It’s always a pleasant surprise when a book that you though wouldn’t exactly be your cup of tea turns out to be very enjoyable. If the Shoe Fits featured many elements I normally detest, yet as the last page was turned, I found myself smiling and giving that small sigh of contentment due to finishing a good book.

Upon graduating college, Paris Jackson and two scientist friends, Will and Jody, founded PWJ, Inc. in order to discover new technology for running shoes. Five years later they succeed in making Sfoam, a type of super cushioning system, and now just need to market it to major sneaker manufacturers. Problem is no one’s buying and Paris’s dream is about to go belly-up. Just when they are about to give up, Paris’s ex-husband Greg walks back in the picture with plenty of money to invest in a fledgling business and a hidden agenda that Paris can’t figure out.

Business problems aside, Paris is trying to figure out her relationship with Will. The pair have been engaged in a casual, no strings fling for the past few months and that’s just what Paris wants. He is her best friend who just happens to have occasional sleepovers. When Greg enters the picture, Will gets possessive and that’s not what she wants. Paris’s trust in men and committed relationships was broken when Greg left her after one month of marriage without any type of warning and never speaking to her again. Her fear of anything besides a sexual relationship is understandable.

As if the girl didn’t have enough on her shoulders, her mom starts dating men freshly out of prison while the boss at her day job is gearing up to fire her. That will definitely ruin the sexy daydreams she has about him. And, of course, the new innovative technology that they worked on specifically for sneakers is better suited for high heels. Considering Paris’ lack of fashion sense and aversion to any type of shoe besides the running sort, this is not good news.

Paris Jackson is not your everyday Chick Lit heroine. She may be young, live in a big city, and be lost when it comes to her career and love life, but Paris is so much more than the empty headed women who litter the world of this genre. I didn’t think I was going to like Paris and her cynical view of the world, but Ms. Rowe gives us a good look at what makes Paris tick and her very vulnerability. She has a soft spot within her that harbors hope that love and success will come to her despite her outward jaded appearance.

Another thing that should have bothered me but came off wonderfully was the lack of the characters’ physical descriptions. I’m all for forming your own picture in your mind of what the characters look like, but I like to have a few basic descriptions from the author to work with such as eye color and hair color. Nothing is worse than seeing a blonde in your mind for the first hundred pages and suddenly learning she’s a redhead. Ms. Rowe barely gives us anything and yet I never cared. Not once did I wonder what color eyes Paris has or if Will is a blonde or brunette.

Only a few things kept If the Shoe Fits solidly in the “B” range rather than earning a higher grade. It’s always cringe-worthy to see a really nice guy get walked all over for the better part of a book before finally getting the credit he deserves. The resolution between Paris and her hero is sweet, but it took its good long time getting there. Paris has reasons for acting the way she does. Her past is not pretty and she isn’t as blind to the love standing right before her eyes as many other Chick Lit ladies. Still I would have liked her to speak up a little sooner than later.

I also felt the attraction between Paris and her boss was both unnecessary and forced. He could easily have been a key player without the sexual innuendo. The shocker and resolution between Paris and a certain “friend” also wasn’t very satisfying. I felt Paris was a little too easily to forgive and forget with that one, but that’s me. Some, maybe most, might not see it that way.

I am very impressed with this realistic twist on Chick Lit. For once the characters have real issues and real personality characteristics which stem from those issues. Stephanie Rowe manages to give us realism without giving us dark and gritty. If the Shoe Fits is a fine novel and I happily recommend it.