I don't know why I didn't notice, but to maybe help others out - this is book 3 of the "Ask, Tell" series. This time though, it's Jana (Sabine's sister) who takes the lead. What was an extra perk was the amount of time you still spend with Sabine and Bec, so it really was a great continuation.

Honestly, I liked the first two in this series better but as always, I couldn't put this EJ Noyes book down. She's on e of my favorite author, and she's now one of the most reliable when it comes to "can't put it down" books.

Jana and Brooke were adorable, and it was such a sweet romance. I also feel like Noyes does well with not doing the same formulaic formatting that this genre has. Their relationship really feels like a building romance without unrealistic drama (aka a car crash that brings them back together!). This book in particular delves into the real issue of a first time lesbian relationship, but also the self consciousness that some in the gay community still have themselves about being gay. I loved that she tackled both issues from the two different sides.

Great job and book as usual!

EJ Noyes is a fantastic writer that has the ability to pull her readers into her stories right with those opening scenes. I often find myself hooked on a Noyes novel and turning the pages long into the night. However, I’ve never regretted the sleep I lost due to a late night with an E.J. Noyes book!

If the Shoe Fits is about two people that meet during a mishap of sorts and become fast friends. Their friendship grows quickly and before they know it, they are falling for one another. However, Jana has always identified as straight, and these new feelings for her new friend Brooke, who is a lesbian, are confusing and a bit overwhelming. A straight girl falling for her new best friend and discovering she may not be as straight as she once thought? Yes, this is not an original plot line. However, what makes this book special is the unique approach Noyes takes in developing this story line. She takes care in cultivating the romantic relationship between Jana and Brooke. She works through the awkward parts of Jana’s sexual orientation crisis with humor and honesty. It was not glazed over or rushed. Too often these types of stories are, and it diminishes their credibility. Not so with If the Shoe Fits.

This story is told in first person from Jana’s perspective. Delivering the story in this manner gives relevance and context to the story. It also aids in making it authentic. Telling it in third person would not have given us the insight that is needed to completely understand the emotions and confusion of Jana’s character.

I can’t tell you how pleased I was to see Rebecca and Sabine from Ask, Tell and Ask Me Again. They log some major page time in If the Shoe Fits, and I was so delighted every time they appeared! Their solid presence provides a much needed stability for Jana during her time of emotional turmoil and chaos. Additionally, Sabine, Rebecca and Jana all share a close relationship with one another and I so enjoyed their interactions. Their teasing and general good-natured comrade makes you wish you were a part of their inner circle.

Of the two supporting characters, I particularly enjoyed Jana’s older sister, Sabine. She is caring and supportive, offering Jana wisdom, love and a safe place to sort her thoughts during her confusion. Their bond is deep and laced with much affection and humor.

In addition to Sabine, Jana finds support and guidance from Rebecca, Sabine’s fiancée. Her understated, yet reassuring presence is just so appealing to me. She tends to her family with vigilance and gentle care; it declares love to those who are privy to receive it.

I’ve never been disappointed upon completing a Noyes novel, and this one was no different. If the Shoe Fits is a delightful story. Jana and Brook’s journey was heartfelt and beautifully told. Though it does contain characters from some of Noyes’s previous novels, it can be read as a stand alone. It is well written and entertaining. I wholeheartedly recommend it to any one who enjoys an engaging contemporary romance.

Jana has an amazing job, her sister/best friend living in the same city, and her life is pretty good even though she seems to find something wrong with nearly every single guy she dates. One day she meets Brooke, and after a tense first meeting, the two become fast friends. But Jana soon realizes that maybe her feelings aren't just one of friendship. Can she risk losing one of her closest friends on a chance at a relationship? Won't it just fail like all the rest of them? Will Jana take the chance?

This book was so sweet. I loved everything about it. Brooke and Jana are just adorable, their chemistry was off the charts from the very beginning and their friendship was something special. It was a nice slow burn, the tension was building and building. It was perfect. Brooke and Jana were really interesting characters, I love being surprised by unique hobbies and quirks the authors throw in the mis. How do authors think of such brilliance I don't know. The dialogue is top notch and I definitely had some laugh out loud moments. This was a feel good book, especially after the other two books loosely tied to this one are a little on the heavier side. Gorgeous family moments, beautiful friendship, and a sexy and adorable love story. I couldn't ask for more.

I loved getting a little peek at Sabine and Bec's continuing story. Actually I missed them so much, I went back to re-read Ask, Tell again. So so so good. I also enjoyed exploring Jana and Sabine's relationship as well. EJ Noyes is such a stellar writer, definitely one fo those authors where when a book comes out its an automatic read. The way they write first person is just brilliant. I never feel like I'm missing anything, I can see the whole world in their books, and feel everything. I'm connected and invested in all the characters. I highly recommend this book and I'll definitely be grabbing a paperback copy of this one as soon as I can.

I received an ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

The characters were amazing, and there was never a dull moment. I went in with a lot of expectations and I was not disappointed.

E.J. Noyes just keeps getting better and better with each book that she writes. Her most recent novel, If the Shoe Fits , the third book in the Ask, Tell series is a wonderful example of her increasing brilliance as an author. It is also a fitting conclusion to this series.

If the Shoe Fits tells the story of Jana Fleischer, the younger sister of Sabine, who is one of the main characters in the first two Ask, Tell books. Jana has a great life. She has a wonderful family, a successful job as an attorney, and the best sister and soon to be sister-in-law in the world. Her only problem is she can’t seem to find the right man to marry and settle down with. Her family says she is too picky, and Jana agrees with them, but still can’t find that special someone. That is until she literally crashes into Brooke Donnelly, an architect who works in the same building as Jana. Thus begins what starts out as a friendship, but slowly develops into something very special.

Ms. Noyes is highly talented in creating complex and memorable characters in her stories. I remember meeting Jana in the novel Ask, Tell and thinking that I would love to have a younger sister just like her. In this story we get to see the world through Jana’s eyes. This gives us an even greater insight into her personality; all the quirks and traits that makes her the person that she is. It is also interesting to see how Jana slowly realizes that she is attracted to Brooke when she has believed for so long that she was totally straight. Ms. Noyes makes Jana real to us with every thought and action, just as she did with Sabine and Bec in the first two novels. I especially like how the author created the character of Brooke. Brooke is such a complex woman with personality traits that seem contradictory until you find out about her back story. Both characters are lovable and flawed at the same time. In other words, the author has made them human.

I fell in love with Sabine and Bec in the first two novels in this series, and I fell in love with Jana and Brooke in this book. Sabine and Bec’s story actually continues in this novel as they are important secondary characters here. You can read this novel as a standalone book, but I would encourage you to read the entire series in order if you can. All three books are excellent and well worth reading. These three novels are definitely in my favorites list. In fact they are right up there at the top of that list. I believe they will be in yours as well.

I received an ARC from Bella Books and NetGalley for an honest review.

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I absolutely loved everything about this book! The humor, sarcasm, romance....everything! While the plot of straight girl suddenly becoming bisexual has been done before, it's never been done like this. Jana is truly a one of a kind character and her relationship with her sister and future sister-in-law really enhanced her characterization. Brooke was a much deeper, more complex character and the way the author handled her past was well done. I thought E.J. Noyes had outdone herself with Alone, but this book truly blew me away. I absolutely loved it! Can't recommend it high enough!

I’m such a huge fan of E.J. Noyes and was so looking forward to this book and it did not disappoint.
This book is basically a sequel but stand alone romance to the authors prior books Ask, Tell and Ask Me Again, where we met the amazing characters Sabine and Becs...(little hint though, read the other two books)This story is about Sabine’s baby sister Jana, a hard driven lawyer who is confident in court but relationships, not so much. She has no problem finding dates with men, it’s being too picky and finding everything wrong about them to commit, well until figuratively “running” into Brooke.
This sparks the beginning of a great friendship until Jana realizes what she has been missing was Brooke, and she’s never even kissed a girl before, and that’s not all she’s been thinking about.
Brooke also has had her own issues with relationships that usually has her running away but she hasn’t met anyone like Jana before.
I loved this book and how it ties with two of my favorite all time characters. I almost felt like I got two romances instead of one.
“I received an ARC for an honest review”

This is officially a record, an E.J. Noyes novel that did not make me cry my eyes out! To clarify, this is not a bad thing. I love all her books but the others have twisted the knife right in the feels, whereas this is a gentler but no less enjoyable ride.

While "If the Shoe Fits" is, on the surface about Jana Fleischer and Brooke Donnelly finding each other (after bumping into each other in the ground floor of their office building), it's also a beautiful coda to Sabine and Rebecca's story; if you haven't read [b:Ask, Tell|31374674|Ask, Tell|E.J. Noyes|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1475303757l/31374674._SX50_.jpg|52063970] and [b:Ask Me Again|40125043|Ask Me Again|E.J. Noyes|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1539355088l/40125043._SX50_.jpg|62230425] you should buy and read them right away. I could go on about the many ways I love Sabine but I've already done that in my reviews of those books, and it would be unfair to lovely Jana & Brooke!

Jana is a successful, uber-professional and super organised divorce lawyer, who just happens to have a disaster of a personal life and having an older sister who has found her soul mate isn't helping in that regard. After years of frequent but unsatisfying dates with men, she finds herself experiencing some unsettling sparks of attraction to her new friend Brooke. One aspect of the man-dating that definitely warrants a mention is Sabines top-notch rescue call to Jana mid awful-date. I quote: "The doctor said Titus (the cat) is still stuck in a tree...maybe I should get an industrial vacuum cleaner and suction him to the end of the hose so I can pull him down like that?" Imagine trying to keep a straight face and pretend to a date you have to leave for a family emergency!

Brooke is a talented architect, stuck working as a developer for her father when what she really wants to do is work on her art. Compounding her misery, both of her parents are deeply homophobic, so much so that her mother has cut her out of her life. While she's clearly attracted to Jana from the off, these factors, combined with an abusive ex and and the fact that Jana claims to be straight, mean that Brooke is hesitant to make the first move let alone commit to anything further with Jana.

One aspect of this book I really enjoyed was the way that E.J. Noyes allowed Jana and Brooke to communicate well and resisted the temptation to have them fall prey to the horrific, 'traditional' lesfic 70% through break up for the sake of it nonsense.

Genuinely, I can't imagine why you wouldn't love this book, it's wonderful!

This is officially a record, an E.J. Noyes novel that did not make me cry my eyes out! To clarify, this is not a bad thing. I love all her books but the others have twisted the knife right in the feels, whereas this is a gentler but no less enjoyable ride.

While "If the Shoe Fits" is, on the surface about Jana Fleischer and Brooke Donnelly finding each other (after bumping into each other in the ground floor of their office building), it's also a beautiful coda to Sabine and Rebecca's story; if you haven't read Ask, Tell and Ask Me Again you should buy and read them right away. I could go on about the many ways I love Sabine but I've already done that in my reviews of those books, and it would be unfair to lovely Jana & Brooke!

Jana is a successful, uber-professional and super organised divorce lawyer, who just happens to have a disaster of a personal life and having an older sister who has found her soul mate isn't helping in that regard. After years of frequent but unsatisfying dates with men, she finds herself experiencing some unsettling sparks of attraction to her new friend Brooke. One aspect of the man-dating that definitely warrants a mention is Sabines top-notch rescue call to Jana mid awful-date. I quote: "The doctor said Titus (the cat) is still stuck in a tree...maybe I should get an industrial vacuum cleaner and suction him to the end of the hose so I can pull him down like that?" Imagine trying to keep a straight face and pretend to a date you have to leave for a family emergency!

Brooke is a talented architect, stuck working as a developer for her father when what she really wants to do is work on her art. Compounding her misery, both of her parents are deeply homophobic, so much so that her mother has cut her out of her life. While she's clearly attracted to Jana from the off, these factors, combined with an abusive ex and and the fact that Jana claims to be straight, mean that Brooke is hesitant to make the first move let alone commit to anything further with Jana.

One aspect of this book I really enjoyed was the way that E.J. Noyes allowed Jana and Brooke to communicate well and resisted the temptation to have them fall prey to the horrific, 'traditional' lesfic 70% through break up for the sake of it nonsense.

Genuinely, I can't imagine why you wouldn't love this book, it's wonderful!

When a new E.J. Noyes book is released it is always a definite read without even knowing what the book is about. In this case I did exactly that requested the book because it was Noyes and then only when I started to read did I realise that it was the third book in Ask, Tell series which was like Christmas morning when it clicked.

Once again Noyes has written a story of two lovable and realistic characters in a story line that makes in hard to put the book down. Following the journey of Jana and Brooke for me was basically holding my breath throughout their relationship as I couldn’t help but wait for it to become too much for one or both of the characters. In line with the Ask, Tell series what we got was two people with an incredible connection who respected and cared for each other which meant as they discovered their relationship together and came up against barriers they handled it with such loveliness.

As I did find myself trying to anticipate what will happened and not getting it right I am definitely in for a re-read as I know I will enjoy it even more second time around. I have already pre ordered the audiobook. I obviously loved having Sabine and Bec as support characters in the story.

I’ve had such high expectations for this book! Ask, Tell is one of my favorite books ever and this is the 3rd one in the series. This book even surpassed my expectations! It is an INCREDIBLE read!

For starters, I totally recommend that your read the first 2 books before jumping into this one. While it’s being sold as a stand alone, I do not believe you will enjoy it as much as I did if you haven’t read the first 2. That’s besides the fact that I would feel sorry for everyone who hasn’t read the first 2 books :)

So going back to this read, Jana is such a well developed character that we got to meet previously , but since she’s now the MC, you really get to see how a smart, strong and brilliant character the woman is! I actually even like her character slightly more than her sister Sab! She’s funny, supportive to her sister and family and a Kick Ass lawyer! (Did you all just sense my crush on her? Hahaha)

The other MC is also very well developed and I have to say the author took her time with those characters to an extent that you feel you know them so well in real life! I can’t even explain that part because it is very rare when you connect with MCs and their families like that!

The book ticked all the boxes for me! Romance was great, sex scenes were very hot, and the dialogue was brilliant! The connections between all characters was just so good! I mean even the relationship between the 2 sisters is sooooo heartwarming!

I totally and highly recommend this read! It’s a long read, and worth every second of your time!

“I received an ARC for an honest review.”

I was thrilled when I first heard that E.J. Noyes was going to write another story which would give one of my all-time favourite lesfic couples, Sabine (Sab) and Rebecca (Bec), from the "Ask, Tell" and "Ask Me Again" books their well-deserved, fully celebrated happy ending! Plus, the book would be about Sab's sister, Jana, who was featured as a secondary character in the previous two books.

Anyway, "If The Shoe Fits" was a brilliantly written story about self-discovery, sexual awakening, truth and reconciliation, and living one's true self, ultimately. I love Noyes' voice in her writing because it's always filled with emotional depth that relates and resonates so the characters and situations she creates are realistic. At least for me. Obviously, the same happened with this story as Noyes took us on Jana's journey of metamorphosis. Speaking of, this story was told in a first-person narrative, focussing solely on Jana's journey. I must say, Noyes' first-person narrative always sucks me in, fully invested in the MC from the start because of how she crafts the character's entrance and scene.

So, it was no surprise that Jana caught my attention and focus ever since she appeared on the first pages of the book. I'd always been intrigued by and curious about Sab's sister, since "Ask, Tell." But because she was written as a heterosexual woman, I didn't think I'd see her being featured as Noyes' follow-up to "Ask Me Again"! See, from Books 1 and 2, Jana's character always gave me the impression that she was so much more than what Noyes had revealed, and I reckoned that the depth of her character, potential growth and expansion could be moulded and portrayed as a possible queer character, having her own story to tell, but I perished the thought effectively because I didn't think Noyes would actually contemplate doing that! And she did! Needless to say, I was a happy camper upon learning about "If The Shoe Fits"! Go, law of attraction! Hee!

Anyway, Jana, Sab's baby sister, if you haven't read this book's predecessors, "Ask, Tell" and "Ask Me Again," was a high-powered attorney and partner of a law firm in D.C. and straight as a board....thusfar. Yeh... that. But before I move further into this highly-intriguing topic (ahem!), I just wanna say, the title of the book was actually not just a regular figurative term with the featured cover. Little did I know Noyes had sneakily crafted a scene that depicted just that...quite literally! Well... I can't say much because that'd spoil the fun but just read it and you'll see! All I can say is, it's prolly one of my favourite first meetings between two characters in a lesbian romance! Heh! Ok, back to Jana and her "straight"ness. Well, fyi, this story is a toaster-oven, friends-to-lovers, slow-burn romance and love story between a very straight (or so she kept saying!) woman and an "out" lesbian (well, more like a "don't ask, don't tell" kind of out, really). I've read quite a few toaster-oven lesbian romances - a trope that I'm generally not a big fan of, with few exceptions. But I must say, Noyes' depiction of a true toaster-oven trope, meaning a woman who never ever had any kind of attraction or feelings for other women in her life, no experience or fantasy whatsoever with women (only men), in this story, is prolly my favourite yet because it was written and portrayed ever-so realistically, the pacing was absolutely convincing that I literally thought I was watching the story unfold in real life!

Jana's  object of desire? Brooke. Now, Brooke was an intriguing character from the start. Personally, I'd have loved it if Noyes revealed Brooke's POV because I felt that there were many hidden layers to her character based on Noyes' portrayal of her. An architect and designer by day at her father's company, and an artist (paint, sculpture) at other times when she wasn't working for her father, doing what she hated but never dared to defy him. With this intricate personal characteristic and situation alone, I believe Brooke could have her own book! But I digress. Anyway, since Jana and Brooke's "interesting" and I should say, a serendipitous and "unforgettable," first encounter, Jana felt this pull, this connection to find out more about this mysterious Brooke who turned that fateful day of hers upside down which effectively changed her life's journey forever. Back to Brooke, honestly, with Noyes at the helm creating and writing a character, none of it is straightforward or simple, is it? Brooke's life had been inundated with childhood trauma which resulted in long-term psychological effects that she was still going through. As we all know, childhood trauma casts long shadows. As if that weren't enough, she also had to contend with her past relationships that ended in failures and betrayals. Noyes' brilliant description and loaded depiction of Brooke's emotional upheaval, dilemma and struggles were deeply affecting, I couldn't help but felt her pain and loss, her fear.

Although this story was predominantly an exploration of Jana's journey of discovering herself, her sexuality, falling in love with a woman despite all efforts to curtail it, but in Noyes' style, she managed, as usual, to weave her single POV narrative into another angle that encompassed Brooke's journey as well, albeit not full-fledged but one can stitch the missing pieces together based on how Noyes portrayed Brooke as the story progressed. In essence, this story was also about Brooke's journey. Her journey was about truth and reconciliation, self-reflection. Her years of wanting to seek approval from her disapproving father, which is a common psychological behaviour - child seeking parent's approval or the need to please them, especially when the child feels a lack of support, love or attention from their parents - her fear of rejection, be it from her father (or mother, for that matter, which you'll know what transpired between them when you read the book) or as a result of her failed relationships that created this grim view that she'd be rejected, anyhow.

As you can see, although both Jana and Brooke each was going through their journey of self-discovery, truth and reconciliation, but in a different set of circumstances, there was one stark difference that Noyes almost subversively injected into their lives. Jana, amidst all the emotional upheavals resulting from her initially panicked realisation that she was attracted to her friend, Brooke, her slow but steady progress in finally accepting her truth, was always supported by her family, be it Sab or Bec or her parents, all of whom only had unconditional love and support for each other, no matter what. That was the positive, the light that Jana was privileged to have. Whereas, not so much for Brooke's case. Her life was inundated with disappointments, denials, dismissals, general lack of love and support from her family. So, the psychological impact that Brooke suffered throughout her life since childhood had clouded her life with darkness, pain and loss. Upon exploring Brooke's personal life, it really behoves me that some families actually place restrictions, exceptions, rules, conditions on their love for their children. Family, to me, is supposed to mean unconditional love and support. No exceptions. Hence, people who bang on about blood ties, or the importance of being biological, means bugger all if love and acceptance, caring and support, are conditional! That's my 2 cents about this. I was gratified by Noyes' intent to highlight the contrast between Jana's family and Brooke's, so the reader could appreciate what it meant by being a true family. A group of people who loved, cared for, and supported, with no judgements, each other, no matter what, when, how, where. In highlighting the polar opposite of Brooke's family from Jana's only served to enable the reader to feel, empathise, understand how the negative, destructive psychological effects of such neglect had impacted Brooke's character, behaviour and inner psyche. Well done, Ms. Noyes! Speaking of, I simply loved Jana/Sab's parents!! Talk about inclusivity and unconditional love! A beacon of how biological families are supposed to be, tbh!

Besides the book's main story, which was Jana and Brooke's slow-burn romance, Noyes also offered a closure to Sabine and Rebecca's story with a wedding preparation, which served as the book's backdrop to Jana and Brooke's journey of love. I loved every scene involving one of my all-timers, Sab and Bec! And the natural chemistry and rapport between the siblings - Sab and Jana - and between Jana and Bec - were utterly enjoyable to read about! And, I must say.... Sab being a "bridezilla" was a surprise, not to mention, hilarious! I loved and enjoyed every moment of it especially when Jana was looking like she was going to burst out in expletives because she was at her wit's end from her sister's incessant nagging and madness, then swooped in Bec to the rescue as usual, and all was well again! FUN! Anyway, because of Sab and Bec's impending fake-wedding (read it to find out why), they'd periodically show up throughout the story either as a support system for Jana, especially Sab, or talk about their wedding plans and preparations. I was gratified by the fact that Noyes finally gave one of my all-time favourite lesfic couples a sweet happy ending after the long slog of their complicated, harrowing journey as brilliantly written, perfectly told with deeply affecting resonance in the previous two books - "Ask, Tell" and "Ask Me Again." If you haven't read either, I implore you to read both of them! Anyway, after you've read all three books, I'm sure you'll agree with me that Sab and Bec deserved a celebration of their union, even if it was a "fake hitch" to tie a bow to their superbly portrayed relationship that was grounded in realism since Book 1.

All in all, this book was about love. True love. What is true love? Love is about taking a chance. Love is about compromise. Priorities. Love is what matters most at the end of the day. Jana's journey of accepting her sexuality, or rather, accepting that she fell in love with a woman, that it didn't matter that Brooke was a woman. Love is love. Through Jana's own personal journey and Brooke's very own (not featured much but I think you can pretty much surmise from what was revealed), they were finally able to reconcile their own demons, struggles, so they could live authentically and be their own true selves. In the end, their journey of falling in love and being in love, committed to a proper couple-dom, a relationship was finally sealed. And what better to commemorate the theme of this story - true love, unconditional love and self-love (true self) - than epitomising it with Sab and Bec's wedding ceremony, eh? Perfect!

I would be remiss if I didn't mention one more thing... something which maybe some (or many?) of you prolly don't care about, but for me, it was a delight, a plus, in reading a story. Well, it was a lovely surprise for Noyes to create a motif in this story, where what was featured at the end of the book circled back to what happened in the beginning of it that started it all! I love motifs in books and films. A motif provides a brilliant narrative to the entire story collectively, imo. Not many people use motifs in their storytelling anymore these days, so I'm always appreciative when a writer makes the effort to create and display a properly crafted and structured motif to complete their story narrative, even if it's just a simple/short scenario (because motifs don't have to be elaborate) be it in literary work or film. So, cheers and bloody well done, Ms. Noyes! *oh, you'll know what the motif is when you read the book from start to finish!*

In summary, this book is a MUST-READ. I'd HIGHLY recommend all fans of romance to read this book, especially if you're already a fan of the previous 2 books, "Ask, Tell," and "Ask Me Again." Noyes, once again, has hit this out of the park and given us a fully-loaded, introspective love story about how love transcends gender, bias, prejudice, labels. I utterly enjoyed every development and nuance of Jana's sexual awakening and self-discovery. The deliberate pacing of Jana and Brooke's romance from acquaintances to friends, to tentative interested parties that lent to a deeper relationship, effectively growing to an emotional and finally physical intimacy, all depicted with such multi-dimensional depth, I couldn't help but be hooked on every stage of their progress until the very end. Oh, the fun thrills! The laughter! All the emotions, all the feels! READ IT.

**I was given, with much thanks and appreciation, an ARC of this book, by Bella Books, in return for an honest review.

I received an ARC copy of this book from the Publisher via Netgalley and voluntarily leaving my review.

This was a good romance.

Jana is a lawyer who has a great life but something missing in her life she has strings of good looking men to choose from but never been able to connect with them she always found a flaw about them that she doesn't like that turns her off them. As she is helping her sister Sabine wedding who if you read EJ Noyes previous books you should know the characters of Sabine and Rebecca are in this book and it was nice to catch up on what their life is like.

Brooke is a artist and architect who childhood wasn't all that great because she struggle with her sexuality especially when her mother is religious and hasn't spoken to her since and her father who just ignore it she is working for her father company who she is being groom to takeover but she doesn't want to because that not her passion she want to create art but her father thinks it's a waste of time.

When Brooke literally runs into Jana who was on her way to court it doesn't go as great but when they start a friendship Jana is beside herself because she never been attracted to another woman before and it cause her to be off balance and she realize she wants what her sister has with her fiance Rebecca she always thought she was happy just causal dating but now that she met Brooke she want to try to have a relationship.

I like this romance it was cute how we see Jana inner dialogue when she talks if she brave enough to act on what she feel for Brooke.

Jana is a family law attorney and the sister of Sabine, from the 'Ask, Tell' series. She is a serial dater, fears commitment, and is picky beyond reason. One fateful morning, on her way to important court appearance, she runs into Brooke, who works in the same building. They begin to see each other more and more after that initial encounter.

This is the right way to do a spin-off. The whole reason original books are well liked are because of their main characters. So it seems obvious that you should include them in the spin-off. So many authors will include them but very briefly and not advancing any of their story. I'm happy to say that Noyes included Sabine and Rebecca often and they didn't just seem randomly inserted to placate fans of the previous two books. And there is no need to have read the other two books prior to reading this.

The book is well written and I was completely into it. Jana is completely blindsided by her sudden attraction to a woman. Certainly she should have known if she ever had the inclination toward liking women. Especially with an out and proud lesbian sister. So she has to carefully analyze what is happening. It is realistically done with valid concerns. I enjoyed wondering what would become of Yana and Brooke's friendship.

There is a lot of dialogue in this one. Conversation after conversation after conversation. There were some parts that felt repetitive in the way that we would be privy to Jana's thoughts and then we would hear them spoken to Sabine. It was tolerable because we then received some type of wisdom or advice. The conversation wasn't just between the two sisters. Jana and Brooke had the most mature dialogue that I've ever read in a book. It would make any therapist proud. But in a way, that minimized a lot of the angst that could have been fun to experience with this story line. There was SOME angst. But it was literally a chapter's worth. If that. As an angst lover, I was a bit disappointed. Especially because 'Ask me again' was FULL of it. I just had an expectation here and it wasn't met. But all you angst haters will be happy!

The little bit of drama was a result of Brooke's family and past. I know homophobia still exists. I do. But I'm literally tired of reading about it. I was right there with Jan'a feelings on the matter. And she is a better woman than me. I couldn't have tolerated it.

There was a lot of spicy scenes. They were pretty hot. Mainly because there is an abundance of communication in this book. And talking through sex is nice. One complaint here. We were teased about a toy but that scene never came to fruition. What is it about books doing this?! I know. When do I ever critique a book for not enough sex? Well, there was plenty of it. Just not the one I wanted to read.

This is 1st person. Jana's POV. Usually I get annoyed with that. I hate being inside characters' heads. I can't get beyond feeling that the author thinks highly of themselves and puts a lot of their own thoughts and opinions into abundant inner monologues. Thankfully that didn't happen. A testament to how skilled Noyes is as an author that she can do 1st person POV right.

Though the entire book is really predictable, it was sweet, sexy, and had a little bit of depth. Both characters had fun personalities that caused you to like them and care about what happens.

I recommend this book to people who love romance, family, sisters, lawyers, art, questioning sexuality and extra ordinary self aware mature characters.

<i>I received an ARC from Bella Books for an honest review.</i>

I have an handful of authors whom I must read their books immediately after their work is published. E.J. Noyes is one if those few authors on that list. I was curious how she would follow up the utterly amazing book, Alone, which is her career masterpiece. She successfully did this by including lead characters, Sabine an Rebecca, from Ask, Tell and Ask Me Again, and crafting an emotional story for Sabine's sister, Jana, and architect/artist, Brooke. The chemistry between these characters was immediate, from their first meeting in their workplace building lobby, and grew with friendship first. Later their relationship expanded physically and emotionally with love and mutual support. The love scenes that the author crafted ranged from discovery, to nurturing, to toe tingling sex. This is one if those books were the secondary characters add to the story with warmth and humor.

I received an ARC from Bella Books and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

'ARC provided by both NetGalley and The Publisher in exchange for a honest review'

**'Characters are define by the kinds of challenges they cannot walk away from...One of the main rule of writing is if you as a writer do it with enough assurance and confidence, then you're allowed to do whatever you like..'

'IF THE SHOE FITS' is a remarkably delicious and compelling dramatic story which is also a spin-off from Ms.Noyes's 'Ask Me' series -- that encompassed a few of the same memorable characters, most notably Sabine & Rebecca -- who plays a huge role in guiding Jana (Sabine's sister) on the path to finding that special someone.
On every page, Jana appears to readers as bold, outspoken, opinionated, feisty but thoughtful and is also a fiercely independent woman who is forced to come to terms with her feelings towards another woman. Her ability to express her Love for her family and then switch to that intense desire for said woman, makes her a deep and provocative protagonist to this storyline. What Ms.Noyes does here is brilliantly explores the often vast paradox many straight women struggles with when having feelings for other women.
Bumping into said woman was a special moment: during which she (Jana) then cast aside her fears and threw herself headlong into this lesbian love affair -- one that will take her where she's never been before and to wonder if this relationship was safe.
Brooke is a nurturer, loyal, Loving and passionate plus has all the qualities Jana's been searching for in that special someone -- but she does has her flaws, fights her attractions to Jana, struggles with confrontations and has self-harming issues. Then always in the background is her deeply flawed and homophobic father and those past unhealthy relationships.
This storyline is packed with seduction, sensuality, charming characters, snappy dialogue and is bursting with vivid description of many sexually expressive scenes. I think incorporating places as a character adds an important cog in the wheel of this narrative plus what's most engaging are the believable anecdotes and biting wit, mostly written with that enthusiastic feel.
Moreover, Ms.Noyes's mastery of complex emotions begets this well written story of impulse and the nature of Love --- who we love, how we're loved and most important no giving up on true Love regardless of our circumstances.
The feelings this story evokes will stay with readers long after this book is put down. A highly recommended book to everyone!

What a wonderful love story of a straight woman discovering her attraction to another woman. And as a bonus, in addition to the central story, we have some news from the protagonists of Ask, Tell and Ask Me Again Sabine and Rebecca, what else can you ask for? I certainly can't ask for more.

The protagonist of this story is Janna, Sabine's sister, a lawyer who goes from date to date hoping to find the perfect man, but none of them has been able to overcome her demands. Pure chance throws her on Brooke, an architect who works in the same office building and after this first accident meeting they begin to have a friendly relationship. Brooke is a lesbian, she doesn't hide it, although there are other aspects of her life that she does hide. And Janna repeats again and again that she is straight, that what Brooke makes her feel is nothing but confused feelings mixed with her lack of love life. Yes of course.

Certainly, Brooke's attitude does not seem very consistent, although it is very caused by what she has had to go through. But Janna has some experience with people who have suffered, her sister is the greatest example. And it is Janna who pushes and guides what is going on between her and Brooke.

And if this were not enough, in addition to the excellent story between Janna and Brooke, complex and beautiful, we have the continuation of the love story between Sabine and Rebecca. Secondary here but so rewarding to hear from them again.

There is much to enjoy in this book, even if you have not read the previous ones, it is not necessary although it is recommended. As it is highly recommended to read this one.

I started this book not having read the rest of the series or any other work by this author. The straight-woman-meets-lesbian storyline has been done a million times so my expectations weren't very high - this book completely took me by surprise as one of the best romances I've come across in a long, long time (and I read a lot of them!). The author's writing style is very engaging, dialogue is clearly one of her strongest suits. Despite being written in the first person with only one character's POV, we really get a feel for both of the main characters and their complexities. The leads are both very well developed and the supporting characters are equally multi-faceted. I was absolutely blown away by the quality of this book - Brooke and Jana had sizzling chemistry and the slow burn romance was so well-written and well-paced. Absolute perfection. I look forward to reading more from this author.

First of all, I love the title. I was thinking about how the author was going to bring it full circle and it was perfectly executed. Secondly, this author’s writing and storytelling skills are thoroughly captivating.

Jana Fleischer was a very successful and busy family attorney. But she always found time to get together with her sister Sabine and her sister’s fiancée, Rebecca. Jana also found time to search her several dating apps, hoping to find the one-the Mr. Forever. Jana wanted that love and happiness her sister had with Rebecca. But Jana had a problem with commitment, and according to Sabine she was too picky and found fault in all the men she dated.

Brooke was an architect who worked for her father in the same building as Jana’s law firm. They had never met, until they collided into each other with Jana breaking the heel of her shoe and naturally being upset since she was due in court. Coincidentally , they both wore the same shoe size so Jana ended up wearing Brooke’s shoes to court, and eventually ended up meeting for coffee before work and meeting during non work hours. A close friendship soon developed which led to other deeper feelings that left Jana a bit nervous since she never had feelings for a woman before.Brooke welcomed whatever relationship Jana was willing to have with her. But the relationship had problems mostly due to Brooke’s anxiety about her job, her exes, and her non supportive homophobic parents. She couldn’t let Jana completely into her life.

The characters in this story dealt with realistic issues such as anxiety, self harm, job stress, commitment phobia, and homophobia. Jana had to come to terms with her being bisexual, or as Sabine coined her, Brooke-sexual. Both Jana and Brooke had to deal with what being in a committed relationship with each other actually meant. Even though initially it seemed like Jana would have more problems with it, Brooke actually struggled more. I knew a few people like Brooke-male and female. They, however, lived the life their parents wanted instead of living their own true life…and they are still miserable. So I think the author did a great job in displaying Brooke’s mental and emotional struggle and everything it entailed, and Jana’s reaction to it.

Everything about this story was entertaining. I especially loved the banter and emotional support between the sisters. It was beautifully written and heartwarming.
Highly recommended!

ARC received via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I love EJ Noyes’ books and this is no exception. It’s book three in the Ask, Tell series, and while you could possibly read it as a stand-alone, you should NOT because the other books are great, and you should read them. Seriously, go read them!

This is a rarity for me, in that the third book in a series is my favourite. I love Sabine and Rebecca and both of their books (for different reasons as they have different tones) but I really fell hard for both Jana and Brooke.

Anyone who has read the other two books knows Jana is Sabine’s sister, and she plays a fair sized part in both of the first two books, but here she shines. The book is told from her POV, and while I usually prefer a POV switch, like there was in book 2, I can see why Noyes chose to just tell the story from Jana’s perspective. Brooke is supposed to be closed off, and seeing her through Jana’s perspective plays into that.

Jana and Brooke work in the same building, Jana is a lawyer and Brooke is a property developer/architect who hates her job. They have a ‘meet cute’ first meeting that moves into a lovely friendship. Jana is straight and dating her way through a plethora of men she doesn’t really click with (carried over from the previous books), but slowly comes to realise that she may have more than friendship feelings for her new BFF.

This is where the true delight of the book was for me, Jana has some moments of self-enlightenment, and some lovely conversations with her sister about Brooke, but rather than the push-pull, ‘I’m not sure I should’ stuff that usually comes with ‘I just discovered I might not be straight’ storylines, once Jana is sure of her feelings and tells Brooke about them, she’s pretty much all in.

Brooke has family and anxiety issues, and she’s actually more hesitant than Jana. She’s out, but avoids discussing her sexuality with her father, and is also working for him though she doesn’t want to. This does create issues towards the end and I (like Jana) was a bit ‘just do what you want’ about it, but I also understand doing things to please your family and avoiding confrontation, so could see both sides.

I also LOVED that these two talked to each other, right from the start. Their friendship was so believable, and so was the idea that they then developed feelings for each other. At one point I thought we were headed for the usual breakup cliff, but lo... they actually talked it out like mature adults, gotta say, there’s not nearly enough of that in lesfic. There’s also some lovely sexy times (also filled with proper communication!). Seriously, communication in lesfic is like my kryptonite, and Noyes was killing me here.

We also spend ample time with Sabine, Bec and their usual passel of supporting characters, and therefore get not one but two happy endings here, and they both felt well earned. If you’re in the mood for a grown up love story about people who care about each other and want to support each other, then this is the book for you. 5 stars.