CHECK AND MATE BY ALI HAZELWOOD // spoiler-free book review: this book has me in a chokehold and we don’t talk about this NA rivals to lovers chess rom-com enough!!!

I just can’t stay quiet any longer. I must stand up and speak my truth: you are all wrong if you disliked this book and yes I have an argument to back myself up. What can’t of an amateur do you think I am?

Anyways, let’s just get right into it!!!

Title: Check & Mate
Author: Ali Hazelwood
Page count: 325
Date published: 7 November 2023
Genre: New adult contemporary

♟️

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…)

♟️

♟️

Big thanks to Wordsworth Books for the review copy! All thoughts and opinions are my own.

♟️

STAR RATING: (5 out of 5 stars)

I,,, no words,,, head empty,,, send help,,,

Those were all coherent phrases and I won’t take any slander at this time. I said what I said.

♟️

I think this book about literal chess geeks gave me a heart attack and I have zero shame in admitting so.

I honestly don’t know why I keep forgetting how good YA is but I get my socks knocked off every time and I should really learn from my mistakes,,, Somebody please teach me the error of my ways, preferably a chess prodigy if you have any of those lying around. Just putting that out there *wink wink*

Idk if Ali Hazelwood has a bionic funny bone or something but she somehow manages to make me CACKLE out loud at basically every page and I. EAT. IT. UP. And this one is no different. There are actually a lot of reviews that are like ugh too many Gen Z references but as a literal Gen Z myself ummm when? And also I found all the pop culture references funny so I guess we’re on different pages? Speaking of jokes, the number of times Mallory says something so out of pocket about her sisters was TOO GOOD I WAS ACTUALLY DYING. No, I am not being dramatic, they were A++++++

Anyway, I guess this is a good time to talk about the sister relationship in this book which was piss-your-pants hilarious but also GUT WRENCHING and as the oldest sister I want to creep into a hole and cry and never come out ever again. Way to hit me hard Ali. We may have beef about this actually. She personally attacked me. What do you mean my siblings hate me for the shiz I made for them? Yup, I hate it here.

Moment of silence for the way Ali Hazelwood describes chess because how was I ENTRANCED? They’re just sitting there thinking about moves and that level of intelligence is simply beyond me.

Moment of silence round two for Nolan Sawyer who is my actual new favourite boi in the entire world and I would jump in front of a train for this one. THE CHARISMA. They kids use rizz these days but someone tell me why I think I’m too old for that? Agism if you ask me. Alright backtracking. This one HAD ME DEAD ON THE FLOOR AND I WILL NEVER RECOVER!!!!!! This grumpy freaking kid who lives and breathes chess 24/7 and is also the world champion had me beat and I,,, simply have no words. Lowkey need to switch places with Mallory shhhh

Already kind of touched on her character and the way WE ARE THE SAME but ugh I adored her to shreds. Mallory Greenleaf freaking ripped my heart out of my chest, squeezed really hard and shoved it back in. She wants nothing but to be good at something and also be a good sister and it nearly destroyed me. And I’m a smidge jealous of her romantic interests maybe.

If I haven’t already convinced you to PICK UP THE BOOK, here’s me throwing it at your face. Violently. Because how else will you listen?

Insert a keyboard smash alongside this NA contemporary with angsty rival chess players falling in love over a black-and-white board featuring some family drama *wink wink* Yeah so read it. Right now. You might pass out but I promise she’s worth it. K byeeeee hope you’re reading <3<3<3

“He told me once that sometimes, with some people, it’s not about winning or losing, That with some people, it’s just about playing. Though for the longest time, I didn’t really believe him.”

♟️

“Galaxies pass through his black eyes, and I wonder whether this second could last a century. Whether the universe could be just me and him, understanding each other on a forever loop.”

♟️

“I look at him looking at me, and overflow with something I cannot put a name to. “Because when I’m with you, Mallory, everything is different. When I’m with you, I want to play more than I want to win.”

♟️

“Because when I asked myself if I had the right to those tears, the answer was always no, and it was easy to stop myself.”

♟️

“Are you going to run away?”
“What?”
“You usually run away from me. Are you going to?”
“You usually lose your king to me. Are you going to?”
I was aiming for a sharp, jugular-cutting jab. But Sawyer does something I did not expect: he smiles.”

♟️

“I’m sure there are plenty of people who’d love to play. Who’d probably pay just to sit across from you.”
“But I want you, Mallory.”

♟️

“Sometimes I’m scared that I imagined you. Sometimes I think you’re only in my head.”

♟️

“I think about a deserted chessboard. Only the white king on it, standing on the home square. Alone, untethered, safe from threats. Free to roam.”

♟️

“You constantly act like you’re guilty of something awful. Like you deserve nothing but scraps for yourself.”

♟️

“Sawyer is already there. Waiting. Sitting on Black, tracking all my movements. 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.”

♟️

“It has its ups and downs. I used to love it, but a little . . . sameness set in, and I actually thought about quitting. Then Mallory arrived.” His knee suddenly pushes back against mine. “Now I love it again.” Mom cocks her head. “You two must work very closely together.”
“Not nearly as much as I’d like.”

HAVE YOU READ THIS BOOK? OR ANY OTHERS FROM ALI HAZELWOOD? WHAT DID YOU THINK? WHO WAS YOUR FAVOURITE CHARACTER? I’D LOVE TO KNOW!