diff --git a/make_release.py b/make_release.py
index f6d16f0a7..7f05cb844 100644
--- a/make_release.py
+++ b/make_release.py
@@ -165,7 +165,7 @@ def get_changelog(changelog_path: str) -> str:
     Returns:
         Data of the CHANGELOG
     """
-    with open(changelog_path) as fh:
+    with open(changelog_path, encoding="utf-8") as fh:
         changelog = fh.read()
     return changelog
 
@@ -178,7 +178,7 @@ def write_changelog(new_changelog: str, changelog_path: str) -> None:
         new_changelog: Contents of the new CHANGELOG
         changelog_path: Path where the CHANGELOG file is
     """
-    with open(changelog_path, "w") as fh:
+    with open(changelog_path, "w", encoding="utf-8") as fh:
         fh.write(new_changelog)
 
 
@@ -253,7 +253,9 @@ def get_formatted_changes(git_tag: str) -> Tuple[str, str]:
         for prefix in grouped:
             for commit in grouped[prefix]:
                 output += f"- {prefix}: {commit['msg']}\n"
-                output_with_user += f"- {prefix}: {commit['msg']} by @{commit['author']}\n"
+                output_with_user += (
+                    f"- {prefix}: {commit['msg']} by @{commit['author']}\n"
+                )
 
     return output, output_with_user
 
@@ -267,7 +269,7 @@ def get_most_recent_git_tag() -> str:
     """
     git_tag = str(
         subprocess.check_output(
-            ["git", "describe", "--abbrev=0"], stderr=subprocess.STDOUT
+            ["git", "describe", "--tag", "--abbrev=0"], stderr=subprocess.STDOUT
         )
     ).strip("'b\\n")
     return git_tag
@@ -309,16 +311,20 @@ def get_git_commits_since_tag(git_tag: str) -> List[Change]:
     Returns:
         List of all changes since git_tag.
     """
-    commits = subprocess.check_output(
-        [
-            "git",
-            "--no-pager",
-            "log",
-            f"{git_tag}..HEAD",
-            '--pretty=format:"%H:::%s:::%aN"',
-        ],
-        stderr=subprocess.STDOUT,
-    ).decode("UTF-8").strip()
+    commits = (
+        subprocess.check_output(
+            [
+                "git",
+                "--no-pager",
+                "log",
+                f"{git_tag}..HEAD",
+                '--pretty=format:"%H:::%s:::%aN"',
+            ],
+            stderr=subprocess.STDOUT,
+        )
+        .decode("UTF-8")
+        .strip()
+    )
     lines = commits.splitlines()
     authors = get_author_mapping(len(lines))
     return [parse_commit_line(line, authors) for line in lines if line != ""]
@@ -337,7 +343,7 @@ def parse_commit_line(line: str, authors: Dict[str, str]) -> Change:
     Raises:
         ValueError: The commit line is not well-structured
     """
-    parts = line.split(":::")
+    parts = line.strip().strip('"\\').split(":::")
     if len(parts) != 3:
         raise ValueError(f"Invalid commit line: '{line}'")
     commit_hash, rest, author = parts
@@ -349,10 +355,8 @@ def parse_commit_line(line: str, authors: Dict[str, str]) -> Change:
 
     # Standardize
     message.strip()
-    commit_hash = commit_hash.strip('"')
+    commit_hash = commit_hash.strip()
 
-    if author.endswith('"'):
-        author = author[:-1]
     author_login = authors[commit_hash]
 
     prefix = prefix.strip()
diff --git a/tests/scripts/test_make_release.py b/tests/scripts/test_make_release.py
index 869e0aed0..b10424242 100644
--- a/tests/scripts/test_make_release.py
+++ b/tests/scripts/test_make_release.py
@@ -6,12 +6,12 @@
 
 DATA_PATH = Path(__file__).parent.resolve() / "data"
 
-
+# line starting with \ and ending with " have been observed on windows
 GIT_LOG__VERSION_4_0_1 = """
 b7bfd0d7eddfd0865a94cc9e7027df6596242cf7:::BUG: Use NumberObject for /Border elements of annotations (#2451):::rsinger417
 8cacb0fc8fee9920b0515d1289e6ee8191eb3f21:::DOC: Document easier way to update metadata (#2454):::Stefan
 3fb63f7e3839ce39ac98978c996f3086ba230a20:::TST: Avoid catching not emitted warnings (#2429):::Stefan
-61b73d49778e8f0fb172d5323e67677c9974e420:::DOC: Typo `Polyline` → `PolyLine` in adding-pdf-annotations.md (#2426):::CWKSC
+\\61b73d49778e8f0fb172d5323e67677c9974e420:::DOC: Typo `Polyline` → `PolyLine` in adding-pdf-annotations.md (#2426):::CWKSC"
 f851a532a5ec23b572d86bd7185b327a3fac6b58:::DEV: Bump codecov/codecov-action from 3 to 4 (#2430):::dependabot[bot]""".encode()  # noqa: E501
 
 COMMITS__VERSION_4_0_1 = DATA_PATH.joinpath("commits__version_4_0_1.json")
@@ -116,28 +116,31 @@ def test_get_formatted_changes__other():
             prefix="",
             message="Improve lossless compression example (#2488)",
             author="j-t-1",
-            author_login="j-t-1"
+            author_login="j-t-1",
         ),
         make_release.Change(
             commit_hash="afbee382f8fd2b39588db6470b9b2b2c82905318",
             prefix="ENH",
             message="Add reattach_fields function (#2480)",
             author="pubpub-zz",
-            author_login="pubpub-zz"
+            author_login="pubpub-zz",
         ),
         make_release.Change(
             commit_hash="cd705f959064d8125397ddf4f7bdd2ea296f889f",
             prefix="FIX",
             message="Broken test due to expired test file URL (#2468)",
             author="pubpub-zz",
-            author_login="pubpub-zz"
+            author_login="pubpub-zz",
         ),
     ]
-    with mock.patch.object(make_release, "get_git_commits_since_tag", return_value=changes):
+    with mock.patch.object(
+        make_release, "get_git_commits_since_tag", return_value=changes
+    ):
         output, output_with_user = make_release.get_formatted_changes("dummy")
 
     assert (
-        output == """
+        output
+        == """
 ### New Features (ENH)
 - Add reattach_fields function (#2480)
 
@@ -148,7 +151,8 @@ def test_get_formatted_changes__other():
     )
 
     assert (
-        output_with_user == """
+        output_with_user
+        == """
 ### New Features (ENH)
 - Add reattach_fields function (#2480) by @pubpub-zz