A review by readwithria
Check & Mate by Ali Hazelwood

emotional funny hopeful lighthearted tense 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

4.5

Check & Mate stole my heart! Mal and Nolan are so cute, and I loved the chess so much. This book made me want to go rewatch The Queen’s Gambit, and to get into chess, and to reread all my favorite Ali Hazelwood books.

I will say this didn’t feel very YA to me, except for when it did. At times it felt like a closed door adult romance, and at others it was very obvious that Mallory was a teenager (/derogotory, it was very well written shitty teenager behavior 🤣). I think age groups for books can be a bit subjective, but sometimes I forgot Mal wasn’t in her mid 20s.

Ali Hazelwood always hits, and this was close to a home run. 4.5 stars.
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