Reviews with content warning for Cursing - Check & Mate

This was fun, page-turning, romantic, chess-filled, and filled with coming-of-age goodness — and that’s all I wanted from it! An absolute delight that makes me want to rewatch The Queen’s Gambit.

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hdoomk's review against another edition

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medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.25

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lightsuplibrary's review against another edition

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emotional funny hopeful fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

ali hazlewood, you did it again! being an adult in my late twenties, i will say first and foremost that i was nervous to read YA. i don’t touch it anymore unless its a really beloved series. but this…i loved truly and dearly. i also found myself enjoying chess as the plot device, which i didn’t expect to happen.

the romance was freaking adorable and pure and i just wanted to squish their cheeks. nolan sawyer was the cutest little guy, and i enjoy when a guy is just head over heels and is super sure about it. i think the side characters were strong too, and i giggled way too many times at mallory’s little sisters.

it was a big heap of slow burn, and i still feel robbed of more time for mallory and nolan together. but it’s okay. the characters really truly likeable, despite the fact that i’ve seen so many people say they dislike mallory. but i relate to her something fierce. i was that 18 year old without stable parents trying to raise my brother and skipping college and getting dead end jobs. it brought me back to a place where i can say now that i’m proud of myself. and i’m proud of her too

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kimveach's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring lighthearted fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

I love everything this author writes; this young adult book is no exception. As with most of her books, the romance takes a back seat to the more critical issues the young woman faces. While I don't play chess, I loved reading this book about chess. If you enjoyed watching "The Queen's Gambit," you'll probably like this book. (I never read The Queen's Gambit book, so I can't compare it to that.)

While the author's other books have graphic sex, this book is mostly about lust and has euphemisms for sexual situations.

Once again, Ali Hazelwood has written a book about a woman in a male-dominated field filled with humor, knowledge, and warmth.

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whatbeccareadnext's review against another edition

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funny hopeful lighthearted medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

So, I wasn't sure how I would feel about a YA romance, but it turns out I loved it. Ali Hazelwood has found a formula for an addictive novel, and it just keeps working for her.

I think that Ali writes really funny, affable characters and that is why I find her writing so compelling. Do I know exactly how it's going to end? Yes. Does every male character remind me of Adam Driver in a different font? Also yes. Do I care? Not at all. Ali's YA debut is proof that not every romance book needs spice. I was worried that as a woman in her 30s this would read super young for me, but it didn't. It was a super enjoyable read and I highly recommend it.

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classical_learner's review against another edition

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funny hopeful informative lighthearted medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

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katewheels13's review against another edition

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Dnf at 286 pages. The main character went from ok to distinctly unlikable as the book went on. The romance was meh, though I liked the character. While some of the supporting characters were fun and I enjoyed the chess aspect, Mallory put me off. The book also will be outdated within a few years since Hazelwood dropped a bunch of pop culture references. My other big complaint is the amount of weird fixation on the main character’s sex life (and her 12 year old sister talking about her sister’s sex life). I think Hazelwood was trying to present a sex positive character, but it fell a little short on the messaging for me. Also you can make a drinking game out of how many f-bombs are dropped in this book.

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betweentheshelves's review against another edition

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emotional funny lighthearted medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

Buckle up friends, because as my co-workers can attest to, I have a lot of feelings about this book and they mostly have to do with the current state of YA. First, let's start out with the positives! I appreciate that this book shows a path other than college for high school seniors, because not everyone has to go to college. The narrator for the audiobook also did a great job; the narration style was reallly engaging.

I think a lot of adult fiction writers think that if you make your characters teenagers (which the love interest is not a teenager, but I digress), that means it's young adult. This book very much just feels like Hazelwood's other books, but the characters just happen to be younger and the sex scenes are just fade to black. In a way, the tone reminded me of Never Ever Getting Back Together by Sophie Gonzalez, which would have worked much better as an adult romance.

Mallory is said to be 18, but in my opinion, she reads older than that for most of the book. The entire vibe of the book feels like more college, new adult to me, which fine! But indicative of the current problem in YA which is: characters being aged up. When YA was just starting to gain traction with publishers, the average age of protagonists was probably 14-16, and you'd get the occasional older protagonist. Now, there is a lot more YA about graduating, going to college, etc. Is there room for that in YA? Absolutely. These are still problems relevant to teenagers. But to make the majority of YA set in this age group erases the group that it was originally written for.

Anyway, this isn't to say Hazelwood is a bad writer. This book is fun, it fits the tone of the other romances she's written, even if you can look past the fact that most of her love interests are Adam Driver inspired. It's just rare skill for writers to be able to flex between audiences, and I don't think that's her strong suit. Mostly because it feels like she thinks hitting the teenage voice just means throwing in a bunch of pop culture references.

This is a fun, chess inspired story that I wish would have been just published as new adult instead. Chances are if you enjoyed Hazelwood's other books, you'll probably enjoy this one. Unless you're reading them for the spice.

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