4/5 Stars

This book was AMAZING, I have read other YA books and I was mostly bored but this book made me feel all the emotions. I was smiling laughing and then the next minute I was shocked and out of nowhere I was crying. Definitely a rollercoaster of emotions but I loved it nonetheless. The one thing that I wish would've been a little different is that we actually got to see the World Championship between the two competitors. I loved the relationship between all the characters, and how Emil and Tanu accepted Mallory into their friend group. Mallory and Nolan are so amazing it was so cute seeing how they are with each other. I have never read a book about chess and this was AMAZING

Ali Hazelwood shines as a YA author. This book has everything: a rivalry, a protagonist (Mallory Greenleaf) with a fully developed family, friendship, and romance. Mallory is a genius when it comes to playing chess. She hasn't played in years, but her friend ropes her into playing in a single tournament. She's been out of chess for so long that she doesn't even realize who she's playing until after she wins the match: Nolan Sawyer, the "Kingkiller." This story was multi-faceted and a wonderful read. It will be a great read for anyone who enjoyed The Queen's Gambit, but it's also a great love story. Highly recommended.

Out November 7 [Thank you so much to the publisher for providing me with an advance copy to review!]

Rating: 5/5 stars

In Ali Hazelwood’s YA debut, Mallory Greenleaf is a chess prodigy who hasn’t played in four years—until she wipes the board with reigning world champion Nolan Sawyer at a charity tournament.

There are some universal truths in this world: the sky is blue, water tastes better in the middle of the night, the USB charger will never be facing the right way to plug in on the first try, and I love every word that Ali Hazelwood writes. Given this, I wasn’t at all surprised to enjoy CHECK & MATE, but what caught me off guard was how thoroughly I LOVED it. It consumed me so much that I didn’t want to stop reading and never wanted it to end, and as much as it shocks me to say it (solely because I’ve loved her prior books so much): this is my favorite Ali Hazelwood novel.

Everything about this book is perfection—the high stakes competitive aspect, the he-falls-first adorableness, the way the characters feel like real people who, while young, are making mature decisions and behaving in realistic ways. The plot is engrossing and entertaining, with all the right romance-y trope moments you’d expect but also plenty of heart and angst and reflection.

I truly can’t say enough good things, but I’ll run out of room in the caption if I keep going. Suffice to say you NEED this one in your hands come November.

I also had the supreme honor of gushing about this book directly to Ali recently, which was truly a highlight of my life.

Recommended to anyone, but especially if you like: rivals to lovers; competition plots; he falls first

CW: Loss of parent; dementia; alcoholism; mental health; infidelity

sooooo obsessed with this book! YA isn’t one of the typical genres i read so i was a bit hesitant about this book but it ended up being SO worth it. i really loved both of the characters and i also loved the chess side of the story too! their relationship was adorable and i love the chemistry between them! almost every single interaction in this book whether it was with her family or nolan left me smiling. if romance is your thing i would definitely check this out! thank you to netgalley and ali hazelwood for sending me this arc. all opinions are my own.

4.5 rounding up!

I think this might be my new favorite ali hazelwood book??? It was FUNNY and SWEET and made my heart feel like it was bursting from my chest!! I loved the way these two spoke about each other, and the small acts of intimacy woven into the story 🥹 what a treat to see Ali Hazelwood write outside of STEM but still carry HER voice that is so well loved. this makes me SO excited to read her upcoming stuff!!

I wish I could say I enjoyed this, but I really don’t think Ali Hazlewood is the author for me. The writing in this felt so juvenile, and I’ve read YA books with really deep and intense writing. Just because a book is YA does not mean it deserves juvenile writing. I also just find all of her characters to be on the slightly annoying side. I know her fans will love this book, but I just don’t think I am one of them. Her characters are just carbon copies of each other and all of her books have felt the same.

Where are my fellow Ali Hazelwood fans at?

“When eighteen-year-old Mallory begrudgingly agrees to return to chess in one last charity tournament, her surprise upset against Nolan Sawyer, the reigning world champ and bad boy of the chess world, sets her on an worldwin adventure as she rediscovers her passion for the game.”

This book makes me want to rewatch Queens Gambit and learn chess!

To my knowledge, this book is Ali Hazelwood’s first YA book and to those that prefer a closed door romance, this one is for you!

Pub date is November 7th! Definitely recommended this one!

Thank you to the author, publisher and Netgalley for this eARC in exchange for an honest review

I'm very aware that I'm not the target audience for this YA book, but nonetheless, this was a sweet story about eighteen-year-old Mallory Greenleaf and her leap into the professional chess world. Along the way, she defeats the current World Champion, the moody, enigmatic Nolan Sawyer. Tensions arise.

I know very little about chess, but I genuinely learned quite a bit from this book. Even better - it was interesting! It made a great backdrop for this sort-of romance, and it was satisfying to watch Mallory's growth throughout the novel.

Thank you Netgalley and Penguin Teen for allowing me to read and review this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I DNF'd at about 100 pages.

Check & Mate was one of my anticipated reads of 2023, especially being a lover of The Love Hypothesis, I was really looking forward to reading Hazelwood's YA-ish/New Adult debut. I do have her other adult romances on my shelf and, while I was not crazy about Check & Mate, I'm still going to give them a shot.

Check & Mate feels like Ali Hazelwood was held against her will to put in as many pop culture references as humanly possible in one book. While I don't usually mind reading about some references, it became almost forced, as if she were trying to be hip with the cool kids on the block. It was awkward, and the story gave me second-hand embarrassment to read about. I could not stand reading from Mallory's point of view. Her 'voice' read off as super juvenile and very annoying for an eighteen year old. It was a jumbled mess of trying to be funny or quirky but the writing just fell flat. I had a hard time wanting to continue. I was interested in reading about Nolan but he was not worth me struggling through this book just to get into another terrible slump. I would have preferred to read from his point of view than Mallory, even though I knew almost nothing about him.

I tried, I really did.

Sometimes the switch to a new genre/audience works for authors and sometimes it doesn't. In Check & Mate's case, it didn't in my opinion.

1 star

"Check & Mate" is an adorable story about Nolan and Mallory. Mallory is an 18 year old former chess prodigy, who has grown to be her family's breadwinner. She has foregone college, works in her garage, and never thinks about chess. Nolan is the current world champion of chess - he has some anger issues, is handsome, and is a tough guy.

They meet in a chess tournament that Mallory agrees to enter to help out a friend. And from there - FIREWORKS! Mallory is great - she is a strong female lead, and Nolan was such an awesome hero.

The side characters were great (except for maybe her sisters). The banter was fantastic. I don't even love chess, but I loved the bits about chess! And the rivalry/ultimate partnership made me so happy! Thank you, Ali Hazelwood!! And thank you to Netgalley for the ARC. I loved this!

Think Ali’s witty writing, meets the Queen’s Gambit, meets NA/upper YA and lo and behold we have Check & Mate! I was nervous dipping my toes in at first because as much as I hate to compare works by the same author, especially a beloved one, the brain does it anyway! And the verdict? She’s pulled it off! Overall this story is adorable and a solid 4 stars for me.

My largest piece of feedback is that for the first 25% or so I was… not convinced the book would pull through for me. The humor (which is by and large the very thing I love most of all in Ali’s adult books) was not hitting. The humor is very Gen Z, pop culture filled, and… bodily? *head scratch* But, this is branded as YA and maybe this will hit for younger readers. Secondly, in the first quarter of the book, Mallory only sees Nolan once? In a relatively brief (albeit important) interaction and then poof! No more interactions for a hot minute. Queue me screaming at my kindle “this is a romance, give me the romance”!! 

The funniest part of this reading experience is, as nervous as I was for the first 25%, suddenly I was at 50% and it was 12:30 am?? Where did the time go?! I then read the last 50% practically in one sitting the next day. Safe to say the story picked up, the MMC came more strongly into play, and THE CHESS… I was eating it UP!!!

Ali knows how to write a romance and this was no exception. I was kicking my feet and giggling. I was screaming for them to get together. I know next to nothing about the world of competitive chess and the way the chess scenes had my heart racing you’d think I was gearing up to compete in a World Championship myself. I loved the way Nolan unapologetically and continually shows up for Mallory, even before she is able to acknowledge what is happening between them herself. He is a precious angel baby and he most be protected at all costs!! I loved the side characters and the narrative of women overcoming and making their mark in male dominated spaces. I even really loved how the conflict played out? Mallory’s responses felt very authentic for an 18 year old and I really loved that!!

All in all, if you like Ali’s other works, or even if you don’t, and you’re in the mood for a cute NA romance featuring chess, pick up Check & Mate!

*I would like to note, this book did not feel accurately categorized to me. This doesn’t change any of my thoughts on the book or story itself but it felt, as mentioned earlier in my review, to be more NA than YA. Our FMC is 18 and the MMC is 20. The themes, their struggles, and their ages felt more mature to me and while I enjoyed this myself, I wouldn’t be handing this book to a super young reader.

The biggest thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for access to an eARC in exchange for an honest review!

This book was really cute and super fun to read! I’m horrible at chess, despite my husband wishing the opposite. But I definitely enjoy when it’s the basis behind a book/TV show (looking at you, Queens Gambit). It is so fascinating and I loved Ali Hazelwoods take on it being about the gender gap in the world of chess… while also making a romance out of it.

I’ve read a lot of YA recently, so I’m starting to get a vibe that YA doesn’t meaN PG. haha! Not that that’s a problem, more like it’s something I’ve noticed.

Anywho, this one publishes on November 7, 2023 and I recommend you pick it up! Thank you to netgalley, penguin group, and Ali Hazelwood for an advanced eARC!

At first, I was annoyed that it had been marketed as YA when it really isn't. The characters are college-aged and are navigating becoming an adult, so it should be in the New Adult category. YA implies still in high school. I know that they probably hesitated to call it New Adult since the sex scenes were closed door but that still would have been a better descriptor. Like many of Hazelwood's leading men, we don't see inside of Nolan's point of view, so it feels a little hollow that he steadfastly likes Mallory from the beginning despite everything. As a main character, Mallory was almost unlikeable at some points. Plot-wise it makes sense why, but it still was hard to enjoy her growth when she keeps pushing everyone away and then sulking. Luckily, the chess aspect was clearly written in a way that I didn't have to know anything about it to still enjoy the plot. Overall, Hazelwood writes compelling romances and this one kept me reading to the end, but it doesn't live up to her other titles.

Ali Hazelwood’s YA debut is a masterpiece for the Mastermind girlies, an “I see you” to those of us with chronically ill parents (hi, it’s me, I sobbed and I LOVED IT), and a reminder that sometimes the things you think you need to walk away from (for reasons, obviously) are the things that you should be running towards.

This book is ADORABLE and I can’t wait to hold a physical copy in my hands!
Trust me, you do not want to skip preordering this one if you’re a fan of YA contemporary, rivals to lovers, and cute genius boys.

I received an advance copy from the publisher, all opinions are my own and a review was not required.

This was super fun!! The romance in this was exactly what I needed. Ali Hazelwoods the love hypothesis ended up being one of my favourite reads and if not one of my favourite romances of all time. I enjoyed it so incredibly much. While the characters in this book are on the younger side, this was still so much fun to read. The tension during the chess scenes was so good, I was waiting in anticipation to see what would happen next. The romantic scenes between our two mains were also done and handled well, and if you know anything about Ali’s books you know how incredible her romance truly is. It was heartwarming and so much fun to dwell into. 5 stars!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC!

I adore Ali Hazelwood and will read anything she writes. Even a grocery list I don’t care I love her.

This was her first YA novel and it did not disappoint. I adored the STEM and science references that are always true to her writing. She is hilarious even at the YA level with Bill Nye and fart jokes. I can’t exclude riverdale Easter eggs either I’m a huge fan of the show as are the female main characters sisters. Mallory the female main character seemed forced to grow up too soon and she is relatable. Nolan the male main character was someone you aren’t sure you should root for, but my god is he a gem. While the characters could be immature at times, they were dealing with very mature issues. This was packed full of hard truths about growing up, supporting your family, chronic illness rep, and woman power. Hazelwood is phenomenal at speaking up about sexism in the academic and STEM world which is why I am so drawn to her writing. I can’t wait to see what comes out next from Ali.

I’m so glad I took the day and did nothing but read this book. I took my time. I savored it. It filled my heart in the way all of Ali Hazelwood’s adult novels have.

HOWEVER! I have never felt so old as I did while reading Check & Mate. For the first 1/3 of the book, there were so many pop culture references I didn’t understand, I spent more time than was necessary looking everything up. Who is that actress? What’s that show? Whaaaat? I hit 40 and then - huh?

Whatever. I still loved it.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley.

I knew it was YA but it was just too young for me. I’m sure Ali Hazelwood hit another one out of the park but I just couldn’t do it

Thank you to Penguin Group and the author for this advance copy.
I have previously read and enjoyed Ali Hazelwood’s adult books; I wasn’t sure what to expect from a YA title. Some similar elements are present, including a heroine who is a woman in a male-dominated field, but the competitive chess environment feels fresh and well-drawn. The central couple, Mallory and Nolan, are compelling and interesting characters. I enjoyed and would read another YA book by Hazelwood.

I never thought I’d rave about a book that’s all about chess, but here we are, and it’s all this author’s fault. First she makes physicists sexy and now she’s making chess players hot, what can’t this woman do? In all seriousness, I’ve never played chess before and always assumed it was pretty boring but Check & Mate actually made it seem entertaining and complex in a cool way. I really appreciate that this author’s books always feature women kicking ass in male-dominated areas. I had no idea that there was such a gender gap in the world of professional chess and it was awesome to see Mallory, our MC, prove all the doubters wrong.
Beyond the chess component of this book, there were so many other layers. This dove deep into complicated family dynamics, friendship and romance. I loved Mal’s relationship with her sisters, they’re all so funny together and they’re so close with one another. They definitely had their tough moments but you can see that even their fights came from how much they love each other. I did get a little annoyed with the younger sisters at a couple points though.
The romance in this book was top-notch. Mal and Nolan made for such a great couple. This had the perfect mix of rivals to lovers, he falls first and slow burn romance. Because the New Adult genre isn’t exactly a thing that publishers acknowledge, this is being marketed as YA but I totally think this could be NA, which the author said on her Instagram as well. It’s not as hot and heavy as her adult romances but the characters are in their late teens/early 20s and there are some fade to black scenes. I thought Mal and Nolan’s relationship dynamic was so good. I spent the whole book just anticipating more scenes with them together.
I really hope this author writes more books in this genre! I think a lot of people were wondering how she’d do stepping out of her STEMinist era and I can confidently say that she fully delivered on her YA debut. This was such an exciting and alluring read. I could not put it down!
Thank you to NetGalley, the author and the publisher for providing me with an early copy in exchange for an honest review!