The Make-Up Test by Jenny L. Howe follows what happens when Allison and Colin, two ex college sweethearts, not only find themselves in the same medieval literature Ph.D. program at Claymore University, but also battling for the same mentor, who only has room for one student in her schedule. Will it be a contentious and awkward battle as each student tries to achieve their academic goals, or will it be a second chance at love? Or perhaps a bit of both?

Allison is a fantastic heroine. She’s brilliant, plenty of grit and determination, and she’s also messy and flawed, which made her feel all the more real. Allison has a true passion for academia and has achieved most of her dreams without the support of her father, who just tells her that she’s overweight and wasting her time and money going to school. His lack of support weighs on her, but it makes her more determined than ever to get that Ph.D. Allison is also carrying around the baggage of what happened with Colin while they were together before. Allison wanted to win the Rising Star award because she just knew it would open doors to the best Ph.D. programs for her. She thought she was a shoe in for the award, only to lose out to Colin, who never told her he was even applying for it. Colin then added insult to injury by breaking up with her the very next week. Needless to say, Allison is not at all pleased to find out he has somehow ended up in her Ph.D. program and competing for the same coveted mentorship. I had tremendous sympathy for her because of what she was dealing with because of her dad and Colin. I love a good underdog story and Allison really fit the bill for me.

Colin, on the other hand, was a character that I found myself wanting to throttle occasionally. Hearing how things played out between he and Allison when they were dating really cast him in a negative light for me, and like Allison, I couldn’t fathom how he ended up in the same Ph.D. program. As I got to know Colin, however, he thankfully grew on me, especially as he gradually reveals the reasons behind some of his seemingly suspicious actions and as it becomes clear how much he really does care about Allison and that deep down, she still has feelings for him as well.

The Make-Up Test is an entertaining read from start to finish. There are frustrating moments, flirty moments, and of course dramatic and tense moments as Allison and Colin try to navigate both this new awkward environment they find themselves in, and as they also try to figure out how to move forward and address those unresolved feelings. I was fully invested in their story and also loved the message that it is possible for people to learn from past mistakes and to change and grow.

The Make-up Test is a second chance romance with fun banter between the love interests. These academic rivals are vying for a elite position at the same college and the forced proximity resurrects feelings. Allison has pined for Colin since their break-up in their undergraduate studies. Together, they begin to rebuild love lost but first they must learn to trust and open-up to each other.

Sexy Cardigans.
Plus-size Representation.
Real family struggles.
Miscommunication challenges
Second-chance romance
Lots of talk about classic novels.

The ending did feel a bit rushed, and too much time was spent on Allison's daddy issues. Thank you St. Martins Press for the complimentary copy to read and review. Rating 3.5

I love love LOVED this book! I love second chance romances and I just really enjoyed the characters in this book! It's perfect for the romcom lovers and I really hope Jenny writes another book because I will definitely be picking it up and reading it!

The Make-Up Test is an enjoyable read that features a second chance romance between academic rivals. Though I ultimately felt the two main characters lacked chemistry and connection, I thoroughly enjoyed Jenny L. Howe's writing. This book wasn't my favorite but I'm looking forward to reading more of Howe's works in the future.

Such a light hearted and fun read! I absolutely loved the body diversity and mental heath awareness that this book brought to readers. It reaches such a broad audience and I think readers of every type will be able to see a part of themselves within this book. There was an equal balance between romance, hard topics, and witty banter. This was my first novel by this author and I can promise it won't be my last!

What a great debut novel! I enjoyed it so much, the characters were fun and creative and I loved the academic setting - one of my favorites. I’m not usually a big fan of second chance romances but I truly enjoyed this one. Can’t wait to hear more from this author.

Second chance romance x Rivals to lovers??? Yes please!

I actually really loved this book. I thought Allison and Colin had great banter and chemistry and, given their relationship history, I thought that made their connection feel way deeper. I loved Allison and how academically driven she was. She also had this complicated relationship with her father that I really related to. I think Colin at first is hard to root for given his past actions and the way the breakup left Avery so heartbroken. But he definitely redeemed himself (at least for me). He really showed a lot of growth in his actions and in the way he communicated with Avery was so important and I loved it so much. Honestly, the only problem I had is how rushed the last few chapters feel. I really am looking forward to more work by this author. I thought this was such a solid and original debut.

Thank you Netgalley for the arc!!

Ex's & Rivals to lovers, Allison and Colin are both competitive and when they are TA's in the same PHD program it's game on. There were many things going on but it was just okay for me. I did like the plus size MC. 2.5 stars for me

This book has a lot of things I enjoy: women in academia/pursuing their PhDs, academic rivals, and plus size representation. However, it also contains a trope I hate: miscommunication and immature handling of it. I also feel like the book tries to tackle several different plot points and tie it together, and I think it could have been a bit smoother. But overall I did like the book and the spice between the characters.

Thank you St. Martins Press and NetGalley for this arc in exchange for my honest review!

⭐️⭐️

𝙄𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙨𝙢𝙖𝙧𝙩, 𝙨𝙬𝙤𝙤𝙣𝙮, 𝙧𝙤𝙢-𝙘𝙤𝙢 𝙙𝙚𝙗𝙪𝙩, 𝙩𝙬𝙤 𝙘𝙤𝙡𝙡𝙚𝙜𝙚 𝙚𝙭𝙚𝙨 𝙛𝙞𝙣𝙙 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙢𝙨𝙚𝙡𝙫𝙚𝙨 𝙗𝙖𝙩𝙩𝙡𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙖𝙜𝙖𝙞𝙣𝙨𝙩 𝙚𝙖𝙘𝙝 𝙤𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧―𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙞𝙧 𝙪𝙣𝙧𝙚𝙨𝙤𝙡𝙫𝙚𝙙 𝙛𝙚𝙚𝙡𝙞𝙣𝙜𝙨―𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙖 𝙨𝙥𝙤𝙩 𝙞𝙣 𝙖 𝙥𝙧𝙚𝙨𝙩𝙞𝙜𝙞𝙤𝙪𝙨 𝙡𝙞𝙩𝙚𝙧𝙖𝙩𝙪𝙧𝙚 𝙋𝙝.𝘿. 𝙥𝙧𝙤𝙜𝙧𝙖𝙢.

Oh no, I’m so sad I didn’t enjoy this book as much as I wanted to. I was so excited when the publisher reached out offering an e-galley, but I, unfortunately, did not enjoy this as much as I wanted to.

I really enjoyed the representation of these characters. I think the author had written them very well, but the romantic feeling towards these two just didn’t vibe with me personally.

I think Allison and Colin had so much potential, but I do think second-chance romances are usually a hit or miss. I feel like they lack the sense of meeting and growing their personalities. Because this was a second chance, I felt like it lacked that connection to the reader and it felt rushed.

One of my biggest problems with books is the miscommunication trope. I just don’t love it whatsoever, in this case, the story felt too rushed and I wish there was a better form of communicating with each other.

I love academic settings, but this one just didn’t live up to my standards. I will say I did enjoy the academic rivalry involved, but I felt like it wasn’t executed well. Also, the ending was very disappointing and lackluster.

Overall, I had such high expectations for this book but was unfortunately disappointed. It just didn’t hit the mark for me on so many levels. I wanted to love the story, and while I like the way the author introduced it, the characters’ romantic feelings just felt meh and rushed. It fell a bit flat, this is my personal opinion so maybe someone else out there will enjoy it a lot more than I did.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the review copy, all thoughts are my own!

3.75 stars

I didn’t love everything about this book, but I did really like much of it. I liked the protagonist and the grad school setting, and I enjoyed how the plot tackled some complex, relevant issues in interesting (and often funny) ways. I have mixed feelings about the resolution of the predominant romantic relationship in the story; I’m glad the characters were able to resolve things for a (mostly) satisfying and happy ending, but I feel like there was a lot of downplaying what is still a serious example of a lack of academic integrity that doubles as a personal betrayal. I don’t know if I’m overreacting…the male love interest maybe didn’t fully steal the protagonist’s ideas the way she initially thought he did, but he certainly wasn’t honest or forthcoming. It doesn’t feel right to me. That being said, I did still largely enjoy most of the book, including its tone, plot line, and representation, so I’m very much looking forward to seeing what the writer creates next.

Can two people who have a past compete for the same opportunity while rebuilding their relationship? This contemporary romance is about two students who broke up after competing for something each of them wanted, only for it to happen again. Does love conquer the heat of competition?
I wanted to love this story more, but I felt it was too one-sided. Both main characters were likeably flawed and very human. The challenge of the heroine to love herself and have confidence despite her father’s deriding and apathetic attitude is something I know happens in reality. I liked how the hero had actually showed the heroine that he had changed and deserved a chance in her life. What I didn’t like was the way the heroine was lying yet felt betrayed when she thought the hero cheated. She never asked him about it, just thought that she was wronged. And then, she didn’t go over and apologize, she waited until he apologized to her. I felt that she needed to step up and take responsibility for what she did. I felt the hero was being too submissive and there was an inequality in the relationship that annoyed me. Overall, this is a good story which should be used in discussions about honesty and trust in relationships. Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for this advanced reader’s copy. This review is my unbiased opinion.

I love a scholarly academic work place rivals to lovers. Unfortunately this one fell a little flat on the romance side. The primary focus of the story was Allison and Colin's PhD program in medieval literature. The romance felt like more of a sub plot. I read a number of these texts in college but for those with put background in some of the texts mentioned, it might be a little bit of a reach. I loved the glimpses of Allison and Colin's relationship growth but I wanted so much more. The literature aspects took the forefront rather than highlight the chemistry that I'm sure was there between the two. Overall this was a quick light hearted read with a couple heavy moments but I'd clarify it more as women's fiction rather than a romance read. I'll leave you with this. Ned at the end, had me laughing so hard!!

Thank you Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC in exchange for my review!

This was a cute, quick read. I love a second chance romance! I liked that Allison stood up for herself with her parents. I think Colin & Allison were good together. I liked the witty banter & FINALLY a plus sized female MC. Loved it!

Second-chance romance between 20-something nerdy grad students Allison and Colin. After college heartbreak, the two find a way back to each other in grad school, propelled by loss and the spark of attraction. Nice plus-sized/curvy rep and realistic attraction: Colin is described as not conventionally attractive, but his looks and quirks appeal to Allison, and really, isn't that all that matters in a relationship? Allison and Colin definitely do some growing up here, like learning to shed childhood patterns and stand up for themselves. They recognize maladaptive behaviors and find forgiveness with each other because they work well as a *team*, and Howe does a good job of describing the hows and whys they did, rather than just saying it. Seeing how well they fit together and getting their HEA for now was super sweet.

Overall feelings? This was ok. No matter how hard I tried, I just couldn't get into this and the thought of having to finish this felt like a chore. That said, it was fine once I started reading again. Unfortunately, I was never motivated to want to keep reading chapter after chapter. The characters were ok, I didn't feel any great attachment to our MCs and tbh, they were both annoying and boring. Even with their backstories.

This review feels a bit conflicting to write.

On one hand this book is full of things I love: books, academic rivals, love, body inclusivity, fuzzy friends, second chance romance, and so on.

But I found the actual love story lacking. I had a hard time believing the love and the reasons for prior breakups. Add in the lack of communication and everything else going on in this story and it was too much of the extra stuff and not enough of the foundational romance things.

The messages surrounding fat shaming and fat phobia were important and something I think will resonate with many people. I appreciated the authors note at the beginning and thought it was all handled so well and with care while still very much giving space to the hurt and emotional damage that those topics can cause. This was so well done.

I just needed more from the MMC, more from the relationship, more from the love overall.

Allison Avery is a grad school student who finally gets to work with one of the most influential professors in her field of medieval literature. The only problem is, her archnemesis and ex-boyfriend Colin Benjamin somehow shows up and tries to steal her spotlight.

There were things that I really liked about this book but also some things that I just didn't care for. I loved the representation in this novel. Allison is very body positive, and shares her struggles as being a plus size gal. It did seem at times that the book was a bit forced in their attempt at being woke. The pandemic references were also a little cringe at times as well. Allison as a character however quite possibly the most immature protagonist I've read in some time. She felt to me like she was in high school instead of participating in a graduate school program. I had a hard time feeling empathy for her. Also, Colin could be the worst love interest that I've read about ever. I didn't feel the passion in their story. Almost felt like it went flat. I thought the concept was interesting, but it felt one note to me.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for an advanced copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

I adored this book! I thoroughly recommend it. I love the development between the characters, as well as the character development itself.

1 star

I am all here for books with academic settings as well as enemies to lovers books but this one I just didn't like. The author's writing style was just meh for me. I never really connected with the characters. I honestly don't remember too much about this book. It wasn't what I thought it was. and didn't like the character interactions, and i don't think the main characters belong together. Colin was definitely mediocre and Allison has some self confidence issues.

I don't recommend this book...

Thanks to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for the eARC in exchange for my honest opinion.