ARC REVIEW FOR THE MAKE-UP TEST

3 Stars

Thank you to Netgalley, St. Martin's Press and Jenny Howe for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I didn't love, nor did I hate this story. A second-chance lovers-turned-enemies-turned-lovers story, it was a cute romcom set in a typically boring industry. Higher Education, especially Medieval Literature, is boring (I said what I said). But the author made it super interesting and even if there were aspects of the story that were "meh", Jenny Howe did a good job keeping me interested in the outcomes.

The FMC was, quite frankly, insufferable. I wanted to really like Allison: here was a smart, body positive, strong woman who could do anything she set her mind to, and she chose to be whiney and treat her friends and mother like crap. Her Dad? Terrible- and that's the only person she is justified in treating that way. But her mom and her best friend? Horrible. Also, her inability to acknowledge the MMC Colin's growth from when they knew each other in undergrad says more about her inability to accept change. Plus, her being overtly competitive, to the point where she wanted to purposely sabotage others to get ahead isn't being competitive, it's being a terrible human being.

Colin wasn't completely fantastic either- he was extremely secretive, always hiding things to make himself look better. Both of them could do with a good dose of therapy and to learn how to better communicate and deal with their anger.

With that being said, I had a hard time putting this book down. I definitely wanted to find out what happened, which to me means the writing is very enthralling. I would definitely recommend this story for literary lovers and people who love second chance romances.

Not even an Ali Hazelwood blurb could save this book for me.

Admittedly, I don't usually love the Second Chance Romance trope, but I loved the idea of an academic setting and the plus-sized representation, so I went in with an open mind. It was a mistake.

The hero...my God, the worst. Like. The. Actual. Worst. He is the reason second-chance romances rarely work for me. WHY WOULD ANYONE TAKE HIM BACK???? Also, I hate when women apologize and take the blame for their partner being a tool.

As for the plus-sized representation, why must there always be fat shaming? I am not naive. I understand the world and the terrible people in it. I just don't want to read about it.

With all that said, Jenny Howe's writing is quite good. I just want a better story.

Title: The Make-Up Test
Author: Jenny L. Howe
Publisher: St. Martin's Press
Reviewed By: Arlena Dean
Rating: Four
Review:
"The Make-Up Test" by Jenny L. Howe

My Assessment:

'The Make-up Test' read kept one's attention as the story featured Allison and Colin. These two had one be lovers, but something horrible broke them apart because they were academic rivals. They seem to have come together again due to the grad school assignment, and we see Colin trying to make amends for what had happened between them earlier. But can he be trusted after what he had pulled off earlier to Allison? While these two seemed to be getting along, we find that Allison had another problem in her life that dealt with her family and learning more about herself. After it looks like Colin and Allison are back together in this second chance romance, will this work out for them, or is he still up with the schemes? Be ready for some exciting characters where there will be illness, self-worth, relationships, family, dogs, and a cat. Shaming, death, plus size images will keep you turning the pages to see what's coming next. To see what 'The Make-Up Test" is all about, pick up this novel to see how well this author brings it out to the reader.


Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for an advanced digital reader's copy in exchange for an honest review!

2.75 stars ☆ I was so excited to read this book based on the tropes on it alone. Like academic rivals to lovers, second chance ?!? and that we also have a plus-size representation. I'm all in.

But it was a bit hard for me to get through this book, Idk if it's the writing or the pacing isn't the way I wanted it to be. It did make me struggle to read it. And then we have a miscommunication/third-act conflict which I really don't like. I also didn't like Colin, he's just not my favourite.

One thing that I liked about this book was Allison. I loved her growth throughout the book and I'm just so invested in her.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC !!

This is a rich story filled with insight into relationships (romantic and family) as the details for the backstories of Colin and Allison are teasingly revealed with humor as well as a thoughtful compassion for all they have gone through. Using the trope of enemies to lovers, this book has the addition that Allison and Colin were lovers, then enemies and in this story they come full circle, with a lot of brilliant repartee between them. Allison and Colin are both nerdy lit students and both of them want the same position with the same professor, an opportunity to travel with her as she goes on a quest for literary treasures. The references in the book to medieval literature were amusing but I have to admit that some were over my head since I have never been a fan of that genre. However, the way Colin and Allison bantered about Chaucer among others made me wish that I had paid more attention during my lit classes. This is an original romance involving the brain power of two nerds who get their hearts caught in the middle. The pace is fast, with humor throughout and surprisingly good insight into the feelings of a plus-sized young woman in a world in which the smaller someone is, the more they seem to be accepted. Allison and Colin’s competition climbs to fever pitch and I enjoyed the ride with them. I especially enjoyed getting to know how Allison accepted herself as she was, in spite of all of the put-downs that her father saddled her with. Both Colin and Allison are strong protagonists and overcomers of past injuries, so that really pulled all of my heartstrings in just the right way. Not the typical romance because this books deals with some tough topics, but the author does a fantastic job of showing understanding, using a sense of humor that is central in the entire book. Clever plot, brilliantly written!
Disclaimer
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary copy of this book from St. Martin’s Press via Netgalley. I was not required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255, “Guidelines Concerning the Use of Testimonials and Endorsements in Advertising.”

POV: Single
Spice: 🌶 🌶.5/5

While this debut novel kept me interested and the writing was good, the romance part of the book fell a little flat for me. I didn’t really find Allison or Colin to be that like-able, and while I can appreciate an enemies to lovers to story, the way Allison describes Colin had me feeling like she was barely attracted to him. While there are a couple of open door 🔥 scenes, it was more of a peak in the open door, so if you like a little spice this might be for you!

A very “smart” book with a lot literature references and great plus size representation (i loved that Allison was very confident in herself) this book has its funny and sad moments, and while I think an epilogue would’ve been great, these two do figure things out for what I would consider more of a HFN.

I didn’t really care for this one.
The characters were very immature, and not relatable. This book definitely gives off a YA plot trying to force itself to be an adult book. It was a little weird and random to write the pandemic into the storyline, it felt out of place. And let’s not even talk about the last portion of the book or the ending.

A cute rom-com. The book did have some good laugh out loud moments. I didn't feel that connected to the characters. It moved along at a good pace. The ending was satisfying. I received an advance copy from NetGalley & am voluntarily leaving a review.

*I received an e-arc from the publisher and Netgalley for review. All opinions are my own. *

I thought the Make-Up Test was a great debut for Jenny Howe! It’s a contemporary romcom, with two exes who find themselves pitted against each other in a prestigious literature Ph.D. program. I loved the academic setting and the fat rep! There are some difficult topics discussed in the book, and I felt that the author handled them in a positive way.

Allison Avery has a very competitive spirit. She’s always aced every academic challenge and has finally been accepted into the PhD program she’s always dreamed of at Claymore University. She’ll be studying medieval literature under a professor that she’s admired for years. Her classes seem intense, her relationship with her best friend and roommate isn’t going according to plan, and her students don’t seem to want to participate, but she feels determined. She then finds out that her ex-boyfriend Colin who is just as competitive, has been assigned to TA with her under the same professor, and for her it’s game time.

As Allison and Colin compete, they start falling for each other again. Will they be able to overcome their past and have a second chance at romance?

I really enjoyed seeing Allison’s growth and development throughout this story and how she was able to speak up for herself. I loved her passion for learning and how devoted she is to her field of study. Such a refreshing character! Colin grew on me too throughout the book, and I loved how nerdy they were together.

I definitely recommend this one for romance readers and I am excited to read more from Howe in the future!

I'm a sucker for second chance romance with touch of enemy to lovers and this was exactly that! I also enjoyed that it takes place in academia. And unlike other academia books that I've read, this one focuses on two characters who banter about literature! I loved the referencing to classic lits that adds to their love story. This story dealt with sensitive topics like body shaming, psychological and verbal abuse, parental neglect, dementia and it was done very well and were realistically approached. However, I could not fully give it a higher rating because I feel like the way the main characters were written was a bit disappointing, so I unfortunately, have to give this a 3.5 stars.

Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press Group for the ARC.

🌟🌟🌟 3/5 stars

The Make-Up Test is a sweet romcom about two college exes battling for one spot in a prestigious literature Ph.D. program. Allison and Colin are two highly competitive people who fell in and out of love in undergrad. When they are both assigned to TA for the same professor, they refuse to allow the other to go on a huge research trip opportunity. However, they then find themselves falling in love all over again.

This was a cute second chance romance. It features a swoony male lead, a strong, loveable leading lady, and plenty of banter. I loved the academic rivals angle and all of the tropes. Overall, an enjoyable read.

ARC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

The Make-Up Test is a debut romantic comedy with an academia setting.

The narrator is 23 year old Ph. D student Allison Avery (3rd person POV.

What I liked: I loved the grad school setting. I loved that she was studying medieval lit. I love that she was plus-sized. I liked her Professor Frances.

What I liked less: The main male character drove me crazy. Did not like his actions. And I realized that I do not love enemies to lovers. The rivalry and the guy being a jerk is just not my favorite.

Allison Avery has finally been accepted into the medieval literature Ph.D program of her dreams where she is studying under a professor she really admires. When Allison discovers her ex-boyfriend Colin and her are assigned to TA for the same professor, everything becomes a competition.

There were so many aspects of this book I really enjoyed, including the academic and grad school setting, the academic rivalry, the second chance romance trope and the plus size representation. I liked all the bookish references but the topic of medieval literature is not my cup of tea so I didn't necessarily gravitate towards that, however it didn't take anything away from the story for me. I kind of struggled with connecting and becoming attached to the characters and their relationship and generally lacked any strong feelings towards this book.

Overall, I liked this one, but didn't love it as much as I was hoping I would. I think my reading slump partially contributed to this, but if you are looking for a romcom with academic rivals, competitiveness and a second chance romance that also deals with family drama, consider checking out The Make-Up Test. This was Howe's debut novel and I think I would still give her future work a read!

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

"I wanted to feel close to the people who meant something to me."

This book follows Allison, a Ph.D. student navigating graduate school. She's in her dream program studying medieval literature but there's one problem - she's now directly in competition with her ex. Colin. Their competitive nature comes out immediately, trying to best each other during their shared TA assignments and recitations. But there's an underlying tension of their past threatening to boil over.

Allison is strong-willed and confident in herself, though she's extremely competitive about the graduate program she's in, It only gets worse for her once she's in direct competition with her ex, Colin. They clearly have unresolved tension that is constantly bubbling under the surface as they both try to outshine the other.

I loved the setting - graduate lit students that all have a passion for their chosen subject. Allison is clearly brilliant and she has the determination and drive to become a college professor.

But overall, I disliked more of this book than I liked. We get tension from Allison's parents, particularly her father, that does nothing to drive the story, and there's a particular part at the end that felt unnecessary. For me, it took way from the overarching story of Allison and Colin. Additionally, Allison and Colin's chemistry doesn't jump off the page, so I never got invested in their relationship. I didn't have this overwhelming excitement over their reconnection.

They also have a major communication problem that did not feel resolved by the end. It was really hard for me to root for them when everything felt petty, even when the circumstances in the story were serious. It felt like they were constantly lying to each other and for me, that didn't create a couple I was excited to read about.

Book Review:

The Make-Up Test by Jenny Howe

I can't tell you how much I loved this book simply for the throwback to my own graduate school days. The Canterbury Tales was even one of the texts for my comp exam!

Allison is ready to conquer her PhD program...until her ex-boyfriend is also in the program studying the same thing as her. They have to battle for a top spot with their advisor and a research trip. Will old feelings emerge or will they finally find out who wins in the academic game.

The Make-Up Test has some very cute moments and is fat positive in a way that does not pull from the larger story. Allison faces many battles throughout the story including struggling to find meaningful interactions with her father.

If you like academia focused stories, second chance romances, cute dogs, and a little Middle English, then The Make-Up Test is for you! It releases tomorrow 9/13.

Thanks to @netgalley and @stmartinspress for this advanced reader.

#BookReview #Bookstagram #JennyHowe #TheMakeUpTest #StMartinsGriffin #BookishLife #Reading #Bibliophile #BookPhotography #BookRecommendations #InstaBooks #BookNerd #RomanceBooks #RomanceBookStagram

Thank you Jenny Howe, St. Martin's Press, and NetGalley for ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Allison Avery just started her dream PH.D program only to get there on the first day and find her ex-boyfriend from undergrad, Colin Benjamin, also in the program. Allison has a lot of unresolved feelings for Colin, her best friend is drifting away, her cohort likes to pull all nighters, and the professor she is the TA for just told her either her or Colin will go with on a once in a life time research trip opportunity. Allison loves to win and will do anything to get that spot.

I did not love this book to, Allison grew on me, but not enough. I felt like it was a lot of poor me throughout the book and she did not take responsibility for trying to fix them just complained about it. Her father was awful, but I would have liked to see something else happen besides what did. If you want a quick read to cleanse your pallet this book is it.

This was one of most anticipated reads for 2022! And it was so cute!! I loved that The Make-Up Test is set at school (and perfect timing for fall reading). Second chance romance, the rivalry, the plus sized rep. It was a fun read!

I ended up giving this book 3.5 (rounded to four for GoodReads) stars.
While this book was good, I found the writing to be a bit stiff at times. I enjoyed the characters the most! Allison and Colin, boy, were they something!

I liked Allison's character, save for the fact that she tended to jump to conclusions (but can we blame her considering her past experiences with Colin??). Colin- I wasn't sure about him for awhile, but when he told Allison the full story, I felt for him then. He was going through something and experiences like that can be difficult to go through.

I really enjoyed the literature that was sprinkled in since they were in graduate school. I am also in graduate school for English and I thought it was cool to see some grad student banter and antics!

Overall, I liked this story. I wish there were more at the end; I felt it just e n d e d. I was hoping for an epilogue :( Will there be a sequel? I would definitely read that!

Out September 13, 2022 [Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review!]

Rating: 4/5 stars

Allison has big plans for her new graduate program—get a great mentor, become a great professor, and earn a spot as a leading scholar of medieval literature. But she doesn’t account for her ex-boyfriend—and academic rival—being back in the picture for all of it…

A rom-com featuring plus size/fat representation, literature academia, and a corgi puppy? Suffice to say I could not get my hands on this one fast enough. And I’ll be honest—I related to Allison and her lived experiences, insecurities, and self-imposed perfectionism a little *too* much, but it made me enjoy this book all the more.

First, the less great—I did think the book felt a hair too slow in parts, and I wanted fewer internal-monologues-stressing-about-situations and more situations-to-stress-over, if that makes sense. I wasn’t bored, exactly, I just didn’t feel like enough had happened for me to be fully invested in the characters until close to the 2/3 mark.

That said, once I got invested, I got really invested, which is what led to sobbing at 1am as I stayed up way too late to finish reading. Colin went from insufferable to an absolute gem very quickly (it’s amazing what communication will do) and Allison’s character growth was really lovely to watch. In short, not a perfect book, but a really wonderful debut, and I can’t wait to see what Jenny Howe writes next!

Recommended to anyone, but especially if you like: fat representation, academia nerdiness, puppies.

CW: Emotional abuse (including abusive parent/child relationships); loss/illness of loved ones; fatphobia; sexism.

2.5 stars. The characters in The Make-Up Test veered too far into toxic territory for me to feel satisfied with the resolution, but lots of readers will enjoy this more than I did. Recommended for readers whose interest is piqued by the academic setting with a quality discussion about the field (medieval lit) or by a romance about a confident, fat woman who is represented as such on the book cover.

I look forward to reading future titles by Jenny L. Howe.

Pros:
-Grad level medieval lit discussions were really interesting and made me want to read some of the titles being analyzed
-Really good fat representation! Allison loves her body and confronts the people who try to fat-shame her. Her best friend is an aspiring fashion designer who creates plus size clothes. I was pleasantly surprised since the book description made a comparison to One to Watch by Kate Stayman-London, one of the most upsetting romances with fat rep that I've ever had the displeasure to read.
-realistic depiction of friends who have started to drift apart
-Colin's medievalist grandfather. Can we get a prequel for Charlie?
-Monty the dog
-Allison and her mother's coming to an understanding about the father, Jed

Cons
-The relationship between Allison and Colin is so toxic mid-book that their reconciliation felt like a mistake.
-Allison lies many times about her teaching skills purely to make Colin feel inadequate and then to avoid confessing to her lies
-Colin turns everyone else's accomplishments into occasions to whine about his own feelings of inadequacy
-The story leans on ridiculous miscommunications to prolong the will-they-won't-they drama.

Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin's Griffin for providing a review copy of the ebook in exchange for an honest review.