Check & Mate

Ali Hazelwood

Nov 2023 · Sold by Penguin

About this ebook

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 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…)

Ratings and reviews

This was a really nice Young Adult Romance in a super fun, interesting, and competitive setting. I loved learning about the gender pressures and toxic culture in chess and that Hazelwood mentions a real life study about women in chess. I also totally adored the MMC/Love Interest and the whole competition atmosphere. Reminded me of The Queen’s Gambit, but a little more feminist and ofc great romance. Definitely recommend!

This is the first book I've read by this author and it will not be the last! I loved everything about this YA novel and couldn't wait to get back to it every evening. The voice was authentic young adult--Mallory's point of view immediately connected me and pulled me in, making me love her more with each page. Her family is composed of strong, intelligent, independent women and I cheered for them as they faced much drama. I enjoyed Mallory and Nolan as enemies to lovers characters.

After chess shattered her family, Mallory abandoned the game. But she reluctantly enters a charity tournament and defeats the world champion, bad boy Nolan. He demands a rematch, and she's lured in by the cash prizes. As she rises in the ranks, will she and Nolan find more in common than the game? — I love Ali Hazelwood! This book immediately immersed me in the plot. I enjoyed these characters and the story. — Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC I received.

About the author

Ali Hazelwood is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Love, Theoretically and The Love Hypothesis, as well as a writer of peer-reviewed articles about brain science, in which no one makes out and the ever after is not always happy. Originally from Italy, she lived in Germany and Japan before moving to the US to pursue a PhD in neuroscience. When Ali is not at work, she can be found running, eating cake pops, or watching sci-fi movies with her three feline overlords (and her slightly-less-feline husband).