The Perfect Shoe (Urban Soul Presents)

4.5 stars I rarely read a book that I think is 5 stars, but The Perfect Shoe came closer than any that I have read lately. First the dictionary of different shoe types at the front and back of the book was fun to read (I even read some definitions to my daughters, all except the bedroom shoe of course :) Kimberly does a great job of writing a believable story about December Elliot, a girl that is financially challenged due to her high-end spending habits. She has 300+ pairs of high-priced shoes and enough power suits to wear all year before she does dry cleaning. She also categorizes her men as types of shoes with the Stilleto man being the perfect shoe. Janice Wheeler, December's boss, is a boss from hell, but things start looking up when Corinthian Davis, Janice's boss, shows he has a sweet tooth for December. (Oh, and by the way Corinthian a.ka. Corey is a stiletto.) Just when December is about to elevate to heights she has never seen in her career at Wright-Way Staffing, a goofy mishap causes her to find herself abruptly unemployed. In her lowest point, she finds appreciation for what she has and figures out how to work her finances, and she also gets her stilleto, thus The Perfect Shoe. This is the perfect tale for the saying, "you don't appreciate what you have until all is lost." December truly does not find herself until all is lost. Kimberly T. Matthews does an awesome job of weaving a witty tale that is at some points comical, some points educational (finance, romance and work ethics), and at some points it threatens to tug at your heart strings. This book is a definite must read for every one trying to figure out what kind of shoe they should be wearing.

The Perfect Shoe is the perfect book to read if you want to be entertained by a fast-moving totally believable story that is interwoven with a lot of humor. December Elliot becomes your best girlfriend in this story that is masterfully told by Kimberly Matthews. You feel like you are having a conversation with December from beginning to end. When I first heard of the book and read the Intro on MySpace, I initially thought the book was going to be some sort of dating "how to" or "what to avoid" manual. The whole novel aspect somehow went over my head so I was pleasantly surprised when I discovered the story behind the definitions (which are accurate on a very scary level). I started reading the book and was only able to get to a few chapters in the course of two days due to a hectic schedule however when I had jury duty that same week, I took it with me. Due to a court delay, I sat there and read the entire thing cover to cover and loved every minute of it. In fact, I may have loved it a little too much. WARNING: do NOT read chapter 12 in public! I made that mistake and embarrassed myself. What started as a polite giggle, turned into snickering and then all out laughter. I couldn't stop laughing! The other jurors in the lounge could only stare at me and some started to laugh because I was laughing so hard. I won't give anything way but I will say this: you will NOT forget Rodney. I appreciated the true to life depictions of a professional single woman as well as the dilemmas. The accurate advice woven into the storyline should be helpful to any readers suffering with some of the same issues. I highly recommend this book and have even purchased it for others to read. No passing books around y'all. Support the authors and by a copy. (smile) BTW: I found out my last boyfriend was a flip flop mixed with a glass slipper. You gotta read the book to understand that one!

I fell in love with this book and the main character from page one. Once I opened the book I was hooked. I stayed up until 3 in the morning because I just couldn't go to sleep without knowing if everything turned out okay in December's world. The Perfect Shoe is fun and enchanting. What else can I say but, it's a WINNER!

Today I finally had the chance to finish "The Perfect Shoe" by Kimberly T. Matthews. This book is worth the hype! LOL I enjoyed every single page from begining to end. There were no dull moments. It was funny, serious, entertaining and enlighting. From the begining, from the synopsis, from the excerpts, I've been hooked on how Kimberly compared shoes to men. It is ever so fitting. If you haven't read anything about her 'shoe men', check out her blogs. The book tells a tale of a woman looking for true love, or in this case 'The perfect shoe.' Reading this book bought out a number of personal feelings and emotions within myself. It made me sit down and work on my plans and goals. She showed the struggle to find a good man, mate in the dating world. She showed how sometimes a sitution might not look so good, or just look plain ol' aweful, but it's not as bad as it seems when you put your mind to it. I just really loved this book. I was eager to read it and it lived up to my expectations!!!! We will be discussing Kimberly's book in our September meeting. More information is forthcoming. Kimberly, that's a great book! Keep up the good work. Look foward to reading more from you

Career girl December Elliot is in search of the perfect shoe. Not those $[...] Dolce & Gabbana boots with the chinchilla fur in the middle, but the tall, dark and handsome perfect stiletto. To the outside world December has it all, a rising career as an account manager with a staffing agency, and wonderful friends and family that support and love her, she finds herself in dire financial straits due to her shoe fetish. Her love for shoes eventually spills over into other aspects of her life, especially her hunt for the perfect man. THE PERFECT SHOE is a laugh out loud romance novel. I had tears in my eyes as I delved deeper into the world of December Elliot. As a self- proclaimed shoe addict, December's antics mirrored some of my own. While not as steamy as traditional romance novels, Kimberly T. Matthews has written a story that will resonate with single, career- driven women such as me. Although the book is listed as romantic fiction, the larger story is December becoming comfortable in her own skin as she grows as a person and becomes aware of dreams and abilities she was not aware that she possessed. THE PERFECT SHOE is the perfect coming of age novel for the twenty-something in your life who is at the crossroads of full-fledged adulthood. Reviewed by Katrina of The RAWSISTAZ Reviewers