May 24, 2021
A recent design school grad finds love on a dating show in this inventive Cinderella retelling, the adult debut from bestselling YA author Murphy (Dumplin’). Murphy cleverly blends the conventions of fairy tales and reality TV to create an incisive commentary on both. Aspiring shoe designer Cindy Woods makes a nuanced plus-size Cinderella—savvy, confident, and well-loved, but vulnerable and still grieving her father’s death. Her worthy Prince Charming is Henry Mackenzie, the scion of a once-hot, now failing fashion empire, who hopes starring in Before Midnight will resuscitate his mother’s floundering brand. Cindy lands her part in the contestant pool through stepmother Erica, a driven TV exec. Refreshingly, she and Cindy’s stepsisters are just image-conscious, not evil, showcasing a supportive blended family dynamic. Though Before Midnight’s selection ceremony features scrolls instead of roses, the show faithfully mimics the essential elements of The Bachelor formula, with two dozen women vying for a single suitor’s attention, glamorous settings, and story manipulations on the part of the producers. The drawback is that these rituals take substantial time away from the central relationship. Those in it purely for the love story may be frustrated by the distractions, but readers interested in a smart exploration of the intersection of romance and reality TV will be overjoyed. Agent: John Cusick, Folio Literary.

July 1, 2021

Recent design-school grad Cindy Woods flies home to act as a nanny for her three younger half-siblings, at least until she figures out how to land a job in shoe design. When Cindy gets a chance to compete on Before Midnight (the reality dating show produced by her stepmother), she can't turn down the opportunity to get her shoe designs on TV. As far as competing for the hand of bachelor Henry, she expects to last only a few episodes. She doesn't expect that Henry will turn out to be the same cutie she just saw on the plane. She also doesn't expect to like him so much. At some point, the relationship born of this totally fake reality show starts to feel real, but a happily-ever-after finale episode might not be in the cards. Murphy's (Dumplin') adult debut is a binge-worthy modern take on Cinderella. Readers will love Cindy and Henry's back-and-forth banter; when the duo find ruses to sneak away for some time alone with each other, hearts will melt. VERDICT Murphy's signature wit and style shine through, and libraries will do well to purchase this fantastic contemporary romance.--Amanda Toth, Lane Lib., Hamilton, OH

Copyright 2021 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

May 15, 2021
Cinderella meets The Bachelor in the adult debut of Murphy, author of the enormously popular YA Dumplin' series. Cindy, a shoe-obsessed recent design school graduate without any sure career prospects in New York returns to L.A. and her stepfamily to figure things out. Her stepmother is the executive producer of the relationship reality show Before Midnight, and when contestant spots open up at the last minute, Cindy and her stepsisters jump in. For Cindy, this is a chance to showcase her designs and get name recognition. When she starts receiving press for being the first plus-size woman on the show and begins to fall for Henry, the suitor whose attention the contestants are all vying for, this entire undertaking becomes a lot more important and life-altering than Cindy expected. In Murphy's breezy and fun rom-com, there's enough of Cinderella in the story to be charming, yet overall it sparkles like an exciting new tale. One particularly refreshing update is that the stepfamily is caring and supportive, not evil. Cindy is immensely lovable, and readers will root for all her dreams to come true.HIGH-DEMAND BACKSTORY: Murphy brings the wit, sensitivity, and imagination that has made her a YA star to the start of her adult romance Meant to Be series, ensuring a whole new level of excitement.

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August 1, 2021

In this charming and modern retelling of Cinderella, Murphy hits the mark again with a body-positive novel that makes everyone feel included (shout-out to correct nonbinary pronoun usage). The book is filled to the brim with one-liners that will make teens and adults alike laugh out loud (or at least grunt in appreciation). Readers will almost immediately feel like they are friends with Cindy, the orphaned-recent-fashion-school-grad-turned-reality-TV-star and share a mutual hatred for the mean girl, Addison. In classic reality TV dating show fashion, there are tons of side-eye glances and catty situations that mostly make the suitor, Henry, shine even brighter. The lens of fashion as art gives the book a broader reader audience. An atypical family dynamic, with a widowed stepmom, stepsisters, and half-sibling triplets, may seem complicated, but seamlessly comes together, pun intended. VERDICT With a lot more depth than a typical love story, from fashion references to art and questions about fate, this novel can be added to the shelves of high school and public libraries with fans of Murphy's Dumplin', reality TV, or fashion.-Samantha Hull, Ephrata H.S., PA

Copyright 2021 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.