Ali Hazelwood is a genius. I was nervous about her YA debut but I should not have been. It was fun, tense, exciting and I learned something.

Chess wizard Mallory Greenleaf has been out of the game for a minute but she returns for a charity tournament and is sucked into the world again and into the orbit of Nolan Sawyer the world number one. They have great chemistry and tension- and I rooted for them the whole book. Both of them had to overcome family challenges to grow and they really are so great.

I would love to see some of the other characters get their own stories in the future. I have lots of questions about the friends and the coaches that I’d love to see explored.

Check & Mate by Ali Hazelwood is a cute and quirky read. While we've grown to know this author has a certain writing style, this was definitely geared more toward the teen/young adult making it read differently then her typical books. However, it was still very enjoyable and I loved the story of Mallory and Nolan. I also liked the chess aspect and it was easy to understand for someone who knows nothing about chess. I would definitely recommend this book to people who like a fast-paced romance book filled with comical and dynamic characters. This author will always be an automatic read for me!

This was a DNF for me, I just couldn't get into the characters and storyline even though it sounded like a lot of fun!

I feel like this is definitely one of my favorite Ali Hazelwood books because of their characters and their development.

The tension that these two had throughout the book was truly so, so good. Rivals to lovers (enemies to lovers) is one of my favorite tropes for this reason!

I also love the LGBTQ+ representation in this book! I'm all for this and when it's written the right way (like in this book), it's truly amazing to capture their feelings and their struggles.
Most definitely would recommend this YA!

I was a little skeptical of Ali switching to a YA book, but it looks like she can do it all. I know little of chess, but found it entertaining anyways. Though predictable, it's exactly what I want in a YA novel.

♟️Book Review:
Title: Check & Mate
Author: Ali Hazelwood
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️/3 stars

Now, first off, I have pretty much zero knowledge about chess, so although I love this author, I was afraid I wouldn't like this book. But I really enjoyed it! I was pleasantly surprised! It is a cute YA book!

Mallory Greenleaf was one of the top chess players as a tween, but those days are long gone. She now focuses on taking care of her mother and her younger sisters. Until one day, she begrudgingly decides to play in a charity tournament. Just one last game, right?! Wrong! She ends up beating the current world champion, Nolan Sawyer. When Mallory receives a much needed cash prize, she realizes she might need to pull the chessboard back out. But there's a reason why she stepped out years ago, and it's a secret she doesn't want to share with anyone!

This book has drama, humor, tension, deceit, and love, and it was an enjoyable read!

Published: November 7th, 2023

Thank you, @netgalley and @penguinteen, for the ARC in exchange for my honest review!

This was so darn cute & I’m kicking myself for waiting so long to read it! Ali Hazelwood truly is the 🐐 and I will never l hesitate to pick up one of books again!

♟️ Chess Champions
⚔️ Rivals to Lovers
💖 Swoon Worthy
🫶 Family
❤️‍🩹 Healing
🏆 Competition

Thank you so much G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers for the gifted copy!

As an Ali Hazelwood superfan, I am absolutely enchanted by her latest novel, "Check & Mate." Hazelwood once again proves her mastery of contemporary STEM romance, blending wit, charm, and emotional depth into a story that captivates from the very first page.

The chemistry between the protagonists is nothing short of electric, and their journey from strangers to lovers is beautifully crafted and deeply relatable. Hazelwood excels at creating characters that feel real and multidimensional, making it easy to root for their happiness.

The plot is engaging, filled with delightful twists and heartfelt moments that keep you hooked. Hazelwood's writing is sharp and immersive, perfectly balancing humor with heartfelt emotion. The themes of personal growth and self-discovery add an extra layer of depth, making the story resonate long after the last page is turned.

"Check & Mate" is a brilliant addition to Hazelwood's body of work and a must-read for any romance lover. It's a gem that will delight her fans and undoubtedly win over new readers.

Super entertaining, plus chess drama! ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

It’s been four years since Mallory gave up playing chess competitively. When an opportunity arises, to earn much needed money to support her family, she is drawn back into the conflicting sport.

This is one of those books that really skirts the line on what is considered YA. The flow of Check & Mate isn’t quite as smooth as some of the author’s other books. I was invested in Mallory’s story and her personal growth but the romance side plot is lacking. It seems just thrown in superfluously.

I have read all of Ali Hazelwood’s books up to this point. This is the author’s first YA book. While this one wasn’t a great fit for me, I would be interested in reading more YA from her in the future.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Ali Hazelwood is one of those auto buy authors for me. I haven't picked up a book by her that I haven't absolutely loved. Check & Mate is no exception. I loved that I am highly entertained by her writing, but at the end of it, I really do want to become a chess player as well. She makes learning new things I usually have no interest in so entertaining and lovely.

While this adorable novel is marketed as YA, I feel like Hazelwood just wrote her usual spicy romance novel, made the characters teenagers, and cut the explicit sex scenes. There’s still a lot of foul language and some mild spice (kissing and groping), but my main issue was how the characters do not act like teens. They’re adults aged at 18 and 20. I might recommend this to seniors because it is a great book!! I ate it up. Loved every minute and the chess was so interesting. The MMC was amazing as always. But I would not hand it to my 9th and 10th graders. Too mature.

I read this one back in 2023 and really enjoyed it! Ali Hazelwood's writing is always humorous and witty, and her foray into the YA genre was no exception. While reading, I found myself wishing that I played chess, which is truly a testament to how immersive and fun the story was. Heavier topics were interspersed, and while I thought they were age appropriate, I found myself struggling to offer Mallory's mother grace. The trauma had a profound effect on the entire family, and I wish there had been more focus on the resolution itself. With many pop culture references and a swoon worthy romance, CHECK & MATE is an easy recommendation for a fun YA romance. Many thanks to Penguin Teen for the complimentary copy in exchange for an honest review!

Seeing Ali Hazelwood write a YA book was intriguing to me because the way she rights adult rom coms is STEAMY!

This YA rom-com was written so tastefully and still made me swoon for the connection our FMC and MMC created. Enemies to lovers done for young readers is so relatable because let’s face it, when we are teens we feel like everyone is the enemy. Especially when a completion is involved.

Who knew the world of chess could be so romantic? Ali Hazlewood makes a stunning YA debut with this heartfelt romance.

I’ve always really enjoyed Ali Hazelwood’s books, but this one fell flat for me. I’ll start with the positives. The professional chess environment was unique and fascinating! It’s definitely not a setting I’ve put any thought in to! Competitive chess players blow my mind. The patience required is astronomical! I enjoyed a few of the friends Mallory makes along the way as well.

Now for the parts that kept me from thoroughly enjoying this story.

I’m not buying that these monster sisters of Mallory’s are even one iota loveable. They’re spoiled brats and trying to explain them as anything else was off-putting to me. I’m not sure if we’re supposed to find their “sister drama” to be endearing or normal or what, but it didn’t work for me. Add on top of that, the mother is suffering greatly from chronic pain and in turn essentially doesn’t exist in their household. I didn’t find the chronic pain storyline enough to excuse her complete lack of parenting, and indifference at the CLEAR struggle her oldest daughter is dealing with. She regularly turns a blind eye at the teen sister’s abuse of Mallory. There’s a hug-it-out moment at the end where the sister claims she’s not ungrateful, simply angry at being treated like a child, but that doesn’t line up with the aggressively hateful dialog throughout the book. Unfortunately, these sisters are a large part of the story and I hated every minute of it.

The love interest, Sawyer is easy-going and straight forward and so easy to like, despite his borderline creepy fixation on Mallory. We might have benefited from his POV, but as it stands, he comes on a bit strong, all while lacking much actual personality.

This book was more cobbled together than most of this author’s works. The all-up-in-your-business, no-boundaries bestie who completely disappears? The daddy drama that isn’t adequately explained for most of the book? It just didn’t feel like a fully formed concept.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC to review.

Very cute and fun and a little nerdy! This is my first Ali Hazelwood book and it will not be my last! So fun!

Did I just find my favorite Ali Hazelwood book?

Y'all I cannot remember the last time I was giggling, kicking my feet, and rereading sentences over and over again until the words bled together. Check & Mate, Ali's YA debut, just completely blew out Bride and The Love Hypothesis. It wasn't even on my tbr radar until late last night!! I wanted to read something light and fluffy, and then my ARC was just boring its eyes into me. This was like 9pm? Possibly a little before or after. Ultimately, I did not go to sleep till 1:30a. I could not put this book down, refused to honestly. The rain and thunder were pouring outside, and I was a goner within these pages, within Mallory and Nolan's story.

I can't lie: the cover of this book is not good. It's not as beautiful as Ali's other books, and I judged it for that. I put off reading it because I was thinking "it can't be better than the others." Y'ALL, I WAS WRONG. HIT ME UPSIDE THE HEAD BECAUSE I WAS DELUSIONAL. Thankfully, the universe thought to teach me the "don't judge a book by its cover" mantra, and I certainly learned my lesson.

First off, this story is genius. I watched Queen's Gambit back in 2020 or 2021 like most people, but the idea of chess competitors in a romance was a flawless from the get-go. The execution, somehow, even superior. Ali weaves a beautiful love story amongst the trials and tribulations of familial problems as well as identity and self-reflection issues. The friendship undertones within this book are poignant and hard to watch. Every reader can relate to those miscommunication/ assumption moments that come with friendship (other relationships too) changes. I just cannot believe how well rounded and fulfilling this story was for my heart. I'm 24, but I saw myself reflected back in Mallory with such a startling clarity. I cannot wait to reread this beauty in the future either.

But nothing stole my heart more than the tension and build up to Mallory and Nolan. Not only was their first interaction perfect, but I was squealing like a baby pig when he showed up to Mallory's house. That only worsened in the best way when he was invited in for dinner. The conversation between Mallory, her family, and Nolan—one of the best, most natural scenes I've ever read about. It felt like each character could fly off the page; they were THAT real in that moment. Then, the tension during the tic-tac toe game was off the charts. I knew Ali was good at building relationships in her stories, but she flexed those muscles to the high heavens in this one. She's proved with Check & Mate alone that she does not need the sex to write a damn good love story. She can do it all with a finesse most authors dream of. I kept rereading scenes of them over and over again, against my own will at times, because I could not get enough of this romance. They're my favorite couple in Ali's books, and I will die on that hill.

Also, one of the reasons I adored their relationship was just how honest and raw they were to the other. Nolan, alone, is such a refreshing lead. He's so different from Ali's other male leads, but his honesty just really stuck with me. His ability to speak his mind and unapologetically be himself to Mallory just made me so happy. Even after they've broken up and the two are gearing up for their Championship chess game, he knows his feelings so well for Mallory that he does not show an ounce of distrust or anger. She said some horrific things to him, but he only speaks of her in the highest caliber. He compliments her to a whole pressroom, and Mallory is dumbstruck. He's a good guy that knows she made a mistake because she was hurting, and instead of making her grovel, he's compassionate, understanding. It's beautiful to read. It reminds me of my own partner, and I think that again is why this story hit so hard for me.

Mallory feels like a brutal reflection of myself in many ways. I'm certainly not in her exact situation, but the feelings and thought processes she had throughout the story mimic my mind. This fear of being alone and not being needed. That fear of vulnerability. The terror that your own mind and fear could destroy something good. I know some readers will probably find her annoying and a self-saboteur, but I only saw someone human making some mistakes along the way to happiness. Damn, Mallory was a great lead. I cannot wait to see what Ali dreams up next for a leading lady.

Thank you to Penguin Teen and NetGalley for the eARC. I cannot believe it took me so long to find this wonderful book. Now I cannot wait to scream its praise from the rooftops.

“I don’t think I believe in destiny. I believe in solid openings, and middle games that show initiative, and swift transitions to end games. But I can’t stop wondering if maybe the universe was trying to tell us something, and— I want to be with you. I want to be with you. As much as I can. As much as you’ll have me.”

Read if you enjoy:
♟️ Chess Tournaments
♟️ Young Adult (FMC 18, MMC 20)
♟️ Rivals to Lovers
♟️ Chess Prodigies
♟️ He Falls First
♟️ Banter
♟️ Mostly Closed Door

“Because when I’m with you, Mallory, everything is different. When I’m with you, I want to play more than I want to win.”

I loved the show of Queen’s Gambit so when I saw a book with a similar concept, I was immediately drawn to it. Although different from the show, this book was a nice read with great character growth and banter. It is a young adult approach so get into the mindset before jumping into this one.

Hazelwood did great with the FMC. Mallory is portrayed as a very real and flawed character who is trying to navigate life after a loss, with guilt and a deeply felt responsibility to support her mom and siblings. She was very relatable, caring, sarcastic, and funny. She is learning to navigate life and love.

I wished this book had dual POVs as I would have loved to be inside Nolan’s mind. He was quiet and bad-tempered, but full of love and desire for Mallory. Once he participated in that tournament and was defeated by Mallory, he was deeply attracted to the girl who literary ran away afterward. It was sweet to see the story develop within chess and love. Wished I had seen a little more of the romance side in this book. Nonetheless, a quick and enjoyable read!

Chess is a bad idea.”
“Why?”
“Look where it got me.”
“It got you here. To me.

This was such a good cute book! I adore everything Ali Hazelwood writes!

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