Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the arc of this book. All opinions are my own.

This was so sweet! I had so much fun reading this. It is one of those novels you get lost in. I can’t get enough of how Jenny writes. The way she crafted the romance was perfection! I highly recommend this for a great read!

Thank you to NetGalley. St. Martin's Press, and St. Martin's Griffin for an ARC of this book. All opinions in this review are my own.

I was really looking forward to reading this book, and the end result was it was cute. Not the most amazing book I have read recently, but definitely better than some of the others. We have body positivity done in a healthy manner, with plus-size female lead(s) - one of whom is working in fashion - and we have a non-traditional male lead when it comes to attractiveness (nerdy, cardigans, scrawny, etc.). The premise is graduate school, specifically a PhD program, relating to literature, and it is a battle of medieval lit. We have fighting toxic masculinity and learning to forgive (or not forgive) toxic family members. Overall, it has a lot of concepts that would make this a really strong book that is making great statements - it just fell slightly flat for me. I don't know if it was writing style or if it felt a little too rushed or what, but it felt like it just missed the mark slightly on some of the points. Not to say it wasn't good, it just didn't quite make it in my top list of books right now. However, if you liked The Love Hypothesis (or any of Ali Hazelwood's books) you will probably enjoy this too. Solid 3.5/5

This review is going to be a mixed bag! First, the plot: Allison is gunning for her PhD, specifically to work under a certain professor. Surprise! Her ex boyfriend, who dumped her after winning a grant over her, is also going to be working under that professor with her! And Allison hates it. But maybe he's changed? And the more time she spends with him the more she maybe wants to be more than academic rivals again.

And it was fun and cute! Allison has so many realistic issues to work through, including a father who fat-shames her and refuses to acknowledge her accomplishments, a mother who guilts her, a friendship that feels like it's floundering, and overcoming a bout of depression after said ex-bf kinda sorta stole her dreams.

While Colin (the ex/academic rival/love interest) and Allison definitely had that banter-y chemistry, and he showed up for her in some hard times, I could not get past the miscommunication/third act break up. It just seemed like Colin did not learn from his mistakes, and Allison had every right to break it off. I don't enjoy the miscommunication trope in general, and this one really frustrated me. But the rest of the book was fun!

Thanks to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for the e-ARC!

My apologies. I am DNFing this at 63%. While as a student of English Lit, I loved reading about the classic works I once studied, I was not deriving much satisfaction from the novel as a whole. Whether deserved or undeserved, Allison has a chip on her children about a mile wide, which didn't make her a very fun character to spend time with. When I reached 63% and realized how much I still had left, I tossed in the towel. The writing and premise were good; this one just wasn't for me.

I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Allison has gotten into her dream graduate college program and everything is in place to realize her lifelong goal of becoming a college professor. That is until her ex boyfriend, Collin shows up in the same program looking to steal it away from her, just like her did in undergraduate with The Rising Star award. Allison doesn’t know the whole story of the past, and Collin is determined to explain it and win her back.

The Make Up Test is a rom-com filled with smart, witty banter between two lovable, endearing main characters and a brilliant storyline. I loved the depth of the emotions and attraction between Allison and Collin, making their relationship real and jumping off the page at you. The theme of body positivity is current and portrayed well throughout the novel. Great read!

I really tried to get into this one but it just never clicked for me and only made it 12% in when I decided to put it down. This is a second chance romance that follows two rival academics who are vying for the same position. I struggled with the main characters and they way the male lead was described, I know that sounds weird but she made him sound so unlikable that I couldn't figure out why she liked him in the first place. I have also learned lately that I need to stick with what I know and like and that I am just not a fan of second chance romances. I know they can be done well but they very rarely work for me. If you like second chance romance or books set in academia then you might want to check this one out. Thank you St. Martin's Press for my gifted copy for review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Fantastic! Fabulous! Yes!
The Make-Up Test is a wonderful story of second chances. Allison and Colin are exes but they have an undeniable chemistry between them. When the two are brought back together in pursuit of their academic and career dreams, the sparks fly off the page. This body positive romance is one I won't soon forget!

I love a enemies to lovers with old history between them. I also enjoyed the academia background. Very fast read and entertaining.

I’m sorry but I can not read another page. According to my app I’m 13% into this book and I just can not get into it. Allison Avery and Colin Benjamin are two super unlikable characters.

So far it seems like Colin has only enrolled in this college because he knows he can steam roll Allison and she’s actually letting him get under her skin! I’m reading and silently urging her to tell him to F#%! Off!! She hasn’t. She’s just letting him walk all over her! Her descriptions of him are not attractive or interesting or charming like she says. I don’t get it.

I’m going to do what I would suggest Allison do and I’m closing the book. I’m done.

My sincere thanks to St Martin's Press and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read The Make-Up Test by Jenny L. Howe and give my unbiased opinion of it in the following review.

This second chance romance takes place in a graduate school setting. Colin and Allison had a relationship previously that didn't end well. Now they are working together for the same professor and competing for the same assignment that will further their careers in academia. I liked that they were not the typical couple found in most romance novels. Allison is plus sized, and Colin is described as tall, lanky, and even bony. They each have insecurities that interfere with their day-to-day work and relationship.

Unfortunately, even though there were some sweet parts, I just didn't connect with these characters. I was bored with a lot of the book and found myself skimming through some of it. I wanted to like this. I normally love books set in school settings. It was just ok for me.

The Make Up Test was a very fun read and I loved the setting in a prestigious literary college. The characters were very well written and intelligent, but without being snooty. They are very competitive and you will be rooting hard for their love to succeed. I loved this fresh new rom-com and will absolutely be on the look out for this authors next book!

What’s up:
- Enermies to lovers
- Second chance romance
- Rivalry in the academia world

What worked for me:
- The first antagonistic interactions between Colin and Allison were hilarious and amazing. I loved every single one of them. It was incredible how competitive they were against each other.
- Allison and Colin were whole characters with fears, dreams, strengths, defeats and a history that made you sympathize with them.
- You can see the growth of each characters. Despite their struggles, you can evidence Allison giving new chances to live, to experiences, to acceptance and to love.

This book was so interesting. I feel like it's pretty rare for a book to dive so deeply into the setting of academia. I really enjoyed the different parts of the Ph.D. program that were explored, as well as the interactions between the different cohorts. I'm not a huge fan of second-chance romance so it was definitely more difficult for me to fully immerse myself in this book at first. I liked that we got to learn and experience the educational experience that they were going through. Their breakup definitely made more heartbreaking sense when you got to see more of Colin's backstory and inner turmoil. I think that this book definitely had some parts that were hard to bear, especially Allison's relationship with her dad and also just general fatphobia from characters. I think Allison also needed to resolve more of her own internal fatphobia, but I think that she and Colin are perfect for each other.
Thank you to Jenny L. Howe, NetGalley, and St. Martin's Press for allowing me to receive an ARC for The Make-Up Test.

I don't know how I feel about this book. As a grad student in the thick of writing my thesis I'm the prime demographic yet the immaturity of the characters didn't fit the life stage. The largest issue Allison and Colin had was that they did not know how to communicate so they just ignored the hard topics. And then, at the end, they never properly communicate -- it's their professor who clears up the confusion.

I wish there was more of a redemption arc for both of them but there was too much unresolved immaturity for me to invest in them.

Unfortunately ended up DNFing this one - could not connect with the main character. Thank you to St. Martin's Griffin for the copy of this book!

I adored The Makeup Test. Allison and Colin had such amazing chemistry between them and the setting at an Ivy League graduate program truly gave the relationship stakes. Read this if you like enemies to lovers, academic rivals, and second chance romance as tropes.

I enjoyed this book. It was a mix between second chance love and enemies to lovers. Loved that the MC was plus size and she was very comfortable in her own body even though there was some fat shaming from a family member. Very nice read.

I wanted to love this book but it just didn’t land for me. I almost quit reading at 85% in a fit of anger. I liked the grad school setting, fat positive vibe, and diverse representation. The grad school setting was especially done well. I enjoyed the open door sex scenes. I did not like how immature either of the main characters acted. I was very frustrated with both of them which is why I almost quit reading.

Thanks to NetGalley & St, Martin's Press for access to a digital arc of this book.

Okay, first and foremost I have to say, three cheers for a book with a plus-size heroine, better yet a romance book, in which her size is NOT at the center of the relationship struggle. Praise! Amen! We stan so hard!

I have to put some caveats here before I get too into critique. There are things I really loved about this book but for me, as a late-twenties female getting a PhD in pre-modern history and only a year or two away from joining the job market, I was sensitive to some of the frustrating academic culture and misogynistic themes that came up throughout this book. No doubt that colored my opinions, and the way that these issues were allowed to pervade the vast majority of the test was frustrating. That said, even though I think ti was later than it could have been, the redemption arc of this story was satisfying and the familial feelings created around the FMC were really lovely. It captured one of the best parts of grad school with that

What's it about (in a nutshell):
The Make-Up Test by Jenny L. Howe is a romantic comedy about what happens when a young woman, Allison, and her ex find out they are in the same college and doctoral program and are paired with the same mentor.
Initial Expectations (before beginning the book):
The setting is one I am very familiar with, so I'm excited about that. Otherwise, it sounds like it could be a lot of fun, and I love a good enemies-to-lovers story.
Actual Reading Experience:
There was surprising depth to this story as Allison worked through her guilt over not wanting her father in her life. He has always been critical of her for things she has no control over, and she realizes that there just isn't room for that kind of toxicity in her life. But, as those things go, separating his life from hers proves impossible. All those scenes were very relatable, and I could feel her pain as if it were my own.
Characters:
The characters are developed adequately enough, but they aren't that likable, which is difficult because this is a genre where I want characters I can like. Allison is very insecure, and though that fits completely from a psychological perspective considering her relationship with her father, it is challenging to rally around. It manifests itself through over-achieving, lying, and overreacting before she has all the facts. I found this very frustrating to be immersed in.
Narration & Pacing:
The story is written in 3rd person with a focus on Allison, and this narration style led to an often slow-pace mired down in too many details. I would argue that the amount of detail could easily have been halved, and the story would have flowed much faster without losing any meaning or emotions.
Setting:
I loved the setting! I was back in a world I hadn't been part of for a long time. I didn't get an advanced degree in English, but I earned my Bachelor's in it, and this story reminded me so much of those days. English majors tend to be a close-knit group. We love bouncing interpretations off each other and competing for the best GPA.
To Read or Not to Read:
If you love romcoms in an academic setting and with many layers of emotion, The Make-Up Test is one you won't want to miss.