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.
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A battle of the wits ensures and game is on. Love, literature and literal knights set the tone in this one.
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Thank you #StMartinsPress and #NetGalley for an advanced
Copy in exchange for an honest review.

I wanted to love this, I really did. I was here for the tropes—second chance romance and rivals to lovers, but I didn’t really like Allison or Colin’s characters very much. I think I just wanted more from this book and their romance, especially after how Colin ended things originally between him and Allison, and instead everything just felt rushed.

Womp! Bummed I didn’t like this more, but thanks Netgalley and SMP for the arc!

It's an entertaining book! Focus on mental health and a slow burn--so good! Very charming and enjoyable to read :)

Thank you NetGalley and Jenny L. Howe!

Thankful for the author's note on this one, I didn't start it until I was in a decent place mentally. Still...it was a disappointment. I wanted to love it, I really did. But it fell extremely flat for me. I tried to push through it, but DNF'd about halfway through.

1 Star, because of DNF.

I LOVED THE MAKE-UP TEST!!!
I knew I was going to love this book within the first chapter. This book has the power to make your heart all warm and fuzzy, even on the coldest of days. Its equally funny as it is spicy, and the characters are so loveable. I love the cover of this book and I can't wait to purchase a physical copy to put on my shelf!

First I want to thank Jenny L. Howe, St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the eARC of this books in exchange for an honest review. The make-Up Test comes out September 13, 2022!!

The Make-Up Test is a second-chance romance, mixed in with an academic rivals component as well. When Ph.D. student Allison finds out she got the TA position of her dreams she couldn't have been more excited, that is until she finds out she will be sharing the honor with ex-boyfriend Colin. What happens next is a competition on who will be the best, and get the chance to go to Wales on a once and a life-time research trip. Even with their personal battle taking place will they be able to resist each other and the residual feelings that are coming back to the surface.

Honestly I was extremely excited about getting the chance to read this book, and while it was a good premise it kind of fell flat in the end. For me I felt that the main female character was so focused on the competition that it got in the way of the rebudding of their relationship. I also felt like there wasn't a lot of character growth even though the main characters were convince there was. In the end they reacted the same way to different situations as they did in their first chance at love. In the end though it was a cute book, that at times still gave me warm and fuzzy feelings that you look for when reading a romance.

I wanted to love this book. It had great potential. I just couldn't connect with the characters, unfortunately. I DNF at 50%. I appreciate the publishers giving me the chance to read The Make-Up Test. It just wasn't for me!

"The Make-Up Test" by Jenny L. Howe
Life Is Complicated
This is a fun rom-com story that also hits on some tough reality thorns.. Maybe one of those thorns is a part of your world. A really good story that has you wondering if Allison and Colin will ever find their way to successfully deal with their ‘thorns’ and find their way to their happier tomorrows. Happy Reading ! !
NOTE: This review expresses my honest opinion.
I received an ARC of this story from the publisher via NetGalley.

This was ridiculously cute and just the right amount of infuriating. Misunderstandings, miscommunication, and a healthy dose of self-preservation by both parties leads to a slow burn that will almost bring tears to your eyes at the sweetness. Neither character is described in a way that is “conventionally” attractive, and yet they are both treated (rightfully) as the beautiful and wonderful people they are. As always, the reason for the failed communication is enraging, but we will allow it because it creates the buildup to make better communication a priority, and we love a cute romcom that is also serious about healthy relationships in all forms.

DNF'd at 41%. I will be honest I really wanted to DNF this book at 25% but pushed through cause it was an ARC and I felt bad but it did not improve for me.

I do want to start with the things I like which is that I thought Jenny Howe definitely has a fun voice and I would be willing to give her next works another go. I also appreciate any book with a fat MC who doesn't lose weight or hate her body.

Now for everything else. I think that there are a lot of little problems with this book (weird pandemic references, too much focus on the MC's school work, underdeveloped side characters) that to me could have been forgiven if not for the biggest main issue. I didn't like Alison. I hated how immature she was, how unwilling she was to confront her problems and the realities of the world she lived in as well as how petty and competitive she was. It made the driving force of the book petty miscommunication and anxiety. I have read lots of books with anxious or competitive characters I like but every lie Alison chose and every moment of panic fueled competitiveness drove me away from this story. I thought I could push though to try to get to the point where we learn what really happened between Alison and Colin but learning from other reviews that the book continues with an even bigger miscommunication stole any will I had to keep going.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

The Make-Up Test covers so many well-liked tropes it will really appeal to so many readers. It’s a lovers to rivals to lovers, second chance romance, plus it’s academia based, and has so much representation throughout.

I found it to be very relatable and a more realistic love story than what we sometimes get used to reading with romance or rom-com books. I think it’s great that the main characters were not the social norm for “hot” but it wasn’t portrayed in a way where it was a problem or it affected how they viewed themselves or each other. I really enjoyed how they tackled body positivity and what overweight women can be put through by family and acquaintances alike.

Overall I think it’s a fun, quick read that will definitely boost your vocab and historical literature knowledge.

Thank you to NetGalley, Jenny L. Howe, and St Martins Press for the opportunity to read and review this eARC.

This Review Contains Slight Spoilers
This Book..... OMFG soooo good. So many emotions to process, tears and laughter.
Allison's relationship with her father; while not the main focus of the story, really made me appreciate the story so much more. Getting a glimpse into her life outside of her and Colin. Colin's relationship with his grandfather was also very touching and definitely made me tear up in the end.. A LOT!!
And of course Colin and Allison... their relationship was messy yet perfect. I think the first breakup what what they both needed to grow themselves to be better together in the end and Colin needed that extra time with his grandfather more than he knew at the time.
Overall I love this book and I can't wait to buy it so I can add it to my shelf with all my other favorite books!!!