thank you netgalley and st martin's for the earc of this book!

This second chance romance with academic rivals really piqued my interest but unfortunately didn't quite hit.

The "world-building" dragged on a bit too much and the book only picks up almost halfway through the book. The character relationships fell a bit flat for me and the conflicts were a bit weak and annoying in my opinion.

It's a solid fun book but just not for me! I can see people falling in love with the characters and plot tho!

I really tried to get into this on but I couldn’t make it past the first few chapter. It just wasn’t for me. Thank you netgalley for my free review copy.

Actual rating: 3.5 stars

I think this was an okay read - but had huge problems with the conflicts in the story and add miscommunication on top and that really killed it for me. This story follows Allison who is vying for a medieval academic position and finds out that her co-TA is her ex-boyfriend, Colin, is her rival for that position. He didn't even start in Medieval academia so that's weird, but either way the two end up connecting. The family storyline with Allison was also a thorn in my side. Her dad is an absolute prick and Allison spends most of the story letting everyone walk all over her. Overall, there were too many tropes that made Allison a weak character that never really get resolved. It all is very much blamed on her as a character or forgiven too easily imo for the other character.

Plus size heroine! YES PLEASE. I loved The Make-Up Test so much. Second chance romances are not something I'm normally drawn to, but this author did it so beautifully. The banter was spot on and had me giggling.

I was hoping that The Make-Up Test would be kind of like The Love Hypothesis but for English majors. While I am normally a fan of books about readers, authors, or other bookish people, this one was unfortunately not for me. I feel like all of these characters would bully me online for reading romance novels, which is a weird feeling to have while reading a romance novel. I especially disliked the MMC after he made fun of children’s lit by boiling it down to Twilight, The Hunger Games, and Harry Potter, and acting like none of them have any literary merit.

I think this one may be for you if you like to listen to people wax poetic about classic and ancient literature, and if you always had a thing for that guy who played Devil’s advocate in class.

This story was fine but it didn’t really standout. I felt that most of the time I was just reading it instead of enjoying it and I was relieved when the story was over.

Ya hate to see it but this was legitimately A Very Bad Time and I cannot with any part of my romance loving body recommend this book.

I wish this one landed a bit more for me, but sadly it fell a bit flat. I found the book slow in parts, which made it hard to stay invested in the story.

Jenny Howe's "The Make-Up Test" is a solid entry into the enemies-to-lovers genre, set against the competitive and sometimes cutthroat world of academia. The story follows Allison Avery as she navigates her dream Ph.D. program at Claymore University, only to find herself competing against her ex-boyfriend, Colin Benjamin.

While the academic setting and the realistic portrayal of graduate school pressures add an interesting layer, the narrative sometimes feels a bit flat. The pacing can be uneven, and some of the conflicts between Allison and Colin feel repetitive. Despite these issues, the book does manage to capture the intensity of their academic rivalry and unresolved feelings.

The characters, particularly Allison, are well-drawn, though some readers might find her internal monologues a bit tiresome. Colin's charm and the chemistry between the two protagonists help to keep the story engaging, even if it occasionally drags.

For fans of the enemies-to-lovers trope, "The Make-Up Test" delivers on the expected tension and eventual reconciliation. It explores themes of self-worth and confidence, but these themes sometimes get overshadowed by the repetitive nature of the central conflict.

Overall, while it has its flaws, "The Make-Up Test" is a decent pick for readers who enjoy academic settings and the enemies-to-lovers dynamic. It might not be groundbreaking, but it offers a satisfying romance with moments of humor and heartfelt interactions.

Allison’s finally been accepted into her dream Ph.D. program - her ex-boyfriend was accepted too. When their professor announces a career-changing research trip opportunity—with one spot to fill. Competing with Colin is as natural as breathing, and sparks are flying. Will Allison have to choose between a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and what could be a twice-in-a-lifetime love?

I enjoyed this, but it didn’t stick with me - solid three stars.

I really thought I would love this more. I liked it. The characters were likable. The drama was believable. I loved that there was fat rep and it didn't feel like a fetish thing. But it seemed so sad for me. Allison and Jed's relationship was so abusive and that her mom was just turning a blind eye made me upset. When my birth father was a jerk to me, my mother never spoke ill of him, but she didn't gaslight me into a relationship. I think this guilt was a bigger part of this story than it should have. And where Allison had the growth arc that she needed, I felt she was constantly fighting for it and that made this a longer, more drawn out book.
I did enjoy the writing so I definitely read something else by Howe, but I just felt like this one fell a little flat.

The Make-Up Test by Jenny L. Howe is a delightful read for fans of lighthearted, emotional, and swoony rom-coms who will appreciate the witty banter, academic rivalry, and romance between two complex characters as they navigate love, growth, and their passion for literature.

A perfectly cute debut from Jenny Howe. I was drawn in from the educational aspect. A rom com, some suspense, exes to enemies to lovers type trope. Throw in a bit of spice of course and things can get heated between Allison and her ex Colin, TAs in their PhD program and now competing for a research trip opportunity. What could possibly go wrong? I love the relatability of Allison and the all too real emotions with heartbreak and encountering an ex again. I liked how Howe took this in a tougher direction with the issues behind Colin and Allison's history. It was refreshing to have a slightly different narrative than the typical romcom style.

When I received this as an ARC it was not the time to read it, I just couldn't get into it. But I wanted to give it another go so I borrowed it from the library and this time I did enjoy it. I loved the banter, the character development and the representation! Thank you NetGalley for introducing me to this gem of a novel

Great book. I enjoyed Reading it. The characters and plot were interesting life like and easy to connect with.

I couldn’t get into this. I wasn’t a fan of the hero and I couldn’t connect with the setting/story/characters at all.

This was a great read. I love the body positivity by the heroine. The romance was delightful. It’s centering and cute.

Enemies to lovers meets second chance romance, a nice combo with characters as sweet as these. Add in a little plus-size representation that was handled well, this was a cute, heart-warming rom-com. Unfortunately, I did not feel the chemistry between the two characters - I enjoyed them individually but did not feel their bond as much as I would have liked. This may be in part due to the frequent "miscommunications" as those are distracting from the actual progression of the relationship. Overall a cute story and I would read another by Jenny Howe after reading this one!

Thank you to NetGalley and St.Martin's Press for my gifted copy - all thoughts are my own.

This was such a cute second-chance romance! I loved every second of it, especially the tension between the two characters!

enemies to lovers to rivals to lovers all in one book! grad school setting, something we don't see a lot of.