*I received a digital ARC on NetGalley from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.*
Title: Check & Mate
Author: Ali Hazelwood
Publisher: G. P. Putnam’s Sons Books for Young Readers
Publication Date: November 7, 2023
ISBN: 9780593619919
Synopsis:
Mallory Greenleaf is done with chess. Every move counts nowadays; after the sport led to the destruction of her family four years earlier, Mallory’s focus is on her mom, her sisters, and the dead-end job that keeps the lights on. That is, until she begrudgingly agrees to play in one last charity tournament and inadvertently wipes the board with notorious “Kingkiller” Nolan Sawyer: current world champion and reigning Bad Boy of chess.
Nolan’s loss to an unknown rook-ie shocks everyone. What’s even more confusing? His desire to cross pawns again. What kind of gambit is Nolan playing? The smart move would be to walk away. Resign. Game over. But Mallory’s victory opens the door to sorely needed cash-prizes and despite everything, she can’t help feeling drawn to the enigmatic strategist….
As she rockets up the ranks, Mallory struggles to keep her family safely separated from the game that wrecked it in the first place. And as her love for the sport she so desperately wanted to hate begins to rekindle, Mallory quickly realizes that the games aren’t only on the board, the spotlight is brighter than she imagined, and the competition can be fierce (-ly attractive. And intelligent…and infuriating…)
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Sweet and endearing are the perfect words to describe this To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before-meets-The Queen’s Gambit, YA romance. This story follows chess prodigy, Mallory, who’s running from her painful past and has left chess, the love of her life, behind to support her family. Life is about practicality and making ends meet, though chess has remained a small, but niggling thought in the corner of her mind. At an impromptu chess tournament, she accidentally beats the current world champion, Nolan.
Nolan, who has distinct Peter Kavinksy vibes, keeps to himself behind a tough intellectual and devastatingly handsome exterior. He’s a secret soft-hearted teddy bear whose only passion until now has been chess. He’s not the guy he seems from afar. For Nolan, he seeks the challenge of a partner equally matched to himself, and Mallory just might be that person.
This book has a intellectual badass female protagonist who gets everything she deserves and then some. Her love story is mushy and lovely. It’s the exact level of adorable indulgence that’s perfect to get lost in as the weather starts to turn. Grab a blanket, a tea, some pillows, and this book; you’ll be all set for a day cozied up by the fire. As far as YA plots go, it’s nice to see a story that has an uncomplicated romance and a fresh and under-represented theme. Who knew that chess tournaments could be so intense? There are a tad too many pop culture references, but as someone who’s obsessed with Gilmore Girls, I can’t really complain. I don’t think it’ll age well, but it’ll appeal to the target demographic and it definitely gave me a few good laughs.
I hope you’ll enjoy this one! Happy reading!
Worn Pages and Ink 