♟️ Chess championships
♟️ Rivals to lovers
♟️ He falls first
♟️ Opposites attract
♟️ Witty banter
♟️ Forced Proximity
♟️ YA - NA

🩷 Mallory + Nolan 🩷

“𝑰 𝒖𝒔𝒖𝒂𝒍𝒍𝒚 𝒉𝒂𝒗𝒆 𝒅𝒊𝒏𝒏𝒆𝒓 𝒔𝒕𝒂𝒏𝒅𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒖𝒑 𝒊𝒏 𝒇𝒓𝒐𝒏𝒕 𝒐𝒇 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒄𝒉𝒆𝒔𝒔𝒃𝒐𝒂𝒓𝒅 𝒐𝒗𝒆𝒓 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒆.” “𝑰’𝒎 𝒔𝒖𝒓𝒑𝒓𝒊𝒔𝒆𝒅 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒉𝒂𝒗𝒆 𝒅𝒊𝒏𝒏𝒆𝒓 𝒂𝒕 𝒂𝒍𝒍. 𝑨𝒏𝒅 𝒅𝒐𝒏’𝒕 𝒋𝒖𝒔𝒕 𝒔𝒖𝒔𝒕𝒂𝒊𝒏 𝒚𝒐𝒖𝒓𝒔𝒆𝒍𝒇 𝒐𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒕𝒆𝒂𝒓𝒔 𝒐𝒇 𝒚𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒓𝒊𝒗𝒂𝒍𝒔.”

I have never RAN to preorder a book so fast as I did after finishing this. I went through every emotion and ate this up. I would already love to reread it.
Have you seen the Queens Gambit? This is a modern day Queens Gambit romcom.

I don't think you need to like or understand a thing about chess to love this. You will still feel every second of tension in the games.

This is label YA (ya is labelled 12-18.... This is not a middle grade book. This is not for a 12 yr old. It is much more a closed door vibe to me.) Our FMC is 18 for most of it and MMC is older.

The romance aspect is a large part of the book but it also goes into details of a large amount of side characters. Her mother, her sisters, her coworkers and her friends. They bring a lot to the book as well.

"𝑴𝒚 𝒆𝒚𝒆𝒔 𝒃𝒆𝒈𝒊𝒏 𝒕𝒐 𝒕𝒆𝒂𝒓 𝒖𝒑, 𝒃𝒖𝒕 𝑰’𝒎 𝒏𝒐𝒕 𝒔𝒂𝒅. 𝑭𝒐𝒓 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒇𝒊𝒓𝒔𝒕 𝒕𝒊𝒎𝒆 𝒊𝒏 𝒂 𝒍𝒐𝒏𝒈, 𝒍𝒐𝒏𝒈 𝒘𝒉𝒊𝒍𝒆, 𝑰’𝒎 𝒂 𝒎𝒊𝒍𝒍𝒊𝒐𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈𝒔, 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒔𝒂𝒅 𝒊𝒔 𝒏𝒐𝒕 𝒂𝒏𝒚 𝒐𝒇 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒎."

Thank you to Ali Hazelwood and Penguin young readers group for this ARC

18 year old Mallory Greenleaf has been aware of 20 year old chess prodigy Nolan Sawyer for years. As the daughter of a grandmaster she competed as a child but gave up the game until her friend forces her join a charity tournament. There she and Nolan face off and she wins. Mallory is suddenly back in the chess world entering tournaments, climbing the ranks, and winning money to support her family. Nolan’s presence is constant and the pair soon become inseparable while still rivals in the chess world.
I was not sure what to expect from a YA novel from Hazelwood and was absolutely delighted. While the character ages would place them in the “new adult” category of books, the book is appropriate for high schoolers (some language, intimate scenes are fade to black). I learned how to play chess as a kid, but my knowledge of the sport mostly comes from bingeing The Queens Gambit three times in a week during the pandemic, so I have no idea if the actual game play in the book was remotely accurate. The story probably falls more in the fiction category than romance because it center’s Mallory’s story and I’m not mad at all about that. Both Mallory and Nolan have very complicated relationships with their families and the chess world. We get more of Mallory’s story just because the book is in her POV, but both are complex, rich characters as are the side characters we meet. As with all of Ali’s books the story is well well paced and well thought out. This is one I see myself rereading.
Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Group for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
I loved this book overall and absolutely loved the male man character of this book. He’s just so dang sweet. I will say I wasn’t a huge fan of all the pop culture references but that’s personal preference and some people would probably love that it just wasn’t for me. Overall I prefer her other books but this one was worth the read.

Ali Hazelwood’s first YA novel ventures into the world of professional chess. Mallory Greenleaf, the 18-year-old daughter of a former Grandmaster, vowed to never play another game of chess again after a traumatic experience she had when she was 14 years old. But when her friend convinces her to play in a charity tournament, her innate talent is revealed when she beats the current world champion, Nolan Sawyer. Determined to provide for her family after losing her job, she is given the opportunity of a lifetime: to become a chess fellow for the Zugzwang Chess Club for a year and compete in professional tournaments to earn prize money.

As Mallory competes in tournaments and shows her true strength as a sharp and aggressive chess player, she encounters gender bias and backlash from established players. But Nolan Sawyer takes interest in her game, and they form a bond as they practice against each other to sharpen their skills. There’s no mistaking the fact that something deeper is also developing, and their chemistry terrifies Mallory. Being vulnerable with Nolan also requires Mallory to face her past relationship with her father and those hurts that have resided in her heart for years, and to break down the wall she’s created to protect herself.

I really enjoyed the focus on chess in this novel. I tried to learn chess in the past, but this book makes me want to pick it up again. I absolutely loved Nolan’s character in the story. I must say that Mallory did frustrate me a little at times, but I still liked her character overall. I feel like this is an older YA book, with the characters being 18 and above and some discussions being more appropriate for older teens/young adults. Overall, it was a good read, especially if you love chess!

Read if you like:
-chess
-The Queen’s Gambit
-complex family relationships
-LGBTQ+ rep
-rivals to lovers

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Young Readers Group for this advance copy, in exchange for my honest review.

I am so honored to have been approved for this highly-anticipated ARC.
I had such a blast reading this! It brought me back to binge-watching The Queen's Gambit and being excited about chess - a game I've never understood or taken a previous interest in.
This read as a mix of YA and New Adult to me. I loved the complex family dynamics, the inner turmoil Mal dealt with, and the unique cast of personalities throughout.
The romance was perfect to me!!! As a closed-door romance girly, I loved this. While the MCs were only 18 and 20, their feelings for each other were deep and their intimate relationship was palpable but also a very mild read.
I'm so excited to recommend this to everyone! This was a true Ali Hazelwood with all of its knowledge, humor, and well-developed and complex character, but minus the spice!

One of the many things that makes Ali Hazelwood a repeat author of mine is that her books are, yes, love stories, BUT all the women are intelligent and independent and having a romance is a bonus, not a need. All the women in her books could take or leave the romance and still be fine and secure in their own right.

Now, for CHECK & MATE - I read this story in a day. It really took me about five hours to get through and it flew by. I loved the chess element, very Queen's Gambit, and I loved the twist of the woman falling in love with the world champion, while also being competitors. The quirkiness of her characters are relatable and I enjoy the one-liners that are blink-and-miss-them hilarious. The supporting cast, per usual, were great and I relished every single one of them.

This book dare I say... might even hit my top stories for the year! It was that good. My favorite line: every last thing. Gah! My heart!

This book is not to be missed. Go grab your copy now!

5 -⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

"...When I'm with you, Mallory, everything is different. When I'm with you, I want to play more than I want to win."

Check & Mate is a YA Contemporary Romance following Mallory Greenleaf, a young woman who's love of chess haunts her. She has rejected it for years and buried herself in work to support her two younger sisters and ailing mother. A moment of weakness at a charity chess tournament sets her back in the game when she defeats Nolan Sawyer, the reigning champion and Bad Boy of chess. Tempted with fast money that could support her family, Mallory re-enters the world of chess, the sport she loves as well as struggles to hate. Her rise in the ranks tests her not only in her skill but also the spotlight that burns brightly over her...add in the attractive competitor and Mallory must decide how far is she willing to (let) go.

So the TLDR of this is that this book is just as fun as her others, just without the spice. If you have enjoy Ali's other books, you'll like this but just know there is no explicit spice.

Now to go more in-depth.

I felt a lot for Mallory in a way that was frustrating injustice. She had all the world on her shoulder to care for her family - working under the table at a mechanic's shop and giving up her academic future. Yet her love for her family is powerful and supersedes the frustrations she feels at her one sister and the guilt of her love of chess. As her story unfolds it becomes clear what plays a role in her choices. She is a spunky character that I had a lot of fun unpacking.

Nolan starts off as the distant figure but his fascination with Mallory means he can't keep away. I enjoyed that his focus on her isn't necessarily an antagonistic one. He wants to play with her and truly engage, not defeat her. I felt this really highlighted a part to his character that made him endearing. He helps Mallory find love for her sport while she helps him live outside of chess.

As a mentioned before there is no spice. As in no explicit description but there is fade to black. The romance here is a slow burn in the delightful fashion that is Ali Hazelwood. I really enjoyed the draw between the two characters but also that we truly got to see them together and connect.

"Why would you keep something that makes you think of me?"
I feel him shrug. "Because I think of you anyway, Mallory."

The world and story was smooth and easy to dive into. I honestly didn't realize how fascinating the world of chess could be. Also, Ali Hazelwood's use of pop culture references just gets me every time - I love it! I also enjoyed the tournaments, the tension of the competition, and also the characters that helped immerse of further into these worlds. There is an element of miscommunication that lies in these books but it is the kind that just tugs on your heartstrings a bit. The story has a fairly straight forward concept but it was something I absolutely devoured. We really get to connect with the characters and as such this is very much a character driven story. You don't need any chess knowledge to read but it can be a bit fun if you do. There is a bit of trope towards the end that can annoy some people but I honestly felt it was resolved in a way that world for me.

This book was a perfect comfort read that I could not enough of. Mallory and Nolan drew me in from start to finish and I need more Ali Hazelwood in my life.

Thank you Penguin Random House for this e-ARC!

I love Ali Hazelwood's writing, so when I got an e-arc for Check & Mate I was simply ecstatic! This book had lots of elements from Hazelwood's previous books that I loved (the wit and humor, a big broody man, whose also soft and gooey on the inside, and tons of nerdy content). I enjoyed the chess aspect of the story, and the slight rivals to lovers between our two MCs. My only real complaint was that I really struggled with liking Mal at times. She was so stuck in her ways and kind of condescending that I had a difficult time rooting for her throughout the story. It, ultimately, came all together by the end. I loved her and Nolan and was glad they got their HEA! I also loved the little epilogue at the end, it was a nice touch.

I don't know how Ali Hazelwood does it. Book after book is pure genius. YA, adult, chess, STEM, it does not matter. She'll create characters with such tenderness and strength that I can't put the book down until I've devoured every page.

Malllory's journey to her true self and to Nolan was a deliciously insightful story. Do yourself a favor and go buy this book now. Overwhelmingly recommend!

Thank you to PENGUIN GROUP Penguin Young Readers Group, G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers, and NetGalley for providing an eARC for a honest review.

I may have actually enjoyed this more than Ali's adult stories, there is still an overuse of the "he's so big and brooding and look at our heights are so different"....and so on. But I really felt the connection between these two and I enjoyed the growth of both but especially the development and family situation of Mallory.

Let me preface this by saying that I don't know a thing about chess... But I do know a thing or two about romance, and this is a super cute one! He falls first, rivals to lovers, a little forced proximity.

Mallory happens to beat the notorious "Kingkiller" at a game of chess and then promptly runs away from him. And then spends months running from him. He just wants to play her again, but she refuses. She's not being coy. She just knows that the chances of beating him twice are zero, and she wants to hang onto that win, right?

Unfortunately, this is a new adult book masquerading as YA, and aging down characters a few years but still giving them adult cares and worries and thought processes doesn't actually work. The plot holes are large and glaring, Mallory's guilt and the "secret" of what happened in the past (all in her internal monologue) suffocates the slow-moving plot. The side characters are more like caricatures, and the chess, though she's always talking or thinking about it, somehow feels like an afterthought. This was a mishmash of adult tropes chopped up and trying to fit into a YA setting. It ended up being a complete mess.

Just a proud fan of Ali Hazelwood — this reads more like new adult than YA, and of course the male main character is very tall, but whatever

I thought the chess setting was a very fun time

CHECK & MATE is Ali Hazelwood’s YA debut. Mallory Greenleaf is done with chess after the sport led to the destruction of her family four years ago. Her main focus is helping provide for her mother and sisters — until she plays in one last tournament and beats the current world champion, Nolan Sawyer. Mallory’s victory puts her on the map and the opportunity to win much-needed cash prizes brings her back into the world of chess, where she will be in close proximity to Nolan.

I only know the basics about chess, but Ali Hazelwood did a great job of getting me invested in the characters and the competition aspect! Mallory and Nolan have great banter and the buildup/tension was believable. The family dynamics added to the complexities of the characters and overall story. This definitely felt like a more mature YA romance book due to the steam level. This was only my second book by Ali Hazelwood and it’s my favorite so far!

Check and Mate by Ali Hazelwood
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Publication date: November 7

I have loved all of the adult romance books that I’ve read from this author, so when I saw she was publishing a YA romance, I was intrigued. And I have some thoughts.

I really enjoyed this story and the characters. It was very reminiscent of The Queen’s Gambit tv series on Netflix - which I also enjoyed - so, I’m not surprised that I liked it, even thought I don’t know one single thing about chess. 😂💃🏼

I LOVED the MMC. He is quiet and honest and all of my favorite things. I AM HERE FOR an MMC who cheers for the FMC to beat him vs. being jealous. LOVE TO SEE IT.

However, I will say I was very surprised that this will be shelved in YA. It had quite a bit of explicit language and multiple discussions of mature themes. Intimacy was discussed multiple times, although scenes stayed closed door, it was implied/fade to black. It read like a closed door adult book to me - with new adult-age characters. It definitely makes me uncomfortable to recommend this to a 13, 14, 15 year old. I’d describe this as New Adult with mature themes.

I listened to this via audio and enjoyed the performance! I recommend this format. Thank you @prhaudio for the advanced review copy!

Perfect for you if you like:
Chess setting
Combating gender stereotypes in chess
She takes care of him when he’s sick
Top tier MMC
New adult characters

Do I know anything about chess? Not really. Did I enjoy this book? I would say I did. I believe Ali Hazelwood has this way of writing that feels both seamless and entertaining while also providing information (chess rules and stuff like that in the case of this book), in a way that doesn't particularly feel condescending. I enjoyed the story and enjoyed the setting and character development. The romance between Mallory and Nolan was cute, and while at times Mallory was a tad annoying, Nolan was truly delightful.

My problem with the book, and the reason I don't give it 4 stars, is because I feel is not YA. Yes, the romance is cute and fluffy but if I were reading this book at the age of 12-13, there are things I wouldn't understand and find too "mature for me". This is 100% a "me thing", because I'm sure other people around that age know what edging and threesomes are, but for me, it was a little too much. Maybe with time the rating will change, since I really enjoyed myself while reading, but for now that part plays a role in my final review.

Lastly, I think is safe to say that Ali Hazelwood is extremely talented and is able to create great love stories with strong, bright and knowledgeable female characters that are very much needed in this literary world.

Thanks to Penguin Random House for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

From Tic Tac Toe, to professional chess, Check & Mate book was filled with so many games, and such a freaking cute slow burn romance!

ARC REVIEW - 4.5⭐️, 1🌶️

💞 "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.”

Mallory & Nolan are such a balanced couple and while this book doesn’t shove their romance in you face, it was still incredibly adorable. They both have hard family memories to address, and both of them have that ingrained in their passion for chess. While Mail finds it a reason to stay away from the game, Nolan has claimed it as his own. But after the two play in a charity tournament, Nolan can’t let Mal run away from him that easily. Nolan returning to loving chess because of Mallory was just the most tooth-rooting sweet point of this book, and made my heart just melt.

I loved the focus of women in a male dominated competition. Defne was an amazing side character, and I absolutely adored Mal’s younger sisters, Darcy & Sabrina. The humor Darcy provided had my giggling and kicking my feet many times throughout the book 😂

For a YA/NA closed door romance, I’m surprised with how much I loved this book and so glad my friends gave it rave reviews and pushed me to read it!

Tropes:
💖 Professional competitors - Chess
♟️ Closed Door Romance
💖 Young Adult/New Adult
♟️ Slow Burn Romance

Thank you NetGalley and Penguin Young Readers Group for an eARC of Check Mate by Ali Hazelwood. This is my free and honest review!

At this point I think I will be happy reading Ali's grocery list. I just love her voice and writing style.
This was so good! Loved all of it! I know nothing about chess and now I want to go find out more and how to play.
Loved the slow burn romance, the family relationships, the chess friends, the unwavering support from him who fell first. Like when she said "checkmate" he was game over and it was just fun watching how he tried to get closer to her and to play her again. Oh man loved this!!
Also loved the way this came from a study on stereotype threat. Very fascinating!

Lived Mallory and Nolan's love story. I loved how he helped her figure out she was unhappy without chess her in life. He also helped her work through other things that she needed help with and got a happily-ever-after.

I really liked this one! I've enjoyed all of Hazelwood's books so I wasn't surprised when I enjoyed this one too. A great YA debut (even though the characters were actually new adult age).

Hazelwood knows how to write funny books and this was no different. The dialogue, the descriptions, all of it made me laugh out loud multiple times. I especially liked the interactions between the siblings. This was the first time we really got sibling interactions in one of Hazelwood's books so that was fun.

I ended up really loving the chess more than I thought I would. There were enough explanations to make me feel like I knew what was happening and enough tension to make this feel like a sports romance.

Nolan Sawyer was way too dreamy for his own good. He said what he thought. Acted on what he wanted. I mean, come on. The only unfortunate part was that we didn't see much of him in the first half of the book.

My only real gripe, and honestly, this is my gripe with all of Hazelwood's books, she doesn't ever write the last chapter swoony enough. I'm always left a little let down. They never really tell each other that they love each other even though it's implied. <spoiler>I guess Sawyer does tell her, but she never says it back and that really threw me off. And he tells her in the middle of an argument? No thanks.</spoiler>

Overall, I did really like this YA debut. It's definitely upper YA so it's more enjoyable probably by adults. I'm excited to see what other YAs she writes.