I thought this book was so cute. I never expected to love a book about chess but it intrigued me so much. It was such a great story and I’m kinda wanting to learn how to play chess now? I enjoyed the dynamic between Nolan and Mallory and thought they were perfect for eachother. I absolutely loved the ending and definitely recommend this book. It was a 10/10!

I only recently caught onto the Ali Hazelwood craze and her last adult book was good. So of course I was curious to read her YA debut. This did not disappoint. From the first chapter, I was excited to read about Mallory and her chess journey. What I enjoyed outside of the characters is how this book discusses chess in a way that both experienced players and beginners could understand. I don't always read YA as much but I'm glad I made an exception for this book. The only complaint I have is that some side characters annoyed me a lot and it was tough to read how they interacted with Mallory. Outside of that, this book was fun and I would recommend it to fans of the show Queen's Gambit.

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Group for the e-book copy!

I absolutely enjoyed every minute of this. Ali Hazelwood is one of my favorites and an auto buy author for me at this point. I enjoyed the idea, the plot, the characters. Mallory made me cry and feel things. The banter is top tier. I have only one complaint and it's that I want more.

Thank you to Penguin Group, GP Putnam, and NetGalley for the advance copy.

I really enjoyed this book and am so thankful to have an early copy! You'll love it! Thank you so much to netgalley for this advanced readers copy!

*I received a free copy of this ebook from the publisher.*

This is my first Ali Hazelwood book, and I hope they're not all like this one. The book had potential, and I would have enjoyed it much more if it had stayed closer to the description; however, the book was not as cute as it was made to seem. Plus, I would never include this book in the YA genre--it's definitely New Adult.

Mallory (18) is one of the most unlikable main characters I've ever encountered, which made reading this book and rooting for her a huge struggle for me. Yes, I understand she's had a hard life, but so do a lot of other people who still manage to be decent human beings. She's crass, self centered, and extremely promiscuous. She is honest in her job and tries to take care of her family, so that's a point or two in her favor. But that hardly makes up for everything else. I liked Nolan (20), but he didn't really have much personality until a little way into the book when he was finally part of the story beyond media coverage. He was generous and pretty down to earth for someone who's been in the spotlight for most of his life. But I cannot figure out what drew him to Mallory besides her ability to beat him in chess, and for that, I think he was kind of dumb.

My favorite supporting characters were probably Defne and Oz. I liked Defne's positivity and genuine desire to help. Oz grew on me, and I appreciated that he didn't hold back from calling Mallory out. Mallory's sisters, Sabrina and Darcy, were obnoxious and crude. Their mother didn't really parent them, but it was presented in a way that was intended as positive--one of those mothers who is more friend than parent.

The basic storyline had a lot of potential, but I think the characters got in the way of it achieving its potential. It was also so incredibly full of current pop references that it's just not going to age well. The last section, Endgame, was better than the rest of the book. Mallory was more tolerable, thanks to a bit of reckoning. But overall, I just wasn't a fan of the book because of Mallory.

Note: Lots of swearing, including lots of f words. General crudeness. Mostly off-page sex, including references to a lot of past hookups. Lots of talk about sex, including at the dinner table. Mallory is bi, and a lot of females are either either bi or lesbians.

***YOU DO NOT NEED TO UNDERSTAND CHESS (or like it) TO READ THIS BOOK***

Look, I devoured Queen's Gambit on Netflix... did I understand a lick of the chess moves? No. Does it matter? Also, no. This book is the same. You do not need to know, or give a lick about chess to enjoy this book. Trust.

The story follows chess prodigy, Mallory, who has very complicated feels about returning to the chess world, due to her past with her father and some unfortunate events. As an older sister who falls into the provider role often in her family (It's giving reminiscent family dynamics to Katniss and her mom/lil sis, in the Hunger Games), when an opportunity arises to help her make money by playing chess, it's an offer to good to refuse. To complicate things further, she somehow beat one of the World's best chess players, on her first game back, and has put the chess world in a tizzy. She can handle the chess community... but what she can't handle is the smoldering good looks of said chess champion. Nolan is the bad boy of chess, and all he wants is to play Mallory... if you know what I mean.

This is a YA by Ali. so it's a slightly different vibe than her adult romances (Rightly so), but oh so cute!!! It has that Ali special sauce, making you proud to be a woman, and rooting for the MC to kick some serious chess booty.

I loved this one, and can't wait to snag a physical copy (I read the ebook).

5/5 Stars

[Gifted by G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers & Netgalley - thank you! All opinions are my own.]

If anyone could get me interested in chess, it’s Ali Hazelwood.

When I picked up a young adult romance about rival chess players, I wasn’t expecting to fall head over heels in love. I wasn’t expecting to cry my heart out. Check & Mate was equal parts tearing at my heart strings and a giggling good time. A shock to no one because Ali Hazelwood simply can’t disappoint. This might be my new favorite books of hers.

This book is for the older siblings / the family caretaker. I can just take it to therapy and let them read my annotations because shew… some of this HURT. Mallory was such a relatable character for me and it made the story even more impactful.

Nolan was so cute that it hurt. Screaming, kicking my feet, throwing-the-book-across-the-room-cute. He was gone for her from the jump and I live for “he falls first but she’s clueless”. The pining? The hurt / comfort?? MY HEART 🥹

I started with the audiobook, but was so enamored that I had to start over with my paperback so I could properly annotate. I will accept absolutely no criticism of this book.

TW: death of parent, car accident, infidelity, sexism, misogyny, chronic illness

I thoroughly enjoyed this book!

It made me wonder what was the author’s research process given the extensive and fascinating content related to chess. It reminded me of Queen’s gambit which I loved!

I loved how the author shed a light on how male-dominated the world of chess championships is and the sexism and misogyny that female chess players have to face. It was eye-opening given this was an unfamiliar world for me.

I enjoyed the romantic elements of the story. I appreciated the LGBTQ+ representation with Mallory being bisexual and that Nolan was a virgin (instead of the female MC).

Having devoured all her romance books I was excited to get the arc for her first YA novel that came out earlier this month. While her other books highlight women in STEM, her intelligence was just as obvious on the pages of this cute story that centered around chess players. The woman after all is a professor and has a PhD in neuroscience.

Having never learned or played the game I found all the technical chatter and factual information regarding the disparity toward women players in chess interesting. It lacked some of the witty banter of her other novels and while there was a love interest, the action stayed closed door for the 18+ audience it’s targeted for. Overall it was an enjoyable and quick read that made learning about chess accessible and entertaining.

ali hazelwood can do no wrong in my eyes, though i admit, i was a bit worried with this being YA! i still added it to my tbr/requests, obviously, but i tried to temper my expectations! but there was no need - this was everything i love from ali - it was adorable, well written, made me laugh, made me swoon, i wanted to live in this book. loved it!

Check and Mate by Ali Hazelwood

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me an ARC in exchange for an honest review. I loved this young adult romance set in the chess world.

What I loved:
1. Mallory and Nolan’s relationship. They were both such well-developed characters. Though they are rivals, they come to respect and eventually like each other. I particularly liked the way Nolan appreciated Mallory. His reputation as a temperamental and standoffish player make her leery at first, but she comes to know the real him and sees that she’s not the only one struggling.
2. The side characters add much to the story. While I disliked Mallory’s family at first, they come to provide support and humor throughout the novel.
3. The world of chess was intriguing. It was so interesting to read about the intense training that goes into each match.
4. Mallory’s supporters in the chess world. Everyone from her sponsors, to the sports writers, to the fans help her to succeed in a sport that is usually male-dominated.

What didn’t work:
1. The language and content was at times more not exactly “young adult.”

Leave it to Ali to write a YA that I absolutely loved and didn’t annoy me once. Really excellent character building.

Closed door is not my fav but it didn’t feel like anything was taken away or missing in the characters arcs without it!

I’m surprised how much I enjoyed a book about chess, a game I know nothing about!

It was a sweet and heartwarming read about friendship, family and romance. There was a lot about chess throughout the book but I didn’t mind. I loved the competitions, side characters and Nolan. It was such an entertaining read and I thought the ending was perfect!

Even though this is considered YA, if you're a fan of this author's previous books I think you would enjoy this one as well!

I'm not sure if I can properly convey just how much I loved this book. I've always enjoyed Ali Hazelwood's books in the past, but this has definitely taken the label as my favorite.

This book revolves around Mallory, an eighteen year old who has had to grow up far too quickly after her dad left and her mother got sick. Responsible now financially and otherwise for her mother and two younger sisters, Mallory finds herself constantly overwhelmed and stressed. And the one thing that brought her joy—chess—is the very thing that destroyed her family years ago, so she doesn't play anymore.

Until her friend drags her to a tournament for a fundraiser and she accidentally ends up playing against the King of Chess himself, Nolan Sawyer. Not only does she play him though, but she beats him – despite her nerves and inability to focus.

I honestly loved everything about this book. I loved the distrustfulness, I loved Mallory's attempts to back away from the game she so clearly loves—and Nolan, as well—I loved Nolan's polite persistence and the friendship that forms because of it. This story felt like a warm hug to my heart for all kids who lose passion for their dream and deserve the opportunity to chase it again.

Tropes:
- forced proximity
- enemies to lovers
- distrustful
- family drama
- chasing your dreams
- hidden secrets

5/5 stars.

“When I’m with you, I want to play more than I want to win.”

it's official. ali hazelwood has now made it into by auto-buy list with this book. starting off, i just want to give mallory a big hug because she deserves sooo much better than the cards she was dealt. i love reading about characters who are experts in their fields and mallory and nolan are just that. i was pleasantly surprised that the two met as soon as they did because i love a fast paced story which leaves more time for character development. not to mention the chemistry?? the angst?? top tier.

prior to this, i had only read the love hypothesis by ali hazelwood, but after this i went ahead and read love on the brain and love theoretically too because i couldn't get enough of the writing style. something about the characters in this book makes me swoon, but who wouldn't at that iconic touch-take rule line (that line alone was worth reading the entire book trust me).

one of the things that intrigued me the most was all the chess talk and names of different openings, and as someone who studied chess for quite a while, i was so embarrassed to have to google it but that's where we were at.

if you liked the queen's gambit you'll love this book!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was so much fun as somebody who has read all of Ali‘s science books. I wasn’t sure how I would feel about her writing chest, but she definitely nailed it.

Only complaint is I feel like this is an adult book I wouldn’t necessarily consider it YA it’s just missing spice but the plot and subject matter are much more adult.

TIKTOK REVIEW
linked

I think we need to intros a MA (mature adolescent) rating for books. I'm not sure this would work out for those under 15 or 16 but it's a good story.

I really love Ali Hazelwood as an author. I love that her books deal with gender gaps in different situations and that they’re STEM and a badass fmc making her own name.
But she does that so well and is able to weave in fluff and romance and character growth and bad decisions and it’s all done so well.
As you read through the progression of her writing. You can really see her grow as a writer and I love seeing an author develop through their works.
I loved this as her YA novel and I’m so excited to see her continue to branch out into more things, like fantasy :)

I want to thank the publishers and NetGalley for approving me for this earc. I love this book so much. This is the second book I’ve read by the author and it definitely won’t be my last. The writing style is so easy for my brain to wrap around. The story pulled me and I didn’t want to stop. Every time I had to put it down to go to work all I could think about was this books and what’s going to happen next and if I should learn how to play chess. I definitely want to learn now. I loved every character in this book except for koche i don’t care for him. This book had me laughing and giggling so much I kept telling my sisters you need to read this book. It’s a must read and Ali hazelwood just became one of my top favorite authors that I will always buy a book from.

Thank you to the publisher for sending me an ARC of this book!

In Ali Hazelwood's stunning YA debut, she brings her addicting writing style and swoon-worthy characters to the chess world. As a person who really only knows that there's a checkmate at the end to win a chess game, I was nervous about not only the subject matter of the story, but how Hazelwood's typically steamy prose would adjust to a YA setting. I was happily surprised to find myself completely entranced by Nolan Sawyer and Mallory Greenleaf.

Hazelwood does not shy away from the difficult conversation of women occupying space in a male-dominated field, as most readers could have seen from her previous adult works. Bringing her common theme of showcasing women in power and strong female characters to the YA world and in a place not greatly known, like chess, was a true delight. Mallory's struggle with her emotions and family issues gave voice to what a majority of teenagers feel burdened with in our current society. Granted, while Mallory was dealing with a bit more than the average 18-year old, Hazelwood creates the space for young females to feel seen.

Additionally, the complicated inner-workings of a family dealing with loss was exceptional. Even if one has never been dealt the cards of such loss or betrayal, the reader was immersed in the beauty that was voicing the emotions of all involved parties. A truly wonderful YA debut that I look forward to seeing more of.