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sugardustedbooks's review against another edition
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
tense
4.0
If the Shoe Fits is an adult modern retelling of Cinderalla a la a bacheloresque reality show. This is the first book I have read by Julie Murphy and I could not put it down. I got up Sunday morning thinking I would take a couple days giving it a read. Jokes on me…I ignored most of my responsibilities and finished it that day.
What I Loved:
- Cindy! I absolutely loved getting to know Cindy. She was funny, confident, and kind. I loved seeing her work through her feelings and fight for the things that were important to her.
- The meet cute: I don’t know if it would be considered a spoiler to say more so I will leave it at that.
- Plus size representation: Cindy is a plus size character and although the book description does talk about her turning into a body positivity icon on the show, that is such a small piece of her story. The book does not place all of its focus here, which I appreciate. Instead it has a good balance of acknowledging the lack of body diversity in mainstream media and the everyday interactions that cause frustration and hurt without making it the only storyline.
- The various themes that Julie was able to incorporate into the story. Obviously the romance (a little slow for me which I will mention below) but there is also this processing of grief after lots of loss, the discovery of self and passion after feeling stuck, and of family and friendship.
- The spin on the cinderella story. I loved the take on her being a shoe designer and now I really want to go shoe shopping. The family dynamics were also refreshing, especially if you are not a fan of the whole evil stepfamily thing. They are not the villains of this story. The conflict is a little more complicated than that. Speaking of conflict, I had a case of the “calm, down everything is going to work out. There will be an HEA” yet I still wanted to shed some tears at its peak. The whole dating show premise and the tailoring that happens to “reality” tv made this a stressful read. Honestly, I was stress reading through the last half, putting it down was not an option for me.
- I appreciated the balance of funny, cute, dramatic, and sweet. I laughed so much while reading this. Laughed, laughed. Full on cackle a few times. Cindy, her sisters, and most of the woman you meet through the dating show are wonderful.
What was missing for me:
- The page time with both Cindy and Henry. There is a meet cute at the start but then a very slow build up. A large chunk of the book is all Cindy and her interacting with her family, the crew, the other woman, and not Henry. We eventually start getting little bread crumbs (I'm not very patient when I read but it was worth it) and with each interactions they do get longer. Julie gave me enough to build anticipation and tide me over but I wanted more. It allowed me to really get to know Cindy but I didn’t get to know enough about Henry and he felt a little boring. I liked Henry okay but really didn’t get the chance to love him. I’m always hoping for a dual POV. Not knowing what both characters are thinking/feeling kind of stresses me out. In this case I understand the choice to keep it just from Cindy’s POV and I wanted Cindy to get everything she desired.
- I needed more to that ending! I have mixed feelings. It had some pieces that were truly great and it also felt rushed and underwhelming.
Thank you Netgalley and Disney-Hyperion for a copy in exchange for an honest review. I will definitely be continuing on with this series.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Body shaming, Death of parent, and Grief
melaniereadsbooks's review against another edition
inspiring
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Thank you to Disney Hyperion and Netgalley for an arc of this book.
Cindy is floundering after graduating college, feeling uninspired to continue her work in shoe design or really do anything after the burnout of losing her dad. But when she gets a chance to go on her stepmom's reality tv show, Before Midnight, she takes it! It seems like the perfect opportunity to get her name out there in the world of design, and of course she would never really fall in love...
This book, ya'll! I loved it. I read this whole thing in one sitting and stayed up most of the night doing it. I loved Cindy! Honestly, this is the perfect Fat MC for me: confident about her body, knows what she wants, but is also aware of how other people see her and goes through some self-doubt at times. That is realistic fat rep and I LOVE it!
The other characters in this also made it so great! I loved the friends that Cindy made during the show, as well as her stepsisters. Can I just say that I'm absolutely in love with the idea of a Cinderella retelling where Cinderella is loved and gets along with her step-family after her father's passing! No wicked stepmother for this book! And I loved that support system for her. Henry was also a great love interest and I really enjoyed everything that happened!
My one complaint is that I thought the ending scenes felt a little rushed and I wish they had spent more time on the reconciliation.
Beautiful book!
Pub Date: August 3, 2021
Cindy is floundering after graduating college, feeling uninspired to continue her work in shoe design or really do anything after the burnout of losing her dad. But when she gets a chance to go on her stepmom's reality tv show, Before Midnight, she takes it! It seems like the perfect opportunity to get her name out there in the world of design, and of course she would never really fall in love...
This book, ya'll! I loved it. I read this whole thing in one sitting and stayed up most of the night doing it. I loved Cindy! Honestly, this is the perfect Fat MC for me: confident about her body, knows what she wants, but is also aware of how other people see her and goes through some self-doubt at times. That is realistic fat rep and I LOVE it!
The other characters in this also made it so great! I loved the friends that Cindy made during the show, as well as her stepsisters. Can I just say that I'm absolutely in love with the idea of a Cinderella retelling where Cinderella is loved and gets along with her step-family after her father's passing! No wicked stepmother for this book! And I loved that support system for her. Henry was also a great love interest and I really enjoyed everything that happened!
My one complaint is that I thought the ending scenes felt a little rushed and I wish they had spent more time on the reconciliation.
Beautiful book!
Pub Date: August 3, 2021
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief and Death of parent
Moderate: Sexual content and Fatphobia
allisonwonderlandreads's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
I was charmed by this one from "Once Upon a Time." Our story follows Cindy, a shoe designer in a creative rut, and let me tell you that her profession speaks directly to my shoe-hoarding soul. This twist on Cinderella involves complex family dynamics, including the weight of Cindy's grief for both of her parents, but the stepmother and stepsisters certainly aren't evil. That was a new approach that I took to immediately. There's also a trio of preschool half-siblings (Gus, Mary, and Jack 😉) out to wreak havoc with childlike wonder and general shrieking, hugging, etc. Our Cinderella is fat and fabulous, and she's headed for reality TV à la The Bachelor, seeking the exposure to get her first shoe line off the ground. In terms of romance we have a meet cute gone wrong (or right?) when Cindy's charming airplane seat neighbor turns out to be the Suitor on the show-- Henry's the guy who's about to date Cindy and twenty other women on TV.
Ohmygod this book was so sweet. First, of my several attempts to read a book that brings the joys of reality TV to the page, this is the first to completely nail it. I loved the drama, the behind-the-scenes, and the human elements swept up in TV manipulation. In terms of a retelling, Cindy is a kind and caring Cinderella. I loved that her conflict came from her internal struggle with grief and the external machinations of TV producers, not going toe-to-toe with an evil stepfamily. I also think the way the story champions fat women is heart-warming and badass, especially for calling out inequity in fashion and the passive-aggressive cruelty of women. I hope romance as a genre continues to give opportunities for these voices to be heard and these characters to shine. It shouldn't even be something that requires discussion, but we need more and better representation like this one. Finally, I loved that the romance was adorable and not trying to do it all. It's not about wedding bells or 2.5 kids at the end, just two people taking a chance on each other and choosing joy together. Heart eyes all around.
This fabulous reimagining of a Disney classic kicks off a new series, and I CANNOT WAIT to see where it heads next. This was a perfect read to close out my summer. You can find it on shelves 8/3. Thanks to Disney and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review an advanced copy.
Ohmygod this book was so sweet. First, of my several attempts to read a book that brings the joys of reality TV to the page, this is the first to completely nail it. I loved the drama, the behind-the-scenes, and the human elements swept up in TV manipulation. In terms of a retelling, Cindy is a kind and caring Cinderella. I loved that her conflict came from her internal struggle with grief and the external machinations of TV producers, not going toe-to-toe with an evil stepfamily. I also think the way the story champions fat women is heart-warming and badass, especially for calling out inequity in fashion and the passive-aggressive cruelty of women. I hope romance as a genre continues to give opportunities for these voices to be heard and these characters to shine. It shouldn't even be something that requires discussion, but we need more and better representation like this one. Finally, I loved that the romance was adorable and not trying to do it all. It's not about wedding bells or 2.5 kids at the end, just two people taking a chance on each other and choosing joy together. Heart eyes all around.
This fabulous reimagining of a Disney classic kicks off a new series, and I CANNOT WAIT to see where it heads next. This was a perfect read to close out my summer. You can find it on shelves 8/3. Thanks to Disney and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review an advanced copy.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body shaming, Death of parent, Fatphobia, and Grief
Minor: Car accident, Infertility, Miscarriage, and Terminal illness
skudiklier's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.75
I loved this book! I haven't read a contemporary romance in a while, and I was honestly a little hesitant, as I've been tired of the YA ones I used to read a lot. But I genuinely couldn't put this book down. I started and finished it in the same day (and may have ignored some responsibilities in the process...). I had my ups and downs with how I felt about it, but overall the story kept me guessing and I was really happy with it.
As someone who doesn't watch reality TV or shows like The Bachelor, I wasn't sure how I'd feel about that part of the romance. But the book keeps it very real in terms of how much is fake and how much Cindy is surprised by, etc. I also loved all the representation in terms of queer, gender non-conforming, and characters of color. It felt intentional without feeling forced, and definitely added to the story.
Other aspects I loved, in no particular order: the way the book treats Cindy's fatness, the good but realistic relationships Cindy has with her step-family, the way the "why didn't they just say how they felt" moments had realistic explanations that kept me from feeling too frustrated at the characters. And the little Cinderella nods and details were very clear without being too on-the-nose.
I'm really grateful I had the chance to read this book! I want to read more of Julie Murphy's work (and maybe some more romance novels) as soon as i can.
*Thank you to NetGalley and Disney-Hyperion for the chance to review this ARC.*
As someone who doesn't watch reality TV or shows like The Bachelor, I wasn't sure how I'd feel about that part of the romance. But the book keeps it very real in terms of how much is fake and how much Cindy is surprised by, etc. I also loved all the representation in terms of queer, gender non-conforming, and characters of color. It felt intentional without feeling forced, and definitely added to the story.
Other aspects I loved, in no particular order: the way the book treats Cindy's fatness, the good but realistic relationships Cindy has with her step-family, the way the "why didn't they just say how they felt" moments had realistic explanations that kept me from feeling too frustrated at the characters. And the little Cinderella nods and details were very clear without being too on-the-nose.
I'm really grateful I had the chance to read this book! I want to read more of Julie Murphy's work (and maybe some more romance novels) as soon as i can.
*Thank you to NetGalley and Disney-Hyperion for the chance to review this ARC.*
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Death of parent, and Grief
Moderate: Fatphobia
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