Review: "Charlie Glass's Slippers" by Holly McQueen

When Charlie Glass's father dies after a long illness, society is expecting that his shoe empire will be taken over by his two glamorous daughters and his ex-wife, who have been running the show for quite some time already. What they are not expecting is that Elroy Glass will shock everyone and leave his empire to his third daughter, the plump and motherless Charlie (short for Charlotte) who has a huge heart but no fashion sense.

Charlie finds herself thrust into an unfamiliar life that is uncomfortable for her like a shoe that doesn't fit, but she does her best to fit in. She decides to attend a weight loss boot camp so that she fits the image expected of someone running the Glass shoe empire, and returns home with a new look and a new attitude. Suddenly Charlie is fashion forward and glamorous and she has the Prince Charming by her side to boot. But will this be enough for Charlie or will she find out that the glass slipper doesn't fit right after all?

Charlie Glass's Slippers is a charming take on a fairy tale classic. We have the plump and often overlooked Charlie who transforms virtually overnight while her evil stepmother and stepsisters look on in horror. We have a Prince Charming rushing in to claim the hand of the princess and we have the potential for a happy ending. What happens to Charlie in the beginning is what every overweight girl has ever dreamed of. Take off for boot camp and return transformed. Suddenly everyone who has put you down in your life because of your weight will be desperate to befriend you! What I love is that author Holly McQueen didn't stop the story there. Instead our heroine Charlie soon finds that the life of glitz and glamour is not exactly what she pictured it to be. Although she does well in her new role, she begins to realize that being thin is not the key to her happiness.

Charlie Glass's Slippers is a fun and modern take on a classic fairy tale that most girls have dreamed of at some point in their lives. Our heroine Charlie is easy to love and relate to. The story is funny and often romantic and it conveys the message that it really isn't the outside that counts, but it is the fantastic things that we find within ourselves that really matter. My thanks to Atria Books and Netgalley for this review copy!