Short and Sweet Review
Mallory Greenleaf used to play chess growing up, but after her father had a little scandal and rocked the chess world and tore apart their family she’s given it up. When her friend Easton asks Mallory to help her with a charity chess event Mallory reluctantly agrees. At the tournament Mallory ends up defeating Nolan Sawyer the current number one player. Mallory’s rookie status shocks everyone, even more so Nolan who wants to know more about the girl who defeated him.
Okay guys this book sounds cute and fun and full of chess competition, but what I got was a horrible main character and a romance with no spark and was at its core creepy. Mallory hasn’t touched a chess piece since her dad did what he did and since then he’s died but somehow Mallory has become the one to support her mom and two sisters with her minimum wage job. Her sisters are very annoying and always in someone else’s business, and instead of going to their mom with problems they go to Mallory which makes it seem like she has the weight of the world on her shoulders. Mallory’s mom doesn’t want her to think that she’s the parent which I thought was ridiculous because Mallory was the one who was paying for most of the household needs. Anyway after Mallory does that charity competition for Easton she gets some recognition and starts working with Defne who has a Chess organization. Defne takes a chance on Mallory and gets her into big competitions and although Mallory doesn’t want to compete she knows the prize money could be life changing for her family. Mallory tries to keep her chess life a secret but its hard when she’s gaining a lot of traction and ends up on news articles and on tv. Nolan likes Mallory and is usually at the chess competitions that she’s at and obviously there’s supposed to be a cute romance her but I didn’t see it. As I mentioned earlier Mallory is an awful character, I don’t know if that was intentional or not but I would not want that girl anywhere near me. Mallory is selfish and she likes to lash out at people and she really only cares about herself. I think her lashing out at people is a defense mechanism to push people away before they do it to her but honestly she should see someone about her problems. Nolan on the other hand he just comes across as obsessed with Mallory and it was not cute and I blame that on the dialogue. He keeps telling her how much he wants to play chess with her and how he wishes he lost her job sooner so they could have met sooner than they did, it was weird and it makes me want him on a watchlist. My problems with this book are the characters, Mallory is just trash and Nolan gives off stalker, not socially aware vibes. Also her friend Easton is in like the first chapter of the book and then we don’t see her again until 90% through, what the hell? I honestly think if Mallory had a friend around like Easton to keep her grounded she may have been more likable. My rating for this book is a two and the only two things I liked about this book was when a character came to Mallory’s house and told her about herself, because she really sucks, and learning about chess, kind of makes me want to play but not really.
Overall, this was not what I expected it to be. I knew chess would be involved which was great. The romance, not so great. The characters even worse. I cannot in good conscience recommend this train wreck of a book, I honestly think giving it 2 hearts was exceptionally nice of me.

Check & Mate by Ali Hazelwood is a swoon-worthy YA romance set in the surprisingly cutthroat world of competitive chess. Hazelwood makes the jump seamlessly from her adult STEM romances to her first YA romance, while still delivering her trademark clever banter and continuing to highlight women in underrepresented fields.

Mallory Greenleaf doesn't play chess anymore because chess ruined her life. Now she's 100% committed to taking care of her mom with rheumatoid arthritis and providing for her two younger sisters. But everything changes after she begrudgingly agrees to a charity tournament and subsequently beats the pants off of Nolan Sawyer, the reigning king of chess. Now the chess world wants to know; who is Mallory Greenleaf?

Nolan becomes obsessed with this girl who came out of nowhere and upset his game. He'll move mountains to get her to play with him again. He feels a pull toward her, and he's convinced she feels the same. Their connection is electric. As Mallory is drawn back into the world of chess, her eyes are opened to the sexism rampant in the sport, but along the way she also rediscovers her passion for the game...as well as a passion for a certain player.

Hazelwood has written a seemingly straightforward story about two chess players who fall in love, but woven throughout are the important themes of healing, forgiveness, and moving forward, even when things are difficult.

The third act breakup drove me absolutely nuts until I remembered that Mallory is only 18, and Nolan is only 20--and then it made more sense to me. I said and did really immature things at their ages, too. Other than that, I loved this book from page one. I read it in less than a day--I couldn't put it down.

Thank you to Penguin Teen and PRH Audio for my advance ebook copy and audiobook.

Mallory loved playing chess, but took a step back after suddenly losing her father. While she has been taking care of her mom and sisters, she’s in need of money and a professional chess game falls in her lap. She begrudgingly agrees, beats the tantrum-prone number one player, Nolan, and tries to leave quietly but she’s all anyone can talk about. She reluctantly joins a group to start getting back into the professional world of chess, but continues to find herself drawn to Nolan.

This was another great read by Ali Hazelwood! I love the world of chess and watch the GMs battle it out on Twitch and YouTube each week, so this was two loves coming together. However, you don’t need to love or care about chess to get into this book, and don’t we all love a man who falls first? Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this advanced copy.

loved this!! Thank you so much to the author Ali hazel wood and the publisher for the chance to read this early!
Great appreciated!

Will read anything by ali hazelwood!

Would highly recommend

If you watched the TV show The Queens Gambit, but like you wish it was 80% more lighthearted you would enjoy reading Check & Mate. If you enjoy Ali’s adult romances, you will like this too. This is definitely more NA than YA, they’re college age kids. I didn’t LOVE it but I enjoyed myself reading it anyway. 3.5 rounded up.

Me and AH have a love hate relationship (heavy on the hate), and this just further proves that my love for Love, Theoretically was a fluke...

Mallory is kind of insufferable, and her and Nolan are 18/20 and read like they're in their mid to late 20s... Also, maybe it's just me being old af, but do 18 year olds have a lot of tinder hookups? Is that a thing now? It's also weird to me because this is marketed as YA, but doesn't feel that way.

It’s official. I’m obsessed with Ali Hazelwood’s books. It doesn’t matter if she writes contemporary adult romance, paranormal romance or now new adult romance, this woman can write and I LOVE her work.

Young adult romance isn’t always my go-to romance category of choice (though I consider this new adult romance since they are age 18 and 20) but if Ali is writing it, I’m reading it and I’m so glad that I did because this was fantastic.

What stands out to me about this romance after finishing it is how she really drew on what I enjoy about young adult and new adult romance. It’s often more than just the central love story that makes these books so great and that’s exactly what this book includes- so much more.

The story itself revolves around the heroine, Mallory who is an 18 year old working at an auto shop to provide for her family – her mother dealing with chronic illness and her two young sisters.

She’s forgone college because someone has to pay the mortgage and the rest of the bills and it’s fallen on Mallory’s shoulders.

Though she’s shouldering more than just the financial burden of her family. She’s also been struggling with the guilt that it’s HER fault that her family is in this predicament in the first place.

She was once a chess prodigy, groomed by her father, but she believes her love of chess is what destroyed her family and so she walked away from the sport four years ago.

Only her best friend convinces her to play in a charity tournament where Mallory ends up beating the unbeatable and current World Champion, Nolan Sawyer.

Because of her win, she’s approached to train as a chess professional and Mallory’s in a position she can’t refuse but she vows to only accept the fellowship for the money and not let herself fall in love with the game again, nor the man she bested.

Gosh, there is honestly so much to love about this book. First off is our heroine, Mallory. The young woman is dealing with some serious guilt and trauma but I loved her strength.

At times I forgot that she was only 18 as she was juggling so much and yet at other times her “youngness” came out but it was her coming of age story that was central to this book and so well written.

I adored how Hazelwood used her friendship with her bestie and her relationship with her sisters and mother to see how she’s been living this life of guarding her heart.

There were so many additional, great secondary characters to love as well that only added depth to Mallory’s story including her Defne, Oz, and Nolan’s friends.

Then there’s Nolan. I am obsessed with him. He is such an amazing hero. His story is subtley introduced (I would have loved more about him) but it was just enough to fall in love with him without overshadowing Mallory and her character arc.

Their romance is the kind of slow burn romance I adore that just burns and burns. I’m in awe of how Hazelwood slowly developed her relationship with Nolan where he was just biding his time and slowing clawing his way into her heart until she realized he was there all along.

I loved his patience, his kindness and the SMILES that said so much. Seriously, his dialogue was just perfect.
And as a young adult/new adult romance, Hazelwood kept this as a closed-door romance and it worked.
I’ve only dabbled in chess myself, but I find the game and strategy fascinating. I loved learning more about chess in this romance and I thought Hazelwood did an awesome job weaving in the additional focus of gender bias in the sport and the struggles women have endured in it.

If you love the academic rivals to lovers romance trope and stories that are the full package then you need to read this book.

I’m just so grateful to Hazelwood for sharing her talent and I can only wait for more.

*Thank you to Netgalley for the advanced reader copy. All opinions are my own.

Ali Hazelwood always has the power to make me care about something that I had no interest in prior to starting the novel. First physics and now chess. For her YA debut, Hazelwood still keeps her signature writing style and overall vibe, but just adjusted slightly for a younger audience. But overall I really enjoyed Check & Mate! As someone who has no idea how to play chess literally at all (I can barely play checkers), I was fascinated by the world of professional chess and all the inaccuracies didn't matter though I'm sure they will make some chess player upset. I had fun, I was rooting for the couple, all the things you want!!

I loved this book. I know nothing about chess, but it makes me want to learn.

There were so many witty banter and some truth bombs dropped. And the character that you always hate (he is the worst).

Mallory is carrying the world on her shoulders and taking care of everyone but herself.

I loved Nolan's good hearted nature. I loved that he could read Mallory so well and not afraid to call her out. I would have loved it see some of the scenes in his POV.

The meatloaf dinner was my favorite scene and the fever dreams.

When a random chess player beats the world champion chess player and runs away, the last thing she expect is for him to want to play against her again and be willing to do anything for just one more match with her... and maybe a chance to win her heart. Mallory Greenleaf is done with chess, or at least she gave it up after her father's death and has stayed away... she's more concerned with taking care of her mom and sisters and financially providing for them. When she agrees to play one last charity tournament she never expects to play against notorious "Kingkiller" Nolan Sawyer, the current world champion and reigning Bad Boy of chess... and beat him. Nobody expected Nolan to lose, and what's even more confusing is he wants another match with her, he wants to spend time with her, he just wants to be near her. Mallory wanted to end chess but now Nolan and every other person in the chess world wants her back in it. Mallory can't say no when money from the chess tournaments could help her family... yet the more time she spends with Nolan the more she finds herself doing the one thing she promised never to do: actually fall for someone. Yet when the truth of how far Nolan would go to get Mallory back in the chess world is revealed, will she stay around for another match or is the game already over? I loved Nolan so much, he's such a sweetheart and was an endearing love interest. Mallory on the other hand, I wanted to shake, seriously when *spoiler: Nolan pays for her fellowship, essentially pays her to play chess and covers all her costs and she gets pissed, girl that was the money you needed, the money you kept going on and on about that you wanted to help your family but you just turn it down out of spite??? seriously???*. Mallory got on my nerves, I'm going to be real honest, I understand her guilt and her need to want to support her family, but her anger and her jumping to conclusions and her PRIDE, was so annoying. When Oz calls her out on it later, I just wish someone else would have called her out on it sooner cuz dang, the book would have been so much better if she actually worked on it. It's an overall really sweet read and despite not playing chess myself, I found the plays and the tournaments to be interesting and the romance was really cute. I love Ali's books and this was a cute young adult one she wrote. Definitely give it a go if you like chess and want a unique romance read.

*Thanks Netgalley and PENGUIN GROUP Penguin Young Readers Group, G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*

Genre: YA Contemporary Romance

Format: Audio

Pub date: November 7th, 2023

4.5🌟 - I really liked it!

Thank you @penguinteen for the #gifted copy and @prhaudio for the complimentary audiobook!

I loved this enemies-to-lovers YA debut from the one and only @alihazelwood! I love how niche her plots are, and I truly never get tired of them! I loved the premise of competitive rival chess players as the setting for romance!

The banter, the tension, and NOLAN! I loveddddd him! He falls first is truly one of my favorite tropes 🤌🏻. I loved the cast of side characters and appreciated the depth she brought in with grief and complicated family dynamics as well.

@alihazelwood is absolutely an auto-buy author for me 💖

If you’re a fan of Ali’s work, you’ll love this!

Of all of Ali’s books, this one might be my favorite! I loved meeting Mal and Nolan. The guarded hearts, witty banter, tragic backstory and the love interest that was meant to be. This book left me wanting more and wishing it didn’t end.

mallory & nolan's relationship was unique for me! seeing them go from rivals to friends to lovers, navigating such a competitive space, and healing was so special. i loved their bond, the understanding they found within each other. there was a sense of comfort that i found in their relationship that i enjoyed soso much.
the writing in this book was, as always, incredible. ali hazelwood does an amazing job at making you feel so strongly both for and with the characters. i became so invested in this story, and i know NOTHING about chess but i was suddenly incredibly interested. i will say, it is chess-heavy and a bit dense in that aspect, but i didnt mind and found it really intriguing!!!
this is hands down one of the funniest books i've ever read. i cannot explain to you how HARD i laughed. a lot of people have issues with the pop culture references in this book, but personally i enjoyed them. it WORKED for this story. i appreciated the references and it truly made things funnier for me.
this is such a great YA, coming of age, romance novel. ali hazelwood knocked it out of the park by writing such an emotional, hilarious, and genuine story. i was addicted, i couldn't put it down, and i truly cant recommend it enough!!!!

🥰Enjoyment: OMG I did not know what to expect from a YA title from Ali Hazelwood but this far exceeded my expectations. I have already ordered an autographed shelf trophy for myself.

📖 🎧 Writing &/or Audio Style: Ali Hazelwood is one of a handful of authors I can say is not for every one, but as I’ve expressed before I just love her. The part of my brain that yearns to be intellectual just latches on to these STEM-y plots and goes all in.

👥 Characters & Relationships: Ahhhhh I loved them all! Main characters, side characters… except for the one d-bag group everyone was written so well. Mallory was intelligent and hard working and flawed and just so good.

⁉️Plot, Intrigue & Logic: I know absolutely nothing about Chess so I couldn’t tell you if a single word was accurate (and Hazelwood herself says there’s some artistic license taken) but honestly I wouldn’t let that stop me from reading it. I loved the plot, I loveddddd how much bigger than just the romance that the plot was. In the 3rd act I sobbed at least once.

🏞️Atmosphere & Setting: Again, no clue if a single detail about the pro-chess scene was accurate but I enjoyed being immersed in this world.

🚨 For Reader Awareness: Parental let down, guilt for some heavy things.

📣Recommended for fans of: Young romance that is so much more than the focus on romance.

check and mate by ali hazelwood

4.5 stars!

one thing about me is that I will always love ali hazelwood!! her writing is so unique, fun, and overall entertaining. i love her ability to write books about topics i have no knowledge of and make it interesting!!

this book was written extremely well in terms of a YA book. i think ali did a great job doing references to pop culture because it made this book extremely realistic, as the characters are ages 12-20. i love how the younger sisters would make these jokes and have niche internet obsessions because i know that when i was that age, i was the same way!!

mallory & nolan as characters were amazing. i loved learning their stories through this chess storyline, the bond they created felt very organic and interesting. the romance in this one was adorable and the communication between these two characters was so nice!

this definitely hit the mark as a coming of age book, the storyline was flushed out well and i enjoyed how ali handled everything. she just never disappoints me!

thank you so so much penguin random house for the arc!!

No one is more surprised about this rating than me. Did I, for once, have an uncomplicated good time with a Hazelwood romance? I mean.. mostly! But also my issues didn't outweigh the good this time. Or maybe I'm just less inclined to complain about them.

Do I know anything about chess? Nope. There was that Netflix show I never got around to watching a few years ago. That's the extent I know about chess. Did this book make me want to get into chess? Also nope. Mostly because I absolutely did not buy into the excitement Hazelwood conveyed in the book as it related to how her characters felt about the game, obsessed about moves, strategized, leaned into instinct.. none of that tickled my fancy or got my pulse racing. But I loved the nerdiness of it all.

Outside of the unbelievability of chess as a sport (I'm really just poking fun and or taking the piss, please don't come for me), what takes centre stage beyond the romance (because you know the romance be romancing) is guilt and responsibility. As in, the guilt and responsibility Mallory, eldest of three and daughter of a mom with chronic illness, feels for her family. For some nebulous choices she made that have had seemingly lasting consequences relating to debt and loss. I found this whole big secret to be a little pfft when it was finally revealed because, like, just say it (out loud) instead of making it Into A Thing but considering the repercussions are also made Into A Thing with how Mallory feels about chess I guess it made sense on paper, even if it was a little annoying. But that's Mallory in a nutshell. Dealing with things and behaving certain ways and being annoying.

Though she wasn't alone. I did find the sisters to be a bit grating and was very happy when we shifted gears and focused more on Mallory's time away from home and, well. Nolan. For once not a giant of a man to her tiny itty bittyness - though don't think I didn't notice the internal commentary about the size of his feet and hands. Thankfully it wasn't (or at least didn't feel) like it happened too often which is definitely a change of pace. Still oblivious AF though (Mallory, I mean) but they are younger, their brains a little less formed, so I guess it's more believable. Plus, you know, Hazelwood has to stick to being Hazelwood.

Maybe my one serious, not silly, critique would be how the best friend conflict was handled. That felt a little revisionist and inaccurate considering we were in Mallory's POV the whole time but.. is that part of the problem? That she chose not to see the attempts of communication being returned? I don't know. That whole scene felt awkwardly shoehorned in and didn't remotely seem to mesh with the rest.. all to, what, close the loop and end on a good note? I would've rather had the opposite and had a more realistic take on the growing apart issue. But oh well.

That issue aside, and no I'm not just saying this because it meant it was over, the best part about this whole book might have been the epilogue. It was such was a great ending and I can't even be pithy about a single thing -- sorry to disappoint!

Mallory is a very unique character that I loved! She shuts herself off emotionally and blames herself for things that are out of her control. In certain situations, I felt like I could relate to some of the ways she felt at times and therefore it was a great and emotional read that stuck with me. I kept seeing some complaints about the Gen Z language throughout the book but I like to look at it as Mallory is constantly around her younger sisters who are Gen Z and therefore that rubs off on her. It’s pretty normal for Gen Z kids to talk like that and it made sense that it rubbed off on Mallory a bit.

The romance was a rival to lovers which was absolutely amazing! Nolan was this mysterious perfection of a love interest. I adored his character and the dynamics and tension between him and Mallory. I feel like the entire book was just full of tension in different ways that kept building up to the end. I couldn’t put it down! The coming-of-age aspect was beautifully written and the romance in the world of chess was so fun and exciting to read about.

The family dynamic was fascinating. I loved it even though they irritated me a lot, however, they’re family and that’s what family does sometimes so it felt realistic! She takes care of them and they don’t seem to appreciate any of it which is sad. It did wrap it up nicely but a little quickly. The relationship with her best friend as well at the end didn’t clear things up as much as I would have liked. The excuse felt like that - just an excuse and not an explanation as to why what happened, happened.

Overall, I LOVED this book and highly recommend it to all romance readers out there. I’m primarily a fantasy reader but Ali Hazelwood's books NEVER disappoint!

Mallory Greenleaf has sworn off Chess 4 years ago. She is 18 now supporting her family (mom&2 teenage sisters) working as a mechanic but when she gets fired things start to crumble. She is in desperate need for money and no solution in the foreseeable future.
However, when she wins against the No.1 chess player in the world Nolan Sawyer (The King Killer) and "wipes the floor with him" all eyes turn to her and wants to knw who is this woman that defeated Nolan!!!
Next, Mallory is offered a Followship to train and play chess and be paid in return leaving her with no choice but to accept even though Chess is tied to painful memories.
What lays ahead is a new adventure for Mallory that will put her in the same track with Nolan and change her life forever.

If you ask me what is the perfect YA novel I would say #CheckAndMate . Ali delivered an amazing story that is amazing, funny, emotional and hopeful at the same time while dealing with important topics regarding women and how they are treated in the world concerning Championship games , Chess , and other types of things but specifically Chess in our story.
The romance was slow burn and very acceptable to YA age and I loved it.
The reason I took a star off is coz it was slow-paced to my liking and there was so many details about Chess that I didn't think was necessary but that's my opinion.
All in all , it was great and I highly recommend it coz #AliHazelwood never disappoints.
Thanks to @netgalley and the publisher for granting me an ARC of #CheckAndMate in exchange for my honest review.

Xoxo💋

Great book. I thought a story about chess and the players would be boring. Instead, she weaves a tale that is funny, romantic and so endearing!! I loved this book. Ali Hazlewood is a master ! Thank you to Netgalley and Penguin group for the arc in exchange for my honest review.

"I...Checkmate." That's when he lifts his eyes to mine for the first time. They are dark, clear, and serious. And they remind me of a few important, long-forgotten things."

Ali Hazelwood is an author whose writing style is deeply in-sync with my own personal reading tastes. There’s no doubt that any new release from Hazelwood hits a gold star-level of standards in my opinion, and Hazelwood’s latest release, Check & Mate, hits every sweet spot and can be enjoyed by all adults as well as teens and YA readers.

Was anyone else a fan of “The Queen’s Gambit”? Check & Mate felt of the same vein, but much less angsty, and nothing in the scope of the sex, drugs, and rock and roll vibes that the movie portrays, but at the most basic level, Check & Mate paralleled “The Queen’s Gambit” by featuring a young woman in a male-dominated game. In truth though, the chess aspect is more of a vehicle for the character interactions and plot line than the actual story, and it totally works.

The story begins with our protagonist, Mallory Greenleaf. We meet her during the summer after her high school graduation. She’s our reluctant heroine, one who has taken up the mantle of caregiver and parent to her two younger sisters while her mother deals with a chronic illness, and her father is out of the picture due to an accident (that happens off page and before we meet Mallory). Having once sworn off playing chess, Mallory is begged by her best friend to play in a chess tournament. In a turn of events that made me entirely giddy, Mallory ends up playing against the reigning Chess World Champion, Nolan Sawyer. And the best part? She ruthlessly beats him.

He's so assured. So effortlessly at ease. You'd expect a known sore loser with temper problems who spends 90 percent of his time studying opposite-colored bishop end games not to excel in social situations. And yet.

After causing a whirlwind of news, speculation, and general chaos in the chess world, Mallory is more determined than ever to stay away from chess. But the thrill of the game, and an offer she can’t refuse lands in her lap. With an offer to work for one year developing her skills as a chess player as well as playing in tournaments, Mallory would both be helping her family, but also giving into her true desires even if that comes into direct opposition to what she believes is the right course of action to her. Part of the themes of Check & Mate is introspection and looking at the internalized beliefs and limitations we unknowingly place upon ourselves.

Hazelwood’s Check & Mate brilliantly addresses misogyny and bias within chess which also provides us all with some truly awful, but wonderfully written antagonists. I also admire how Hazelwood has written about how relationships suffer without communication: siblings, best friends, work colleagues, and even parental relationships are all key parts to Mallory’s transformation as a character throughout Check & Mate.

My favorite aspect of the entirety of Check & Mate is, without doubt, the relationship between Nolan and Mallory. A World Champion versus an amateur, Nolan’s approach to Mallory is never one of spite or arrogance. Every single chess match, interview, and interaction he approaches Mallory with respect. The way I read into literally everything he said was on par with how I analyze Mr. Darcy or Kylo Ren/Ben Solo. Mallory doesn’t know if she can’t trust her love of chess, nor her admiration and growing feelings for Nolan so this transformation (in particular) is one that I find entirely delicious and satisfying.

"I've got you, Mallory. Nothing bad is going to happen. You can let yourself want this, because you already have it. You have me."

Between all the side characters, the introduction and acceptance from Nolan’s friends, the hijinks and comedic relief from Mallory’s work colleagues, how her relationship with herbest friend from high school evolves, and witnessing how her sisters blossom on the page, Check & Mate is easily a must read for any Ali Hazelwood fan regardless of age. Check & Mate was my slump breaker, and it features a storyline, romance, and so many well-developed characters that I cannot stop thinking about it. Ali Hazelwood writes romances that take up space in my entire heart but Check & Mate is one that lives rent free in my heart and mind as well. Do not miss out on this stunning new release.