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melissaslibraryy's review against another edition
- 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
4.75
Graphic: Chronic illness, Cursing, Panic attacks/disorders, Grief, and Death of parent
Moderate: Infidelity, Mental illness, Sexual content, Dementia, Car accident, and Abandonment
breedawnwriter's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
I’m in love with this book, and it 100% deserves the hype.
Graphic: Cursing, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, and Sexism
Moderate: Sexual content
Minor: Car accident, Death of parent, and Alcohol
The protagonist is bisexual/pansexual, her best friend dates a girl; sex/sexual content is discussed frequently by the characters; and there are two sexual scenes (one is fade to black and the other is interrupted).angelofthetardis's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Summing this book up is relatively easy - it's essentially 'The Queen's Gambit' by Walter Tevis, but without the drugs and alcohol. If you've read that one, this does feel rather tame and cutesy in comparison. That's not to say it's a bad book; it's very easy to read, even if you don't know much about chess, and is generally enjoyable. If you need a quick distraction read, this is a good one to pick up.
I do like the social commentary aspect of this book though; the breaking down of an 'old boys network' and the fact that women will unconaciously underperform in certain circumstances (like when playing chess) when they 'know' they're facing a man. The 'old boys' in this case aren't that old, but have the attitude that the main character is intruding in their man's world and has either been given an unfair advantage to get there, or has slept her way to her spot. So there is definitely a sense of satisfaction when they receive their comeuppance. Otherwise though, there's not a whole lot of depth to the story - it is primarily a beach read romance.
If I suspend my disbelief, I can get on board with the relationship between our two protagonists. I'm not entirely convinced a relationship would develop like this in the real world, but hey, that's why it's fiction! They are very sweet and a well matched pair, and the gentleness with which they fall is lovely. My main frustration however is that the author spends almost the whole book building up the fact that Nolan wants to face Mallory in a professional game with proper stakes... and then draws the book to a conclusion without giving us the payoff to that build! It just needs one more chapter!
I also have to say that I found Mallory's younger sisters REALLY annoying, especially Sabrina. I felt they added very little to the story, and it felt like quite lazy writing when their whole attitude changes on the strength of one conversation. They were just the least believable part of the writing for me.
Overall, it's not quite what I was expecting, but it is about on par with what I was expecting.
Moderate: Misogyny, Sexism, and Death of parent
Minor: Chronic illness, Cursing, Infidelity, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual content, Dementia, and Car accident
taypaige25's review against another edition
- 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
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
Moderate: Cursing, Death, Mental illness, Misogyny, Sexism, Grief, and Death of parent
Minor: Panic attacks/disorders, Car accident, and Alcohol
tinkithesquirelll's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
Minor: Panic attacks/disorders, Car accident, and Death of parent