This ARC was provided to me via Kindle, st. Martin’s Press and by #NetGalley. Opinions expressed are completely my own.

Delightful, hilarious, quirky, funny story.

A strong premise: a strong female lead who doesn't conform to the ideal body image begins a PhD program and finds that her ex is also enrolled. I enjoyed the first chapter (fun asides on academic jargon -- hegemonic IS overused!-- and amusing literary references), but the wheels fell off quite quickly. By the third chapter, I was forcing myself to continue reading.

The writing is distracting and overdone: cliched descriptions of libraries with "soft honey brown" paneling, strange mixed metaphors ("A scream formed at the pit of Allison's stomach"), awkward romantic moments ("As they gripped each other with a need that left them frenzied, a sense of closeness overwhelmed Allison"), and jarring dismissals of literature the heroine is supposed to love ("Beowulf ran through her head. Most of it was about heroism, masculinity, and blah, blah, blah"). Um, WHAT ABOUT GRENDEL'S MOTHER?! Sadly, I also found the male lead pretentious and unlikeable ("Cardigans are my look"?).

I wish this author all the best on future books and hope she's able to realize the potential of her ideas.

Allison Avery has been accepted into her dream PhD program at Claymore University. She will be studying medieval literature under a professor she has admired for years. Grad School comes with challenges: classes are harder, distance is growing between her and her best friend, her student's rarely participate in active discussions... oh and her ex-boyfriend, Colin Benjamin, also happens to be in the same program. Both end up competing for the single TA spot and the opportunity of a career changing research trip.

I devoured this book so quickly. I once imagined studying literature and this book is perfect for anybody who loves to read and understand the deeper meaning in texts. Allison is a little intense. She desperately wants to win and takes a lot of things very personally. However, this is a common feeling many have as we put a lot of self worth in achievements. She is incredibly smart, passionate about literature and owns who she is. The body positive vibe throughout was a nice touch. It didn't take away from anything, just made Allison a more relatable human to many readers. I also really liked reading about her tense family relations. Again, a subject many can identify with and helped the reader understand how passionately she threw herself into literature and became consumed with securing things she wanted.

Colin Benjamin was an interesting character. I didn't fall in love with him but I definitely saw growth in him and enjoyed his storylines. I don't think the romance however, is the main focus of this book. Instead it is about Allison overcoming her personal struggles and people who have made her feel small over the years to truly own who she is. This book made me want to go back to college, take classes and study literature. And stop apologizing for the space I take up in the world. Can't wait to see what other delights Jenny Howe writes!

Shout out to Monterey Jack - the cutest corgi!

PS. Only true negative thing I felt was the covid-19 references felt jarring. They did not do anything for the storyline and felt thrown in simply to acknowledge the pandemic had happened. Personally felt they are not necessary.

Thank you to St. Martin’s Griffin and Netgalley for an ARC of this book! I’ve willingly read and reviewed it. All opinions are my own.

THE MAKE-UP TEST had a lot going on, in the very best way possible. There was a second-chance/enemies back to lovers romance, fraught family relationships, and academic ambition and competition. I’m very comfortable in the academic world, so all of this combined to portray, what I felt was, a very realistic portrayal of post-college life and the inevitable maturation a lot of us go through.

The story follows Allison during her first semester of graduate school where she finds herself once again competing for a position that would give her a leg up in the competitive world of academia against her ex-boyfriend, Colin, the same ex-boyfriend who had “stolen” an award for her during their undergraduate studies. And though Allison is determined to avoid Colin at all costs, every interaction they have indicates that the Colin she fell in love with years ago has changed for the better.

While the novel was, at times, heavy with Medieval Literature references, there were so many plot lines that were relatable, especially Allison’s relationship with her unsupportive and verbally abusive father. What might have been the biggest thing to stick in my mind about THE MAKE-UP TEST, however, had probably the smallest part in the story—Allison is plus-sized but has a very healthy respect for her body and the way it looks even when, at multiple points, she is made to feel bad about it. This felt revolutionary when reading a book starring a plus-sized main character, and I loved Jenny L. Howe’s author’s note explaining her thought process in making this choice.

This was a great debut from Howe and I’m looking forward to seeing more!

Second chance romances tend to be hit or miss for me, but this one was a solid hit!

Allison is finally achieving her dreams of getting her PhD and everything is going well (or as well as it can go), until she discovers her ex, Colin, has gotten into the same program at the same school. To make matters worse, they are assigned the same class to be teacher's assistants for and there's an opportunity for only one of them to participate in an academic research trip. However, Allison is used to competing with Colin and she's not going to let him break her heart or take away her opportunities again.

The Make-Up Test captures the lovers to enemies to academic rivals to reluctant friends to lovers perfectly. It also really helped that despite Allison's mixed feelings about Colin, he really came across as someone trying to get back in her good graces. Especially as we learn that he seems more respectful and caring about her than he was two years ago when he shattered her dreams and broke her heart.

So I spent most of this book alternating between WHAT IS/WAS COLIN THINKING? (really wanted his POV) and WHAT HAPPENED TO THESE TWO? It was definitely a roller coaster, especially because after a few chapters, I became convinced that Colin had come up with a plan to win Allison over to get-back together with her. I definitely reread some of Colin's appearances to find textual support for this theory.

Even though I really liked this, there were a few parts that didn't happen that I wished did. First, I was waiting for a best friend vs ex confrontation. As much as I like Colin, I don't think The Make-Up Test ever let him see what exactly he did to Allison two years ago. We got to see why he did what he did, but I don't think he ever got to understand the consequences of his actions besides the obvious: losing Allison.

Other than that, this book was great! Especially for Jenny L. Howe's debut! It was also neat seeing an English-based academia romance (even though I adore the STEM academia and just STEM gal romance in general). All in all, if you like academic rivals to lovers, second chance romance, or a strong female lead (especially one who is plus-sized but the story does not let that be her only personality trait), this is the book for you!

Special thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Griffin for the eARC of this delightful book!

3.5/5 stars

There are a lot of things to love about The Make Up Test! It was funny, smart, and the love for medieval literature absolutely comes and enriches the text. I absolutely loved the open, earnest body positivity in the book, and I loved how authentic and comfortable Allison and Colin's relationship was. The book delves into the complex issues of dating and academics in an interesting and heartfelt way and by the end of the book I was rooting for both of them to succeed.
My only reservation was that I would have liked a little more resolution to the relationship at the end of the book. Colin makes some choices that hurt Allison, and while (in typical romance fashion) the situation was not as it seemed to our heroine, I struggled with the reasons his choice came between them. Miscommunication is one thing, but a deliberate lack of communication that leads to someone you care about getting hurt is another. I struggled with Colin's logistics in handling things the way he did and how easily Allison forgave him. As a reader, I didn't feel the confidence Allison felt that it was all an unavoidable mistake caused by her own lack of faith, and I struggled with rooting for their relationship in the end in a way I wished I hadn't, because so much of the banter and relationship building moments were so good. That said, I think this was a mostly personal qualm as a reader accentuated by the character reconciliation being so close to the end of the book.
Altogether though, I really enjoyed the book and can't wait to see what Jenny Howe does next!

CW: fatphobia, death/loss

I would like to thank NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for providing me with a free e-ARC of The Make-Up Test in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Plus-size main character and an academia setting? Sign me up! When I discovered this gem on NetGalley, I knew that this was a book I had to read and review firsthand. I was lucky to get this through Read Now as soon as it was listed on NetGalley.

The Make-Up Test tells the story of Allison Avery, a first-year Ph.D. student at Claymore University, who has to compete for the highly coveted medieval literature advisee position under Professor Wendy Frances against her ex-boyfriend, Colin Benjamin.

Fortunately, I fell in love with this book at the first page. You’re immediately drawn into the plot of the book with the dynamics between Allison and Colin. With such a refreshing and unique plot, I found myself easily going through this book and enjoying every page. It’s also an added bonus that this book has great pacing. I never once thought that this book felt too rushed or gone too slow.

Considering that this book was about a confident, plus-sized woman, I felt that this was the main thing I loved about this book. I really saw myself in Allison, trying to be successful in life while also being comfortable in her own skin. Since I don’t always read about plus-sized women being sought after by love interests or as the main character in the books I read, I found myself rooting for Allison throughout this book.

With this, if you’re looking for a fresh perspective in the romance genre, I would highly recommend getting this book when it releases in September.

I was so ready for this academic to lovers romance. These troupes are one of my favorites and I iked the synopsis of this one. Avery and Colin were great together and I really felt their chemistry. The plot and setting are fun.
Overall I liked this one and I would definitely check out more from this author!

ARC kindly provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I was greatly anticipating this read based on the summary.

Allison graduated from university and has made her way to her dream graduate program--pursuing her PhD in medieval literature. She's survived the undergrad years, the competition for a slot in grad school, and the betrayal and ugly break up with her boyfriend from undergrad, Colin.

So it's a surprise to find Colin in her PhD cohort. An unpleasant surprise. She's still harbouring bitterness from his almost snatching her dream from her and from the harshness of their eventual break up. Having him around is unsettling and upsetting, even more so when they find themselves a TA's for the same professor and eventually in competition for the spot as advisee to this professor. Their competitive natures bring them into direct competition. But something feels a little different this time. Colin is not behaving the way Allison expects and it throws her off her game.

The academic setting is well delineated and I enjoyed the details of academia and the literary references throughout. It's a good setting and a very satisfying one.

It is great to see full bodied MC representation and one where the MC is comfortable and the body positivity is well delineated, without toxicity. The attraction between the MC's felt real and at no point was Allison's body shape or size treated any way other than respectfully and positively. That really is refreshing.

Colin and Allison are both flawed characters but they feel real and relatable.. They've been part of toxic family dynamics that have scarred them both and made them hide their vulnerability under layers of protection, sometimes in ways that damage their current relationships or sabotage what could be intimate friendships. Trust is a huge theme in this book and they both find themselves betraying it and being betrayed by it.

Colin is engaging and nerdy but definitely had to grow on me. Allison's POV made me distrust him initially and I was quite infuriated with him at points in the book and side eyeing the idea of any sort of redemption arc. But there is something compelling and engaging about him so by the end I defiantly toned down the side eye. There are some reveals that are painful and the twist, although something I expected, was overall fairly satisfying.

They are both delightfully nerdy characters and their discourse on their literary assignments was quite interesting to read. I really liked that the book laid out some of the themes in their research and interests. .

Overall this is a second chance romance, a bit of lovers to enemies to lovers, a book that goes into toxic family dynamics and self doubt and imposter syndrome in academia. Overall a good read.

my thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this Digital ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I absolutely loved the body positivity in this book and how exceptionally well Jenny LHowe included it seamlessly into the story without harping on it. Allison loved her body and wasn't going to let any toxicity into her life that could or would impact her well being. As a reader I absolutely loved that about her and the depth of her character made all of her choices along the way incredibly relatable and well received (at least on my end !!! )

I did struggle a little with the pacing at the start of the book finding it difficult to get sucked in and consumed into this book, as I did feel the starting dragged just slightly. Though the remaining 2/3rds of the book went at a much better pace.

I loved the second chance romance and did find myself judging Colin near the end yelling at the e-reader cursing that he wasn't worth any redemption arc in the story that would be served (eek I'm so sorry Colin!) in the end I absolutely loved how Howe was even able to prove me wrong and that everyone deserves a second chance !

First off, I love a plus size main character who is not just her size. Allison is a fully developed character with an interesting family dynamic and a love story that is exciting without being too over the top.

I loved having this set in grad school with competition looming - though sometimes it seemed like the competition was over the top. I liked the history between the characters and thoroughly enjoyed the ending.

Colin was nerdy and sweet, and not described as some Greek god character, which made him more realistic to me. This was a sweet, quick read. Enjoy!

Thank you so much to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC of one of my new favorite books! I love love LOVE rivals to lovers, especially when it's between two ex-lovers who are vying for the same TA position. As someone who is entering grad school, this book was a lot of fun but still highlighted some more of the realistic aspects of being a PhD student/candidate. TW for parental death, fat-shaming/fatphobia, and abuse (emotional). The characters are wonderfully flawed and while their flaws irritated me to some degree (as flaws typically do), I understood them. Not the biggest fan of Colin, I will have to say, but that may just be personal preference and a general pickiness when naming favorite fictional males, especially in romance. I am completely drawn to academia and the way Jenny L. Howe writes it and how Howe sheds light on academia in the liberal arts is such an interesting concept I am so sad to see hasn't been reflected in romance/rom coms up until now (or maybe my bubble has just been severely limited)! Looking forward to Jenny L. Howe's next book as this was a great debut.

3.5/5 Stars

The Make-Up Test by Jenny L. Howe reunites ex-lovers and PH. D candidates, Allison, and Colin as they vie for the same position. I enjoyed all the characters in this book. I think Allison showed a lot of immaturity, much like myself at that age. I did connect with her regarding the relationship with her father. I only wish the story dug deeper into the relationships and was a little less about the curriculum. Overall, I enjoyed the it, I was just left wanting a little more.

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the opportunity to read and review this ARC.

Thank you to the publisher and to NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review.

3.5 rounded up to 4 stars.

As someone who has gone to grad school, from the very first sentence of this book I knew that I was in the safe hands of an author who was going to truthfully portray what it's like to be in academia, and I was not wrong. The plot follows Allison Avery who, to her surprise, not only finds herself in her dream PhD program alongside her ex Colin, but also stuck TAing with him for the same class and competing for a research placement. What follows is a sweet and emotional rivals-to-lovers, second chance story, with complex side-plots involving fat-shaming/fatphobia, emotional abuse from a parent, and parental death. For me, the strongest aspects of this book were the depiction of what it's like to be a graduate student and the relationship between Allison and both of her parents. Not only does Howe precisely illustrate through Allison the weird competitiveness, the tendency to isolate, the fear of having to teach, and of course the always present imposter syndrome that is grad school, but she also gets at the inside-baseball humor of academia and student life. With the parents, I really liked that Howe wrote a story where Allison didn't have to forgive or forget her father's behavior but rather that she was able to stand up for herself and say "this is fucked up and that's how I feel!". We have an over tendency to see forgiveness as morally right or a sign of being "healed" but it's not and it's completely ok to not want to forgive someone, especially someone like Jed! In addition, I also appreciated the arc of Allison's relationship with her mother. Where the book falters for me is Colin, particularly in the final chapters. I will admit I have an extreme sensitivity to academic men behaving badly and I simply do not think that Allison had anything to apologize for in the way she reacted to his actions -- she was entirely justified and he was a diabolical idiot. I do think this is one of those cases where having a dual POV would have helped to make Colin a bit more sympathetic, as having his inner dialogue might have shored up some of his reasoning or at the very least provided a perspective other than Allison's to view him through. I just felt that in the end, Allison deserved better...sorry Colin!

Overall The Make-Up Test is easily the best portrayal of academia I have read in romance and, while sweet and funny, depicts some heavy subjects in a thoughtful way. It's a great debut, and I look forward to reading more of Howe's books in the future!

The Make-Up Test is a smart, funny and sincere look at competition and failure in romantic relationships, relating to the world as a plus size woman, and coming of age in an academic setting. Jenny L. Howe’s debut novel is funny and relatable and even educational as it provides a peek into the process Allison will endure to become a professor. The characters are flawed, but learning and very realistic. I loved Howe’s flowing writing style, and can’t wait to pick up her next book!

Thank you to NetGalley for the eARC.

This was a great debut set in the world of academics. I loved it and I can’t wait to see what this author does next as this was so good.

The Make-Up Test is an academic rivals to lovers/second-chance contemporary romance following two exes who are reunited when they attend the same Ph.D. program. The MC Allison is obsessed with medieval literature and is a go-getter who has had goals to be in academia from an early age. Things become tough personally for Allison when she is paired with her ex to be a co-TA for an undergrad literature course.

Although the love interest seemed sweet, I did have qualms with his miscommunication and reasoning for some of his actions both when they dated 2 years prior and during the events of the novel. The book wrapped up quickly before I fully got behind the main couple reuniting.

I enjoyed the easy to follow writing and the medieval literature topics interspersed throughout the book. Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley to be able to read an ARC of this book.

I couldn’t put this down! Academic rivals to lovers was is automatic must-read for me, and this book didn’t disappoint. Allison was such a rich, relatable protagonist, and I loved her zeal for medieval literature. It made me want to try Chaucer again (which is saying something).

I struggled with Colin a bit more. I understand why this was a single point of view book, but that did result in me not sympathizing with his motives for most of the novel. That said, the stakes on their rivalry were real, which I really appreciate.

Overall, an amazing debut, and I can’t wait to read whatever Jenny Howe writes next.

I want to shout about this book from the rooftops! Jenny Howe, congratulations on such a wonderful debut! Second chance, lovers to rivals to lovers, grad school setting, a soft, sweet boy (with a bit of edge) and a charming, lovely MC who's both confident and comfortable and proud of who she is, but wrestles with insecurities (as we all do!) in such a relatable way.

Be sure to check content warnings before reading (the author has a fabulous note at the beginning of the book that addresses some of the content). I'm personally wrestling with grief and impending loss of a family member and I'm so glad the author gives the reader a head's up about this content.

5/5! A charming and lovely debut. I can't wait to read Jenny Howe's next book!

Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for this ARC in exchange for my honest review!

2.5 ⭐️’s

I really wanted to love this one. It has been on my highly anticipated rom com list for a while. Second chance, academic rivals romance? Sign me up.
While the writing was excellent, with compelling prose and powerful metaphor, the characters and story fell flat for me.
I had the hardest time with Allison’s character. I felt like she had a whiny quality to her…a harried anxiety that just did not sit right with me. I couldn’t empathize with her and just spent the whole book white knuckling my kindle out of frustration.
Colin, the love interest was painted in such a negative light right off the bat that I actually started to believe Allison’s biased POV and her experiences with him (their initial ugly breakup) that lead to the way she saw him. And then the third act conflict truly infuriated me. How could she forgive this? How is this surmountable? Based on miscommunication, the unraveling of their relationship only left me angry and frustrated, disappointed with the way it all lazily rolled back together, abrupt ending and all.
There were also a few pandemic references in this book that I honestly could have just done with out. I don’t want to be reminded of COVID while enjoying an escapist read. It did nothing for the story…so why include it?

Thank you to the publisher for providing me an eARC in exchange for an honest review.