[ARC review]
BOLD MOVES by Emma Barry is Sexy Chess!

Okay, there isn't a TON chess being played on page, although it does get sexy at one point. But Scarlett is a sexy chess grandmaster, and the story follows the adaptation of her memoir for streaming by Jaime, her high school...whatever you call it when you were Doing It and mad for each other but also she absolutely refused to be bf/gf.

Second chance romances can be tricky, because you need a breakup that makes sense, but also doesn't preclude getting back together. For Scarlett, she was getting the heck out of dodge (and poverty) with a chess competition in Tokyo. Even if she had asked Jaime to go with her, he couldn't have because his family needed him in the aftermath of his dad going to prison. (tw for the opioid abuse epidemic!)

It was great! Tons of big feelings, for sure--guilt and forgiveness and yearning--but also really sharp, funny writing. Lots of zingers, lots of fun.

This book was pretty interesting and I really liked it. You could truly see the characters grow and learn from their mistakes. The only reason it's four stars is because Jaime pissed me off. I needed him to get over it and tell Scarlett he loved her already.

I received an arc through netgalley.

"Bold Moves" by Emma Barry demonstrates that even the most beloved romance tropes can fall flat without the right execution. While second chance romances typically offer rich emotional territory to explore, this novel struggles to capitalize on the potential of its premise.

The book's structure proves to be its greatest weakness. Rather than developing the relationship through meaningful growth and evolution, the narrative becomes trapped in a cycle of repetitive conflicts. The characters revisit the same arguments throughout the story, creating a sense of stagnation rather than progression. This circular pattern makes the pacing feel unnecessarily drawn out, testing reader patience as the couple fails to move beyond familiar grievances.

Character development presents another significant hurdle. The female protagonist is constructed around a "not like other girls" mentality that feels dated and ultimately makes her difficult to root for. This characterization choice undermines her authenticity and limits reader investment in her journey. Meanwhile, her counterpart suffers from excessive self-pity that quickly becomes grating rather than endearing or sympathetic.

What's particularly disappointing is how these character flaws overshadow what could have been a compelling exploration of rekindled romance. Second chance stories thrive on the complex history between characters and their potential for growth, but when the protagonists remain locked in unchanging patterns, the emotional payoff never materializes.

The novel does contain moments that hint at what could have been a more engaging story with tighter editing and more nuanced character work. However, these glimpses aren't enough to overcome the fundamental issues with pacing and characterization.

Dedicated fans of second chance romances might find elements to appreciate, but readers seeking genuine character growth and emotional depth may want to look elsewhere.

I have tried three books by Emma Barry now and I have the same issue with all of them - I LOVE her ideas, and find the books too quiet/slow. The premises are extremely up my alley and then I find them very hard to get through because they're so internal. I love the idea of adapting a memoir and I just couldn't finish this. I know people love her and I'm glad they do; I just don't think we're a match writing-style-wise.

I love a good second chance romance - even more when there's mutual pining and a strong female main character and Scarlett - a world champion chess master looking for a comeback, was just that!!
When Jamie, her high school ex comes calling asking if he can adapt her memoir for the television, Scarlett is reluctant to agree knowing there's a dark secret she's been keeping from him for years. However, she does agree, wanting to be able to help tell her story her way which has them spending months together in their home town co-writing the script and falling back in love.

While this does have a lot of miscommunication and a third act break up, I still loved it a lot and enjoyed the fresh, unique characters and the insights into the limitations of the chess world when it comes to gender and equality. I'm also always a sucker for a meant to be love story and really enjoyed this opposites attract pairing set in Southern Appalachia. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital and audio copy in exchange for my honest review. This is perfect for fans of Ali Hazelwood's Check & mate.

Scarlett and Jaime are ex-high school sweethearts. After a sudden breakup at 18 years old that ended badly, they become estranged until 17 years later when Scarlett (a famous competitive chess player) and Jaime (a filmmaker) reunite to adapt Scarlett's autobiography into a series. Once they're back in each other's orbits they find they clearly still have strong chemistry, but at the end of the day will it be enough for a second-chance romance? This is definitely not your standard straightforward romance, buckle up for a bumpy and tumultuous ride.

Look, I firmly support a badass fmc who is fighting misogyny and bias in a male-dominated field. And throughout the book there is a great message of female empowerment and trying to effect change in a broken system. But Scarlett's "not-like-other-girls" vibe as a character was over-done for me, especially in the beginning of the story. She's also arrogant and very prickly, which made it hard to warm up to her. The author takes a big risk in making Scarlett hard-edged and initially unlikable. I tried to trust that there's some payoff further in the story that would help me understand why she acts the way she does. And I did grow to understand that, but it didn't excuse her behavior and attitude towards someone (Jaime) she claimed to care deeply about. And unfortunately my initial dislike for Scarlett never eased up and it impacted my enjoyment of the book. Scarlett is written as someone who wasn't nurtured and never learned how to nurture. I get it, she's flip as a coping mechanism because she had a difficult childhood with a flighty mother that left her unable to develop healthy and lasting relationships and feeling that she couldn't and shouldn't depend on others. But much of the time she just comes off as selfish and unkind. There's limited honesty on Scarlett's part for a very long time, and then when she was honest with Jaime, she was defensive and deflective and blamed him for his reaction. What I wanted to see was Scarlett developing more compassion and awareness of why Jaime was upset, and to appreciate her role in it. But what I got was Jaime and Scarlett inevitably giving in to their decades-old chemistry then spending the bulk of the rest of the time pushing and pulling each other emotionally. After awhile it just got tedious, Jaime deeply and repeatedly questioning their compatibility but wanting Scarlett just the same, and Scarlett thinking she's right and Jaime’s an idiot for not seeing that and when is he going to just get over being mad? This relationship is exhausting. And I didn't enjoy Jaime’s portrayal as being the one who needed to accommodate Scarlett's emotional dysfunction, especially since it fed into his over-developed need to emotionally care-take everyone in his life. Not that he doesn't share responsibility for the relationship struggles, there's definitely a lot of trauma and drama and emotional upheaval from both of these damaged people. They are chaotic with each other and frankly, they needed couples therapy.

I do love a good second-chance romance, especially one with unresolved issues and feelings, but only as long as there's some resolution and movement towards growth and compromise on both sides. It was hard to feel that with this novel, and ultimately I think I wasn't the right audience. I will say that the book was written well: even though I was aggravated with Scarlett (and Jaime's reactive and capitulating behavior with her), I wanted to see how it ended. There are nice moments of wit, usually in each character's inner thoughts. The supporting characters were distinctive, and the writing was evocative and engaging with dual 3rd-person POVs. Obviously it's very chess-focused, but not so much that it over-shadows the other story elements. If you like second-chance romances that have a lot of emotional twists and turns and unresolved issues, with opposites-attract/will-they-won't-they energy and open-door scenes, then this is the book for you. 2.5 stars rounded up to 3 stars. Publishes April 22, 2025. I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book, all opinions are my own.

Okay so. I love chess. :)

And I love romances.
So a romance with chess sounds perfect for me? Right. Well, I loved the idea, and both of MC's stories really touched me. Their background is fascinating, and how the author explored their past and how they grew up affected them. Howeverrrr. The romance wasn't working for me. I felt like they just wanted to hook up and that they reconnected because they're hot. That's it. I felt nothing else. :(

Still, the rest of the story was captivating. In general, 3 stars.

Big thanks to Netgalley and the publishing for providing me with the ARC!

With Bold Moves Emma Barry delivers another great romance. It tells the story Scarlett, chess grand master and her high school boy friend Jaime who want to develop a tv series based on her memoirs. It’s a great premiss and Emma Barry executes it beautifully. The backstory around Jaime’s father is interesting and provides conflict. I love how both Scarlett and Jaime need to grow in order for a relationship between them to work. I really enjoyed this book and I’m looking forward to Emma Barry’s next book.

I love to see a chess romance out in the world, and I especially love to see one where the female main character is the Grand Master. It allowed for a tension between ultra-focused and somewhat ruthless chess player Scarlett and gentle but equally focused docudrama creator Jaime that really carried this book.

That said, though, Bold Moves never totally grabbed me. I enjoyed reading it because it was a completely solid romance, but the ebb and flow of Scarlett and Jaime's relationship - constantly interrupted by new (or old) problems started to feel a little tiresome. I also found Scarlett's prickliness (to put it mildly) a little over the top sometimes. It felt like she was mean for the sake of being mean, even when the vibes didn't really warrant it. And Jaime's character stalled out a little 2/3 of the way through the book, forcing him to rapidly develop in the last couple chapters. Also, the writing felt a bit shaky at times, which hasn't been my experience with Emma Barry's work before. All together, this book just didn't quite come together for me.

But again, I still had a generally solid reading experience and overall enjoyed the book.

3.75/5

Bold Moves is an absolutely gorgeous book. Smart, sexy and quick, you are wrapped up in Jaime and Scarlett before you know it. I loved how we got to know their past and their present simultaneously without time jumps. I wanted to know more about their mothers and I thought the relationship between Jaime and his dad was done so tenderly and well.

This was an good romance, I loved the caracters and the plot line of the story. I just wish I had connected more with this story.

I thought this would be a good read as I really enjoyed Queens Gambit but have you ever read a book and gotten and ick from the MMC POV well for me that happened with this book. I really did want to carry on but he gave me so many icks and I didnt really find Scarletts POV engaging.

Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with an e-arc


I gave this book 3 out of 5 stars. While I enjoyed the storyline and the writing style, I felt it lacked enough details in certain areas. For example, I was confused about the father’s crime for nearly half of the book, which made it difficult to fully engage with the plot.

This novel will appeal to readers who enjoy a bold, strong FMC. However, the MMC didn’t experience much character growth and didn’t quite act his age, which I found disappointing.

Overall it is a fun and enjoyable book, while it had some strong points, the lack of character development and details left me wanting more, making it an average read for me.

Rating system:
1. Characters: 2/4
2. Writing Style: 3/4
3. Plot: 3/4
4. Ending: 2/4
5. Subplot Topics: 2/4

Spicy: 🌶️🌶️🌶️

Thank you NetGalley for this ARC to review.

I’ve heard of Emma Barry before but have not read any of her work. After Bold Moves, I want to read more.

Jamie and Scarlett are high school sweethearts of sorts who have had a tumultuous time with life. Think Days of Our Lives style type of life. Jamie is looking to turn her memoir into the small screen after some success. She’s looking to change the chess world.

For me, I couldn’t get into their relationship. I found the book quite long and the romance inauthentic, in partly because of how much life they had both lived. The ending wasn’t satisfying as it was the typical “oh no I was wrong let me tell the “ plot line. There were actually a lot of subplots that kept the book running as well.

While this book wasn’t for me, I couldn’t see people who like high drama romance or decade-long longing loving this one.

I devoured this book! This was my first ever book by Emma Barry, and it will surely not be the last! From the very first page I was intrigued by the story. The characters were beautifully crafted, yet very realistic and relatable. There's a joy in this story of watching Scarlett realize that she's part of a community. Moreover, a community that cares about her and is proud of her and wants good things for her.

Such a cute, fun and entertaining read! It also tackles important topics. I think it’s the perfect length for a romance novel.

A really good read. You don't need to understand chess at all (thankfully). Enjoyed it from the first page to the last.

I enjoyed the premise of a woman chess master finding herself and reconnecting with an old flame. The romance felt believable and I developed a fondness for the characters. It took me a few tries to get into the book but once I did I finished it in an afternoon! The chess element was an intriguing concept and the book reminded me of the Queen's Gambit, which I also enjoyed. The character's back and forth evoked real feelings and by the end of the book I was fully rooting for them! At some parts the plot dragged slightly but I liked the added elements of friendship development and coming to terms with past trauma. I like the wry humor sprinkled throughout and enjoyed my lazy afternoon reading this novel.

This is my second Emma Barry book and I enjoyed it just as much as the first. I've left both stories having learned new words and phrases. There is one section in chapter 10 regarding family and I resonated with it so very much. In this book, Scarlett and Jaime are two characters who have been through so much and have a hard time trusting others. Scarlett is overly independent and Jaime is too busy taking care of everyone around him to care for himself. There is some slight connections to her previous book, Bad Reputations, but not enough that it would matter if you read one or both of them. Scarlett is the Queen of the chess world and that seems to make the 'Kings' of the chess world uncomfortable. Fragile male ego and all that. So she is on a msision to make chess more open for other women interested in the top rankings, one of those ways was by writing her memoir Queens Kiss. Jaime is a film producer and wants to turn her book into a show. After a lot of hurting each other, they finally find a way to let go of the past and give their love another chance. Overall, I thought it was a good read and am happy to have been given a chance to read it early.

Scarlett no se relaciona con nadie y no quiere sentir nada. Se comporta de manera desagradable para alejar a la gente, y cuando las cosas se ponen difíciles, huye. Jaime necesita tener el control.
Ambos fueron novios en la adolescencia, pero algo paso que hizo que ella huyera.
Años después se reencuentran ya que él quiere adaptar las memorias de ella.

~

Lo que Scarlett hizo en el pasado fue lo correcto, y me parece excelente que no siempre sienta remordimiento (porque no debería sentirlo).
Al principio, su actitud me pareció exagerada, hasta que comprendí lo que había hecho. Jaime le demostró que no podía confiar en nadie, que estaba sola y que solo se tenía a sí misma.

En esta situación, se entiende la reacción inicial de él, pero tuvo casi un año para reflexionar y ponerse en su lugar, y aun así no lo hizo. Incluso su mamá y su hermana se pusieron del lado de Scarlett.

No entiendo cómo Scarlett volvió con él. Se la pasa diciendo que ella huye, ¿y qué hizo él dos veces? Lo mismo. Lo de ella tiene una justificación; se entiende por qué no pudo enfrentarlo y decidió terminar la relación. Pero él, al primer problema, la dejaba y se excusaba diciendo que era porque ella jamás se abriría a él. ¿Y entonces qué fue lo que ella hizo en ambas ocasiones antes de que él la dejara? Se mostró vulnerable… y aun así, él la abandonó.


Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for the ARC in exchange for an honest review