I think this is my favourite teen romance of this year. The story was cute, and I related to the FMC in the way that all she wanted to do was provide for her family, even before her own well-being. I think the relationship between Nolan and Mallory developed very naturally and it was extremely sweet. The way he cared about her was adorable. I have to be honest though, if Ali Hazelwood wrote it, I'd probably love it. She's got my brand of cheesy down to a tee (so yes, I do recognize her books may be cheesy but I'm eating it up!).

Absolutely adored. I will read and love anything by Miss Ali Hazelwood. Obviously this was much more PG than her adult novels, but she continues to surprise me as a fluid author that can master any genre. Go Ali!

I found Check & Mate to be purely entertaining hence the 5 stars, but I must admit from an adult perspective, there are many issues with the storyline that I could have dropped the score to a 3.5. As a HS School Librarian, when I read YA I try to keep the intended audience in mind. The main characters do seem to be a bit older than high school and some of the dialogue is not realistic for teens to be discussing with adults. Overall, I would recommend this to my teens.

Thank you for the advance copy.

Thank you so much to Penguin Teen and NetGalley for sending me an eARC of this book in exchange for my honest review!

I adore Ali Hazelwood, but, no lie, I had my doubts about a YA chess romance. I should've trusted the queen, because this had me hooked from page one and I don't even particularly CARE about chess.

Man, did I care by the time I finished reading this book lol. Mallory and Nolan were adorable and I loved their love. This book managed to tug my heartstrings in every direction and I loved it SO MUCH.

Ali Hazelwood continues to be the go-to for any kind of STEM (although does this count? Idk lol) romance and she's an auto-buy author for me.

I absolutely fell in love with this book. I am such a fan of Ali's and this was one of my favorites of hers. No one writes romance like her! Read this, then read all of her books!

I really enjoyed check mate it was fun and cute, I found the main character to be very relatable and I think her and Nolan share such a great relationship so it was fun to follow them on their chess journey, I wish the ending was a bit more in depth but I always want more.
Thank you Netgalley and author for this early arc!

5/5 stars

"I've got you. Nothing bad is going to happen. You can let yourself want this because you already have it. You have me."

Guys GUYS this quote alone should be enough to convince you to read this book. I want to learn how to play competitive chess now so I can find my own Nolan oml

As Ali Hazelwood's first YA, I really enjoyed this - I thought the pacing was a bit different from what I've read from her so far in her adult novels but not in a bad way at all. I thought the character depth and backstories were refreshingly different from her previous books, which, while all amazing, are pretty similar in terms of character archetypes and plot structures.

As a burnt-out older sibling, I felt so called out by this book in the best way and some of the quotes in this book - LIKE PLSSS GO READ THIS RN

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for a review copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Check & Mate is a fun, funny, and fantastic game of life, friendship, relationships, and all that chess has to offer.

Ali Hazelwood has a magnificent gift for humor with all of her characters amidst their beautiful brains. And the tension she built between these MCs was wonderfully sweet with just a bit of simmering tension. I absolutely LOVE Mallory and Nolan.

Mallory's home life is... chaotic, yes. But she excels as a daughter, sister, and friend. I loved her siblings (even when they're little brats) and my heart went out to them all.

With a perfect mix of YA charm, great character development, hilarious shenanigans, and Ali Hazelwood's signature character chemistry, Check & Mate is a joy.

**Thank you so much to NetGalley, Penguin, and Ali Hazelwood for a copy of Check & Mate and the opportunity to leave my honest, voluntary review!**

Ali Hazelwood can do no wrong in my eyes. I don't typically read YA but I'll make an exception for Ali. This book didn't read at all like a YA to me. It was mature, thoughtful and had great character development. It kept me engaged and I wasn't bored at all. This just proves that Ali is a must-buy, don't even have to read the synopsis author for me. I loved how smart it was and how it introduced me to another aspect of "nerd" culture that I wasn't aware of. The characters were so well developed and explained and you could feel the connection and struggles within their relationship. 5 stars for sure.

This book was excellent!

Recently, I have been having a hard time getting into Ali Hazelwood books because they're starting to seem too similar, but I absolutely loved this one. I still had all of the best parts of what makes Ali Ali, but it also dove deeper into the characters and fleshed out who they were.

The way that the characters really came to life off the page made this book an easy 5 star. I never would have thought that I would fall in love with a chess book, but this one has me wanting to learn and hopefully meet my own Nolan Sawyer.

This was a cute romance. I didn’t like it quite as much as the previous books I’ve read by the author.
It’s branded as YA, and I guess it is in that it’s less steamy than Hazelwoods other books, but the characters are 18 and 20 years old and seem older.. it did not feel like a YA novel to me. Also,,I am not easily offended by language but it seemed like there was a lot of foul language in there for no reason which irked me. Almost like it was added there to appeal to teens?

Sweet and endearing are the perfect words to describe this To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before-meets-The Queen’s Gambit, YA romance. This story follows chess prodigy, Mallory, who’s running from her painful past and has left chess, the love of her life, behind to support her family. Life is about practicality and making ends meet, though chess has remained a small, but niggling thought in the corner of her mind. At an impromptu chess tournament, she accidentally beats the current world champion, Nolan.

Nolan, who has distinct Peter Kavinksy vibes, keeps to himself behind a tough intellectual and devastatingly handsome exterior. He’s a secret soft-hearted teddy bear whose only passion until now has been chess. He’s not the guy he seems from afar. For Nolan, he seeks the challenge of a partner equally matched to himself, and Mallory just might be that person.

This book has a intellectual badass female protagonist who gets everything she deserves and then some. Her love story is mushy and lovely. It’s the exact level of adorable indulgence that’s perfect to get lost in as the weather starts to turn. Grab a blanket, a tea, some pillows, and this book; you’ll be all set for a day cozied up by the fire. As far as YA plots go, it’s nice to see a story that has an uncomplicated romance and a fresh and under-represented theme. Who knew that chess tournaments could be so intense? There are a tad too many pop culture references, but as someone who’s obsessed with Gilmore Girls, I can’t really complain. I don’t think it’ll age well, but it’ll appeal to the target demographic and it definitely gave me a few good laughs.

Ali Hazelwood is back, this time with a contemporary novel focused on one girl's relationship with chess, and I loved reading all of the parts about chess. It actually made me want to start playing again! For the chess parts, I would give it five stars. But I came in expecting a full-on romance, which I felt like came in second to chess, so the romance part I'd give four stars. Still an absolutely delightful read, and I've already purchased a copy of this amazing book for myself and will be recommending it!

"Check & Mate" by Ali Hazelwood is a delightful romantic comedy that combines humor, heart, and chess in a winning combination. With endearing characters and laugh-out-loud moments, this novel is a joy to read from start to finish. Hazelwood expertly navigates the complexities of relationships, blending them seamlessly with the competitive world of chess. The banter between the main characters crackles with chemistry, keeping readers eagerly turning pages to see how their love story unfolds. As a bonus, the chess theme adds a unique twist, offering a fresh take on the enemies-to-lovers trope. With its witty dialogue and irresistible charm, "Check & Mate" is a perfect choice for anyone in need of a feel-good romantic read.

Check & Mate by Ali Hazelwood is a young adult contemporary romance novel. I was familiar with the author’s adult romance so I had to check out this new young adult and was happy to find I also enjoyed it too.

Mallory Greenleaf has not had anything to do with playing chess since everything in her world fell apart several years ago. Mallory’s father had taught her to play and to play well so when things tear them apart Mallory put the game into the past with her father.

When a friend convinces Mallory to play chess again for charity Mallory never expected to be seated across from the number one player. Mallory certainly also didn’t expect to manage to beat “Kingkiller” Nolan either but before she knows it she’s being swept back into the world of chess tournaments and getting to know Nolan more than she ever expected.

First, let me start off by clarifying that I know very little about the game of chess so if anyone is looking to see if that side of the book is accurate I can’t help with that. The author certainly sounded like she knew a good bit about competitive chess and she convinced me I was spending time in the chess world getting to know these characters though. Along with the romance there was also a lot of character growth which I also appreciate so I was definitely hooked into the story and glad I returned to this author despite the younger characters.

I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.

Thank You to Netgalley , G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers, and Penguin Group Penguin Young Readers Group for allowing me to read this book.

Ali Hazelwood has done it again. Check and Mate is one of my favorite Ali Hazelwood books. The angst and tension between Mallory and Nolan, chefs kiss. I do think Ali Hazelwood manage to bring a lot of the same characteristics from her adult books to her YA debut. I think my major downfall is I took a big break in between starting and finishing. Regardless, I highly recommend reading this book!!

I feel like every book I read by Ali Hazelwood just further laments her spot in my favorites shelf but something about this one just made it a given. I can’t pinpoint what it is exactly that made me love Check&Mate beyond her other works (the family dynamics? the fascinating mechanics of chess? The relationship development? The characters, the found family??? ((Love them so much 😭😭))The pop culture references that never fail to suck me in? Nolan being obsessed with battling Mallory in chess?) but the romance was just….perfection ✨ anyways no notes, no critiques I ate this up, all hail queen Ali Hazelwood

What a fun, lighthearted. and quick read! Yes YA by Ali Hazelwood... and I loved it. The characters were great, and I loved the base plot. It was hard to put down, and I found myself flying through the pages. Which is something every reader loves about a good book.

I would definitely recommend this book to fans of Ali Hazelwood's previous novels!

I received an e-ARC from the publisher.

No one beats him in chess...until she does.

Ali Hazelwood's YA debut contemporary romance is adorable, importantly discusses the prohibitive costs of medication in America and the toll these expenses take on families, and is adorable. I recommend all things Hazelwood always.