Ali Hazelwood is one of my autobuy authors - so when I found out she was releasing a YA book, I preordered it ASAP (and begged for an ARC). Unsurprising to me, I loved this book - it was fun, fast paced, and made me want to learn more about chess.

I just adore the love interests in Ali's books - and Nolan is no exception. He was a total simp for Mallory from the first time they played chess. Mallory was a great leading character - I really liked how complex and interesting she was. She came from a complicated family - her father was no longer in the picture, her mother was dealing with chronic illness and she was one of the main breadwinners for the family. Reading about how she navigated all of this on top of her budding chess career and relationship - she was such a strong and resourceful character who had to learn to let her guard down. The two of them were so adorable together - they complimented each other really well and were impossible not to root for.

This book had almost New Adult vibes to me - it's definitely upper YA. I really enjoyed the subplots in this one - the Greenleaf family dynamics and how they ended up in the state that they're in was really interesting. The plot moved fast - this was a nearly in one sitting read for me. My only (very) minute gripe about this book was too many pop culture references. I feel like it reduces future rereadability for me, and overall takes me out of a story.

In conclusion, Ali Hazelwood just does not miss for me. Anything she writes, I will read. I hope she writes more YA in the future - this was fun, fast paced and too freaking cute. I can't wait to read her next book, Bride, soon!

This is my second read my Ali Hazelwood. I ate this book up, literally love love loved this book, until the end… I was let with the abrupt ending and not getting to see the full events play out. However, I did enjoy the way the author gave us a sneak peak into the future of chess after the book. Mallory and Nolan are a match made in heaven, and I absolutely adored their love story, the raw mess that was Mallory from all she had to take on as a teen, and the lovable side characters. This book is laugh out loud funny, made me tear up a bit, and made me giddy with excitement for the main characters. All in all this would’ve been a 5 star read because I was so so in love with it all, if we only got to see the ending play out and not end so abruptly. Highly recommend giving this nerdy cute YA read a go!

Thank you to Netgalley and Penguin Group for sending me arc in exchange for my honest review!

rating: 4.5 stars!

Ali Hazelwood does it again, she steals my heart and locks it away till her next book. I'm a huge fan, love on the brain was my favorite book by her and I was worried that this new release wouldn't exceed that, but it did (pretends to be shocked). Ali just has a way with writing, all of her characters are so loveable for me and she is creating an entirely new subgenre for writers out there who are afraid to break the glass ceiling on different yet important storylines/subgenres. Reading about strong wo

I loved this cute little ya book, Hazelwood knocks it out of the park writing for her characters and the way her stories form, now I wanna play chess!

this was my first Ali Hazelwood book and I really enjoyed it! Anyone else wish they new how to play chess now?! I loved the main characters and the enemies to lovers vibes that the book gave. Did I swoon at everything Nolan said? yes. yes I did. We need more YA books from Ali Hazelwood!!

A YA romantic romp about chess? Checkmate!

Move over hockey romance, because the pawns, rooks, and knights are coming to town (okay, maybe that’s enough chess puns).

This is a refreshing and fun romance that our romance fan podcast listeners will enjoy. Mallory is playing chess for more than bragging rights: the rewards for victory help keep her family going, and she has her eye on the prize. What she doesn’t expect to find is romance with Nolan, a fierce competitor.

I’m not entirely sure how to rate this book. The FMC was super toxic. In a round about way I understand why she is the way she is, but when she lashes out at people it is hateful. But Nolan Sawyer is just so sweet and loving. He is patient with her and forgives without a seconds hesitation. Mallory just rubbed me the wrong way. For the most part, the story was sweet and endearing (despite me knowing absolutely NOTHING about chess). But when she was mean, she was AWFUL! I have a hard time getting over that. Sawyer very nearly made up for that. But I’m not entirely sure.

Rambling, because I don’t know how to rate it. Had a good story line, had flawed characters and a sweet romance. There were definitely things I didn’t like about it that turned me off. But not enough no to finish the book. 🤷‍♀️

CW: Swearing (f word and others), semi-open door scene, Bi- main character. It is supposedly a YA book, but I would not put it in that category. More of a new adult. The content in here I think bumps it out of YA.

4.5⭐️—Ali seems to do it time and time again, make me fall in love with her books… one couple at a time. Mal and Nolan had ME wanting to pick up chess solely to meet two incredible people like them.

By now, we know Ali’s writing and plot style, but she somehow makes it different in CHECK & MATE, and it just… WORKED.

♟️ He falls first (he falls HARD)
♟️ Quiet love
♟️ Slightly (chess) enemies to lovers
♟️ Stubborn FMC
♟️ A girl living in a “man’s world”
♟️ Ali always doing the most with the research and writing it so seamlessly into the plot
♟️ Family dynamics (younger sisters, mom with autoimmune disease, late-father, best friends)

I love me a YA/NA… this gave me such Emma Lord vibes (who I LOVE) and just know, if Ali writes it… I will forever be reading.

Highly recommend!

Ali Hazelwood, I will quite literally read anything you write for the rest of my life. Knowing this was YA, I wasn't expecting it to cement itself at the top of my Ali faves but here we are. I also wasn't expecting to find the world of Chess that Ali portrayed in the book to be so fascinating, but what an incredible set up for a story. I devoured Check & Mate in one sitting. What a gem.

loved it so much...while I know nothing about chess this book did something for me.

I love Ali Hazelwood and will read everything she puts out.

4.5 stars, this was easily one of my favorite Ali Hazelwood's.

Ali has a way of explaining concepts that might be foreign to readers in a way that makes the book exciting. Her characters always experience growth and embrace their flaws, and that was the case here as well.

Mallory and Nolan are so cute together and supported each other. I liked that despite them being actual rivals in chess, they both always appreciated the other's talent and spoke highly of them. They allowed their competitive nature to stay on the board and out of their relationship.

Like many, I'm not a fan of third act breakups, but it was handled relatively well.

What a great YA debut! I’m always a sucker for an underdog sports story and this felt very similar. Loved the characters only wish the story was longer to spend more time with them.

Many thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the advanced copy!

I know nothing about chess and I don’t tend to love YA, but I will read anything Ali Hazelwood writes.

The formula of the story is very similar to her previous works, but she executes them all so well. 4 stars.

Thank you to Penguin and Netgalley for this advanced copy!

I like Ali Hazelwood's books but she has started to feel a bit formulaic in her hero/heroine types and while Check & Mate has a lot in common with these types, I appreciated that this YA novel didn't spend so much time telling us that the hero was "so huge" and the heroine was "so tiny compared to this big, strapping guy". The story was interesting and fun and while the end felt pretty predictable, I liked how the heroine got to that place and how the characters ended up together.

Hazelwood does what she does well and if you liked her other books, you'll like this other tale of smart people making silly choices until they make better choices and realize they are in love.

There were a lot of good aspects to this novel, a fun plot the chess aspect was fun. I think my main criticism is that the characters felt like very very millennial, in a stereotypical way that was hard to ignore. Otherwise I enjoyed the book a lot

There is just something about an Ali Hazelwood book that I just love and this one was no exception. First of all, I know nothing about chess and did not feel like I was missing anything. I also loved how the romantic relationship wasn’t the entire focus but her family/friends/coworkers were a big part of her story and growth. I also loved just how broody Sawyer was and yet when he felt comfortable he was a different person. I loved this one almost as much as her other titles, all of them kind of hard to rank though.

Ali Hazelwood never fails me. She brings humor, swoon, and science together to make romance fun. I wasn't sure what to expect in this book, but I had a great time.

I've never played chess and haven't read a YA book in over a year so going into this I wasn't sure if it would be for me. However, I REALLY loved Nolan!! he made the entire book for me. I loved his broodiness and humor but also the way he loved mallory and her siblings. I liked the complex characters and the storylines that didn't involve the romance.

What made the book go from a 4 star to 3 star was Mallory. She undoubtedly had a lot of self destructive tendencies that lead to some miscommunication. She went through a lot in this books, but she did get on my nerves a lot LOL.

For someone who has not read a lot of YA books, this was delightful (the word that keeps coming to my mind). I definitely recommend if you have enjoyed Ali's other books!

Thanks to NetGalley & Publishers for the ARC!

I absolutely loved this story! It was equal parts so cute but with that classic wit that you come to expect from Ali Hazelwood! It was different listening to a…not adult… book by Ally, but I genuinely enjoyed this, and I learned a lot about chess!

I always enjoy and Ali read. This was good as usual. Who knew Chess could be so rivoting?! Not me, that’s for sure. But she made me interested from the beginning to end. Would recommend.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC. I love Ali Hazelwood and Check & Mate was adorable. Mallory was a once a tween chess phenom. But once chess almost threatened to destroy her family she stopped. When her best friend talks her into playing in a charity tournament she has to play Nolan Sawyer, the #1 ranked chess player in the world. This book is sweet and adorable. I loved every min of it.