I enjoyed this book. I really liked Allison’s character although she could be a little bit stubborn at times, but I think she was really relatable. Colin’s character was interesting and I wish we got a dual POV, but I enjoyed seeing his growth from Alison’s flashbacks to the current time in the story. Overall if you love a slow burn, witty, and lovers to enemies to friends to lovers to enemies and finally back to lovers then you will enjoy this!

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4794627092

Content warning: Allison's father is emotionally abusive and fatphobic. The author takes care of Allison, but take care of yourself if these things are triggering for you.

The Make-Up Test by Jenny L. Howe is an excellent romance set in academia. Allison and Colin are in the same cohort in a PhD program. This is a second and even third chance romance. It's lovely, and full of hope that people in their early 20s have. ❤️ There are misunderstandings, hurts, and still so much love.

I received an advance review copy for free from NetGalley, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

I was able to read this for free thanks to Net Galley, although that does not affect my opinion of the actual book. First and foremost, I loved the body positivity message that the author shared before the first chapter even began. This book definitely confused me a bit, with some of the words chosen, but that may just be a ‘me not being smart enough’ thing. I’m sad to say that this ended up being a dnf for me. I kept trying to get into it, but I just couldn’t connect to it as I had hoped I would. I was able to get through about 15% of it before I finally gave up. Maybe I’ll try to read it again another time.

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's for the e-arc.
Medieval literature? Academic setting? High hopes for this one! Too bad there was almost nothing about this book that I liked, including the main characters. The way she lies SO MUCH was so off-putting and the way he schemes to get ahead, really turned me off fairly early on in the book, and lasted throughout. And there was no chemistry between them as far as I could see. I enjoyed the literature aspect, but I'm guessing for non-English lit majors, it was too much. Also, can we just not mention the pandemic at all? This is fiction, you don't always need to bring real-world situations into the story.

This was a Romance with a lot of depth to it. Allison is a PhD candidate and so is her ex-boyfriend/nemesis Colin. She is a fat character who is dealing with a lot of intellectual self-doubt and a very fat-shaming father. It was sometimes hard to watch her miscommunicate and misunderstand so much with Colin, but Allison grows a lot in this book. Colin grows as well, and it's nice to see two characters mature and support each other. You learn a lot about the PhD/academic process while reading this book, and as a former English student, it's clear that the author knows what she's talking about. It was like being back in school again. Some of the discussion about literary theory might not be thrilling to folx who aren't lit majors, but it felt very familiar to me.

There is also a nice subplot with Allison's best friend Sophie; it was good to see how two grown women navigate their changing friendship and lives.

Thank you NetGalley for the digital ARC of this book.

Well, wasn't this fun!

A second chance romance between two academic rivals? Set in New England academia in the fall? Medieval literature and knights? CORGIS? I mean, say less!

I loved Jenny Howe's writing and how more serious topics (CW for grief, death of a family member, dementia) were woven into the story in a natural way. It felt more real life in the way that when these events happened, the rest of the world didn't stop.

And that ending! All the heart eyes! I don't want to add any spoilers here, but just know that it was very sweet!

That being said, second chance romances are always a bit hot or miss for me because I find it hard to root for a couple that broke up for a legitimate reason (ie, one of the characters emotionally hurt the other character). And true to form, it did take me a while to warm up to Colin. I wish we had been given Colin's POV so we could learn his side of the story earlier on, and not just Allison's memory of the events. I'm also not a fan of the miscommunication trope, and that played HEAVILY in Allison and Colin's romance.

I did still enjoy this author's writing, so I would still encourage you to give this book a try, especially if none of my reasons above really apply to your reading preferences.

I think this was one of my most highly anticipated reads of 2022 but, unfortunately, it never clicked for me. Let's start with what I did like: I liked how much Allison talked about her research and teaching. I thought the way Allison's relationship with her dad played out was very realistic and sad.

Otherwise, this fell flat. Allison and Colin are both very immature, frustrating characters and neither of them truly justify why they need to be in a relationship together. I think the flashbacks to their relationship were supposed to make the reader understand why Allison might be conflicted about whether to start something new or not with Colin, but since she spent a good 75% of the book hating Colin, it didn't quite work. I didn't think Colin really deserved to get back with Allison and there was a really unfortunate miscommunication trope applied in the 3rd act breakup.

I wanted a lot more out of this. I did really like the way Howe wrote and I'm looking forward to checking out more of her books in the future, but this wasn't for me.

I really was looking forward to this novel which I received early access to on Net Galley in exchange for an honest review. Nerd romance + deep dive literary analysis + positive fat representation seemed like a winning combo (and I loved the author from her intro). I really enjoyed the main character Allison Avery, a first year PhD student in medieval literature — unfortunately, the other major characters (her college ex-boyfriend Colin, her bestie Sophie, and her parents), came across as somewhat flat to me, so I had a hard time feeling invested in any of the relationships. And while likely very true to life, the casual cruelty/obliviousness of the inspiring, feminist PhD advisor who pits Allison against Colin was off putting. Allison deserved better! The best parts of the book are the details. It made me want to learn to cross stitch and dig back into the Canterbury Tales,

thank you netgalley and st martin's for the eARC of this book!

<b>rating:</b> 3.5 stars

this book is a fun little second chance romance with academic rivals and i really, really enjoyed it!! allison is an interesting, lovable main character and i loved the dynamic she has with colin. from the start you're immediately encaptured in their banter and the heavy history between the two of them, and howe does an incredibly job of establishing this burn between the two of them that keeps your attention throughout the book.

the first 25% of this book is, in my opinion, boring. i wasn't really hooked much despite the author's best attempts at trying to quickly establish characters and the universe, and the book really only picks up after colin & allison finally have THE talk, which is about at the 40% mark. beyond that, the other subplots and character relationships in the book seem to fall a little flat or just aren't given enough page space/context for me to really care about them. a solid example of this is both allison and her dad, which doesn't really get resolved but also does?? which makes no sense, and allison and sophie, who have a weak consolation after a weak argument that does nothing for the plot.

the final kicker into something i didn't quite enjoy is that the third act conflict is, you guessed it, stemmed from miscommunication. throughout this book it seems all the conflicts come from miscommunication between the two characters, and i genuinely hate it because a lot of it is just from allison refusing to hear colin out.... like what?

all in all, i liked this book. it was very much a promising debut for lowe, and i can see many people falling in love with the characters and plot... just not me.

Lovers to enemies to academic rivals to lovers again, second chance romance. New England academia. Medieval literature. Corgis. Happy For Now.

It touched on some sensitive is like grief, body shaming, dementia.

I really enjoyed this. I do wish we got Colin’s POV and Sophie’s approval.

Tropes:
▪️ Academic Rivals to Lovers
▪️ Second Chance Romance
▪️ Slow Burn


Let me start off by listing the GOOD things about this book. First, the cover is what got me (yes, yes, I know 🙄 'don't judge a book by it's cover'!) But I mean LOOK AT IT?! She's not all skinny and petite and he isn't muscular and broad. That's what instantly got me. I loved the message of all inclusive body positivity. The interactions of Allison with her best friend, Sophie and her new friends were super cute. Another thing, I loved was the last like 10% of the book, where Colin tries to win her back. and unfortunately, that's it.

I stopped this story multiple times and it took me longer to read than others and it was because I didn't feel the chemistry between both MC's. I understand that they are medieval lit majors wanting to become professors in have a thriving career in academia but there was more focus on the medieval lit studies instead of the characters. A little over the halfway point, I was like ok, now we're getting somewhere and we just didn't. Some of the flashbacks were kind of everywhere, the ending seemed rush, and it just fell flat for me.


*Thank You Netgalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest review

Thank you St. Martin Press and NetGalley for the eARC! All opinions expressed are my own. This review does NOT contain any spoilers. :)

☆☆☆☆ Overall

Allison and Colin’s chemistry, their personal growth, their banter - ugh. It’s so delicious. The snarkiness, the fighting, the true angst in the ‘lovers to enemies to friends to lovers’ (AKA idiots to lovers <3) is done so well here.

If you’re looking for past-lovers turned academic rivals, look no further. These two are hardheaded, literature loving and I really like how much of their backstories we get. I want to be friends with all of the characters, but with Colin, honestly, he isn’t my favorite and outside of his relationship with Allison, I don’t particularly like him. Also, the miscommunication trope is okay sometimes, but I am definitely pro-immediate resolution. Parts of this book hurt my heart and not necessarily in the best way, yknow?

Overall, I liked this book so much, especially Howe’s writing style and the fat representation we got with Allison. (Definitely do NOT enjoy the fatphobia, but only because it is difficult for me to read as a fat person. I know it’s there for a reason, and it’s not something we should ignore, it just. Hurt.)

i hate allison, she was so entitled and a shitty friend and she lies for no reason, and then there was the big miscommunication near the end and just ugh. what a painful read

Thanks to SMP and NetGalley for the ARC. This was one I was really excited about and it ended up being really cute. While both characters annoyed me in their own ways for a while there in some parts, I'm a sucker for a HEA so I powered through and was happy to see them work through the miscommunication and personal dilemmas to come together for their second chance at love. I do feel the ending was wrapped up a little quickly though. But otherwise, I would recommend it if you're looking for a cute rivals-to-lovers in an academic setting for a second chance love story.

Parts of the Make-Up Test shine. As an English nerd, I loved the discussions of medieval texts and the description of the different people who made up Claymore's English Lit PhD program. Avery was confident in her body, and that was great to read. However, beyond those aspects of the novel, much of it fell flat. As much as the story tried to prove that Avery and Collin had grown as individuals and as a couple, I was never convinced.

I have such mixed opinions about this book. I was worried as I trudged through the first half. It felt like the chapters were talking in circles - "I shouldn't like Colin. But he just did a cute and thoughtful thing. But I shouldn't like Colin." I wanted more literary talk, teaching and relationship building with Allison's fellow classmates and BFF Sophie. I could definitely see the troupe of characters introduced becoming their own spin off. I do believe the book was at its finest when Allison would rip the bandaid and speak her truth. I also liked the shock factor/twist. My hesitation is mostly with the love story and the character Colin - red flags went off with him. Overall, I enjoyed the book. I can tell the author knows her lit and I think that's pretty...lit. (I HAD TO, SORRY)

The Make-Up Test by Jenny L Howe

I love a good cartoon cover as much as the next gal, but the synopsis moved this book to the top of my TBR queue.

Allison is a self-described plus size woman who has just started her PhD program at her dream school. Life is finally fitting into place when she discovers her ex-boyfriend and rival is competing for the same research position as her. This book is a slow burn with the right amount of spice. It's a second chance and enemies to lovers dream.

As a plus size girl myself, I enjoyed the parallelism to my own life when Allison was discussing her experiences with her weight. Her struggles with school and balancing her own perfectionism had me relating even more with the character. This book definitely goes to the top of my favorites books of all time.

Special thanks to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for the advanced copy of this book. I will definitely be picking this book up in print when it is released in September!

I requested to read and review this book for free from St. Martin Griffin Publishing Company. This book takes a sensitive subject such as weight and makes it ok to be ok with who you are. It's a straight forward a count how many women see themselves. This story has romance drama and mystery. Sometimes are insecurities hurt and heal past relationships. Can two people who hurt each other deeply find forgiveness with each other? Can we trust ourselves to know what is right? Colin has trust issues but can he find someone to help him with it? Allison is a take charge type of gal focusing on the goal. Will see be open up to new possibilities? This book is for a mature reader and can be read anywhere.

This review is based on an ARC, so may not entirely match the published version

I mostly review children’s books, but picked this one based on the cover, and I am glad I did. Not only is it a sweet, cute romance, there aren’t many fiction books that outline the stress and difficulty of graduate school, nor are there many fiction books focused on medieval literature. This manages to do an excellent job of both. It is a relatively fast, fun read and would be an excellent “beach book”-or dissertation break one.

i LOVED this book! it was my first read from jenny howe and will not be my last. academic rivals is such an elite trope and add in a relationship reconciliation and it was perfection! i relate to alison so much and seeing how she works through her relationship with her body and family trouble, was beautiful. i also have started doing WCS with friends! Overall, amazing story and i loved it!