As a lit major myself, I enjoyed reading about the graduate students of medieval literature discussing and competing for awards and recognition in their work. The romance between Colin and Allison was also interesting as they were rivals in academics as well as former lovers. This provided the tension in the novel, in addition to Allison's estranged father always reviling her for being overweight.

I only wished the descriptions of Allison's physical attraction to Colin, her former college boyfriend, were not so detailed and frequent. They became repetitive after a while. About one-eighth of the book could have been cut if edited in this way.

An unusual plot and characters, however, that made this a four star read.

This. Was. AWFUL. Who the hell green lit this?!

From the start we get an immature, insecure Allison who SHOVES that fact that she's plus sized down your throat. Next, she starts describing the male lead Colin as "knobby and spindly." This is supposed to be our lead, and there are the adjectives we're bombarded with the whole novel. Allison and Colin are second chance lovers after a back-stabbing of epic proportions in undergrad, reunite in a graduate program. Having the 2 compete for their place as the only research assistant was weak after initially being accepted. They wouldn't let that drag out over a whole semester. That's too expensive.

I hated that this was only from Allison's POV and nothing from Colin. He doesn't get to express he thoughts and feelings a lot because Allison shuts him down and stomps off. Allison is immature, completely insecure even though she proclaims she's not, and is plagued by daddy issues. She is constantly aiming to be perfect or the best at literally everything. She is also very arrogant in pushing her views on feminism into every piece of literature. Constantly assuaging that only her interpretation of the readings were the correct ones, and NEVER stopped to consider someone else's take on it. She only gets flustered and offended for no reason! This is the 2nd or 3rd book set in academia that I've read recently and the leads are all SO IMMATURE. They're supposed to be mid 20's but all act like they're still 18 year old freshmen.

The barrage of body image focus and issues within this book drove me up a wall! There's an empowering way of describing plus sized women and this was NOT it. Allison was constantly told by her father that she needs to diet, exercise more, take better care of herself and she'll lose weight. But it's mentioned ONCE that she has a thyroid condition. ONCE!!!! One the flip side, any time she describes Colin it's ALWAYS some negative adjective referring to how skinny and bony and lanky he is. This is NOT how you get someone to believe in and root for their relationship and end up rooting against them. It also enforces that idea that only buff and muscular men are attractive and that skinnier and leaner men are unattractive, which is just as wrong as the prevailing idea that only skinny women are attractive.

Another trend is the toxic family making excuses and trying to force interaction. Her father never showed her any affection or said he was proud of any of her accomplishments. He constantly put her down, physically and mentally and emotionally. School was a waste of time and money. He was constantly making her feel ashamed and at fault for her weight. Which again, thyroid issues only brought up ONCE. Her mother continuing to force her to associate with the man despite her protests and fair reasoning. The conclusion was WEAK at best. There was a really weird throw away attempt at redeeming Allison's father that was never addressed again. Why even bother including it?!

Words that made me cringe every time they were used: spindly, knobby, narrow, squawk, wink, lanky, feminist, mansplain, manspread.

This is a new author for me and I did enjoy this one. It was an enemies to lovers/second chance romance! While I’m not the biggest fan of second chance romances, this one was ok. It also had some body shaming and parent neglect in it. Our MC’s Allison and Colin are both super smart and have a past. These two end up having to work together but also fighting for the same research trip! While these two had some back and forth feeling it was a sweet romance! Allison is a plus sized smarty that’s super sweet and hard working! Her father is emotionally abusive toward her for her academic choices:( I thinks she’s great! Colin is our high achiever hero that isn’t very likable! Though he does try to redeem himself at the end! I thought the book was sweet and a quick read!

I unfortunately have to DNF this at around 33% because it's just not for me. It has a lot of amazing things going for it, and I know there are a lot of people who would enjoy it, however I am not in the headspace for this book.
The plot and characters are strong, and if you love academic rivals to lovers, and second chance, then I totally recommend this book.
However certain things in the book I can't get behind and because of that I am having a hard time pushing forward. I'm sure Colin has a valid reason for the rising star incident (at least I hope) but if my boyfriend took that from me without an explanation, broke up with me not long after, only to reappear at the grad school I specifically choose to study under a specific professor, to study the thing that I have been passionate about for years that he never seemed to care about, ultimately threatening my dreams and education, I don't think I could forgive him and ever look at him in a romantic/sexual way ever again. That's not a love interest, that's a nemesis and not someone I would want to be my partner in life. And the fact that Allison has not once attempted to explain this to him, is driving me crazy. He should be able to figure out that this situation is messed up, but since he clearly holds no remorse, it shocks me that Allison doesn't lay it out on the line to him.
Also, how is technically 2 years younger than me, but is somehow in grad school when I haven't graduated college yet. It's silly semantics that don't ultimately matter but I was like okay girl.

(If all the above things don't convince you off Colin as a romantic interest, the man unironically wears musical merch. I'm a theatre major, and when I read that he was wearing a Schuyler Sisters tee shirt under his cardigan, I physically recoiled and cringed.)

It's a strong book. There's an audience for it. That audience is not me.

I just couldnt get into it. I didnt connect with the characters and was uninterested in the plot. Wrong book for me at this time. Maybe later

I originally had seen this on here and decided to not request it, but then after being encouraged to do so based off of the raving reviews from several friends, I checked it out. I can just say that I regret not requesting this off the get go! It was awesome!

This book not only made me laugh out loud as I read through the pages, but it also made me feel. Sometimes in books, these two things are not done super well, or one part is focused on much more. But, Jenny Howe's writing managed to capture both of these in such ways that my heart felt as though it was going to burst. My husband kept giving me weird looks as I laughed through this one too.

Normally I'm not a huge fan of academic settings in books (depending on the context) but this one was done so well, it made my heart sing with praise. This book will have you chuckling, admiring the witty one-liners, and praising the mental health representation (in various ways). You should definitely check this one out!

Also - it came out on my birthday so I should have known it would be a winner!

While I went into this book with high expectations, it sadly fell flat for me. The literary aspects of this book worked much better for me than the romance. Too much miscommunication combined with a male character who is just a little too toxic made this a non starter (for me personally). All in all, a basic romance book that one might enjoy if they like their romance on the cliche side.

I'm having difficulty putting my finger on exactly what it was about this book that kept me reading because, honestly, I really didn't enjoy it.

The premise seemed really interesting to me; I appreciated the idea of undergrad rivals-to-lovers-to-exes meeting up again in grad school to battle it out once again.

However, while I understand that these graduate students are still really young, Allison came off to me as more of a teen MC from a YA novel. There was a frustrating level of immaturity and I felt like I couldn't relate to many of her viewpoints. She's also really quick to judge/cut people off while she's hung up on people doing that to her. She clearly has a lot that she's working on and unpacking in her life - past and present - but I felt at times like her confidence -socially - was maybe overconfidence; to the point of narcissism. For instance, Jed's an asshat (obviously), but when she visited him in the hospital, she was only concerned with trying to force him into saying he's proud of her accomplishments. It was cringey and wouldn't have led to any progress in their relationship even if he hadn't ignored her. I'm sure my opinion will not be popular on that front, but there it is. She was just too focused on her own hurts and hang ups- a teenage-level of selfishness.

On the flip, I did appreciate that she was perfectly confident in who she was as a person, a scholar, a female- those were all really positive, solid attributes that I enjoyed. Colin- take him or leave him. I think my favorite character was actually Wendy Frances.

Overall, I am not sure that I was the right audience for this one. I'm not a huge fan of YA, and this felt really juvenile to me.

Special thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Griffin for sharing this digital ARC with me in exchange for my honest review.

I was very happy to grab this lovely book before it was archived on NetGalley as it was a thoroughly enjoyable read that was not without its issues.

Allison was a great MC. We're pushing society foward everiytime there's fat rep in a book. But Allison deserved a better love interest. Colin was a dirt bag. I was jonesing for another romantic option to pop up even though I know the second chance romance is the trope at work here. Maybe I was too invested the academic rivals portion of the story to see his appeal.

I'll check out Jenny L. Howe's work in the future.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press, St. Martin's Griffin, and NetGalley for providing an eARC for a honest review.

I had high hopes for this book. I loved the premise of it but it ultimately fell short for me. I found that I enjoyed the literary references and grad school element more than the actual romance or main characters. I truly could not stand the male main character. I found their relationship to be very toxic, so I did not enjoy this as much as I hoped I would.

Let me start off this review by telling you I am fiercely loyal and incredibly salty. Once you betray me or lose my trust, it is going to be Mt. Everest to gain it back and I hate listening to apologies. I just want to level with you! So while I love Allison so much - and she's the reason I rated The Make Up Test 5 stars - I could not get behind Colin. Look I'm the best friend in the story who gives the ex the stink eye years later, holds a grudge and doesn't invite them, and will go out of my way to be the ice queen. So normally second chance romances are hard for me.

But normally they are dual POV so I end up realizing the why behind what they did. The miscommunications, the flawed nature of everyone. And while I'm not saying Allison doesn't have flaws. I am saying that - without spoilers - I would be that best friend who, even at the end, is glaring daggers remembering the pain my bff went through. Maybe it's also just because I'm even more primed to see the sexism in academia, the privilege men have, that I was so fierce, but also I deeply loved Allison.

A very quick romance novel to read. Lots of miscommunication which I don't particularly enjoy but had an overall satisfying ending!

Thank you to netgalley and the publishers for providing me with an arc for an honest review!

I went into this story without knowing what it was about. I'm not normally a huge fan of enemies to lovers and second chance romances. This book was actually really good. I found myself laughing at some points and crying at others. The relationship between Colin and Allison was so fun to read. There are some places I would have rather had a little more build, but it was still a really cute read.

If you're a current or former academic, you'll love this book. The chemistry between Allison and Colin is undeniable, but their competition in their PhD program pits them against each other. I have friends who felt this competitiveness was unrealistic, but I found it incredibly accurate. I usually hate the big third-act conflict that threatens to drive apart romantic pairings - in most books, they feel contrived, an obligatory "maybe they won't survive this!" challenge - but here, I was right there with Allison in her response to Colin's actions. I really enjoyed this read from start to finish!

Allison Avery has strived for perfection ever since she can remember. When she is accepted to her dream PH.D program studying medieval literature under the professor she has always admired, she is finally achieving her lifetime goals. What she does not expect is her ex-boyfriend Colin Benjamin also on board for the same program spot that ultimately will go to one or the other. Allison still remembers the unforgivable betrayal and breakup and is determined to not let Colin stand in her way this time. However what starts out as a competition between the two begins to turn into something else as old feelings are rekindled and both are there to support each other as they face personal challenges outside of the program. Allison must decide if she can open her heart again once more, even with everything on the line.

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This was a cute academic second-chance romance/enemies to lovers. I adored Allison’s character, my heart ached for her as she faced so many challenges and heartbreaks in her life not just from Colin but her best friend and even her own parents. I have to say my biggest issue was that I was not a fan of our male MC AT ALL. In my eyes, what Colin did, did not sit well with me at all and it was very hard for me to support their romance, I was solely rooting for Allison and her success and honestly would have loved to just see the story focused on her and not the romance. Miscommunication is HUGE in this story and at some points it was driving me crazy, SO much could have been avoided if these two just TALKED to each other. I also did not really buy Colin’s explanation of things, it felt like gas lighting to me and just could not get on board with it. Overall, I enjoyed reading Allison’s journey as she navigates through hardship after hardship and ultimately standing up for herself and loved the academia setting! Thank you to NetGalley for an eARC of this novel in exchange for my honest review. This title is now available to purchase!

First of all, I love reading books where the lead is wholly and unapologetically into their very niche topic and taking a go at making it their life's work. This means that I'm predisposed to like Allison even before the plot even starts to take shape. Which makes the fact that the story is engaging and passionate and full of random, very specific literary trivia all the more delightful.
There are a lot of things to process in this one, from body image to failed parent-child relationships and even further into career aspirations and expectations. I can't believe how many plot and important points Howe managed to touch on with this one in such poignant depth.
I'm not sure how I feel about Allison's relationship with Colin as it feels like things develop way too fast even with their past (and because of it), but it's good to see a second-chance romance that clearly acknowledges how both characters have grown and changed from how they were with each other the first time around. Colin still has what I consider to be many red flags, but Howe does a solid job of presenting him as a work in progress.
Overall, it's packed with feelings and emotions while also being slightly educational, what's not to like?

Happy thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Griffin for the fun and educational read!

Oh how I wanted to love this book and oh how it disappointed. The main characters are unlikeable, immature, and unrealistic.I pushed through to the end even though I wanted to DNF it multiple times - I kept hoping there would be growth or good chemistry or SOMETHING that would turn it around. Nothing ever made Colin likeable and I truly do not understand how Allison could ever move past how he treated her...which is terrible. I really like to support debut authors, but this is not it.

I DID like the plus size rep and the fact that Colin is not your typical male romcom hottie in his physical description. But that is so not enough to make me like this book.

I received an ARC from NetGalley and all opinions are my own.

DNF at 44%

"fat was only a ugly word if you let it be"

i hate doing this sm but i have to. i have been trying to read this for almost a month and i can't. it was tiring to read, and the writing was just not good. i really wanted to enjoy this, because i really liked the message and the plot line but the characters had no personality.

i couldn't connect to any of them and i would literally ask myself after i finish reading a chapter and stop for a while "what are their names again". the writing was too wordy for a fiction book, honestly felt like i was reading a non-fiction.

also felt as though the romance was barely there. despite them being literally second chance, THEY HAD NO CHEMISTRY.

i liked the message, and i loved how the mc didn't feel like she needed to lose weight but i just couldn't get into the story :(. maybe one day i can try to read this again but today is just not that day sadly.

thank you netgalley for letting me read this book :).

The Make-Up Test by Jenny L. Howe is the story of Allison and Colin, a pair that started out not liking each other when they met as academic rivals to lovers to enemies and back to having a second-chance at love. Allison and Colin end up being teaching assistants for the same professor in their PhD program and from there it is pretty much game on. The two of them are super competitive, but have an undeniable chemistry and history together. I did not care much for either of the main characters, they never seemed very likeable to me.

The Make-Up Test was your typical rom com about academic rivals. If you enjoyed the Love Hypothesis, you'd probably like this book. It wasn't my favorite book but it was good. Probably wouldn't read it again but it was an enjoyable read.