Check & Mate proves Ali Hazelwood understands what all the girlies & thems want - World Chess Championship Domination!

Mallory doesn't play chess anymore. She used to. She was brilliant in fact. An intuitive player with a real vision of the board. But again, she doesn't play. Not now. Not for years. So it's a huge surprise when, in her very first game in forever, she wins. She wins against the current No. 01 ranked player in the world.

You do not need to be a chess Grand Master yourself to get the story. Think of chess itself as the playing board and your favorite tropes are the pieces:

Rivals to Friends to It's Complicated
He falls first
Nerdy & flirty
She works hard for the money
Sisters before misters
Demi & Bi rep

This felt like Ali lovingly reaching a hand out to anyone scared to follow a dream because of some arbitrary binary gender norm. Chess is a male dominated club and Mallory is not just a player, she is a true contender. She is seen as a threat to the insecure players. Thankfully though there are more and louder voices that support her. This message of perseverance in the face of adversity made me cheer for Mallory with every touch-move.

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

This was a super difficult read for me. While I know a bit about chess this takes it to a super high level. There are a lot of terms, moves, and such that are sort of explained but not completely.
I enjoyed the romance but it felt almost forced at time. There is a lot of trauma in this book and you should maybe do some research if you are worried about that.

This was such a cute story with a focus on chess. It hit the nerdy nail on the head. I really enjoyed both of the characters backstories and development. I loved the bisexual representation and the family's openness when taking about sex. Also, I loved that Nolan was a virgin and that it was clear he wasn't just a smooth dude. I think that Ali did amazing with her debut YA book.

Thank you NetGalley and
G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers.

A lovely YA novel by Ali Hazelwood. I had liked all of her releases this year and this one is no different! I think the younger audience she is target are going to eat this up when it release in November! I cannot wait to see what else Ali writes in the future!

Special thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for giving me an ARC of this book for an honest review.

Ali Hazelwood is an icon for many reasons. Here are a few of them:

1. I just watched Oppenheimer (crazy good, check it out) and actually understood what they meant by that rivalry between theorists and experimentalists because of Love, Theoretically (like, I was still very confused by a lot of things, but this wasn’t one of them!);

2. She very obviously writes her id book every time, which always happens to also be my id book; and

3. She got me reading YA again and absolutely LOVING it!!!

YA is not something I pick up all the time. I get a little annoyed by the where-will-I-go-to-college, I-have-a-curfew, my-mom-will-kill-me of it all, so I usually just skip it – unless an author I love is writing it. It’s usually Emma Lord, but, this time, it was the angel that is Ali Hazelwood and I’m so glad I gave it a chance.

Check & Mate is the story of Mallory Greenleaf and Nolan Sawyer. Mallory is an eighteen-year-old former chess prodigy who has grown up to be her family’s breadwinner, which means working in a garage, foregoing college and not thinking about her former passion and how good she was at it. Ever.

Nolan is the current world champion of chess, known as the “Kingkiller” (HOT!). He’s known to have anger issues, the most brooding personality and also a face carved by the angels. Yep, it tracks.

They first meet on what was probably one of my favorite first interaction scenes ever – Mallory agrees to enter into a chess championship in order to help out a friend, and is randomly placed opposite Nolan, who is clearly disinterested and doesn’t even look at her. Until, that is, she wipes the floor with him.

Mallory’s mind-blowing victory opens doors for her to have chess back into her life and still help out her family, but it also means that she is now on Nolan’s radar, and he will do anything for a rematch. Although that is the last thing she wants, with her rising stardom into the world of chess, it looks like he will eventually get what he wants, one way or another.

This book is peak Ali but really shows her range as well; in some ways, Mallory is very different from her other heroines, being a serial casual dater, for example. In other ways, she is exactly the same (thinks everything in the world is her fault, doesn’t think anyone could ever love her, etc.), which is tiring, but, this time, she has the excuse of being an actual teenager.

Nolan was such a good hero. He was burdened by his awful family and his overwhelming success and his stunted childhood, but was also incredibly mature and very, very in love with her. We love to see it.

I absolutely loved the side characters, especially Nolan’s friends, and loved to see the pieces come together for Mallory over the course of the book. Her younger sisters did make me want to throw my Kindle at the wall, but I came around in the end.

The rivalry (and ultimate partnership) between Mallory and Nolan was so satisfying to me, I actually need a million recommendations for romances with a rivalry trope now, so feel free to tell me your favorites.

I loved this book beyond all my expectations.

Honestly ali hazelwoods writing is like a warm hug, it always feels good and is always easy to slip back into.
For those worried that the YA title isn’t for them, it really didn’t read like a YA. the mcs were 18 & 20 and really the only difference in writing was a fade to black scene.

Ali Hazelwood has such a unique way of making me fall in love with every one of her stories. Check & Mate is no exception to the guilty pleasure feeling her writing provides.
I walked into this book excited and a little nervous. While being marked as Young Adult, this doesn't come over strong as such. I would much rather say this is New Adult, with multiple conversations of sex and semi off screen scenes. This book was very reminiscent to my old fanfiction days. With lots of ao3 and Riverdale remarks, it holds a childish tone.
While it took me a few tries to get into this, around the 20% mark it starts to pick up pace and it felt like breeze after. There are very predictable twists that I could see coming, and by the end I felt like it may have been a bit overdone.
A plus to this whole reading experience was that without any knowledge of chess, I was still able to hold onto the story. I never felt like I felt behind, and it didn't become boring, even without knowing.
Ali Hazelwood has become a must-read author and I can't wait to read everything she writes.
A big thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for providing this arc in exchange for an honest review.

Check & Mate is Ali Hazewood’s first YA novel and as someone who doesn’t read a whole lot of YA I really enjoyed it. It’s a more mature YA (in my opinion) but I’m also in my 30s so I’m not “hip” or “in the know” with today’s younger generation. My husband and I play chess together so I really enjoyed that aspect of the book.

Nolan is adorable and sweet once you get pass the hyper driven focus on chess. Mallory is feels like she’s carrying the weight of the world on her shoulders and a lot of times she is but she finally does something for herself and plays chess again. Nolan and Mallory shouldn’t work but they do. Their innate understanding of the game translates easily to their connection even if it terrifies them.

Besides missing some of the younger generation’s references my only real gripe was Mallory’s sisters and their ungrateful ness of the scarifies she made for them. Sure they had their heart to heart moment but there’s a lot of hurt to unpack there in my opinion. Overall, I really enjoyed the story and I like the nerdiness of chess and who knows maybe this will increase its popularity with the younger generation.


Thank you @putnambooks @alihazelwood and @netgalley for this eARC in exchange for my honest feedback.

2,5 stars. Marketing this book as YA debut is foul because this book is BARELY a YA.

it has typical AH romance novel formula, but instead of going on full detailed length about the sexual intercouse, this book cut off only the most explicit-but-obviously-happened parts. The characters also swear a lot. like... A LOT. And Mallory, the MC, was totally insufferable for me.

The love interest wasn't appealing for me either. He's nice, but I don't get why he's absolutely smitten with Mallory. If you've read You've Reached Sam and thought that Sam didn't deserve Julie, then you probably would feel the same about Nolan to Mallory. God. My fav character is probably Darcy.

Oh and the chess, it's so heavily referenced that instead of feeling curious about this stuff that wan't familiar for me, I just zoned out or skipped every time the chess description or scenes were intense.

That's it for now. Honestly feeling sad that I didn't enjoy this book because I've loved 3 of AH's previous novels. Will still check on her upcoming books, tho.

I LOVE ALI HAZELWOOD AND I DON'T CARE WHO KNOWS IT!

Hazelwood has this unparalleled skill to make people who are not scientific or math brained who in fact have little to no understanding of topics like chess, physics, biology, etc AND YET she makes me CARE about them while also explaining things in such a way that doesn't make me feel dumb. It's CRAZY.

i am a huge fan of Hazelwood's adult romances, so while I was excited to hear about her YA debut -- i was also slightly nervous. sometimes YA just doesn't hit the same way, ya know? Well i never should have doubted miss ali. This was PHENOMENAL. & while yes the fmc is 18, she's graduated from high school and the mmc is 20 so it read less YA and more New Adult which was fine by me!

I LOVED IT & i need more Ali books immediately. pls & thank you.

Ok, picture The Queen's Gambit series on Netflix, but take out the dark, broody flavor and replace with a sweet, fun YA romance. I feel like I could have gone without so many specific Gen Z references, but it dodnt bother me enough to lower my rating. And there was more sex than I'd be comfy with recommending to teens without making sure they/their responsible adults were aware of that content, but it's definitely less than the adult romances from Hazelwood. I really enjoyed it! It felt as high stakes as a sports romance, but like, it's chess, so I was surprised by how fun it was to read. I thought that the character growth was spot on for this young adult age. And i liked that the ending was happy and complete, but ambiguous enough to allow for continuing to grow into their fully formed adult-selves.
Content warnings: parental betrayal and loss, parental alcohol abuse, parental chronic illness, sibling as a care giver, sexism and sexual harassment, references to casual sex, not-very-detailed fade to black/cracked door sex scenes.

I am in blushing giggly SHAMBLES!!!! This book has consumed my every waking thought since I started it. At this point, I'm convinced that Ali Hazelwood is capable of nothing but perfection. This book is so swoony and heartfelt and full of the hilarious banter and complicated but deeply loveable cast of characters that Ali is known for. This is a simmering slow burn with chemistry that truly sizzles off the page from the very first time Mal and Nolan meet. I loved their progression from rivals to friends to lovers. There was a real emphasis on the deep development of mutual respect and friendship between them over time and I love seeing that as a foundation for any romance, but especially in YA.

It feels strange to call a book about chess "addicting" or "action-packed" when 100% of said action takes place with both characters sitting down for hours at a time, but I really was on the edge of my seat during the chess matches. I was just as invested in taking down Koch as I was in the romance, which is really rare for me! I had a hard time putting the book down because I was so glued to the back and forth of the games.

I thought the ending was just perfect for this couple–romantic and hopeful but ambiguous enough to leave room for all the unpredictability and growth that this next stage of life will bring them.

As usual, I loved this Ali Hazelwood book. It was much different than her other books but still true to her undertones. It was certainly different to not get the spice but finished and found it wasn't needed. I loved the life lessons Mallory learned along her journey. Mallory and Nolan's story was perfect. I love that they stayed true to themselves through to the end. Def put this one on your list, its a good one. I just reviewed Check & Mate by Ali Hazelwood. #CheckMate #NetGalley

I love Ali Hazelwood books! This one was no exception. The cover is beautiful, the characters are as well, and I love anything that has to do with chess. I can't wait to see what she writes next. I know it will be 5/5 stars.

I cannot thank NetGalley and Putnam enough for granting me the opportunity to read this phenomenal book in advance of publication. I've read two of Ali Hazelwood's novels ("The Love Hypothesis" and "Love on the Brain") prior to this (and am ecstatically continuing my way through the rest), and I honestly think that this is Hazelwood's best work yet.

All of Hazelwood's novels have been funny and relatable and romantic and quirky and wonderful, but "Check & Mate" just felt so...REAL. I could easily put myself in Mallory's shoes, feel the burdens she carried every day. As the older sibling, I know exactly how obnoxious younger sisters can be, and the frankly ridiculous amount of strength it takes to just exist beside them - attempting to fill in as a second parent seems like a Herculean effort. Putting the weight of the world on Mallory's shoulders and then pushing her to open up to others, to let go of the burdens she's been carrying for so long she's forgotten what it's like to be without them - my heart absolutely went out to her. And getting so angry that you've backed yourself into a corner long before you realize you've done so? I am SO familiar with that scenario.

"Check & Mate" made me feel so many things - I laughed, I cried, felt devastatingly hollow and swooping joy - but the end of this novel was worth every move across the chessboard it took to get me there. Ali Hazelwood has written something here to treasure, to tuck close to your heart and protect. She's reminded us that we don't always have to be alone and tackle everything ourselves. It's not about winning the current match - it's the long game that matters. And if you're happy? Well, that's what winning looks like.

One of the best simmering YA romances of the year.

When Mallory agrees to play in a chess tournament, it's only as a favor to her best friend who's leaving. Mallory left that world behind a long time ago, when her father broke her heart. Now, she's working to keep her family afloat, with a sick mother who struggles to work and two sisters who she's attempting to shelter from worries.

But when Mallory ends up beating Nolan Sawyer, who's been the reigning chess champion for seven years, she's captured the attention of the world she left behind. A chess club offers her a too-good-to-be true fellowship, and as she begins to collect prize money, she sees a way out of her family's troubles. But both chess and Nolan are beating at the closed door of her heart, trying to worm their way in.

I loved the author's description of Nolan's intensity and drive, and how he finds his match in Mallory. Mallory's great as the daughter trying so hard to take care of everyone else that she has no time for herself. When they both begin to open up to each other, sparks fly.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advance review copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

⭐️ 4 ⭐️

This was a very cute romance. It is marketed as Young Adult, but I would say it kind of counts as a Young Adult - New Adult crossover. There are mentions of the characters being sexually active, but the sex scenes are not explicit and are written as "fade to black" or are very vaguely described. I did not mind it, I did not expect any "spicy scenes" and was surprised that sex was a theme and really enjoyed how it was written and handled.

I flew through the book, it was highly entertaining and I enjoyed it a lot. It reads like a rom-com with a few "The Queen's Gambit" vibes. I really enjoyed the chess-setting and loved that it was also very present in the story.
However, I did not enjoy all of the Gen Z references though, there were a few too many for my personal taste.

The characters were likeable, and nuanced and I enjoyed how Ali Hazelwood handled the themes of sexuality and drinking alcohol. There is a character who is very sexually active, but there is no slut-shaming, but it is rather highlighted that it is okay to be comfortable in your sexuality and enjoying sex. Furthermore, the opposite is also highlighted. Another character did not have romantic and/or sexual relationships. And that is shown to be okay too. I really liked that!
Also, as the main character is 18, she would not be legally allowed to drink alcoholic beverages and she does not do so. As it is a YA novel I appreciate it not showing alcohol abuse as so many novels do.

Like in "The Love Hypothesis" there are a lot of scenes that would never ever happen like that in real life and seem more like daydreams, but I liked that.

Mallory Greenleaf has a lot on her shoulders. Between chauffeuring her sisters around and caring for her sick mom, she's also managing to make ends meet working at the mechanic shop. Mallory lost her father a while ago and life has been tough for the Greenleaf family. They don't talk about their dad or the complicated relationship that Mallory had with chess. When Mallory's best friend tells her to sign up for a chess match and Mallory bests the #1 chess player - Nolan Sawyer (swooooon) Mallory doesn't know what to make of it.

Soon Mallory finds herself immersed back in the chess world and working alongside Nolan. Can she manage to keep her chess playing a secret from her family while keeping a safe distance from the game she used to love and the #1 chess player she might be falling for?

I wasn't quite sure what to expect with Ali's foray into young adult - maybe this is classified more as new adult? But Ali brought her usual humor and charm to her characters. As with most of Ms Hazelwood's heroes - Nolan was a bit taciturn and grumpy, and yes I fell for him immediately. I loved their dynamic together and their chemistry was always so fun!

My only gripe with Check & Mate is that it was a bit slow to start for me, but once I got invested in the story I had a hard time putting it down.

**those who have read Ali's adult novels - this book is classified as YA so mostly closed door scenes - although plenty of angst.

Suddenly I'm really into chess??

How does Ali Hazelwood manage to make each book better than the last? I am OBSESSED with Check & Mate, her latest romance book. In this new adult/young adult book, Mallory is only interested in one thing: caring for her family. What she doesn't care about: chess. But when a video of her playing at a charity tournament goes viral after she checkmates Gen-Z sex symbol and chess icon Nolan Sawyer, she finds herself getting dragged back into the world she left without a backward glance four years ago.

Charming, witty, and filled with explosive chemistry Check & Mate is a must read. My favorite AH book yet & I've been a big fan of them all. I cannot wait to see what she writes next.

I am a big fan of Ali Hazelwood's books, so I knew I wanted to check this one out as soon as I heard about it. But a YA romance about chess? And yet, I could not put it down! The characters in this book were so entertaining. I found myself laughing out loud a lot, at the constant banter between all of the characters. I really enjoyed the way that the story not only introduced the world of chess, but also touched on the sexism and harassment that women in chess (and many other fields) often face. I really enjoyed the story and the characters and found myself wanting to know more about them in the end.