Series: Meant to Be, Book 1
Publisher: Hyperion Avenue
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Release Date: August 3, 2021
Source: Publisher
Buy it here: Amazon | B&N | Kobo | Audible
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.
Cinderella meets The Bachelor in If the Shoe Fits. Julie Murphy’s first Meant to Be story is a heartwarming, fun, modern-day fairytale.
Cindy has recently graduated from Parsons but all the emotions she bottled up after the death of her father are coming to the surface and she’s still struggling with moving forward in life. With no job prospects in sight, Cindy moves back to LA and the home of her stepmother, Erica Tremaine. Erica is the executive producer of Before Midnight, a Bachelor-style reality dating program. When a couple of contestants drop out, Cindy and her stepsisters are pulled in as replacements. What better way for the shoe-obsessed Cindy to jumpstart her career than to have her designs on national television? The one thing Cindy doesn’t count on is falling for Henry, the handsome suitor who is a perfectly imperfect Prince Charming.
I adored Cindy from the start. She’s fat, she owns it, and she loves her body as-is. She strikes a chord with the Before Midnight audience because she loves herself and has an eye for fashion, even though the fashion industry itself is sizeist as can be. Cindy is the kind of heroine you can root for and though she’s at a crossroads in her life in this book I liked seeing her find her way and claim her future. Along the way she makes friends with many of the her fellow contestants and they’re all interesting characters in their own right. I don’t love the concept of a dating show backdrop but Murphy made it work. There are also plenty of fun Cinderella nods from characters to the iconic fashion moments, although I was glad to see the wicked stepmother and ugly stepsisters trope was ditched for complicated but still loving relationships that are far more appealing.
Cindy’s relationship with herself is at the heart of If the Shoe Fits but that doesn’t mean Murphy skimps on the romance. Henry is charming and I enjoyed unwrapping his character over the course of the story. Henry is also struggling a bit at the start of this book – a reality show isn’t something he would normally have signed himself up for – and I enjoyed as the layers of his character are revealed. I had some questions about him and his future by the end of the book, but even with those I was still satisfied by the more modern ending to this fairytale Murphy crafted. If the Shoe Fits is a delight from beginning to end. Murphy’s take on Cinderella is inclusive, positive, and completely charming.
FTC Disclosure: I received this book for free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
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