"You're just so quirky. Like a cute little librarian." She meant it as a diss, but news flash, Addison: Librarians are hot" (If the Shoe Fits by Julie Murphy, p. 115).
Interested in a detailed summary with read-alikes?? Check out my Annotation of this book.
Author: Julie Murphy
Title: If the Shoe Fits
Category/Type: Adult Fiction
Genre: Romance
Subgenre: Contemporary Romance; Romantic Comedy, Fairy Tales
Publication Date: August 3, 2021
Number of Pages: 304
Series (if applicable): This book is part of Disney’s Meant to Be series which reimagines their classic versions of fairy tales as adult Romance novels. Each book in the series is written by a different popular contemporary author and includes a more diverse range of characters than the original fairy tale adaptations (The Hollywood Reporter, 2020).
Content warnings (SLIGHT SPOILER): Grief, death of a loved one (in the past), fat shaming, fat phobia; sex is implied though nothing is described on the page.
Summary: Join Cindy on a wild, crazy, and maybe even romantic ride to become a shoe designer in this creative update to the classic Cinderella fairy tale.
Aspiring shoe designer Cindy’s senior year of college didn’t go exactly as planned because she struggled with the grief of her father’s passing. Rather than immediately searching for jobs, she agrees to be the nanny for her young half-siblings while her famous producer stepmother works on the next season of a popular reality TV dating show. Cindy is sure her creative juices will come back eventually, but after last minute cast cancellations, she throws caution to the wind and joins the reality show as its first plus-size contestant. Cindy is really just there to get noticed for her fashion sense and shoe designs, but when the eligible bachelor turns out to be that charming man who randomly saved her from a rude dude on the plane, she finds that she might be more invested in winning the show than she originally thought.
With vivid, lovable, and diverse characters, Murphy takes readers on a delightful ride through emotions, self-confidence, and the pursuit of love and dreams.
PERSONAL THOUGHTS
WARNING: May contain spoilers
I surprised myself by really enjoying this book. I read through it quickly because I didn’t want to put it down. I hadn’t even known it existed prior to hearing about the second book in the series, By the Book, on Book Riot’s All the Books! podcast. I also had no idea they were Disney creations until I researched the Meant to Be series in more depth. So, bravo Disney for purposely seeking diverse authors to retell your classic fairy tales with diverse characters and perspectives.
With Cindy as an aspiring shoe designer, the modern update clicks into place immediately. Obviously, there’s going to be a lot of talk about the right person for the right shoe, right? A reality TV dating show was a genius way to emulate all the women that tried to woo the prince in the original tale. Cindy's somewhat sarcastic, but rarely pessimistic, inner monologue is enough to hook readers and keep them coming back for more. I appreciated that Julie Murphy sidestepped the evil stepmother and stepsisters element from the original tale. It really has been overdone and there are more important issues to tackle, like fat representation. I'm glad the attention was focused on this current and pressing issue instead of something we've seen depicted a million times before. Also, not having a toxic family relationship set Cindy up to the be kind of character that needed to find herself and could better herself but didn't need to be fixed by anyone, especially her love interest; she had a solid sense of self-worth, even if she doubted it from time to time. I also appreciated that Murphy chose to represent Cindy as someone that didn't need the relationship or romance but could put herself and her own happiness first; yet Murphy still met the Romance agreement and the love does fall into place, it's just on more personal terms instead of the romance trumping everything. The story felt more realistic this way.
I'm enjoying this new wave of fairytale retellings and the way that the Romance genre is being expanded. I will be purchasing this book for myself and getting the next book in the series.
Under the dust jacket: I love the color pallete for the hardcover library edition that I borrowed. It has the traditional Cinderella fairy tale colors: blue and pink, but they're offset by yellow title text and yellow endsheets (mimicking Cinderella’s usual blond hair). The chosen color palette ties the physical book and the story neatly into the visuals of Disney’s animated version of the fairy tale while giving readers a visual cue that there are going to be new elements inside the book.
Final resting place: The copy I read was a library book and has been returned. However, I enjoyed this one so much that I will be purchasing a copy for myself in the near future.
Image of the yellow end sheets on the hardcover edition of If the Shoe Fits
Image of the pink cover under the dust jacket of If the Shoe Fits
WHAT I’M READING NOW
My annotations and reviews are always running a bit (or more) behind what I’m actually reading so here’s a little bit of a teaser, if you will, for reviews to come.
Book of Night by Holly Black
Citations
McMillan, G. (2020, October 6). ‘Cinderella’ Reimagining ‘If The Shoe Fits’ to Launch Disney Publishing Line. The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved June 2, 2022, from https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/if-the-shoe-fits-launches-disney-publishing-line-4071502/#!