I’m not smart enough (or focused enough) to play chess so I was a little worried about how confused I would be trying to keep up with this book; it was not a problem. While this book is centered on chess, it’s really about relationships and how messy they can be. It’s about perception and learning to give up control of things you can’t really control. It was so well written, I was drawn in from the very beginning. I didn’t learn how to play chess (I have no hope of ever being able to do this well) but I did learn about the world of chess and how competitive, cutthroat, and male it is. Highly recommended!

Sitting back to think about this book, I started to list out the usual terms used to describe many contemporary romcoms out there—charming, adorable, swoon-worthy. But as I try to tackle them on for this book, I feel like it's a huge disservice to the story. Don't get me wrong, I thought there were plenty of moments in the book that were adorable and swoon-worthy, and I definitely thought Nolan Sawyer was so cute with his infatuation with Mallory. But the truth is that this book is so much more than that.

This was a dissection of a character in Hazelwood's fun style. Mallory was a completely fleshed out character, one that even went on to annoy for many chapters and then make me love her again right after. She was brash and annoying, kind and sacrificing, loving and competitive. It was so cool to see Mallory go on to blossom into a full person she wanted to be, rather than what she thought she was expected to be.

The story moved at a good pace. There was never a moment where I thought the plot sagged or got boring. I wanted to know more of what was going on, even when I could guess at a few twists before they even happened. I loved seeing Mallory's character evolve the more she played chess, too.

As for Nolan, I absolutely loved his character. I especially loved the first time Nolan and Mallory met for the first time. I couldn't stop laughing at how they went on to bump into each other in the next coming chapters. Those two truly make quite a pair.

Though there was one moment where I wished there had been more Nolan. Immediately after finishing the story, I thought about how much I would've loved to see more of Nolan involved in the story, the romance more pronounced. But I quickly realized, this was Mallory's story. It was the story of Mallory falling back in love with chess, with taking back her life, and letting go of her toxic ways of thinking that had her digging a hole for herself. The romance did feel secondary at times, but it fit considering that this was Mallory's story, and not just Nolan and Mallory.

Overall, I really enjoyed this story and thought it was fun and quirky, but it was also heart aching and stressful, so it all felt well-rounded to me.

I didn’t realize this was a YA debut until after I requested it, so that’s my fault! Normally I’d read anything by Ali Hazelwood on principle. Her books never disappoint. I’m sure this one would be a great YA story but I was looking for something a little more mature.

I am a fan of Ali Hazelwood & have been ever since The Love Hypothesis. Strong female characters, women in STEM, and swoon worthy male leads. I'm not sure if it was the young adult element or the storyline itself but I just didn't connect with this one. I enjoyed the book but in all honesty it just felt too young for me. Lots of pop culture references and verbiage that I think flew over my head! Still a huge fan of Ali's work and look forward to her next novel. 3.5 stars. Thank you to NetGalley and penguin Group Penguin Young Readers Group for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Adorably cute from start to finish! Ali knows how to tell a story and she delivers in her first YA book. The characters are dynamic and endearing and the plot is enjoyable.

The love between Nolan and Mallory was sweet. Nolan gives the energy of a boy any girl could fall in love with, and Mallory was a girl you couldn’t help but like. The chess aspect was extremely interesting and refreshing.

I love how Ali continually incorporates under-explored topics and makes them something anyone can enjoy.

I received an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Another brilliant book from Ali Hazelwood. Despite this being Hazelwood's debut YA romance, her YA voice and style are assured and confident and do not slip into her distinctive adult voice and style. The book is very romantic and very age-appropriate. Characterization, and especially characterization through internal monologue and dialogue, are Hazelwood's strengths, and you see that in full effect here as well. "Check & Mate" is an addictively readable book that will prove to be one of this Christmas season's top bestsellers.

"Check & Mate" by Ali Hazelwood was a delightful journey into the worlds of love and chess. The stunning cover drew me in, and while the writing might not be everyone's cup of tea, the story's charm and relatable characters kept me engaged. The fusion of romance and chess was intriguing, even for non-players like me. It's a heartwarming and enjoyable read, perfect for those seeking a unique blend of emotions and intellect.

My new favorite Ali Hazelwood book! As someone who doesn't typically gravitate towards STEM subjects, I sometimes find her work a bit challenging to engage with. However, the unique chess backdrop in this novel proved to be a refreshing and captivating departure. The characters held my heart, each possessing a distinctiveness that made them truly memorable.

"Check & Mate" delves into the life of Mallory Greenleaf, a former chess prodigy who took a hiatus from the game under mysterious circumstances. Her unexpected victory against the world champion thrusts her back into the world of chess, rekindling her passion for the sport and its formidable contenders.

Ali Hazelwood skillfully delved into the discourse surrounding the place of women in traditionally male-dominated sports, with a particular focus on chess. The portrayal of Mallory's journey was both exasperating and rewarding, as she navigated through a world marked by derogatory remarks and the challenges of being undermined. I loved each character, but Nolan Sawyer was by far my favorite. The witty exchanges between him and Mallory were a constant delight, and the presence of a male lead with Ace representation added an intriguing layer to the narrative.

Ali Hazelwood needs to write more YA. I just absolutely adored this book and wish it was longer. I miss these characters already!! Thank you so much to NetGalley and PENGUIN GROUP for proving an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. 4.5 Stars.

Discovering new genres is great, pushing yourself to read out if your comfort zone isn’t always easy but when you discover an author who is so passionate about developing good characters and storytelling it’s so satisfying.
While this was YA the best part about it was the development of feelings and emotions within the characters. In 90% of YA novels they don’t explain or explore the feelings of the characters and how or why they act or react to get to the end page.
This book was written so well and I just couldn’t get over that it was YA. It’s probably one of my favorites.

I have super mixed feelings on this one. I loved Nolan and really enjoyed the romance between Nolan and Mal. However, that was my favorite part. I found most of the characters to be exaggerations of stereotypes, which made them unlikeable. That said, I did read this one super quickly and was engaged in the story. I just found myself struggling to really understand the character dynamics. Also, Mal clearly had a lot of issues which were not fully unpacked or addressed. I wish the book had spent more time focusing on her mental health and talking about it.

Check & Mate by Ali Hazelwood
☆☆☆☆.5

It's no secret that I absolutely adore Ali Hazelwood, so I doubt it comes as much of a surprise that I enjoyed her first YA novel, Check & Mate.
Despite enjoying it, this review definitely doesn't come without some criticisms. First, I would not classify this book as YA. There is so much talk of the deed, and the main characters have graduated from high school. In my mind, that's New Adult, and I know several readers have had this same takeaway, like my Bookstabestie, @readinginfairyland. Second, if you don't know anything about chess and have a hard time reading annoying MCs with chips on their shoulders, you're probably going to be about as bored as I was through the first half of this book.
Don't get me wrong, it is still fairly enjoyable, but I know absolutely nothing about chess, and there's a whole lot of chess lingo with little to no explanation.
Thankfully, the second half of the book really picks up in pace and has a pretty freaking adorable romance.
Our MC experiences quite a bit of growth and becomes less and less annoying as the story progresses, which is always a plus.
Thank you so much to @penguinteen for my ARC!
Check & Mate publishes 11/7, so be sure to add it to your TBR!

3.5. I had a hard time rating this book. I normally really love Hazelwood’s books but this one I just couldn’t connect with the characters. I really enjoyed the chess aspect. While some of it is probably not super realistic, as I don’t know the game well it was realistic to me!

It’s like the author wanted to write a YA novel and then wrote it forgetting sometimes that her characters were only 18 and 20. Not only is there very little romance in a “YA Romance” but please tell me how any teenager spends that much time looking for and finding people to hookup with on Tinder…..before she was 18. Like feel free to have sex as you please but I do not believe that at all. Also if you can talk about Mallory having sex all the time why can’t she and Nolan even hold hands! Just didn’t make sense. Really their romance needed more to be truly believable.
Mallory was also just not likable but in a Netflix Queen’s Gambit type of way. Where you need to hate her for her character to make sense at the same time. Also she’s apparently been taking care of her family since she was 14 including dealing with the bank and mortgage company…yeah that’s a big no. Nolan was great. I really liked his character a lot! Just straight forward, secretly doing nice things while being brutally honest about other things, loves our FMC from moment one but doesn’t show it. Just overall yay for Nolan.

The ending was anticlimactic and quick. We get told who wins a tournament and that’s it. Like why couldn’t we have seen a game or two! Overall it was a good concept but poorly executed in terms of character connection and with the Z fellowship because we don’t get enough to truly understand that either.

ali hazelwood can do no wrong. i was a little hesitant for this title because as ive gotten older ive strayed a bit from YA and i really enjoyed hazelwood's romance books but i was pleasantly surprised. i loved this one as much as the others!

This was my first book from this author, and honestly at first I was nervous about it because of the tropes and plot being about chess. I thought it would be cheesy, but the other happened and I got so sucked into the book because of the chess tournaments and seeing who would win. ♟️

It was such a different type of book for me that I really enjoyed it because it’s unlike anything I’ve read before. Some of the relationship/communication stuff did seem a little immature, but i had remember they were YA so I gave them some grace.

I loved learning about the different stereotypes in Chess and how they discriminated against anyone that wasn’t a male. So interesting to see that even in this day and age.


Tropes:
Boy virgin/promiscuous girl
Enemies to lovers
Colleagues

I'm not sure if it's because I love chess, or Ali Hazelwood, but I adored this book. Could not put it down!
The story follows Mallory who has left the world of chess behind after it led to devastation in her family. After years of leaving the world of chess behind, Mallory reluctantly returns to play a chess tournament as a favor to her best friend and managed to beat Nolan... current world champion chess player. The surprising upset shocks everyone and leads to Mallory struggling between playing chess and earning cash prizes to help her family, but also keeping her family completely in the dark and separated from the world that tore it apart in the first place. There's also Nolan, who is determined to get a rematch out of her.

I really enjoyed the dynamic between Mallory and Nolan and found them to be adorable when together. My only complaints were that separately, Mallory did annoy me at times, because please just communicate with people! It would solve a lot of problems, but instead she spends a lot of the book running and hiding from problems. Also, her y0unger sisters were quite annoying and somewhat ungrateful towards Mallory. I also thought the last chapter was super rushed, but then after reading the epilogue I was very satisfied with the way everything was tied together.

5 star read for me!

"Check & Mate" by Ali Hazelwood is a YA debut that fails to deliver a fresh and innovative narrative, leaving readers with a sense of déjà vu. The story revolves around Mallory Greenleaf, a character burdened by her past in chess and the impact it had on her family. However, the plot quickly becomes predictable and repetitive, reminiscent of the author's previous works.

The premise of rival chess players coming together in a match for the heart initially shows promise, but it soon becomes apparent that the storyline lacks originality.
Furthermore, the characterization feels formulaic, and the relationship dynamics between Mallory and Nolan fail to stand out from the typical YA romance tropes. Despite the attempt to create an enigmatic strategist in Nolan, the interactions between the two protagonists lack depth and fail to evoke any real emotional connection.

While the chess element adds a unique touch to the story, it is not enough to save "Check & Mate" from its lack of innovation. The book relies heavily on clichés, and the plot unfolds predictably, leaving little room for surprises or genuine intrigue.

As Mallory rises through the ranks and rekindles her love-hate relationship with chess, the novel fails to explore new territories and instead remains stuck in a repetitive loop. The author's writing style may be engaging, but it cannot compensate for the lack of originality in the overall narrative.

Ultimately, "Check & Mate" disappoints as it falls into the trap of resembling every other book in Ali Hazelwood's repertoire. For readers seeking a fresh and unique YA romance with innovative storytelling, this book may not be the best choice.

I loved this book. Mallory was such an interesting character and I loved following her journey from walking away from chess to falling in love with it again. I really enjoyed seeing how her relationship with Nolan developed. I loved all the details about chess that were included. I’ve never played but it made we want to learn. I would definitely recommend this book.

I live laughed loved this book:) Ali Hazelwood please write more YA/new adult!! It was cute and funny and full of chess and I laughed out loud several times. Men Written By Ali Hazelwood… they are the best. Nolan is no exception he is definitely boyfriend material. I also really like the depiction of a teen who likes sex and has safe sex, because teens do have sex and it should not be taboo. Highly recommend this book

Overall, I really enjoyed this story. It still follows that classic Hazelwood formula, that I love, but instead of women in STEM we have Mallory in the world of Chess which is another male dominated area and this book addresses a lot of the issues and misogyny found in that world, similar to her adult novels.

While this formula is familiar, this book still manages to feel fresh and exciting. I really enjoyed Mallory's journey back into the game and watching her back story unfold. The tension between her and Nolan is perfection and everything I love from a YA. It was a messy, sweet, and funny coming of age story!

I could have done with at least half the pop culture references. I actually love the pop culture in her other books, but this one felt way over the top, even for me 😳

This book is marketed as YA, and while it is fade to black and we don't get explicit scenes like other Hazelwood books there is enough that I wouldn't be comfortable letting my 9th grader read it. The content is more geared towards a 16+ or upper YA/NA audience. Which makes sense as the majority of these characters are late teens and / or in their early 20s.

That issue aside, this is a fantastic, sweet story with really great character growth. A few very cringy moments but overall had me laughing out loud, and I devoured it like all of her adult books. I'd recommend it as an upper YA/NA read.

On a side note, I've never been more thankful for my middle school chess club teaching me all the rules and lingo 😂 while I don't think a basic knowledge of how to play the game is necessary to enjoy this story, having that basic knowledge didn't hurt lol

Thank you to Netgalley and Penguin for providing me with eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review .

Thank you to Penguin Young Readers Group and NetGalley for sharing this ARC!

Check & Mate is a wonderful new YA offering from best-selling author Ali Hazelwood that navigates the world of competitive chess. The story involves Mallory Greenleaf, a former chess up-and-comer who walked away from the sport after a family crisis, and Nolan "Kingkiller" Sawyer, the current number one chess player in the world who has a bit of a reputation. Mallory wants absolutely nothing to do with chess; when her friend cons her into playing one match for a charity event, she inadvertently gets thrown back into the fold when she surprisingly defeats Nolan and shocks the entire chess world.

After the match, she vows to never play chess again and instead wants to focus on continuing to support her mom and two sisters financially. The catch, however? A certain someone shows up at Mallory's door - and he is eager to continue playing chess with her. Throw in an offer from an exclusive chess club to train and chess competitions that pay ridiculous award prizes, and you have a situation that Mallory cannot help but be drawn to.

Check & Mate is a wonderful story about letting go of the past and realizing that the mistakes of others should not reflect how we move forward in the future. I really enjoyed seeing Mallory and Nolan's relationship evolve and grow. The sport of chess is somewhat foreign to me but after reading this book I felt like I wanted to pick up a board and learn how to play. It was a nice change of pace from Ali Hazelwood's traditional STEM-related novels.