A review by thorns_and_thunder
Check & Mate by Ali Hazelwood

emotional funny 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

3.75

Does this book have every stereotype for Gen Z that could be mustered? 1000% 
 
Is Ali Hazelwood's signature of explaining how much bigger the ML is than the FL everywhere? Of course 
 
Did i also really enjoy the mixture of unserious generalizations of Gen Z with the real and tough topic of dysfunctional family dynamics? Absolutely 
 
I was skeptical when i first began the book (being hit with a mention of a Bill Nye erotic fan fiction on the first page was A LOT) but was pleasantly surprised with how well this book made difficult family dynamics relatable (or at the very explained why people acted the way they did). 
 
I also enjoyed how relatable Mallory was
(when she joked about how she was good at compartmentalizing on page 37, anger that can come from the responsibilities as the first child on page 51, and how much she struggled with feeling as if she was bothering Easton because she felt inadequate in herself and thought it was “justified” for her to be left behind on page 67).
There were many examples but these are just to name a few that stood out when I first began reading. 
 
Overall it was very interesting seeing the dynamic of Mallory and her family, it was an extremely heavy and delicate system
(that was thankfully addressed before the ending of the book- my heart was breaking for all the Greenleaf girls).
 
 
Now the only real problem I have with this book is the characterization that it is a rivals to lovers romance.
Neither of them sees each other as a rival (I swear if we could have seen Nolan that first time they played he would have had heart eyes after Mallory beat him).
 
In general it feels disingenuous to place this book into the romance category at all because it is a sub-plot in the grand scheme of things. After reading it i felt like i did after Love,Theoretically because while each of the romantic relationships were becoming stronger and did take up space in the book, they did not end in a way that made it nearly as important to the plot as the character development both FMC’S went through from a readers perspective. And while i loved where both of those characters ended up with themselves, the romantic conclusions (in the book- we are to assume they progressed afterwards) were lackluster when reading through the lens of a romance and not as a coming of age/ personal growth (with a sub-plot of romance) because in both stories we are left with more on an open-ending rather than a concrete relationship.
 
Focusing back on this book, I was really disappointed in the epilogue. I understand the thought process behind it but it’s frustrating to read all of their cute interactions before they have their huge fight to then get next to nothing after they reconcile and just felt lazy on the authors part after, again, classifying this book as a romance. 
 
Would I recommend this book? Yes, but I would recommend it as a coming of age story that has romantic elements, not as a romance.
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