In this smart, swoony, rom-com debut from Jenny L. Howe The Make-Up Test , two college exes find themselves battling against each other―and their unresolved feelings―for a spot in a prestigious literature Ph.D. program. Allison Avery loves to win. After acing every academic challenge she’s come up against, she’s finally been accepted into her dream Ph.D. program at Claymore University, studying medieval literature under a professor she’s admired for years. Sure, grad school isn’t easy―the classes are intense, her best friend is drifting away, and her students would rather pull all-nighters than discuss The Knight's Tale ―but she’s got this. Until she discovers her ex-boyfriend has also been accepted. Colin Benjamin might be the only person who loves winning more than Allison does, and when they're both assigned to TA for the same professor, the game is on. What starts as a personal battle of wits (and lit) turns into all-out war when their professor announces a career-changing research trip opportunity―with one spot to fill. Competing with Colin is as natural as breathing, and after he shattered her heart two years ago, Allison refuses to let him come out on top. But when a family emergency and a late-night road trip―plus a very sexy game of Scrabble―throw them together for a weekend, she starts to wonder if they could be stronger on the same team. And if they fall for each other all over again, Allison will have to choose between a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and what could be a twice-in-a-lifetime love. In this charmingly bookish debut, The Make-Up Test embraces the truth that people can sometimes change and grow, even when you least expect it. One of "September's Top New Rom-Coms"--USA Today One of the "17 Best Fall 2022 Books That You Won't Be Able to Put Down"-- Cosmopolitan One of the "Most Anticipated September Romances"― Goodreads One of the "24 New Books You'll Want to Read This Fall" -- Buzzfeed One of the "30 Most-Anticipated Books of 2022"-- Reader's Digest One of the "Best New Romance Novels to Spice Up Your Fall" -- PopSugar One of the "17 New Romance Books You Need to Read This September"-- BookRiot “Featuring a plus-size heroine, The Make-Up Test provides some much-needed representation in the rom-com genre…sweet and funny.” –USA Today “Original, clever, sizzling, The Make-Up Test is the perfect mix of unique settings, lovable characters, and the exquisite agony of second chance romances. It’s the grad school, rivals-to-lover book of my wildest, sexiest dreams! I’ll read anything Jenny Howe writes!” – Ali Hazelwood, New York Times bestselling author of The Love Hypothesis “Enemies-to-lovers, set in academia, with the pitfalls of imposter syndrome to navigate? Yes, please! A sweet, fresh spin on how the third time’s the charm.” -- Jodi Picoult, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Wish You Were Here “What happens when you have to go against your ex for the chance of a lifetime while studying in the same Ph.D program? Tension and sparks, that's what!” – Cosmopolitan “Jenny L. Howe’s comedic timing shines in this debut.” – Reader’s Digest , Editor’s Pick “Romance readers are sure to enjoy this highly recommended debut’s fat-positive, rivals-to-lovers romp through academia. Perfect for fans of Kate Stayman-London’s One to Watch and Jen DeLuca’s Well Met .” – Library Journal (starred) “Howe’s sparkling debut takes contemporary romance to medieval times…Romance readers yearning for brilliant plus-sized heroines will cheer for Allison’s deft handling of fatphobic insults from haters trying to steal her shine.” -- Booklist “This academia-themed love story from debut author Jenny L. Howe is recommended for fans of Beach Read and One to Watch . Bonus trivia: The book features at least one ‘sexy game of Scrabble.’ English majors are so weird.” – Goodreads, “Readers’ Most Anticipated September Romances” “Jenny L. Howe's The Make-Up Test delivers an irresistible rom-com with a side serving of academic rivalry.” – PopSugar “Charmingly nerdtastic...a delightfully sweet second chance, rivals-to-lovers story wrapped up in a cardigan, sprinkled liberally with Beowulf and Chaucer references, and garnished with cat socks.” – Jen DeLuca, author of Well-Met , Well-Played , and Well-Matched “Heartfelt vulnerability wrapped in a sexy cardigan... The Make-Up Test is an A+.” -- Denise Williams, author of How to Fail at Flirting and The Fastest Way to Fall “This second-chance romance is cozier than one of Colin’s cardigans and lovelier than a crisp autumn day. I didn’t know how badly I needed a sexy Scrabble scene in my life, and now I know I’d have been incomplete without one! With clever writing that makes her grad school rivals simmer and spark on the page, Jenny Howe has crafted a love story that feels not just swoony and heart-stirring, but achingly, breathtakingly real .” – Rachel Lynn Solomon, bestselling author of The Ex-Talk and Weat