An academic, plus sized rep rom com I didn't know I needed.

Allison is currently in the graduate program of her dreams, and when she gets assigned to TA under the professor she admires the most, only to be paired with the guy who broke her heart and her trust when they were both undergrads. They hate flirt and compete to best the other, and when their professor and advisor tells them she can only take one of them to advise and go on a dream research trip, they both take it as an all out competition war they must win. Can they resist the chemistry they still have, or will their competitiveness keep them from a second chance at love

Both characters were so likeable and real, the academic setting was the perfect back drop, I really felt the chemistry and banter between Colin and Allison. They both worked through some issues and trauma which i appreciated. My one problem comes with the way the friendship between Allison and her best friend Sophie was portrayed.

There is so much to love here- Our MC’s are broken and fallible in the best ways, as they learn to trust themselves and each other, but my worry here, is that there is an extremely niche audience for this book. While this plus-sized English lit major bookworm found a lot of herself in our heroine, not everyone will be comfortable with the constant barrage of Medieval Lit references and academic language. Thanks to the chemistry between Colin and Allison, this one garners a solid 3.5 stars. Thank you to #NetGalley and St Martins press for my gifted ARC in exchange for an honest review!

As you may have gathered from the title and cover, The Make-Up Test is an academic rivals to lovers romance for fans of books such as Beach Read. Although I never really fell in love with the author's writing style, the characters, premise and tropes were all very lovable, making this a truly enjoyable read. I highly recommend it to contemporary romance readers. 3.5/5 stars
Thank you to St. Martin's Press for the eARC!

The Make-up Test was a great romance filled with academia, representation, and a roller coaster of emotions.

The book started out slowly, but as it picked up the pace and I started to learn more about the characters, it was hard to put down. Allison is a loveable character who doesn’t like change, loves being alone, and can hold a grudge like no other. I love Allison’s character arc in this book and I appreciated the fact that they are giving romance representation of plus-size characters. Colin, at first, seems like an awful character. But as you get to know him, he sort of grows on you and actually has an epic turning point in this story. All of the side characters blended well with the main characters and helped support the story.

If you love medieval times, academia, lovers to enemies to lovers, and a well balanced romance (with a dash of spice) then this book is for you.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishing company for the ARC.

I love books set in academia, so I was looking forward for reading The Make-Up Test, but unfortunately, it missed the mark for me. While I did enjoy the setting, I didn’t find the romance between Allison and Colin to be particularly inspiring. In fact, I don’t think Colin deserved all the chances Allison gave him. There were so many misunderstandings that could have been cleared up by a simple conversation, which does not lead to an enjoyable reading experience for me. The writing was good, but some of the author’s choices didn’t sit right with me.

Thank you to Net Galley and the publisher for an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I honestly didn't anticipate it taking this long for me to review this title, but apparently it's difficult to assemble my incoherent screams into a coherent review. I loved this book. SO MUCH. It *almost* had me wanting to go to grad school. Almost I say that because my desire to go to grad school usually comes on the heels of a downward spiral and me being convinced that another degree would solve all my problems.

A fat MC, who I couldn't help but love. The romance? Swoon-worthy.

THE TENSION.

THE DYNAMIC.

LOVERS. TO ENEMIES. THEN TO SOMETHING LIKE RIVALS. THEN BACK TO LOVERS.

Look. Just read this.

Loved this! Such a great setting with the academia! Twists and turns I did not fully expect in a romance, but loved them, they were so cute and made the book exciting!

The Make-Up Test was the perfect combination of fun, romance and drama.
In this story about second chances, we get to meet characters that feel real and that have flaws and worries. I do not usually read stories about plus-sized characters, because well… there are not many. And even when I am not plus-sized I, by no means, have a perfect body and it its nice and even necessary to read about characters like this.
I am kind of a fan of second-chance romance and I loved the chemistry between Allison and Colin, I was rooting for them and my heart was a bit broken when things were wrong. Nevertheless, everything is resolved in the end and it do believe it was a good ending.
The academic setting was interesting and original, especially the medieval aspect of it. The pace was good and it was easy to read. All of this made me finish the book in just a couple of days and for me that is pretty fast.
Overall, I really enjoyed it and I will definitely keep an eye out for Jenny’s upcoming books.

Academic Rivals plus second chance romance with a plus sized FMC.

Things I loved:
- The absolute nerdiness of our main characters and
- the way both MCs fight stereotypes of the beauty standard within romance novels
- Every moment of referencing medieval lit

Things that were meh:
- the pacing.
- it felt a little too long
- the side stories weren't super important to me

Solid 3.5 stars. The Make-Up Test felt like a combination of Love Hypothesis and Beach Read. We get a second chance romance and literary academic rivals in grad school moment with Allison and Collin. As someone just out of college it was refreshing to find a book where the characters are actually my age - rather than in their upper twenties. Overall this book had some great fat/plus size representation and underlying themes about family dynamics. While it was an an enjoyable read - it did take me a while to get into - and at times had me questioning if Collin and Allison were really meant to be together - especially in the last few chapters of the book.
Thank you to st. martin’s press and Netgalley for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review!

I really wanted to like this book, but it just fell really flat for me. I read the first third and then skimmed some and read the end. I found the characters to be really unlikeable and immature, and the story felt pretty predictable to me. I know this is the author’s debut and I would be willing to read what else she comes out with. But unfortunately this one really was not for me.

I received a copy of this story from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

DNF: 25%

I have this rule: if I hate more than one of the main characters, I cannot keep reading.

I hate Allison and Colin. They're whiny and immature and annoying and insufferable. Allison, at the very least, has a questionable relationship with intelligence and self-worth. She's not a good friend, either, what with all her anxiety and almost anger over Sophie growing/evolving as a young adult. I don't think I read far enough to learn much about Colin.

I tried to give this one a chance. I love a good second-chance trope and being set in the world of academia is, for me, rather singular. But I couldn't muster positive feelings about either of them. Once I knew I'd be walking away, I read other reviews and it seems like Colin doesn't get any better.

I think I dodged a bullet here.

Jenny's book is full of heart and hope and academia! Loved it so much, put it on your TBR immediately!

A wonderful debut novel about two competitive medieval teaching assistants who battle for a prized educational reward in ways that threaten their relationship because only one can win. Trust, which was already breached when we begin the story, is in issue every step of the way by pitting their love and affection for one another against their individual desire to succeed because the prize is so essential to the future they dream of. Be prepared for a bit of arcane English and scholarly analysis. After all, it’s the class topic. There is nothing quite like a knight in dented armor to secure a proper happy ending.

This is a weird starting point for a review, but I want to start with how Jed, narrator Allison Avery’s father, is a pretty horrible person to Allison. His dismissiveness and criticisms of her are toxic, and despite her mother’s desires, Allison has every right to not want him to be a part of her life. The way he has treated her has likely colored the way she lives her life and how she sees the other people in her life, especially those people close to her. But if this was the approach Jenny Howe was going for in The Make-Up Test, it really doesn’t work for me because Allison comes off as a pretty self-absorbed person herself. This may be something other readers can overcome, but when there’s a protagonist in a story promoted as a romance novel, and the character doesn’t seem to grow enough over the course of a book, I just can’t. Allison is an ultra-competitive perfectionist, who tends to think that if she works hard enough for something it should be hers, irregardless of the work and effort of others that want the same thing. Everything with her ex, Colin, was a competition. Something she blames him for when he wins an award she wanted, despite her own desires to turn things into a contest. If her entry is the best, would it even matter that he entered? Fast forward several years and the pair are in the same graduate program, an lo and behold, are in a competition for an advisor and a trip to Wales. She turns it into a competition and lies to him and their advisor before it is actually a competition. Not surprisingly, Allison once again assumes the worst out of Colin on multiple occasions, jumping to conclusions without being willing to listen to him. Though he's far from perfect (especially in some of his past decisions), Colin does actually have very good reasons for his actions, but it feels like he’s the one making all the concessions for the pair to maintain any kind of relationship. Allison does the same thing to her roommate Sophie. She gets mad at her for spending time with other friends and looking at job possibilities elsewhere because her options are limited where they live. She pays bills on her mother's behalf without talking to her about it first. It feels like Allison just expects everyone to do exactly as she wants, when she wants, how she wants, and there’s no room for the people around her to make any decisions that are in their own best interests. I also didn’t feel like it was much of a romance, maybe it’s better off being marketed as women’s fiction? The relationship between Allison and Colin doesn’t feel romantic most of the time – it feels like a competition. There are also lots of medieval literature references because of the graduate program the pair are in, and while I have a passing familiarity with Beowulf, Malory and Chaucer, it wasn’t enough that I didn’t start mentally checking out when the story starting getting in minutiae. This may be a better fit for other readers, but there wasn’t much here that didn’t rub me the wrong way. A complimentary copy of the book was provided by the publisher. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

The moment I saw this book, I knew it had everything I'm into reading about. Second chance romance, enemies to lovers, witty banter, & the cover is adorable. What wouldn't I like?!
Unfortunately, it's definitely not for me.

I don't think I really liked any characters. Allison seemed very immature from the beginning. It didn't feel like I was reading about someone in grad school, more so high school. The ways she used to describe the ex shes competing against were a little off putting. But that would be more of my own personal opinion I suppose since nothing about him seemed attractive to me from her descriptions.
Colin is gross. I'm into banter and joking from men in books but his "banter" seemed more smarmy than anything and just rubbed me the wrong way. The entire ending was just.. not it.

There were also weird moments of the pandemic thrown in that didn't seem to contribute much. If I'm reading something that's fiction, it's nice to not be reminded of something that's still unfortunately going on in real life.

While I wish I had liked it, I'm sure it could still be someones cup of tea. We're just all into way different things.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book!

I loved the Allison so much and related to her as a woman in academia and as a woman who has been fat-shamed by family and society at different points in my life.
Allison is fueled by her insecurities and sometimes makes very questionable choices as a result. I think this book does a great job of presenting her inner conflict. It also does a great job of presenting a not perfect, and I would say sometimes unlikeable heroine.
Colin, our hero, is not someone I trusted for a majority of the book. Seeing as this is a second-chance romance, we learn of the reasons behind their breakup but the way Howe presents the character growth in Colin is highly commendable and I grew to like him in some moments.

There was also strong moments beyond the romance such as Allison dealing with her strained relationship with her abusive father. And Colin's relationship with his sick grandfather.

Overall, very many things were well done and I can't wait to read more by Howe
4.5 stars

A fat positive, second chance, academic rivals-to-lovers, bookish romance?? Give it to me! Everything about The Make-Up Test sounded right up my alley. Unfortunately, I was let down, like VERY down. All the things that should have worked for me, just did not work.

I didn’t care for either main character or buy their chemistry. Both Allison and Colin were wildly unlikeable and immature and neither seemed to show any personal growth throughout the book. Colin gave me the ick almost immediately - the way he was described was really off putting. Honestly, Colin was the worst. He did terrible things in the past and again in the present and seemingly did nothing to redeem himself. Not all romances deserve a second chance!

It’s clear this book is not for me. I really didn’t enjoy the romance or the personal journey/family stuff either character was going through. It is especially disappointing that this book missed the mark as badly as it did since I had such high hopes for it!

CW: fat-shaming, fat phobia, emotionally abusive parent, toxic relationship with a parent, sick parent/death of parent, dementia

This is an adorable book and I loved all the references to books and literature. I loved the character development and how things worked out in the end. Would recommend to others.

This book has a lot to offer, positive body representation, dysfunctional family dynamics, laughs, tears, and even some heat. This author is new to me but I will be looking out for her books. Check it out you won’t be disappointed.