This academic rivals (and exes) to lovers second chance romance follows Allison and Colin as they start their Ph.D. program. The two dated 2 years prior in undergrad before breaking up and not only are they in the same program, they were selected to be co-TAs for the same class. The two have an icy relationship, at best, that centers around trying to 'win' every possible competition. But when their advisor says she has to pick one of them to stay under her at the end of the semester, the real competition begins. However, as the two spend more time together and finally start to talk about their shared past, they both realize the feelings they had never went away and there might just be a future together if they don't let their competition get in the way. I really enjoyed this debut and thought the whole set up was great. I really liked getting the school setting with older (mid-20s) characters and slightly higher stakes than a typical college/new adult romances. Both Allison and Colin were so interesting and complex with their own journey as well as their shared past. This is only told from Allison's POV and I really wish this was dual perspective because of their shared past. There was a ton of fun banter back and forth and I really enjoyed the whole group of grad students. If Howe writes more in this series, I would be so interested to follow the other people in this group. I'm a little bit of a hard sell on second chance romances, especially when the initial breakup was for very valid reasons (as is the case here). I think Howe did a fantastic job of showing us how much both Allison and Colin had changed during the past 2 years as well as showing them working through any hurt that they still had and actively choosing to move forward together. The 3rd act conflict in this, for me, was a little too much of a communication issue that literally could have been cleared up with 1 conversation but it was on-brand enough with the characters that I wasn't put off too much by it. Overall, I really enjoyed this read and I would love to read more of Howe's romances in the future.

Thanks NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC. Publication date is September 13, 2022

This funny, heart-wrenching, and charming book is what you get when you put two driven and brilliant doctoral students competing for the mentorship of one professor. Allison is a plus-sized woman at home in her own skin, who strives for excellence to the point of exhaustion. Colin is her straight-laced, cardigan wearing ex who dumped her during their undergrad years after shattering her world.

Don't let the cover fool you. This book deals out a hefty amount of emotional issues to sort out. Not only the damage done by Colin, but navigating through the difficult relationships with one parent who is emotionally abusive and another that allows and encourages a toxic relationship between them. Trust issues, forgiveness, and acceptance are hard fought battles throughout this book.

This debut novel from Jenny L. Howe was smart and tender, it was infuriating and warm, and it was an amazing second-chance slow burn romance. I thoroughly enjoyed it (when I wasn't bawling my eyes out) and am looking forward to more from her!

Thank you to St. Martin's Press for provding me with an ARC of this book.

DNF @32%

I am so bummed about this one because I wanted to love it. Nerdy romance with a fat heroine? Exactly my cup of tea! Unfortunately this really isn't working for me and based on other reviews, I don't anticipate it improving. Both characters are irritating and incredibly immature, especially for being in a PhD program. They don't seem to have much chemistry at all and I don't know how you get past everything that happened to end their relationship initially (it's a second-chance romance). The believability for me is also fairly low- that this program would take two students from the same undergrad school in the same niche field is very unlikely. And the heroines behavior makes me wonder how and why she is even in the PhD program in the first place. I hope this connects better for others and I hope we continue to see fat representation with heroines who love themselves and aren't trying to lose weight, but this just didn't hit for me. Which is unfortunate. The audio narrator does a good job though. I received an audio review copy via NetGalley, all opinions are my own.

There is so much I like about this book.

Mainly, I really liked Allison, our main character. Her passion for medieval literature really comes through and some of my favorite parts were her ruminating on the texts and her overall desire to learn. Her struggles with her dad were really relatable and I appreciated the lessons she learned about cutting a toxic person out of your life.

Really, the parts of this book I struggled with the most was the romance and as this is a romance book first and foremost that is where some of my dissatisfaction lies. Second chance, academic rivals to lovers has so much room to mine content. There are tons of opportunities for pining and charged moments and I do think the book delivers on those. However, I really don't think Colin treats Allison very well, either in the discussions of their past relationship or even in their presently developing one. Colin is the definition of toxic masculinity and none of this is resolved. In fact, the book seems to let him off the hook and lets Allison make endless excuses for him in a way that left me angry and not in a good way.

This book has a lot going on and some of it is done really well and I think because for me, the romance fell a bit short, the balance was a bit off.

Overall, I really liked Howe's writing and I'm looking forward to what she writes next.

Thank you very much to NetGalley and St. Martins for letting me read an E-Arc in exchange for an honest review.

I started this read… and DNF’d it I wish that I liked it more, but I did find myself invested into the book. The reading was more like work but That’s not to say I won’t give it another chance.

I’m hoping to return to this one in the future.

Well, I never thought that I’d read a second chance romance that would tempt me to crack open a copy of Beowulf again. Honestly, I never thought anything would do that. But, alas, here we are.

The Make-Up Test is an academic rivals, second chance romance featuring a plus sized heroine and her, I guess, nerdy-hot ex. These two are quite possibly the most competitive people on the planet. This, unsurprisingly causes problems, when they find out they’re both vying for the same spot to study under the foremost expert on medieval literature. They also face further complications when it seems they both still have unresolved feelings floating around.

This book has a lot of great things going for it. The writing is clever and the main characters are well developed. I will admit I was annoyed with our MCs on a few occasions, but since I am not really a competitive person this didn’t surprise me. Overall, I really enjoyed this read. I thought the subplots surrounding the main characters did a good job explaining their motivations. Really my only complaint is that the ending happened very fast. I would have liked an epilogue or even one more short chapter to give the story a more solid resolution. Don’t get me wrong there is an HEA, but I just wanted a bit more.

Pick up if you’re looking for:

- open door but lower heat
- second chance
- academic rivals (PhD candidates)
- slightly sexy scrabble
- pets with cheesy names (please check back after reading to fully appreciate this line item)
- good fat representation

CW: Grandparent with dementia, death of a parent, fatphobia, mentions of cancer

NOTE: I received an eARC of this book through Netgalley, but the thoughts and opinions here are all mine.

this was cute! it wasn't a favorite but i'll read anything with a fat mc. she just like #me. i would definitely pick up a jenny howe book in the future!!

thank you net galley for the ARC in exchange for a review <3

As an English major (and a middle school teacher), I really enjoyed Allison's character. Her struggle to be a good teacher and pursue her passionate love of medieval literature. At no point did I ever really like Colin, though. I'm not sure they would have been good together. This book needs an epilogue mainly to prove that.

Thank you so much for an advanced copy of The Make-Up Test.

Star Rating: ⭐️⭐️
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Pub Date: September 13, 2022

I was so excited for this book, but it left me so underwhelmed. Reading it honestly felt like a chore. The main character, Allison, was so off-putting she made me not want to read this book. Her sense of entitlement, her attitude, and her constant "woe is me" mentality was just too much for me. I'm glad she wasn't in a real PhD program (ie, she was in a fictional one) because she would not last ten minutes in a real PhD seminar. And Colin was such a wet fish love interest. I don't even know why she wanted him, and more importantly, I don't know why he wanted her in this story. She was basically mean and vindictive to him the whole book. And, she treated her parents like literal crap in this book.

I think my issue with the main character started when she felt entitled to win a university wide academic award as a SOPHOMORE, and was petty and mean when Colin (a senior) won the award instead. She never even gave him a chance to explain why he applied, and the miscommunication was just frustrating.

I do think the author tried to do something genuine by writing a story about a plus-sized woman trying to make it in an academic world, but Allison had so many other negative characteristics, her body positive attitude didn't even resonate with me.

This book is just a no from me. I wish I had more positive things to say about it, but I just don't.

I disliked both of the main characters so, so much, and in my romances, I have to like at least one of the characters at least a little bit.

When Allison Avery enters her first Ph.D. class and discovers that her ex-boyfriend, Colin Benjamin, is also enrolled, her dream program becomes a nightmare. When it's evident they are both up for the same Teaching Assistant slot, Allison's competitive drive kicks in. Allison is on high alert since she feels Colin stole the Rising Star Award from her while dating in their undergrad program. She's not about to let him do it again. But, he's changed. Dramatically. He's encouraging. He's supportive. He's warm and loving. The flame is still there. Can she trust him?
I get that Allison has every reason to hate Colin, but I did feel like she dwelled on feeling sorry for herself too much for me to really connect with her. I read what was done to Allison and that she was hurt by it, but I didn't feel what she was feeling. I wish I felt the emotions, both good and bad. She had so many wonderful people in her life, but often it was repeated on those who did her wrong. Others are loving this book, so if you enjoy a rivals to possible lovers romance, you may want to give it a read.

"Better meant there was always more to learn."

I was lucky enough to read an eARC of Jenny Howe's debut novel (thanks, NetGalley!) and honestly, this book was such a delight. Think 'The Love Hypothesis' meets 'Beach Read.' Have I caught your attention? Good.

Allison Avery is ready to start her dream Ph.D. program at Claymore University. She'll be studying medieval literature, and under a professor she admires no less, and there is nothing standing in her way.

Except Colin Benjamin, Allison's college ex-boyfriend, who has also been accepted to Claymore. And to make matters worse? Now they're competing for the same TA position.

What starts as a not-so-friendly academic rivalry turns into a full out war when their professor announces she only has one spot on a research trip that would all but solidify Allison's place in her chosen field — and she refuses to let Colin steal from her again. But will the lines begin to blur as they recount their past and find ways to be there for each other in the present?

This story takes a fun approach to the enemies to lovers trope, adding the former lovers angle and perfectly executing the academic rivalry. It also beautifully explores the idea of second chances and, as Allison says, getting 'better' rather than being the best, because people aren't perfect and there is always room to learn and grow.

Jenny also makes a point to include an author's note, pointing out that while Allison is plus-sized, this is NOT a story about a girl who is looking to lose weight or learn how to love herself in her body. Allison is confident, smart, and struts her stuff. She loves herself, just as she is — and there needs to be space in the romance genre for characters of all sizes to live and grow without their weight being at the forefront of their stories.

The only thing missing for me was an epilogue! It's definitely possible there's an epilogue in the final version, and I hope there is because I really wanted to see what happened to Allison and Colin a few months down the line. I was deeply invested in their story from beginning to end, and I wanted just a little more time with them. But other than that, this is a 4.5 star read for me and I look forward to Jenny's second novel, On the Plus Side, which comes out next year!

Review was originally posted on Goodreads.

Whew. This book. I really loved Allison and Colin and the folks around them. It reminded me so much of my own grad school experiences-both good and bad. I appreciate that Howe’s treatment of academia is pretty unflinching. This isn’t a rosy view. She sets up a very accurate backdrop of what this world is like but uses it to create such a sweet and strong romance between two very smart people trying to be their best. I really loved it.

A cute rom-com about enemies to lovers. Avery and Colin are both competing for a carreer making research trip. Who will win this rivalry?!

This story follows Allison Avery, a determined graduate student who has been accepted into the graduate program of her dreams and working as a TA for a professor she's admired for years. The only thing standing in the way is Colin Benjamin. Aka her ex boyfriend who broke her heart...and also happened to get into the same school, same program and assigned the same professor. They soon learn that they are up against each other for a coveted spot as their professor's TA, in which a battle ensues. Will they battle to the death or will they learn something more valuable than winning?

There's so much to love about this book. I loved the academia setting, the representation of plus size women, and the medieval literature references (even though I was unfamiliar with most). It broke my heart seeing Allison struggle with her relationship with her father, but I loved seeing her stand up for herself. I did think the ending wrapped up a little too quickly, but overall this was such a cute read.

Thank you @netgalley for a free copy in exchange for an honest review!

Thank you Netgalley for the advanced reading copy! I always enjoy an academic romance, and this story was sweet, thoughtful, and nicely done for a debut romance from Jenny L. Howe. Allison is getting her PhD in Medieval Literature, and she’s on track to achieve all her academic dreams through having a great advisor and taking an exciting research trip to Wales. But then her ex boyfriend Colin is in her same program, as well as competing for the same advisor and trip. She is also struggling with aspects of her family and connecting with her best friend, so with Colin and Allison’s attraction re-emerging, can they reconnect amidst the challenges confronting them? This is a sweet second chance romance that does a lot of great things for a debut: great fat representative from the portrayal of Allison, accurate feelings of imposter syndrome in a PhD program, and it’s well written. I did think the pacing was a little slow, and I think the story made a lot of concessions for Colin’s mistakes and miscommunications. But full disclosure, sometimes I struggle with the second-chance romance trope. Overall I recommend this book for fans of contemporary romance, second chance, and academic rivalry.

“Allison Avery loves to win. After acing every academic challenge she’s come up against, she’s finally been accepted into her dream Ph.D. program at Claymore University, studying medieval literature under a professor she’s admired for years. Sure, grad school isn’t easy—the classes are intense, her best friend is drifting away, and her students would rather pull all-nighters than discuss The Knight’s Tale—but she’s got this. Until she discovers her ex-boyfriend has also been accepted.”

There was a lot to like about this one:

A plus-sized heroine who *doesn’t* hate herself and spend the book dieting.
University campus setting, with bonus, teaser discussions about medieval literature.
Lovers-to-enemies-to-lovers trope.
Strong boundaries set with unhealthy parents.

Negatives had more to do with personal tenderness, than actual flaws.

Currently in a similar no-contact situation with my own parent, I simultaneously appreciated her strength, and didn’t want it a part of such a fun read. That plot-point was a little too close for me to appreciate it properly.

7.5/10

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for this ARC.

This book continued to surprise me as I read it. The characters and the connection they had kept me screaming in my head. It was beautiful, and I cannot wait to read more books by this author.

DNF at 70%. The story was very slow and the interaction between Collin and Allison was boring. There wasn't enough supporting characters to add depth to the story.

Thank you the publisher for ALC.

A very unique plot for a second chance romance novel! I loved following the story of Allison and Colin and seeing how they grew as individual people and how they grow together. It’s all about the timing and Jenny captured their story perfectly. I wish I could give this partial stars because it deserves at least a 4.25!