This is Ali Hazelwood's first YA novel and features Mallory Greenleaf, an 18-year-old who played chess as a child but hasn't played in 4 years because chess is too intertwined with family trauma, and 20-year-old Nolan Sawyer, the top chess player in the world who is seen as the bad boy of chess.

Mallory is struggling to support her two younger sisters and her single mom who suffers from a debilitating disease that often renders her unable to provide for her family. Mallory unwillingly enters a charity tournament as a favor to a friend and finds herself unexpectedly beating the number 1 player in the world.

Mallory has to figure out how to enter the world of competitive chess once again to support her family financially while not letting it get too close or letting herself get too invested.

If you are someone who finds yourself over Ali Hazelwood because there seem to be a lot of similar aspects across her books, like large (tall) men who pine unrequitedly for the female lead, then this one is not for you. That definitely hasn't changed in this YA offering. Nolan is once again, very tall, and very into Mallory.

I personally don't take issue with that, and don't understand why so many romance readers do. There are plenty of people who know what they like, and intentionally seek out similar books over and over again. If you don't like reading about the same physical type and the same tropes then there are plenty of other things out there. I think many readers of this author appreciate in particular that they know what to expect from her and it scratches a particular itch they have.

That being said, I really liked this. I had no interest in chess going into this, and haven't seen the Queen's Gambit, which is I think the closest that chess has gotten into mainstream pop culture in the past few years, but it did keep me interested and I was mostly able to follow the chess references.

Because this is a YA, the level of explicitness in the sex scenes Ali Hazelwood usually writes is not there. Sex happens, but it's mostly hinted at and not on the page. Overall I would recommend this to people who already know they like the particular tropes this author tends to favor.


I received this book courtesy of NetGalley and Penguin Young Readers Group in exchange for an honest review.

What can I say…the more I read from Ali Hazelwood, the more I enjoy her work. Check & Mate introduces us to Mallory, a young chess protege who has stepped away from playing after losing her father. Despite once thriving as an unranked youth player, Mallory is now supporting her struggling family by working as a mechanic. A last minute decision to play in a tournament with friends sees Mallory defeat a world renown player who isn’t just known for his skill, but for his looks and attitude as well. We meet Nolan with Mallory: quickly, as she runs from their chess table when the game ends…or is it really just beginning?

Following Mallory’s growth as a chess player, sister, daughter, friend, and partner is the highlight of this book. Hazelwood tackles family trauma, highlights the challenges of a fledgling relationship, and unpacks the emotional struggles that so many teens entering adulthood face, like figuring out friendships as college begins. I personally loved that Hazelwood highlighted the very real difficulties of being a woman in a male-dominated sport, supporting Mallory’s fictional experience with real-world research.

Mallory is a multi-faceted character with many storylines of her own that need to be resolved throughout this book. I was satisfied with the way Hazelwood deftly addressed each of them, leaving me as a reader excited for just how far Mallory came over the course of this book, and how bright of a future Hazelwood hints at her having.

This is a YA Debut and if you thought for a second Ali Hazelwood couldn’t write swoonworthy characters with a closed door romance then you were dead wrong! Mallory and Nolan’s emotional connection was absolute perfection, the slow burn was just unforgiving and had me sneaking this book into every spare moment of my day. An indulgence if you will! The topic of gender stereotyping was something that was explored in such a beautiful way. It honestly makes hope bloom in my chest for change someday, hopefully in my lifetime. Hazelwood’s female MC’s keep me coming back for more EVERY. SINGLE. TIME. Just in case the above fore mentioned did not convince you to pick this one up, there are adorable snarky side characters that had me rolling….Goliath the Guinea Pig (IYKYK) thank you so so much to @alihazelwood and @netgalley for the opportunity to read this early!!

I absolutely adored this book! I love Ali Hazelwood’s writing and was so excited to read a YA book by her. I wasn’t sure how much I would enjoy the topic of chess in this book as I don’t know much about it, but I was so engrossed in the chapters about the tournaments, games and strategies.

Mallory and Nolan’s relationship was so cute as well! I love a good rivals to lovers trope, and I loved how Hazelwood showed their genuine care for each other even as things in their lives got difficult.

Overall this was such an amazing book! I loved all of the relationships developing throughout the story and the fun and exciting chess matches!

A book about chess? Yes, please! Another book by Ali Hazelwood? No brainer. A book set around chess WRITTEN by Ali Hazelwood? Shut up and take my money.
Look, I know she’s getting flack for “yet another STEM book” but here’s the thing—that’s her BRAND and I am here for it. Every single one. I hope she never writes a book where the FMC isn’t a women in STEM and brainy and sexy because smart IS sexy. Okay, now that I’ve gotten that off my chest, let’s talk about Check and Mate.
I looooooved how much Chess was in this book. It wasn’t as prop. It wasn’t a bait and switch. It was Queen Gambit vibes and exactly what I was hoping for. The characters were smart and I felt smart just reading about them.
There were a few things I didn’t particularly love. First off, in my opinion, the book should be categorized as New Adult and not YA because of age and content. This is probably me being naive and sheltered and living under a rock but it is my opinion. There isn’t any explicit scenes like this author writes in her adult books, but there’s still lots of casual sex happening and quite a lot of swearing. I think what threw me the most, though, was an overall tone of crassness that wasn’t really necessary.
Overall, yay chess, yay smarty pants main characters!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Rivals to lovers

loved this book ! It was HILARIOUS & so easy to read! If you are looking for a book that won’t make you stop laughing this is it!

I loved the show Queens Gambit and though I don’t know much about chess I still really enjoyed this book!

The characters were very enjoyable and I loved the relationship that formed between Mallory + Nolan! the chemistry, the laughter between the two was perfect! “He is the bad boy of chess” like instantly sold me on Nolan’s character!

Thank you NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for an honest review!

Mal was a chess prodigy until she quit under mysterious circumstances four years ago at age 14. Nolan is the number one chess player in the world and has a cult following on social media. After Mallory defeats Nolan in her first ever game back, she is thrust back into the chess world, which ends up being more dramatic and intense than expected. Along with hesitations over reentering the chess world, Mallory also battles feelings that develop towards her opponent, Nolan. 

I found myself enjoying the sections focused on chess matches and trainings the most, which surprised me! I knew nothing about chess going into this, and Hazelwood managed to make the game thrilling! The added drama between the top players also kept the tension high. 

Nolan was a great love interest. Given Mal’s hesitations, it was a little too easy for the reader to come around to him. While Mal spent a good chunk of the book angsting about Nolan in some way or another, I kept waiting for them to finally get together! Their dynamic was amazing, since both of them were extremely intelligent and motivated by their own love of chess and mysterious backstories. 

Something I love about all of Hazelwood’s stories is that she isn’t afraid to write a super smart, super nice female protagonist. While Mal had her fair share of character flaws, she was undeniably confident, talented, and smart. Especially in the romance genre, I love reading these character types!!

Another dynamic that consistently shines in Hazelwood’s work is female friendships. A big theme in this story was women lifting each other up, not tearing each other down. We see it with Defne and Mal, Mal and Easton, and with Mal’s family (for the most part). 

Something else I LOVED and wish there was more of was Mal’s life as a mechanic. It was so cool to get glimpses of how her brain works, which was seen in her brief car fixing scenes and in her chess matches. 

One element that did not completely resonate with me was Sabrina, Mal’s teenage sister. I think there were some interactions that passed beyond just youthful annoyance and became genuinely cruel towards Mal, and that was never completely resolved. I loved Mal’s other sister, Darcy, though. 

As far as the plot twists, I would say they kept the book generally interesting but were not too unpredictable. Nolan’s backstory caught me much more by surprise than Mal’s. Based on Mal’s actions and internal monologue throughout the story, I was expecting something much more crazy for her. 

Overall, I would say anyone who enjoyed The Love Hypothesis will enjoy Check & Mate. I would definitely recommend it to romance and YA readers.

(Actual: 3.75⭐️) Ahhhh!!!! I was so excited for this one & am so, so grateful and happy that I finally got approved for an Ali Hazelwood ARC 🤩 This book was cute and I easily sped right through it as I’m a sucker for a good rivals-to-lovers story, especially if it also features an interest of my own also (in this case, chess). Remember my obsession with My Mechanical Romance by Olivie Blake last year? With its emphasis on STEM and physics and robotics??? Yes, so do I haha 🥹 BUT— I will say that while Check & Mate is a quick, fun read, it’s definitely geared toward the YA demo for sure, especially with all the many, *very current* pop culture references. My one worry is that this book may sound/read a bit dated in a few short years, but who can really say. Either way, I really enjoyed this book and it was the perfect precursor to me reading Ali’s next adult romance “Love, Theoretically” when it comes out next week!

I have some issues with a few of the things presented in this book. I really don’t think this is appropriate to be categorized as a YA. New adult, yes absolutely. YA, ages beginning at 12? No.

I’m truly shocked this book has made it through rounds and rounds of edits and still has some of the statements included. I’m not supposed to quote an ARC for review, so I won’t be including specifics. Buts let’s say that if some of the things the FMC says in her internal dialogue were said by the MMC, we would all think he is a misogynistic pig.

I felt like the author was trying to check a lot of boxes with this one, and it felt very forced and in your face. It didn’t seem authentic.

While I did enjoy seeing these characters become friends and the chess aspect and whatnot, it did not make up for the rest of the story.

This isn’t a book I would recommend.

Thank you to the publisher for the gifted ARC.

Ahhhhh this was SO GOOD! It sucked me in immediately and I could barely put it down to sleep. I know nothing about chess besides what I "learned" watching The Queen's Gambit. And if you enjoyed that show, I think you will definitely enjoy this book. It's so engaging! Plus for the most part, Hazelwood has finally written something that feels different than all her other books. Mal has been martyring herself for her family, so her character growth was both needed and felt earned. Nolan was such a great MMC; I really loved him.
The third act breakup was my biggest issue with the book and I'm taking 1/2 a star away for that drama. But at least it was the impetus for Mal's growth and her reconnection with her family.
Again, I'm not a chess person at all, but the matches had me glued to the page and completely enthralled.
I highly recommend this! Also, I know it's YA, but it doesn't feel super YA. Maybe more NA?

4.5 stars

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing a requested copy to review. All opinions are my own.

Ali Hazelwood’s debut into YA fiction is nothing short of spectacular! Her choice of the sport of chess serves as the perfect backdrop for these incredible main characters to connect.

Mallory Greenleaf is a chess genius who decided to put chess on the back burner a long time ago due to family drama and focus on supporting her sick mother and 2 sisters. She recently graduated high school and in lieu of attending college, she has decided to continue working as a car mechanic to help her family make ends meet.

Things change when her best friend Easton convinces her to play chess again in a tournament for charity. Even though she hasn’t played in over 4 years, Easton ranks Mallory as number one player for their Patterson Chess Club because she is just that good. So naturally, for her first game, Mallory gets placed against another local team - Marshall Chess Club player number one. The thing is, when she sits across from her opponent, she realizes he isn’t just any local player….he is the reigning world champion Nolan Sawyer. THE famous Nolan Sawyer who is 2 years her senior and ranked number one in the world, has dominated the chess world for years and happens to be easy on the eyes too.

And so for better or worse, Mallory is thrown back into the chess world and she remembers how comfortable and familiar it is. And she’s still good….so good in fact that she beats Nolan in the charity match which sets off a series of events that will change her life.

Hazelwood has mastered the art of YA fiction with this clever story that ties the game of chess with the moves made in life and has the just the right blend of fun, angst, and love along the way…..highly recommend!

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Group for sharing this ARC with me in exchange for my honest review.

What a clever YA debut from Ali Hazelwood! I am a huge fan of Hazelwood’s adult romance novels, so I was excited to receive an advanced reader’s copy of Check & Mate, which tells the story of Mallory Greenleaf, a chess prodigy who hasn’t played chess in over four years but somehow in her first tournament, beats the #1 player and resident bad-boy hottie Nolan Sawyer. Mallory ends up with a fellowship to play chess for a year and make tons of money (who knew that was a thing) and of course, spend more time with Nolan.

I loved the characters, who felt realistic, and I really loved Mallory’s journey. While the story between her and Nolan was cute, this book honestly feels more like a coming-of-age story than a romance, which I quite enjoyed. I will admit to shedding some (happy) tears near the end. In the beginning the focus on chess was a little too much for this chess newb, but by the 30% point it becomes less about the details of the game and more about Mallory learning how to be an adult, take risks, and find happiness. This book did feel more like a NA novel over YA based on the characters struggles and maturity level, and the open discussion of intimacy and sexuality (but for the record, there are no graphic sex scenes like in Hazelwood’s other novels).

Overall, I really enjoyed this YA/NA debut from Hazelwood. I loved how even though this book wasn’t about women in STEM, it was still feminist-focused with women breaking down barriers in male-dominated fields and standing up to misogyny. I think fans of YA romance will certainly enjoy this, but so too will Hazelwood's adult fans. I would definitely read another YA book by this author.

A special thank you to Penguin Young Readers Group, G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers, and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

4.25⭐️

I'm 100% sure that Ali Hazelwood can do no wrong. Her books hit me every single time and of course, Check Mate was no different.

I read the last 80% of the book in less than 12 hours because I couldn't stop reading. I just couldn't. I'm currently on 3 hours of sleep and running late for one of my classes but I didn't give a damn. I just loved this book so much.

As someone who played chess for a couple of years and attended several tournaments, this book reminded me of how beautiful it felt to play and be a part of something so beautiful. It made me want to play again like before 😭

In this book we follow Mallory who vowed never to have anything to do with chess again. But the turns of life took her back to the world of chess and to live things that she never imagined could be for her. I loved Mallory. Yes, she is infuriating at times, and sometimes she jumps to conclusions that aren't true but her character is so real and she has incredible development throughout the book. It made me very happy to see how towards the end she commits to change and take more of what makes her happy.

Let's skip Sawyer because I have absolutely nothing coherent to say about that man except ahsjskskjajsksjsjsjsjsvgsahshhshs. That's it.

Aside from Sawyer and Mal I loved all the side characters (okay, maybe I have to work on my love for Sabrina a little... or a lot). I had so much fun with these characters and the guinea pig, I just love Ali's sense of humor. Maybe in that sense it can be a bit repetitive with her other books but I don't mind too much because her books always make me happy.

Oh, and the romance? ASJKSJSSHHAHSHSJ. Sorry, I still don't have coherent thoughts.

In general, for me it is a story that only reconfirms the certainty that Ali Hazelwood is my favorite romance author. Maybe this book has a little less romance than her other books because the focus is on Mallory's development, but it has Ali Hazelwood's imprint on it. And it's amazing.

Thank you Penguin Group and Netgalley for this eARC!!!!

Ali Hazlewood is one of my favorite authors for my comfort books. I absolutely loved this YA debut that was so clever and charming in its storytelling and characters.

I loved Mallory and how hardworking and determined she was to help her family, who is struggling through many difficult challenges. In true sisterly fashion, she’s very bossy and exudes the “this is my oldest daughter, the third parent” vibes but only because she has to. She is however incredibly caring and sweet to her sisters, and I thought was pretty selfless when it came to their care.

As for Nolan, he is the typical broody, dark
-haired, love interest that Hazlewood writes (and I eat it up EVERY time). He’s very quiet unless he’s with friends and even then he’s still a carefully masked person that only his friends can understand. I love his quiet nature and how he supports Mallory from the beginning and until the end.

What makes this YA?
Looking up google I found that young adult ranges from the ages of 18-22/25. Since the characters are 18 and 20, it makes sense that this would be categorized as YA. One of the most notable aspects to Ali Hazelwood’s books is the spice. However in this YA Debut, we do not get that (for obvious reasons which is 100% ok!!!) but we get the sweetest of slowburns on top of a welcome to adulthood we don’t know what we’re doing either. Despite the lack of spice, there is more mature language and ideas that are spoken and I’ve seen in other YA books.

The constant pop culture references was such a fun experience (I understood most of them) and didn’t bother me as it felt more relatable to people my age who have seen the rise of Instagram and Tiktok and avocado toast. Ali’s writing is well-paced and soothes my brain as it increases in chaos. One of my favorite things with her writing is where I say romance is dead before reading one of her books and then after reading her book I say romance is NOT dead. Her stories give me so much hope and butterflies and I can’t wait to see what she writes next

A SUPER CUTE BOOK ALERT!! don’t read this if you don’t want to smile and giggle like an idiot or wake up in the middle of the night kicking your feet.

i was awakened at 1 AM and reminded that i hadn’t read this, so i did. it was fun, mostly. Hazelwood went with the usual awkward girl x super charming, broody, with aloof & i-don’t-care personality type of love interest. i think it’s a step up that Hazelwood try a new category (YA) and choose a backdrop that isn’t STEM.

the story started off strong and maintained to be well-done until the end. so much fluffiness and cute moments that make me squeal with delight. only, i wished Mallory would play and win against that asshole in the end because that will be epic and their training wouldn’t be a total waste. aside of that, the whole chain of events seem good to me and makes sense for the little twist. if you’re fine with Hazelwood’s usual unvarying & predictable plot you’d have no issues. though, to me, Mallory’s self denial could come across frustrating at some point, because Nolan is SO much transparent and straightforward, he calls for no bullshit (other Hazelwood love interest, take notes). it could be good if Mallory’s denial in herself and her talent in chess got explored more. like more pressure and pushing her to the limit—you know, those cliches in sport media. but if you see in author’s note, Hazelwood clearly did some research for this. though in this book, it’s not quite showcased (it’s more focused in Mal-Nolan relationship progress) (which i didn’t mind most of the time).

ok now go to the part that i dislike. you know Hazelwood’s usual the third act conflict route? yes, misscommunication! i didn’t have a problem with that, usually because it’s handled in fun way. but comparing with all of Hazelwood’s works, i think i hated this the most. it’s so stupid i wanted to scream at 3 AM. she’s so stubborn and does not want to listen to anyone! Oz gagged her real good. but that’s what makes her personality stands out because she genuinely changes and her relationship with her sisters and mother is SO good, finally Hazelwood cares about adding background characters that isn’t MC’s old friend/teacher/roommate.

in other hand, Nolan is your usual type of prodigy with sad past growing up. all cliches aside, he was fun to read. mainly because he doesn’t talk at all (Hazelwood love interest role number #1). but what i appreciate is he’s real to his feelings and that makes less problem for Mallory (therefore less headaches for ME).

what ick me the most is that the age rating is young adult but so much sexual references and the first sentence of the book got me shocked at first. it’s nice to see her broaden… the age rating..? but i think the author’s best fit is in new adult/adult category. also… I DON’T LIKE THE POP REFERENCES OH MY GOD dear authors stop thinking it was such a good idea!

okay anyway Hazelwood writing is smooth and fun as usual (if you’re her fan). so, read this with an open mind and let’s get excited together waiting for it to hit off the shelves!

thank you to the author and netgalley for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

What a great debut into the YA genre from Ali Hazelwood!

First- CHESS! Going into this book-- my chess knowledge was basically the one season of The Queen's Gambit. This book felt really accessible! I loved how Ali Hazelwood doesn't try to get too in the weeds with verbiage and terminology but still gave us enough to feel like maybe we now know a little more about chess than we used to. It also brought up some interesting points about the inherent sexism that comes with being female in a male dominated field and what that can look like to the woman experiencing it (which is a common underlying theme from the AH books I've read so far).

I thought the pacing was great, it kept me hooked the entire time. When I got to 50% I was shocked that I was so far already because the way she writes feels really fluid and engaging and the book was pretty hard to put down. The plot was good, while some things are predictable in a romcom sort of way; a lot of it wasn't and I found the plot super interesting.

I loved Nolan and Mallory's banter and relationship. The build up was great and the tension was just right. The side characters were also great, I loved the exploration of Mallory and her family's relationship and the growth of Mallory in relation to her family. I also loved how sex positive this book was, I feel like when I was a young adult, books weren't really open like this so I think it's great that this dialogue was included in Check & Mate.

One thing I didn't love was our FMC (Mallory's) inner monologue. It was 50%, fine/funny and 50% cringe. She sometimes went too far into pop culture references that feel dated already. Also, she seemed like she was being written as over the top dumb sometimes (like something obvious happens and she doesn't put the pieces together for a couple of pages--like how? she's so smart and observant otherwise?).

Definitely another great one from Ali Hazelwood, if you loved her other books you will definitely love this one!

Thanks to Netgalley and Penguin for this ARC!

Because making me care about science wasn’t enough, now Ali has me caring about chess! I loved this book. It was layered and complex and engaging with a unique theme and plot in chess. Nolan is what YA love interest dreams are made of. However, I feel like “young adult” was used here to mean “closed door,” which are not synonymous; it’s completely valid to gave new adult romances that are closed door, and to me, this is what that felt like, due to some more adult themes and language than I’d expect from YA and the fact that both main characters are adults—not something I’d necessarily recommend to my 14 y/o YA-reading sister. That said, I still loved it for a college-aged romance!

Thank you for giving me the chance to review this new book! It was my favorite Ali Hazelwood book yet! I loved the family dynamic, and realistic chess details. This was a sweet read that I would let my daughters read. Thanks!

What a fun read! I always love reading Ali Hazelwood.
Definitely Queens Gambit vibe minus the drugs and alcohol. I’m always a fan of women just dominating in a “man’s world.” To have a young girl, not even rated, come into a tournament and just pummel the men. Then to follow her progress through the career of chess along with her ups and downs with life. There is a slow burn throughout and a few heated scenes but nothing too intense.

All in all, another wonderful book from Ali Hazelwood.

I love a good slow burn romance as much as the next person but this book just kinda fell flat for me. It felt like the author was really trying to push the gen z narrative and I’m not a fan of how they wrote Mallory as having so much sex in her past and Nolan being a virgin who had his virginity taken by Mallory. Just felt weird.
I assumed it would be a pretty picky book based on her past books but it was definitely a closed door romance which I appreciated.

Thank you NetGalley for this advance review copy in return for an honest review.