Tragically I DNFed this book. There are so many things wrong with it that absolutely killed it for me.

Great story and love that it was not your typical romance story. I would love to read more by this author.

thank you for my advance copy in exchange for a fair review.

I absolutely loved this book. It hooked me and kept me turning pages until I was done. Finished it in two days! The character development was strong, and the premise was unique enough that it didn't feel like anything else I've read.

The Make-Up Test by Jenny L. Howe follows Allison Avery. She has been accepted into her dream Ph.D. program at Claymore University studying medieval literature. She is ready for the challenge—until she learns that her ex-boyfriend Colin Benjamin has also been accepted. They are both assigned to TA for the same professor, so it is war when the professor announces a research trip opportunity with one open spot. It’s been two years since Colin broke up with Allison, so one-upping him comes natural to her. But when unfortunate circumstances bring the two close again, she begins to realize they just may work better together.

I liked Allison. She was a great curvy heroine who was very academic. I struggled with the romance in this book, though. I felt a lack of connection and investment in it.

I was really REALLY excited to read this book when I saw the cover and read the synopsis. My first thoughts were: body positivity AND academic enemies-to-lovers, so of course I set my expectations quite high. When it came to the book, it wasn’t that at all and it saddens me to give it this rating but I want to be honest before anything else.

The first aspect that was lost on me was the main characters and how incredibly unlikable they got to be, especially Colin. I can’t believe that we got a repeat of the past, with him stealing away from the accomplishments she was setting for herself. Why do you write about a character that’s equally bad in the past and the present?

So of course the second aspect that was not of my liking was the romance. And, how could I when the man that was supposed to love her and be a great love interest just keeps proving himself to be a bad man?

And lastly, I realized this while reading but with the behavior of the characters it just seemed like this was a YA, I swear if it hadn’t been for the adult setting and knowing they’re adults, this could have been that.

*ARC kindly provided by St. Martin's Press, St. Martin's Griffin via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Allison is thrilled to be starting a prestigious Ph.D. program in medieval lit–until Colin–her ex from undergrad, the guy who broke her heart and stole her academic thunder–shows up in her graduate program. Not only does she have to study with him, but they also have to TA together and are competing for the mentorship she’s been dreaming of.

She’s furious, but Colin is intent on convincing her he’s changed–and getting her back. She doesn’t trust him, but soon she feels herself drawn to him again.

Enemies to lovers is not my favorite romance trope anyway, and unfortunately, I wasn’t convinced by Colin–that he had changed, that he was then or is now worth Allison’s time. I like a good romance set in academia, but without a compelling love interest to root for, this was just okay for me.

I had trouble getting into this book. The romance felt forced and flat. I liked Allison, but the misunderstanding with Colin was easily avoided. Maybe this book wasn’t for me.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed as in this review are completely my own.

While I adored the representation in this one it just did't grip me. I found myself a bit bored and struggled to stay engaged. This book just fell a little flat for me. I didn’t love it and I didn’t hate it. It was very average to me.

A very clever body positive rom com! As someone with a PhD I thoroughly enjoyed this romanticized view into academia. In addition to the love story, the friendship between Allison and Sophie is a relatable one for women everywhere. In addition to the lighthearted story line, Allison’s complex family dynamics leaves something for everyone.

DNF at 55%

Thank you SMP Romance and NetGalley for the gifted ebook of The Make-Up Test! All opinions in this review are my own.

I like that the more romances I read, the more I can pinpoint what I like. For example, I'm beginning to learn that if a book is hate to love, it has to have dual POVs. It's really hard for me to listen to how horrible the love interest is for most of the book and then suddenly believe that everything can be fixed in the end.

I was really interested in Allison as a main character and loved all the literature references. However, I felt like most of that was lost because she was too busy complaining about Colin. Apparently this was just not the book for me.

DNF for me. I didn't like either of the main characters and found them to be a bit juvenile. Skimmed ahead a bit and didn't like where it was going.

The Make-Up Test by Jenny L. Howe is so much more than a rom com. This debut novel includes such realistic characters with complex, hard to admit feelings. This novel is an important work because its message is sadly unique today. I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher with no obligations. These opinions are entirely my own.

I finally got around to picking this up! I wasn't sure what to expect since the reviews seemed somewhat mixed, but, overall, I did enjoy it. There were funny moments, and some more serious moments. The characters both had times where I found them a little annoying and was really frustrated by some of the choices they made (particularly Colin). I did appreciate the academic setting (I do enjoy a good school romance) and as a fellow literary fan, I did enjoy how focused the story was on books (though I was never much of a fan of the medieval classics... Beowulf was such a bore). I also appreciated the struggle Allison had in her relationship to her father, and that just because some helped birth you, does not mean that you owe them your time/effort if they give you none of their own. I think that's such a taboo subject for no reason, so I appreciated that the author included that in the story. My biggest complaint for the book was the ending. It was just so rushed. So many story lines all mangled together with many feeling like they didn't get a proper conclusion. I just feel like it could have been a little longer to give each storyline a proper ending.
The Make-Up Test was a sweet romance, with a college setting and academic MC's. It was a second chance romance, slight enemies-to-lovers, and the romance was slow-burn (minimal spice as well).

Great romantic comedy read that tackled some very real issues with a lot of grace. Can't wait to see what else comes from this great author.

I really loved the premise of this book. Unfortunately I found the main characters both unlikable and uninteresting, and they kept making illogical choices that did nothing but hurt themselves. The writing itself is good, I just couldn't get past my dislike of the characters.

There are so many sub-plots here that I loved - body acceptance and body joy, complex emotions around parent / child relationships, and the ability for us to change as people and as partners. So much of the story hit so close to home from me that I needed to step back at times and take a breath. While not always the best feeling, I loved that the author was able to offer this type of reading experience.

That said, I did feel like some points were belabored to the point where I just didn't care anymore and was ready for things to move on.

Overall, cute second-chance love story with valuable perspective and a lot of nerdy quirks that made me smile.

I cannot express how badly I need more new adult books in my life. I love a good young adult romance and general adult romance as much as the next romance reader. But there is something really nice about being in a graduate program and getting to read characters who are also in a graduate program and around your age. There are certain lived experiences that come with adult romances that I haven’t encountered yet and certain ones from young adult romances that are just enough out of my recent life experiences to always be relatable. Granted, I work with children and got a degree in secondary education so it’s not anything that I see myself growing out of reading anytime soon but a new adult book set in a graduate setting is just *chef's kiss* for me.

The banter and longing between Allison and Colin are absolutely incredible. I think that Jenny did a really good job at painting them both as well-rounded humans and flawed characters who genuinely care about each other and want to work to be better. The banter between them was top-tier, especially when they were first getting to know each other again. I loved it so much.

One of my favorite things about this book is having representation of a body type that is not average-sized or a twig. It is really validating to get to read a character who has a body type that is similar to mine and who doesn’t hate their body. And getting to see the way that it is handled when others do not respect your body type in the same way that you give yourself the space to respect your body type.

I appreciated the way that the storyline between Allison and Jeb panned out. I think that a lot of times people address family conflict with the angle that it’s family so you have to make it right with them or you have to forgive them because they’re blood. I think that that completely neglects the very real ways that family members can hurt you the most through abuse or neglect. And it’s okay to sometimes let those relationships die out or not get the resolution the other party wants.

NAVIGATING FRIENDSHIPS IN YOUR 20s !!! Sophie and Allison are phenomenal friends. I feel like your 20s can make or break your friendships post-graduation. This is the era where people are moving and finding their first long-term job and getting settled into their careers. Allison and Sophie have conversations about re-manging their expectations in their friendship as it is evolving.

Overall The Make-Up Test was a fun, cute read and I can’t wait to read more from Jenny L Howe in the future.

Thank you St. Martin's Press, St. Martin's Griffin, and NetGalley for giving me access to an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Full review to come on Goodreads and Amazon. Thank you to the publisher, author, and NetGalley for a review copy.

This was cute, but not one of my fav romances. I liked the MC enough but the romance fell a little flat for me. Enjoyable, but ultimately not super memorable.

I enjoyed reading The Make-up Test by Jenny L. Howe. Happy reading!


**I received an ARC of this book courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher. All opinions expressed in this review are my own and given freely**