This book had some emotional moments and the second-chance story really pulled me in at first. I liked that the characters had real struggles and didn’t always have the answers. The chess setting was interesting and added a unique layer. But overall, I found the relationship between Scarlett and Jaime frustrating. They felt more toxic than romantic, and their constant drama made it hard to root for them. I also expected more about the chess world, especially since it was a big part of Scarlett’s life. It had potential, but I wanted more depth and less chaos.

I really enjoyed reading this book, it had that second-chance romance and was engaged with the world. The overall feel worked with this universe and was hooked from the first page and thought the overall element worked for the characters. Emma Barry has a strong writing style and was engaged with what was going on and enjoyed the realistic romance overall.

Thank you to NetGalley and Montlake for providing this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I'm not going to lie, when I first saw this ARC on NetGalley, I was on the fence about requesting it. For some reason, I kept getting pulled back to it time and time again, and so I bit the bullet and requested it. However, the more I continued reading, the more I realized that the only "bold move" I could've made was to not read it. I love a good second-chance romance. I love the pining, the tension, the memories, the unspoken feelings, and everything that was left unsaid between the two MCs. In Bold Moves, though, I think this was one of those scenarios where an ex should stay an ex for a reason.

Scarlett Arbutnot's at the top of her (chess) game. She's breaking the glass ceiling in the chess world as she tries to make a name for herself and advocate for more diversity in the game to include more women and the LGBTQIA+ community, all while doing it on her own, because the top of a lonely place. As a proverbial middle finger to the organization that runs the chess competition world, she comes out with a biography. When her old high school fling, Jaime Croft, reaches out to her with an opportunity to turn her biography into a TV series, she gives him the green light. As they spend months together working on scripts, filming, and everything else in between, old memories and feelings spark between the two. What could possibly go wrong?

For two people who are in their thirties, Scarlett and Jaime were PAINFULLY immature. They both need to do A LOT of growing up before they can figure out what they want in a romantic relationship. I'm a big believer in "You have to work on yourself and love yourself before you can give that love to someone else" and Scarlett and Jaime both needed to do that. Scarlett had to learn how to do life on her own at times, which made her independent--we love an independent woman!--but Jaime just didn't like that he couldn't be a part of her decision-making process at times, and he couldn't stand not feeling included in things. On the other hand, Jaime also lashed out at Scarlett many times throughout the story for making some of the decisions she did, and to be completely honest, Scarlett was 100% justified in making those decisions, in my opinion. (I can't say more without spoiling anything, but that's all I'll say on the matter.)

Their relationship was so toxic and unhealthy and I don't mean that in a "Kat and Heath from The Favorites" type of toxic, like the kind of toxic you can't tear your eyes away from. It was the kind of toxic vibe you get from that one couple you know in your life who constantly break up and get back together and you just go, "...bruh, WHY?!" There was no deeper connection between them beyond physical and sexual attraction and it's painfully obvious throughout the entire book AND both of their POVs. There was not a single moment throughout the eARC where I felt like they were in love and they deserved to be together.

I also thought we'd get more information about the chess world and Scarlett's thought process that goes behind how she prepares for a chess match, what goes through her head when she's in a game, and anything else related to the chess world, but we didn't get much and that disappointed me. She wrote an entire biography about her life and included details about her most important matches, but we barely hear about any of them besides maybe two or three of them.

Overall, this book didn't make the "bold move" of impressing me. It just wasn't for me and it didn't meet my expectations. Hopefully, someone else will read this book and enjoy it--it seems like a lot of people did if the current rating is sitting at 3.71 stars at the time of writing this review--but this just wasn't what I expected.

Emma Barry’s Bold Moves starts with an interesting setup. A chess grandmaster and her high school ex reunite after 17 years to adapt her memoir into a TV series. Scarlett is sharp and ambitious. Jaime is creative and nursing an old heartbreak. Their chemistry is evident, and I really enjoyed that the book takes place over a year, a much longer timeframe than I usually see in romances.. The romance fell short for me because Scarlett and Jaime fall into a frustrating cycle of miscommunication. Their dynamic often feels more strained than romantic.

Seventeen years after breaking up, Scarlett, a world champion chess player, and her high school
boyfriend, Jamie, a filmmaker, meet again. Jaime shows up wanting to turn Scarlett’s memoir into a movie and she decides he might be the right person to do it.
On one condition - she wants to help write it.

The rest of the book follows the two as they create a television adaptation of the book. In doing so, they’re forced to evaluate past decisions and decide if they should continue to be together in the future.

The two MCs had some great moments, however, I really didn’t think these they should have ended up together. It seemed their realizations to forgive one another came seemingly out of thin air (more so on his side, he would have benefited from therapy). I also don’t understand anything about chess so those parts of the book were difficult to attend to and definitely slowed the pacing down.

Even though the story itself wasn’t my favorite, I enjoyed the writing. I generally prefer historicals over contemporaries, but Barry’s writing really kept me going. It was very grounded and not too cheesy. I really look forward to the other books by this author that friends have suggested and will continue to read more.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advanced eARC.

I’ve enjoyed Emma Barry’s books in the past, but this one failed on the execution to me. It had major plotting and pacing issues, as well as an over reliance on metaphors that made me want to do a shot every time one of them thought of a new analogy for their connection. (Some spoilers included below)

First, it started with a backstory dump, and I vastly prefer when a second chance romance starts you in the middle and then strategically reveals information. And there’s this “big secret” that is somehow supposed to be hidden, but it is immediately easy to guess. I disliked having the obvious dangled but not confirmed, so we’re waiting for the reveal like it’s a mystery but it’s not.

When they holed up together to write the scripts for her memoir adaptation, it should’ve been the forced proximity that is romance catnip. But once they’re in his house together it’s like a play, all just conversations in a room. It would’ve been smarter to give us flashbacks to moments from their past instead of us constantly in their thoughts while they rehash it. It contributed to a pacing issue in that I wanted more scenes of them connecting in the present instead of constantly angsting about the past or telling us about their chemistry but not showing it. There needs to be more to their current relationship than just their past relationship. I should’ve felt this slow burn of tension toward the moment they finally kiss, with hand brushes and near misses, but we don’t get those. It’s not palpable and it’s been burning at the same heat the whole time since they arrive, it doesn’t build. It’s described as a collision course and a riptide but it’s not.

Then there were these tonally off moments that the book isn’t self aware about and so doesn’t address. When Jaime is nervous about Scarlett’s offer to strip when they play chess, he makes a slut shaming comment about a photo shoot she did that erases the vast difference between public and private, the central importance of intention and emotion and vulnerability. And Scarlett just doesn’t react. It made it seem like Barry just intended it to be an inept attempt at banter.

In terms of tonal dissonance, this brings me to the character of Scarlett. I did a lot of soul searching because I love a prickly “unlikable” heroine but I just couldn’t get on board with her. First, I hate when people are mean or play confusing games because they’re scared of intimacy. I don’t like when one mc’s self doubt makes them act in ways that play on the other mc’s self doubt. I need better characterization or more interior monologue that’s not just a series of metaphors for emotion or connection, otherwise I can’t accept that she’s doing this. I think where this book truly lost me is when Scarlett decides to sleep with Jaime before telling him the big secret that directly involves him and why their relationship ended all those years ago.

Yes he reacts poorly to the revelation, and yes he was is ass. But the book acts like her poor timing is nothing. She has spent weeks resisting being honest with every fiber of her being, and then chooses to drop the truth bomb after they’d been having sex, when she’s walking out the door. On the one hand, Barry does give us nuance for Jaime in terms of showing the stages of his emotions and reaction, but ahe doesn’t seem to believe that he has a right to at least some of that reaction. I definitely think he does, both because she should have told him before they re-established intimacy and because it’s understandably triggering news and re-opens real trauma for him.

Honestly Scarlett blindsided him twice, the second time when she shows up at his door at the end of filming like, I’m going to give you whiplash with my emotional confession once again!. She continually gets to dictate the terms of their emotional intimacy, and then he’s framed as responsible as if he hurt her intentionally. She spends the beginning of the book being cagey and gaslighting him about her feelings, but then with these big reveals we’re supposed to view her as this pillar of honesty and vulnerable risk taking. I couldn’t get there.

I wish the story were that Scarlett found Jaime to adapt her memoir, all the time wanting to tell him but not knowing how. As opposed to how we get it which is that he makes all the steps, seems her out, while she dreads telling the truth only to blurt it out.

I also need to say something about Barry’s random description of Jaime’s sister’s mural. The book seems to use the mural as shorthand for who she is (if it’s meant as broader commentary on Appalachia there’s no where near enough there to make that argument). I felt weird about it because it’s a mural filled with marginalized people but it’s like it’s there to give her character street cred, shorthand for Ev being a good person. Also purely aesthetically, Barry doesn’t have Victoria Lee or Regina Black’s gift for describing art in a compelling way.

Now all of this said, I want to highlight that there were some very lovely observations and turns of phrase in this book. I loved how Jaime thinks about his relationship to his father and his crime. I loved when he goes to Scarlett for comfort and thinks, “Can you be with me in my pain and, by your simple presence, comfort me?” I loved the handling of their big reunion at the end— Jaime shows up at her chess game but doesn’t distract her focus, and then he has her friends warn her so she’s not blindsided (even though that’s what she does to him!) And I loved her logic for forgiving him and not making him do more to convince her. Their tension-filled sex scenes during filming were super duper hot. And when I read about Scarlett’s DEI chess camp at the end, I wrote in my kindle notes, “a balm during these dystopian times.” I also loved Nate, Jaime’s partner and best friend. He is a delight and I would read the crap out of his book.

1.5 stars
I tend to avoid romantic books as I know they aren’t my thing, but I felt intrigued by this one with its Queen’s Gambit comparisons and the ambiance of the cover. However, I felt the story itself very boring, for lack of a better word.
The story begins with Scarlett, a chess champion who has just published her best selling memoir, being found by her high school ex, Jamie - an award winning TV writer - who wants to adapt her book into a series. After some moral hemming and hawing, Scarlett agrees under the condition she co-writes. The two go back home to the town they grew up in and hole up in Jamie’s home to write the series together…and work through their lingering feelings.
Where the book falls flat for me is in its characterizations. Both our main characters feel more like vessels for words than people. In their chapters, each grapples with their feelings for the other and reminisces, but the things and quirks they claim to love never seem to be true of the other character. At first I thought it might be a clever writing trick - when you’re in love, you see what you want to see - but the further into the story I got, the more it became clear that this wasn’t the case.
While it’s a fun concept, that feels like all it is. With more in-depth characters, and perhaps even more engaging writing, the story could soar.
Thank you NetGalley & Publisher for the advanced digital copy.
My review will be published on Instagram closer to the book’s release date.

Thank you to NetGalley and Montlake for providing this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

It's possible that this author just isn't for me. When I first saw this story - second chance, chess, yearning - it seemed right up my alley and I was excited to dive in. As I started to read, continued to read, forced myself to read, and finally read the book, it was painfully clear this was not up my alley or even in my neighborhood.

Jamie and Scarlett are high school exes (were they even together?) who are reconnecting when Jamie options Scarlett's memoir for production. I was unclear about where their original "relationship" came from or why they were even together then, outside of hormones, and their attraction never seemed to permeate beyond physical. The intellectual piece seemed more admiration than true compatibility. I read the whole book and I STILL can't tell you why the HS relationship was so meaningful to the other.

For characters in their 30s, they are incredibly immature, have zero communication skills, and are so heavily steeped in metaphor it's not clear how they can even see straight.

There were some admittedly very good lines that I highlighted, but there were so. many. metaphors. So many. Too many. Jamie wasn't so much a simp as a pathetic redundancy of wanting Scarlett (though I don't know why) and Scarlett consistently pushing him away (for no clear reason). When the characters ARE finally together, it's either brief or in the epilogue, but that is where they shine and make more sense. I wish we would've gotten to see more from them.

This book, sadly, isn't for me. People seem to like it though, so it might be your thing.

A steamy second chance romance that reignites an old flame of two exes who come together to work. Timing is everything and this book shows that distance can make the heart grow fonder.

There's something about Emma Barry's writing style that can be hit or miss for me, or at least, doesn't hit 100% . I loved the chess aspect, and I am always here for a black cat heroine.

A second chance romance between a chess champion and a documentary maker - I felt like the author was being ambitious with this premise but despite some pacing issues in the middle, Barry does pull it off.

Scarlett and Jamie are just a couple of small-town high school kids happily banging their hearts out until two things happen - Jamie's doctor dad is arrested for serious crimes and Scarlett decides to cut things off to pursue her chess career. Years later, they still think about each other but when Jamie decides to ask if he can adapt Scarlett's memoir into a TV series he tells himself its because it's such a great project. Seeing and working with her again has NOTHING to do with it of course...

The chemistry between these two in this story is insane. Their relationship is a roller-coaster (and let me tell you, the reader has to brace themselves for some hurt) but the sheer enduring attraction between them lasts through many tests and I felt this was the key to pulling off the second chance romance plot. There's forced proximity with lots of loving and fighting in his rural cabin while they're co-writing the script, then cold arms-length professionalism when months later they have to film the thing.

I was blown away by the fact this book has not one, not two but THREE breakups. I felt that was a little overkill, particularly because the last two (which are on-page, the first being in the past) happen because despite literally years of therapy, Jamie is an emotionally stunted manbaby. And yet I couldn't entirely commit 100% to Team Scarlett because she's a manic pixie dream girl who had to learn to let people in emotionally. Suffice to say, both MCs had their problems but in the end they get it together in what is a reconciliation scene that in my personal opinion could have had a LOT more grovel.

Recommended if you like second-chance romances with a lot of angst, fighting, break-ups and make-ups. But be warned, it's a little light on the actual chess.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an advance copy of Bold Moves! I enjoyed this read and it can be added to my niche pile of “Books That Made Me Want to Learn to Play Chess”, alongside The Queen’s Gambit and Intermezzo

I am a very cynical romance reader - it’s not my favourite genre. I neeeed my Romances to have a unique plot and/or setting, plus characters that intrigue me to keep me interested. I’m pleased to say that Bold Moves ticked most of my boxes!

Chess champion Scarlett is approached by her high school ex and now filmmaker Jaime, who asks to adapt her memoir into a TV series. Scarlett grants him permission but ONLY if she can co-produce and co-write. Jaime and Scarlett agree to three months of living together in their Appalachian hometown in order to get the show written, where they find themselves unable to resist each other… but Scarlett has a life-altering secret from their shared past which could ruin everything

Bold Moves is a sexy and funny read with some good insights into gender inequality in the chess world - a topic I knew nothing about. It was definitely steamier and smuttier than anticipated, which isn’t a problem for me but worth knowing before going into it.

I found parts of the story dragged, but other parts kept me gripped and intrigued. The miscommunication element of the story was mildly irritating but this tends to be the way with Romance reads!

Overall, a great second-chance Romance, with a gripping premise and intriguing characters. The ending was satisfying and I liked the Epilogue. Maybe not my ideal book, but it will definitely be someone’s!

3 stars overall

The Queen’s Kiss was one of the most devastating forms of checkmate. It was when you landed your queen squarely in front of your opponent’s king, but they couldn’t take it— because if they did, then their king would immediately be taken by another piece of yours. It was an absolute power play, and Scarlett adored delivering it.

Bold Moves is a sizzling second chance romance between high-school sweethearts, who meet again 17 years later. Though Scarlett, the main female character, is not the one you could call a sweetheart, quite the opposite, it is really hard to like her at the beginning of the story, it took some time to warm to her. Meanwhile, Jamie, the main male character, at first glance appears to be a perfect book-boyfriend, especially his older version, thanks God (or rather, the author) for the flaws and little insecurities that made him absolutely yummy. Loved the way the topics of the chess world as well as having imprisoned relatives were blended into the story.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC of this book.

The romance had its ups and downs. The female main character was a bit rough around the edges—something I didn’t mind in some aspects, but overall, I found her somewhat unlikeable. The pacing was great, and the writing was well done, but unfortunately, the characters just didn’t resonate with me.

Jaime Croft wants to prove his directorial range, and Scarlett Arbuthnot’s biography is perfect, even though she broke his heart seventeen years ago. Scarlett is a chess grandmaster, and sure she can handle working closely with Jaime. She had reasons for ending things and is sure he would despise her if he knew her reasons. The two go over her memoir and remember the past, rekindling old feelings. Getting back together means letting go of their emotional walls, and neither is ready to make that move.

Jaime and Scarlett came from the same Appalachian town and had been in a relationship before she abruptly left. While he had been the rich kid and she was the poor one, he had given her opportunities to fulfill her dreams. His own life had been a struggle, but he wanted to turn her memoir about the chess world into a series. Scarlett can't give up control or her secrets, forcing them into close proximity for two months to write the scripts, and then for filming. The past is there with them the entire time, but they deal with it in different ways: she runs, and he helps others as penance.

Having read Emma Barry's prior novel, I was amused by the blink and you'll miss it shout outs to the world of the prior novel. The chemistry between them is always there, as is the frustrated love they still have for each other. Both have messy emotions, and Jaime is the one who tends to reveal them all. Both have their supporters, though Scarlett is shocked that she has one. Both of their views of the past and each other are flawed, for all that they're aware of their flaws and have been through therapy. Knowing something logically and feeling it as true are two separate things, and both have to come to the realization that is better together than apart. They are moving at different speeds, which heightens the tension between them. Overall, I really enjoyed this second-chance romance.

A second chance romance with chess! Jaime and Scarlett were in love as teens until circumstances (and a secret) pulled them apart. In the inbetween years, Scarlett became a grandmaster of chess and Jaime a director. Now they're together again because he's asked to direct an adaptation of her memoir and it opens both old wounds and old loves, It's a nice twist on the trope-I particularly liked the chess. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. A good read.

I received a copy of this book via NetGalley (thank you Montlake). All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I was intrigued with the plot of this book. A second chance romance about a chess grand champion that had written a memoir and the producer who wanted to adapt it to screen.

It took me a while to warm to Scarlett the FMC - I am not sure why. But in the 10 or so years they had apart I didn't feel like she had grown as much as she possibly could have. In a way she was still the same closed off version of her teenage self. I only started to really understand her about 60% into the book.
Jaime (MMC) stepped up as a teenager and is still taking responsibility for way to many things. He likes being needed. This in itself should have caused some conflict as Scarlett is so independent.
I enjoyed learning more about chess and also more about making a show.

Overall I enjoyed this book and enjoyed learning more about chess and about writing scripts for a show. The second chance romance worked for me as the initial break up in high school was organic in a sense. They were on very different paths so it was almost a given. I loved that they found their way back to each other.

Bold Moves is such a refreshing read! Emma Barry does an amazing job of creating characters that feel modern, relatable, and unapologetically ambitious. The story balances romance and personal growth really well, and I loved how the protagonists were both driven and flawed in their own ways. It’s a bit of a slow burn, but that only makes the chemistry feel more believable and satisfying when it finally clicks. Plus, the dialogue is witty without feeling forced, which kept me invested in their journey.

What I really appreciated was how the book challenges the idea of playing it safe, both in love and in life. It’s about taking risks, whether it’s in your career, your relationships, or just being honest about what you want. I found myself rooting for the characters not just as a couple but as individuals trying to figure out their own paths. If you’re looking for a romance that’s both smart and heartfelt, this one’s a solid pick.

3.75 stars

This wasn't bad at all and there were parts I really loved. There were random times I felt things were a little slow or repetitive. At first I felt the main conflict throughout the second half was a bit crazy but then...I remembered men can be incredibly stubborn and hypocritical so it did actually represent reality. But even that bothered me because it lasted so long and there was not enough groveling. I liked the FMC a lot though, I felt she was real and showed some real growth throughout. Overall, I think people that love a more drama filled romance will really enjoy it but if you are looking for something a bit fluffier, this might not be it.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this eARC!

I loved how intricate the plot was and the complexity of the characters. I really appreciated this contribution to the romance genre, which gets a bad reputation for being corny or fluffy. This book was neither of those things! I really loved the chess elements and the subplot about the opioid epidemic in Appalachia (particularly as an Appalachian myself).