. Also the part where he tries on the shoe that Cindy designed (basically a reverse Cinderella type). I just loved this so much and would VERY HIGHLY recommend to everyone!

Sophia Rabon

so much representation. so freaking good. and i love the whole bachelor inspired trope more than i thought i would! just the cutest!!!

wildemononoke

hannah :)

i really didn't know know to expect when i first started this book, but oh my god it was so good!

as the perfect combination of The Selection, Cinderella and modern society, If The Shoe Fits left me in goosebumps and i just didn't want to put the book down!!

the way he story Cinderella was twisted and adapted in this book was beautiful and heartwarming and the plot reminded me so much of The Selection by Keira Cass, which is a series a do love. it was the perfect novel that not only had a beautiful plot and such amazing characters, but is also a book that shows that plus size women are beautiful and can find love, something that is not show enough in society!!

anyways, this is a book i love and if your a sucker for slow burn, cutesy romances, with a fairytale twist, it is definitely for you!!

Megan BV

Quick and sweet read. A fun take on the original story. Endearing characters and an entertaining storyline 

Taylor Crampton

It was cute! I liked the way this author wrote the plus sized character’s feelings - it was so raw, real, and accurate, and it was so refreshing to have such a fresh perspective. The love story was cute, but didn’t wow me, and the ending was a little bit abrupt.

Courtney Baker

Charming modern-day retelling of Cinderella. Very niche pop culture references that I absolutely adored throughout the story. A perfect afternoon romcom!

Katarina Preamble

So stinking cute! Great audio book. Feel good story. Fun twist on a common idea

Julia Seiser

Cute book overall and very much a great way to write a cinderella story. But as with the other cinderella stories they really felt 2D and lacked a lot of chemistry that one looks for in love stories.

Bailey Sawka

How cute and charming! I love that there was some representation! Now if only The Bachelor or Bachelorette could follow suit. I loved this it was absolutely adorable!

Sammie Piotrowski

This book was exactly the lighthearted romance read I needed. It was a great twist on the classic Cinderella and I wanted nothing more than to actually watch Before Midnight for myself. 

Although I am not quite a plus-sized girl, I am bigger than many of the girls around me and I relate to Cindy so much. Especially when it comes to seeing my body type represented on television, it felt nice to imagine seeing someone who wasn’t the size of my left thigh (although there is nothing wrong with being that size) on a show about finding love, even if it is fiction. Cindy was such a strong protagonist, between being a badass designer, funny, handling her grief like a pro, or just the fact that she put herself in the position to be the first fat contestant in a sea of thinner girls.

The only complaint I have about this book is I wish there was more of it! The few romance scenes we do get without all of the cameras around are golden, but they are so few and far between that it leaves the romance feeling lackluster. The ending felt a little bit rushed and like “Oh yeah we do love each other. Sorry! xoxo.” I loved the premise of a bachelor-like format, but I feel that it almost took up too much of the book and left little room for the actual romance to unfold.

Overall though, this book was beautiful and I cannot wait to see what Murphy writes next.

Sarah Williams

I normally love romances set on bachelor-esque shows and was so into the premise but this book just fell flat on a whole number of levels for me. I enjoyed the beginning well enough, and it was easy enough to read, but this story felt dissatisfying and left me wanting a lot more in the end.

Henry was great at moments but honestly, he was so aloof and hard to read at others. And I get that that’s the whole premise of the show—he’s dating multiple women—but for a while, it felt like we were supposed to be satisfied with Cindy accepting scraps of his attention, to be satisfied with watching her pine over a guy that, if I didn’t know it would for sure end in a HEA, I wouldn’t have been sure was the best match for her.

Still, like I said, it was entertaining enough such that I kept going and was curious to see where the story went, even if I didn’t end up being that happy with it.

Most books I read in one sitting will probably be 5 stars. This is no exception. I enjoyed reading this book so much and my only issue going away from it was wanting more!
Cindy is a plus sized fashion designer looking for her big break while dealing with creative blocks after the deaths of both her parents. She hopes this Bacheloresque tv will give her that break and a chance to show the world her designs, but she doesn't plan to actually fall in love. Then enters a sweet and charming princely figure, Henry who changes everything. 
This is a loose fairytale retelling of Cinderella, and I really loved the changes made to the classic story line. Cindy is actually close with her stepmom and step sisters, I loved their relationship. Henry first met Cindy on a redeye flight, so their first time meeting was not Cindy all dolled up. 
The characters in this book were all a lot of fun, I loved Cindy's spunk and daringness to be herself. She never felt the need to be anyone but herself which I really loved for this story. Henry was super sweet yet also doing what he had to for his family and work life, I loved his depth and his and Cindy's chats. 
I think this book was the perfect blend of predictable yet kept me on my toes. Of course there is a HEA and some plot points follow along with the Cinderella fairytale, but other things really kept me wondering and surprised. 
Recommended for anyone looking for an upbeat fairytale retelling with a sweet and steamy romance that feels like watching an addicting TV show.

Summer Cashmore

Rating - 4/5 ⭐️

I received an advanced copy of this book and I loved every moment of it!

The book is a retelling of the classic Cinderella story and features a strong female lead. Even better, she is a plus-sized woman who is strong and driven and instantly loveable. 

The story follows Cindy, a designer with a serious shoe obsession who leaves New York to return to her family in California. Soon after arriving, she agrees to be a contestant on her step-mother’s reality dating show, Before Midnight (which is basically the Bachelor). While she initially agreed to do to the show for exposure and a chance to break into the design world, Cindy finds herself falling for her Prince Charming. 

At first glance, this book is yet another chick-lit novel, but it is so much more than just another fluff book. Don’t get me wrong, it is chocked full of romance and is a light and enjoyable read, but it is also smart and funny and, speaking as a plus-size woman, it is one of the few books of this genre to which I can relate. 

I read this book in one sitting and loved every moment of it. This book is book #1 in the author’s Meant to Be series and I can’t wait for the next book to be released!

Thank you @netgalley for letting me read an arc of If the Shoe Fits by Julie Murphy. This book is scheduled to be released on August 3 2021 and I would absolutely recommend this book. Mark your calendars! 👍📚

Tatiana

I have never watched 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘉𝘢𝘤𝘩𝘦𝘭𝘰𝘳 or other similar reality shows, and I don’t think I have ever read a book taking place in such a setting. So, I didn’t know that I would not enjoy such 𝘴𝘦𝘵𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨. 

I probably should have known considering I don’t like the love triangle trope. I get very easily jealous and possessive, so reading about a woman falling in love with a man who is also supposed to be dating a whole soccer team, is not a love story that I can take pleasure in.

However, I do give this book 3⭐️ because it is a cute love story. Cindy and Henry do feel like they have a real connection. I also loved the body positivity message and the efforts to make this book inclusive in terms of LGBTQIA+ characters. But the best surprise was that, despite being a Cinderella retelling, Julie Murphy chose to write a loving step-family. It was a breath of fresh air. It was one of the things that irked me the most in this fairytale retelling.

This book did not resonate with me as much as I hoped it would, but it is purely based on personal preferences.

If the Shoe Fits

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