Ali Hazelwood may have just done it again! Known widely for her steamy STEM-inist romance novels, her latest book, Check & Mate is her first entry into the fun world of Young Adult Fiction.
I’ve read all of Ali Hazelwood’s books thus far, and Check & Mate didn’t disappoint. This novel features a fresh 18-year-old protagonist called Mallory Greenleaf (Legolas who?), who is shouldering a lot of pain and family burden. She was something of a chess prodigy as a child, however, some traumatic events occurred with her father that made her leave a promising chess career behind. Until, her best friend requests she join a tournament to raise money for charity, and she happens to beat the reigning #1 champion (and hot bad boy, of course) Nolan Sawyer.
Mallory is thrust back into the world of chess when she is offered a fellowship (and also fired from her job, which she needs to keep her family’s roof over their heads) and is trying to balance her family commitments, a confusing relationship with chess, and her simmering interest in Nolan.
Mallory’s sisters are also quite the characters (one is definitely a bit nicer than the other!) but you come to understand and love them as the book progresses.
This novel is suitable for both young adult and adult audiences, and I think fans of Ali’s other romance books will still get enjoyment out of this. I knew nothing about chess at all, however, I found the dynamics really intriguing as I went along.
If this review wasn’t enough for you, please continue to hear me chatter about it on this episode of our podcast, Tell Me What To Read.
Tell Me What To Read – Australia's Ultimate Guide to Books (May 15, Edition) – Tell Me What To Read
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- Tell Me What To Read – Australia's Ultimate Guide to Books (April 17, Edition)
- Tell Me What To Read – Australia's Weekly Guide to Books (March 13, Edition)
- Tell Me What To Read – Australia's Weekly Guide to Books (March 6, Edition)
- Tell Me What To Read – Australia's Weekly Guide to Books (February 28, Edition)
Check & Mate
From the bestselling author of The Love Hypothesis
In this clever and swoonworthy new novel from the New York Times and Sunday 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 Sawyer: current world champion and reigning Bad Boy of chess.
Nolan's loss to an unknown rookie 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...)
This novel is suitable for both young adult and adult audiences.
About the Contributor
Kassidy Fisher
Kass is Booktopia's resident Comms and Social Media Specialist. She spends her day scrolling TikTok, picking up the latest trends, and posting content. When she isn't on social media, you can find her on BookTok, reading the latest contemporary romance, or playing with her dog, Leia.
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