Check & Mate

Check & Mate by Ali Hazelwood is her first foray into Young Adult, but this ticks as many boxes for me as her Adult STEM romance novels. This is 5⭐️ from me. Mallory used to be very good at chess, but she doesn't play any more. Not until her best friend convinces her to round out her team at a local charity competition, and Mallory ends up playing (and beating) the World No. 1, Nolan "Kingkiller" Sawyer, who is known for his temper and his sex appeal. Mallory is too busy looking after her family to be drawn back into the world of chess, but when she loses her job, a lucrative chess fellowship suddenly becomes a lifeline. And the world of professional chess is a lot, just like Nolan Sawyer... Now, I’m not really into chess. I know the main mechanics, but I would get stuck on how to castle for example. But I really enjoyed the recent Netflix series The Queen’s Gambit which followed a female chess player in the 60’s. And honestly this gave me such similar vibes to that, minus the drug use and with a more modern setting and better love interest. On that note, Nolan, our male lead is just fantastic. He seems like the bad boy of chess to start with, but we later realise he's incredibly sweet and caring, and absolutely head over heels for Mallory. What I will note is that Hazelwood clearly has A Type: quiet, brooding, large, sexy guy with a bad boy reputation that seems grumpy, but when you get to know him is super sweet - and he's usually inexperienced with girls. This works for me, so I'm enjoying these a lot, but if this isn't your type, be warned that there's definitely a male lead mould in Hazelwood's books and this one is no different. It's also worth noting that it's super unrealistic that Mallory spent 4 formative years not plying chess, and then suddenly was good enough from sheer natural talent to enter pro chess the way she did. She would never get that look-in in real life, with no rating or anything. Sometimes, lack of realism really bothers me, but I was able to suspend my disbelief with this one - maybe because the lack of realism came from external sources rather than character's motivations? I'm not sure. But this didn't affect my enjoyment. The book was also kept light and YA by the fact Mallory didn't have to deal with much real overt sexism. Hazelwood does touch on what systematic system within the system was like for women taking part in competitive chess, but uses Mallory's unusual route into chess as a convenient way to avoid it. This could be considered a cop-out for sure, but it let the novel feel 'girl power' without getting heavy, which I think fitted well with other fantasy aspects. A big deal was made about the fact that this novel was YA, and not New Adult like Hazelwood's girls-in-STEM romances before now. But honestly? Other than the pop culture references from Mallory's best friend and younger sisters, and the side-stepping of the sexism issue, it doesn't feel like it's significantly more YA than Hazelwood's other books. Mallory has a lot of freedom (more than most 18 year olds at home, although she has a lot more responsibility too), and Nolan is emancipated, so they feel more like college setting than high school setting. It's right on the edge of YA and NA and I don't think the genre hyping made much of a difference if I'm honest. So if you've liked Hazelwood's other NA romances, don't be put off this one by a few Riverdale references. It's also worth noting that I've read a few accusations that Hazelwood based this story on real people in the chess world (who were not together). I'm not entirely sure how I feel about that - there's definitely something unethical about Real Person Fanfiction, but I don't know where this sits. It might be a useful warning for you. So, you've said a lot of negative stuff here about a book you've rated 5⭐️, you might say, and you'd be right. But I just really enjoyed this, and it's going to be living rent free in my head for a little while, so I just couldn't justify a lesser rating. For any of the very minor flaws noted above, they just didn't reduce my enjoyment of this. So I have to whole-heartedly recommend it. The pacing was good, there was just enough conflict to keep the story going without it being manufactured, the female lead's issues stemmed from genuine trauma, and their love of chess was really communicable. And the romance was so passionate. I loved it. This book is for you if you liked the Netflix show The Queen’s Gambit or any of Ali Hazelwood’s other girls-in-STEM romances.

👻 standalone contemporary romance 🍑 young adult with closed door spice 👻 chess players 🍑 rivals to teammates to lovers 👻 bisexual FMC 🍑 sexual tension & yearning 👻 grief 🍑 inexperienced MMC I’m not usually a fan of YA books (they’re usually too slow for me) but I adored this one. Ali always writes incredibly believable and devourable (is that a word?) romances, and the fact that this was her debut YA novel? Outstanding. Both Mallory and Nolan have so much depth and are characters you can easily fall in love with. The plot is easy to follow and just captivates you. Even if you’re not a fan of chess, you’ll find yourself understanding the rules and being so into the matches just because of how Ali writes. Also. The sexual tension. I was gagged, gasping, clutching my pearls. Only Ali could write that level of sexual tension across a chess board. The romance between the MCs and the build up to it was absolute perfection. Ali really is a legend. If you’ve read any of Hazelwood’s other books, you’ll love this one. In fact, if you love contemporary romance or even any of the above tropes, I highly highly recommend you pick up this one. You’ll have such a great time

Mallory, is doing her best to help her family get by. Her Father passed away recently and her Mother has an illness. So Mallory, chooses to give up going to university and gets a full rime job to pay the bills and look after her Mum and 2 younger sisters. Malory as a child, was trained by her Father in chess, and she was really good at it too that she participated in tournaments. But an incident with her Dad caused her to leave chess and cause her to try and push out her love for it. Until one day, her friend convinces her to participate in a small tournament, where she ends up beating the handsome number 1 chess player in the world and opening old wounds and throwing Mallory back into that world. The concept was quite enjoyable, even though I'm not a massive fan of chess. Personally, I felt Nolan's character was a bit flat and I would have liked more from him. I also found myself getting really frustrated with Mallory's family, I won't say why due to spoilers. Overall, a cute fun read, I just wish I enjoyed it more.

This genuinely might be one of the best book i’ve ever read… and it just got me out of my reading slump. I first read check & mate at the end of 2023 (the very end. it was my last book before it hit midnight on December 31st.) and I raved about it for months afterwards. Eventually it gets to a point where you forget the major plot points of a book, you forget how good the writing is, all the crazy romantic quotes and.. once it gets to that point, you know it’s time for a reread. i’ve been struggling getting back into my reading recently, as life has other priorities and unfortunately, i didn’t hit my reading goal for 2024, which was really disappointing as for the 2 years before that i’d read 100 books each year. it was a hard reality to come to terms with, but 2022 and 2023, I was in college, only working part time, and had lots more time for reading. Life has really moved on, and it has meant less time for reading. but this book has thrown me right back into the love for reading. There is something SO unique about Ali Hazelwood’s voice in her books, especially in this book. I’m not sure if it’s the audience switch - whilst most of her books reach a ‘New Adult’ audience, this book seems to be more targeted to Young Adults - but whatever the reason is, her voice is defined and GOOD. I am in awe at her pacing, descriptions, and ability to create complex yet loveable characters. I resonate with Mallory Greenleaf probably more than I care to admit. She is real, she is difficult, but she is passionate, and loving, and SUCH a brilliantly written character. Whilst fictional, her love for chess comes across beautifully in this book - and the same goes for Nolan. Both main characters are enticing. You WANT to carry on reading. You WANT to root for them and pray they make it, despite the hardships. And that last chapter just ties everything up with a bow on top 🎁 The article, the JOURNALIST, the hidden smiles and secret lives - i am obsessed, and i know there’s no need for a sequel, but i’d eat it up in a heartbeat I cannot recommend this book enough to people, and it falls under so many people’s radars!!!! please read it if you haven’t!!

Book 5 of 2024 finished 11/1/24 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 Being a chess grandmaster runs in Mallory’s blood but she is done with chess. Mal stopped playing 4 years ago when her chess playing dad broke her heart, but when her best friend needs someone to fill in for a charity chess match Mal agrees. The last person Mal expects to see at a charity tournament is Nolan Sawyer, world chess champion and notorious bad boy. Nolan is known for being a bad loser and has shown signs of aggression, so when Mal beats him she runs! Mallory is approached by Defne who offers her a job with a salary she can’t refuse. So Mallory begins training to play in championship tournaments whilst keeping her chess playing a secret from her sick mum and teenage sisters. But the farther Mal gets into the competition world the harder it is for her to hide her secret. On top of the guilt Mal feels for lying to her family, Mal is confused by Nolan’s behaviour. Rather than being angry about his loss, Nolan is desperate to play chess with Mal again. Mal denies and continues to run from Nolan but the higher she climbs up the chess ranks the more time she will have to spend with Nolan and his irresistible charm. My thoughts: The romance was a slow burn but was so wholesome. I loved the connection between Nolan and Mal, their shared childhood experiences with chess and that they both seemed to be loners who needed someone to be patient and see the real them. Mal is a burnt out eldest sibling trying to care for her family and hold it all together whilst sacrificing her happiness and you just can’t help but root for her. Nolan has a reputation based on his behaviour as a teenager and is just trying to escape that along with his dark past. He falls completely into Mal and it is a joy to read. I do love Ali Hazelwood’s writing style, she paces the story so well and I found myself lost in this book each time I picked it up.

I don’t read a lot of YA, because your girl is too old for that, BUT for Ali I would, and for Ali I did, and I did not regret it. Yes, the closed door thing is a bit frustrating but the plot was plotting and kept me busy. I loved that it took place in the world of chess. Not that I like playing chess (kill me now) but I like the idea and I found the complexity of it fascinating. One thing though that I found annoying was this pathological need to feel guilty and the self-inflicted punishment. I see that a lot in the books I read and it p*sses me off. ⚠️spoiler ahead⚠️ but yes you caught your dad cheating, told your mom and your family imploded. I understand you’d feel a certain sense of responsibility and guilt. Makes perfect sense. But she took it too far, in my humble opinion. Anyway, a very cute little book that I enjoyed greatly.

4.5 stars. I think Ali Hazelwood is a brilliant writer. I love her characters, her plots. I love that she writes about really intelligent women and I’m convinced she is a gifted scientist and chess player. Nolan Sawyer is a pin-up in the world of chess. I just can’t stop picturing Jacob Elordi as Nolan. Oh boy, he is mighty fine. I keep imagining him picking up the chess pieces with his big hands and it makes me swoon. Don’t care that I’m old enough to be his mum. Mallory Greenleaf is a great character. You have to unravel her story but the timing is perfect. I loved her character journey. It’s a great read and perfect for younger romance readers as there is no on page sex.

And Ali Hazelwood does it again but w her first YA Romance. All her other books are (new) adult romances. Tbh, this would've SLAPPED as an adult romance; but this one was hella cute. We follow Mallory Greenleaf, an 18 year old girl who gave up chess completely at 14 (we found out why in the book), and who's giving up her hopes and dreams to care for her family. What happens when she enters a tournament to help a friend and you beat the #1 chess champion in the world; aka Nolan Sawyer (who also happens to be a sight for sore eyes)? Yep, people want you to start playing again. Girlie needs the money and being a pro in chess means making BANK. Mal really is a woman in a man's world, since the chess world is dominated by men and women usually play in their own league because of the misogyny. This book portrays that really well. I was disgusted with some of the comments of the insufferable Malte Koch. Good thing he's fictional ‘cause man I wanted to slap him. Anyway, back to the characters. I LOVE love love Ali's characters. They are always so likeable. And Nolan? This man was down BAD. He'd do anything for her. He'd move mountains, he'd set the world on fire 🥺🥰. Ali's book are so easy to read and will have you giggling throughout the entire book. Her side characters are also like SO SO good. Oz was the man. The epilogue was really disappointing though! It was such a bummer bc I really loved the rest of the book. I also would've loved to read a chapter from Nolan's POV cause i wanna know what's happening inside his brain haha, so Ali; hit us up w that bonus chapter. Nah fr, show this author some love. Her first monster romance is coming out next month btw. 👀

Ich habe seither nur Bride von Ali Hazelwood gelesen, aber ich musste dieses Buch einfach auch einmal ausprobieren. Und wow ! Es war wirklich toll und Mega süß. Der Schreibstil hat mir insgesamt sehr gut gefallen. Die Entwicklung der Protagonisten wurde toll dargestellt und es wurden auch viele Themen aufgegriffen, mit denen wahrscheinlich viele Jugendliche Probleme haben. Das Thema Schach hat mich sehr fasziniert und am Ende hatte man sogar das Gefühl das Spiel besser kennengelernt zu haben.

Leuke romance boek met leuke personages en een fijne schrijfstijl

Chess was her life. Unfortunate event makes her turn her back on chess and she has to support her family. Losing her job but a new opportunity comes up, the drawback? It is Chess.

The characters are well thought out and easy to connect with emotionally. Everything feels logical and well written. Reading this book was a genuine pleasure!

Les encanta a las adolescentes lectoras de inglés