REVIEW: Check & Mate by Ali Hazelwood

In Check & Mate by Ali Hazelwood, Up until four years ago, Mallory “Mal” Greenleaf’s world revolved around chess. But after a betrayal that shattered her entire family, she left the competitions behind and focused on somehow paying the bills and keeping her two younger sisters in line while their mom deals with a serious health issue. Quite a lot to pile on an eighteen-year-old’s shoulders. But the guilt Mal feels over what happened a few years ago is just the thing she needs to keep trudging along at her blue-collar job day in and day out. Although when the opportunity to make some cash comes up–even if it *is* playing in a local chess tournament–how can she refuse?

‘His eyes on me are unsettling. There’s something too sharp, too ravenous, almost acquisitive about them. Like the match is an afterthought, and I am what he came here for.’

What surprises Mal even more than how natural playing chess still feels is that she wins. Spectacularly. And the player she bests isn’t just another nobody like her, it’s the reigning World Champion: Nolan “Kingkiller” Sawyer. As handsome as he is moody, he’s known for his temper during matches and his incredible talent on the board. But Mal isn’t about to be swayed by anyone in the competitive world she left behind. No matter how intriguing. Then she’s given the opportunity of a lifetime–something that could take care of every financial issue her family has while allowing her to hone her chess skills. If she’s honest with herself, it’s the type of big break she would have dreamed of a few years back. But does she have what it takes to make a career out of it? And what should she do about her growing feelings for mercurial Nolan?

“When you play, you feel the same thing I feel.”
I grit my teeth. “I have no idea what you feel. Chess is a stupid board game, and–”
“It is a stupid board game, but it’s yours. I see the way you look at the pieces. It’s your world, isn’t it? The one you choose for yourself…”

Ali Hazelwood’s winning streak continues with Check & Mate, a deep dive into the world of chess with the humor, a kickass heroine, and a broody, swoony hero we’ve come to love and expect in her smartly written romances.

“Do you know how incredible you are?”

CW: View Spoiler »Infidelity (historical), parental death (historical), chronic illness (rheumatoid arthritis, detailed), sexism. « Hide Spoiler

Ali Hazelwood’s foray into Young Adult Romance was a resounding success in my humble opinion. The clever quips, fun use of pop culture references, relatable characters, and thread of feminism she’s known for were (thankfully) present and accounted for. But unlike some of her adult romances that were all hot & heavy, with the sexual tension nearly leaping off the pages, Mallory and Nolan’s relationship was a very slow burn that *almost* took a backseat to the struggles our heroine was dealing with in her homelife. And I honestly enjoyed the change of pace.

Without giving too much away, I can say that eighteen-year-old Mal was the provider for her two awesome sisters and her wonderful mother due to unfortunate circumstances. She took the job seriously–to the point she was martyrish. I could understand where she was coming from. But Mal took it to the extreme, nearly punishing herself for things (that were not her fault) that had happened over the past four years. Including giving up chess. A game she adored and at which she excelled.

Hazelwood was clever in how she drew Mal back into that competitive world basically as a means to an end, a way to earn money for her family. Even though it was supposed to be like any other job, Mal’s love for the sport came back full swing after four years away from chess, showing how much she had to learn, but also that her innate ability to read the board was still there. And that’s where Nolan came into the picture.

Twenty-year-old Nolan was somewhat like Hazelwood’s other heroes in that he was a tad grumpy and misunderstood–and, yes, he was a tall, athletically built guy (but not a behemoth like previous heroes, lol). I wasn’t sure what to expect from him. But Nolan’s fascination with Mal’s performance when they were competitors was sigh-worthy to me. Again, without any spoilers, there were reasons for everything he did and said, all of them in Mal’s–and her family’s–best interest. And I loved how their backgrounds pulled them together. How Nolan and Mal so deeply understood each other–on *and* off the chessboard.

QOTD: Are you a chess player or a fan of the game?

Book Info:

Publication: November 7th, 2023 | Penguin Teen |

In this clever and swoonworthy YA debut from the New York Times bestselling author of The Love Hypothesis , life’s moving pieces bring rival chess players together in a match for the heart.

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 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…)