If the Shoe Fits by Julie Murphy

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Title: If the Shoe Fits
Author: Julie Murphy
Series: Meant to Be #1
Published by: Disney Hyperion
Release Date: August 3, 2021
Format: ebook
Pages: 305
Genres: Contemporary, Romance, Fairy Tale Retelling
Source: Overdrive
Reading Challenges: Lenoreo's 2023 COYER Chapter 1
Find it: Goodreads ✩ Amazon ✩ B&N ✩ Google ✩ Kobo ✩ iBooks ✩ IndieBound ✩ Book Depository
My rating:

Blurb:

After having just graduated with a degree in shoe design, and trying to get her feet on the ground, Cindy is working for her stepmother, who happens to be the executive producer of America's favorite reality show, Before Midnight. When a spot on the show needs filling ASAP, Cindy volunteers, hoping it might help jump-start her fashion career, or at least give her something to do while her peers land jobs in the world of high fashion.

Turns out being the only plus size woman on a reality dating competition makes a splash, and soon Cindy becomes a body positivity icon for women everywhere. What she doesn't expect? That she may just find inspiration—and love—in the process. Ultimately, Cindy learns that if the shoe doesn't fit, maybe it's time to design your own.

My Review:

4.5 stars — This book surprised me in the best possible ways, and I made the mistake of starting it before bed, which consequently had me up until almost 2am reading.  A previous Lenore wouldn’t have been able to put it down even then, but I’m getting old people…

I thought I knew what I would get from this book just by the nature of it being a Cinderella retelling.  But Ms. Murphy took the best things, and rearranged some of my least favourite parts.  I didn’t get an evil step mother and step sisters, I got a confusing relationship with grief, for sure, and definitely differences, but ultimately still backed by love.  I cannot tell you how absolutely that delighted me.  The relationships worked for who each of them were.  It felt realistic and believable and filled me with hope.

Even on the show, I was expecting a whole bunch of cliché mean girls, but we really only got one…and while she was mostly just not a great person, it didn’t feel too over the top or without some nuance.  For the rest, we got girls with a lot of differences, and definitely some conflicts, but it all felt a bit more real.  And not without a helping of the agitation from the producers.

And then we have Cindy.  Cindy was kind of delightful, and very complicated.  She had a kind heart, but was not without her own flaws or complicated emotions.  She was dealing with the heavy burden of grief, and I loved the observations she made as she continued to work through it.  And while she was a plus size woman fairly comfortable in her own skin, we still saw the very real realities that plus size folks face navigating the world.  It was refreshingly real without being all about her weight.

And while Henry didn’t have the smoothest ride, he won me over in small ways and large ways.  While we never get his POV, I could tell that he was dealing with his own scars from a childhood of unintentional neglect, something probably way more common than deliberate neglect, and still harmful.  I loved that while Cindy described him as handsome, we didn’t get hung up on how he looked, so we were able to fall in love with him just for who he was.  (I confess I’m a bit jaded about romance heroes right now, so this was refreshing as well)

And they were so cute together!  I loved their banter, their flirting, their moments of realness and connection.  I loved that they questioned, and worried, but were still drawn to one another and wanted it.  It felt both real and fairytale.

I was worried about the conflict/climax, and it was hard, but I appreciated the way it all played out.

Basically, I really needed this book, and I was so glad it bowled me over.