This book surprised me quite a bit. I chose it for the romance and the promise of a plus size MC that actually loved herself and was confident. While this story had all of these things, it had so much more depth to it than I expected.

The academic side of it made my teacher heart happy, especially all of the references to literature in their classes. But the thing I appreciated the most was the complexity of the two MCs and their love story. It wasn’t perfect or tropey, it was very realistic and very engaging. It felt natural and made me feel so much more for the characters than a typical romance novel.

I definitely look forward to reading other books from this author.

DNF at 36%

I was really looking forward to reading this one, but sadly it just didn’t work for me at all. I tried to get into it, but after 36%, I found that I still didn’t care about or particularly like Colin or Allison (or any of the characters really). This is supposed to be a second chance romance, but this is one of the rare times when I don’t want the main characters to reconcile at all. Colin really was so horrible.

*I voluntarily read an advance review copy of this book*

Allison Avery loves the academic medieval world of literature like nothing else in her life so starting the Ph.D. program at Claymore University is the beginning of her dreams coming true. Allison once felt the same about Colin Benjamin until he broke her heart sophomore year after stealing an important college prize out from under her. In a tale worthy of her heroes such as Chaucer and Shakespeare, Allison is stunned to see Colin not only in her program, but that they are once again in competition as TAs for the same professor who can only keep one of them at the semester’s end to be her advisee.

Allison has several other life challenges including her roommate and best friend drifting away to a different life as well as her relationship with a very difficult and seemingly uncaring father whose health is precarious. Allison’s determination to best Colin not only to prove herself academically and secure the coveted position has not a small element of payback for the heartache Colin caused her. Although he tries to explain what happened she is not interested in raking up the past, or least that is what Allison tells herself…repeatedly. The two years they have been apart have helped Allison and Colin mature; however, they both have that competitive spark that can sometimes be hurtful and cruel.

Anyone who has ever been a literature major or in graduate school will recognize and appreciate the obsessive nature of inhabitants in the hallowed halls and rarified atmosphere of those striving for the Ph.D. prize. The stress of competing for their ultimate goals certainly puts extreme pressure on Allision and Colin who both have family issues weighing them down. As they spend forced time together, Allison and Colin both realize mistakes they made and begin to see that perhaps, they can find their way back to each other but at what cost?

One thing I do not understand about these graduate students is how people who are so cerebral and determined to shine in their fields can spend so much time imbibing to the point of being drunk. Do they not care about the effects on those precious brain cells? Other than that aspect of the story, as someone who has read most of the medieval literature works that frame this book, I appreciated being back in that world. Readers who struggled with said works or who are unfamiliar, will get a glimpse and begin to understand why people still are enamored centuries later. There is indeed nothing new under the sun including the themes of life, loss, and love.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫
🌶🌶 (light details)

✅ second chance
✅ enemies to lovers
✅ academic rivals

👉🏻 swipe for synopsis

The competitiveness between Allison and Colin 100% drove this book and the tension was just *chefs kiss*. While the book isn't divided into past and present, Jenny Howe gives us some great looks into Allison and Colin's first try at romance. My favorite part of this book is the character development of Colin that doesn't happen on page but is still so prevalent! While he did some bad things in the past, I just wanted to hug him when he was trying to make amends with Allison and she was having NONE of it - which I respect. In addition to the romance, a big part of this story is about Allison coming to terms with different aspects of her life and learning to move forward and believe in herself.

I can acknowledge that this was well-written, but this story just wasn’t for me. I found it to be too slow for my tastes, and the relationship between Colin and Allison left something to be desired. Maybe if I knew a bit about medieval literature, I would’ve liked it more? I’m anti-DNF but I did scan quickly through the last half of this book.

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

Thanks to St. Martins Griffin for the free book.
I have so many mixed feelings about this book. On one hand, I enjoyed the story to read the whole thing. On the other hand, I have complaints. I liked how this book featured a fat positive main character. Allison stands up for herself and her image against those that bully her for it. I liked her confidence with this and with her being sure that she knows her stuff when it comes to her PhD program. She worked hard to get where she was and deserved her place. I do wish she would've explored some of her thoughts in therapy because sometimes she did need a confidence boost. My biggest complaint is that this was a second chance romance instead of just enemies to lovers. I didn't mind Allison and Colin together, I'm just not sure that Colin was worthy of a second chance. They felt immature when it came to this relationship, which I expect from a first time, but not a second. I think that this will be a fan for those that like academic romance. I know it's getting lots of love, so if it sounds interesting, I do recommend giving it a try.

Allison is a PhD student at a prestigious university, something she's dreamed of since she was a kid. Unfortunately, she finds herself in the program with her ex-boyfriend, Colin - who not only broke her heart but also copied her course of study where he previously had no interest in medieval lit. This is kind of a hybrid of enemies-to-lovers and second-chance, but what I found most interesting was the glimpse into grad school life, which I knew nothing about before reading. I appreciated that COVID was touched upon in a vague way (this is some kind of post-COVID world, though a year isn't specified, but there are references to still carrying masks just in case), as I've wondered how authors will handle this as we get more and more past March 2020 and it seems outdated to ignore it, but this certainly didn't dwell on it. Overall, a cute read, though Allison's stubborn competitiveness (to the point of being fake) was a bit tiresome at times.

I really wanted to love this book but that was not the case.

This is the story of Allison's journey trying to get her PhD only to find herself in the uncomfortable situation of sharing classes with her ex.

Honestly, the story has potential but I felt that in many parts the story became repetitive and boring, and at times I felt that Allison and Colin's relationship lacked "spark".

I must also admit that on several occasions I simply didn't like Colin at all, his behavior was extremely questionable 80% of the book.

In the end, it is a book that has its sweet and funny moments but it lacks so much more.

(Thank you NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review)

You know, I really liked this book! It was fun to read, great characters, had a great pace and plenty of fun medieval literary references. Oh my goodness, Allison Avery is my kind of gal. I loved everything about her and related to so many of her characteristics. I loved how the focus wasn’t on her feelings towards her plus sized body and accepting herself, but more about standing her ground and enforcing boundaries with the toxic behavior of her dad. I loved the reinforcement that just because someone is family doesn’t mean we owe them anything if they don’t earn it. Colin was a really good look at vulnerability and insecurity. I thought he was written so well, even when he did things that infuriated me. I liked how he and Allison both acknowledged their faults and worked on them. The ending was well done, but just a little too abrupt. I think an epilogue would have been great here to really wrap things up. Very glad I was able to read this one and definitely can’t wait to see what Howe writes next!
TW: fatphobia, death, emotional abuse

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

Thank you NetGalley for the advance copy!

This book I had a struggle reading. I normally love second chance romance and this is set in my home state!

Being unfamiliar with medieval literature much of the school plot was lost on me. The characters weren’t all that likable. The MC showed growth through the story but all the side friends and family characters were not good to her. I wound up skimming through the last quarter.

I"m a sucker for books set in academia and I really liked the premise of this, but it didn't quite work for me. The title is a bit misleading as there is no "test" - I think they could've gotten much more clever with it. I liked Allison but wow did I hate Colin; he was immature in college and seems just as immature now. I find the reason they broke up to be pretty unforgivable given how Allison is written to have all this drive and he was acting supportive just to go behind her back. I really enjoyed the first 40% or so of the book, but once they got back together, it dwindled for me. I didn't feel chemistry, and perhaps it's because I felt they were better off apart. The climax further proved to me Colin learned nothing; I'm all for flawed characters, but he's a mess. I'd try this author again because I think it was written well and I enjoyed the nod to literature, but I hope for more lovable characters.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This is a super fun rom-com. I particularly appreciated how the grad school experience of the protagonists felt realistic. I've read some other books where something about the language or the scenario just was off. In addition to a well done second chance romance trope, the book really delved into the complex relationships that can occur between parents and children. Particularly when there's a disconnect between life trajectories. The steam level is on the milder side, but that's not an inherently bad thing.

*I received a free ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*

Former lovers turned academic rivals square off to compete for a prestigious opportunity and end up getting more than they bargained for in this wonderful second-chance romance!

If you like:
- academic rivalry
- unapologetic nerdiness
- puppies
- second-chance romance

then you will definitely enjoy this book! Both characters had so much dimension, and were surrounded by a host of secondary characters that all felt fresh and unique. I loved the character of Wendy, she almost had a fairy-godmother feel to her. And the way this book ended wrapped up everything so neatly.

TW: This book does contain topics such as body shaming, illness, and death of a parent.

The Make-Up Test is a multifaceted look at relationships, family, self worth, and the bustling demands of higher education. Highly recommended for readers with a soft spot for dogs, cardigans, and plus sized representation.

I’d wanted to read this book for months and was so excited to receive an arc via the publisher and NetGalley. Howe’s debut was completely worth the wait, as this book was a unique delight! I sincerely look forward to reading her future works.

Thank you @NetGalley and @StMartinsPress for the ARC of The Make-Up Test in exchange for my honest review.

I did enjoy this read of exes to enemies to lovers. The subplot of literature was a definite win in my book, especially some of the nuances of medieval language. I thought parts of this book read a little dry. It did include some spice. I thought the major upset between the MCs was a bit weak.

Overall, I enjoyed the book, but I didn't have the urge to finish it in one sitting, stay up late reading. I do look forward to reading more from Jenny L. Howe.

A cute story about academic rivals who become lovers. This book would be great for romance fans of books such as Beach Read and One to Watch. Allison is going through some life changes, student woes, best friend drifting, then she meets up with an ex-boyfriend and the challenge is on! Thank you Net galley and the publisher for an advanced copy!

Allison Avery has always loved being an academic. Her dream in life is to become a professor so she can share her love of medieval literature with others. When Allison is admitted to a Ph.D. program at Claymore University, studying under a professor she's admired for years, she believes she's one step closer to achieving her goals. But then she learns her ex-boyfriend, Colin Benjamin, has been accepted to the same program and is now competing with her for a TA position with the same professor. At first, the pair can't help butting heads after their rocky relationship, but with every passing day and a last-minute road trip, neither can deny the spark of attraction that still simmers between them. Allison refuses to let anything come between her and her goals, but is it possible to have both the dream career and dream guy?

I was keen on picking this up once I heard about it, but I found it disappointing. Let's talk about the things I did enjoy first. Mostly, the setting. I love anything set in a school or academic environment. I found the discussions around medieval literature fascinating. It's not something I know much about, so it was fun seeing Allison talk about it with such passion. It almost made me want to reread Beowulf, and that was something high school me never thought she'd say. My main problem with this was Colin. For me to enjoy a romance, I have to like the love interest, and I couldn't stand Colin. He treated Allison so poorly, both in the present and in the snippets we get from their past relationship. He had a few sweet moments, but for the most part, I thought he was whiny and took all his insecurities out on Allison. Due to this, I didn't care about their relationship at all. It's a second-chance romance, but for me, Colin deserved none of the chances he got. I also wasn't a fan of Allison's family and how they treated her. Sadly, I had high hopes for this one, but it turned out to be a bit of a letdown.

This was a cute romcom with great plus size rep. The main character is so strong and determined and I just love her. She goes after what she wants and doesn't let anything stand in her way. Her relationship with her father is my favorite part of this book. Not because of how good it is but because of how honest it is.

The way the author has the character stand her ground and show that bad things happening to someone does not erase all of the horrible things they have said and done to you in the past. To be honest, I preferred that side storyline to the romantic one.

Nothing against the romance, mind you. I loved both characters and their chemistry was amazing. But there were some moments when I wanted to just yell at the characters for doing the things they were doing. Whereas with the father storyline I was so proud of her the entire time.

All in all, a great romcom with an even greater subplot. I definitely recommend this book to anyone who enjoys romcoms.

Enemies to lovers, second chance romance, academia setting, witty banter, and a plus size female main character completely at home in her own skin…what could be better?

This book had me hooked from the start and kept me engaged. The witty banter, the fierce competitiveness, and the slow burn second chance romance was everything I needed and more.

I felt like I could relate to Allison and how she was feeling throughout this book, and the conflicts she dealt with were so real and relatable.

Excellent work Jenny L. Howe. I can’t wait to see what you write next.

Fans of enemies to lovers, second chance romance, and academia settings will really enjoy this book.

Thank you to St. Martins Press and Netgalley for this digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Full review will be posted on Instagram @beyondtheinkedpage and my blog beyondtheinkedpage.ca closer to release date.

I really enjoyed the academic setting in this book. And, while many of the medieval literature references flew by me, I still enjoyed the academic banter, and how book smart both of the main characters were. It was really fun to read a female character who is so passionate about such a niche academic subject. I also think I would have rated this higher had some of the side plots been fleshed out a little more, and not so nicely tied up in bows by the end. But I really did enjoy some of the side characters quite a bit. There’s also a cute corgi…so there’s that.

I really did want to love this book. It had everything I like in a contemporary romance! Rivals to lovers, second chances, plus it takes place in an academic grad-school setting. But the farther I got into it, it ended up being just okay for me. There were many points where I found it to be predictable, and repetitive, and honestly both of the main characters really, really annoyed me at times. Collin with his consistent bad decision making, and Allison with her consistent lying and jumping to conclusions made it hard for me to really like either of them. However, none of it was enough to prompt me to give up. It’s a solid three star read for me.

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