Not my usual reading choice but I really liked this book. Being deliciously plump myself, I found it refreshing to see a relationship between a supposed “hunk” and a girl who had been put about her weight, even by her father. Characters were not without their flaws but both grew throughout the novel. I recommend a read. I received this book as an ARC but my opinions are my own.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for providing me with this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I had mixed emotions with this book. The first half was slow for me but the second half did pick up and I found myself excited to read it.

I tried so hard to love Colin and their relationship , but I just couldn’t 😩 he was a walking red flag. However, the grand gesture was cute and very on point for them.

This book didn’t quite hit the mark for me, but I’m excited to see what other books Jenny releases ☺️

'The Make-Up Test' is entertaining and a fast read. I promise you will have a great time reading this book, the recipe is almost perfect, it has second-chance romance, rivals to lovers in an academic setting. I love a good story where the characters are career-driven, which was my favorite thing about this book.

Well wasn’t that just so enjoyable. Always love a good enemies to lovers troupe and once you throw in medieval literature, teaching …. Sold.

Just so adorable! Even if you get really mad at Avery and her stubbornness!

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martins Press for the free e-ARC in exchange for my honest review!

I appreciated Allison’s growth throughout this book, but the romantic relationship just did not move me. I had a lot of trouble connecting to Colin. I did love all the literature references and felt that Allison’s relationship with her dad (or lack thereof, and how she handled that) was a high point of the book. I also really enjoyed the complexities of her relationship with Sophie and how growing up can affect your closest friendships. However, I read this for the romance and that was the least interesting plot line.

I was waffling between 3-4 stars, so let’s call it a 3.5!

I really enjoyed this second chance romance set in academia. It was also fun to experience the world of literature and a PhD program through Allison’s eyes as that is foreign to me. A unique storyline with fun details and some complex relationships.

What pulled me back was the confusion about when this was happening - the vague pandemic references threw me off.

Additionally, Colin’s “devil’s advocate” nature was cute at the beginning but as the story went on it drove me crazy. But maybe that is actually a good thing because his character was believable?

I enjoyed this debut novel and have already added the author’s next book to my TBR on Goodreads.

One of my new favorite reads! The Make-Up Test is sweet, romantic, and intelligent. I loved the banter and relationship. Best of all the fat rep was sensitive and inclusive.

Allison land a TA job for a professor, and finds out that there will be another TA as well-her college ex. To make matters worse, she finds out about an amazing research opportunity, but theres only one spot and she must complete with Colin for it. And he may the only person who likes to win more than her!

I loved this book. I love a good enemies to lovers trope (And also second chance romance). I was rooting for these two thru the tension of the competition.

Thank you netgalley for this arc in exchange for an honest review

I really liked Alison in this book. I thought she was a wonderful well written character. She came off like the kind of girl you would want to hang out with. She would be a great study partner but also the person to turn to when your significant other broke up with you. She came off very relatable and very lovable. I loved that a major plot point in the book regarding her father, did not involve forgiving for things that should not be forgiven.

Colin, was not my favorite male love interest. I felt that he was very shallow as a character and while he had moments that were meant to make him a more well rounded character, he just came off as a placeholder almost. I loved their academic rivalry, but the reasons they broke up the first time or the reasons why he did some things, just made me sad that Allison forgave him so easily. I was angry for her when the climax of the plot occurred. I cannot remember the last time I hated a male love interest that much in a romance book. I eventually grew to indifference for him, but I do respect that he is a flawed love interest and not the stereotypical perfect man trope that often occurs in romance novels,

I think it is a solid romance read and I loved the representation in the book as well as the fact they covered multiple heavy topics, such as plus size shaming, parental abuse, and the reality of how cutthroat academia can be. I also loved the nerdy vibe of the book with all the medieval literature references. Overall if you like a second chance romance, this is a fun, light, and quick read.

Rating: 3 stars

The Make-Up Test is a very enjoyable and heartwarming read for lovers of the second-chance romance trope! There's academia, a plus sized lead, and enough competition between the main characters to go around.

Overall, I enjoyed this book. I felt like the first half moved very slow and some elements of the story could've been accelerated. Once I got to the halfway mark, the story started to pick up and I found myself enjoying the book a lot more. This book deals with some heavier topics like parental abuse but, the author handled it in a respectful way that I felt did not distract from the rest of the story. If that is a topic you like to avoid, this book may not be for you.

I found myself wanting more background on the characters past, we seemed to only get glimpses. Considering this was a second chance romance, I feel that context might've been relevant to the reader to understand why Allison and Colin made the choices they did. It was hard to like both characters at times. The secondary characters were not as developed as I felt they could've been. The author did a wonderful job at writing a real life example of what its like to reconnect with an old lover who broke your heart. The theme of redemption was also very well written. I enjoyed that aspect of the book very much.

This book is a cute read however, not one I feel I would revisit. 3 stars out of 5 for me! Thank you so much to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the ARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the ARC of the Make-up Test.

This story was impeccably written, the characters were authentic and fun to read. I loved the body representation and perspective.

I am not a big fan of the second chance romance and didn’t realize that was the primary plot.

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.