I loved the academic setting of this novel and the unique field (medieval literature)! I liked Allison, the protagonist, but I really, really do not love second chance romances. There are very few situations in which they deserve a second chance, in my opinion. I didn't love this one. I did feel like Colin changed, that he was a different person from before, but I didn't feel like his explanation for what went wrong between the first time was satisfying. I didn't like Allison's reaction to it; it felt out of character for her to just kinda sweep it under the rug and proceed with the relationship. It just didn't all sit right with me and I couldn't really get behind them getting back together.

2.5 rounded down. I went Into this book not sure what to expect, but I don’t think academia romances are enjoyable to me anymore. Rivals to lovers and second chance romance are favorite romance tropes of mine so I was wanted to give it a try. However, this just didn’t do it for me. Colin was not likable at all, either were his descriptions. Their romance never made me feel anything but annoyance that she saw anything in him. I loved the plus size representation and the issues and prejudice that comes along with that. I liked how the author dealt with toxic family and grief. Overall it was a well written book it just didn’t make me feel that loving feeling. Just because this wasn’t for me doesn’t mean it you won’t enjoy it! Definitely give it a try if you like medieval literature, academia rival/romance. If you enjoyed “The Love Hypothesis” you’ll probably enjoy this.

***Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for this ARC in exchange for an honest review***

I haven’t stopped smiling since I finished this book! This is a debut novel, but I really couldn’t tell. I love Colin and Alison’s story so much. If you enjoy reading about second chance love, lovers to enemies back to lovers, and found family you will love this story!

I love that the FMC is plus size and the MMC is kind of a dork. It’s not your typical love story in the best way.

The book is written in third party point of view which took some getting used to. I do wish we could have also had some POV’s from Colin’s perspective, but overall I loved the writing and the storyline kept me engaged the whole way through! And there’s even a little bit of spice which is always a plus!

I can’t wait to read more from Jenny in the future!

I thought this book was pretty cute. I think I glossed over at the beginning what the definition of WCS was, and since it was used so much in the book, I ended up having to go back and find it at the beginning. I liked that the main characters were a stick thin guy and a plus-size girl—it’s a nice change from the guy with a six pack and the girl with slender hips and a flat stomach. It definitely made them feel more relatable to the average person. Overall, it was a sweet book, and worth a read!

Allison Avery is a PhD student with a love of medieval literature deeply ingrained in her. She is working as a TA under a highly admired distinguished professor, who has another TA also: Colin, Allison’s ex from their undergrad years at Brown. Colin is handsome and charismatic, and Allison is haunted by their past. Their professor reveals that by the end of the semester, one of the two TAs will be chosen to be her advisee and go on the trip of a lifetime to see medieval literature relics. As the competition between Allison and Colin heats up, old feelings come rushing back to the surface.

There were many positives to this book that are incredibly endearing. A sweet corgi puppy; a woman who is plus-sized and wears it with pride instead of shame; references to beautiful medieval literature. There are also aspects that are now sweet, but that are so raw and real that they give depth to Allison: a fraught relationship with her father and her struggle during his final days; bodily insecurities, despite her outward confidence; feelings of being left behind by her best friend. The positives and negatives that weave a rich tapestry of character and give us a very flawed and very lovable heroine that we want to root for.

However.

I simply could not root for this romance because I absolutely detest Colin.

An egotistical, selfish, immature caricature of an academic. I was so disappointed in Allison’s attraction to him because his only personality traits are being tall and thin, and having a large ego. The way he was described is also incredibly off-putting. As a reader, I’m supposed to find Colin attractive so I root for the romance. But with descriptions like “an isosceles triangle” or “elvish,” I can’t help but picture a pretentious Jack Skellington. I couldn’t stand him and was actively rooting for Allison to come to the conclusion that she was better off alone. Alas, they ended up together anyway. I’ll give them a year.

This seemed a little too YA for MCs in their mid-20s. Too immature for me.

Very excited that I got to read this before the published date! This book gave us lovers to ex-lovers to academic rivals back to lovers! A great book that had quirky characters that also are strong and independent. With both main characters fighting for a school position, they pulled out all the stops to be the best TA around. It was a heartfelt story with you rooting for the main character and her journey to find love!

Jenny L. Howe created some very likable, and some even lovable, characters in her novel The Make-Up Test. While it took me a few chapters to really get wrapped up in the story, I found it to be very well written and it offered some very much-needed comedic relief. This novel stands apart from others I have read lately in the sense it that had depth, moral and ethical battles, important life lessons we all face, and still managed to have just the right amount of romance and spice to accompany it. One other thing that I thoroughly enjoyed about this book was the fact that the characters aren't described to be models. They are REAL characters. Allison is what the synopsis describes as "unequivocally fat positive" along with her best friend Sophie. Then you have Colin. Colin isn't the man we normally get in our novels with the ripped abs and shredded biceps. Instead, he is tall and lanky. He is nerdy with a wide variety of cardigans. He wears big glasses, but he never has a hair out of place. Overall, this is an adorable read that is very different from the books that are popular right now. I did enjoy it.

Two exes reunite after years and are both forced to TA together as they compete for a spot on a coveted research project. Allison Avery has finally been accepted into her dream Ph.D. program at Claymore University, studying medieval literature under a professor she’s always admired. The only hiccup? She is being forced to TA with her ex who not only broke her heart, stole academic credit, and is now back to steal another academic opportunity from her. Colin Benjamin was the guy that Allison was in love with except he stole an award that she had wanted so badly and then promptly broke up with her a day later telling her he just wants to focus on himself. Now he is back and acting as if they can reconnect and trying to be nice to her again. But then when a family emergency has her panicking and him offering to help, they reconnect and open up to each other again... except once again Allison walks into another betrayal from Colin and this time, it just might be the last straw for her. I’ll say this, if I ever dated someone and they did what Colin did to her, I would never forgive them, I would not give them a second chance, and I would not give them the time of day. As someone who has dealt with people trying to take credit for my own academic work, I immediately disliked Colin and my growing dislike for him only grew worse as the book went on. Colin is not a great person, in fact I completely sided with Allison’s friend Sophie who questions why Allison is giving him the time or day a second time after he completely ruined her the first time, and the fact that she recalls all the things he did and said, the way he treated her? Come on Allison, do better. This man did not change from how he was, and the way they broke up in the third act and the reason for what he did? Nah. NAH NAH NAH. No way would I ever let that man even talk to me again. Let me say this, I appreciated Allison trying to do her best and her anger was justified, what I did not appreciate was her just letting herself be pulled into the orbit that is Colin. This romance just did not work for me, I was expecting academic enemies to lovers but with a bit more substance or at least fun banter, what I wasn’t expecting was being infuriated while reading this and just overall upset that in the end she was lulled back with this man. So while this one wasn’t for me, definitely give it a go though if you are looking for second chance romances.

*Thanks Netgalley and St. Martin's Press, St. Martin's Griffin for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*

This is one of my most anticipated reads of this year. A second chance, academic rivals romance? Take my money.
The story was set in a highly intellectual world. The competing, working together, having presentations, assisting, everything added a realistic touch to Allison & Colin's relationship. I loved their chemistry & banter.

That being said it's hard to like Allison. She is a person who always jumped to conclusions without thinking or even with any kind of evidence. Even after knowing about Colin's insecurities, she uses it to hurt him, when she thinks that he stole something important of her-again without even knowing the whole story.

And Colin was a goddamn Saint. A cinnamon roll hero who tried to make it up to Allison for his past mistakes. And here this, HE was the one to make a grand gesture at the end, even when HE wasn't at fault and even when HIS life was falling apart due to various other reasons.
Overall I enjoyed the growth of the characters & body positivity rep.

Thank you Netgalley & Publisher for the arc in exchange of an honest review.

Thank you to Jenny L. Howe, St. Martin's Press, and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of a digital advanced reviewer copy in exchange for an honest review!

Plus-sized representation. Smart. Forced proximity

"Maybe, instead, she'd aim for better. Because better meant there was always more to learn."

REVIEW:
This book follows Allison Avery, a determined and competitive Ph.D. medieval literature candidate at Claymore University. Allison wants to impress her parents, especially her "never-satisfied" father by excelling in the program of her dreams, while working under the professor that will fast-track her dream career. The only thing standing in her way is Colin... her ex-boyfriend that somehow got into the same university, with the same study, and the same mentor professor as her. The stakes get even higher when the professor has to cut of them as a mentee and miss out of an international trip of a lifetime. Will Allison and Colin battle it out to the death, or will they discover something more important than winning?

I thought the storyline was cute. I loved the academia setting and the literature references. I appreciated seeing the female lead as a strong individual with goals and ambitions. My heart wrenched for Allison to see her struggling relationship with her father. But I wanted to see more struggle between Allison and Colin. It seemed like they found their "happy ever after" too early in the book and the author had to cram in their relationship struggle at the end. I also felt that the resolution was too far of a reach. I appreciated seeing the plus-sized representation in this book and the subtle references that accompany real life issues plus-sized individuals.

Based on the description I really wanted to love The Make-up Test: academia setting, body positive heroine, second chances, but I stopped reading this book at the 30% point. I could not get into it. I felt like the exposition went on for far too long and I wasn't emotionally connecting with any of the characters. I know others have really loved this book, but sadly it was not the book for me.
2.5 stars for the first 30%.

A huge thank you to the author and publisher for providing an e-ARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review!

Allison Avery has a new position as a medieval literature TA for her favorite graduate professor, and she couldn’t be happier… until she finds out her ex, Colin Benjamin, is her co-TA in that class. Uh, what?! So when her professor declares there’s going to be a research opportunity for only ONE of them, Allison is determined to win. After he absolutely demolished her heart and their relationship, there’s no way she’s going to let Collin do better than her in graduate school.

I love a good STEM rep, and I’m always down for a second-chance love story! Plus, it has the enemies to lovers trope… YES PLEASE! This book was absolutely adorable and had all the elements I love — swoon-worthy characters, touching moments, family drama, self-pride, academia, etc. I was giggling, crying, gasping, sighing, and laughing along with the characters.

Will definitely be purchasing this book when it comes out on September 13, 2022!

What a delightful read! I really identified with Allison in a lot of ways. The backstories for both main characters felt real and it made me root for the both of them to find their happy ending. The academic background is always fun to read for me, so overall I really enjoyed this one!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the Advanced Reader Copy.

Super cute romance. I enjoyed the dynamic between the characters. Also, loved the insecurities/family history that the characters were given and how they were dealt with.

I wanted to like this a lot more than I did. I got this arc through the publisher at netgalley and I think there are so many wonderful things about it: the academia setting, English literature woven in the text, and the quirky cast of characters. But, I think it falls flat in a lot of ways. I don’t like the misunderstanding trope (something that can be solved if they just had a frank conversation with one another), and I also felt like the relationship between Allison and Colin wasn’t really fleshed out to the point of me rooting for them to be together. It just wasn’t my favorite.

Alison finds her nemesis ex-boyfriend has enrolled in the same graduate program, with the same academic focus as she had selected. The two end up in a competition,, fighting to be selected by their advisor for the plum assignment that will guarantee one of them a path to academic success. The trials they share--and the competition they enjoy--keep you turning pages to see what will happen next.

The Make-Up Test was a fun, quick paced read. I hardly ever read New Adult. It's just not my favorite age group, but this one really worked for me. It had a wonderful academia setting, a great cast of characters, and an interesting premise.

Allison is a new PhD student trying her best to excel in her chosen field of literature. Colin is an ex-boyfriend from undergrad who shows back up on her first day. They have always been fierce competitors and things didn't end well between them in the past. Can they come to a truce, work together, and even make a relationship work in the present?

I loved Allison and her incredible brain that loved all things medieval literature. I distinctly remember having to recite the prologue of Chaucer's The Canterbury Tales in Middle English, so this book brought back fond high school memories for me. Allison wasn't afraid to set boundaries, knew her self worth, and worked really hard to succeed as a student and teacher. Colin, on the other hand, came across as super shady for a lot of the book. Once we (both Allison and the reader) got to know his motivations, he was more endearing, but he still made some questionable choices and had some growing up to do. Luckily I think he's on the right track.

**One thing I could have done without were the references to Covid. Either include it or don't. There were two or three references that made the timeline feel murky and weird. It just didn't add anything to the story line at all.

I really did enjoy this book. I loved the look into the academia world, and I thought Allison and Colin had a sweet relationship once they worked out some communication issues. There are great, age appropriate friend situations. Overall, I thought it was a good look into the struggles that one encounters when you are 23 and trying to figure out what comes next. I highly recommend it and will definitely seek out Jenny L. Howe's next offerings.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the advanced e-book in exchange for my honest review!

Quick Summary: To be, or not to be, THAT is the question.

My Review: The Make-Up Test by Jenny L. Howe is a second chance love story. It features two graduate students who have a highly competitive history and a past that depicts a love gone wrong.

About the Characters:
A was confident when it came to her knowledge of literature, movie-based pop culture references, and obscure facts, but she was less secure when it came to her relationships. She had a broken relationship with her parent, a changing relationship with her best friend, and a tumultuous relationship with C, the guy she trusted and gave her heart to, once upon a time. To trust or not to trust became her mantra.

C was a curious character. He was likable, but he did not always do likable things. It was obvious that he was a good guy, but his some-timey singular focus sent mixed messages. He had a lot going on in his life, and as a result, he shifted into periods of selfishness. At his core, however, C was a guy who loved his mother, his grandfather, and A. His past decision, his skewed style of communicating, and his shifting actions casted a shadow of doubt over his relationship with, A, the girl he claimed to love.

About the Romance:
A and C were perfectly imperfect together...or should I say they were imperfectly perfect together? It was obvious that these characters cared for one another. It was also obvious that they had chemistry. Unfortunately, they both had major insecurities that hindered their coupling. Still, this book gave readers a glimpse of their growth and their potential for a healthy partnership.

About the Conflict: The conflict behind the interruption in A and C's relationship was minimal, in my estimation. The initial conflict was due to a poor choice and a failed execution. The second time around, it all boiled down to a misunderstanding that could have easily been remedied had they communicated instead of assuming.

What I Loved About This Book: I loved seeing a plus-sized character as the lead. I was also happy to see the FH as a scholar with drive and ambition.

My Final Say: This was a solid read. I very much liked it, and I would certainly recommend it. As I read it, I confess that I kept coming back to the Shakespearean thought: To be, or not to be, that is the question. It was like a giant thought bubble rested above my head, reflecting should they or shouldn't they. Their outcome was sweet though and everything was well settled.

Rating: 4/5
Recommend: Yes
Audience: NA to A

Thank you to the author and to the publisher, who provided access to this title via NetGalley. The words I have shared are my own.

I can appreciate a strong rivalry, especially amongst intellectual academics such as Allison Avery and her ex-boyfriend Colin Benjamin. Two years ago at Brown University, they were a couple in undergrad and then Colin did the unthinkable, followed by a breakup, that Allison barely recovered from. Now, in grad school at Claymore, both of them are working together as teaching assistants in this same field of study and in direct competition - again. Allison was a great character in the sense that she was relatable, even with her brilliance. She grew up with insecurities stemming from her father and her size, but despite all of that, she worked hard and achieved everything she set out to do and is proud of her accomplishments. Her trust barometer is a little bit off because she's been burned by those closest to her so she thrives off of structure and routine.

Colin was interesting to me because he didn't seem to come off with nefarious intent. From the glimpses of him in the past, he genuinely adored Allison so I was surprised by how he pulled the rug out from under her and how cavalier he seemed about it. But sometimes people's actions and heart don't always match up initially, so I gave him the benefit of a doubt. Yes, he still did idiotic things, but he also did kind and considerate things as well, showcasing how well he knew Allison and that he still respected her as an intelligent individual. I had no doubt that he cared about her, but he went about it sideways at times, yet this book also goes to show that people have layers and backgrounds and unless we have the full story, we don't always understand their motivation.

The same can be said for Allison's relationship with her father, which plays a central theme. The author does a good job of depicting toxicity and that it's not a requirement to accept it or tolerate it just because someone is a family member or otherwise. Although I'm not a medieval literature fan, I did find some of the discussions and topics intriguing and was at least able to appreciate Allison's deep passion for it. These characters are all flawed and a bit messy with some dysfunction in their history, but I enjoyed the realness behind it, knowing that mistakes can be made, but learned from to move forward. Most of all, Allison deserved every bit of success that she's earned and worked for.

Allison’s dream is about to come true when she is accepted into her dream PHD program to study medieval literature. That is until she realizes her ex-boyfriend is also accepted. Even worse the two must compete for a research trip opportunity.
.
A battle of the wits ensures and game is on. Love, literature and literal knights set the tone in this one.
.
Thank you #StMartinsPress and #NetGalley for an advanced
Copy in exchange for an honest review.