The Make-Up Test has things I would absolutely love - grad school setting (take me back to college but minus all the assignments, please!), second chance romance, plus size heroine, former lovers/academic rivals but it just didn't do it for me. I think Allison's character is awesome, except for the end of the book where she literally makes our other main character question his entire future. She's smart, driven, and plus size/body positive. It always warms my heart when an author writes a fat MC whose flaw isn't that they're fat and that they need to learn to love themselves as they are. The author also noted fast shaming from the perspective of a parent and I was really thankful for that. I saw a lot of myself in Allison, especially in her perfectionist/I have to be the one to save myself kind of attitude. However, the male MC, Colin, just wasn't it for me. I don't really understand what Alison saw in him and didn't find his descriptions/mannerisms attractive. There is a scene where he is described as being naked but with his cardigan on, and I just kept picturing him with his dookachu peeking out from beneath the sweater while he was Winne the Pooh-ing it...no thank you. I thought the third act breakup/makeup was weak and lacking in real substance. I'm glad the author gave us a happy for now because I just don't see how these two can work together in the future. Thank you to the publisher, St. Martin's Griffin, and Netgalley for an eArc of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

Such a funny,I mean serious LOL funny, story. Full of love, friendship, family problems, this book is a great pick for a weekend read. You won’t want to put it down.

Give me a rom com any day of the week and I will eat that ish UP!

Second chance / enemies to lovers - bing bang boom

SWOONWORTHY

This book is going to work for a lot of people, and it's also not going to work for a lot of people (yes, of course, I know, like many books!). The more time that you have spent in academia, the less that the ending of this book will work for you. Without getting into spoilers, if you have ever been in a situation where someone who was (for all intents and purposes) working less than you, less qualified than you, and less experienced than you didn't play fair, you will probably be just as angry as I was. The overall message of needing to cast aside your own career and ambition for love is something I just don't love.

Additional notes: This book does mention the pandemic. It does deal with themes of an emotionally abusive parent (and tries to redeem them after the fact.).

It really bums me out to give this 2 stars because I was really looking forward to it and the writing was great. Unfortunately, the messaging and some aspects hitting a bit too close to home ruined it.

I unfortunately wasn’t able to get through this book and DNFed at 30%. I didn’t find myself invested in the characters or their backstory, but I enjoyed the academic setting and I think it would be a cute story for anyone who enjoys the academic rivals trope. I also think the book could’ve benefited from a dual POV.

Second chance romance! Enemies and rivals to lovers! In an academic setting with references from medieval literature. So excited to read what Howe writes next!

This was a really entertaining read. Alison is the character I would want to be. Colin is the perfect foil for her in this slow burn, second chance romance. Reading the two complete for the adviser spot and watching them realize that they were meant to be together was just bookish fun.

Thank you to the publisher for providing an ARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

This was a solid book. I didn't love it, but I didn't hate it either. It fell right in the middle of everything for me, but I think it is a book that I would reread if I was on a plane or taking a beach vacation. It was light and it didn't make me think or feel too hard which makes it the perfect vacation read, if I'm honest.

I don't particularly gel with the author's writing voice, but I liked the characters and the story well enough. However some of the descriptions of Colin were definitely cringy. Based on the cover, I don't think the words fit the image and that is one of my biggest pet peeves when reading. If you're telling me the male main character has black hair but your cover model is blonde.... no. Please don't.

Anyway, I'll definitely be checking out what Howe writes in the future. And hopefully more plus sized heroines are involved because I love seeing my body size represented in romance!

My feelings are hurt. I did not like it. As a bigger girl, I am excited for books with representation of self love and celebrating all body types, having them seen as beautiful. I was all in for this book. I was not prepared to absolutely hate the MMC and barely tolerate the FMC. To each their own, but I am sorry, the cardigan obsession? What is that? I don't know any guy in their twenties that would rock a cardigan daily. On a not so petty note, COLIN BENJAMIN SUCKED. He is one of the worst book boyfriends I've ever read. Everything that he did to Allison and the way that he did it angered me. I felt like Allison had no backbone when it came to most of her relationships, but her relationship with Colin takes the cake. There's no way in hell I'm going to get back together with a guy who basically stole an award from me and then broke up with me. Nope, nope, NOPE! I also couldn't get past the medieval study talk. It just wasn't for me and that's okay.

Thank you netgalley, St. Martin's Press, and Jenny Howe for this arc in exchange for my honeys review.

Thank you to the publishers for sending me this ARC through NetGalley in exchange for my honest review!

I wanted to enjoy this. The writing style reminds me of the younger end of YA books. There are so many cringy lines and scenes. There is no chemistry between Allison and Colin. All of the occurrences that take place between the two leave me asking why on earth would they like each other? It is just illogical. Somehow, this book reads more as a contemporary than a romance as well.

I would not recommend this book.

This is a mix of enemies to lovers and second change love and forced proximity. Throw in some competition and it's bound to result is sparks. And every romcom reader loves sparks. Althought, I'm not sure what one would do with a doctor of medieval literature... This book has so much to digest. All good, no worries.

If you love Romcom and competition, I definitely recommend checking this out!

I was excited to read THE MAKE-UP TEST, because of the academic setting and plus size character rep. Unfortunately, the combination of immature characters, toxic behaviour and the miscommunication in the third act made this a miss for me.
Academic rivals Allison and Colin, who also happen to be exes, find themselves in competition for a spot in the same Ph.D program. Colin somehow gets into Allison’s program despite previous lack of interest and now somehow is at a level that he can compete with her? The rivalry has a lot of immature moments that felt out of place for their age/education.
Colin was so toxic, the reasoning behind breaking up with her originally and then what happens in the end. It was hard to root for him and get behind him ending up with Allison.
I didn’t like how everything seemed to be Allison’s “fault” and she had to be the one to accept toxic behaviour. Some of the other issues Allison faced were tied up too neatly.
I enjoyed the writing style of the Make-Up Test and would try another book by this author, but unfortunately the plot of this particular book didn’t work for me.
Thank you St Martin’s Press for the digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The Make-Up Test is a testament to second and third chances in love and finding the strength to stand up for yourself first no matter what.

Allison Avery is determined to be the best at school. Growing up in the harsh environment her emotionally absent father set, Allison decides she's going to show him she can achieve her dreams and become a PhD and college professor. Everything is on track for her until she meets Colin Benjamin in undergrad. The two have a whirlwind eight-month romance until he unceremoniously breaks up with her after claiming a school honor she didn't even know he applied for. Now she's moved on and ready to tackle her graduate career when Colin resurfaces in the same program, and with the same professor as their mentor. The two enter a new competition for one advisee spot, but this time things are different and Colin is determined to show Allison he's changed.

I received an advanced copy of this book in exchange for a review from St. Martin's Press, and it's because of that I powered through the book, as it didn't necessarily grab me at any point in time. It's a solid 3.5 star read for me as I spent my time reading it wondering what the final conflict would be, weighing the options of the predictable to unpredictable. There was a lot of repetitive paragraphs and themes brought up over and over again that I found myself skipping over. Overall, it was an okay read with a happy ending for the main characters, but lacked an epilogue that would have tied it all together nicely.

This was such a sweet, heartfelt read! I really loved the second chance romance, rivals to lovers tropes in this book. I also really enjoyed the deeper conversations that Allison and Colin had with each other, I felt like I really got to know both of these characters and it made the book feel really relatable. The book even somehow made medieval literature interesting to me, which is saying something! Overall, this was a fantastic read!

The Make-Up Test by Jenny L. Howe follows what happens when Allison and Colin, two ex college sweethearts, not only find themselves in the same medieval literature Ph.D. program at Claymore University, but also battling for the same mentor, who only has room for one student in her schedule. Will it be a contentious and awkward battle as each student tries to achieve their academic goals, or will it be a second chance at love? Or perhaps a bit of both?

Allison is a fantastic heroine. She’s brilliant, plenty of grit and determination, and she’s also messy and flawed, which made her feel all the more real. Allison has a true passion for academia and has achieved most of her dreams without the support of her father, who just tells her that she’s overweight and wasting her time and money going to school. His lack of support weighs on her, but it makes her more determined than ever to get that Ph.D. Allison is also carrying around the baggage of what happened with Colin while they were together before. Allison wanted to win the Rising Star award because she just knew it would open doors to the best Ph.D. programs for her. She thought she was a shoe in for the award, only to lose out to Colin, who never told her he was even applying for it. Colin then added insult to injury by breaking up with her the very next week. Needless to say, Allison is not at all pleased to find out he has somehow ended up in her Ph.D. program and competing for the same coveted mentorship. I had tremendous sympathy for her because of what she was dealing with because of her dad and Colin. I love a good underdog story and Allison really fit the bill for me.

Colin, on the other hand, was a character that I found myself wanting to throttle occasionally. Hearing how things played out between he and Allison when they were dating really cast him in a negative light for me, and like Allison, I couldn’t fathom how he ended up in the same Ph.D. program. As I got to know Colin, however, he thankfully grew on me, especially as he gradually reveals the reasons behind some of his seemingly suspicious actions and as it becomes clear how much he really does care about Allison and that deep down, she still has feelings for him as well.

The Make-Up Test is an entertaining read from start to finish. There are frustrating moments, flirty moments, and of course dramatic and tense moments as Allison and Colin try to navigate both this new awkward environment they find themselves in, and as they also try to figure out how to move forward and address those unresolved feelings. I was fully invested in their story and also loved the message that it is possible for people to learn from past mistakes and to change and grow.

The Make-up Test is a second chance romance with fun banter between the love interests. These academic rivals are vying for a elite position at the same college and the forced proximity resurrects feelings. Allison has pined for Colin since their break-up in their undergraduate studies. Together, they begin to rebuild love lost but first they must learn to trust and open-up to each other.

Sexy Cardigans.
Plus-size Representation.
Real family struggles.
Miscommunication challenges
Second-chance romance
Lots of talk about classic novels.

The ending did feel a bit rushed, and too much time was spent on Allison's daddy issues. Thank you St. Martins Press for the complimentary copy to read and review. Rating 3.5

I love love LOVED this book! I love second chance romances and I just really enjoyed the characters in this book! It's perfect for the romcom lovers and I really hope Jenny writes another book because I will definitely be picking it up and reading it!

The Make-Up Test is an enjoyable read that features a second chance romance between academic rivals. Though I ultimately felt the two main characters lacked chemistry and connection, I thoroughly enjoyed Jenny L. Howe's writing. This book wasn't my favorite but I'm looking forward to reading more of Howe's works in the future.

Such a light hearted and fun read! I absolutely loved the body diversity and mental heath awareness that this book brought to readers. It reaches such a broad audience and I think readers of every type will be able to see a part of themselves within this book. There was an equal balance between romance, hard topics, and witty banter. This was my first novel by this author and I can promise it won't be my last!

What a great debut novel! I enjoyed it so much, the characters were fun and creative and I loved the academic setting - one of my favorites. I’m not usually a big fan of second chance romances but I truly enjoyed this one. Can’t wait to hear more from this author.