I laughed (more than once), I cried, I was incapable of doing anything other than reading this book from the moment it beamed itself into my possession. It vaguely made me want a sister or two, which is something that has never occurred to me in all my many years.

Officially 4.5!

Finally, something new and different from Ali Hazelwood!!! Never thought I'd enjoy a new adult romance about chess players and tournaments but here we are! I thought The Love Hypothesis would always reign supreme but this is my NEW FAVE from her.

Not only was this super cute, but it made me cry. And I wasn't expecting to cry when reading but when an author brings up the guilt, stress, and burdens of familial responsibility... it's always gonna happen.

It did have a couple of my personal bookish icks (immature voice/cringe writing & real-life references) but I decided to not be too picky and just have fun with it.

THANK YOU Penguin Teen and Netgalley for the ARC.

Major thank you to Penguin Teen for the ARC!

I flew through Check & Mate, and was pleasantly surprised at how much I loved it, given that I know very little about chess. While Check & Mate is a contemporary romance, I loved the heavy coming-of-age storyline. More than once, I found myself wanting to give Mallory a hug. I'm often drawn to stories where characters who are often self-sacrificial, end up finding their own path and more importantly, their own happiness, and this one was no different. I found Mallory and Nolan's chemistry to be electric, and really liked their dynamic as well. I will say that I wish the ending was a bit more drawn out, and that there were fewer Gen-Z references.

In typical Ali Hazelwood fashion, she has crafted some amazing characters yet again! Mallory, who said she would never play chess again, encounters Nolan, the top chess player in the world and the sparks (or chess pieces) fly! Nolan is our Mr. Grumpypants in the public eye, but there is so much more to him. Mallory carries the weight of the world on her shoulders. I’m adding these two to my favorite characters list! It’s so hard not to give you spoilers, but just know that this YA Hazelwood book will have you binge reading all through the night!

Pacing: Fast Paced
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spice: Fade to Black