I typically enjoy Ali Hazelwood's books, but I really enjoyed this one! Initially I was hesitant, since the story centers around some pretty young characters, (18 and 20 years old) and I was worried I wouldn't connect with the story, but I was pleasantly surprised to be wrong. The story centers around Mallory, an 18 year old girl who is focused on taking care of her younger sisters and mom. A former chess player who has no interest in playing the game any more, Mallory finds herself with no other choice but to play competitively. In doing so, she meets Nolan, chess superstar. I liked how Mallory tried to avoid her feelings for Nolan at first, and I liked how Nolan realized how gifted Mallory was and was so proud of her talent, rather than jealous of it. He so easily could have fallen to toxic masculinity, but instead he was her supporter from the start. I thought the book was an easy read and I became engrossed in the story and couldn't put it down. I also liked that this was a departure from Hazelwood's typical science theme. Definitely go read this book!

This is my second book by this author. I really enjoyed The Love Hypothesis, so I was.excited to read this book. I liked the character development and the plot, but for some reason I feel it was lacking a connection to the characters. I wish there was more depth to the main characters story and connection with each other . I was hoping to get understand their connection and see it develop beyond what it did in the end.

I don’t understand why a best selling adult fiction writer would write YA. To be honest, I probably wouldn’t want my own kids to read this as teens. It mentions some adult themes, curse words, and while the romance scenes are vague, they are still not exactly closed door. It states that the main character is promiscuous, it talks about using BC, it talks about having Os. And while this is all OK and perfectly normal it’s not something I would want my teen reading about, unless I felt they were ready for that or if they were 18+.

That being said, I am a fan of Ali Hazelwood and I have loved all the books I have read by her and this one is no different. I love her writing style. I love her jokes. Just a really good romcom. She made chess interesting and it’s never been my game.

I loved the witty banter. I loved that Mallory was doing everything she could to support her family, and that both of the main characters had their own issues to deal with. The characters were lovable and likable.

Ali Hazelwood definitely has a formula for her books, but it's working for her and I'll continue to read anything she writes. I enjoyed this book more than Love Theoretically. I would recommend it!

What a swoon worthy YA romance book. I absolutely loved the characters and the romance. I wasn’t sure how I was going to like the chess aspect. I myself do not play or have any interest but I saw the book was by Ali and I had to have it and now! She takes subjects that you may not even care about but get reading her writing and you fall in love anyway.

Ali Hazelwood’s first venture into YA was absolutely worth the wait. This book deals with love, loss, friendship, and stereotypes that can cross disciplines. All the elements that we love in her adult books shine through here. It was so much fun. If you love the Queens Gambit then this is definitely for you.

This book gets all the heart eyes! 😍😍😍

I love that it was about chess! The characters were lovable and the plot was interesting and kept you wanting more!

Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this arc in exchange for an honest review!

So so so cute!! I love this author and how in depth she goes into a hobby or career that I would normally not be interested in and she makes it appealing! I can’t wait to read more from her!! This featured younger age characters than her other books but that didn’t distract from the story at all!

Wow 🤩
This was AMAZING! I absolutely loved Nolan and Mallory's story! Also love that while the novel is a romance, the Chess pieces on the cover aren't just for show, the plot did have a LOT to do with chess and how Mal and Nolan related to it. As some who recently learned to play chess, I found the world fascinating. I am not experienced enough to say how accurate the plays were or anything but it just felt so immersive. I was rooting for Koch to go down SO bad 😂
Nolan was suprisingly relatable for me. Not in the chess area, but as a person. He hated the spot light, loved to help out, had a close and small circle of friends, and....he was a virgin and was UNSHAMED about it! I LOVED that! There is absolutely NOTHING wrong with being a 20+ year old virgin. He just hadn't found his person and wasn't interested until he met Mal. She on the other hand had LOADS of experience lol
And yet, while she did say some moments were clumsy, she admitted that Nolan was good, as a kisser and in bed lol
To me, that was golden because I'm under the firm belief that people aren't "terrible in bed" just because their inexperienced. The feelings one has for each other highten the experience and with the right person, a touch alone can feel SO good.
I hated when Mal hurt Nolan because she couldn't handle the truth. HATED it and almost 4 stared this novel because of it. But glad Oz told Mal off and while she took forever to accept her feelings and work up an apology, she did it. It showed character development and I just can't get over how ADORABLE these two are together 😍
Gotta say, it may be YA but....one of the BEST romance novels I've read this year 😁👍

I have enjoyed the other books that I’ve read by this author but this one didn’t hit quite the same way. It is categorized as YA but didn’t really read that way for me. The main character was hard to like and the storyline was very reminiscent of “The Queen’s Gambit,” which made it feel repetitive instead of fresh. I do love that this author writes books that highlight women in male-dominated fields who are incredibly smart and successful despite the gender disparities and stereotypes they face. She also did a good job with timely pop culture references, and her banter writing is always well done. Overall, this book fell to the middle of the road for me, and I’d recommend her other books over this one unless you really love chess!

This was superb! I haven't read a YA romance quite like this one. It mixes everything I love about contemporary romance with the thrill of chess tournaments. Ok, ok, I know many of you may not find chess very exciting but have you seen The Queen's Gambit? Draaaaaama.

Mallory hasn't played chess in the four years since her father's death, but a chance arises that puts her in a place of supporting her family. Her love for the game is overshadowed by her past, as well as a bad-boy chess player named Nolan Sawyer. The promise of a big payout takes her to different tournaments where she becomes an internet sensation. But hiding what she's doing from her mother weighs on her. She's going to need to confront her past if she wants to live the life she dreams.

Mallory is a fierce and determined heroine who is also sex-positive (LOVE IT). Her relationship with Nolan is complicated and mirrors the back-and-forth game of chess. Their encounters were super cute.

This is my first Ali Hazelwood book and it won't be my last. Thank you Netgalley and G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers for the review copy.

This was too cute!

This is Ali Hazelwood's first YA novel and it was good! I usually stay away from YA romance now but Ali Hazelwood didn't disappoint. I really loved how Ali Hazelwood didn't go too over the top with Chess terminology but still sprinkled us with knowledge about chess. Also I loved how this novel talks about topics such as sexism, especially in the chess culture where it is a male dominated field. Ali Hazelwood took her women in STEM theme to YA and did an amazing job.

This book was enjoyable and it really sucked me in. It made me want to pick up chess, and also made me believe I could do it. However, the main character really bothered me at times. Some of her choices and attitudes just bugged me. I'm also growing tired of seeing the same male love interest in every book. Sure the small details change but I feel like I'm reading the same guy in every book, whose main personality trait always ends up being obsessed with the female MC. But overall it was enjoyable and I did like it.

Another winner from Ali Hazelwood! I loved the competitive chess environment and Mallory's family. Plus, the chemistry between her and Nolan was off the charts. Hazelwood delivered another funny, warm romantic comedy with a unique setting.

ms ali hazelwood has done it yet again! i have read everything she has ever released and she has yet to let me down and this book was no exception!!!

the romance between nolan and mel was just absolutely everything, i fear i won’t get over them 🥹🥹🥹 and i loved every second of it. no one does boy obsessed and like this lovely lady right here.

the only reasons that are holding me from giving this 5 🌟is because of all the pop culture references and the annoying sisters who were the definition of ungrateful younger siblings. especially sabrina. i need her and all those references to just cease ? but other than that i had no complaints ◡̈

CHECK & MATE by Ali Hazelwood is a delight. Ali knocks it out of the park again (to mix sports metaphors). I was a little hesitant due to the YA label, but the author does a marvelous job with closed door romance. It's a believable slow burn, not-really enemies to lovers, he falls first, sports romance that kept me interested the whole time, despite my lack of knowledge or caring about chess or sports. The MMC is the 'tall dark and brooding Byronic hero who is misunderstood and actually a sweet cinnamon roll' we know and love all too well. Definitely a five star read! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

I will read anything that Ali Hazelwood puts out. I love her STEMinist romances and this being her YA debut, it did not disappoint.

It's a rivals to lovers with forced proximity trope with a touch of spice.

If you've read Hazelwood's other books, you know she has a way of pulling you in, connecting you to her characters and falling for them. I absolutely loved the main characters, Mallory and Nolan and their snappy/witty banter between them.

This being a YA, it does not have the smuttiness that you would normally get from her adult novels....But you still get all the sexual tension. I would recommend this definitely for an older YA/adult who doesn't like detailed sex scenes. There is a little spice and I love that sex is talked about in a positive way.

My only complaint is that I wish the epilogue had more to do with Nolan and Mallory's relationship than with their chess rankings.

Thank you NetGalley and Penguin Teen for this advanced eArc in exchange for my honest review.

This was so cute! It definitely lives up to Ali Hazelwood’s standards (falling somewhere in between her first and second book). I’m so curious as to how this was classified as YA, since it read more as closed door new adult. She pulls on her favorite “he’s been in love with her all along” trope for this one, and boy did I love it yet again. It was fun learning a bit more about the chess world and, as always, I loved the feminist aspects she added in. I definitely recommend this one (though probably not to any younger teens)!

Wow! This book is such a wonderful love letter to any young person who has ever felt like they had to put family responsibility in front of their personal passions. One of my favorite things about an Ali Hazelwood MMC is the absolute devotion he has for our FMC. Nolan Sawyer does not disappoint! I don’t personally read a ton of YA or “New Adult” romance, however this book has a perfect blend of plot to spice, and deals with some real issues such as gender dynamics within the sport of chess, what it means to take on the “head of household” role, and keeping friendships after high school. Such a great read, many thanks to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for the chance to read this before it comes out!

*thank you to the publisher for the arc*

📕THE BOOK AS A WHOLE: I really did enjoy this read, especially considering that I was apprehensive of the fact that it was Hazelwood’s first YA, and I typically stray away from YA novels. I LOVE Hazelwood, though, so I digressed and gave it a shot- and I am glad I did! I thought this was a heart-warming YA debut novel that Hazelwood spun into a wholesome and adorable romance. The perfect novel for summer, as it was a quick read and despite the fact that it was YA, Hazelwood does not fall short on building levels of romantic tension that could rival chemistries of some other romance novels. My biggest complaint, however, is the MASSES of chess talk. While- yes- this is a chess book, its a chess ROMANCE and I could not help but fall somewhat disappointed when much of the dialogue between our main couple was centered around chess. The main characters, Mallory, a stubborn and selfless heroine, and Nolan, a ~mysterious~ and “cold” lead male, however, made for a cute couple whenever they appeared together. It was clear from the beginning Nolan cared much for Mallory and despite her attempts to curb this, he pushed on. I would definitely recommend the book to Hazelwood fans, though do expect less couple-interaction than you got acquainted with in her previous novels. That said, the moments the characters have together make up for it, and you will find yourself not wanting to close the book! More detailed descriptions and commentary on Nolan, Mallory, and the plot can be found below (it will be more critical, though keep in mind I did really enjoy this book, but with Hazelwood’s reputation of repeat-plot books, and cookie cutter characters, so there were many things to be addressed!

👱🏼‍♀️LEAD FEMALE (MALLORY): Mallory is definitely different than AH’s previous heroines. Where AH’s previous heroines were stem-focused, near-oblivious leads that sometimes made you want to bang your head against the wall because of their level of cluelessness, Mallory is different. Rather than a scientist, she is a very capable mechanic at the books start and I appreciate her hard headedness in the beginning. This same hardheadedness did become annoying at points, like when she would *refuse* to entertain the idea of playing chess, which got excessive once she learned that she could earn money enough to support her family from chess. However, I will say, I liked Hazelwood’s writing of her as she honestly seemed more self-assured than her previous heroines, not shaking every time she was confronted (and therefore I felt this was more feminist). Speaking of feminist, I think this heroine really strikes the feminism Hazelwood was going for, supporting her family selflessly. One thing that I will say is that she lacked the masses of witty retorts with Nolan that we saw with Adam and Olive, or Levi and Bee (though there was some). I blame this on the fact that there simply seemed to be less interaction between the lead couple of this book than I had become accustomed to with Hazelwood.

🧑🏻LEAD MALE (NOLAN): I actually found Nolan refreshing compared to previous AH male leads. Don’t get me wrong, I would jump head first into shark-infested waters for Adam Carlsen, but I found Nolan’s straightforwardness more bearable than Carlsen’s refusal to admit his feelings throughout The Love Hypothesis. Nolan was sweet (though only really only described as such to Mallory, like usual) and obviously very caring, which is characteristic of all AH leads. And of course, it would not be an AH if he wasn’t also mysterious, brooding, tall, dark-haired, and had a delicious deep voice. I have heard plenty criticism about how AH’s males are the same man, different font, and while there are some differences, Nolan does not stray far from the script. Though, in all honesty, I will eat this up every time and I actually found myself really liking Nolan, who was not afraid to dish out the truth to Mallory.

♟PLOT BASE (CHESS): For starters, I know nothing about chess, and even if I knew the basics, I still think parts of this novel would fly over my head. There is a LOT of obscure chess moves thrown about and games played and I did find it somewhat boring at times where it drones on. I understand this is a CHESS ROMANCE but I will admit I was not expecting to hear the set up of entire games and move-for-more play throughs. If she keyboard smashed over and over instead of writing about chess, I would be no more confused at, “endnjcjrj,” than I was at “knight to e6, [insert randomly named gambit I have no idea what means]. Given this, there was a certain barrier for me reading this book that I had not previously experienced in hazelwood’s previous novels. I will say, I do think hazelwood knew when to cut the chess talk short for the most part, and I did not feel like I was reading about chess ad nauseam.