Ali Hazelwood is back, this time with a contemporary novel focused on one girl's relationship with chess, and I loved reading all of the parts about chess. It actually made me want to start playing again! For the chess parts, I would give it five stars. But I came in expecting a full-on romance, which I felt like came in second to chess, so the romance part I'd give four stars. Still an absolutely delightful read, and I've already purchased a copy of this amazing book for myself and will be recommending it!

"Check & Mate" by Ali Hazelwood is a delightful romantic comedy that combines humor, heart, and chess in a winning combination. With endearing characters and laugh-out-loud moments, this novel is a joy to read from start to finish. Hazelwood expertly navigates the complexities of relationships, blending them seamlessly with the competitive world of chess. The banter between the main characters crackles with chemistry, keeping readers eagerly turning pages to see how their love story unfolds. As a bonus, the chess theme adds a unique twist, offering a fresh take on the enemies-to-lovers trope. With its witty dialogue and irresistible charm, "Check & Mate" is a perfect choice for anyone in need of a feel-good romantic read.

Check & Mate by Ali Hazelwood is a young adult contemporary romance novel. I was familiar with the author’s adult romance so I had to check out this new young adult and was happy to find I also enjoyed it too.

Mallory Greenleaf has not had anything to do with playing chess since everything in her world fell apart several years ago. Mallory’s father had taught her to play and to play well so when things tear them apart Mallory put the game into the past with her father.

When a friend convinces Mallory to play chess again for charity Mallory never expected to be seated across from the number one player. Mallory certainly also didn’t expect to manage to beat “Kingkiller” Nolan either but before she knows it she’s being swept back into the world of chess tournaments and getting to know Nolan more than she ever expected.

First, let me start off by clarifying that I know very little about the game of chess so if anyone is looking to see if that side of the book is accurate I can’t help with that. The author certainly sounded like she knew a good bit about competitive chess and she convinced me I was spending time in the chess world getting to know these characters though. Along with the romance there was also a lot of character growth which I also appreciate so I was definitely hooked into the story and glad I returned to this author despite the younger characters.

I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.

Thank You to Netgalley , G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers, and Penguin Group Penguin Young Readers Group for allowing me to read this book.

Ali Hazelwood has done it again. Check and Mate is one of my favorite Ali Hazelwood books. The angst and tension between Mallory and Nolan, chefs kiss. I do think Ali Hazelwood manage to bring a lot of the same characteristics from her adult books to her YA debut. I think my major downfall is I took a big break in between starting and finishing. Regardless, I highly recommend reading this book!!

I feel like every book I read by Ali Hazelwood just further laments her spot in my favorites shelf but something about this one just made it a given. I can’t pinpoint what it is exactly that made me love Check&Mate beyond her other works (the family dynamics? the fascinating mechanics of chess? The relationship development? The characters, the found family??? ((Love them so much 😭😭))The pop culture references that never fail to suck me in? Nolan being obsessed with battling Mallory in chess?) but the romance was just….perfection ✨ anyways no notes, no critiques I ate this up, all hail queen Ali Hazelwood

What a fun, lighthearted. and quick read! Yes YA by Ali Hazelwood... and I loved it. The characters were great, and I loved the base plot. It was hard to put down, and I found myself flying through the pages. Which is something every reader loves about a good book.

I would definitely recommend this book to fans of Ali Hazelwood's previous novels!

I received an e-ARC from the publisher.

No one beats him in chess...until she does.

Ali Hazelwood's YA debut contemporary romance is adorable, importantly discusses the prohibitive costs of medication in America and the toll these expenses take on families, and is adorable. I recommend all things Hazelwood always.

I fell in love with The Love Hypothesis and Ali Hazelwood became an instant buy author for me but some how, I always forget just how much I love her books until I read another one. Check & Mate was no exception.

I smiled and laughed so much while reading this one, and my heart hurt for Mal and struggles. This story was cute and I loved all the characters and all the different pop culture references especially some of the more nostalgic ones.

It’s definitely time to finish making my way through this stack of Hazelwood books I have on my shelf.

ALI HAZELWOOD CAN DO NO WRONG! I am not usually a young adult fan but this book is an exception as I absolutely adored it. Mal and Nolan were a cute couple that grew as people as well as as a pair. I was a young woman in chess growing up (though I was very bad) and I loved the representation of a woman in chess!

The one thing I wish we got mroe of was Nolan expressing his feelings to Mallory instead of Mallory just having to pick up on it.

This isn’t my first time reading an Ali Hazelwood but it is the first time I became obsessed.

Check & Mate was such a great read. I loved everything about it. I’m so obsessed with YA not set in high school.
I know absolutely nothing about chess and have never played before in my life! But I was never lost or confused with the topic. The author did a great job explaining everything so well.

I loved all the characters! They were realistic and relatable. I do wish we had Nolan’s POV because I absolutely adored him.

Overall this was a fantastic book and I loved everything about it. I highly recommend it.

Loved the chess aspect of this, it was so fun and entertaining. Mallory and Nolan's chemistry was amazing. This was just so cute and enjoyable. Thank you to Netgalley and G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers for the ARC.

Who knew Ali Hazelwood would quickly become one of my favorite authors? Check & Mate deserves all the stars possible. Going into Check & Mate, I was nervous because it was her YA debut. At this point, I had only read one or two of her adult books. And while I did enjoy her other books, I was nervous about how she would handle writing younger characters. But she did a flawless job.

Mallory and Nolan are my ultimate power couple. And I do hope in the future we get a little snippet of their future in possibly other linked books. Being YA, the story was a bit easily guessed. I saw the daddy issues a mile away. It was still a fantastic read. The only bit I struggled with was the chess jargon. As someone who has never played chess, it was a bit hard to follow. But the more I read, the more I understood. And now suddenly, I want to learn how to play chess.

Lastly, read this book. It's amazing, beautiful, sweet, and perfect.

This spellbinding book hooked me from the very beginning and I couldn't put it down til the end!!
Mallory and Nolan !!! I mean she plays chess , she is smart witty and Nolan is fascinated by her!!
They were made for each other but long is the way to their HEA.
The author was so well written …a delightful story for any book lover!

This book was pretty good but did not live up to her previous ones. I hoped to like it more but i think i was jades by love hypothesis

I devoured this book. I think it is honestly my favorite book yet by Ali. Do not wait to read this one. Run to get it wherever you can. Physical book, ebook, audiobook? Go. Now.

Ali Hazelwood's debut YA novel is fun, witty, and a quick/easy read just as expected! Characters that are flawed yet likable, with chemistry and banter that only Ali Hazelwood knows how to write. I know nothing about chess, but that didn't stop me from enjoying this. I would say this book is mostly about chess and the backstory of the characters (mostly Mallory) more than the romance. Unlike previous books she has written, this one didn't scream chemistry and steam but rather a sweet, slow development of a romance with some underlying sexual tension.

For some reason, I found Mallory's backstory and deception to be a bit frustrating and distracting at times. While I can appreciate the point of adding some tension and a bit of a challenge for the characters, at some time it just seemed unnecessary and deterred from the enjoyable parts of the story, like the romance. Especially since chess was such a predominant part of this book, I think this just took away from time we could have been spending with Mallory and Nolan in cute ways rather than feeling like she was always holding back.

Overall an enjoyable YA novel, and I maintain that i will read anything that Ali Hazelwood writes because no author can make me laugh like she does! Although not my favorite of hers, it was a cute read and I would recommend to YA fans!

Thank you to Penguin Readers' Youth Group and NetGalley for my eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Si les héros sont des fans d'échecs et donc différents des héros classiques comme dans ses précédents livres, ce qui change c'est l'âge de ses héros, car nous avons affaire à des personnages de 20 à 24 ans à la fin du roman. J'ai néanmoins apprécié le déroulé du livre, avec les différentes étapes dans leur relation et affrontement.

This author has become and auto buy for me. I have absolutely adored everything she's written. They're quick, fun, entertaining and honestly just a literary treat (IMO). Check & Mate is her first YA title and it has everything I love about her writing with just a bit less... spice. If you're new to Ali's books, this is a great one to start with. If you've read and enjoyed her other titles, I think you'll like this one too! So to summarize, I highly recommend it.

I was really looking forward to this YA book! I haven’t loved much from this author and thought it was largely because the adult content did not work for me. But I didn’t love it as much as I was hoping. It was enjoyable but definitely not a favorite of mine as it felt very bland and too young. I just don’t think this author is for me.