Thank you to Netgalley and SMP for an e-arc in exchange for my honest review.

Jenny Howe's debut is a perfect romance multiple-choice question, where the answer is a) body positivity for both female and male MCs, b) women in academia, c) delightful enemies/rivals-to-lovers second chance romance, or d) ALL OF THE ABOVE. I adored the witty banter (you don't have to be a medieval literature expert to laugh out loud at their zingers), loaded glances, and sexy Scrabble! And as a recovering grad student myself, I can vouch for every detail in this honest and raw portrayal of women in academia, both for the pitfalls and the triumphs.

This book does deal with some difficult topics (mental illness, fat-shaming, death of a family member), but it does so with care and grace. The author's note that precedes the text introduces and contextualizes some of the issues that will be content considerations for some readers.

Overall a lovely read from a bright new voice in romance. I'm looking forward to her follow-up title!

This was a fun second chance romance read. Allison starts her dream PhD program only to find that her ex - who broke up with her very very unceremoniously and after an academic betrayal two years ago - is in the exact same program as her. They hadn't spoken since that day and here they are, forced back into close proximity and Allison finds she still has some feelings lingering, along with what she thinks are hate and loathing. But Colin seems different. Could he have changed? Grown? And what's up with him "suddenly" being into medieval literature?

Lots of fun tidbits throughout the story, and catnip for readers who are academics, in a grad program, and love medieval literature. I felt like I should go check out a few of the texts mentioned. Also love that there is a positive depiction of a plus sized main character who is not obsessed with weight. She loves herself, and rightly so. Some family dynamics explored, along with friendships and tensions that arise as you continue to grow and life takes you on possibly differing paths. I wish there was an epilogue to put a button on things and turn a HFN into a true HEA. Also mentions of the pandemic took me out, but this is an ARC so it may be adjusted (mentioning it in past tense - I wish!).

Fun characters, cute plot, and some much-needed plus sized romance rep. This was a quick summer read for me and I loved the relationship between Allison and Colin beyond the physical - they supported each other's dreams and showed up when it counted. The academia setting was also a ton of fun. I think every character was flawed and messy, but I found myself doubtful that the couple makes it beyond the last page of the book. Either way, they got the Happy For Now I was dreaming of and I would definitely recommend this book to all the second chance romance fans.

A second chance romance in grad school!

Perfectly captures the grad school experience. Allison is such a relatable character whose trials and tribulations in grad school and in her relationships feel real. I connected and could relate to the MC so much, both as a plus size woman, and as someone with a challenging relationship with her father. These characters felt real, multidimensional. The romance was beautifully done, building naturally. Overall, an amazing read, and one I will recommend for years to come!
One cool thing: Similarities between the Wife of Bath and Ursula?! YES, please! I want to read that paper! (Ch. 1)

From the very first page, THE MAKE-UP TEST promised comedy, romance, and a deep search of the soul, and this book delivered on every single level! Unable to put it down, I devoured the book in a weekend, feeling so seen by the plus-sized romantic hero Allison! There's sexy Scrabble, hilarious situations, and plenty of romantic tropes turned on their heads to delight ALL readers!

Imagine working so hard to get into your dream grad program only to see your ex boyfriend from college in the same program. Allison struggles with the old Colin in her head,their horrible breakup and this new version in front of her.
Their competitive relationship could ruin everything. Their internal conversations are wrong at best, are they handling their new relationship wrong? Can they move ahead,accept the unacceptable and be their best selves?
Great friends, fun banter and realistic relationship conflicts. Kudos to allowing a “big” girl to live her best life.
Fun,quick read! Rooting for them to connect!
I received a complimentary copy of this book, all opinions are my own.

*SPOILERS BELOW*

3.5 stars - rounded up to 4! Thank you NetGalley for the arc! What I LOVE right off the bat is this story takes place 5 minutes from my home - Providence, RI! So fun for me as a reader. I wish I got to read this in the fall so I can soak up the autumn time while reading this novel, because it definitely has ~cozy fall vibes~

Jenny Howe has GORGEOUS writing. Her descriptions are beautiful and her two leads were very fleshed out. I do think sometimes the characters went on a bit too long about medevil lit, and personally I cannot relate to the lead’s competitiveness when it comes to school/being the best. It was still enjoyable without being distracting.

I do wish she exhibited forgiveness towards the end for *SPOILER*. However, that is more based on my beliefs and morals when it comes to forgiveness and I respect everyone is different.

I also LOVED the reason for the third-act-break up. My jaw dropped. I doooo think the breakup inself could have been avoided if it was communicated better which isn’t my favorite trope.

Beautiful debut by Jenny Howe!

I'm skeptical when it comes to the enemies to lovers trope. Too often, the cause of the conflict is something relatively minuscule or an easily resolved miscommunication. But in the case of the Make-Up Test, the catalyst for the tension between Colin and Allison is reasonable -- when they were dating in undergrad, Colin went behind Allison's back to apply for an award/grant he knew she wanted and then broke up with her afterwards citing his need to be alone to accomplish his future goals. So when Allison finds out that the two of them will be TAs for the same professor in grad school, she's understandably guarded. To me, the beauty of The Make-Up Test is that Allison's struggles feel authentic. And when she does, unsurprisingly, over react over what is essentially a miscommunication, rather than create a flimsy premise for conflict, it fits into the existing narrative coherently. Given her past with Colin and the hurdles the two of them had to surmount to rekindle a relationship, it's unsurprising she struggles to give him the benefit of the doubt when faced with a visibly dubious situation. And Colin, to his credit, acknowledges his errors and ultimately takes steps to change and confront them. In classic romance novel fashion, this comes in the form of a grand gesture, namely donning a suit of medieval armor to beg his medieval-literature-loving ex to accept his apology.
The Make-Up Test is far from perfect -- Allison handles her relationship with her alleged best friend Sophie poorly at times and Colin's inability to communicate openly unless pressed gets a bit frustrating -- but their flaws ultimately help their characters seem more realistic.

Jenny Howe's The Make-up Test is such an enjoyable and sweet Graduate School/Academic romance. If you like both second chance romances and rivals to lovers tropes then you will like this fun and witty story. I love that the main character, Allison, is a smart and funny plus size woman. It has been so refreshing to find more and more women of different sizes, backgrounds and ethnicities in romances lately. We need to see more body positive main characters like Allison in romances! I loved the English Department Graduate setting and the competition aspect between Allison and Colin. Their love story sends a great message about making assumptions about others and the importance of being open and honest in relationships. I really liked this debut from Jenny Howe and can't wait to see what she does next.

*3.5 stars rounded up
The funniest part of this book is that I saw a TikTok of a real story that was SO similar like a week later.
Let's start off with the first piece, characters. I really liked our MC here. Allison driven, but also fun and funny. She truly loves herself and prioritizes her own mental health for the better part of the book, which I loved. You know who I DIDN'T like, though? Colin. Benjamin. The whole point is that this man has changed for the better since the flashbacks, but I truly don't think this man has changed enough to deserve Allison. His grandfather's sickness supposedly made him love medieval literature and find his passion and a better personality, but he falls into really similar patterns. Regardless of his motives with not getting into grad school and needing a better field, Colin did NOT need to stay close to Allison and completely mess up the plans that she worked on for years. I'm not saying he didn't need to keep himself afloat, but even with his new passion, he followed the path she had to forge for herself and competed with her for things he had wanted for maybe a year while she dedicated her life to it for likely 5+ years already. He was certainly persistent, but if it was so clear he wasn't suited to the field, he shouldn't have even attempted to steal what she wanted for it, and that goes for both the flashbacks and the rest of the book.
I have mixed feelings about this relationship. I do think that these two respect and love each other, but I can't help but fear that despite them both being extremely into their studies, Colin is all too willing to mess with Allison's life to help his own, even though his is going worse. I just do not like him, and I wouldn't have been surprised if he actually did plagiarize the entire presentation at the end. He was at least a bit obnoxious in the past and present, which made him annoying to read about, even if he was better than a lot of the other men in this book. To summarize, he's not the worst option ever, but he should've respected Allison's career path a lot more and not stolen every single aspect of it.
I did like the plot of this book, but again, I don't like Colin, who is a big part of it. Anyways, the writing itself is definitely good. I loved the descriptions of medieval literature, and it sparked an interest of my own that I'd love to explore!
I'd recommend this to people who like lovers to rivals to lovers, but fair warning, I might not be the only one to dislike our wonderful hero. They had a lot of great chemistry, though, and I enjoyed reading the book.

The author's sparkling debut novel is for readers who don't mind a little Beowulf or Chaucer in a contemporary romance.

The relationship Allison and Colin had built at Ivy-League Brown University had ended badly. Allison felt betrayed when Colin unexpectedly won a prestigious prize she coveted and he had claimed he wasn't applying for. Two years later, Allison is dismayed to find Colin in her Ph.D. program. Both are studying medieval literature--Allison's specialty--and vying for the plum role of permanent teaching assistant to a highly respected professor. There's clearly still a spark between them, but Allison is resisting. Both characters also have family issues. Colin's beloved grandfather and mentor has early dementia. Allison's estranged and alienating father is having medical problems, and Allison can't seem to care.

Although I couldn't help wondering whether Allison and Colin SHOULD be together, I enjoyed them as flawed but evolving characters. Supporting characters such as Colin's grandfather, Allison's clothing designer best friend and roommate Sophie, the esteemed professor herself, and some of the other students in the pair's graduate program lent interest and depth to the narrative. This book surprised and delighted me with the author's self-assured writing style and intelligent plot. I look forward to hearing more from her.

My thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the opportunity to read and provide an honest review of this book.

The Make-Up Test was a good read. It had some cute and funny moments. I could relate to some of the stuff happening in the story. However, I felt there could have been a little more development of Colin's and Allison's story. I kept going back and forth about their relationship. I also did not like the information given to Allison about her father at the end, I felt it was unnecessary at that point in the story, Overall, I did enjoy reading The Make-Up Test.

I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I was so grateful to have a chance to read an advance copy of this book that I forced myself to finish it but it was a struggle. I really did not like the male lead, Colin, and felt that he had wronged Allison in ways that were simply unforgivable. He was deceitful, selfish and a liar and Allison is way too good for him! Their third act break up had we wishing that they would not get back together.

The Make-Up Test was nerdy, fat-positive, and hot. What more can you want in a contemporary romance? I thoroughly enjoyed reading Allison and Colin's super competitive romance come together. This has second chance romance and enemies to lovers.

I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Man, never have I been so bored reading about a toxic romance. Setting aside some grammar issues and issues with realism (like the first day of school being on a Friday for some reason?), I actively disliked Allison and Colin together, feeling like they brought out the worst in each other. I also found Allison unpleasant as an MC. She was uptight, had a chip on her shoulder, and assumed the worst of everyone. She did have an arc with growth, but not enough to overcome my dislike, unfortunately.

Oh well, on to the next.

This was super cute- I loved the characters, the premise- but I found it very long and drawn out. I’m not sure if it was because it was a busy time of year but I definitely didn’t have a “can’t put it down” kind of feeling. Still a nice and light summer read though!

I really wanted to like this book. I love books set in academia and I love books with plus-size heroines. This just felt so pretentious though. It felt like every page was the author trying to prove to me that she was, in fact, smart and educated. I don't need you to prove that, I believe you! It isn't necessary to constantly name-drop Chaucer. The main character, Allison, didn't feel realistic, either. She felt so transparent. I wasn't sold on Colin, the love interest, either. He just didn't seem like a man I would realistically fall in love with. This book had a lot of potential and it was just thoroughly disappointing.

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martins Press for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Such a sweet read. I’m a romantic to my core so of course I was rooting for Allison and Colin the whole time, but it still felt like an authentic wish for them to be together, not like they needed to be just because they’re the main characters. A very very sweet read, and I sped through the last 150 pages, it truly grips you.

Oh gosh. I really wanted to love this story. I love the idea of the story. I love parts of the story. Is it smart? Is it swoony? Yes. Is it so much more than that that I might have loved it if it was 100 pages shorter? Yes.

Cw: body shaming, degeneration of mental state/dementia, parental abuse

Love that we've got a fat MC who loves herself in Jenny Howe's debut! I was so excited by the premise- rivals to lovers & second chance romance! Academia and a cardigan wearing love interest? Say no more!

Avery and Colin will certainly pull you in. Will you love him at first? Absolutely not, but he'll grow on you as he and Avery stick it out through the good and bad. I did feel that the book was a little heavy on the medieval details but its obvious that the author did her research. (I do understand that it's a huge part of what they're studying but it felt like it slogged down the story in some instances.

Overall a read that I'd recommend but wouldn't come back to it over and over again.

Thanks so much to Netgalley and Macmillan for the chance to read an ARC.